texas real estate: Bill Sinkin 99th Birthday Bash - Solar San Antonio Luncheon - 05/15/12 11:40 AM
Mr. Bill Sinkin stopped by to visit my booth at Build San Antonio Green Home Tour & Fair. Mr. Sinkin is the reason we have solar programs in San Antonio! 
    
At just under 100 years young, Mr. Sinkin is the founder of Solar San Antonio! He stopped by to give me an invitation to his 99th birthday party.  

Sign Up here!  

 
… (4 comments)

texas real estate: BSAG Green Home Tour & Fair Results - 05/15/12 11:21 AM
The results are in! I was happy to support Build San Antonio Green but can't say the turnout was all that good.  For Green Home Realty, however, it was fine.  I spent the day with two wonderful people - my son Cory who will be attending Construction Careers High School as a pre-engineering/arcrhitect next year, and one of my mortage partners, Stephanie Stringer with Ameripro Funding. But that's not all.

Mr. Bill Sinkin stopped by to visit my booth! Mr. Sinkin is the reason we have solar programs in San Antonio! At just under 100 years young, Mr. Sinkin is … (3 comments)

texas real estate: Azuca - Nuevo Latino Cuisine - San Antonio, Texas - 05/14/12 11:33 AM

Award winning cuisine like you've never had before! An eclectic blend of Caribbean, Cuban, & Spanish food. 
Explore SouthTown San Antonio, Texas
713 S. Alamo  San Antonio, TX 78205 3404
(210) 225-5550
Azuca Website



 

We had a very difficult time choosing ONLY one appetizer, so we went for something classically Cuban - Tostones with a Lemon, Butter, Garlic dipping sauce.  They are crispy, fried plaintains.




 
I had a Pepita Crusted Chicken meal with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a veggie meddly that was possibly the best veggies I ever ate.
… (7 comments)

texas real estate: Explore SouthTown San Antonio, Texas - 05/14/12 10:22 AM

SouthTown is a unique area south of the world famous San Antonio RiverWalk located within walking distance.  It's a liittle known area to tourists, but for locals it's the place to be for the eclectic, character, and history of San Antonio, Texas.
It's a celebration of art, food, and culture. It's a blend of old and new, but never would I call it bland!
I took a Bcycle tour today using the city's new BFit, BGreen, BCycle intiative. You check out a bike for 30 minutes at a time and check in every 30 minutes at the highly condensed rental … (1 comments)

texas real estate: Fidos After Five - San Antonio, Texas - Botanical Gardens - 05/14/12 01:40 AM
Love dogs? Love nature?  Celebrate your two loves together at “Fidos After Five” San Antonio Botanical Garden for the first ever “Fidos After Five” event on May 18 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Fidos After Five blends a great array of dog related events and activities with the beautiful surroundings of the Garden. Enjoy live music, food and drinks, and give Fido a little fun, too! Activities from our friends at Camp Bow Wow include:
Ask the Trainer Doggie games Pet ID tags Kiss the Bulldog booth (proceeds to be donated to the Garden)  Other attractions include “Fido and Me” … (6 comments)

texas real estate: Mothers Day Gift Ideas - San Antonio, Texas - 05/10/12 10:32 AM

I'm a mom and I'm fortunate to still have my mom. I'm thinking about Mother's Day Gift Ideas for my mom & what I'd like to do in San Antonio myself. So, I decided to share my San Antonio, Texas ideas.  If you're not in San Antonio, Texas there are some non-geographical ideas too.  Maybe you can find something similar in your area for my regional ideas.
1. Stream Woman gives GREAT GIFT IDEAS for moms by classification:  Adventurous, Family, Intellectual....
2. Open Table offers GREAT DINING SPECIALS for mom. I like they show a photo, have reviews, and provide … (12 comments)

texas real estate: Cinco de Mayo Events - San Antonio, Texas 2012 - 05/04/12 06:13 AM

