So long farewell...

This blog was created to promote a neighborhood and area. Originally started by Teresa Harvey in 2009.

The Harvey's moved and a friend has updated sporadically the blog. It's not a priority since she did not live in the neighborhood but was part of the area. The blog has mostly become dormant.

We will leave this here for those who stumble upon or value any content here within. If someone in the neighborhood or community would like to take the blog over and promote it then please contact honeysuckletx@gmail.com. Due to this being a public reflection on the neighbors and neighborhood any editors will be checked out and references needed before turning the blog over.

It was fun providing information and getting to know Honeysuckle Estates and Midlothian.

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2017!

Looking for a Country Estate? We've got real estate...

Country living offers large estate size homes with big lots, quiet surroundings, with a lot of nature and charm at hand.

Here are a few homes in or near our neighborhood...

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4661-Sunrise-Ln_Midlothian_TX_76065_M79151-99705  ***SOLD

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/5040-Honeysuckle-Rd_Midlothian_TX_76065_M70745-67383?row=1

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4621-Sunrise-Ln_Midlothian_TX_76065_M81280-11562?row=1

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3654-Skinner-Rd_Midlothian_TX_76065_M85962-14046


Schedule an appointment and find your dream home today!

#RealEstate #CountryLiving #KellerWilliams #EbbyHalliday #Texas #Waxahachie #Midlothian #HoneysuckleEstates #Twitter #HoneysuckleEst

Back 2 School!!

Can you believe it's that time of year? Soon we will be pulling out sweaters and picking our pumpkins. 2014 is zooming by. Hope everyone had a fabulous summer.

We did. Great vacays. Fun time with family and friends. Lots of time at the pool, beach and hanging out. Watermelon, hot dogs, burgers, steaks and corn on the cob grilling...all the things that make for great summer memories.

Now it's time to wind down the fun and stock the backpacks!

Need a back pack? Check out cool back packs!
cool back packs

Don't forget your lunch.
Salad 2 Go
LL Bean Containers
PB Teens

Fun style trends.
Must Haves

Pinterest

Today

As you get ready to send those kids out remember to give them an extra hug and kiss and pray for the teachers. Cheers to school year 2014-2015!

Honeysuckle Estates...what a great neighborhood!

Happily Ever After….

By Teresa Harvey

That is what every new home owner hopes for. However, just a year ago that dream seemed far, far, away for homeowners in Honeysuckle Estates, an upscale neighborhood, located in the town of Midlothian just a few short miles from Waxahachie.

The neighborhood was riddled with fear, fraud and terms like squatters. There were approximately 17 homes for sale mostly due to foreclosure as of January 2009. Realtors would steer their clients to more “desirable” neighborhoods. This is what our family found when house hunting a year ago.

We were visiting friends here in Midlothian and were looking for a new home and not finding a lot of options, in our town or in our price range, when my friend said we should take a look online to see what might be available in Midlothian. It was a Sunday afternoon and immediately our search, for a new home, led us to several really nice large homes on anything from a regular interior city lot to really nice size lots of ½ - 1 acre. The prices were a little less but not much less than our town until one popped up that was way below the other listings and was listed as “new” on 1+ acres with 4800 sq. ft. WOW. I thought it was a typo, but took a chance and called the realtor. The realtor answered and said she couldn’t show me a property out “there” but I could call the office. Strange. We found a realtor who agreed to show us the home but wanted to show us 3 others first. I loaded up the kids, my hubby and our friends and took off for location number 1. We liked the 3 homes we were shown but the lots were smaller or the prices were over double of the home we were holding out for. So, the realtor finally said, “You really don’t want that neighborhood. Look, I have to tell you it’s had problems.” I assured him I didn’t scare easily and was looking for a diamond in the rough.

Our first drive into Honeysuckle Estates was on a cloudy cold January day approaching dusk. Looking like we had found the local version of a ghost town rather than a residential neighborhood, we drove into the driveway of the home on the listing. After a few calls to find the right code for the lockbox we made our way inside. Amazing! It wasn’t finished but there were beautiful hardwood floors, granite countertops, custom wood cabinets and SPACE! The home was just under 4800 sq. ft. with 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, a game room, a media room complete with a Texas size lot of just over an acre. The price was dirt cheap for anywhere. I felt sorry for the builder but was intrigued by the possibilities. As we walked around we noticed home after home for sale. We immediately decided we wanted to see them all. The next day after taking my children to school I drove the hour drive that would become an almost daily trip out to Honeysuckle Estates from our current home to see what was there. I found homes in all states of disrepair, completion or vandalism. It didn’t add up. I was told the builder had financing problems and the homes had been foreclosed on. A little web search of the area and neighborhood led to more details. It seems the prestigious neighborhood, which started off with a bang of families looking for that true dream home or investing in their retirement home, became a nightmare as mortgage fraud and an almost unheard of term for today “squatters” took over. A neighborhood with custom upscale finishes and elite living had been hijacked!



