Amarillo Wants You to Name That Frog!

The Amarillo Botanical Gardens is holding a contest inviting residents to name the whimsical frog musician statue that welcomes visitors to the garden. Our frog is also the mascot for the summertime Music in the Gardens series. All of Amarillo is welcome to submit their suggestions by August 20th, with the winner to be announced at the Music in the Gardens' final performance on August 25th. The winner will receive an annual membership for a family of four to the gardens. So, put on your thinking caps and name our toe-tapping amphibian friend. All entries must be in writing and should be sent to the Amarillo Botanical Gardens, C/O Name the Mascot Contest. For rules and more information, please visit the Amarillo Botanical Gardens' website. What a fun way to show your civic pride!

Cooling Off Summer Cooling Costs

Summertime brings with it higher temperatures and higher cooling costs. To help chill off without overheating your wallet, keep these tips in mind:

1. Whether portable or an outside unit, air conditioners should be placed in a shady spot. That way, the unit doesn't have to work as hard.

2. Buy the right sized unit. If a unit is too small, it won't cool enough. If a unit is too big, it won't pull all the humidity out of the air, creating a muggy atmosphere in your home.

3. On humid days, keep the fan on low. Pulling air slowly through the unit allows it to pull more humidity out of the air, helping keep the air cooler.

4. Clean the air filters once a month. Make sure you can vacuum and/or wash filter with soapy water. If you have an outdoor unit, make sure to clean around it to get rid of debris and leaves.

5. Try using portable and/or ceiling fans. This allows your body to believe it is cooler so you can set the temperature on your a/c unit higher. But, don't leave these on all the time or it defeats the savings.

6. Replace your regular light bulbs with CFL lights. They don't get as hot as regular bulbs and don't increase the temperature of your house, easing the work your a/c unit has to do to cool down the air temperature. At $5/year energy savings, a typical house can save $225 per year for 45 light bulbs.

7. Keep blinds and drapes closed. Less sun exposure through the windows means less heat getting through.

Why Choose Amarillo?

Located in the center of the Texas panhandle, Amarillo earns its name as "the yellow rose of Texas".  The millions of acres of agricultural land surrounding the city gives it a wide open "home on the range" feel.  But, Amarillo remains the Texas panhandle's commercial center.

Besides Amarillo's great public elementary school system, there are several wonderful institutions of higher learning set here.  These include everything from Amarillo Community College, a campus of Wayland Baptist University and the Texas Tech School of Pharmacy to the word famous West Texas A&M.

With over 50 city-maintained parks within its city limits, outdoor recreation plays a large part in the Amarillo lifestyle.  It also plays host to several events throughout the year to honor the American cowby, such as the Tri-State Fair and Rodeo and the World Championship Ranch Rodeo.  Native Americans are honored at the Kwahadi Kiva Indian Museum. 

Not everything in Amarillo is about the Old West, though.  The Amarillo Opera, Symphony and Lone Star Ballet call the Globe News Center for the Performing Arts their home.  Visitors and residents alike can enjoy any one of the many museums and art galleries in Amarillo as well.  For science buffs, the Don Harrington Discovery Center is an interactive museum that has over 60 hands-on exhibits for children of all ages to enjoy.

There are so many reasons Amarillo real estate should be put at the top of your list of places to live that I just can't name them all here.  Give me a call or drop me a line and I'll show you for myself why I love Amarillo.

Thankless to Tankless: Water Heater Efficiency

The life span of a hot water tank is only 10 years.  If you are in the market for a new water heater, consider going tankless.  This fabulous device instantly heats water on demand and takes up much less space than a traditional water heater.  Since it only heats water when needed, there is no need for a water tank holding unused water and wasting energy to keep it at a ready-to-use temperature all the time.  Their newer technology allows water to be heated more efficiently than in the past.  So, not only is it a space-saver, but it is an energy-saver as well.  With so many people looking for ways to live "greener", the tankless water heater is a great way to help the environment and your pocketbook all at the same time!

See for yourself why Tom Kile is a sound choice for Amarillo real estate.

