#pools dfw metro

[franckpellegrino]

Fountain - Pool Inspiration for a small modern courtyard renovation that includes a specially shaped pool fountain

[alisonsbow]

Large minimalist backyard stone and custom-shaped hot tub photo Large minimalist garden image with a uniquely formed hot tub

[scottsmiles]

Pool - Hot Tub Picture of a small, modern backyard with a rectangular hot tub

[metrogaragedoorrepairllctx]

Are You New To The Area? A Guide To Moving To Garland, TX

Looking to relocate to the Garland, TX area? Well, you've come to the right place. This list of things new residents should know will get your transition off to an excellent start.

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Welcome to the neighborhood!

You've made the decision to move to Garland, TX and we couldn't be happier. This city is one of the safest places to live in the country and has plenty of great things going on for families. There are plenty of fun activities for kids, but there are also plenty for adults too--and if you're feeling a little adventurous, you can always check out Six Flags Over Texas just down the road from here!

Where to Eat

There are plenty of great places to eat in Garland, and it's hard to go wrong with any restaurant on this list.

For a casual dinner with friends or family:

The Lazy Dog - This restaurant specializes in American food like burgers, steaks and more (it also has an extensive beer menu). If you're looking for something more exotic than the usual fare you can find at most restaurants around here then I would recommend giving this place a try. They have several locations throughout DFW so if there isn't one near where you live just look up their nearest location online before heading over there for dinner sometime soon!

Where to Shop

If you're looking for a place that has everything under one roof, Garland is the perfect spot. The MacArthur Center is home to over 150 stores and restaurants. It's also right next door to another popular shopping destination: The Galleria at Garland.

The city has several big box stores like Walmart and Target, as well as specialty shops like Nail Spa of Texas (a nail salon).

What to Do

The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is home to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, one of America's oldest and most prestigious orchestras.

You can catch a game at AT&T Stadium, where the Dallas Cowboys play football games every year. They are one of the most successful and recognizable sports franchises in history!

The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) is located in Garland, making it easy for students to live close to campus while still having access to all the city has to offer.

There are several parks throughout Garland including Lake Ray Hubbard Park on Lake Ray Hubbard and White Rock Creek Trail that runs along White Rock Creek through downtown Garland before connecting with other trails like Belt Line Bikeway which leads all over DFW Metroplex area as well as Old Mansfield Rd., which provides access further south toward Downtown Plano/Coppell areas

Garland, TX is a lovely town with a lot of great amenities.

Garland, TX is a lovely town with a lot of great amenities. You'll find yourself spoiled for choice when it comes to places to eat, things to do and other fun activities.

If you're looking for something specific, here are some suggestions:

If you want to eat out at some of the best restaurants in Garland (and who doesn't?), head over to Main Street or Avenue A on Friday nights from 5pm until 9pm when several restaurants offer specials on food and drinks. On Saturdays from 7am until noon there's an outdoor farmers market where vendors sell fresh produce directly from their farms! It's also worth noting that there are several parks in the area if you want some time outdoors but don't have time for hiking trails or swimming pools yet--they're perfect for picnics too!

Garage Door Repair in Garland, TX

Are you moving to Garland, TX? Do you need a Garage Door Repair? If so, you’ve come to the right place. This article will help you understand what you need to know about getting your garage door repaired and maintained.

Metro Garage Door Repair LLC is a Garland-based company that was recently founded in early 2017. We specialize in garage door installation and maintenance services, to help ensure your residential or commercial property is well protected from any potential damage caused by faulty garage doors.

Metro Garage Door Repair LLC - Garland

3960 Broadway Blvd Suite. 145-D, Garland, TX 75043

(469)838-5553

https://www.metrogaragedoor.net/garland-tx/

[alaspoorwallace]

OCTOBER — YEAR OF THE DEPEND ADULT UNDERGARMENT

For Orin Incandenza, #71, morning is the soul's night. The day's worst time, psychically. He cranks the condo's AC way down at night and still most mornings wakes up soaked, fetally curled, entombed in that kind of psychic darkness where you're dreading whatever you think of. Hal Incandenza's brother Orin wakes up alone at 0730h. amid a damp scent of Ambush and on the other side's dented pillow a note with phone # and vital data in a loopy schoolgirlish hand. There's also Ambush on the note. His side of the bed is soaked. Orin makes honey-toast, standing barefoot at the kitchen counter, wearing briefs and an old Academy sweatshirt with the arms cut off, squeezing honey from the head of a plastic bear. The floor's so cold it hurts his feet, but the double-pane window over the sink is hot to the touch: the beastly metro Phoenix October A.M. heat just outside.