Cinco de Mayo Events - San Antonio, Texas 2012  
San Antonio Luminaria -Rescheduled to May 5, 2012 Luminaria Live is your interactive guide for experiencing the celebration of art and artists at Luminaria. Use your mobile device to learn more about artists, find your way around Luminaria, discover events taking place around you, and see what other visitors are talking about during the event. Luminaria Live will go live the night of the event.
Luminaria 2012 has been rescheduled for May 5, 2012 in HemisFair Park from 7pm to 1am.
Luminaria is San Antonio's annual celebration of art and … (7 comments)

texas real estate: UTSA Conference Celebration! - May 4, 2012 San Antonio, Texas - 05/04/12 04:33 AM
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texas real estate: Should Business Loss "Shrinkage" Be Accounted For in Real Estate? - 05/01/12 11:54 PM
Why Do Realtors Make Such High Commission? was featured yesterday and in this morning's Daily Drop.  I saw a comment from one of my readers and felt it warranted some discussion. I appreciate that Thomas said "I think we have to be careful to say how far we go between closings, as the current Buyer/Seller could care less about that." I realize that the consumer doesn't care. They'd say it's not their fault that we don't close every deal. But sometimes these things are legal issues and so I have to respectfully disagree.
In the retail industry, subject to community, there … (12 comments)

texas real estate: Why Do Realtors Make Such High Commission? - 04/30/12 07:47 PM
I was interviewed yesterday for a unique investor project by Mr. Builder. We talked about the viewpoint each of us have toward the other in terms of typical Realtor or Builder behavior. It was fun and funny. One of the things that came out of the conversation for me was an aha moment about why Realtors are commissioned based and why we get paid as much as we do per transaction. 
There are 2 kinds of people in this world. Those that hunt and kill, and those that prepare the table.  It's hard for the food preparers to understand why … (162 comments)

texas real estate: Eagle Ford Shale - South Texas Property Owners' Mineral Rights - 04/26/12 08:50 AM
They don't call us the Gulf Coast for nothing! Every Realtor knows that real property is the land, what's below and above and that which is improved such as a house, storage facility, etc. Texans know about oil but I don't think the average person really knows about mineral rights as it pertains to property rights, nor the average Realtor.
Developers know. Investors know. Cathy Bureau knows - because we keep up with industry news.
Recently there has been considerable discussion due to the Eagle Ford Shale project. There is much to think about when buying or selling real estate … (13 comments)

texas real estate: Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Take Action to Resolve Short Sale Response Times - 04/26/12 01:36 AM
I thought I'd share something very valuable to distresesed home owners considering Short Sales.  Although I am Short Sale certified, I tend to not list many Short Sales because by the time I am asked to help there seems to be little time to take action; people tend to call me when they are 30-60 days from losing their house. I end up directing them to their bank for a loan modification or to a bankruptcy attorney - which is what the Texas Real Estate Commission instructs us to do as first recourse. Second recourse is to prevent people from walking … (7 comments)

texas real estate: Things You Should Know When Considering Moving to San Antonio, Texas - 04/25/12 09:42 AM
1.  If you don't like hot things you might want to stay put.
2.  Bill Miller's is quintessential eating. We know its not the best BBQ & we don't care cause we can feed a family of 5 for $20 & its better than cheap burgers.
3.  Margaritas - the official beverage.
4.  We don't like being compared to Austin; we're better!
5.  Dallas folks are "Yankees"
6.  A "Taco" doesn't necessarily mean ground beef in a crunchy corn shell. Its anything stuffed into a 10" flour tortilla.  So, you should say "crunchy" if that's what you mean, or "burrito" … (13 comments)

texas real estate: Home Owner Association Legal Updates -Texas 2012 - 04/25/12 09:14 AM
I attended a Legal & Ethics Updates class today as part of my pilgrimage to renew my Broker license. Several items covered are frequently asked to me. I know lots of folks have issues with their HOAs. Some believe them to serve a great purpose. Either way, sometimes they just over-stretch their power. This is not a comprehensive list. Here I will cover a few items pertaining to the Home Owner Association changes.
HOME OWNER ASSOCIATION UPDATES (GENERAL)
 
