Protect Yourself from Package Theft

Package theft, also known as "front porch shopping", rises during the holiday season. If you are shipping any gifts this month, below are some package protection tips:

• Skip the surprise: inform the receiver you are sending the package, and send it to a location where s/he will be on-hand to sign for it. The goal is to make sure the package isn't unattended for a significant length of time.
• Consider going one step further and asking the receiver to pick the package up at a shipping facility.
• Track your shipments online to confirm delivery and/or require signature for receipt.
• When you send the package, ship it from the facility rather than leaving it outside your home for pickup.
• Insure valuable items.
• Watch for vehicles following delivery vans in your village. Some thieves track shipment drivers from house to house.

This post courtesy of the Communications Team at Stonebridge Ranch Community Association.

Dallas Market Ranked #1 in Real Estate Sales

Supply and Demand Drive Home Costs in North Texas

The Dallas Morning News has reported that DFW home prices have risen more than 40 percent in the last four years.  The median price of a new house sold in DFW in 3QA 2016  rose to $336,381.  Labor shortages have added more than $4,00 to the price of a new house due to delays in construction, shortages of skilled labor and higher costs for materials.

Prices for pre-owned homes in North Texas were up 12 percent in September, the biggest yearover year gain in 2016.  Among other statistics tracked by realtors, it took less than 40 days on the market to sell a house.  A chief economist with the Real Estate Center said new listings enter the MLM as pending sales rather than active listings.

A recent report by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) ranked Dallas as the #1 real estate market in the U.S.  in 2016.

Take Advantage of Community Matching Grants to Spruce Up your Neighborhood!

Metro area neighborhoods are finding extra funds to do beautification and environmental projects by tapping grants made by a number of city governments and entities across the Metroplex.

Community workday at Cambridge Place at Russell Creek HOA

A case in point is Cambridge Place at Russell Creek HOA. The HOA is the recipient of a matching $10,000 Neighborhood Vitality and Beautification Grant from the City of Plano. Their project improved a former playground area that backs up to the public walking trail and that is adjacent to the neighborhood pool. To read about the neighborhood project, see the CMA website.  A photo album of the community workday can be viewed here.

Beautiful, sustainable communities improve property values and enrich the quality of life for the residents.  Many homeowners volunteer and invest "sweat equity" in projects to reap the benefits for everyone in the neighborhood to enjoy.

The Plano program began in 2014.  Read more information and matching grant guidelines for the program.  View a description of the HOA's award-winning project with photos.

Matching grant programs, such as that in the city of Plano, are offered in other communities as well. A partial listing is shown below, gleaned from municipal websites which publicize grants for neighborhood groups.  Please contact your local city or other organizations to verify if the information is current and learn if programs are available to your community.

City of McKinney—Public parks and open space improvement projects are available through the McKinney Community Development Corporation.

City of Carrollton-- Neighborhood Enhancement Matching Grantprogram

City of Denton--  Keep Denton Beautiful Neighborhood Beautification Grants

City of Rowlett—Neighborhood Beautification Grants

City of Dallas/city of Irving –Tree planting programs

City of Richardson—Neighborhood Vitality Program

City of Cedar Hill --  Neighborhood Matching Grant Program 

Garland—Neighborhood Vitality Grant Program

Desoto -- Neighborhood Grant Program   

Keep Texas Beautiful

Why not take the lead to uncover free funds to do projects that will make your neighborhood an even better places to live? 

Tips to be a Good Neighbor

Being a Good Neighbor

These are a few basic etiquette rules to be a good neighbor.  The ultimate goal is to live in peace and harmony, and even though that’s not always possible, you can at least do whatever it takes to prevent hostilities and long-lasting hard feelings.

Follow the Golden Rule to be a good neighbor. These are people you are likely to see everyday, or at least fairly often. You don’t want to have to lower your head in shame after you know you’ve misbehaved.

• Observe and respect your neighbor’s personal space.
• Try not to borrow anything, but if you must, return the item immediately after using it. If you break the item, pay to fix it or replace it.
• Don’t be the neighborhood gossip. That’s just rude and will eventually come back to bite you.
• If you have an issue with a neighbor, go directly to that person and discuss it in an adult manner. Don’t call the cops unless you are threatened.
• Not everyone is a dog or cat lover, so show responsibility for your pets. That includes keeping them off the neighbor’s lawn and picking up after them.
• Remember your neighbors during the holidays with a card or small homemade gift.
• If your neighborhood has a homeowner’s association, know the rules and follow them. 

Source:  http://etiquette.about.com

Is there a school zone in your neighborhood?

It's a good time to be reminded of school zone laws and courtesies to keep our children safe.  The end of summer means millions of Texas children will soon return to school. TxDOT reminds drivers to be extra cautious as school zones become more active and be aware of school bus safety.

Last year, 663 vehicle crashes occurred in school zones in Texas, resulting in zero deaths and 21 serious injuries. August and September of 2014 alone saw 107 crashes in school zones. The most common factors contributing to these crashes were driver inattention, failure to control speed and failure to yield the right of way at stop signs.

