The Craig Ranch Pool Party’s Effect on McKinney Real Estate: Letter to the Residents

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Tatiana Rhodes’ house on Lonesome Spur in Craig Ranch North

The community of Craig Ranch was developed by David Craig when he bought the first tracts of land for Craig Ranch 15 years ago, at the intersection of State Highway 121 and Custer Road in McKinney.

One of the most successful mixed-use developments of its kind, the 2,200-acre master planned community features 2,359 houses, more than 1,000 apartment homes, retail, and commercial space. It is one of the largest developments in Collin County and more than 9,000 people call Craig Ranch home.

More than 1,434 houses and more than 3,000 apartment homes will be completed over the next 28 months, with price ranging from $300,000 to more than $600,000. Craig’s partner in the development is VanTrust Real Estate.

Part of Craig Ranch’s popularity is due to its proximity to job creation along the Dallas North Tollway. Money Magazine and Time have both named McKinney the nation’s top small city in 2014 (with populations between 50,000 and 300,000), noting the area is a hotbed for growth-industry jobs, green energy, aviation, and medical services. Amid the negative press generated by last Friday’s pool party gone viral, many Realtors are concerned about a possible negative effect on home sales in the area. Craig Ranch is sending a letter to Realtors tomorrow that is expected to be similar to the one published below sent to all Craig Ranch residents, but will likely also talk about the how strong and resilient the community is, and how diligently they are working to be part of the solution.

The other part of Craig Ranch’s “secret sauce” for success is its master plan, which works to create an active, healthy lifestyle for residents. It has more than 400 acres of green space, creeks, and parks that connect via running and biking trails to the golf lovers five-star TPC Craig Ranch golf course. Other recreational amenities include the Ballfields, which attract tournament play from around the country, the McKinney Soccer Fields, which host league matches and clinics, a hockey facility, and training program for high school athletes. The various neighborhoods offer something for everyone’s price range, from the $230,000 starter home to the million dollar plus Estates. Craig Ranch also has a Town Center District with the TPC Craig Ranch, an amazing Cooper Fitness Center & Spa, Van Tuyl Plaza, Veterans Memorial Park and it’s own Times Square.

From what I have gathered talking to a few neighbors and Realtors who live and sell at Craig Ranch, Tatania Rhodes and her mother (and possibly her sister) all live in Craig Ranch North, a segment of about 1000 homes built by D.R. Horton around 2004. The homes average about $230,000 to $260,000, sized around 2500 square feet. About 20% of the homes at Craig Ranch North are rentals, including the home Tatania and her mother live in on Lonesome Spur Trail. Their home is  2547 square feet on .12 of a acre with a 2 car garage. There is no pool at the 4 bedroom, two and a half bath house, but access to a community pool managed and maintained by the HOA. Each resident is allowed to bring in 2 guests to swim at the pool. The rent is $1620. a month. The neighborhood is culturally diverse, and it’s one of the more affordable communities in McKinney. The school system is Frisco, which is a huge draw. It’s also incredibly friendly, with neighbors frequently outside drinking wine and chatting. That is, the adults drinking wine.

 

Craig Ranch HOA Letter to Residents

Here is what Realtors and residents (who all, unfortunately, want to be anonymous) tell me happened Friday night. Tatania organized a party known as a “Pop-Up Twitter Rave” party. It’s basically what my kids tried to do as teens, but they use social media to spread the word. Which means, the invitation spreads lightning fast. There is a park next to the pool, and it was there the DJ Reign set up along with a bounce house and tweeted the party for a cover charge of $15 a head.

Tatiana Rhodes, a 19-year-old McKinney resident, reportedly planned the event, which, Heavy notes, was advertised on social media. According to the flier, a group calling itself Dimepiece X Twinzz Promotions was listed as the host of the pool party, which was scheduled from 4:30 to 10 p.m. The event was deejayed by DJ Reign, a Dallas DJ who’s listed on his Twitter account as CEO of EventsHavoc! He isn’t interested in talking about the events of Friday, according to tweets on his Twitter account.

Before messaging that he had no interest in talking about Friday’s events, he reportedly fielded a few from folks who believed that he’d coordinated the pool party.

According to Twitchy, someone posting from DJ Reign’s account noted that he wasn’t near the event when it took place and that he didn’t make the fliers. In addition, posts noted that he was paid to deejay the event and nothing more. There have been conflicting reports as to how many guests were in attendance, but many outlets put the number as high as 70 teens.

Party Invitation

Party Invitation

Something I have been trying to figure out is why Tatania, who is either 19 or 20, would be partying with 14 and 15 year olds, but apparently she organized the party for her 14 year old sister or half sister. (The girls have different last names.) Residents who were at the pool say Tatania only invited about 20 people, including friends who lived inside Craig Ranch, who also had access to the pool. But once the party invitation went viral, kids came over from everywhere. I have heard that the tweets also included instructions for the teens on how to handle the police should they arrive — typical at these kinds of pop up Twitter Rave parties.

