Emergency State of the Union - Live Q & A With NAMB President Jim Pair - 09/30/09 01:24 PM
Tom asks, so he shall receive.  This is a very important message.
Via Tom Burris | FHA VA & Conv. Texas Mortgage Loans (DallasLoanGuy.com):
Emergency State of the Union - Live Q & A With NAMB President Jim Pair
This is a FREE Live Webinar. Please re-blog this article to your sphere.
 
The National Association of Mortgage Brokers is the voice of the mortgage broker industry, representing the interests of mortgage brokers and homebuyers since 1973. But this webinar is open to all of us in the industry.... Bankers and Realtors too!!
 
You do not need to be a member to … (1 comments)

Memories at ActiveRain - My Blogging Dedication - 09/28/09 10:09 AM
I have been with ActiveRain since they were a mere 3 weeks old.  I am member number 471 out of the current 160,289 members! 
 
Over the months and years, I have blogged about many things.  I've blogged about my listing appointments, my buyer appointments, why I turned down a listing, why I fired some buyers, and many more topics.
 
I've also blogged about my family and activities we do through the year, like Zilker Park, the Bounce Houses, and the Zoo.
 
The memory that I can never forget, because it seems like no one here at ActiveRain has … (21 comments)

Creating an Internet Presence & Converting Cyberleads at Austin Title - 09/28/09 09:46 AM
Back by popular demand, my Internet class is tomorrow, September 29 from 9:30-11:30 am at Austin Title in West Lake Hills!!  There are still a few seats available, so sign up today!  Please register through the link below....                                                                               Click here to register    "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."Robert Collier
  … (3 comments)

Speechless Sunday- Ending in the Hill Country Urgent Care - 09/27/09 07:37 PM


My poor little girl was crying and crying, and there was nothing I could do to stop her.  After 20 minutes of screaming, I decided to take her to the Hill Country Urgent Care in Bee Cave TX. 
We didn't wait one minute.  They immediately took her back and took two X-Rays for the "just in case", but they already knew it was Nurse Maids, where the elbow dislocates.
The doctor came in, bent her arm up, and in less than 2 seconds, Alyssa stopped screaming.  About a minute later, she was back to cracking jokes!  She thinks it's … (20 comments)

Hill Country Galleria Bee Cave Austin TX - Concert Series - 09/27/09 01:39 PM
The Hill Country Galleria Bee Cave TX is more than just a mall.  It is also a place for hosting many events throughout the year. Each season, they host a concert series.  Some friends and I went to see Matt Skinner and Amanda Brown, opening by Drew Kennedy, on Saturday night. We got there early, but Drew Kennedy had already started. Talk about not having to wait around.

In between the acts, the kids took it upon themselves to run around and enjoy the beautiful evening we were having, so here are some pictures of Alyssa just having some fun.
… (3 comments)

Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary - Austin TX - 09/27/09 01:08 PM
The Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary is located in Austin just West of the 71 and 290 "Y".  Lions and Tigers and Bears... in Austin?  That's right!  Did you know that Austin TX has a Zoo? 

Alyssa and I visited the Austin Zoo on Friday with about 50 of our friends from the Lakeway and Bee Cave Meetup.com group.  The group is always looking for new and exciting things to do to introduce our kids to new things.

Before going, I was told it was a Rescue Zoo.  I assumed that meant it was very small without too much … (6 comments)

My Brick is Falling Apart! - 09/24/09 04:03 PM
Good news, our new brick has arrived... and then I saw it being driven off again...