By the time I started exploring the possibilities there were no more squatters but the evidence of their presence was everywhere in the homes that were left behind. Our family decided we would gamble on the amazing deal and bid on a home. We didn’t get the first home we bid on but won the 2nd. Foreclosures are not always a quick method of buying. It took us from March 1st until June 5th to finalize our closing and take possession of our “new” home. We took possession of a home that was missing a cook top, had a busted water heater, was lacking caulking on all the windows, had a hole in at least one wall of every single room, leaky roof, missing insulation and a big dirt & rock back yard! Rolling up our sleeves we got busy turning the negatives to positive and making this our home. Those first few weeks were busy but almost eerie as no one was ever outside! Finally more and more of the foreclosed or for sale homes sold. By mid July we were down to about 5 houses left on the market. People were starting to come outside. Children could be seen playing, sprinklers were running, and flowers were popping up from the stingy rock with hope and beauty. Hope. That is the feeling people started to share in our tiny little neighborhood. We started meeting neighbors. A group of neighbors started sharing stories about fencing cost, where to buy sod, who was a good pediatrician. I started a Yahoo Group for neighbors to have a central place to get information and share ideas. We had our first block party on Halloween. It was a BIG success. 23 families from our neighborhood of 46 homes showed up. Kids had a blast decorating pumpkins, showing off costumes, participating in the cake walk, fishing game, pumpkin toss & hayride. Adults mingled, talked, corralled kids, and laughed at the kids playing. Speaking to a few of the “pioneer” families we learned of the long road they had endured to reach this moment of hope. Many of the first home owners may still be a little upside down on their investment but things are definitely moving in the right direction for Honeysuckle Estates! As of September all our homes are sold. Fences are going up, yards are sporting beautiful landscape, several new pools have been carved out of the rock, beautiful new doors have replaced the builder specials, and everywhere you look you see families working hard to turn these houses into homes and creating their version of “Happily ever after”.

UPDATE: Fast forward to 2014

The past is far behind but Honeysuckle proved not to be for our family. A difficult neighbor and constant privacy issues drove us away. The homes have continued to come on and off the market usually selling below other areas. The neighborhood often times seems snake bit. Utilities for these lovely large homes are high. Water bills while there were often $300-400 a month during the summer. This results in most yards looking browned out and burned up. Few have taken the time to add additional trees. The homes are all electric and large so electric bills running over $600 a month is not uncommon in the highest heat of the summer and the coldest months of the winter. We've known families to have their homes listed for months.

Most owners have managed to update and repair the poor initial craftsmanship and the majority of families that live there are great hard working families. This could still be a happily ever after but you need money, vision and time AND hopefully not to live by the cuckoo's. ;)

WooHoo 2014!!!!

So many exciting things happened in 2013. A year of growth for our neighborhood. New babies born in the 'hood. New neighbors. A new high school is being completed. A year of so many good and new things. Can't wait to see what 2014 will bring.

Happy New Year - Bring on 2014!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing each of you a wonderful Christmas. May it be filled with family, friends and great memories.  Be safe.  From our neighborhood to yours MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thanksgiving!

Happy Labor Day!

Looks like a great weekend for the grill to be fired up, the pool to be in full use, the yard to be filled with fun and laughter!

Hope your plans include some down time and good times with friends.

May Days...

Crazy weather but I am loving the progress around our little neighborhood, aren't you? My flowers and trees are budding and blooming despite the ups and downs.

Honeysuckle Estates *Porch Inspriation

Have you been watching the new house being built? Looks like it is coming along well AND we will have another one soon. Another lot on Evening Lane sold and the sand and porta potty is in place. HA. Exciting times. It also looks like the Pastors former house will be enjoying a pool this summer. So fun!

Honeysuckle Estates *Pool Inspriation

What are you doing to get ready for summer? New plants, patio cover, pool? Fighting the rock pile is always a challenge out here. Hang in there and stay frosty.

Honeysuckle Estates *Garden Inspirations

 

 

 

Missing Mississippi Teen!

A Friend and former neighbor has sent me this information to share.  Please feel free to share, repost or send links to anyone in the Mississippi area that might be able to help.

Stephen Tyler Emerick is missing. He went missing late Monday night after becoming ill at work.

The following articles give information on the search.

Search Continues

Stephen Tyler Emerick

Face Book for Find Stephen Tyler Emerick

A Spade as a Spade

Reposting the latest harassment by Tiera.

Alerts are sent when Teresa Stephens Harvey's name is used. Mailbox was full this morning 8 months after the Harvey's moved and had hoped to leave this behind. Tiera has been using Google to posts. The postings started after January 2012 while the Harvey's were trying to sell their home and move and regular post to harass the Harvey's have been posted. These are screen shots of the most recent posts. The time stamps confirm when they were posted.

The last picture is a contribution from the Harvey's of the frisbee Tiera likes to go on about -picture taken in June 2010 when the frisbee incident occurred. The picture was taken of the frisbee Tiera's sent over and her version of "new" - a sun bleached dollar store frisbee to replace the White Ultimate Frisbee the McMahon's kept that belonged to the Harvey's.  The "Nasty" message Tiera is speaking of is "Jesus Loves You" - warped sense of nasty, don't you think? Yes, the Harvey's sent their frisbee back in June 2010!

No, a frisbee isn't that important so why does someone feel the need to post it over and over? But having a neighbor and former neighbor use pictures out of context and continue to spend countless hours seeking out your address and private information... months, and months after you move for no other purpose than to post it online and harass you is Cyber Stalking.



Happy 2013

Happy 2013. May your yesterdays be fond memories or lessons learned. May your tomorrows be used to full fill your dreams, grow, learn, and be filled with happiness. Each day is what you make it.  Are you making yours worth the journey?!

Veteran's Day!

Veteran's Day Discounts

We are so honored by the great men and women who have served for our country! To protect, defend, serve and sacrifice. WE will never forget and forever be greatful.

Spring is here and it may be time to consider a move...need a larger house? Just starting out?  Looking to upgrade from your starter home? Downsizing?

There are many great homes in Midlothian, TX. You get the country life style and the convenience of being close to the city.

Check out some of the great properties currently available:



SOLD!














Realtor.com/Midlothian

January 2012!

It's hard to believe it's the end of January! We've been blessed so far with a very mild winter. It makes you wander out doors and dream of spring. In doing so be sure to check those flower beds for weeds. They are sneaking in early this year. Also, mulch, mulch, mulch. Early blooms due to our mild weather could prove disasterous if we get a late freeze.

You might also start to plan now where to put in a new flower bed and how to incorporate more privacy and shade in your yard. Being in the county we have space, space and more space.  Break it up and create outdoor rooms and play spaces.  Here are a few pictures of inspiration.

Get out and enjoy the great outdoors!

2012! Wow. We are off to a beautiful start.  The weather has been great, new neighbors have moved in. The kids are back in school. Our bus driver Mr. Lackey is back after his knee surgery. Good, good, good! That is what 2012 is shaping up to be.


If you are looking for a few fun family events don't look further than your own little town!

• Sardis Point Cafe just around the corner from our neighborhood has a revamped menu and is a quaint fun place for date night or a family night out. 
• Midlothian High School Basketball is in full swin at the high school. The teams are competitive, fun to watch and a great way to support your local schools and community! Equal opportunity is available with games by the Ladies and the Men's teams.
• Want to take advantage of this beautiful weather? Think soccer. Check out the high school website for locations and times.
• Wanting to experience an exotic meal? Keep a look out for the opening of the new China Buffet off of Main St. next door to Caroline's Cafe.

Make plans for 2012 to make your home town a place to enjoy!

Whew!

After a very long process we finally had our day in court!  The judge awarded in our favor. We only paid the amount we had offered on the fence our deductible costs. It was deemed a shared fence. We were also awarded reimbursement from the McMahon's for the cost of the temporary fencing. Resulting in pennies on the dollar costs out of pocket.

They did not receive the $5K they asked for. They did not get our charges ignored and they did not get the fence deemed as a sole owned fence. Nor were they able to get the judge to ignore our request for reimbursement. 

The fence is a property line fence and was agreed to stay that way. The Harvey's paid their half to have it built and the insurance covered the re-build.  It remains a shared fence still today.

Oh, happy days!

The only thing that could have been better is if we could have gotten a 12' fence built. Then there might have actually been some privacy!

Fall Fun!

I love Fall - it brings cool temps, firepit evenings with the family and lots of fun with the kick off of the holiday season. Here are a few things to do around our area this fall.  Take a look, gather your favorite date or family and get out and about and make some memories.