Whoever wrote the Facebook post describing the the original 911 calls as saying there were “too many blacks in the neighborhood” was not being truthful, I’m told, that was never said. Two young girls reading by the pool say the teenagers came from nowhere, were loud and offensive, as was the music. Some were smoking pot and wine coolers were all over. Their language was offensive to a mother with little ones in the pool’s shallow end, and that mother apparently asked them to “keep the bad language down.” One of the party “guests” then raised her middle finger to the mother, flipping her off. It is also not clear whether Tatania and her mother had pre-arranged for the party with the HOA, which usually requires a security deposit. And the teens apparently were rude to the resident adults out enjoying the pool.

Several McKinney residents have taken to social media to dispute the reporting of the story. According to one McKinney resident, who asked that the “true story” of what happened get out, a DJ was blasting obscene music in a public area and carloads of teens where arriving in the neighborhood without permission to go to the pool. When the teens were confronted, according to the resident’s post, they began climbing the pool fence and arguing with a security guard. When residents confronted the teens, the residents say, it was they who were attacked with racial slurs and physically assaulted.

Of course, these people are also wondering why Officer Casebolt was so aggressive in his response, appeared to be singling out the black teens and meeting profanity with more profanity. Casebolt resigned from the force today.

Here is Tatiana’s version of the events:

Every Realtor who sells property in McKinney is now worried about the same thing: will the negative national press about McKinney turn people away from this community?

“I have a client moving here from Washington, D.C, ” one agent told me, ” and he’s in law enforcement. They love the house but asked me today, should I rethink McKinney?”

Thoughts?

Posted in

Candy Evans, founder and publisher of CandysDirt.com, is one of the nation’s leading real estate reporters.

8 Comments

  1. Sandra Duck on June 9, 2015 at 8:55 pm

    There is such a demand for homes up here I dont think this will affect sales much. I also wish there were not so many rentals at CRN: if this girl really organized a huge party when she had no right to have that many kids she should also be held responsible. She is not a kid. Also I wonder if their disrespect for the community’s rules could be in violation of their lease.

  2. Brenda Rogers on June 10, 2015 at 7:58 am

    I am also a Realtor who sells homes in McKinney. Just days before this incident, a young couple moving here from out of state went under contract to purchase a $500K+ home in McKinney. He is a physician/surgeon. They are also African American. He called me Sunday evening to talk about the pool incident as they have 2 young daughters and he would not want to bring them into a community where racial tension would potentially expose his beloved children to such an incident. He was horrified. Fortunately, he has decided to continue with his purchase but I, myself, could not find any way to be nonchalant about his concerns. I would be equally concerned, were it me. Let us hope that good does come from bad and McKinney is given the opportunity to show that, as a diverse whole, will not tolerate criminal behavior by any of its police force who may choose to abuse their power in order to inflict their own personal ignorant racism on innocent children or other human beings. We are all members of the same race, after all. The human race.

    • Mike Thompson on June 13, 2015 at 1:12 pm

      Interesting comments, Ms. Rogers. I’m not from McKinney, but have relatives in the area. Your comments about the McKinney police and their “criminal behavior” tells me you are a bigot. Who in the area would ever consider using you to buy or sell real estate? Your comments surely do not reflect the views of all Realtors. Yours are disgraceful comments. You need to learn the facts and them keep them straight.

  3. Ed Thomas on June 10, 2015 at 6:04 pm

    @Brenda Rogers: Unfortunately, you are misinformed. By your completely unsubstantiated accusation of “criminal behavior by any of [McKinney’s] police force who may choose to abuse their power in order to inflict their own personal ignorant racism on innocent children or other human beings,” you have demonstrated your own “personal ignorant” endorsement of race-baiting. In typical leftist, mainstream media-like fashion, you immediately cry “racism” without having (or refusing to acknowledge) all information relevant to the situation.

    Candy’s post presents additional information about teens arriving at the pool without permission, of individuals climbing the pool fence and arguing with a security guard, and hurling racial slurs when confronted by residents. So please spare us the worn-out tirade about abuse of power used to inflict racism on “innocent children or other human beings.” Clearly, these teens are not innocent children. Their actions are reflective of a society in which disrespect for authority and the rule of law, and refusing responsibility for individual actions, are becoming increasingly tolerated—and in many cases, deliberately promoted.

    As a Realtor who sells homes in McKinney and who, I hope, would like to continue to successfully do so, you would do well to avail yourself of all the information surrounding this incident—especially if you play a role in representing McKinney and its communities to potential homeowners—before adopting the anti-cop, false victimhood and knee-jerk charge of racism narrative that predictably accompanies media coverage of any event that can be misrepresented to advance the liberal agenda.

