Pat O'Brien's Blog

You local "Doc in a Box" ... An important question

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:12:34 -0800

You local "Doc in a Box" ... An important question

First, I don't have my MD. I have been a chaplain in a level one trauma center with all the life support training that goes with it.

Not too long ago I took a friend to an urgent care in my local area. The doctor didn't seem to really get what the issue was and I asked what his specialty was. He was a dermatologist that was filling in for regular doctor. For simple things that is fine, but for any heart issues, complicated breaks or issues requiring special tests, not all urgent care facilities are created equal.

After this experience I called my local urgent care providers to find what their staffing policy's were. I already had found out that waiting till I needed medical assistance wasn't the best option. I found a huge variety in services. Most seemed a better option than an ER for everyday medical issues and only one had a strange response to my questions. (They asked why the type of doctor was important to me... Things that make you go hummmmm!)

Most require an ER Doc or urgent care specialist to always be in the building. Some require that all their docs are ER or UC docs. Some have labs that can tell if you are having a heart attack or other issues. Some use nurses or other staff to run xray machines while others have xray techs with radiologists on call (the better option). So before you need urgent care, check out your local options.

Is this really a big deal?... Yes! First, urgent care is cheaper until they have to refer you to the ER. Then you end up with two bills, so the more qualified your urgent care is, the better chance you will not be referred to an ER and end up with two bills.

Again, I am not a medical professional, but have seen people have some really bad experiences in addition to mine and just wanted to share my thoughts. The group I found in the San Antonio area is private, Impact Urgent Care, and the bad news is that they only have two locations, but they are like a restaurant and have call ahead seating, or appointments and seem to really have this medical service figured out. I am not paid by them and they didn't ask for this, but for those that live close, they have everything I would want in an Urgent Care!

Just make sure that the doc you are seeing is really qualified to give you the best possible care.

Home Owners Responsibility.... A regional issue!

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:48:41 -0800

Home Owners Responsibility.... A regional issue!

I was at a city council meeting yesterday and a resident complained that a new ordinance that was aimed at builder responsibility and setting up new ways to assure builders can be held responsible for substandard work gave the builders an out by stating some of the items that are rightfully the homeowners responsibilities.

This homeowner didn't like the one section that said that the owner was responsible for maintaining the grade of soil away from foundation and keeping the soil moist. This homeowner thought that was ridiculous because a home was durable and should not need such maintenance. It took everything I had not to get up after her and ask about paint, cleaning, roofing and all the other things that we need to maintain as homeowners.

It reminded me when I started selling real estate in Denver and the foundations had the exact opposite issue. In Denver, homeowners are instructed to keep their foundations dry. So well maintained gutters and grades are essential to keep the ground under the house from getting wet. It was an adjustment to find out when I moved to San Antonio that here the instructions were to keep the soil under and around the house moist and if you didn't have a sprinkler system that you need soaker hoses to evenly and slowly keep up the moisture level.

My dad always said that if you own a home, you don't need a hobby. A home is frequently a persons largest single investment. I would assume that with that investment, would come the responsibility to care for that investment. Although people everyday are looking for scapegoats and ways to not take responsibility, doing that with ones house could be disastrous!

In the cyber age, the information is there, we just need to make sure we get the right information for our circumstances.

Xmas v Christmas

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 07:15:49 -0800

Xmas v Christmas

I get the blog written that I have been thinking about posting for the holidays and then I get an email which prompts another blog. So, I will call this Christmas Blog Part Deux. (People who like bad movies with disgraced football players will get that)

I wrote Xmas in an email that went out to one too many people, if you catch what I am saying. I got a response from the one too many, whom I really don’t know, but knew my background and was horrified that I could help in the effort to take Christ out of Christmas. I sat there at first wondering what secular faux pas I had made until I realized she had written CHRISTmas like I just did. I was still working with the Church (previous blog has that info) when the Knights of Columbus started their phrase and effort to keep Christ in Xmas (sorry couldn’t help myself). It was an attempt to keep the solemnity of the holiday intact amid the rush of commercialism. It was and is an attempt to keep some religious nature to a feast being so secularized that stores were putting out their Xmas stuff in October. Almost anyone with any amount of a higher Christian education has learned lots of abbreviations. X from Greek Chi is a standard symbol for Christ. The X and P over laid is the Chi Rho christogram and the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ. I see it as an attempt to go green by saving ink and a great excuse to irritate people that need it. I mean to educate people that need it...nah...I do it to be a pest...better be honest or I will for sure get coal in the morning.

However, I am pretty sure that if coal was really an option on Xmas morning...I would have a lifetime supply for my grill.

Merry Christmas to all my Christian Friends and to all the non-Christian ones that are enjoying a day off without the stress!

Happy Holidays v Merry Christmas

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 06:46:58 -0800

Happy Holidays v Merry Christmas

I received an email the other day with 10 pictures of a Christmas Tree. Alll labeled "Christmas Tree." The end of the email said it isn't a holiday tree, a winter break tree ... you get the point. I have had a few people insist on saying Merry Christmas in public gatherings as a push back at political correctness. I don't want to even touch that bigger topic here, just a few little parts of it. I usually have had a few Guinness's before I am dumb enough to tackle that one! No matter what side of the politically correct spectrum you are on, I believe this is the wrong holiday season to fight that battle.

A short background. I am an inactive Catholic Priest and a former USAF Chaplain and many of my current beliefs on this topic stem from my time in the Air Force and part of that time was working with the basic trainees at Lackland. The USAF made us learn to pray in public in a way that didn’t exclude anyone of any religion and it really wasn’t that hard to learn.

