Albuquerque Real Estate | ABQ NM Expert

Why do you blog?

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:18:19 -0600

Michael Martine a blog coach extraordinaire poses the question "Why do you blog?" on his blog today. I was surprised at how many responded "Just for fun".

I get a kick out of the consumer contacting me but for me this is about supporting my business. So what do you think? Blogging for fun or business?

Breast Cancer Awareness Month A Video and Photo Tribute

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 03:52:10 -0500

Alice Beaird - My maternal great-grandmother

She successfully battled breast cancer not once but twice in the mid 1950's.

Vera Caudell - My paternal grandmother. She successfully battled breast cancer in the 90's.

Linda Caudell - My mother who successfully battled breast cancer in the early 80's. She was admitted to the hospital for surgery on Thanksgiving.

The woman in my family have battled this in past but now there is the next generation of girls I am worried about.

I was going to write more but then my daughter Natty who is 12 put together this wonderful video. There is nothing more I can add.

Historic Homes and Buildings New Topic

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:50:52 -0500

It's that time again. New topic to write about on our outside blogs.

SUMMARY:

Topic: Historic Homes and Buildings

Ideas for this post

Historic districts
Individual Historic home
Historic buildings
Historic landmarks
Historic rules specific to your area
Tax rebates for restoring a historic home
Historic Societies

Assignment:

Prepare a post that will go on your outside blog - if you want, you can post it and edit it later with others blogs.
Post with links, the title of your post, your name and your area (keyword rich) ex. Check out this post by Laurie Manny if you need inspiration: Come home to Historic Long Beach CA

Plan to Add section in blog for something like:

Historic Homes around the Nation
Other Resources on Historic Homes;

Deadline: Midnight September 22, 2007 (Saturday) - then we can edit them with everyone's links and info

NOTE: I will have a separate post for everyone to post their links to when done- Then we can update our own post as we go.

If you have ideas or suggestions to what's written here, post it and I will add it in an UPDATED section.

Photo copyright Ashley Drake Gephart

Historic Homes and Buildings New Topic

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 23:12:34 -0500

It's that time again. New topic to write about on our outside blogs.

SUMMARY:

Topic: Historic Homes and Buildings

Ideas for this post

Historic districts
Individual Historic home
Historic buildings
Historic landmarks
Historic rules specific to your area
Tax rebates for restoring a historic home
Historic Societies

Assignment:

Prepare a post that will go on your outside blog - if you want, you can post it and edit it later with others blogs.
Post with links, the title of your post, your name and your area (keyword rich) ex. Check out this post by Laurie Manny if you need inspiration: Come home to Historic Long Beach CA

Plan to Add section in blog for something like:

Historic Homes around the Nation
Other Resources on Historic Homes;

Deadline: Midnight September 22, 2007 (Saturday) - then we can edit them with everyone's links and info

NOTE: I will have a separate post for everyone to post their links to when done- Then we can update our own post as we go.

If you have ideas or suggestions to what's written here, post it and I will add it in an UPDATED section.

Photo copyright Ashley Drake Gephart

Historic Homes and Buildings New Topic

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:36:53 -0500

It's that time again. New topic to write about on our outside blogs.

SUMMARY:

Topic: Historic Homes and Buildings

Ideas for this post

Historic districts
Individual Historic home
Historic buildings
Historic landmarks
Historic rules specific to your area
Tax rebates for restoring a historic home
Historic Societies

Assignment:

Prepare a post that will go on your outside blog - if you want, you can post it and edit it later with others blogs.
Post with links, the title of your post, your name and your area (keyword rich) ex. Check out this post by Laurie Manny if you need inspiration: Come home to Historic Long Beach CA

Plan to Add section in blog for something like:

Historic Homes around the Nation
Other Resources on Historic Homes;

Deadline: Midnight September 22, 2007 (Saturday) - then we can edit them with everyone's links and info

NOTE: I will have a separate post for everyone to post their links to when done- Then we can update our own post as we go.

If you have ideas or suggestions to what's written here, post it and I will add it in an UPDATED section.

