The Castle Hills Corner is a community newsletter geared towards the everyday happenings of our awesome community - Castle Hills!

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As The Turret Turns

"What's Happening in and around Castle Hills"

Happy New Year

Renee Mears Realtors wishes everyone a great New Year!!


REAL ESTATE NEWS

The 2023 DFW Real Estate year was one of CHANGE.  We saw a 23% increase in home values from January 2021 to December 2021 and a 17.6% increase in value from January 2022 till June 2022.  However, from June 2022 to December 2022 we saw a 9.5% home value decrease.

In Castle Hills we have seen the same trend.  We saw a tremendous value increase of 13.1% in 2021 and for the same period of January 2022 through June 2022 we saw a larger increase in value of almost 29%, this was largely due to some very high-end homes selling in June.  Similarly, to the DFW market, we saw a 42% decrease in Home Sales values from June 2022 to December 2022.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has ranked the DFW metro area as one of top Real Estate markets in the US for 2023.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

Castle Hills HOA Dues Due

The HOA Fees of $992 are due by 1/31/2023

❖ 2023 Annual Assessment per home: $992

❖ $30 of the assessment will be allocated to the Capital Reserve to continue setting aside funds for large, infrequent, or unexpected costs of the growing amenities and common areas

❖ The dues are subject to increase as the community continues to grow. More residents mean more amenities and maintenance of those additions in addition to existing expenses.  

How does Castle Hills compare to other HOA communities?

❖Stonebriar North: $3,036 annually

❖Tribute: $1,200 annually

❖Austin Waters: $1,257

Payments can be mailed to or dropped off at the main office:

2520 King Arthur Blvd, Ste #200 Lewisville, TX 75056

Monday-Friday, 8AM-5PM


Community Garden 2023 Applications

Applications for a garden plot are now available via email request to communitycenter@castlehills.org

Hard copies will be available at the Queen Margaret Community Center.

Deadline for application submissions is January 15th, 2023.

The completed application and waiver page must be returned along with a $30 adopt-a-plot fee.

Plot sizes will depend on how many applications are received.

There are 16 garden plots that measure 4ft by 16ft that can be divided into smaller 4ft by 8ft plots, making 32 plots available.

If you have any questions, you can email communitycenter@castlehills.org

The Castle's Calendar

FUN & FEAST

"Don't Be Kissing The Hare's Foot"

Be sure to send us your favorite Recipe and we will post it here

My Recipe

Chicken Lasagna Roll-ups

Ingredients

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 3 sweet onions, thinly sliced
  • pinch of salt and pepper

SPINACH AND CHICKEN

  • 16 ounces baby spinach
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

RICOTTA LAYER

  • 12 ounces ricotta cheese
  • ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • 8 traditional lasagna noodles, cooked
  • 8 ounces gruyere cheese, freshly grated

THYME BECHAMEL

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 ½ to 2 cups milk
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • fresh thyme and/or chives for garnish

 

Directions:

Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat and add the butter. Add in the onions with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir. Cook, stirring often, until the onions caramelize, about 30 to 40 minutes. Once the onions are golden and caramelly, transfer them to a plate.

  • Add the olive oil to the same skillet and toss in the spinach and garlic. Stir, cooking until the spinach wilts. Stir in the chicken and a pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture a separate plate from the onions.
  • (At this point, you can boil a pot of salted water and cook the lasagna noodles until they are al dente. Once they are finished, lay them out on a clean towel. Don’t let them stick together! )
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, parmesan, egg, salt and pepper.
  • Assemble your roll ups! Lay all the lasagna noodles out in a single layer. Spread a spoonful or two of the ricotta on all the noodles. I would do all the ricotta first, so you can spread any extra on the noodles. Top the ricotta with the spinach and chicken mixture on each noodle. Then go through and top each with the caramelized onions. Sprinkle the roll ups with the gruyere cheese, keeping some to sprinkle on top of the noodles.
  • To make the bechamel, heat the same skillet to medium heat. Add the butter and once melted, whisk in the flour to create a roux. Cook the roux for 2 to 3 minutes until it smells nutty and fragrant. Slowly stream in the milk while whisking constantly until it’s smooth. Once smooth, add in the thyme, nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Roll up each lasagna noodle and place it right in the bechamel with the seam side down. Repeat with the remaining noodles and then spoon the bechamel over all the noodles. Top with the remaining gruyere cheese.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Garnish with fresh thyme and chives. Serve immediately.

Be Sure to send us your Delicious Fare

Your Recipe

RIDDLE ME THIS

What can you hold in your right hand but never in your left?

Last Month's Riddle

What 2 things are wanted in December?

Answer: All I want is my two front teeth


January Garden Tips

Order Seeds

Order seed for the new year around New Year's Day, if not before, especially for spring crops like radishes, peas and lettuce. Everyone else has the same idea and there's only so much seed to go around, so it's best to be an early bird. I go ahead and order for summer, too, and take this slow time to think about my goals for my garden. —Kelly Smith Trimble in Knoxville, Tennessee

Current Castles For Sale

Our Agents are always available to answer your Real Estate Needs

Castle Hills Market Stats
Final Update 1/6/2023

* Not Intended to solicit homes currently listed

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