Frisco residents question city’s support for low-income housing

by SHELLY SLATER / WFAA-TV

FRISCO — There were some tense moments at Tuesday night’s Frisco City Council meeting. At issue: Section 8 housing.

Council members voted 4-1 to support two new affordable housing projects: One to be built along Stonebrook Parkway at Crestline Circle; the other at Sunset Drive and McKinney Road.

They would be the city’s first concentrated areas of low-income housing.

A watchdog group — Frisco Citizens Opposed to Unreasonable Development — has been formed to police each step of the proposal.

“I don’t know of any improvements any Section 8 housing has ever brought to any city, so I’m extremely discouraged in that regard,” said one woman who addressed Council members Tuesday in opposition to the plan.

The City Council meeting was heated, with two hours of complaints from homeowners. Only two people spoke in favor of the housing plan — both were developers.

“I really don’t want to see the neighborhood start getting depressed,” another woman told the Council. “We’re already depressed in the neighborhood just knowing about it.”

News 8 checked with neighboring Plano and McKinney housing authorities; both report that since adding Section 8 housing in their cities, they haven’t seen increases in crime.

Yet both cities admit that statistic can be hard to track, considering that Section 8 homeowners only get vouchers from the city, and then chose where to live, meaning that subsidized housing is spread out around the cities.

But if Frisco moves forward with the Inclusive Communities Project, or ICP, low-income residents would be more concentrated in isolated areas.

“If Frisco had not negotiated the agreement with ICP, then the likely outcome would have been a federal lawsuit filed against Frisco by ICP, as it did against both McKinney and Flower Mound,” said Frisco City Manager George Purefoy.

“We are letting the threat of a lawsuit — somebody that’s not elected — determine what happens in the City of Frisco,” said a resident addressing the Council Tuesday night. “I don’t mind paying more taxes to fight something like this.”

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Pizza Hut to move corporate offices to Plano

By KAREN ROBINSON-JACOBS / The Dallas Morning News
krobinson@dallasnews.com

The nation’s largest pizza chain, part of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum Brands Inc., and its sister division, Yum Restaurants International, will build a new “restaurant support center” on 20.5 acres in the Legacy Business Park near Corporate and Legacy drives. The building and equipment are expected to cost about $20 million – not counting the cost of the land, which Pizza Hut purchased earlier this month from Trammell Crow Co.

The company did not release the cost of the land.

The new headquarters will be a three-story building with about 170,000 square feet of office space.

The move hinged on an incentive package from Plano – its largest ever – that gives Pizza Hut grants and tax breaks of more than $2 million. That includes economic development grants for costs such as relocation and construction of a new test kitchen, said Sally Bane, executive director of the Plano Economic Development Board. Pizza Hut also will receive property tax breaks through 2021.

Plano is hoping Pizza Hut’s arrival will spur new economic activity, as at least 450 jobs move to town.

With the new workers visiting local restaurants and other businesses, “there are a lot of other businesses in town that are going to prosper by having Pizza Hut as a neighbor,” said Plano Mayor Phil Dyer.

The lease on the current headquarters expires Dec. 31.

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Digging the Dirt at Mount Vernon

 This is a pretty interesting article…archaeologists are digging deep into Mount Vernon’s Upper Garden to see what George Washington planted in his day. 

http://www.homebydesign.com/pages/article/HBD_FEB_10_02/2475/index.html

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Country Quietude in the Middle of the City

Painting a richly planted landscape on a rooftop canvas presented quite an unusual and unexpected challenge. “The floors of the roof area could not be changed, as the tiles were specifically designed for that use. They are removable and allow access below for maintenance and repairs of the building,” Onor explains. “Of course, there was no soil on the roof, so we had to plant everything in pots, but weight was a concern, so we had to be very careful about the planters we chose. According to the co-op regulations, we were not allowed to attach anything to the vintage brick exterior of the building, so we had to do some innovative things to bring light to the garden.” All of these obstacles required creative solutions, which Onor successfully achieved.

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Fabulous Townhome in Exotic Palmas Del Mar, Puerto Rico

Fabulous Townhome in Exotic Palmas Del Mar, Puerto Rico

This luxurious townhome sits in the palatial Palmas Del Mar Subdivision in Puerto Rico. Boasting everything you would expect in a luxury townhome; you will find stainless appliances, granite tiles, neutral tile floors, a sound system and professionally landscaped gardens.
If you enjoy your time outside, this property will not leave you wanting. The gardens that surround this corner unit are filled with color and variety.

