It's the "Lease" you can do.

There are many reasons that renting a house instead of an apartment is a good fit.

1. If you're older than 25 and can't stand noise through thin walls on 3 sides of you in an apartment.

2. You're moving to a new area and want time to get a feel for the community.

3. You have a pet larger than 20 pounds or more than one pet.

4. Have sold your current house and are waiting on the completion of your new one. It's often easier and cheaper to keep your furniture with you instead of in a 3rd party storage facility.

Likewise, sometimes an apartment is just the ticket.

1. Cheap deposits, usually around $300- $500

2. Shorter lease term. Some apartments allow for 3 or 6 month, some even month to month.

3. If your family has not relocated with you yet and you just need a place during the week for one person.

If you're needing to rent a house or an apartment in McKinney, call me today. I can provide you a list including information about the surrounding area and school attendance zones.

Alarming news.

Until now (October 1) if your home or business alarm was triggered, the appropriate authorities came to the rescue. The city required you to register and pay the fees but if something happened, they still came running whether you had paid or not. McKinney has adopted a "No Permit. No Response" policy that has just gone into effect. The penalty for not being registered is a whopping $500! It's inexpensive and easy to register with the City online. Residential fees are $50 annually and business permits are $100. The permit covers all types of alarms including burglary, robbery, panic/duress, medical/fire.

Two Glasses of Wine

I'm going to have to stretch to make today's blog entry about real estate or McKinney but I want to share this story anyway so here goes. In a recent blog, I committed to promoting local businesses, today's featured business is one of my favorite places in the world, Zin Zen. It's located right in the heart of Stonebridge Ranch, has a great patio and warm decor. The food and wines are awesome and reasonably priced (although check your bill if you order Silver Oak ;-D) but the glue that makes it really come together is the owners, Luetta and Lori. Visit their website and get on the mailing list, they do all kinds of special events centered around my favorite beverage, vino!

Here's the story:

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours
in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses
of wine theory...

A professor stood before his philosophy class with some items on his
desk in front of him. When the class began wordlessly, he picked up a
very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with
golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They
agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas
between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar
was full. They agreed it was

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if
the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "YES."

The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table
and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the
empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the
professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that
this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important
things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and
your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and
only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are
the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.
The sand is everything else; the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first", he continued, "there is no
room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you
spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have
room for the good things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play
with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your
partner out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. Do one more run down the
ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the
disposal. Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really
matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine
represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes
to show you that no matter how full your life may seem there's always
room for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend."