New Home Builder Rankings from JD Power & Assoc.

Based on a survey of consumers who have purchased new homes and factors including customer service, home quality and value. Builders are ranked on a scale from zero to 160 points:--

Pulte 143
Fox & Jacobs 136
Centex 135
NuHome Designs 134
Huntington 133
Darling 132
Lennar 131
Ashton Woods 130
Highland 130
Horizon 129
Ryland 126
Drees Custom 124
David Weekley 123
Diamond 121
Paul Taylor 118
Landstar 117
Sotherby 117
Village Builders 117
DFW average 117
KB Home 115
Gehan 114
Kimball Hill 114
Newmark 114
Beazer 113
Buescher 112
Goodman Family 112
Standard Pacific 111
Coleman 109
Choice 108
History Maker 105
Bowen Family 104
Richmond American 104
Pioneer MHI 103
Mercedes 102
Legacy 101
Continental 99
D.R. Horton 99
Grand 99
Portrait 99
Woodhaven 99
Classic Century 96
First Texas 96
Goff 84

Fight Residential Burglaries in NE Dallas

At our Regional Crime Watch Meeting chaired by Chief Easterling, we decided to focus on residential burglaries over the next 8 weeks. We came up with the following list of items to work on. We need your help in fighting crime in NorthEast Dallas. Here’s what you can do:

• Become Active in VIP (Volunteers in Patrol)
• Have house numbers clearly labeled on the front and BACK of your property so emergency vehicles can quickly find it.
• Communicate with your neighbors. Who are they, what are their patterns, when is there a suspicious vehicle in their driveway, when are they going out of town.
• Call 911 as soon as you see someone / something suspicious. Do not hesitate.
• Secure your garage. Close it. Do not create temptations for thieves.
• Secure your home, check window & door locks. Videotape your belonging for insurance purposes, keep receipts to prove the property you own. Etch your driver’s license number on your valuables so they can quickly be identified in pawn shops.

Residential burglaries happen during the day time when most people are away at work. If you happen to work from home, be a stay at home parent, or be home during regular work hours, please keep an extra keen eye on the neighborhood during these times. The criminals know our patterns and prefer to strike when no one is around. Let’s surprise them and let them know we are watching their every move.

2006 VIP Training Dates

Don't be afraid or frustrated by crime, get involved and help prevent it by joining the L Steets Volunteers in Patrol. You will set your own schedule and patrol the neighborhood in a non confrontational manner. Applicants must first complete volunteer training and pass a background check. This year the classes will be April 17-18-20, July 17-18-20, a 1 day class on Saturday September 16, and finally another 3 day school on November 6-7-9. On the 3 day schools the first 2 are at the NE station from 7p to 9p with the third night downtown at the 911 office from 7p to 9p. the 1 day school is on a Saturday from 10a to 4p all at the 911 office.

http://www.dallaspolice.net/index.cfm?page_ID=1183

Lake Highlands Crime Summit

Attention HOA Presidents, Crime Watch Chairs, and residents intrested in reducing crime:

The LHAIA Crime Watch Committee will hold the first Lake Highlands Crime Watch Summit at 7:00pm Monday, Febuary 6th at the Lake Highlands Recreation Center. (9940 White Rock Trail; 75238)

The Crime Watch Summit will be a new meeting in which Crime Watch Chairs and HOA/Neighborhood Presidents from the various neighborhoods within Lake Highlands will meet and formulate a plan and exchange ideas to reduce crime in all of Lake Highlands. The first meeting will focus on:

What the problems are in your neighborhood.
How we all can work together to reduce crime.
How we (LH) can work more closely with the Dallas Police Department.
How we can communicate effectively with all of Lake Highlands.

As we all know, criminals do not care where our HOA boundaries start or finish and we must all work together to get the message across to criminals that we (the Lake Highlands community) will not accept or put up with crime. If we all work together, we can ensure that Lake Highlands will be one of the safest areas in Dallas.

For more information please contact Larry Jones at crimewatch@lhaia.org or contact Sean Christopher at Schristopher@lhaia.org.

Albertson's Finally Sold

Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management and a group of real estate companies led by Kimco Realty will acquire 655 unprofitable locations, including Albertsons' 102 stores in D-FW.
Cerberus said it plans to run the stores, but analysts expect it to sell markets and store locations soon after the deal is closed this summer

Dallas Morning News, January 24, 2006