Some of you followed the agony of my new house being built.  You'll remember that we had many issues throughout the building process. Issues that I have never seen one of my own clients go through. To catch up the others, prior to moving in, we had two sections of the exterior brick replaced because the areas looked bad.  Upon moving in, I found myself collecting chips of brick all around my house.  As I picked everything up, there would be more the next … (20 comments)

Spicewood TX Homes for Sale - Sellers Know Best - 09/23/09 10:31 AM
Why did I just walk away from another listing for Spicewood TX Homes for Sale?  Because the seller knows more than me!  How can I educate someone who won't listen because he thinks he already knows it all. How does he know it all?  Because he's been on the market for 2 years!  Yes, since 2007, he's been trying to sell his house.  He's gone through 5 Realtors already.  It might be six, but I'm not wasting time to look his property up again. This round, he met with me and another agent.  I received the call from Mrs. Seller yesterday … (15 comments)

Austin TX Weather Missed the Record - 09/22/09 01:47 PM
This was a very HOT Summer yet, Austin TX Weather Missed the Record!  But in fact, it was the hottest Summer ever recorded!! The 2009 average temperature for June 1 - August 31 was 89.1 degrees.  That includes the overnight temperatures!  Each and every day was miserable, especially since 2008 had the second hottest average at 86.7 degrees. Within all these hot days, we were trying to break the all time record of 69 days over 100 degrees.  At day 48, it looked like an easy record to break.  At day 60, it still looked like there would be no problem... … (5 comments)

Technorati Claim Code - 09/21/09 01:39 PM
364fs9pmrj
 
I was told to sign up on this site probably 4 years ago, and just never did.  Now, I'm being told to do it again, and I'm definitely doing it!! I see Technorati all over the place now, but at the time, I had never heard of them and thought it was just something else I had to sign up on...
Kinda like Twitter, I waited and waited and waited, and now I'm regretting waiting.
… (8 comments)

Steiner Ranch - Austin TX - Neighborhood Garage Sale - 09/21/09 10:26 AM
I'm not one for Garage Sales, but we were in the Steiner Ranch area of Austin TX last weekend, looking at brick colors to put on our house, and it happened to be during the big Steiner Ranch community garage sale where about every 10 homes had their garage door open and they didn't have to do their own marketing or advertising to get people to come.
We were looking at this particular house and discussing the colors, and I inches forward a little to see the sides. In doing so, I noticed a house that had a little tricycle thing … (9 comments)

Spicewood TX Real Estate- Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?? - 09/21/09 10:10 AM
Spicewood TX Real Estate is unique with houses next to farms. I was leaving a listing appointment in Spicewood TX on Saturday afternoon.  I pulled out of their driveway, turned right, and almost immediately had to slam on my breaks... Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? 

The old answer is still correct, to get to the other side.  There was no rhyme or reason for these chickens and roosters and hens and GOATS to be out roaming around.  However, they felt as soon as I pulled up, they had this urge to get to the other side.

So, … (12 comments)

Falconhead West Bee Cave TX - TailGate Party was a Success - 09/20/09 12:50 PM
Falconhead West Bee Cave TX's TailGate party was a huge success!  Each time I drove by, there were tons of cars. Alyssa and I stopped by at one point so she could bounce in the bounce house, however, we never made it that far.  Instead, I went into the Falconhead West Bee Cave TX's builder's model to ask the sales rep some questions about my new, soon-to-be neighbors as I noticed a "sold" sign in the yard next door the day before. While waiting for him to become free, I gave Alyssa her first "real" Popsicle, which she loved and made … (4 comments)

University of Texas at Austin Campus - ESPN Gameday - 09/20/09 12:30 PM
Yesterday, I went to my very first ESPN Gameday event as it was held on the University of Texas at Austin Campus.  I didn't go to UT as I went to UTA (University of Texas at Arlington), however, my husband went to UT and is a huge fan, when they're winning!