Photo copyright Ashley Drake Gephart

Historic Homes and Buildings New Topic

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:17:11 -0500

It's that time again. New topic to write about on our outside blogs.

SUMMARY:

Topic: Historic Homes and Buildings

Ideas for this post

Historic districts
Individual Historic home
Historic buildings
Historic landmarks
Historic rules specific to your area
Tax rebates for restoring a historic home
Historic Societies

Assignment:

Prepare a post that will go on your outside blog - if you want, you can post it and edit it later with others blogs.
Post with links, the title of your post, your name and your area (keyword rich) ex. Check out this post by Laurie Manny if you need inspiration: Come home to Historic Long Beach CA

Plan to Add section in blog for something like:

Historic Homes around the Nation
Other Resources on Historic Homes;

Deadline: Midnight September 22, 2007 (Saturday) - then we can edit them with everyone's links and info

NOTE: I will have a separate post for everyone to post their links to when done- Then we can update our own post as we go.

If you have ideas or suggestions to what's written here, post it and I will add it in an UPDATED section.

Photo copyright Ashley Drake Gephart

Historic Homes and Buildings New Topic

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:03:05 -0500

It's that time again. New topic to write about on our outside blogs.

SUMMARY:

Topic: Historic Homes and Buildings

Ideas for this post

Historic districts
Individual Historic home
Historic buildings
Historic landmarks
Historic rules specific to your area
Tax rebates for restoring a historic home
Historic Societies

Assignment:

Prepare a post that will go on your outside blog - if you want, you can post it and edit it later with others blogs.
Post with links, the title of your post, your name and your area (keyword rich) ex. Check out this post by Laurie Manny if you need inspiration: Come home to Historic Long Beach CA

Plan to Add section in blog for something like:

Historic Homes around the Nation
Other Resources on Historic Homes;

Deadline: Midnight September 22, 2007 (Saturday) - then we can edit them with everyone's links and info

NOTE: I will have a separate post for everyone to post their links to when done- Then we can update our own post as we go.

If you have ideas or suggestions to what's written here, post it and I will add it in an UPDATED section.

Photo copyright Ashley Drake Gephart

UNM South Albuquerque Real Estate Market Update September 2007

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:14:06 -0500

Albuquerque Home Market Report

See the most up-to-date list of UNM South homes for sale.

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in UNM South, please contact me today.

August 2007	# of Homes	Median	Lowest	Highest
New Listing	53	$270,000	$44,000	$795,000
Pending	12	$272,000	$109,900	$795,000
Sold	30	$194,500	$42,000	$553,750

August 2007	Square Footage	Bedrooms	Bathrooms
Minimum	550	1	0.75
Maximum	4694	7	4

August 2007	Days on Market
Minimum	0
Average	34
Maximum	120

Albuquerque Schools

Albuquerque Resources

For Albuquerque real estate information contact:

Ashley Drake Gephart, Associate Broker, REALTOR®
9201 Montgomery Blvd., NE Suite 101 Albuquerque, NM 87111
Cell: 505.261.0389 * Office: 505.271.8200 * Fax: 505.271.8217
Albuquerque Real Estate
Albuquerque Home Value - Complimentary CMA
Search Albuquerque Homes - MLS Search No registration required
Email Ashley

These statistics were compiled from the Albuquerque Metropolitan Board of REALTORS® data on 09/10/2007 at 11:45 p.m. This data is reflective of homes which were listed on the MLS; private sales are not included. Information was obtained from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This information should not be used to determine the value of any property. Photos are for illustration purposes only and do not necessarily represent current or past listings.

Four Hills Albuquerque Real Estate Market Update August 2007

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 22:46:33 -0500

Untitled Document

Albuquerque Home Market Report

Four Hills

See the most up-to-date list of Four Hills homes for sale.
If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Four Hills, please contact me today.

