Plano in the Park - 01/30/11 07:04 PM
Plano residents woke up to a day that was picture perfect to spend in the park. It was one of those days that makes the heart long even more for Spring with sunshine and 70 degrees. It was obvious that Texans were ready to be outdoors once more as the park was full of people of all ages. I couldn’t tell who was having more fun, the people or the wildlife that was being fed by the people.The park pictured is Bob Woodruff Park in Plano located at 2601 San Gabriel. It is a community park with two pavilions, playgrounds, restrooms, … (2 comments)

Golden Arches Made THE List - 01/29/11 11:06 PM
Surfing on the Internet tonight I came across an article about the Top Ten Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants. Healthiest and fast food caught my eye. Now that’s an oxymoron for sure. How can fast food be healthy! So I clicked on the link and began reading.Boy, was I surprised to see in the #8 spot the Golden Arches aka McDonald’s. Now if I am wanting to eat healthy McDonald’s doesn’t normally come to mind as a place to dine. With more Americans becoming health conscious McDonald’s has played their cards well and made some good food item changes to their menu. … (7 comments)

What to Do About Home Prices in Plano - 01/28/11 01:32 PM
What to Do About Home Prices in PlanoThe decline of home prices has been a hot topic in the news over the past several months. Recent articles published in the media would have readers believing that the value of their homes is falling faster than the sky was for Chicken Little. Most of these reports are based on wide geographic areas therefore they do not always paint a clear picture of the local real estate market.Real estate is and always has been local. Remember the old saying location, location, location? Well, it remains to be true. Real estate and its current … (2 comments)

I Want to Be a Part of IT - 01/27/11 12:25 PM
Healthcare reform...probably one of the biggest debates going on in our country. President Obama, in his State of the Union address, spoke very little about it. He did say that if anyone had a better idea to make it work he was open to working with them. Thursday, January 27th you can participate in a roundtable panel by submitting your questions on healthcare to WebMD. They will be a part of the panel and will be sharing your questions with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Live-streaming of the roundtable panel will be held at 4:30 pm EST. For more information please visit … (5 comments)

55 and Daffodils - 01/24/11 11:50 PM
55 calendar days until Spring arrives. Many people are watching their gardens for the first signs of the daffodils. They are one of my favorites as well as the tulips. Both of them typically bloom in North Texas during the month of February which will be upon us next week. At the first sign of them popping out of the ground you can bet you will see a smile on my face. They are like the first breath of Spring and I know it is right around the corner. But did you know that daffodils and tulips are poisonous?Children of a … (9 comments)

Zingers! - 01/23/11 08:31 PM
The Urban dictionary defines a zinger as one of two things. They are 1) a witty comment or 2) making love to an electrical outlet. Hmmm...I hope to only experience that first one. Zingers are really useful in public speaking as they help keep the attention of your audiences. Or, as I have witnessed, they have grown in popularity on the social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter as they make really good status updates They have been known to start the comments flowing on these sites. Here’s a few one-liners I’d like to share. Feel free to share some … (2 comments)

You Know You Are a Texan If - 01/22/11 09:06 AM
You know you are a Texan if you don’t like to go a day without sunshine. You know you are a Texan if you crank the heater when the temperature turns 60.You know you are a Texan if snow flurries keep you home.You know you are a Texan if you have to remove the candles from the fireplace before lighting a fire.You know you are a Texan if you don’t like the January cold and cloudy days. Here in the Lone Star State we enjoy our sunshine. In the Dallas area we have on average 232 days of sunshine. That’s a … (8 comments)

Lord, Don't Let Me Be Late ~ Friday Funnies - 01/21/11 03:55 PM
Lord, Please Don’t Let Me Be Late!A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running,as she was running, she prayed,“Lord, please don’t let me be late!Lord, please don’t let me be late!”She was in a mighty big hurry to classso that as she was runningshe tripped and fellcausing her to tear her dress.She jumped up,brushed herself offand started back to runningpraying as she went.“Lord, please don’t let me be late only this time don’t shove me either.”
… (8 comments)

Thoughtful Thusday - 01/20/11 12:28 PM
Thoughtful Thursday
When I envision life's path I see a young girl on a trail in the Spring time picking flowers and chasing butterflies. Sometimes she comes across shiny pebbles that can readily be picked up or kicked off to the side. Sometimes boulders are in the way which can not be easily picked up or moved. For those boulders to be removed it takes faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.When we come together to help and encourage one another we are, in essence, loving one another. In closing I would like to share a poem … (3 comments)