Following these simple tips can help Texas children reach school safely and help drivers avoid costly fines and tickets.

Tips for Driving in School Zones

• Put away your cell phone. Cell phone use is banned in active school zones, and violators face fines of up to $200 in school zones where signs are posted.
• Always obey school zone speed limit signs. Remember, traffic fines usually double in school zones.
• Drop off and pick up your children in your school’s designated areas, not the middle of the street.
• Keep an eye on children gathered at bus stops.
• Be alert for children who might dart across the street or between vehicles on their way to school.

This information and more about school safety can be found on the TXDOT website.   http://www.txdot.gov/driver/kids-teens/school.html

School Yourself for a Sustainable Home and Environment!

Sighing with relief to send the kids back to school soon?  Time to think about how to spend that free time with educational opportunities offered for homeowners by several municipalities. Sustainable living is the theme for many of the educational events in the fall curriculum.

For example,  the city of Plano offers residents free workshops on how to increase your home's energy efficiency.  Another workshop features how-tos. for for the not-so-handy. Learn how to:  

• Use a caulk gun
• Install weatherstripping
• Repair a leaky duct
• Use outlet insulators
• install a door sweep

Visit the Plano website for the August dates and times.

September brings the Autumn Landscape education series in the city of Allen. Edible Landscaping and How to Make a Rain Barrel are two of the classes being offered.  There is a fee for materials for the rain barrel class.  Check out the details here. 

The fall also brings a line-up of "green" events and seminars for McKinney residents. Scheduled  in September and October, featured topics include composting and picking up litter.  Register online and view the full line-up of these events on the city of McKinney website. 

Here, kitty, kitty. Bobcats may visit your neighborhood!

Did you know that bobcats have been spotted in many metro neighborhoods and are quite normal for this part of Texas?  Here is a quick list of Do's and Don'ts to help keep your family and pets safe. While bobcats are not known to approach or attack people, if they are sick, injured or feel trapped, they could strike out of fear. 

Do's 

• Do keep small dogs and cats inside at night. 
• Do keep the covers secured on your trash receptacles. 
• Do keep your dog and cat on a leash (as required by city ordinance). 
• Do report the coyote/bobcat sighting to the DFW Wildlife Coalition (972-234-9453). 
• Do try to consider that they were here first.

Don’ts 

• Do not feed your pets on the back porch or leave food out overnight. 
• Do not walk your small dog in wooded areas. 
• Do not approach, chase, make noises at, throw rocks at or otherwise taunt a coyote or bobcat. 
• Do not approach any wild animal that appears trapped, injured, or sick. Contact Animal Services immediately 
• Do not ever try to touch a coyote, bobcat, or any other wild animal.

Also feel free to check out the links below for more information. 

FAQ about Wildlife from Plano

 DFWWildlife Coalition

Thanks to one of our Allen HOAs for sharing this information with their fellow owners and with CMA. 

April Is Keep America Beautiful Month

In advance of Earth Day on April 22, communities around the Metroplex are holding environmental and beautification events.

Your homeowner's association may be sponsoring an event for your neighborhood.

Or, find an opportunity to be community-minded and participate in Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup events throughout the area. The Great American Cleanup is the nation’s largest community improvement program, taking place in some 20,000 communities nationwide. Learn more about how you can get involved in a community event where you live.  

Great American Cleanup-Plano, April 16

Great American Cleanup-Allen, April 16





Don't Mess with Texas Trash-Off --
all on April 16

• Garland               
• Richardson
• The Colony

Trash Bash-Balch Springs, April 16

Clean It and Green It- Frisco, April 23

Earth Day Texas, Fair Park, Dallas,  April 22-24

Devise your own neighborhood event for your family with a scavenger hunt to pick up trash.

Here's a list to get you started. Scavenger Hunt List

Newcomers to the Lone Star State

Four Texas Metro Areas Collectively Add More Than 400,000 People in the Last Year, Census Bureau Reports

Have you noticed the influx of newcomers to your neighborhood?   According to a U.S. Census Bureau release, four Texas metro areas together added more people last year than any state in the country except for Texas as a whole, according to new U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released today. The population in these four metro areas increased by more than 400,000 people from July 1, 2014, to July 1, 2015.

The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro areas added about 159,000 and 145,000 residents, respectively — the largest gains of any metro areas in the nation. Two additional Texas metro areas adjacent to each other — Austin-Round Rock and San Antonio-New Braunfels — were each also among the 16 nationwide to gain 50,000 or more people over the period.
These four Texas metro areas collectively added about 412,000 people. Texas as a whole gained about 490,000.

Eight counties drove Texas’ metro area growth and were among the 20 counties nationwide that gained the most population between 2014 and 2015. Altogether, they added 306,736 people:

• The Dallas metro area contained four of these counties: Tarrant, Dallas, Collin and Denton.
• The Houston metro area contained two: Harris, which led the nation by gaining more than 90,000 people, and Fort Bend.
• Bexar, in the San Antonio metro area.
• Travis, in the Austin metro area.

In the true Texas friendly spirit, make newcomers feel welcome and invite them to get involved. They're more than a number--they're neighbors!