and the winner is....US!!! - 09/28/09 08:04 PM
and the winner is...US!!!
This past weekend marked the 116th annual Comal County Fair and as long time residents of Comal County, attending the fair is always part of our end of summer plan.  A few years back my son and I, who are both into photography began entering the Comal County Fair photography contest and this year was no different.
and the winner is...US!!!
This year my son Jordan entered a photo of the sun rise over Mexico from Big Bend on his Spring Break backpacking trip with the Boy Scouts titled "Border Sunrise" and he took 3rd place in … (3 comments)

Speechless Sunday..."Solo" by Jeani Thomas Richie - 09/27/09 10:28 AM

"Solo"
from the sepia retreat collection
By:  Jeani Thomas Richie
Copyright 2008
Mason, Texas
… (3 comments)

Momma's Proud...My Boy Did Good! - 09/26/09 02:52 PM
Momma's Proud...My Boy Did Good!

Yesterday marked a first for me, I got the privilege of watching my 12 year old son Jordan march in his first parade.  Now don't get me wrong, he has ridden on floats in parades since he was born, but this year as a 7th grade honors band member at Mountain Valley Middle School at Canyon Lake Texas, he marched with the band.  I come from a family of musical talent and I got absolutely none of it!  My musical talent is turning on my iPod!

In the fifth grade my son decided to … (5 comments)

2009 Comal County Fair in New Braunfels Texas - 09/25/09 06:43 AM
2009 Comal County Fair in New Braunfels Texas

Today we are headed out to the Comal County Fair Parade in New Braunfels Texas.  We attend this event every year, but this year is particularly special because my son who plays trombone in the Mountain Valley Middle School Mighty Hawk Band and this is his first parade to march in.  Jordan made Honors Band this year which is the highest level band one can make in middle school.  So we will gather along San Antonio Street in New Braunfels this morning for the annual Comal County Fair Parade.

The Comal … (4 comments)

Vacant Land For Sale - 189 River Chase Way in River Chase, New Braunfels Texas - 09/24/09 03:20 PM
Vacant Land For Sale - 189 River Chase Way in River Chase, New Braunfels Texas

Texas Hill Country Home Site in the River Chase Development
Come home to the Texas Hill Country!  This 1.322 acre lot is located in the beautiful River Chase development between New Braunfels and Canyon Lake offering an easy commute to San Antonio or Austin and is close to area recreations facilities.

189 River Chase Way in Unit 4 of River Chase
Enjoy the multitude of property owner amenities including:  pools, basketball, volleyball, hiking trails, 58 acre gated Guadalupe River front park, picnic area, fishing, … (0 comments)

Vacant Land for Sale - 127 Pond View Court in Mystic Shores at Canyon Lake Texas - 09/23/09 06:53 AM
REDUCED....REDUCED....REDUCED!!!
VACANT LAND FOR SALE - 127 POND VIEW COURT IN MYSTIC SHORES AT CANYON LAKE TEXAS

3.04 acres of Texas Hill Country Heaven!  Check out this wonderful home site in Mystic Shores at Canyon Lake, Texas.  Enjoy the pleasures of country living and take advantage of the many quality amenities of this master planned development including: lake front park, pool, nature trails, pavilion, basketball, volleyball, baseball, tennis, picnic area, boat ramp and more.

NOW ONLY $53,000.
Level street frontage and building site in a cul-de-sac that backs up to a greenbelt, this lot has it all!  Located on … (2 comments)

Wordless Wednesday...Panther Canyon Trail in New Braunfels Texas. - 09/23/09 06:32 AM

Wordless Wednesday...Panther Canyon Trail in New Braunfels, Texas.
In the middle of New Braunfels, Texas is a park...Landa Park.  In the middle of Landa Park, is a nature trail...Panther Canyon.  This is one of the bridges in New Braunfels, Texas...in Landa Park...that leads to Panther Canyon.
Photo by:  Jeani Thomas Richie, Copyright 2008.
… (6 comments)

7 Tips for First-Time Home Buyers - 09/22/09 09:24 AM

7 Tips for First-Time Home Buyers
Lately it seems that everything is all about first-time homebuyers.  Maybe it is because Generation Y is one of the largest home buying demographics, maybe it is because of the $8,000. tax credit, maybe it is because of savvy fiscally responsible buyers who have waited until the market is in their favor.  Whatever the reasons, the first-time home buyer phenom is alive and well and it is always good to make a first-time home buying decision armed with good information and know how.  I recently read the following in an article posted in the … (5 comments)