SOLD! 3003 San Paula Avenue - 01/18/11 11:07 PM
SOLD! 3003 San Paula AvenueToday is one of those days that I love my job. It is so satifying! Satisfaction comes from bringing about a transaction to close knowing all parties involved are happy with the outcome. A seller who closes on one house and, in the same day, contracts on their house which also closes before that month ends. Who would dare to anticipate such a timing as that!A buyer who is also the buyer’s agent and a great person to work with and cooperative on all matters concerning the transaction. Today they have a home that will meet the … (8 comments)

Subway or Firehouse Subs - 01/17/11 11:55 PM
It seems that the folks in Murphy,Texas have gravitated to the newest sub shop in town. By means of an unofficial pole conducted on my facebook business page, Murphy Texas It’s a Good Life, there are more votes for Firehouse Subs located on FM544 than Subway. I can understand the appeal of the subs as each one is toasted bringing out the unique flavors of the menu items.
I particularly like the Club sub and would cast my vote for that one any day. Another personal appeal of Firehouse Subs is that they gave you a free sub sandwich on … (0 comments)

A Rewarding Sunday (not so Speechless Sunday) - 01/16/11 09:06 PM
After a week full of on off closing decisions it is rewarding to spend a Sunday afternoon lunch with these two bundles of energy. They help me keep my perspective on what are my priorities in life. Life is grand! Grandchildren are the best and, if I had known, I would have had them first!
… (6 comments)

It's Not a Resolution But... - 01/15/11 10:11 PM
It’s not a new year’s resolution but the timing is sure right. Today I made the big decision to purchase another bicycle for myself. I say BIG decision because it’s been 5 or 6 years since I last rode a bicycle. And much has happened in my life during that time span. I am glad I bought it. Bicycling has always been an activity I enjoy. I look forward to checking out the neighborhood by bicycle especially with gas already 3 dollars a gallon and expected to hit 5 by the end of summer.One thing I like about my neighborhood is … (9 comments)

No Reward in Fault Finding - 01/14/11 10:05 PM
One of my favorite quotes that I keep displayed on my desk reads “ There is no reward for finding fault”. Now I ask you isn’t that a great quote? What if everyone was always looking out for the other person’s good? That would sure make for an interesting world; one that is not too likely to happen in our current fallen state.When a person works in a service oriented industry it takes some inner strength and occasional tongue biting to deal with all the different circumstances encountered. A Realtor such as myself must always find ways to keep the wheel … (9 comments)

When It Just Doesn't Close - 01/13/11 09:21 PM
I have been on ActiveRain now for a couple of years. And I have learned a lot from others and shared with others. But it seems to me that no matter how much you learn or how much you share there is always something else to be learned or shared.Initially the idea of blogging was foreign to me. Now I find myself enjoying writing as well as sharing my experiences and knowledge with others. There are days I am not sure what to blog about or maybe I just won’t blog at all. Other days as in today the words flow … (3 comments)

Countdown is On for Daytona 500 - 01/12/11 12:49 PM
The countdown is on for the Daytona 500 which kicks off the start of the 2011 Sprint Cup racing. This year’s event is on Sunday, February 20th with only 39 days remaining before the big start. Daytona is considered to be the super bowl of racing and those who win are included in an elite group of drivers. The race is the main event of a two week festival known as Speed Weeks.Speed Weeks is a festival of speed featuring various races and, one in particular, known as the Bud Shootout. The Shootout is made up of the previous season’s drivers … (13 comments)

Murphy Texas Housing Trends - 01/11/11 06:37 PM
The City of Murphy finished out the year of 2010 with 77 single family homes available for sale and that count does not include homes for sale by owners. Another 11 homes were under contract with 7 of the homes in a sales pending status. There was a total of 13 homes SOLD in Murphy during December.
Some of the higher-end homes lingered longer on the market leaving their impact on the average days on the market which topped out at 125 days for December.
 