Home with the team, no matter how high the AC or how thin the sheet, Orin wakes with his own impression sweated darkly into the bed beneath him, slowly drying all day to a white salty outline just slightly off from the week's other faint dried outlines, so his fetal-shaped fossilized image is fanned out across his side of the bed like a deck of cards, just overlapping, like an acid trail or timed exposure. The heat just past the glass doors tightens his scalp. He takes breakfast out to a white iron table by the condo complex's central pool and tries to eat it there, in the heat, the coffee not steaming or cooling. He sits there in dumb animal pain. He has a mustache of sweat. A bright beach ball floats and bumps against one side of the pool. The sun like a sneaky keyhole view of hell. No one else out here. The complex is a ring with the pool and deck and Jacuzzi in the center. Heat shimmers off the deck like fumes from fuel. There's that mirage thing where the extreme heat makes the dry deck look wet with fuel. Orin can hear cartridge-viewers going from behind closed windows, that aerobics show every morning, and also someone playing an organ, and the older woman who won't ever smile back at him in the apartment next to his doing operatic scales, muffled by drapes and sun-curtains and double panes. The Jacuzzi chugs and foams.

The note from last night's Subject is on violet bond once folded and with a circle of darker violet dead-center where the Subject's perfume-spritzer had hit it. The only interesting thing about the script, but also depressing, is that every single circle — o's, d's, p's, the #s 6 and 8 — is darkened in, while the i's are dotted not with circles but with tiny little Valentine hearts, which are not darkened in. Orin reads the note while he eats toast that's mainly an excuse for the honey. He uses his smaller right arm to eat and drink. His oversized left arm and big left leg remain at rest at all times in the morning. A breeze sends the beach ball skating all the way across the blue pool to the other side, and Orin watches its noiseless glide. The white iron tables have no umbrellas, and you can tell where the sun is without looking; you can feel right where it is on your body and project from there. The ball moves tentatively back out toward the middle of the pool and then stays there, not even bobbing. The same small breezes make the rotted palms along the condominium complex's stone walls rustle and click, and a couple of fronds detach and spiral down, hitting the deck with a slap. All the plants out here are malevolent, heavy and sharp. The parts of the palms above the fronds are tufted in sick stuff like coconut-hair. Roaches and other things live in the trees. Rats, maybe. Loathsome high-altitude critters of all kinds. All the plants either spiny or meaty. Cacti in queer tortured shapes. The tops of the palms like Rod Stewart's hair, from days gone by.

Orin returned with the team from the Chicago game two nights ago, redeye. He knows that he and the place-kicker are the only two starters who are not still in terrible pain, physically, from the beating. The day before they left — so like five days ago — Orin was out by himself in the Jacuzzi by the pool late in the day, caring for the leg, sitting in the radiant heat and bloody late-day light with the leg in the Jacuzzi, absently squeezing the tennis ball he still absently squeezes out of habit. Watching the Jacuzzi funnel and bubble and foam around the leg. And out of nowhere a bird had all of a sudden fallen into the Jacuzzi. With a flat matter-of-fact plop. Out of nowhere. Out of the wide empty sky. Nothing overhung the Jacuzzi but sky. The bird seemed to have just had a coronary or something in flight and died and fallen out of the empty sky and landed dead in the Jacuzzi, right by the leg. He brought his sunglasses down onto the bridge of his nose with a finger and looked at it. It was an undistinguished kind of bird. Not a predator. Like a wren, maybe. It seems like no way could it have been a good sign. The dead bird bobbed and barrel-rolled in the foam, sucked under one second and reappearing the next, creating an illusion of continued flight. Orin had inherited none of the Moms's phobias about disorder, hygiene. (Not crazy about bugs though — roaches.) But he'd just sat there squeezing the ball, looking at the bird, without a conscious thought in his head. By the next morning, waking up, curled and entombed, it seemed like it had to have been a bad sign, though.

[...] [DFW, Infinite Jest, 8a]

[junker-town]

4 crucial questions Miles must answer to get Kansas back on track

The Jayhawks have a long road back to bowl eligibility, but at least they’re worth paying attention to now.

The Jayhawks made a splash when they hired a coach with a national championship ring to take over their moribund program. The Mad Hatter is coming to Lawrence to sample the field turf and try to awaken a program that’s gone 6-41 (2-33 in the Big 12) under David Beaty.

The move seems to have been mostly brought about by a desire to hire a big name who can generate excitement, combined with Miles’ desire to coach again despite being 65 and largely unsought after by most P5 programs.

Obviously he has some major challenges in order to turn the Jayhawks into a team that even competes for bowl eligibility. Kansas hasn’t been relevant since it fired Mark Mangino in 2009 after his first losing season in five years (due to allegations of player abuse). In 2015, Beaty inherited a roster with something less than half of its 85 allowed scholarships allotted, due to some quick-fix JUCO recruiting by Charlie Weis. Beaty then failed to get the program on track.

1. How to rebuild this roster?

There will be some hopes that the Jayhawks will hit Miles’ beloved Louisiana hard for talent, particularly given that Kansas’ best player is a freshman RB (Pooka Williams) from the Boot in 2018.

Back when Mangino was taking the Jayhawks to the Orange Bowl, their recruiting rankings were decidedly unimpressive. They recruited the players you’d expect, two-/three-star leftovers from Texas metro areas and overlooked gems from Kansas and Oklahoma. Mangino’s knack for hiring good staff, organizing an efficient program, and his embrace of then-novel hurry-up spread offense were game changers.