My Relocation Search

Spring is here with summer just around the corner  Whether across the street or across the nation, this is traditionally the time Americans consider relocating.  

So, I thought I would do some internet research myself to see what kind of information you would be able to find using the criteria Amarillo Relocation and Relocate to Amarillo.  A site that came up under both searches was the Relocation/Cost of Living calculator. There were several sites that allowed you to search the MLS but did not give you information on the community. Most sites wanted you to give them your information before giving you community information. Out of the 30 sites I checked out (glancing at the title to actually clicking on the site), I found 2 that gave community information rather than demographic data and charts or requested your information.  

I am going to give you sound advice that may sound a little like "blowing my own horn" but please visit my website AllAmarilloHomes.com.. My website features community information on the City of Amarillo, Canyon and Bushland, and the counties of Potter and Randall. My website has been designed as a comprehensive tool for those seeking information on our communities as well as homes for sale.  

Normally, I keep my blogs to the subject of sound real estate advice and do not talk about myself or my website; but today I honestly have to say my sound advice is to visit a website that gives you valuable information when considering relocation to Amarillo and its surrounding communities, AllAmarilloHomes.com.

If you are looking to move to an area outside of the Amarillo area, you can contact me and I will refer you to a real estate expert in the area you are considering.

Things Are Great In Texas

Recently, Forbes.com released a report regarding America 's most recession resistant cities. Out of the 10 cities featured in the report, 4 of them were Texas cities. Texas was the only state to have more than one city recognized. The Texas cities and their positions were: San Antonio #2, Austin #3, Houston #7 and Dallas ranked as #10. By the way, Oklahoma City took the #1 spot.  

The Forbes report examined the 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas using key factors such as unemployment rate (U.S. Labor of Statistics), job growth in addition to housing affordability and stability.  

Amarillo does not fall within the "50 largest metropolitan statistical areas", but I believe Amarillo is just as strong as our Texas sister cities. Unemployment is down (3.8% to 3.5%) and job growth is still in the plus factor (1.6%). Our real estate market is strong with a steady increase in values since 1998 (Texas A&M annual report 2007).  

My sound advice this week is to invest in your future and buy Amarillo real estate! If you are considering a relocation move, then based on the Forbes report, Texas is the state to chose and in my opinion, the best city to live is Amarillo, Texas. 

We're On Our Way!

Keeping a home in ready-to-show condition can be stressful and not always easy to do; afterall, you do live in the home, dishes do get dirty, and things get dusty.

Here is sound advice for quick cleanup when a Realtor calls to say "We're on our way".  

1. Eliminate: Take a quick assessment and eliminate anything that doesn't belong like newspapers, food on dishes, food containers, full trash cans; actually anything you can throw away.
2. Surface Clean: Wipe off the counters in the kitchen and bathrooms and wiped down the mirrors. Use a "Swiffer" type mop on floors and vacuum main traffic areas.
3. Organize: If you haven't thrown it out,  arrange it. Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, arrange the magazines and make your bed. Don't try to clean up every little space; just put the items together so they look neat.
4. Hide: Now look around and see what is left. If you don't want it to show, hide it in a closet.
5. Let the Light in: Open the blinds a little to let the light in and turn on the lamps.
6. Spray: Spray a "quick odor" eliminating house spray and then light a scented candle in the front room and kitchen.

Tom's Stuff

What do you want to know?

This is my first entry so I would like feedback as to what you would like to know about.

How about a great read?

I just finished the book "The Travelers Gift" by Andy Andrews. It is fiction but it has some great truths. The Seven Decisions for Success is really what the book is about. If you would like me to send you each of the decisions, email me at Tom@ThomasKile.com.

Are you a fan of Jud Wilhite?

As a prolific author and senior pastor of Central Christian Church in Henderson, NV, he and Mike Foster have come out with "DEADLY VIPER Character Assassins. The story line is based on the old Kung fu shows and exposes the seven assassins that want to destroy your character. Let me know if you would like to have some of the bullet points. You may also want to go to their web site "DeadlyViper.org" and download the free audio book.