August 2007	# of Homes	Median	Lowest	Highest
New Listing	30	$345,000	$179,900	$599,999
Pending	3	$419,000	$225,000	$430,000
Sold	14	$327,500	$177,000	$404,000

August 2007 Sales	Square Footage	Bedrooms	Bathrooms
Minimum	1059	2	1.75
Maximum	2824	4	2.5

August 2007 Sales	Days on Market
Minimum	6
Average	42
Maximum	186

Albuquerque Schools

Albuquerque Resources

For Albuquerque real estate information contact:

Ashley Drake Gephart, Associate Broker, REALTOR®
9201 Montgomery Blvd., NE Suite 101 Albuquerque, NM 87111
Cell: 505.261.0389 * Office: 505.271.8200 * Fax: 505.271.8217
Albuquerque Real Estate
Albuquerque Home Value - Complimentary CMA
Search Albuquerque Homes - MLS Search No registration required
Email Ashley

These statistics were compiled from the Albuquerque Metropolitan Board of REALTORS® data on 09/09/2007 at 9:30 p.m. This data is reflective of homes which were listed on the MLS; private sales are not included. Information was obtained from sources deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This information should not be used to determine the value of any property. Photos are for illustration purposes only and do not necessarily represent current or past listings.

New Mexico Adds New Area Code

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 01:54:10 -0500

How does 505 divided by 2 equal 575? When NM splits into two area codes. NM, one of the few states with just a single area code, will be adding one new area code (575) starting October 7, 2007. For the first year, calls will be automatically re-directed but after October 7, 2008 it will be mandatory to dial 575 for the areas that have changed.

505
Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Gallup, Los Lunas and Farmington will be keeping the 505 area code.

575

Roswell, Taos, Clovis, Hobbs and Truth or Consequences will be switching to the new 575 area code.

This will affect all landlines (wired) and cellular (wireless) numbers. While I feel for the business owners who will be affected by this change, this is a good sign for NM. It means we are growing and the additional area code will allow the telecommunication needs to keep up.

One company, 505 Southwestern , based their name on the area code. An Albuquerque based company making Chili products has stated it would not change their name if our area code changed. Fortunately, we don't have to test that theory out as 575 Chili doesn't have the same ring as 505 Chili does!

Web Resources:

For Albuquerque real estate information contact:

Ashley Drake Gephart, Associate Broker, REALTOR®
9201 Montgomery Blvd., NE Suite 101 Albuquerque · NM 87111
Cell: 505.261.0389 * Office: 505.271.8200 * Fax: 505.271.8217
Albuquerque Real Estate
Search Albuquerque Homes no registration required
Email Ashley

NM Area code map provide by Qwest.

How to look like an experienced agent, even if you're new

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 02:38:25 -0500

Just because you're new, doesn't mean you have to look it.

When I was starting out, I showed amazing confidence and was never once asked how much experience I had. But to have confidence, you need to have knowledge.

Know your market

Preview everything in your area. Go on tours or go on your own--just preview. Don't just preview your own office's listings, but preview other listings as well. If your town is big, just focus on a small section. Previewing around where you live is key, and I will explain more about why in a bit.

Hot Sheets

Read them daily. Know what home prices actually go under contract and what prices end up expired. What is the average DOM or price per sq. ft? If someone asks you what homes are selling for in say, Blue Jupiter, you can respond, "The average sale price is $135 a sq ft." Boom! No hesitation on your part.

Here is where focusing on the area where you live is good. You will be at the store, post office, library, school, soccer game, etc., and someone will ask about prices. Make sure you know your market. You live there so you should know it without having to look it up.

Listing Presentations

Practice your listing presentation. Try it with a flip chart, booklet, laptop, or from memory. If something just doesn't feel right, change it until it flows smoothly. Practice on your partner, family, a colleague, the kids, or the cat. You don't want to practice on the homeowner.

Buyer Consultations

Again, practice. Try different styles of gathering the information you need to find your buyer the best home. Interview them using a checklist, ask about their lifestyle, and take free-form notes. Have a buyers book with information about mortgages, utilities, escrow, FAQs, etc. Again, practice on your family, a colleague, or the kids. The cat might not be responsive enough for this one, though. Find a style that works for you and then practice it.