Miles’ recruiting history is interesting. As the head coach at Oklahoma State, he had OSU in the middle of the Big 12 recruiting rankings, and they got their fill from Texas and Oklahoma. At LSU, Miles regularly recruited in the top 10 nationally, still about what you’d expect, given the exceptionally deep pool in Louisiana, LSU’s status in the state, and the profile of LSU in Houston and across the South.

The regional recruiting situation for Kansas is perhaps a tad underrated. The state of Kansas produces several Power 5 signees per year from its population of three million people, the majority from the Kansas City metroplex, within an hour of campus. There’s also plenty of access to the booming Oklahoma City and easy enough flights to DFW and Houston.

The sell is the hard part, given the Jayhawks’ lack of pizzaz or tradition. A winning model is unearthing good two-/three-stars for whom playing at KU represents one of their best offers, then building enough credibility to keep the rare blue-chips from within the state home.

There’s one other feature that presents risks and opportunities for Miles: the Kansas Jayhawk community college conference. Anyone familiar with Last Chance U will be familiar with the program names. There are quick-fix tactics available, if the 65-year-old decides he wants immediate success. Both of his predecessors seized on that option, which left their successors with thin rosters.

“What we’re going to do is we’re going to work a 500-mile radius and we’re going to get to those, and we’re going to win in that group,” Miles said at his intro presser. “And then we’re going to pick some cities in Texas that we hit. We’re going to get to the West Coast at the need of the program. With the proximity of the JC’s that we have in this state, I’m going to certainly look at those guys, as they would be emergency need style of guys.”

2. What philosophy to embrace?

Miles’ hire at defensive coordinator is going to be crucial for winning in the offense-first Big 12, but the most talked-about hire will be his OC. At Oklahoma State and LSU, Miles preferred “Neanderball,” under-center offense that would punish opponents with fullback lead runs and the occasional play-action bomb. Miles has since expressed an interest in running a spread offense such as Baylor’s.

The formula would be for Les to hire an established OC in the mold of Philip Montgomery (should Tulsa fire him as head coach) or perhaps Hugh Freeze and give them broad leeway. Miles would execute a quality control role, organizing practices to ensure sound fundamentals. Miles’ LSU always played physical ball and fierce defense, and often beat teams with special teams playmaking.

Against Big 12 offenses, though, you have to score. There are too many opponents that will chuck the ball around. A commanding 21-7 lead — the sort LSU used to nurse with toss sweeps — could be erased in three minutes in the Big 12 as the opponent loads everyone into the box and dares Miles’ Jayhawks to either throw or run it three times and punt. If you want to play ground-and-pound in the Big 12, your defense has to be ready to play 80 snaps without yielding points over a nine-game slate, a tall order for a Kansas team that hasn’t played good defense in many a year.

Producing high-scoring offenses was rarely Miles’ forte, so that OC hire will be crucial to realizing a CEO coach vision.

3. Can both Miles and Kansas finally find a QB?

In the 21st century, Kansas has had three winning seasons. All came under Mangino, and two came when Todd Reesing was the quarterback. Kansas’ record with Reesing from 2007-09 was 25-13 (.658), while its record with every other QB in that time was 46-132 (.258).

LSU usually had similar QB issues under Miles, although the ceiling without a difference-making QB was obviously higher than KU’s.

This is another reason all eyes will be on Miles’ OC hire. In the Big 12, games are regularly determined by the QBs’ ability to produce in high-paced shootouts. The Jayhawks might aim to be much more balanced than some of their brethren, but again, it’s hard to win without a QB who can direct an efficient offense that scores in the 40s from time to time.

For whatever reason, none of the unheralded kids who went on to blow up as college QBs over the last 20 years did so at Kansas, save for Reesing. There’s little reason to believe Miles can find such a player to build Kansas around, but he has to hire someone who can do it for him.

4. Can a CEO Head Coach have success at Kansas?

As programs are hiring increasing numbers of support staff, assistants, and analysts to help run massive programs, it makes more and more sense to have someone at the top who can command a big-picture view and execute quality control over the culture while delegating responsibilities, rather than personally drawing up plays.

It famously worked at Texas, it’s working wonderfully at Clemson, and it’s basically what Arizona State is attempting.

There’s a chance Miles can help maximize whatever potential Kansas might have. It’s obvious enough that Kansas has failed to leverage even what resources it has. Miles’ LSU rosters aren’t walking through that door, but the goal is bowl eligibility within a couple years or so.

[freelancingbuzz]

Houston flourishes as one of the top hubs for freelancers in the U.S.