I think we spent more time trying to find a parking spot than we did at the actual event.  Alyssa seemed to have a blast as she ran around in the grass and climbed up and down the stairs to the UT Tower. Lance Armstrong even made a guest … (5 comments)

Falconhead West Bee Cave Austin TX - Tour and Tailgate Party - 09/17/09 09:27 PM
Falconhead West Bee Cave Austin TX, part of Hill Country Austin just West of the city, is a fabulous community that has been growing and building strong.There are currently about 70 houses that are owner occupied, and approximately 20 houses being built right now.You can see everything first hand this weekend, September 19th for the Falconhead West "Tour and Tailgate" Party.  From 12:30-6pm, stop by the model homes to view the homes and neighborhood along with catching some college football on the outside, big screen tv, eat, drink, and have some fun!Why is Falconhead West Bee Cave TX one of the … (5 comments)

Real Estate Hill Country Austin TX Homes Are Selling! - 09/16/09 09:35 PM
Are you looking for Real Estate in Hill Country Austin TX?  Homes for Sale in Austin TX are selling, and you've come to the right place!  My website has instant and FREE access to the Austin MLS listings.  It's updated in real time, so you'll always have the most up to date information on listings that I have. Go to my website here, and then search around as much and as often as you would like.  You will also see numerous reports on buying and selling homes in Hill Country Austin TX and the surrounding areas. How is the Austin TX … (6 comments)

Painless Prospecting- 2 Hour MCE Credit- September 16 at Austin Title- **REMINDER** - 09/15/09 03:16 PM
PAINLESS PROSPECTING - ** REMINDER **
Come to my 2 hour course, MCE credited, and get back to the basics of PROSPECTING!!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 from 1-3pm at Austin Title's Media Center at 1515 Capital of TX Highway Suite 500.
What are the course objectives, you ask?
* Learn how many leads you need each week, month, year...
* Learn how to generate those leads * Get rid of peaks and valleys
* Get over the fear of prospecting
* Learn the triggers behind each lead that make them buy and/or sell
You may register by clicking here.
Feel free … (0 comments)

Speechless Sunday- Happy Grandparent's Day - 09/13/09 08:53 PM
This video is speechless as well as just plain addorable.  We couldn't get Alyssa to say the word Grandparents, but she knows how to say Happy Day.  And just think, this is the version where "day" is not 4 syllables long.  Where in the world is she getting this accent that keeps popping out??
In case you can't see it, something it up with IE. I could only get it to work on Firefox. … (10 comments)

Real Estate - Austin TX Homes for Sale are Selling Strong - 09/13/09 02:48 PM
Austin TX Homes for Sale are selling strong, and getting stronger.  Texas, as a whole, didn't see price bubbles like the rest of the country.  Texas also didn't see massive price drops like the rest of the country either.  Both very good things.  It's good to be in a stabilized area.
Even though Austin TX homes for sale are going strong right now, and over the past few months, it's interesting to look at the numbers from a different perspective.
Here is a chart provided by the Austin Board of Realtors for January 2009:
 
Here is a chart provided for … (2 comments)

Restaurant.com is Offering 90% off Their Gift Certificates Thru Sunday!! - 09/11/09 04:44 PM
This is an awesome deal.  It's no joke either, as I have purchased several myself and it also worked when family members bought some.  There is no gimmick.   Restaurant.com is actually selling $25 gift certificates for $1!!
This has been going on for a couple of days, so I'm sure most of the "good" restaurants are already sold out, but you might as well see if there are any gift certificates you or a client could use.  I bought some for restaurants that I have never been to as I'm going to use my $1 as a way to venture out.
… (5 comments)

Kids as Marketing Tools - 09/11/09 09:55 AM
Back, before Alyssa was born, I blogged about one of my Baby Shower Gifts.  I received some onsies that I thought were so cute.

Now that Alyssa is older and they fit, she's actually past the age for "onsies" so I thought they were wasted.  However, this past weekend, I cut the bottoms off to make them just t-shirts.  Genius!!
I put one on her earlier this week and sent her off to school. 
The teachers thought it was so cute.  I also ran into another Realtor while dropping her off. She noticed my Realtor license plates first, and then … (18 comments)

Lakeway Texas Activities - Newest Fitness Craze - 3F Fitness - 09/11/09 09:26 AM
Lakeway Texas Activites welcome 3F Fitness, and it's quickly becoming all the rage!  3F Fitness has something for everyone and all age groups.