The Subdivision itself has an entire host of fabulous amenities. You can enjoy the Marina and Yacht Club (complete with dock hands), play at the Beach Club, get your exercise at the Tennis Club, play your day away at the Golf Club, ride away your worries at the Equestrian Center or send your Pre-K to 12th grade student to the private Palmas Academy.

Nothing was left out for singles or families in this opulent paradise.

Price: $675,000 USD
Beds: 3 Baths: 3
Sq Ft: 3197

• Dining Room
• Laundry Room
• Washer/Dryer
• Dishwasher
• Central Air Condition
• Ceiling Fans
• Vaulted Ceilings
• Gardens
• Pool Community
• Golf Community
• Equestrian Comm.

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Home Sizes Fall as Builders, Buyers Embrace Economic Reality

RISMEDIA, January 28, 2010—(MCT)—New-home buyers responded to the tough times in 2009 by opting for smaller houses, driving down the average size of a house built in the United States for the first time in 27 years.

Data recently released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) found the average size of a new home that was completed in 2009 fell to 2,480 square feet from 2,520 square feet in 2008. The last time the average completed-home size fell by a statistically significant amount was 1982.
“You’ve heard the mantra ‘downsize me’ and ’small is the new big?’ Well, last year was definitely a downer,” said Carol Lavender, president of Lavender Design Group, a residential design firm in San Antonio, Texas.

Homeowners surveyed by Better Homes and Gardens magazine said downsizing was becoming a bigger priority: 36% said in November 2009 that they expected their next home to be “somewhat smaller” or “much smaller” than their current home versus 32% who said that in 2008. “Not surprisingly, we see a ‘cents and sensibility’ approach when it comes to buying or improving a home, with practicality and price being the top priorities,” said Eliot Nusbaum, the magazine’s executive editor of home design.

While the small-house movement in the United States has been gaining steam for a number of years, the recession has accelerated it and home builders have responded.

“The era of easy money is over. You really have to think before you go out and decide you need that five-bedroom, five-bath home,” said Rose Quint, the NAHB’s assistant vice president for survey research. “Couple that with the energy cost concerns of consumers today and I think we will continue this trend. Houses will not shrink drastically, but they will shrink.”

Although actual square footage of homes didn’t fall until 2009, the percent of homes with four or more bedrooms in them has been falling since 2007, NAHB data show. And in 2009, the number of homes with three or more bathrooms fell for the first time since 1992.

Two other trends in home construction are contributing to the declining square footages: The prominence of first-time buyers in the housing market and the increasing number of households with members 55 and older who are buying homes.

First-time buyers, driven into the market in good part by the availability of an $8,000 tax credit, are more likely to compromise on home size in exchange for a lower price. And the 55-plus crowd tends to purchase single-story homes, which generally are smaller because of the land costs that favor the more-efficient two-story plans.

“Barely over half of new homes today are built with two stories or more,” Quint said. Two-story homes peaked at about 55% of the market in 2006. For 2010, home builders say they will focus on lower-priced models and smaller homes. More than 95% of builders surveyed by NAHB in January said that was the way they saw their business evolving this year.

The penchant for smaller homes will necessitate some design changes. Builders, attempting to respond to those consumer demands as well as hold the line on prices, told the NAHB surveyors that they were most likely to include these features as standard in their houses this year:

-Walk-in closets in the master bedroom.
-Laundry rooms.
-Insulated front doors.
-Great rooms.
-Energy-efficient windows.
-Linen closets.
-Programmable thermostats.
-Energy-efficient appliances and lighting.
-Separate shower and tub in master bathrooms.
-Nine-foot ceilings on the first floor.

Among the things that builders said they were least likely to add to houses in 2010:

-Outdoor kitchens.
-Outdoor fireplaces.
-Sunrooms.
-Butler’s pantries.
-Media rooms.
-Desks in kitchens.
-Two-story foyers.
-Eight foot ceilings on the first floor.
-Multiple shower heads in the master bath.
-Smaller kitchens.