Houston was home to more than 117,000 skilled freelancers in 2018. Common Desk No wonder coworking is taking off in Houston. A new study shows the community of skilled freelance workers in Houston ranks as one of the biggest in Texas — and the United States. The study , commissioned by freelance marketplace Fiverr and conducted by market research firm Rockbridge Associates, indicates Houston was home to an estimated 117,260 skilled freelancers who generated more than $4.1 billion in revenue in 2018, just slightly less than the financial haul in 2017. Houston ranked second statewide and 11th in the U.S. among major metro areas for the size of the skilled-freelancer workforce and for the amount of revenue produced, according to the study. Between 2017 and 2018, Houston’s pool of skilled freelancers grew 2.5 percent. From 2011 to 2016, according to the study, Houston’s community of skilled freelancers increased 7.7 percent, while revenue declined slightly by 7.8 percent. The Fiverr study places skilled freelancers in three buckets: creative, technical, and professional. These freelancers include attorneys, graphic designers, musicians, software engineers, accountants, and consultants. Any self-employed person whose work requires “specific skills and abilities” was counted in the study; excluded were folks like Uber and Lyft drivers. “Highly skilled freelancers are an understudied and often overlooked segment of the workforce,” Brent Messenger, Fiverr’s vice president of public policy and community, says in a release . “By analyzing the data around these … workers, we’re able to get a clear picture of the types of jobs they’re doing, the amount of revenue they’re generating, and the cities in which they’re having the most impact.” DFW ranked first in Texas and seventh nationally in the study. In 2018, DFW was home to an estimated 154,617 skilled freelancers who generated nearly $6.38 billion in revenue in 2018, up 5.4 percent from the previous year. As a testament to the rise of freelancing in DFW, a survey released earlier this year by commercial real estate services company Colliers International ranked the region first in the U.S. for the growth of coworking space. “The freelance, startup, and small business economy in Dallas has been on the rise for the last five years, helping spur the initial inception and growth of coworking in our market,” Megan Kaye Marti, head of marketing at Dallas coworking provider Common Desk, told CultureMap in January. “Now, larger companies — even up to the Fortune 500 — are becoming increasingly attracted to coworking spaces, not just because of the cutting down of overhead costs, but mostly because of the collaborative, creative environment that coworking typically boasts.” While DFW dominates Texas in terms of freelance population and revenue, Austin boasts the fastest-growing freelance scene. In 2018, the estimated 67,044 skilled freelancers in the Austin metro area produced nearly $2.7 billion in revenue, up 7.5 percent from 2017, the study says. During the one-year period, Austin’s pool of skilled freelancers grew 7.4 percent. The study pegged Austin at No. 18 nationally for the size […]

Click here to view original web page at houston.culturemap.com

from Freelancing Buzz https://freelancingbuzz.com/houston-flourishes-as-one-of-the-top-hubs-for-freelancers-in-the-u-s/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=houston-flourishes-as-one-of-the-top-hubs-for-freelancers-in-the-u-s via https://freelancingbuzz.com

[itspaulsmit]

Our professional technicians are trained and tested in accordance with our company delivery quality policies. Our DFW Metro pool maintenance technicians are background checked.

[genotype-environment]

Monday Morning Cup of Coffee: Inside the housing economy’s monster news weekend

Monday Morning Cup of Coffee takes a look at news across the HousingWire weekend desk, with more coverage to come on bigger issues.

Plenty of stories in this issue of MMCC, so hang on tight!

The Mortgage Bankers Association Secondary conference started Sunday with sessions including the Executive Perspectives panel, which HW Content Solutions Managing Editor Sarah Wheeler tells us all about here. So far, the conference remains quiet as the occasional attendant files in to register or set up their booth. The mood is much more relaxed than the hustle that’s expected to ensue Monday when the conference begins in earnest.

A message from our reporter, Kelsey, who’s on the ground: "Stay tuned in to HousingWire and follow me on Twitter, @kels_ramirez, as I bring you the latest from experts all over the U.S. on the mortgage secondary market."

Looking forward to it, Kelsey!

Now, we’ll go ahead and talk about the boom down here in the Lone Star state.

That’s right, Texas is the place to be (HousingWire is based in DFW) and our latest jobs report can beat up your latest jobs report.

Texas added 42,500 jobs in April, according to seasonally adjusted and benchmarked payroll employment numbers released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

The state added a revised 26,600 jobs in March. That brings the year-to-date annualized growth rate to 3.7%.

“Texas job growth picked up in April, and year to date the state has added 151,200 jobs—the most over a four-month period since the end of 2014,” said Keith Phillips, Dallas Fed assistant vice president and senior economist. “Combined with continued growth in the leading index, this makes it very likely that job growth will be strong in the second half of 2018.”

“Energy jobs continue to accelerate sharply, growing at a double-digit rate year to date. Energy-producing areas of the state such as Midland and Odessa are booming. Houston, which has about 25% of all jobs in the state, is now the fastest-growing major metro in Texas so far this year at 4.5%.”

Meanwhile, in the rest of the nation, particularly on its cramped coastlines, housing affordability is so out of reach that even well-paid workers need to find housing that can be shared.

This article in TechCrunch lists all the start-ups that help struggling workers find roommates. Co-living, subletting, sharing “units,” whatever you want to call it — Shared housing startups are taking off.

