Tag Archives: new homes in mckinney tx

Green Spring Cleaning

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Spring is an excellent time of year to look at homes for sale in North Dallas, TX, especially if you have children in school. With luck, you can find a home and close on its purchase by the end of the school year, so you can move in over the summer.

Spring is also the time of year when homeowners engage in the rite of “spring cleaning.” But if the thought of dragging out all your cleaning supplies is giving you a headache, you may want to re-think the type of supplies you’re using. If your household cleaners contain harsh chemicals, they may give you a real headache.

There is a way to make your cleaning chores less harmful to you AND your environment. Think green! Choose environmentally friendly cleaning supplies to do the dirty work. You’ll find several brands of “green” household cleaners at your local grocery store these days, such as Seventh Generation and Method that work just as well as traditional cleaners.

You can also choose to make your own cleaning products, using common ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now. Here are a few of the basic supplies you’ll need:

  • Distilled white vinegar 
  • Baking soda
  • Olive oil
  • Borax (found in the supermarket laundry aisle)
  • Liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s brand, found in most natural foods stores)
  • Essential oils (super concentrated natural plant oils found in natural foods stores, usually in the cosmetics section)
  • Microfiber cleaning cloths
  • Newspaper

A mixture of vinegar and water can be used to clean windows and other glass surfaces. Countertops and bathroom tile can be cleaned with a combination of vinegar, baking soda and water. You can find recipes to make your own green cleaning products online.  

If you’re looking at homes for sale in North Dallas, TX, check out the selection of high quality, affordable green homes offered by Landon Homes. Rated as one of the best home builders in North Dallas, Landon delivers uncompromising quality, complete customer satisfaction, and exemplary value in every home it builds. Visit our website for more information.

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Declutter Your Garage

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When you’re looking at McKinney, TX homes for sale, one feature that is important to note is the size of the home’s garage.  If you and your spouse both have cars, then a two-car garage is probably a necessity.  Home builders today are even including three-car garages to accommodate the homeowners’ vehicles, other recreational vehicles, such as an ATV, sports equipment, and tools.

Despite all that space, 50% of homeowners rate the garage as the most disorganized place in the house, according to the National Association of Professional Organizers. Here are some tips to declutter your garage:

1. Take inventory. Look around your garage and determine what you really use, and what’s taking up space. Donate anything that is in good shape to a local charity, and trash the rest.

2. Organize your space.  Choose a layout for your garage that groups similar items together. Sports equipment can be in one area, while outdoor lawn care items and car washing supplies should be in another.  Take advantage of vertical space in your garage to store items up high that you don’t need frequently – whether on a shelf or wall hooks.

3. Shop for supplies. Head to your local IKEA or other home store for organizing supplies like hanging racks for tools, and bins to hold toys, tools or gardening supplies. If you’re handy with tools, you can build your own shelves, drawers or workbench area – or hire someone to do it for you.  Make sure you have any dangerous chemicals or pesticides stored away behind closed doors so children and pets can’t get at them.

4. Keep it clean. Once your garage is organized, make a commitment to keeping it that way. Return items to their designated space when finished.  Every three months or so, give the garage a thorough cleaning. The work you put in will be well worth it – giving you a garage that can actually house your car instead of a bunch of disorganized stuff!

As you’re looking at McKinney, TX homes for sale, consider Landon Homes’ selection of beautiful, eco-friendly homes. The North Dallas home builder respects both the environment and your budget in the top quality homes they build. For more information, visit our website at www.landonhomesusa.com.

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How to Cure the Winter Blues

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Cold weather got you down? Don’t worry. There is a way to get out of that funk.  You can eat more fruits and vegetables. Go see a funny movie. Or paint away the winter blues by adding a burst of color to a room in your new home.

Before you head to your local paint store to stock up on supplies, decide whether you want to spend the weekend painting an entire room. Or take on a smaller project by painting one wall or certain architectural features.

You can add a bold accent color to just one wall. Or liven up the room with stripes or bands of color. Vary the size and width of the bands to give the room a stylish look. Horizontal stripes will make the room look wider and the ceiling appear lower. Vertical stripes have the opposite effect.

Painting crown moldings or arched window treatments a shade lighter or darker than the corresponding wall will emphasize these features in the room. Make sure you test the color on the area to be painted first to see how it looks in the day and night.  Colors will look differently under incandescent and fluorescent lighting compared to natural sunlight.

Certain colors affect people’s moods. So keep in mind what effect you want to achieve in the room you’re painting and then choose the corresponding color.

 - Red stimulates appetite & conversation

 - Blue & Green calm and soothe

 - Yellow sparks creativity

 - Orange stimulates  

 - Brown adds warmth and comfort

 - White illuminates a space

The shade of color you choose also has an impact on a room. Light colors make small spaces open and airy, while darker shades can set off lighter colored objects in the room and bring them into focus.  

Are you looking at homes for sale in Frisco?  You can find affordable north Dallas new homes that are both beautiful and eco-friendly, built by Landon Homes. To schedule a model home tour, contact Tanya Smith at 866-898-3603 or visit the website at www.landonhomesusa.com.

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DFW McKinney Area Growing Fast

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They say that “everything is bigger in Texas,” and that certainly is the case with Dallas-Fort Worth. It’s the fastest growing metropolitan area in the country, both in the last year and the past decade, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

What’s spurring all that growth? Good jobs and affordable housing, as well as a favorable business climate. There’s no corporate income tax, building costs are relatively reasonable and regulations are minimal.