Here we go... Our country was founded by people that were trying to escape among other things less noble, oppression and they wanted to create an environment of freedom and openness that was free from the tyranny that they just left. We have a tendency to think of our founders as good Christians but, read the fine print, many were agnostic, Masonic and many more. Check the history of the Mason's, they were there with Washington at the setting of the cornerstone of our Capitol. Not my point either, just fun history. The point being, our country was founded with the principles that all were created equal with unalienable rights of life, liberty and (this is my favorite) the pursuit of happiness.

These are not Christian or Jewish or Masonic rights, but rights for all. Where am I going, imagine that you were working hard to bring your Child up in a good Jewish home and all they heard was Merry Christmas and never any comment to any of the rich Jewish celebrations throughout the year. Imagine that compounded with the history of oppression that the Jews have suffered. Or, imagine being somewhere that only wished you happy Hanukkah? An organization like a chamber that you paid as much to join as any of the other people and it was never touted as a “Jewish” organization and a day that you really needed some information you found them closed for Yom Kippur. Christians are between 70% and 80% of our country so in every group of 10 there are two people with different beliefs. I have a hard time not being sensitive to that.

Christians are the majority in the USA so our holidays and focus leans that way, that doesn’t mean we need to be insensitive to those around us that have different beliefs. I feel we are getting too caught up in words and catchy/trendy things and not what the real message is about all the religious holidays at this time of the year.

I am not sure if it was my USAF training or living for 6 years in other countries, but when I was the Chair of the Chamber, I insisted that we not exclude that 20% or more or our membership. We are not selling ourselves short, we are showing respect. And the argument that we should be spreading the Word has a huge flaw, do you listen to those you feel are insensitive?

Just some of my beliefs that I wanted to share in an effort to maybe get a few people to see this topic from another point of view!

Stephen Kramer put this together from a few different sources and was something that I also wanted to share as it is the best and briefest description of Hanukkah that I have seen in awhile.

The fighting began in Modiin, a village not far from Jerusalem. A Greek officer and soldiers assembled the villagers, asking them to bow to an idol and eat the flesh of a pig. The officer asked Mattathias, a Jewish High Priest, to take part in the ceremony. He refused, and another villager stepped forward and offered to do it instead. Mattathias became outraged, took out his sword and killed the man, then killed the officer. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked and killed the soldiers. Mattathias' family went into hiding in the nearby mountains, where many other Jews who wanted to fight the Greeks joined them. They attacked the Greek soldiers whenever possible.

About a year after the rebellion started, Mattathias died. Before his death, he put his son Judah Maccabee in charge of the growing army. After three years of fighting, the Jews defeated the Greek army, despite having fewer men and weapons.

Judah Maccabee and his soldiers went to the Temple, and were saddened that many things were missing or broken, including the golden menorah. They cleaned and repaired the Temple, and when they were finished, they decided to have a big dedication ceremony. The Maccabees wanted to light the menorah, looked everywhere for oil, and found a small flask that contained only enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days. This gave them enough time to obtain new oil to keep the menorah lit. Today Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night, thus commemorating the eight-day miracle.

Although Hanukkah is considered a minor holiday in the Jewish Faith it has gained more prominence in recent times due to the fact that it falls close to Christmas time. This is most likely the reason that it is now traditional to exchange gifts during the Holiday. Traditional foods such as Latkes (potato pancakes) and Soofganiyot (donuts) are eaten during the holiday.

I am not sure if it was my USAF training or living for 6 years in other countries, but when I was the Chair of the Chamber, I insisted that we not exclude that 20% or more or our membership. We are not selling ourselves short, we are showing respect. And the argument that we should be spreading the word has a huge flaw, do you listen to the insensitive?

Tires, Tire Pressure and Gas Mileage!

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:15:02 -0700

Tires, Tire Pressure and Gas Mileage!

I have always been a little bit of a geek. I have always loved trying to get the most mileage I can out of a tank of gas and this started even before prices were over $1.00. Something that I think that I inherited from my mom.

I have always bumped up my tire pressure and not only did I get better gas mileage, but I got better tire life also. I never realized the impact of tires and pressure on gas mileage until my last set of new tires.

From the beginning. I drive a HS250h which is the only car that Lexus ever built as a hybrid from the start. I love all the toys gadgets and monitors that the car came with, and I even added a scan gauge so that I can monitor even more things. (I must be in a small group for geeks that liked it as they no longer make it) The tires were rated at 51 psi. That seemed very high to me. I read many blogs and message boards and many people have filled these tires to that level. I couldn't quite get that high, but did find that the front tires in the high 40's and the back tires 4 psi below gave me great results.

For the first 2 years I had the car i put over 40,000 miles on it and went way beyond the 20,000 miles that was promised for the original equipment tires. On a trip back from Colorado, I hit a steel t bar with a spike in it and flatted. I decided to just replace all the tires. I went to my local Discount tire and they sold me some great tires that they were sure would be as good or better than the old ones.

To make an already very long story sorter, I had to really work to keep my gas mileage above 35. I tried for 4 tanks of gas and just couldn't do it. I had the dealer check out the car and they said it was the tires. They gave me a tire rack report and I went back to Discount tire. They gave me 4 new low rolling resistance tires from the same manufacturer for the cost of the road hazard protection on all 4 tires. I was hopeful and in the first 5 miles I became very happy again especially when I was able to hold these number for another 30 miles...

And as I look at the picture the car wasn't set in it's eco mode. My record for just over 100 miles, with some very lucky driving conditions was 73mpg. (just in-case anyone was wondering)

After two tanks of gas, I can say, tires and pressure do make a difference. With all types of driving I am back over 40mpg on a regular basis and love driving my car.