Dallas fall activities. Here are eight fun fall activities for residents or visitors to Dallas-Fort Worth:
State Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas runs from September 26 through October 19 and features lots of family-friendly activities. Typical attendance at the State Fair of Texas is about 3 million people. Enjoy livestock competitions, excellent live music, a huge Ferris wheel, and an assortment of deep fried foods. There is even an auto show!
DFW Elite Auto Rental
Fall is a great time to rent a luxury convertible in Dallas. You can rent a Bentley GTC, Aston Martin, or classic vintage Mercedes from DFW’s premier sports car rental agency. Pamper yourself! Put the top down and take in some of this year’s best driving weather.
Great Pumpkin Festival
Running from September 20 to November 2, the Great Pumpkin Festival is part of Autumn at the Arboretum. The Dallas Arboretum grows many varieties of unusual pumpkins as well as lovely fall flowers like marigolds and chrysanthemums. Hay rides and a pumpkin house are also featured.
Taste of Arlington
This year’s Taste of Arlington will be on October 21. It’s a chance for the best restaurants of Arlington to show off their cooking. Patrons at this year’s taste can sample Arlington’s finest food, hear a little good music, and win a treasure or two in the Taste of Arlington’s charity auctions.
Alliance Air Show
A favorite for aviation fans of all ages, the show always features great demonstrations and a wide variety of vintage aircraft. This year’s air show will be on October 11 and 12. Flight simulators, balloon rides and kids activities round out the October event.
Fall Festival in the Japanese Garden
Take a visit to the Land of the Rising Sun during the fall festival in the Japanese Garden on October 25 and 26. The Japanese Garden is part of the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. The celebration will include Japanese food, music, dancing and martial arts demonstrations.
Boo at the Zoo
The Fort Worth Zoo will be hosting the annual Boo at the Zoo event October 24 through 29. Bring the kids for an event that will include marionettes, live animals, pumpkin carving, and other activities for the whole family.
DFW Elite Toy Museum
For automobile enthusiasts of all ages, the DFW Elite Toy Museum is a repository of cool stuff. See vintage scale models including several by Enzo Ferrari’s favorite model maker, Michele Conti. The museum’s collection includes memorabilia, automotive-related toys, German driving school models, pedal cars, and carousel cars from the private collection of Fort Worth motivational speaker and business consultant Ron Sturgeon.

Waxachie has a few fun things to do....

A local HAUNT! Waxahachie Screams Park

10/9/2011		4th Annual Full Class Car Show - Trade Days of Waxahachie
10/9/2011		HYMNAL FESTIVAL and CHORAL CONCERT ON PRAYER

10/21/2011		Munster Mansion Charity Event, Benefiting the Ellis County SPCA
10/25/2011		RIBBON CUTTING For: CONNECT4LIFE THRIFT STORE
10/28/2011		Bye Bye Birdie
10/29/2011		Bob Phillips' Texas Country Reporter Festival
11/4/2011		Heart of Texas Arts & Crafts Show

Midlothian has a few closer to home options too...

Midlothian Church of Christ Fall Festival
Sunday, October 30th
5:00 – 7:00 pm
Completely Free!
Hayride, Games, Drinks, Hotdogs, Candy, Cakewalk
1627 North Highway 67
For More Info: 972-775-3026

7^th Annual ELLIS COUNTY BARBEQUE COOK-OFFOctober 7^th & 8^th, 2011
Registration Form
To be held at the Midlothian Civic Center located @ the corner of Main St. and 11^th.
Contact: Robert Cunningham @ (972) 824-1387 or Dennis DeWeerd @ (972) 523-7675
100% Payback plus trophies for 1st-3rd place finish

Catagories will include:Beef Brisket½ ChickenRibsJackpot Beans
Cook area will open to competitors @ 12:00 noon on Friday.
Registration and meat inspection will begin@ 4:00 P.M.

**Check back to see more activities and fun things to do as I come across them!

YUMMO!

Memorial day is over, the grill is cleaned and the leftover burgers & brawts are in the fridge. However, if you have a family like mine that doesn't actually jump for joy over the word leftover then you might want to think outside of the box for a minute and put together a few YUMMO picky family approved quick fix meals.

To begin with take your burgers, even the cheese burgers, and break them apart in a food processor and pulse away for a few minutes. Now you have handy pre-cooked meat crumbles. A host of meals comes to mind. Spaghetti, goulash, soup, beef stroganoff, etc... We took the Brawts and half of them we chopped up in the food processor very fine to add with the beef crumbles for spaghetti & Lasagna the rest we cubed for adding to red beans with rice and a pasta salad.

New family favorite from the weeks experimental recipe's. We took what equaled about 2 lbs. beef crumbles and added taco seasoning, a 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes, onion flakes and cooked until hot, add bun, shredded sharp cheddar & black bean salsa. Tada - taco burgers! My handy daughter whipped up a can of mexi corn, black beans & chopped onions to make a colorful black bean salsa to top it off. We then cooked up a batch of Sweat Potatoe fries, a cucumber salad & fruit and called it lunch!

What are some of your favorite left over ideas?

My Midlothian Texas

Midlothian has a new magazine. It's "green", user friendly and informative. It is an online magazine filled with beautiful images, local information and resources and it highlights people and places in our community. A must read if you enjoy Midlothian!

This month their are several community members featured, our own Honeysuckle Estates neighborhood graces the pages, and several yummy and easy summer recipe's.

http://www.mymidlothiantexas.com/