Speechless Sunday...Whidbey Island Sunset - 09/20/09 10:22 AM

Whidbey Island, Washington Sunset...Majestic!!!
Photo By:  Jeani Thomas Richie Copyright 2006
… (2 comments)

What is your mission? - 09/17/09 10:17 PM

What is your mission?
I am a broker and trainer for two real estate offices and last week we kicked off a ten module professional development program for our agents.  It is geared toward newer agents, but the principles are timeless and apply to all agents, so our entire staff of agents is going through the whole program.
Plan...Do you have one?
Today's module dealt with writing a business plan, creating your mission statement, creating a vision for your business, goal setting, prospecting and business building.  We spent quite a lot of time on the Mission Statement part, because quite … (3 comments)

Wordless Wednesday....I am gonna give this a shot! - 09/16/09 09:24 PM
WORDLESS WEDNESDAY...I have never done a Wordless Wednesday...so here I go!

From the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.

Summer Splendor in Central Texas.

Simply beautiful...
Photography by:  Jeani Thomas Richie, Creatively Capturing God's Marvelous Creations.
Copyright 2009
… (8 comments)

Goodbye to an icon of my youth...RIP Patrick Swayze. - 09/14/09 08:35 PM

Goodbye to an icon of my youth...RIP Patrick Swayze.
I admit it, I am a child of the 80's...yeah I was born in the 60's vaguely remember watching man walk on the moon for the first time, remember when KISS donned their crazy make up and hit the world tour trail, and hit high school in the 80's.  Today, September 14, 2009, an icon of my youth passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, for which there is no cure.
"Nobody puts Baby in a corner!"  I think one of the movies in Swayze's early years that really … (4 comments)

What is that wet stuff falling from the sky??? - 09/09/09 08:47 PM
This morning I did not get to go on my daily power walk...if I had I might have ended up with some unwanted power in the form of a lightning strike!!!  The most amazing light show was coming across the lake toward our home.  You could tell by the wind and the smell of the air that rain was imminent, but it was easy to be skeptical about the actual amount of rain we might get because of our record drought that is plaguing our area.
At about 7:00am the sky opened up and the most incredible downpour began..."yeah, okay...just like … (6 comments)

Canyon Lake Texas Residential Market Report August 2009 - 09/08/09 10:16 AM

Canyon Lake Texas Residential Market Report August 2009
Summer is coming to a close and the Labor Day weekend is in the books.  The Canyon Lake Texas residential market continues to be an interesting display of marketing facts that matches the trends of homes below $200,000. being the hotbed of activity.  With the jumbo lending market still being unsettled at best, the higher end homes are not selling as well and it is obvious that sensibly priced homes stand out in the ocean of current listings and are selling quickly.
The following Canyon Lake Texas residential market statistics for August … (1 comments)

Free real estate webinar for homebuyers and sellers - 09/05/09 12:51 PM
Attention Home Buyers and Sellers!  Tune into these great webinars and learn about today's real estate market!  This is your opportunity to interface with one of the industry's best!
Via The Team at EXIT Realty (EXIT Realty Corp. International):
Join Tami Bonnell, President of the US Organization of EXIT Realty Corp. International, for an informative, live webinar addressing the most common issues concerning you, the buying and selling public, as you weather today's stormy real estate market.  If you're thinking of buying, selling or investing in real estate, you owe it to yourself to get the facts from a veteran real estate expert.Webinars are held monthly at … (0 comments)

Canyon Lake Texas Residential Waterfront Market Report-August 2009 - 09/04/09 02:13 PM

Canyon Lake Texas Residential Waterfront Market Report-August 2009
The summer has come to a close, the kids are back in school and hopefully our record setting scorching temperatures that we have endured since May will begin to cool down.  With the second home and investment buyers being a large part of the Canyon Lake Texas waterfront target market, we have seen a slow down in sales of high-end, waterfront homes over the past couple of years.  The buyers that generally make a second home or investment purchase on the shores of Canyon Lake Texas are, in large part, from some … (3 comments)