    Furthermore, you may best be served by hoping that McKinney’s “diverse whole” is given the opportunity to show that, contrary to the lamentable actions of the chief of police, it will not submit to the agenda-serving demands of the race-baiting activist industry and, instead, will not tolerate disrespect for authority and the rule of law through mob-rule mentality and actions by any of its residents or visitors—NO MATTER THEIR RACE—be they adults or “innocent teenagers.”

    • Kyle Wilson on June 11, 2015 at 1:13 pm

      @Ed Thomas You seem upset. Maybe you should take some time to meditate or maybe just a deep breath would help.

      • Ed Thomas on June 12, 2015 at 10:40 am

        Kyle, not upset at all, just adding my two cents to the discussion. But I do appreciate your ad hominem attack, it completely proves my point! In any event, I do apologize if my comment has offended your delicate sensibilities. I can easily understand how shocking a strong dose of reality and logical reasoning must be to the vibe of one in the utopian bliss of the meditative state!

  4. mike on June 11, 2015 at 3:24 pm

    A lie, it is said, makes its way around the world before the truth can put on its pants.

    Commentators on the fight video seem to asking us: “Who are you going to believe, me or your own lyin’ eyes?”

    Tatiana tells us that the “Caucasion woman” (her description) hurled racial slurs and slapped her, starting the fight. However, on the video, Tatiana is the one who is actually being pulled off of the other woman, while
    an adult male encourages Tatiana to continue. “Get her, KC! Get her!”, our fight promoter yells.

    Once Tatiana is pulled off the “Caucasion” woman, does the fighting-mad white soccer mom who started the melee’ continue fighting? Nope. She backs up while Tatiana continues to be held back by her more level-headed friend.

    By the way, “KC” is Tatiana. She calls herself “Keef Cakez” professionally on Twitter. No, she is not a caterer. She bills herself as a “model” and an “event planner” and refers to herself as a “Dimepiece” which is urban (now suburban?) slang for a perfect 10 in terms of womanhood.

    Speaking of Twitter, “Keef Cakez” went on her feed right after the event, boasting of her fighting prowess and hinting at what she had wanted to do to that old white gal, had she not been interupted. “good thing they pulled me off, or I’d be in jail.”

    Of course, that doesn’t mean that a white woman with her three small kids in tow didn’t spontaneous erupt, start yelling racial slurs at 70 testosterone-fueled black kids and throw the first punch….

    But if she did, Tatiana is certainly a good Christian. Afterall, Soccer Mom assaulted her in what was clearly a hate crime. There were witnesses, right? They say they actually heard and saw these things happening, right?

    I guess it’s just enough that “Keef Cakez” was blessed with some publicity for her “modeling” career and that evil white lady who toils as a mortgage broker was suspended from her job while she’s being investigated for “racial insensitivity.” Who knows? If all is right in the universe, maybe she’ll get permanently fired and never work again. No justice; no peace, my friends.

  5. Liz on October 1, 2015 at 9:40 pm

    Racial slurs result WHEN people are ACTING OUT and BEHAVING in ways that REINFORCE negative cultural stereotypes. I am Hispanic…and so the typical “stereotypes” that other cultures “perceive” and have about my culture are to be uneducated, drunks, sluts, partiers with many people living in one apartment or section 8 housing home, many children by different fathers, criminals and gang bangers, disrespecting authority or committing crimes. And so…well…because I AM Hispanic and I DO NOT live my life nor conduct myself or make choices to be within any of these negative stereotypes about my culture, I have not ever been told to go back to section 8 housing. It’s amazing…when I don’t throw trash in other peoples yards, or I DON’T smoke pot and I don’t play loud disgusting vulgar music and I don’t disrespect other people’s property ….hmmmm…guess what? NO ONE CALLS THE COPS ON ME and NO ONE hurls racial slurs at me! Why is this? Because MY PARENTS and family raised me to have SELF WORTH, be respectful to others. It’s amazing how education, respect and how I conduct myself positively with others results in beautiful relationships with ALL cultures. No one has ever hurled a “negative” Mexican/Hispanic racial slur to me because I DO NOT LIVE MY LIFE nor CONDUCT MYSELF in the negative manner of which reinforces all the negative Hispanic/Mexican stereotypes. People who consistently have a chip on their shoulder and disrespect others and their property CREATE their OWN DRAMA and will always receive NEGATIVE comments and actions towards themselves. FIVE WORDS for Tatyana Rhodes, her mother Burks and sister; Steve and Marjorie Harvey foundation. Comedian Steve Harvey and his wife are true role models making a difference with their boot camps for young women and men….they TEACH at risk youth (Latino, Black and White at risk youth) how to CONDUCT themselves respectfully and how to heal from struggle along with providing direction with educational opportunities. Don’t ACT like you’re an “at RISK YOUTH” and you won’t be treated like one. This was never a racial issue, I was there. This was a trespassing issue along with criminal & disrespectful behavior issue (vulgar music, trash throwing, drinking, pot smoking, jumping over pool property fences, cussing at people and lack of crowd control).

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