They have wrestling, tumbing, cheerleading, and group fitness classes.
They even have a drop off class on University of Texas game days, so you can drop off your kid and go enjoy the game at the stadium, at a friend's, or just enjoy it at home without having to worry about pleasing a child at the same time.
Yesterday, I went to a Mommy and Me fitness class, kids ages 1-2 years old.  It was very interesting.  We … (6 comments)

Austin TX Real Estate - They Countered FULL Price - WHAT?? - 09/08/09 04:45 PM
I can't believe this is happened in the Austin TX Real Estate market!  Granted, the Austin market is not hurting like some other markets are, but we don't tolerate over priced listings around here. 
My buyers submitted an offer over the weekend on a house that was greatly overpriced.  I gave extensive detail and examples of how it's overpriced, and how there will be appraisal issues if the sales price is higher than our offer, which was higher than the average comps, and the sellers countered FULL PRICE!
To put things into perspective, the asking price was $350k.  The house comps … (89 comments)

Austin Real Estate Investors Association - AustinREIA - Meeting at Barton Creek Resort - 09/08/09 01:29 PM
Austin REIA, Real Estate Investors Association, is at it again with an awesome lineup later this week at the Barton Creek Resort in Austin, TX.
One of the guest speakers also used to work with Tony Robbins, so you know you're going to learn some great stuff.

I wish I could see you there, but I already have other obligations that day, but I'll see you at the next meeting.
**Are You Packed Yet?** 

Donna Harris, REALTOR®RE/MAX Austin Skylinewww.DonnaHomes.comDonna@DonnaHomes.com
Austin TX Real Estate and thesurrounding areas of Lakeway, Bee Cave, West Lake Hills, Cedar Park,Round Rock, Spicewood, Circle-C, Steiner Ranch, … (3 comments)

Austin TX Wildlife - Austin TX Insects - 09/06/09 02:41 PM
I've been having fun capturing all the interesting Austin TX Wildlife and Austin TX Insects that I'm finding around my house and neighborhood.  Backing to a wooded, greenbelt area brings in more creatures than interior properties.

This one actually stopped flying long enough for me to get a pretty good picture of it. No blurry, flapping wings, but completely in focus.
It's beautiful!
**Are You Packed Yet?** 

Donna Harris, REALTOR®RE/MAX Austin Skylinewww.DonnaHomes.comDonna@DonnaHomes.com
Austin TX Real Estate and thesurrounding areas of Lakeway, Bee Cave, West Lake Hills, Cedar Park,Round Rock, Spicewood, Circle-C, Steiner Ranch, and everywhere inbetween... Hill Country Austin TX … (8 comments)

Speechless Sunday- Listing *Coming Soon* Can Hurt You - 09/06/09 02:07 PM

I posted this picture in a blog post last week, but it didn't get very much attention, so I decided to post it as a nasty "Speechless Sunday" picture.  Would you want to look at this house if you were a prospective buyer?  You need to know when to advertise, and when not to, and this is a time to let the trash be picked up before you put your sign in the yard!
… (7 comments)

Lake Travis - Austin TX - Now Requiring a Lawn Mower - 09/06/09 02:01 PM
Lake Travis - Austin TX - As many know, Central Texas is in a 24 month drought at the moment, and Lake Travis - Austin TX is nearing record lows, as we're currently in third place for lowest levels.  All public boat ramps on Lake Travis have been shut down, though the ramps for Lake Austin are still open, as Lake Austin is a constant level lake.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted this picture to show you my in-law's lake front property was no longer on the lake as it completely dried up...