181 Rosegate | Corner Lot | Randolph AFB Area

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:54:02 -0700

181 Rosegate | Corner Lot | Randolph AFB Area

Pat O'Brien | RE/MAX Access | (210) 365-6424

181 Rosegate Dr, Cibolo, TX ---PRICE IMPROVED

Randolph area home or a corner lot in new section of Thistle Creek.

4BR/3BA Single Family House

offered at $141,227

Year Built	1998
Sq Footage	1,972
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3 full, 0 partial
Floors	Unspecified
Parking	Unspecified
Lot Size	7,405 sqft
HOA/Maint	$9 per month

DESCRIPTION

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Breakfast nook	- Dining room	- Family room
- Laundry room	- Master bath	- Walk-in closet
- Dishwasher	- Refrigerator	- Stove/Oven
- Ceiling fans	- Central A/C	- Central heat
- Double pane windows	- Security system	- Garage - Attached
- Fireplace

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Randolph AFB Area Home	Ryland Built
Open Plan	Cibolo, TX
Thistle Creek	Joint Base San Antonio
78108	Appliances stay
Corner Lot	Walk to 3 Schools
Guadalupe County	Lots of room
Large Master Bath	Separate Shower

Contact info:

Pat O'Brien

RE/MAX Access

(210) 365-6424

For sale by agent/broker

Posted: Sep 11, 2012, 4:28am PDT

Question about future bogs....

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 21:13:15 -0700

For my 50th birthday, my brother and his wife gave me a Big Green Egg, AKA bge. I have always loved to cook & my bge has put that interest on overdrive.. Yet, I have to admit, that I thought spending this amount for a grill was a little crazy. I thought my Weber Kettle was already the panacea for cooking meat. I would have gone to any competition with a leg of lamb or chicken or turkey cooked on my weber and had no idea how much better it could be. TO BE CLEAR, I know that i have 4 grills. My dad's Weber gas grill, the Weber Kettle he and my mom gave me for Christmas & a Charbroil that I bought 12 years ago. All that aside, I really thought my brother was crazy when he purchased his BGE. No grill could be that good. How wrong could I have been? For those that know me, please be nice in your comments.

I have made some amazing meals from the obvious steak and chicken meals to pizza, bread, scallops, ribs and much more. I've actually entered a bbq contest and with no sauce at all, won second in the pro rip category!

Tonight after making some amazing lobster tails and sirloin steaks, i was thinking about starting a new Google Blog on Wordpress blog or other generic blog and found that there are many cooking blogs here. Do you all like the diversion and gloating over amazing meals, aka sharing great ways to create fantastic meals., or lessons learned cooking on very hot lump coals or slow cooked wonders. (if you like this stuff, you will learn why I have no hair in certain places as a result of learning to use my bge) or just sharing how to make better meals on any grill or oven.

I was about to start a new blog, but if people are interseted here. I would love to share here.

Not only would I love to share what I have learnded about cooking my mom's bear bread on my bge or a fresh lobster tail; I would like to start a discussson of better meals for us & our stress relief.

Things I have learned from my puppy!

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 20:18:45 -0700

The book, Things I have learned in Kindergarten, change the life of many people. I don't have kids, but I think that I have learned just as much form my puppy. I was looking for a "helper dog" or "seeing eye dog" for my blind 13 year old schnauzer, Ally. I visited shelters, some that were over an hour from my house. I brought Ally with me each time and none of the dogs were a good match. After a really bad vet visit, I stopped by a local, non-chain pet store near my house looking for a nice toy or treat for Ally. There happened to be two miniature schnauzers that were for sale. I fell in love with one of them and knew if I didn't leave, she would go home with me. I mentioned this to a friend that was looking for a nice B'day present for me and to make a long story short, she told me that she wanted to get the dog for me. In the almost 3 month following, Ally is doing much better, even though vet is very cautious. Puppy is named Gaby, as she is very vocal. Gaby is alive because she is cute.

You gasp. After my dad died my mom said a few times that if I ware to get married, I had a really nice girl friend, and give her another grand kid, it would help with the loss of my dad. I told her that if i were to have a kid on that day, that said kid would be 20 when I was the age she was when she asked. There were no more talks about me having kids. So back to the story and why it is good that I trusted my instinct on kids. Gaby was born 13 years plus one day after Ally. They were both birthday presents, so all seems good, right??? Ally came into a house and there was not chance she would be the alpha member of the clan. Gaby seems to think that if she can best Ally, she might get a chance at being the alpha member of the clan. That said, this is what Gaby has taught me:

1. If you are cute or good looking enough, no one will kill you or hurt you.

2. If you pretend to really be confused, the biped will continue to explain something that you just happened to forget.

3. Life is about making sure that those bigger than you don't forget to feed you.

4. If you make enough noise those in charge will relax the rules

5. Size doesn't matter, tenacity does! (Gaby has two Golden Retrievers that she pulls their tails and leaps at their heads and they just let her do it!)

6. If you want attention, trounce on senior canine member of clan, it just will not be good attention.

7. On a run, put on the brakes and sit nicely under a tree and the big guy holding leash will carry you home.

Being the manager of a bunch of 1099 independent contractors, I am sure that I can get this quadraped to realize that listening is better than fighting, RIGHT????

Working with Investors

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:07:25 -0700

Working with Investors

My entire career I have heard agents complain about working with investors. I have always loved that segment of our population with one exception!

The new investor that spends too much time watching infomercials.

I was lucky and never became that person. I never got trapped into those programs because I had a friend that would always buy them, try them for a few weeks, then tell me why they were a hoax. When we first started in real estate we thought we were on the fast track to riches and one of my mentors said that you really need to look at real estate investing more like a slow steady boat to China. That infuriated us. We couldn't believe that he didn't understand the new generation of real estate professionals.