… (1 comments)

Mirror, Mirror on the Blog - 01/10/11 08:49 AM
There seems to be a common experience among newcomers to ActiveRain. So many new members, like I did myself, upon joining are not sure which way to go or where to turn for assistance. It’s not because there is a lack of resources for the new member. There’s a getting started guide, an ActiveRain Newbies group and all sorts of blogs written by staff as well as other members to assist you in just about any subject of your choice. Periodically I encounter new members wondering what’s the best way to do something or what to blog about. It can be … (6 comments)

Well, It Happened - 01/09/11 03:37 PM
Well, it happened...it snowed in Dallas and I am not singing for the joy of it either. It’s not so much that I don’t like the snow. It has more to do with what the snow brings. Sure, sure the falling of the snowflakes is pretty and bright. Typically we don’t even get enough accumulation to have a good snowball fight much less build a snowman.When it does snow though there are some things I would just as soon avoid like driving. Most local drivers are not prepared to handle the rules of the road required to drive safely under the … (8 comments)

There’s No Place Like Home - 01/08/11 10:04 PM
There’s No Place Like HomeGrowing up the Wizard of Oz was always one of my favorite movies. If it had been the days of dvd I would have watched it back to back until I could repeat every line. I’m sure I was probably close even back then. I can recall repeating with Dorothy “There’s no place like home” over and over to the point that I was fully persuaded there really was no place like home.Perhaps that is why I am such a home body. I enjoy traveling but after a few days I am ready to head to the … (6 comments)

Another Spectacular End to the Day - 01/07/11 07:36 PM
Another spectacular end to a day filled with lots of activity. The first week of 2011 has been packed with quite a few events including one closing and another one in the works. I’ve also been working really diligent at getting things organized and going full swing for the new year. On a personal note its been a full week as well. My youngest granddaugher is presently in the hospital with walking pneumonia. Her oxygen level remains low so periodically they have to put her on oxygen. Every couple of hours she has to be given a breathing treatment. I know … (14 comments)

When the Telephone Doesn't Ring - 01/06/11 03:17 PM
Today is day 6 of the 31 days of January challenge in ActiveRain. It is also my telephone day with my broker. Unlike the image to the left the broker’s telephone was not ringing off the wall. After all, it is only day 6 of the year and some folks haven’t caught up with the brand new year yet.When the telephone doesn’t ring I like to take the opportunity to work on reports and other laborious clerical duties that consume so much of my time in front of the computer. Writing this blog is one of them. Just like the telephone, … (4 comments)

Day 5 and Texas Homes Sales are Rockin' - 01/05/11 10:23 PM
Day 5 and Texas Home Sales are Rockin' I found out today that the listing that went under contract on December 29th has passed the appraisal requirements. Whew! What a relief and great news to the Realtor's ears. The particular area that the home is located within has had a number of distressed properties over the past few months. It is also a blessing to know that your seller is going to net a dollar amount within the range acceptable to them.
As of this writing it is my understanding that the lender is in the final process of preparing for … (2 comments)

The Potter House SOLD in the Shores of Rockwall TX. - 01/03/11 07:59 PM

The Potter House SOLD in the Shores of Rockwall TX.
It is a wonderful experience every time I get to be a part of the process when a client finds and closes on their dream home. With key in hand this family is ready to begin a new chapter in their life while living in this beautiful home located in the Shores of Rockwall TX.
If you or someone you know is looking to find a new home of their dreams I would be happy to assist you. It's a new year, a new decade and no better time than … (4 comments)

Ring out the Old Ring in the New - 01/01/11 10:06 AM
☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆ ★ ☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆╔╗╔╦══╦═╦═╦╗╔╗ ★ ★ ★║╚╝║══║═║═║╚╝║ ☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆║╔╗║╔╗║╔╣╔╩╗╔╝ ★ NEW YEAR ☆ 2011╚╝╚╩╝╚╩╝╚╝═╚╝ ♥￥☆★☆★☆￥♥ ★☆ ♥♥ A crazy end to 2010 shines a bright light on the new year.
On Thursday, December 30th I spent most of the day playing tug of war with Bank of America on a closing that should have happened. Should have but it didn't. That same evening I get an offer on another listing. By New Year's eve day we have that contract negotiated and in escrow.
The middle of the afternoon rolls around and I have another agent calling that really, really wants to see the … (7 comments)

 
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Teral McDowell, Realtor® Plano Real Estate

Plano - Homes For Sale - Collin County, Texas

Plano, TX

More about me…

KW® Central-Murphy

Address: 104 N Murphy Rd , Suite 212, Murphy, TX, 75094

Office Phone: CallMyCell

Cell Phone: (972) 795-2571

Email Me

Plano Real Estate | Plano Homes | Find your Plano Homes For Sale www.PlanoHomesandRentals.com Plano housing market reports, neighborhood news, mortgages, inspections, appraisals, title...anything Plano Homes!




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