“Notice any commonalities? Yes, the startups listed are all based in either New York or the San Francisco Bay Area, two metropolises associated with scarce, pricey housing. But while these two metro areas offer the bulk of startups’ living spaces, they’re also operating in other cities, including Los Angeles, Seattle and Pittsburgh," the article says.

On the capital markets side, there’s a new report issued by the DBRS U.S. RMBS team.

The report looks at collateral and performance trends in credit risk transfer securitizations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They are the deals in which the risk is spread to the private-investor space. And, as DBRS reports, things are going well!

DBRS has noticed a significant increase in the inclusion of HomeReady loans (Fannie Mae) and Home Possible loans (Freddie Mac) for the most recent high LTV securitizations, the report explains.

Those are the affordable mortgage products designed to expand the availability of mortgage financing to creditworthy low- to moderate-income borrowers.

"For example, the STACR 2018-HQA1 transaction at closing consisted of approximately 18.2% Home Possible loans and the CAS 2018-C02 transaction at closing consisted of approximately 12.5% HomeReady loans," DBRS explains.

The report then concludes that, overall, post-crisis GSE CRT transactions have good loan characteristics and exhibit generally low delinquencies and cumulative credit events.

From the report:

"DBRS had noticed an initial increase in delinquencies for certain transaction after recent natural disasters that have subsequently trended lower since the occurrence of those events. Prepayments have been relatively stable for deals seasoned more than 12 months — generally between 8% and 15% CPR across the vintage — except for certain deals issued between second-half 2014 and 2015, which are posting CPRs slightly above 20%. For the actual LS pools, cumulative credit event rates are at or close to 0%, and some of this may be attributed to the fact these loans are not seasoned enough to experience certain credit events."

Bloomberg Opinion columnist Virginia Postrel has a novel explanation for why there is a housing crisis in California — she caused it.

It’s a cutesy headline, "How I Caused California’s Housing Crisis," but the op-ed is no joke. What follows is a reasonable explanation of why startups like the ones mentioned above are even necessary in the Golden State.

Here’s a bit of history from the piece:

"The recession of the 1990s depressed housing construction. When the economy turned up, it was harder than ever to get new projects approved, especially in major cities. Homebuilding instead sprawled into outlying areas where middle-income families took on long commutes and risky mortgages to claim their piece of the California dream. Places like San Bernardino County, east of Los Angeles, still haven’t fully recovered from the real estate crash."

Postrel’s premise is so strong, it’s doubtful the sharing economy will be able to do much to address the overall demand. Note to Californians: There are plenty of jobs left in Texas.

Out in Hawaii, after the initial damage reports from HousingWire, lava from Kilauea has since destroyed four homes, prompting airlifts. We’re keeping an eye on the damage but there are about 5,900 homes in the ZIP code 96778, the current site of the Kilauea lava eruption, according to data provided exclusively to HousingWire by CoreLogic. And of those homes, 1,029 are considered in high-risk areas, or areas where lava has flowed in the recent past.

Finally, a story about a real estate investor who was just trying to do his job when a nosy neighbor called the cops on him. The video below shows Michael Hayes, a real estate investor in Memphis, Tenn., who went to look at a fixer-upper on the market.

Now, some press coverage will tell you the neighbor, who is white, called the cops on Hayes, because he is black… but we won’t go so far. Hayes confirms the below video is him and the incident happened, but declined further comment.

As you can hear in the video, the police are (rightfully) on the side of the real estate investor who really shouldn’t have to put up with this kind of nonsense while trying to do his job.

Source Article

The post Monday Morning Cup of Coffee: Inside the housing economy’s monster news weekend appeared first on .

Learn More At:http://www.genotype-environment.org/monday-morning-cup-of-coffee-inside-the-housing-economys-monster-news-weekend/

[kgsminiranch]

Tender Smokehouse Brings Big Texas Barbecue to Small-Town Celina — and It’s Worth the Hike

Distance from Dallas aside, there’s no debate that Tender Smokehouse in Celina serves up some eminently tasty barbecue. email Print Article

AA

It’s nearly 40 miles from the Dallas Observer offices to Tender Smokehouse in Celina, a fact that spurred some internal debate before our visit. We can almost write the Facebook comments ourselves from readers who will think we’ve ventured too far north to be relevant. But North Texas food is about so much more than what goes on within Dallas city limits. As the population continues to seep outside the traditionally accepted boundaries of DFW, it’s harder to define where the metro area ends and the rest of Texas begins. Judging by the number of new housing developments you’ll spot as you drive through northern Frisco, Prosper and into Celina, there’s no doubt residents of these parts consider themselves part of the fabric of DFW.

Dante Ramirez is Tender Smokehouse’s owner/pitmaster, and he makes a similarly long drive five days a week from his home in Grapevine to Celina’s newest barbecue joint. Thank goodness he does, because the barbecue at Tender Smokehouse is swipe-right worthy. Tender makes its home in a cozy brick building just off the square in downtown Celina, which still drips with small-town charm despite being swept up in exurbs’ rapid northern growth. Step inside from the patio to where a large chalkboard menu overlooks the counter where orders are placed. Meats are reasonably priced by the quarter-pound, with the exception of Tender’s spare ribs, which come either as a half ($10) or full slab ($20). Customers can also order their meats on a sandwich or loaded into baked potatoes, while a kids menu will keep the toddlers happy until their barbecue palates mature.