“You can see that builders are concentrating heavily on energy-saving features,” Quint said. “But a lot of the luxury items are on the chopping block or on hold as builders try to lower costs.”

(c) 2010, MarketWatch.com Inc.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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Timing Is Everything – Save Money by Timing Your Purchases

RISMEDIA, January 28, 2010—(MCT)—It seems that for every purchase, there is a discount season, and most people generally know they can get a deal by timing some purchases to a season—to buy when demand is low or supply is high. For example, clothing is cheaper when it’s “out of season” and certain fruits and vegetables are cheaper when they’re “in season.”

But the strategy is not so obvious with some items, such as condiments. Condiments, including mustard and relish, are cheapest when the weather warms in May so supermarkets can lure you with visions of picnics and barbeques. Similarly, stores put champagne on sale in December in hopes you’ll come for the bubbly and buy full-priced liquor for the holidays.

Mark Di Vincenzo, author of Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There offers the following examples of how you can time your purchases to save money.

End of season: Retail inventory is usually ahead of the actual season, so you’ll find good deals on swimsuits in September and winter coats in January and February, when those garments are still useful. Similarly, lawnmowers, gas grills, shrubs and patio furniture can be bargains after Labor Day. Buy sporting goods at the end of that sport’s season.

Sudden drops in demand: Chocolate and roses become far less expensive after Valentine’s Day. Think holiday wrapping paper and boxed Christmas cards in January.

Back-to-school: You can stock up on some good deals during the back-to-school retail blitz in August, but it might pay to buy some things, including jeans, in September and October, after the rush. By then, fashion-conscious students will also know the must-have items.

Discontinued: Retailers will sell current inventory cheap when it’s time to make room for the new stuff. Hit the white sales in January for sheets and towels and July for furniture.

Electronics: TVs, computers and cell phones are generally deals when new models come out. Laptop computers, in particular, tend to be cheaper during back-to-school sales. Cameras tend to be cheapest in February. TVs sales are often best in December and January.

Thrift stores: The big idea is to know when selection is best. Ask the clerks at your local store what time of month they get overstock donations from retailers and especially when dry cleaners donate unclaimed garments. People who use dry cleaners usually have high-quality clothes that are well cared for. Selection is also good after people have done “spring cleaning” in their closets.

Shoes: Shop in late afternoon when your feet have swelled, so you don’t waste money on a size too small. Buy sneakers in April or November.

Grocery shopping: Sunday through Tuesday is the best time to do your grocery shopping. Store sales often start on Wednesday, but coupons to match some sales don’t come out until the Sunday newspaper circular. Stacking coupons with sales leads to the best deals.

Homes: Buy houses in January—or, more generally, winter—when buyers are few and sellers desperate. “A January seller is an eager seller,” Di Vincenzo said. “If they weren’t, they would just wait until spring when their house would show better.” This year’s winter sales season might see more action than usual because of first-time buyer’s tax credits that expire April 30.

Vehicles: Buy cars in the fall, after new models come out. You can save 10-20% on the previous year’s model, but the longer you wait, the fewer choices you will have in colors and options. Visit the dealership at the end of the month when salespeople must make quotas. Buy boats and RVs off-season, in winter.

Weddings: You might dream of a June wedding, but a winter one might mean more cash for the honeymoon.

(c) 2010, The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

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I’m Sincerely Sorry

We all make mistakes. Sometimes, those mistakes offend or affect others. The best thing to do when you realize you’ve done something wrong is to apologize and move forward. Here are the five most common threads to an effective apology, according to John Kador, author of the book Effective Apology: Mending Fences, Building Bridges and Restoring Trust:

1. Recognition. Own up to your mistake. Admit you did something wrong and that you understand why you upset or offended someone in the process.

2. Responsibility. Don’t make excuses, just admit you made the mistake.

3. Remorse. Be sincere and express your apology personally by saying “I apologize” or “I’m sorry.”

4. Restitution. Do whatever you can to correct your mistake and rebuild the relationship to the state it was in prior to the incident.

5. Repetition. Prove you are sincere about not repeating the mistake in the future. Be direct with a phrase such as “I promise this won’t happen again.” Commit to not allowing the mistake to be repeated.

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Be the Source Your Customers Trust

The amount of information available on the Internet about any topic can be overwhelming. It can be hard to discern fact from fiction when doing Internet research. This may lead to a lot of confusion and even more questions about the subject than you had when you started your research.