1.  Fee Payments - An HOA governing over 14 lots must adopt reasonable guidelines for an alternative payment schedule with partial payments … (2 comments)

texas real estate: SABOR Housing Market Report - San Antonio, Texas - March 2012 - 04/24/12 02:54 AM
  San Antonio Positive Housing Trend Continues
Housing statistics mirror San Antonio economy San Antonio – April 13, 2012 ‐ The local housing market continues to grow reflecting the strong economic climate of the city according to the March 2012 Multiple Listing Service report by the San Antonio Board of REALTORS® (SABOR).
Key housing indicators all improved in March 2012 compared with March 2011. Housing statistics continued their upswing for the third consecutive month this year. The average price for single family homes grew two percent to $185,561 and the median price increased four percent to $155,600 compared to figures in … (3 comments)

texas real estate: Does Media's Real Estate Reporting Have Any Value? - 04/24/12 02:50 AM
Get the facts Jack!  The fact is, the media spreads bad information. There used to be a time when media produced quality information and were held to a higher standard but now, no so much. I truly wish they’d put a disclaimer in that annoying scroll box stating “Kiddies, this is just for entertainment purposes.”
 
In fact, our objectives are quite opposite. The media’s goal is to maximize exposure to sell advertising. Media has no accountability. My goal is to sell real estate by providing accurate and timely information. I’m accountable to clients, colleagues, and the Texas Real Estate Commission; … (3 comments)

texas real estate: Why Do We Need to Promote Recycling & Earth Day? Isn't Everyone Doing It? - 04/17/12 10:26 PM
By now you might be wondering if I'll continue blogging Earth Day things  until April 22nd, Earth Day - yes.  It's sort of like Lent for me... I'm thinking about what I'm doing, what should I be doing, and sharing with others. I'll return to my other content soon, I promise.
Side bar:  Lately I've been getting some kudos for writing these eco blogs but also a few have asked, what does any of this have to do with real estate?  Good question.  First, as a homeowner we have more control over our environment than we do in an apartment, rental … (15 comments)

texas real estate: Make Your Earth Day Resolution Today! Earth Day 2012 Part 6 - 04/17/12 06:16 AM
Not that the Earth is any way a religion for me or has that level of reverence, I still think that its worth making an Earth Day Resolution or two, like New Year's Resolutions.
How green do you think you are?  Check out PracticallyGreen.com to see how GREEN you are.  At first I didn't like the site because it prompted me to share my results & to be social.  Ugh, I'm already all over social media & its exhausting from a business perspective, fun from a social one. But if I set my priorities right, then maybe it is more appropriate … (13 comments)

texas real estate: Google Drive - A technology exchange solution - 04/16/12 10:21 PM

Have you ever had to email photos or documents files that were just too big to go via email? Or tried Docusend just to find out its only free for 5 photos?  Here's a great solution - Google Drive. You may already be using GoogleDocs but that's just for docs, like Word but cloud hosted and limited.
Mashable tells us Google Drive is a better resource to store our media which like all things Google, provides a sharing option. As it is, I have my kids and husband tethered with Google, and I share Google Docs with clients. But it's … (0 comments)

texas real estate: Live Near the World's Largest Pecan - Seguin Texas - 04/14/12 08:00 PM
Why wouldn't you want to buy a home in Sequin, Texas, after-all, it's the home of the World's Largest Pecan!  

 
Texas-Size Pecan - Because everything is bigger and better in Texas! The huge nut on the Courthouse lawn is a popular place for taking photos. Made of concrete but looking quite realistic, it honors a major local industry. Crops can reach up to 3 million pounds of pecans, making this county one of the nation's leading producers. Guadalupe County growers helped to pioneer the now-popular nut, which Spanish explorers encountered in this area hundreds of years ago. Some … (6 comments)