After years of tyranny and construction on LBJ, not to mention horrific traffic not seen since the High Five was being built, it actually looks like the dark days are over. Not completely, but it's a start. You'll still probably be sandwiched in on ridiculous curving roads around the Marsh and Midway area and fear for your life, but progress is being made.

Personally I thought this epic construction process would take much longer than it has. Say what you will but sections of the new highway are starting to actually take shape and it seems that the worst of it, especially at night, are in the rear view mirror. Pun intended. Up next: We take a drive on 635 and offer a full report.

People hate taking baths, apparently. In a recent study, it seems that 4 out of 10 bathroom remodels don't include a bath tub. While the trend is normally reserved for people under 35 (those 35 and up are more likely to keep the tub, and the private toilet), this presents an alarming inditement about home remodeling trends in 2014.

Speaking of the toilet, over 80 percent of remodelers are selecting high-efficiency toilets. And more than a quarter of young homeowners are favoring wall-mounted options. Not just in North Dallas but across Texas.

Double sinks are also on the rise apparently, and shower curtains are becoming obsolete; in fact, seven out of 10 new bathrooms have a glass-enclosed area to them. Skylights are also becoming popular.

Over 7,400 people were interviewed and the criteria was needing a bath remodeled. It seems high-end is preferred and shower curtains are on the way out. We spoke with Pete of A1 Soapstone at www.dallassoapstone.com, a local bathroom remodeling contractor, who said that he has seen an increase in high-end remodels even in smaller and lower-priced homes. The moral? What recession? 

We continue to add lawyer and real estate agent listings like crazy. Once every zip code is accounted for, we plan to expand further into areas like Plano and Frisco. The Far North Dallas Real Estate directory was also recently launched and looks to be a major asset to our hyperlocal listing site.

This new real estate site will target the area just north of 635 and south of George Bush Freeway. The other dividing lines for Far North Dallas seem to be the North Dallas Tollway and Coit Road. If you are a real estate agent who sells homes in this area, this is a great resource that contains loads of info on the area including a brief history of land development in and around Far North Dallas. This is a little hidden gem of DFW and we noticed a hole in the marketplace where buyers and sellers could connect.

2014 will be the year in which we truly expand this hyperlocal site and see just exactly how far we can take it. If you are a local business and want your info on our directory, you may contact us for more info. Cheers and Happy New Year!