Fort Worth Real Estate Online

According to an article in the Washington Post, a federal judge in California has given that great protector of the nation's wildlife, and forest and animal preserves, President George W. Bush, a total of sixteen days in which to quit procrastinating, and finally decide whether or not to place the loveable Polor Bear on the Endangered Species List.

With the Polar Ice Cap continuing to melt at such an alarming rate, the natural habitat for this most beautiful creature is quickly disappearing... now at a rate that has surprised even the most alarmist of the "environmentally conscious."

Mr. Bush, rarely viewed as an avid "Tree Hugger..." was thrust once again into the national spotlight by this recent turn of events.  The Department of The Interior has been thought to be close to adding polar bears to the "endangered species" list.   It even set it's own deadline to try and come to a decision... but in a startling but not too surprising outcome... the folks at the Interior Department consequently missed abiding by their very own deadline. 

Administration spokesmen have argued that the debate is not about protecting the polar bear, but more about an alarmist group advancing it own particular political agenda.  I suggest our administration officials, and President Bush... please ask the mama bear and her two bear cubs pictured above about that.  Are they "endangered ?"  Well... just take a look at their faces.  What do you think ? 

Once again, Karen Anne Stone and New Home Hunters DFW presents just an absolutely gorgeous home in North Fort Worth on the Western Edge of Keller... and the great news is... it is Available and Ready for Immediate Occupancy.

This three bedroom, two bath home is just overflowing with standard features and optional goodies... all of which are included in the price of $173,990.  The home features a large "great room," a gourmet kitchen with granite counter-tops, a gas cook-top, oil-rubbed bronze tile back-splash in the bathrooms and kitchen, and two inch faux wood blinds throughout. 

The home also features a "Flex Room" which could be a formal dining room, or additional sitting/living area, a covered rear patio, upgraded ceramic tile in all the main areas, a gas/wood-burning fireplace, an incredibly efficient radiant roof barrier, and of course, full sprinkler and security system.

All three bedrooms are "over-sized..." with the second bedroom being 13 x 11.6 and the third bedroom measuring 12.6 x 11.6.  The gorgeous front elevation of this pretty home features the popular "farm house" look with two dormers, and a covered front porch with brick support columns.  A beautiful "decorator" front door completes the package.

If you are in the market for a gorgeous new home, and are finally ready to make the move from "Just Looking" to "Let's Get Serious"... one call to the New Home Hotline at (817) 929-3400 is all it takes for your very own personal tour.  You may also see this and many other really great homes at www.NewHomeHuntersDFW.com . 

According to a recent survey by CNN and Money Magazine to determine the "Best Place to Live...," Fort Worth, Texas was named Number One in the Largest Cities category.

The criteria used in determining the rankings included affordable housing, availability of cultural facilities, job growth, sunny weather, short commute time, excellent infrastructure and good health care access.

Fort Worth features excellent and very affordable housing.  The fact that Fort Worth real estate is consistently ranked as one of the "most home for the money" cities is widely known. 

When surveying the degree of "cultural options and opportunities..." Fort Worth, with it's Cultural and Museum District on the western edge of the city...  placed it very high on the list.

Job growth was also a very important category used in determining ranking in CNN Money's Best Places to Live.  The Fort Worth/Dallas area has enjoyed an infusion of over 140,000 new jobs in 2007... highest in the nation.

Other important categories used in the rankings included sunny weather, short commute time, and good health care access.  With Fort Worth's excellent climate, it's plentiful traffic infrastructure... which is also expanding in every direction possible... Fort Worth's commute times were one of the lowest in the nation in the Larger Cities category.

Finally, Fort Worth worth enjoys an excellent availability of top-rated hospitals and other medical care facilities... all in all contributing to it's top-rank placement.

In addition, there were three other Texas cities in the top ten that are all within twenty-five miles of Fort Worth... Arlington, Denton and Lewisville. 

Also worthy of mention, Tarrant County, which has Fort Worth as it's largest city, will soon feature the brand new home of "America's Team"... the Dallas Cowboys.  Although a few rumors have been heard that the team may be re-named either the Fort Worth Cowboys or the Arlington Cowboys... none of these rumors have been substantiated.

There I was... finally I was all set to be such a perfect little girl.  I have been wanting to lose weight for about thirty-five years or so... give or take...

Then... a few days ago... I must have been inspired.  Yes... the Spirit was moving me... finally.  I resolved, I wrote it down in my personal journal.  I called friends to tell them of my new-found resolve to get back on the wagon... back to the straight-and-narrow path of eating right... eating healthy... eating sensible.

And then it happened.  Today happened.  Reality... happened !

I left home this morning for my regular Saturday morning event... getting my hair done with Carol Eller at Shelton's Salon and Day Spa.  By ten-thirty I was "done"... so to speak... and "on the road."  First, I stopped for gas... such a bargain at $3.47 a gallon.  Bye bye $38.00. 