Now, they are needing to … (7 comments)

Lake Travis High School Cavelier Football Team - Band - and Drill Team - 09/05/09 03:13 PM
I have not been to a high school football game in over 15 years.  I was in the color guard when I was in football, so that was mandatory to go to all games, and then some.  It was a lot of fun, but I've had no reason to go to one since then.
Apparently, Lake Travis High School is very serious about their football team.  To get a guarantee in, you have to have season tickets.  Yes, season tickets to a high school game!!  I've never heard of such a thing.
The red and black Cavaliers have won 2 back to … (4 comments)

Creating an Internet Presence and Converting Cyberleads- 2 hour MCE- September 22 - 09/04/09 11:07 AM
Back by popular demand, my Creating an Internet Presence and Converting Cyberleads class will be held twice this month, the first being at Independence Title on September 22, 2009 from 1-3pm.
Click here to register.
I hope to see you there. Otherwise, the information for this class on September 29 will be posted soon.
Also, don't miss my Painless Prospecting class on September 16.
… (4 comments)

Painless Prospecting- 2 Hour MCE Credit- September 16 at Austin Title - 09/04/09 10:49 AM

PAINLESS PROSPECTING
Come to my 2 hour course, MCE credited, and get back to the basics of PROSPECTING!!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 from 1-3pm at Austin Title's Media Center at 1515 Capital of TX Highway Suite 500.
What are the course objectives, you ask?
Learn how many leads you need each week, month, year... Learn how to generate those leads Get rid of peaks and valleys Get over the fear of prospecting Learn the triggers behind each lead that make them buy and/or sell You may register by clicking here.  Feel free to re-blog.
I look forward to seeing you … (0 comments)

Austin TX Homes for Sale - Can Some Kinds of Marketing Hinder the Sale of a Home? - 09/03/09 04:06 PM
Austin TX Homes for Sale - Isn't our job to always show a listing in the best light possible?  Is there ever a time to show a listing in a bad light?  Could some kinds of marketing hinder the sale of a home?
I know many agents like to utilize a sign rider that says "Coming Soon", but I'm wondering if this isn't always the best thing to do.  Granted, I'm sure you're wanting to try to sell the house before you even get it listed in the MLS, but is someone really going to call you when the house looks … (8 comments)

Alyssa Has Been Framed - 09/03/09 01:57 PM
My parents came to visit us in Austin last month and I showed them a poster board that Alyssa painted.  I joked with them about how they needed to take it home, frame it, and put it on the wall...
I was in Dallas last weekend, and what did I see on the wall?

It actually fits in perfectly with the rest of the art they have throughout the house, very modern.  Maybe it'll be worth a pretty penny one day!
… (23 comments)

Fourth Generation Meets for the First Time - 09/03/09 01:48 PM
This past Thursday, I got word from my mom that my Great Aunt would be in Dallas for the weekend.  What's up with the last minute notice?
I scrambled some things around, and made it up there as my daughter has never met her Great Great Aunt Ray.  It was a short visit, up Saturday morning and back Sunday afternoon, but it was a nice visit.
I had not seen my Great Aunt since my brother's wedding in 2003, and even my brother is already divorced... that's how long it's been.
Here's a series of pictures adding one generation at a … (8 comments)

 
Donna101212 Rainmaker_large

Donna Harris, REALTOR®, CDPE & ASP - Hill Country Austin Lakeway Homes

Austin, TX

More about me…

RE/MAX Austin Skyline

Address: 4611 Bee Caves Rd #200, Austin, TX, 78746

Office Phone: (512) 592-7127

Email Me

This blog is to help educate Buyers, Sellers and even other Realtors across the country.  Each market is different and the way Real Estate is done is different.  Austin Real Estate is completely different than Dallas, California and Florida and everywhere else in between.  Some times there will be other things besides real estate as I like to rant and rave as much as the next!!  Come back often!

Donna Harris, REALTOR® with RE/MAX
Donna Harris, REALTOR® with RE/MAX
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