20 years later and our market is ripe for investment and I can see what my friend was telling us. There are not magic pills and get rich quick schemes. I also don't believe that there is a better investment out there at this time than real estate.

My challenge has been education. I love math and understand caprates and ROI so love that investor that picks my market to buy a few properties. (HINT, HINT, HINT) But we have arrived at a once in a generation moment to invest. It insn't a quick passing moment, but it also will not be here for another generation. I wanted to find a way take the people that have the money and help them with what are truly great investment options. I had started building an investment training program until our convention this year and I found the OCIP program.

So, for my real estate friends, if you have any interested in working with investors or you work with Tom Ferry and need to get an investment center to quiet him down, OwnAmerica is a great. I learned significantly more than I expected which is awsome and enjoyed the program. I would be happy to send anyone a sample report that I have already done!

For current or future investors, check out the training below and let me know what you think!

Price Improvement | 122 Sage | 210-365-6424

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 07:30:22 -0700

Pat O'Brien | RE/MAX Access | (210) 365-6424

122 Sage Dr, Universal City, TX

Fresh paint and flooring, walk, cycle or ride to Randolph AFB &
Mature Trees

4BR/2BA Single Family House

offered at $122,993

Year Built	1976
Sq Footage	1,636
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2 full, 0 partial
Floors	1
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	11,325 sqft
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

House feels larger than sq footage * Fresh paint and new flooring make this home ready for you to move into today * Has great trees as rest of this established neighborhood does * Can almost walk to Randolph AFB & Northeast Lake view College * Large Yard * One bedroom has exterior door making home ideal for someone needing home office or relatives room * Easy access to Downtown San Antonio and New Braunfels * Walk to Park

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Central A/C	- Central heat	- Hardwood floor
- Family room	- Breakfast nook	- Dishwasher
- Stove/Oven

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Close to Randolph AFB	Ready to move in
New wood doors	Two baths
Double Vanity - Main Bath	Home feels bigger
Notice parquet floor	Dinning or Living RM
More of front room	Utility Room
4 good size rooms	Amazing space
Mature trees

Contact info:

Pat O'Brien

RE/MAX Access

(210) 365-6424

For sale by agent/broker

Posted: Apr 15, 2012, 5:25am PDT

Garden Home | Gated Community | Corner Lot

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 21:25:41 -0700

Pat O'Brien | RE/MAX Access | (210) 365-6424

18632 Windcliffe, San Antonio, TX

Garden Home in sought after Emerald Forest. Don't miss this home with an easy drive to Randolph AFB, SAMC & Ft. Sam.

3BR/2BA Single Family House

offered at $289,937

Year Built	2000
Sq Footage	2,372
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2 full, 0 partial
Floors	1
Parking	Unspecified
Lot Size	10,598 sqft
HOA/Maint	$159 per month

DESCRIPTION

A corner lot gives this home much more privacy. Don't miss this great home! HOA includes both garbage and front years maintenance along with pool, jogging trail, sport court and more!

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Central A/C	- Central heat	- Fireplace
- High/Vaulted ceiling	- Walk-in closet	- Tile floor
- Living room	- Office/Den	- Dining room
- Breakfast nook	- Dishwasher	- Stove/Oven
- Microwave	- Laundry area - inside

COMMUNITY FEATURES

- Clubhouse	- Swimming pool(s)	- Playground
- Gated property	- Secured entry

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Great Large Lot	Open Entry
Split floor plan	Open & Bright
View to Kitchen	Breakfast Bar
Upgraded Tile	Lots of decorator feature
Entry	Study
Built ins in Study	Master Suite
View to bath	Amazing Master Bath
Built in Ironing	Built ins in bedroom
Great Patio	Low maintnance
Mature Trees

Contact info:

Pat O'Brien

RE/MAX Access

(210) 365-6424

For sale by agent/broker

Posted: Apr 14, 2012, 7:14pm PDT

1321 Wagon Wheel | Brand New Rental | Close to Randolph AFB

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:49:33 -0700

1321 Wagon Wheel | Brand New Rental | Close to Randolph AFB

Be the first to live in this brand new home minutes from Randolph AFB

4BR/2+1BA Single Family House

$1,700/month

Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Sq Footage	2,494
Parking	2 dedicated
Pet Policy	Conditional
Deposit	$1,700

DESCRIPTION

Lovely two story Pulte home. First time rental. This home features a gourmet kitchen with granite counter tops, undermount sink and stainless steel appliances. Master bedroom is located downstairs. Large gameroom. Lanai covered patio.

see additional photos below

RENTAL FEATURES

- Air conditioning	- Central heat	- Walk-in closet
- Tile floor	- Living room	- Bonus/Rec room
- Dining room	- Breakfast nook	- Dishwasher
- Stove/Oven	- Microwave	- Granite countertop
- Stainless steel appliances	- Laundry area - inside	- Cable-ready
- High-speed internet

LEASE TERMS

12-36 months...owner is my brother and will manage the property

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Brick home near RAFB	Close to Schools
Granite Counter Tops	Upgrades everywhere
Tile Entry	Formal Dining
Great Floor Plan	Plenty of Windows
Huge Game Room	Master Suite

Posted: Apr 2, 2012, 5:01pm PDT

Yet another PRICE IMPROVEMENT! Oversized Olympia Hills Lot in Selma.

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:34:06 -0800

Pat O'Brien | RE/MAX Access | (210) 365-6424

14812 Medusa, Selma, TX

Lot on Selma side of Olympia Hills. Street almost built out.
Amazing Location!