The Internet can be a valuable resource because it provides so much information to us at once about any subject. This can also be a drawback, as it is hard to define what information is most accurate and relevant.

You can be your client’s source for the most important and factual information on a topic in your industry. Become the go-to source for relevant information and relay this information to your clients to help them avoid confusion.

As an expert salesperson, you need to be the person who is able to access and discern what information is correct about your product. You should know everything about what you sell.

To do this, you need to be aware of your environment. Get a handle on what is most familiar to you about your product and work outward from there. Tackle the most familiar aspects before attempting to understand new industry trends.

Make a list of all the factors that impact your industry. Become informed about all aspects of your industry. Think about how you can explain less obvious factors that affect your industry as well.

To do all this, turn to business search engines and intelligence application providers to find the most accurate answers you are seeking. Perform customized Web searches for specific topics within your industry. The knowledge you already have about these topics will better help you navigate and sort through fact and fiction. Read trade publications, industry reports and visit such Web sites as www.census.gov to stay on top of current industry trends.

Pass new and relevant information along to your customers so they know what’s accurate. You’ll position yourself as the expert and the one your clients will turn to whenever they have a question or concern about your product.

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Top 10 Must-Have Features in Today’s New Homes

RISMEDIA, January 25, 2010—(MCT)—Americans want smaller houses and they are willing to strip some of yesterday’s most popular rooms—such as home theaters—from them in order to accommodate changing lifestyles, consumer experts told audiences at the International Builders Show.

“This is a traumatic time in this country and the future isn’t something we’re 100% sure about now either. What’s left? The answer for most home buyers is authenticity,” said Heather McCune, director of marketing for Bassenian Lagoni Architects in Park Ridge, Ill. Buyers today want cost-effective architecture, plans that focus on spaces and not rooms and homes that are designed ‘green’ from the outset,” she said. The key for home builders is “finding the balance between what buyers want and the price point.”

For many buyers, their next house will be smaller than their current one, said Carol Lavender, president of the Lavender Design Group in San Antonio, Texas. Large kitchens that are open to the main family living area, old-fashioned bathrooms with clawfoot tubs and small spaces such as wine grottos are design features that will resonate today, she said. “What we’re hearing is ‘harvest’ as a home theme—the feeling of Thanksgiving. It’s all about family togetherness—casual living, entertaining and flexible spaces,” Lavender said.

Paul Cardis, CEO of AVID Ratings Co., which conducts an annual survey of home buyer preferences, said there are 10 “must” features in new homes:

• Large kitchens, with an island. “If you’re going to spend design dollars, spend them where people want them—spend them in the kitchen,” McCune said.
• Granite countertops are a must for move-up buyers and buyers of custom homes, but for others “they are on the bubble,” Cardis said.
• Energy-efficient appliances, high-efficiency insulation and high window efficiency. Among the “green” features touted in homes, these are the ones buyers value most, said Cardis. While large windows had been a major draw, energy concerns are giving customers pause on those. The use of recycled or synthetic materials is only borderline desirable.
• Home office/study. People would much rather have this space rather than, say, a formal dining room. “People are feeling like they can dine out again and so the dining room has become tradable,” Cardis said. And the home theater may also be headed for the scrap heap, a casualty of the “shift from boom to correction.”
• Main-floor master suite. This is a must feature for empty-nesters and certain other buyers, and appears to be getting more popular in general. That could help explain why demand for upstairs laundries is declining after several years of popularity gains.
• Outdoor living room. The popularity of outdoor spaces continues to grow, even in Canada. The idea of an outdoor room is even more popular than an outdoor cooking area, meaning people are willing to spend more time outside.
• Master suite soaker tubs. Whirlpools are still desirable for many home buyers, but they clearly went down a notch in the latest survey. Oversize showers with seating areas are also moving up in popularity.
• Stone and brick exteriors. Stucco and vinyl don’t make the cut.
• Community landscaping, with walking paths and playgrounds. Forget about golf courses, swimming pools and clubhouses. Buyers in large planned developments prefer hiking among lush greenery.
• Two-car garages. A given at all levels; three-car garages, in which the third bay is more often than not used for additional storage and not automobiles, is desirable in the move-up and custom categories.

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