Tender Smokehouse’s modest dining room. Small crowds increase your chance of getting a sample from the pitmaster.

We settled on a quarter pound each of brisket ($5), pulled pork ($5) and jalapeño-cheddar sausage ($4.50), added a side of potato salad ($2) and banana pudding ($4) to round out the meal, then headed back to the restaurant’s modestly sized dining room. We weren’t seated long before Ramirez himself brought out our tray of food, dressed out with two triangles of ultra-buttery Texas toast, house-made pickles and sliced onions.

Two bites in — about to declare our love to the brisket, with its perfectly rendered fat encapsulated by a textbook bark — Ramirez reappeared with a small tray holding another slice of brisket cut into three pieces.

"It’s wagyu brisket, raised right here in Celina," he said.

Three of the five meats regularly peddled by Tender Smokehouse, along with delicious potato salad and ultra-buttery Texas toast.

As good as the regular brisket was, the A Bar N Ranch wagyu was a step above, like finding out that your penthouse hotel room has its own indoor swimming pool. The wagyu is a special item only available on Saturdays, and these melt-in-your mouth morsels are well worth the drive north on a lazy weekend, but the standard brisket didn’t disappoint, either.

Lest you think we get free barbecue samples as a perk of the trade, that’s simply not the case. As if on cue, Ramirez, unprompted, brought a few spare ribs to the couple sitting next to us.

"The closer you sit to me at the window, the more likely I’ll bring you a sample," Ramirez said. Consider your seating choices accordingly when you visit.

Oh, brisket, Tender be thy name.

As enamored as we were with the brisket, we can’t give short shrift to the rest of our order. The jalapeño-cheese sausage (also locally sourced) had an endearing heat from the jalapeños mixed with copious globules of cheese and finely ground pork. If we were forced to pick favorites, the pulled pork would probably land in third place. It’s moist and tender, but we wished it had a touch more smokiness. However, a dash of Tender’s house-made barbecue sauce rescued the pork nicely and goes well with any of the meats we ordered.

You can also count us as fans of Tender’s potato salad. Large cubes of redskin potatoes and hard-boiled eggs live in the salad, which hit the perfect balance of creamy and chunky. The banana pudding, thoughtfully kept chilled until the diners call for it, was somehow thick and creamy while still fluffy and light, with plenty of banana chunks and crunchy vanilla wafers.

Banana pudding so thick that the spoon stands up straight, and kept chilled until you’re ready to eat it.

Celina is rapidly growing from a sleepy Texas town to the next suburb to be swallowed by the sprawling city, the merits of which are certainly debatable. But just like Frisco, Plano and Dallas to the south, Celina has its own rush hour on Preston Road and now has a barbecue joint in Tender Smokehouse that’s worthy of the drive.

Tender Smokehouse, 224 W. Pecan St., Celina. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday

Source Article

The post Tender Smokehouse Brings Big Texas Barbecue to Small-Town Celina — and It’s Worth the Hike appeared first on kgsminiranch.

More Info At: http://www.kgsminiranch.com/tender-smokehouse-brings-big-texas-barbecue-to-small-town-celina-and-its-worth-the-hike/

[purecarepage]

Things We’re Thankful For In Arlington, Texas

Here at the office of Dr. Mark Marchbanks, we are Arlington proud and wanted to compile a list of things we love about this city in light of this week of thanks. 

  With a population of 392,772 and an average age of 33, there are plenty of reasons why this city is succeeding, and why we plan to keep healthy roots here. (Get it?) Read on to see what we’ll be saying over our Thanksgiving feasts that we’re grateful for! 

  Awe-inspiring sports arena, world-class athletes and theme parks

With a stadium that can fit more than a quarter of the Arlington population in its seats, the home turf of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium—and our beloved Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park, along with the other 10 plus stadiums and arenas in town—are something we’re hugely grateful for. And we can’t forget Six Flags Over Texas! We are thankful to have such stellar sports stars and amenities in our town. 

  The outdoors

  We love our parks! Arlington boasts over 90 award-winning public parks, including a Frisbee golf course, TWO dog parks, THREE skateboard parks (with four more on the way!), FOUR golf courses, SIX pools, and SEVEN recreation centers. We also have 10 miles of mountain bike trails, 26 tennis courts and another 56 paved trails! With an average of 235 sunny days a year, and our tolerable “humid subtropical” climate, we are grateful to have so many beautiful options to keep us in shape, healthy, and happy.