15,681 sqft Vacant Land

offered at $30,000

Lot Size

15,681 sqft

DESCRIPTION

This lot will not last at this new price. if you are looking for a oversized lot for your dream home that backs to open space and walking distance from shopping, golf and cycle to Randolph AFB. Easy drive to San Antonio or New Braunfels.

see additional photos below

LOCATION FEATURES

- Close to Golf, Schools, Shopping and Randolph AFB.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Photo 1	Photo 2
Photo 3	Photo 4
Photo 5

Contact info:

Pat O\'Brien

RE/MAX Access

(210) 365-6424

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Mar 1, 2012, 6:00pm PST

Buffalo Crossing Price Improvement! NOW ONLY $174,923!

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:41:16 -0800

Pat O'Brien | RE/MAX Access | (210) 365-6424

This Cibolo home is ready for new owner!

Ready to be your next home, centrally located close to schools, Randolph AFB, New Braunfels and San Antonio!

3BR/2+1BA Single Family House

offered at $174,923

Year Buil¢	2005
Sq Footage	2,115
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Floors	Single Story
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	7,405 sqft
HOA/Maint	Call Agent

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Central A/C	- Central heat	- Fireplace
- High/Vaulted ceiling	- Walk-in closet	- Tile floor
- Family room	- Bonus/Rec room	- Dining room
- Eating Area	- Refrigerator	- Stove/Oven
- Laundry area - inside	- Balcony, Deck, or Patio	- Yard
- Swimming pool	Close to Schools and Randolph AFB	Easy Drive to New Braunfels & San Antonio

COMMUNITY FEATURES

- Garage parking

Ready to be your new home! Open plan * Ceramic Tile * Upgraded Carpet * Island kitchen is great for entertaining and cooking * Pool * Media room upstairs with half bath * Two eating areas * See pictures of decorative wainscoting in dining room * Covered front Porch * Covered back Patio * Garden Tub and separate shower * Larger indoor utility room * Close to Randolph AFB, schools, New Braunfels and San Antonio

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Front of Cibolo Home	Amazing floor plan
From Kitchen to Dining Room	Bedroom
View from Entry	Great Kitchen w/island
Master Bath	Upstairs media Room
Upstairs Bath	Located in Family Room
Pool steps	Shed
Front Porch	Great for entertaining and Cooking
Versatile	Covered back Patio

Contact info:

Pat O'Brien

RE/MAX Access

(210) 365-6424

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Feb 28, 2012, 10:42am EST

Fantastic Price Improvement in Converse Texas! ONLY $131,917

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:21:22 -0800

Close to Randolph AFB & Ft. Sam Houston

GREAT HOME, Walk to pool from this home!

Well cared for home in a great location. Easy commute to military bases, schools and shopping!

4BR/2+1BA Single Family House

offered at $131,917

Year Built	1993
Sq Footage	2,334
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Floors	2
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	6,050 sqft

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Central A/C	- Central heat	- Walk-in closet
- Dishwasher	- Stove/Oven	- Laundry area - inside

COMMUNITY FEATURES

- Garage parking

- Clubhouse

- Swimming pool(s)

Meticulously maintained * Fresh paint, upgraded carpet and ceramic tile will help you move right into this house * Water heater, dish washer and roof are all recently replaced * designer front door welcomes all who enter * Walking distance to pool * Close to schools, Randolph Air Force Base, Ft Sam Houston and Downtown * Master bath is large and hard to measure * New tile in upstairs bath

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Front	Bright Kitchen
Eating Area	Utility Room
Open Living area	Great Room Concept
Bright	Upstairs Bedroom
Lots of room	Large Master Suite
Closet to die for

Contact info:

Pat O'Brien

RE/MAX Access

(210) 365-6424

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Jan 5, 2012, 11:07am PST

Randolph AFB area home & walk to park!

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:15:23 -0800

Randolph AFB area home & walk to park!

Universal City home near parks and trails for sale!

122 Sage Dr, Universal City, TX

Fresh paint and flooring, walk, cycle or ride to Randolph AFB &
Mature Trees

4BR/2BA Single Family House

offered at $128,968

Year Built	1976
Sq Footage	1,636
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2 full, 0 partial
Floors	1
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	11,325 sqft
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Central A/C	- Central heat	- Hardwood floor
- Family room	- Breakfast nook	- Dishwasher
- Stove/Oven

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Close to Randolph AFB	Ready to move in
New wood doors	Two baths
Double Vanity - Main Bath	Home feels bigger
Notice parquet floor	Dinning or Living RM
More of front room	Utility Room
4 good size rooms	Amazing space
Mature trees

Contact info:

Pat O'Brien

RE/MAX Access

(210) 365-6424

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Mar 1, 2012, 4:39pm PST

Volunteers | The Human Spirit is AMAZING!

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 08:48:47 -0800

Volunteers | The Human Spirit is AMAZING!

I have been amazed every year as I announce at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, at the level of investment of the Horse Show Committee's volunteers. There is one small group headed up by Bryan DeKay of Renue Carpet (he deserves the plug) that gives up well over a week of their lives to set up, reset and take down the bleachers, thousands of hours of donated labor just to get the exhibit hall set up for the shows and they are just a small group of the over 300 people that are needed to make just the Horse Show events happen.

This is usually a big open space, the dirt, bleachers (which need to be reset on Monday), the fencing are all set up by volunteers. Almost all (99%) the people you see wearing badges on the grounds are volunteers.

These are people that are taking vacation days to be here and unfortunately I think that fact is being forgotten more and more. We have a wide variety of people that volunteer from every walk and stage of life. We even have high school kids in the youth connection program working along side retired people that volunteer almost everyday.