Then, two showings on my latest listing... the cute little one for $117,900 on Willowick Avenue.  It's a good thing I was going to be about an hour early, because this little funny yellow button on my Honda CR-V lit up.  It showed "low tire pressure." 

I got out to take a look... and it wasn't as bad as I feared.  It was only flat on the BOTTOM !  I was still at the gas station, so I filled it up with air, and then off to NTB to get it fixed.  They were in a good mood, cuz they fixed it FREE.

Then, the two showings, they went well... but no contracts yet... mayber tomorrow.  Then, off to visit my builders, stirring the pot for referral listings, then a trip over to McKinney to look at a possible new listing, and then a trip of about thirty-five miles down to view this gorgeous new home in Midlothian... the one with the three car garage.

The point of all of this is... I finally got home tonight at about 8:30pm... exhausted and starving.  Diet ?  What diet !  It was time for Domino's to save the day.  Nature's Most Perfect Food... A Pepperoni-Lovers Pizza.  Something from all five of the major food groups... cheese, pepperoni, pizza dough, tomato sauce, and onions.  There... got all five covered... wow, was it good !

I am so excited.  I just got the call.  There is an absolutely fabulous two story home that was custom built as a builder's showcase featuring many of the really great optional goodies that are available.

It is now available... finally.  I have had many, many calls about this home... and even though I don't have full information about it... and I probably won't have it for a few days, yet... I wanted to get this picture up and out as soon as possible... which means right now !

This gorgeous home has 3,209 square feet of living space, a huge master suite down, formal living (more of a sitting room) and dining, and an oversized two-sory family room.  There is also a game room up and two bedrooms on one side of the home, and is connected by a "cat-walk" (my cat Mollie loves these) that connects it to the media room and another bedroom on the other side of the second floor.  Wow !

The kitchen really is a "gourmet" kitchen.  Granite surface counter-tops everywhere you look, plus an island large enough for four bakers and all the holiday cookies they can handle.  The cabinets are 42 inch hand-stained, with custom hinges.  The breakfast room/morning room is surrounded by windows, and is such a great place to have your morning coffee, or to have friends over for a casual meal... or just to sit and jabber !

This home sits on a premium lot, and features a triple-wide drive with in-drive parking for holiday guests.  If this home appeals to you, and if you are finally ready to go from "Just Looking"... to "Let's Get Serious"... call the New Homes Hotline at (817) 929-3400... and set aside a time to see it.

It just hit me.  Right out of nowhere.  It is almost May, 2008.  Somehow, from somewhere, a memory came floating back into my mind's forefront... so I thought I would share it with you.

It was May, 1968.  I was in my third year of teaching seventh and eighth grade in a Catholic elementary school n a Cleveland suburb.  My homeroom... one half of the eighth grade... along with the teacher of the other eighth grade, with our combined 88 students (class size was 44 kids each)... and three sets of parents (six total) were going on a "eighth grade field trip."  How fun to end the school year on such a positive note !

I was 24 at the time... a real puppy now that I think of it.  So... away we went... two chartered busses... leaving from Cleveland, Ohio... and heading for Washington, DC.

Our first stop was Gettysburg.  We visited the hallowed grounds of the battlefield, and toured the monument sites, at once marvelling and being saddened by what had happened there.

Then... on to DC.  When we finally got to Washington, DC... we were met by "history in the making."  Washington, in many ways, looked like a flashback to Gettysburg.  It was like an armed camp.

Tanks, armored personnel carriers, Army troops with bayonets drawn... EVERYWHERE !  Protesters... tens of thousands of them, sight-seers, the local citizenry, and all of the government employees who worked in the Capital of our Country... .

Just about every single federal building was either surrounded or being patrolled by government tanks or heavily-manned HumVees... laden with soldiers.  Our two bus-loads of thirteen year-old kids, six of their parents, and their two teachers... myself and the other eighth grade teacher... we tried to tour one of the federal buildings... I think it was the Treasury Building.

When we got there... again... it was like straight out of the movies.  There was a short ledge.  It was even with the second-floor window ledges that surrounded the Treasury Building.  Standing on top of that ledge... were shoulder-to-shoulder armed soldiers with bayonets-drawn.

It was something all of us remember till this day... my students... their six parents, and we two teachers. 

Today there are many who are against the war in Iraq... and want very badly to bring our honored men and women, husbands and wives, children and parents... home from Iraq.  With all that going on... I could not help but remember a time gone by... a truly hysterical time... when our country was at war... with Vietnam... and seemingly also... at war with itself. 

It seems there are so many positive things being written about these days.  Everywhere I look... cable, on the news stands, on Oprah, and even on PBS.  I mean, what's a girl to do ? 

Now... all of this is just wayyy too positive for this late at night... or for this particular time in history.  It is after midnight here, and I need just a little more negativity to balance things out before I waddle off to bed.

I mean... we've got wars going on, soon to be $4.00 a gallon gasoline (today I filled up my Honda CR-V, and it was $3.47 a gallon), three crazy people running for president, and lots more things in the world that are anything but positive.