  Food

  Not only have 5 restaurants in our city been featured on Diners, Dives and Drive Ins (Jamaican Gates, Prince Lebanese Grill, Chop House Burgers, Taste of Europe & Twisted Root), but Arlington at large is an international and local food epicenter. There are over 200 locally-owned restaurants, dozens of international markets, plus Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Indian, Traditional American, Italian cuisine and more. This makes our bellies and taste buds very thankful!

  Affordable

  Arlington was ranked one of America’s best places to live last year. And yet, for all this luxury and entertainment, Arlington can still be entirely affordable. According to Zillow, the average cost of a purchased home is $182,400, lower than the DFW metro average, making it possible for first-time homebuyers or retirees to settle here in Arlington. 

  Opportunities 

  What would the good life in Arlington be without the employment opportunities for everyone to live comfortably? Not only is the job market in Arlington stable, but the ability to get anywhere within the city by car in 30 minutes makes that work-life balance a real life possibility, and gives hope to those Texas residents with that good ol’ American Dream.  

  Quality neighbors

  200 family-friendly neighborhoods in Arlington participated in the 4th largest U.S. turnout of the “National Night Out of #meetoneneighbor” on October 6, 2015. If that’s not proof of neighbors that care, then we don’t know what is! We’re just grateful to have such warm and loving people surrounding us and our families. 

  Great schools

  The Arlington Independent School District boasts 10 high schools, 11 junior high schools and 55 elementary schools, along with private and charter school options. And let’s not forget our three higher-education institutions: UT Arlington (known for it’s research, training and development), Arlington Baptist College, and Tarrant County College Southeast Campus.

  Central location

  Living 30 minutes or less from wherever you need to be in Arlington, plus the city’s bike share program, mini transit system, two airports and two major interstates, Arlington comfortably sits between Fort Worth and Dallas with easy mobility for wherever you need to go. Nobody likes traffic, and we are grateful to deal with as little of it as possible! 

  Diversity

  We here at the office of Dr. Marchbanks love a diverse and growing community, and Arlington is a prime example of that. Our very own UTA is ranked as one of the nation’s most diverse college campuses in the U.S., representing 123 countries as well as students from every state in the nation.

  Friendly business ecosystem 

  From the low cost of business, plus the incentive packages offered, to favorable tax rates and how the locals opt to support local businesses, Arlington’s economic advantages are hard to ignore. Things like Capital Bikeshare (bicycling through the city) or using the Metro, demonstrate a desirable infrastructure of sustainable business and commercial movement that we enjoy. 

  What are you giving thanks for this Thanksgiving? Comment below and share what you love about our Arlington! 

Things We’re Thankful For In Arlington, Texas published first on http://ift.tt/2snpPwU

[arlingtontexasdentist]

Things We’re Thankful For In Arlington, Texas

Here at the office of Dr. Mark Marchbanks, we are Arlington proud and wanted to compile a list of things we love about this city in light of this week of thanks. 

  With a population of 392,772 and an average age of 33, there are plenty of reasons why this city is succeeding, and why we plan to keep healthy roots here. (Get it?) Read on to see what we’ll be saying over our Thanksgiving feasts that we’re grateful for! 

  Awe-inspiring sports arena, world-class athletes and theme parks

With a stadium that can fit more than a quarter of the Arlington population in its seats, the home turf of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium—and our beloved Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park, along with the other 10 plus stadiums and arenas in town—are something we’re hugely grateful for. And we can’t forget Six Flags Over Texas! We are thankful to have such stellar sports stars and amenities in our town. 

  The outdoors

  We love our parks! Arlington boasts over 90 award-winning public parks, including a Frisbee golf course, TWO dog parks, THREE skateboard parks (with four more on the way!), FOUR golf courses, SIX pools, and SEVEN recreation centers. We also have 10 miles of mountain bike trails, 26 tennis courts and another 56 paved trails! With an average of 235 sunny days a year, and our tolerable “humid subtropical” climate, we are grateful to have so many beautiful options to keep us in shape, healthy, and happy.

  Food

  Not only have 5 restaurants in our city been featured on Diners, Dives and Drive Ins (Jamaican Gates, Prince Lebanese Grill, Chop House Burgers, Taste of Europe & Twisted Root), but Arlington at large is an international and local food epicenter. There are over 200 locally-owned restaurants, dozens of international markets, plus Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Indian, Traditional American, Italian cuisine and more. This makes our bellies and taste buds very thankful!

  Affordable

  Arlington was ranked one of America’s best places to live last year. And yet, for all this luxury and entertainment, Arlington can still be entirely affordable. According to Zillow, the average cost of a purchased home is $182,400, lower than the DFW metro average, making it possible for first-time homebuyers or retirees to settle here in Arlington. 

  Opportunities 

  What would the good life in Arlington be without the employment opportunities for everyone to live comfortably? Not only is the job market in Arlington stable, but the ability to get anywhere within the city by car in 30 minutes makes that work-life balance a real life possibility, and gives hope to those Texas residents with that good ol’ American Dream.  

  Quality neighbors

  200 family-friendly neighborhoods in Arlington participated in the 4th largest U.S. turnout of the “National Night Out of #meetoneneighbor” on October 6, 2015. If that’s not proof of neighbors that care, then we don’t know what is! We’re just grateful to have such warm and loving people surrounding us and our families. 