Why are we here? Why does Bryan's crew do such amazing things? Because at the end of almost every show and the main point for us being here, is to raise money for college scholarships. So at the end of the show today, a few lucky kids will have a chunk if not all of their college paid for!

I think the willingness of these volunteers is creating what could be significant problem. Every year I see more and more being asked of these volunteers and because the end result is so noble, they do it. I am seeing cracks in the gropus spirit, unfortunately. I had an encounter this morning with a supervisor and when I tried to confront him, he laughed and walked away as I am sure he was thinking of everything else he needed to do. We are in brand new buildings and I see people longing for the old buildings that leaked and smelled, because it was more set up the catered to what we do. I understand what a great resource these facilities are for the county, but I would love to find a way to restore some of what we had in old Barns 2 and 5. And yes I announced in the cold wet bard, and in a tent, and I miss it. OK, I said it, I am officially and old curmudgeon missing the past. I am sure in future years we will hit our stride and will not be able to imagine how we did it in those old, cold, and wet barns.

My wake up call for today:

In my 20's I was put in charge of a group of over 300 volunteers. I freaked! I started reading books and talking to some seasoned professionals because I had no clue how do do that. I was told to treat them as highly valued employees. You sometimes need to set expectations and discuss if they are not met and sometimes fire them, but most of all you need to keep them informed and part of the process respecting their time as if it was your own.

I am noticing that with the numbers of volunteers, some people forget the respect that each volunteer deserves, but more importantly to respect their time investment. I don't care if it is the unemployed volunteer looking for something to do or the President of a Company, everyone deserves to be heard and their investment respected. Everyone has somewhere else that they could be.

This was a good lesson for me this morning as I was just asked to step in again as the interim Executive Director of the Randolph Metrocom Chamber. I need to remember that our volunteers are the lifeblood of the chamber as we help our members grow their businesses!

Come visit me at the RODEO!

Great New Listing at 8139 Brisbane, Converse, TX

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:11:40 -0800

Pat O'Brien | RE/MAX Access | (210) 365-6424

Need to be between Randolph AFB and Ft. Sam? Can't do better than this home!

Well cared for home ready to be your new home!

4BR/2+1BA Single Family House

offered at $146,957

Year Built	1993
Sq Footage	2,334
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Floors	2
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	6,050 sqft
HOA/Maint	$250/year

see additional photos below

www.patshomes.com/8139-brisbane

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Central A/C	- Central heat	- Walk-in closet
- Dishwasher	- Stove/Oven	- Laundry area - inside

COMMUNITY FEATURES

- Garage parking

- Clubhouse

- Swimming pool(s)

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Bright Kitchen

Eating Area

Open Living area

Closet to die for

Contact info:

Pat O'Brien

RE/MAX Access

(210) 365-6424

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Jan 5, 2012, 11:07am PST

168 Niemietz Cove | Cibolo, TX

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:13:52 -0800

Pat O'Brien | RE/MAX Access | (210) 365-6424

168 Niemietz Cv, Cibolo, TX

Ready to be your next home! Ready to be your new home! Open plan * Ceramic Tile * Upgraded Carpet * Island kitchen is great for entertaining and cooking * Pool * Media room upstairs with half bath * Two eating areas * See pictures of decorative wainscoting in dining room * Covered front Porch * Covered back Patio * Garden Tub and separate shower * Larger indoor utility room * Close to Randolph AFB, schools, New Braunfels and San Antonio * For more information about this home, please visit www.patshomes.com/168-niemietz

3BR/2+1BA Single Family House

offered at $179,923

Year Built	2005
Sq Footage	2,115
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2 full, 1 partial
Floors	Unspecified
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	7,405 sqft
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

Posted: Jan 5, 2012, 2:59pm PST

A Tale of 2.5 Phones, IV

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:28:11 -0700

A Tale of 2.5 Phones, IV

The topic for this blog will be the Siri and iCloud services. From the start, I need to be clear that these are why I found a way to get an iPhone, when I still love my EVO 3D. My final question for the last blog will be, do these services overcome the features and functionality that I love on my EVO....

Siri first...

I can tell my phone. "remind me when i get to my office to check the alarm battery" and the next time I get to my office my phone will display a message, "Patrick, check your phone battery."

I can say, "Call my broker" and the phone will dial Sheila. Same is true for call my Girlfriend and other relationships that I have already established those relationships.

You can ask Siri the capital of Uruguay or the population of Mozambique and it will answer. You can ask what time sunset is and on and on.

if it worked perfectly, it would be worth the price of the phone. It seems that half the time there is a network issue or she doesn't understand. Making it frequently easier to do the task manually! That should get better with time and people stop asking it "What is the meaning of life?"

iCloud is the reason I got the phone. I will start with the ugly.

I do my personal real estate work from home, so when I am there, I am there for our agents and staff. I have a MacBook Pro, Win 7 PC and a iPad. When and if I can get rid of all my duplicates, the cloud will sync EVERYTHING perfectly. Now, I just have way to many calender events in both outlook and iCal. That is better than not having the info on a specific device. If I find a way to fix that, it will be a great and glorious blog.

These are two reasons that I am leaning toward the iPhone as my primary device, but I have decided that I am keeping both of them. Read the last blog for my final comments.