But... it appears that what so many of "you" are trying to say is... that all we have to do is visualize something positive... and then...you're saying that just concentrating on that actual visualization being present in our lives will actually contribute to the happening of that positive thought ?  Hmmm... could it be ?

This sounds like the cosmic meeting of classical quantum physics with the gnostic world from centuries ago, and those two schools of thought then combined with the metaphysics of "new age" writings like "The Secret"... with just a touch or two of some of Dr Wayne Dyer's writings on "Inspiration"... or being and living "in Spirit."

Well... phooey on the negativity... I just talked myself into it.  Now... look what I've done  !

This truly impressive home measures 3,209 sq ft... and on the inside it looks even larger.  The first floor features an incredible formal living and dining on either side of the entry foyer, and then opens into a fabulous family room with a back "wall of windows." 

The family room is two stories high, and also features a two-story stone fireplace with raised stone hearth and wood mantle.

The family room is also open from the catwalk on the second floor above... which connects the two bedrooms and full bath on one side, and the game room in the middle of the second floor.

An additional bedroom, and a separate media room are at the far end of the catwalk... which again overlooks the family room below.  What a great area for entertaining. 

This floor also makes a great teen-suite... if that suits your family makeup.

The kitchen is definitely for the gourmet.  Granite counter-tops, forty-two inch raised panel cabinets, high ceilings, a pass-thru bar to the family room, a huge walk-in pantry, and a family-sized work-island complete the gourmet feel.

Pricing... with all the above included features, and of course, including the building lot itself (unless you pick an oversized or premium lot)... the price is $228,990.

Directions:  From the intersection of I-360 and I-20 in the Arlington/Grand Prairie area, take 360 south to where it dead-ends into 287.  Turn left (east) on 287, continue to passing under the Rt 67 bridge.  Take the next exit, and at the stop sign, turn left.  Follow about one mile to the stop light just past the high school on your right.  Turn left, and proceed about one and one-half miles to the open house on your left.  Please ask for your host, Jason Dickens.  Mention me... Karen Anne Stone... and get extra freebies with your purchase !

If you are ready to go from "Just Looking" to "Let's Get Serious," this home is now ready for occupancy.  For your own personal tour, call the NewHome Hotline at (817) 929-3400.  You may also visit Karen Anne Stone's website at www.NewHomeHuntersDFW.com .

I have recently written two posts about my finally re-starting my efforts to design and launch my "outside blog."  Last week I had the first design meeting... the first of many before the details of the general blog appearance are arrived at.

In doing some of the research to help me decide what I wanted my "front page" to look like... I looked at many, many "outside, free-standing" blogs... whatever ones I could find... to see what I liked, and also to see what I didn't like.

In the process, I came across something that really surprised me. 

I found quite a few instances where there were "newer" blog sites... and some "not so new" sites... that were just "sitting there."  I found some great-looking designs... owned by people who had bought and paid a lot of money to get a "name" blog like RSS Pieces, or Real Estate Tomato blog, or any number of "other-branded" new blog sites... or even TypePad or some of the others, and then made just a few posts, and then pretty much abandoned them.

They bought them, they paid for them... and then they just let them sit there.

After seeing that... I am afraid that last November and December... I just concentrated on that... and allowed it to induce self-doubt, rather than focus on all the progress and great results already gained by those who started their outside blogs, and then reaped such great rewards. 

So I thought... what an incredible waste !  Why would anyone do that ?  Or... what happened to them that caused them to quit... after they sweated blood and tears to put it together in the first place ?

So... here is my question.  Why does that happen ?  What makes someone go through all that effort... which could either be a fun, creative thing, or a lot o pain and agony... and then just let it sit ?  Do you know someone who this happend to ?  No names please, unless it is your own... :)  Or... if this happened to you... please let me know why ?

Please share your thoughts with me... let's try and figure out together just what makes this happen ?

This afternoon I was wandering around the southern edge of McKinney, and found a brand new neighborhood that features fifty... yes 50... home building sites... all of which back up to either golf fairways, sand traps, tees, or even greens.

This is always a exciting find... especially when the prices of the homes starts in the $180,000 range.  If this sounds too good to be true... not to worry.  It's there... I saw it... and I took this picture !  The homes come with oodles of extras... the standard features sheet is pretty impressive for homes in this price range !

Every single one of these homesites backs up to the golf course.  Fairways, sand traps, tees and greens... what a great view for all the golf nuts in the family.

This is always a exciting find... especially when the prices of the homes starts in the $180,000 range.  If this sounds too good to be true... not to worry.  It's there... I saw it... and I took this picture ! 

For more information on what is going to be built on these fifty golf course homesites, and if... you're ready to go from "Just Looking" to "Let's Get Serious," please call Karen Anne Stone's New Homes Hotline at (972) 951-4350.  Call today, and pick out your favorite golf course view.