  Great schools

  The Arlington Independent School District boasts 10 high schools, 11 junior high schools and 55 elementary schools, along with private and charter school options. And let’s not forget our three higher-education institutions: UT Arlington (known for it’s research, training and development), Arlington Baptist College, and Tarrant County College Southeast Campus.

  Central location

  Living 30 minutes or less from wherever you need to be in Arlington, plus the city’s bike share program, mini transit system, two airports and two major interstates, Arlington comfortably sits between Fort Worth and Dallas with easy mobility for wherever you need to go. Nobody likes traffic, and we are grateful to deal with as little of it as possible! 

  Diversity

  We here at the office of Dr. Marchbanks love a diverse and growing community, and Arlington is a prime example of that. Our very own UTA is ranked as one of the nation’s most diverse college campuses in the U.S., representing 123 countries as well as students from every state in the nation.

  Friendly business ecosystem 

  From the low cost of business, plus the incentive packages offered, to favorable tax rates and how the locals opt to support local businesses, Arlington’s economic advantages are hard to ignore. Things like Capital Bikeshare (bicycling through the city) or using the Metro, demonstrate a desirable infrastructure of sustainable business and commercial movement that we enjoy. 

  What are you giving thanks for this Thanksgiving? Comment below and share what you love about our Arlington! 

[blogbigdaddydennis]

Dallas has been on the mark in terms of job growth and affordability, traits that

Texas commercial real estate

investors search for when looking for their next project. Las Colinas, located in the Dallas suburb of Irving, is bringing in corporations and needed multifamily units at a tremendous rate.

The Texas commercial real estate developers who have already delved into this lucrative market, probably already know about the growing corporate hot spot known as Irving. In particular, Las Colinas, the upscale area in this Dallas suburb that seems to be attracting corporations and encouraging corporate relocations. Its location is part of the draw—located between Dallas and Fort Worth and close to DFW International Airport and DART. Irving is also home to several universities, providing, for those incoming corporations, an educated workforce. Another calling card is simply that the town has made it their mission.

There are several steps that this area has taken in hopes of drawing in big business. This includes offering rich incentives to corporations looking to move and the creation of the Toyota Music Factory to add to its entertainment sector. This entertainment destination consists of an indoor concert hall, outdoor amphitheater, retail, restaurants and a movie theater. According to an article in Bisnow, Parmenter Southwest Region Senior Vice President Josh Hedderich said, “The combination of amenities, affordability and access to the metro sealed the deal in a recent lease his firm negotiated.”

Las Colinas is home to more than 2,000 companies including ExxonMobil, Kimberly-Clark, AT&T, Citigroup and General Motors Financial. Rumor also has it that they are vying for the next headquarters for Amazon—a move that will be providing some fortunate city with 50,000 jobs. About the only criteria they do not fit that Amazon has deemed necessary is its population which doesn’t quite make the million mark. It does, however, rest in the arms of Dallas, a city of close to 4.6 million. As the jobs, people and corporations arrive, this town of 85,000-plus is continuing to see an increasing demand for multifamily units.

Multifamily Unit Development in Las Colinas

Alexan Las Colinas, a 307 multifamily unit, was completed at the end of 2016 and features garden courtyards, a pool, and amenities such as a bike shop, wine tasting lounge and virtual golf. JPI, one of the top Texas commercial real estate developers in the multifamily unit segment in this area just purchased another development site in Las Colinas’ growing Urban Center. It also has two new apartment developments on nearby properties. Last year, JPI had over 3,100 units under construction.

Private hard money lenders are often the go-to for developers looking for capital for this segment of

Texas commercial real estate

.

Private hard money lenders can offer rapid funding for developers needing to make a quick bid on a property that just hit the market, one of the common reasons that real estate investors obtain these types of loans. At Level 4 Funding, we provide funding for multifamily projects up to $50,000,000 with an LTV up to 90 percent. We offer a quick response and competitive rates. Give us a call for a no-obligation quote.

Dennis Dahlberg Broker/RI/CEO/MLO Level 4 Funding LLCÂ  Private Hard Money Lender Arizona Tel:Â  (623) 582-4444 Texas Tel:Â Â Â Â Â  (512) 516-1177 Dennis@level4funding.com NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378 22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027 111 Congress Ave |Austin | Texas | 78701

About the Author:Â  Dennis has been working in the real estate industry in some capacity for the last 40 years. He purchased his first property when he was just 18 years old. He quickly learned about the amazing investment opportunities provided by trust deed investing and hard money loans. His desire to help others make money in real estate investing led him to specialize in alternative funding for real estate investors who may have trouble getting a traditional bank loan. Dennis is passionate about alternative funding sources and sharing his knowledge with others to help make their dreams come true. Dennis has been married to his wonderful wife for 42 years. They have 2 beautiful daughters 5 amazing grandchildren. Dennis has been an Arizona resident for the past 40 years.

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