A Tale of 2.5 Phones III

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:03:32 -0700

A Tale of 2.5 Phones III

A week ago I started to look at both the EVO 3D and the iPhone 4s. They are both great products and both have their good points. Some history on me before I continue with this. I have done IT work on the side for most of my life. I am the IT "guy" for our office and I love it. I have a MacBook Pro for my mobile computing and a very nice Gateway with Win7 with dual monitors at my desk. I also have an iPad and got a iTouch because it syncs by Bluetooth to my car. I am going to sell the iTouch after I figure out how to transfer my Words with Friends to my iPad. I have built computers and sold computers in the days that you had to set up all the network addresses manually. That wasn't fun. So these blogs are being written by a geek at heart. Just an FYI.

Back to the phones. There are things on both phones that I wonder: "What the heck were you thinking?" The keyboard is the best example.

Keyboards:

Apple: The main keyboard is just the letters of the QWERTY keyboard. Not ONE special character. Yes you can double tap the space bar for a period, but that requires a back space with it if you are typing an email or an URL. At times the phone senses that you are entering an email or URL and gives you and @, but not nearly often enough. Either the predictive text is better or the keyboard is better for my fat fingers, but I think I type a little better on the iPhone.

HTC: WHY OH WHY did you get rid of the cursor or arrow keys that made it so easy to navigate? Ok..sorry, just a little rant. Back to what it has. You can get a number or special character by holding down a letter key like the numbers on a regular keyboard. There is a dedicated period and comma key on the main keyboard. It is a bit frustrating in the sense 3.0 phones to add text to the bottom of a picture, but that could be a function of my hand size. So only a guy issue.

Contacts:

Apple: Integration with the cloud seems amazing! That is the last good point. Another instance of, I wonder what they were thinking. There is this cool alpha bar down the right side of the screen, NOT! Even my 2 year old nephew's fingers are too big to hit that accurately. And for all those that are over 45 and have your readers on to find the search button. It's the thing above the A on the bar to the right. GOOD LUCK HITTING THAT THE FIRST TIME! Also the integration with other apps isn't as well thought out as on the EVO. You have to go to the top of of text message stream to get the call/facetime options, which if you have many texts is too much of a pain.

HTC: The People/Contacts functionality is one of the best thought out parts of the EVO and I still think I am learning new ways to use this part of the OS. First because the EVO has more than one button so it can have a dedicated search button, you can always search the screen or app you're in. I think Apple may have opted for form over function on this one. You know that bank or service that keeps calling over and over and over? The EVO has a setting in contacts to send calls from that contact directly to voice mail. If you hold a finger down on a contact it gives you about 8 options, block caller is one of them, and you can do these things w/o even opening the contact. However, I can't show you this because you have to root the EVO to get it to take a screen shot. (Chalk one up for Apple on that one) I don't ever root my phones. If you get a text from someone in your contact book you can hold your finger on their name and call them, open their contact information and more, a funtion that I was shocked the iPhone didn't have. And it is a step less to text a contact from the call log for the EVO.

Camera:

Apple: Camera is basic and seems to work well, but is missing many of the features that I am used to on the EVO. (idit .. you can zoom by touching the screeen. This phone really needed a manual!)

HTC: Great feature. I will not include the 3d as that is more of a pallor trick than anything that I will ever use. There is a zoom slider right on the screen and I can't even figure out how to zoom the iPhone. There are all the settings that you use on your regular camera for light and back lighting to make this a usable camera for real estate. People get all confused on mega-pixels. They don't determine quality, but size of picture. They quality is determined by optics and color pallet and they seem pretty good on both cameras, but you have much more control of the EVO.

Sync:

Apple: iCloud! I don't really need to say more. I will talk more about iCloud in next blog when I talk about Siri too. It seems amazing and flawless, almost.

HTC: This functionality is why I got the iPhone. The only area that HTC/Google really needs to work on. If you are not interested in doing it with Google, you have issues.

Battery/Charging:

Apple: No way to change the battery. I really use my phone and I have gone through 3 EVO batteries in a day. I have to constantly find a plug for the iPhone. Get in car and ADD boy has to remember to plug it in or be sorry. I wonder if I could get Siri to remind me to do that? The iPhone does take a charge quickly.

HTC: Both phones have reasonably priced extra batteries that you can have charged and ready to change out at a moments notice. That is also good because all devices like this need an occasional reset and it is built-in if you change out batteries. You can also get an extended life battery which lasts my broker most the day.

Both companies...Why can't you figure out the inductive charging like Palm did before they died? That was the best system yet! No plugs and no hassle and it even worked in the car.

Other quick thoughts. My brother Michael, the CIO, has a great analogy (and has the iPhone) the Driod phones are like the Wild, Wild West with the lastest and greatest. The iPhone is the tried and true companion, always there and very reliable. The iPhone restrictions on things like downloading over the cell network and making you wait till you have a WiFi connection are all based in this stability and some find frustrating. Cosmetically, the EVO has the ability to have widgets on the screens, so your intial interface is more interactive. Unless I'm missing something, all you get are icons and folders on your homescreens. I love the time and weather widget on my main screen of my EVO.

Next Blog will be devoted to iCloud and Siri and the voice commands on EVO. But, I have to run now my iRon is calling.

Worst (BEST) phishing attempt to date!

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 22:19:02 -0700

Worst (BEST) phishing attempt to date!

I hope there is a special place in hell for these people too! When dad died and I started helping mom, I realized how truly insidious these people are. The people that snail mail things that look like they are from the Government were easy enough for my mom to figure out due to addresses. But in today's world when emails come they look like paypal, a real bank or insurance company.

Here is the best example of this evil that I have seen so far...

I started to fill this out....they were only asking for last 4 of my social and it had the first 4 of my credit card even thought I know that all, or most Wells Fargo credit card numbers start with 4342. All of the sudden it hit me like a brick...check the true source of the email. Anyone can fake the reply to field in an email, but to fake a URL is beyond these people at least so far.