One city that’s been helping to pump up the metro area’s growth is McKinney, site of Landon Homes’ Shiloh Ranch community. McKinney was the nation’s third fastest growing city last year, and has ranked number two in population growth for the last decade.

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McKinney, TX Ranked #5 Best Place to Live in 2010 by CNN Money Magazine

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Landon Homes’ Shiloh Ranch community in McKinney TX is proud to announce that CNN Money Magazine has ranked the top 100 small cities that boast plenty of jobs, great schools, safe streets, low crime, lots to do, charm, and other features that make a town great for raising a family!  McKinney, TX ranks at #5

McKinney, TX was not only ranked #5 in CNN Money Magazine’s top 100, but it boasts the highest job growth rate since 2000 in the top ten!

# 5 – McKinney, TX

Top 100 rank: 5
Population: 125,000
Unemployment: 7.8%

Lots of towns near Dallas have low crime, affordable homes, and good jobs; McKinney is no exception. What makes it stand out is its gem of a downtown. Lovingly restored 19th-century buildings house restaurants, boutiques, and galleries; the 1875 courthouse contains a new performing-arts center.
McKinney’s employment opportunities are robust, sparing many residents a rush-hour drive of up to an hour to Dallas. Defense contractor Raytheon has a 3,700-person division here, and a mix of businesses in financial services, medical technology, and eco-friendly manufacturing are moving in.
Though McKinney has grown like mad over the past decade, you’d never suspect it when driving through its tree-filled communities surrounded by ponds, parks, and hiking trails.

–Vanessa Richardson

http://money.cnn.com/…/PL4845744.html

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New Homes For Sale in McKinney, TX

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Landon Homes welcomes Leonard McManaman as the new onsite sales manager for its brand new home community of Shiloh Ranch in McKinney. Shiloh Ranch celebrates its grand opening this week with a new model opening, showcasing its outstanding design.

McManaman says that the homes in Shiloh Ranch are built with quality materials to provide the highest level of energy efficiency. They are the first homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to feature 2 x 6 exterior wall construction in a production building environment. This thicker lumber holds 57% more insulation to reduce unwanted heat loss or gain, decreasing the energy demand on your home.

What makes Shiloh Ranch unique, according to McManaman, is its excellent home site selection. The community offers oversize cul-de-sac home sites with beautiful landscaping, a brick wall enclosure and an impressive stone entrance, providing the best value for the money in the area. There are also many common areas, a pond, and a future planned playground for the kids. Plus, Shiloh Ranch is located right next door to the exemplary rated J.R. Wilmeth Elementary School.  Floor plans range from 2,100 to 3,800 sq ft and are priced from the $180’s.

McManaman says McKinney’s motto is “unique by nature”. And the proof of that is in their policy of requiring businesses to maintain high quality curb appeal, and encouraging neighborhoods to have lots of trees and landscaping. The city of McKinney features rolling hills, lush trees and a historic downtown square and ranked 9th among the top 25 best places to move according to Forbes Magazine.

With more than 10 years new home sales experience, McManaman says he’s happy to be with a company that has a lot of home building experience, knowledge, and works together as a team. The family atmosphere at Landon hits close to home for Leonard. His father, Dan, is the sales manager for Landon’s Grayhawk Estates community.

If you’d like to schedule a tour of the new model home at Shiloh Ranch, contact Tanya Smith at 214-707-0347 or visit the website at LandonHomesUSA.com for more information.

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Building Green Homes in Dallas- Better Built By Design

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Landon Homes prides itself on the fact that its homes are “better built by design.”  What does that mean to a prospective home buyer? It means a Landon home has lower operating costs, a greener footprint and great value – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! 

John Landon, president of the North Dallas homebuilder, uses the latest energy efficient technologies in every Landon home to minimize monthly utility expenses.  Landon also helps contribute to a greener way of life by using eco-friendly fly ash concrete foundations. As a result, each Landon home prevents more than 3 metric tons of carbon dioxide from contributing to global warming. 

To learn more about what makes a Landon Home “green,” watch our new video

If you’d like to visit one of our better built, affordable, energy efficient models for yourself, contact Tanya Smith anytime by phone at 214-707-0347 or just click on our LIVE CHAT feature throughout the Landon Homes website.

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Landon Opens New Home Community in McKinney, TX

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Landon Homes announces the grand opening of its exciting new home community Shiloh Ranch in McKinney.  Shiloh Ranch is a 100 plus acre community situated off Custer Road and Virginia Parkway.   This community offers the customer oversized homesites, easy access to Hwys 121 and 380 and an exemplary onsite elementary school.

Landon Homes has created the ultimate in energy efficiency as the first major builder in DFW using 2 x 6 exterior wall construction in a production building environment. This type of construction offers up to 60% more insulation than industry standard, and the huge savings being passed on to their customers is incredible. With a wealth of experience, attention to detail and amazing design features, Landon Homes has created the ultimate value equation for the customer. 

Shiloh Ranch in McKinney is surrounded by beautiful landscaping, a brick wall enclosure and an impressive stone entrance that gives the feeling of home. It offers many common areas, a future planned playground area for the kids, a pond, cul-de-sac homesites and a new onsite elementary school.  Floor plans range from 2,100 to 3,800 sq ft and are priced from the $170’s.

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