I thought I would use this to remind everyone that not one reputable company will ask for any part of our account information in an email. There are times that they ask us to log into our accounts, if you click a link in an email, make sure it is the EXACT URL for the institution right after the http:// in the address bar as soon as you get there, and not WELSFARGO or USAAA, etc. The safest thing to do is to go directly to your website from your bookmark and find the page you need. As anyone that blogs here knows, you can label a "click here" link with anything you want to!

Hope this helps!

A Tale of 2.5 Phones, II

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:47:28 -0700

A Tale of 2.5 Phones, II

I picked up my iPhone 4s today. And there are parts of it that I truly love and there are things that are strangely missing.

This blog is just my initial impression from setting up the phone.

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, this will illustrate with some of the basic differences.

The EVO is bigger and has a bigger screen. That said I will let the true techies debate the different type of screens. The lock screen on the EVO is much more useful and functional especially on the 3D. If you want to unlock the phone into one of the 4 apps that appear on the lock screen you just drag them into the semi circle at the bottom and the phone opens into the application. You can chose those apps. You also get time and weather if you chose that HTC Sense 3.0 widget. It also has great visual effects when your turn the phone on.

The iPhone allows you to select the picture and you get your alerts and messages on the lock screen, but in this category the EVO 3D is the clear winner.

Many people have wondered why anyone needs a screen that is so big. Aside from the obvious that a bigger screen is a better screen as with our TV's and computers, a bigger screen has a bigger virtual keyboard. And for fat fingers Pat, that makes many things better.

Now for the best part of the iPhone so far. I setup so many phones that I have the POP and SMTP settings for Go Daddy and Road Runner memorized. The iPhone asked for my email address and my password. I entered them and looked for the manual set up button. I was frustrated that they didn't have the manual setup option and clicked next. What happened next floored me. Apple found all the settings for my email account and I was up and running.

I had all of my stuff in the iCloud and the setup for the iPhone was done in minutes. I couldn't believe it, actually still can't, so setup goes to iPhone.

Summary of part II:

Graphics winner EVO

Initial Customization EVO

Setup iPhone

Setup iPhone had to add that twice because it was shockingly easy, but is it worth the loss of options and optimization?

The next blog will be about configuring the phones and basic usage. Today is Tax day so it may not be for a few days.

Please comment and add your thoughts! If there is anything that I missed or short sold regarding one phone over the other phone, please let me know!

Tale of 2.5 Phones

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 22:47:46 -0700

Tale of 2.5 Phones

I waited to get my first treo until they had 3G. I couldn't stand watching people wait days for downloads. I could get to a computer more quickly than they could get their phones to download. Once I made the jump, there was no going back. I have had Palm Treos from the 700p up to the 755p. I tried the Pre and that was a disaster to say the least. It had the potential of greatness, that was just a little bit before its time. I was sad when HP dumped the webOS because it had great potential.

I replaced my Pre with an EVO 4g. That was a great phone. The Android system is fantastic. My EVO did develop and issue and when replacement wouldn't charge Sprint upgraded me to the EVO 3D. What more could I ask for. This is the best phone ever. I don't even need the camera and the 3D. The speed of the OS, the HTC Sense 3.0, the memory usage or the integration of social media, contact, phone and really all the HTC apps is amazing. This phone is almost perfect. My only issue is the syncing with Outlook on my desktop, my iPad and MacBook.

After upgrading to iOS 5, I realized the Apple iCloud has fixed the syncing issues of all the other systems. Sprint made me yet another great deal and I am going to get an iPhone 4s that will not replace my EVO, at least at this time, but is augmenting it. I am going to look at both phones as a REALTOR(r) that does tech training and coaching and decide what phone is better for what type of Realtor.

This will be a series of blogs. I am going to keep the title a Tale of 2.5 Phones because the EVO's are not that different. They are both great phones and do basically the same things, other than what I mentioned before and the price point of the 4g is making it hard to justify the 3D.

I look forward to your comments and these are all just my opinions. I have owned a computer since the mid 80's and had a cell phone since the days of the big Motorola bricks. I am not getting paid for this, so it should be about as balanced as I can do! I hope it helps.

Look for part two later today or Monday.

Great New Virus Tool!

Pat O'Brien (RE/MAX ACCESS) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 21:17:00 -0700

Great New Virus Tool!

I have spent many an hour trying to rid computers of viruses and always thought that my friend/agent/family member must really not pay attention to what they are doing to get these really bad viruses that require registry edits and long file searches.

The other day I found one of my computers had the same type of virus and I figured out that those that create this nemesis are even more insidious than I had figured. I got a windows message about installing a downloaded update. As I don't let Microsoft instal ANYTHING w/o my ok, I get these messages all the time. To make a long story short, I clicked ok and have now spent hours trying to rid my notebook of this virus. Luckily I have a MacBook that at this point is still impervious to these sick peoples creations.

An aside, i hope there is a special place in Hell for these people that create these malicious viruses.

The tool I found is a disk that you create that boots a computer to a Linux kernel and runs a virus scan. You either need to make a new disk each time or have a hard wired internet connection to update the virus definition. This system has not fixed my computers of my nephew, broker and now my computer.

It isn't that easy to find on the Avira site so here is the link to the download. Download the exe file and it creates the rescue disk. Works like a charm.

http://www.avira.com/en/support-download-avira-antivir-rescue-system

I am not sure there is anyway on a PC to avoid visuses any more. Our defense is in programs like this and to keep giving the developers of these tools the kudos they deserve.

All that said, I love my MacBook Pro even more! I know it is only time before we have the same issues, but I am loving it while it lasts.