Contracts

Study them thoroughly. I read my contracts so that I can summarize the key points on each page without looking at them. Have a copy of all the basic forms (listing contract, purchase agreement, sellers disclosure, lead paint, etc.) everywhere. Keep a set in your dayplanner, a copy on your PDA, and a set in the car and your purse or briefcase. Read them whenever you are waiting at an appointment, when it's slow during an open house, or while the kids are in ballet. Read them every day. Know them!

Practice filling them out. Print out an MLS sheet and write an offer on it. Then write the listing contract for it as well. Have someone in your office look it over for you. Do this once a week until you're comfortable with the forms.

When a new form comes out or one gets updated--no matter how long you have been in the business--study it and practice filling it out.

Net-outs

After filling out the purchase agreement and listing agreement on the house you pulled from the MLS, do a net-out for both the seller and the buyer. Do these by hand. You will not always have access to a computer for using one of the title companies' online calculators. You need to be able to do these on the kitchen counter of a vacant house while filling out the purchase agreement.

Open Houses

Go visit open houses and see how other agents are doing them. Some will be very bad and some will be superb. You will learn something from each one. Go to several on one weekend, making sure to visit different agencies.

Now you can take this experience to make your open houses superb, and, from seeing others, you will gain a level of confidence by doing your own.

With enough practice, you will come across as the knowledgeable professional agent that you now are!

Photo stock.xchng by topshelf

Albuquerque Activities for the week of September 3rd, 2007

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 01:09:09 -0500

Monday 09.03.07

12pm-7pm - New Mexico Wine Festival. Sample wine from more than 20 New Mexico Wineries. Cost - $10 Adults.

Tuesday 09.04.07

7pm-Midnight - Play Xbox and Wii on the big screen at Hunab Hookah Lounge, 232-0223. Cost - Free 18 and older only.

Wednesday 09.05.07

10am - Book signing and talk with Corey Recko, author of Murder on the White Sands: the Disappearance of Albert and Henry Fountain. Cherry Hills Library. Cost - Free

Thursday 09.06.07

12pm-1pm - Lunchtime meditation at Shakyamuni Buddhist Center. Cost - $5

Friday 09.07.07

6pm-8pm - Maize Maze located at the Los Poblanos Fields Open Space. Cost - $8 adults, $4 children, ages 4 to 12 yrs. Children under 4 are free.

Saturday 09.08.07

11am-1pm - Public Talk Ecovillage Model: New Approaches to Urban Regeneration. UNM Conference Center. Cost - $5 suggested donation.

Sunday 09.09.07

1:30pm - Orchid Expert Alan Koch talks at the Rio Grande Botanic Garden’s Education Building, 2601 Central Ave. Cost - Free

For Albuquerque real estate information contact:

Albuquerque EcoVillage sustainability training program

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 21:30:41 -0500

Albuquerque is hosting the USA's first complete sustainability training programs in the world, based on the Gaia Education curriculum.

This is a four week comprehensive program that will cover:

The cost is $550 for each segment or $2000 for all four segments if signed up in advanced.

The course will be presented at the University of New Mexico, with field trips and hands-on projects at various sites, communities and ecovillages around the city and state for the last two days of each Dimension.

If you are unable to attend the sessions, there will be an opening event for the public.

This talk will encourage environmentally responsible design and development.
September 8th 2007, 11am-1pm at the Auditorium at the UNM Conference Center, 1634 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM.
Suggested Donation is $5

Web Resources:

For Albuquerque real estate information contact:

Albuquerque Activities for the week of August 27, 2007

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:26:32 -0500

Monday 08.27.07

6:30-8PM - The Ancient Art of Papel Amate at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Cost - $20.

Tuesday 08.28.07

7-9PM- Cooking with Claus at Le Cafe Miche. Oysters Rockefeller start off the class and for dessert fresh blueberry creme brulee. Wines with each course. Cost - $34.

Wednesday 08.29.07

11AM and 3PM - Enchanted Skies at Lodestar Planetarium. Travel the universe in 3-D and learn about the NM sky. Cost - $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $4 for children 3-12.

Thursday 08.30.07

11AM and 3PM - Mystery of the Nile at the Lockhead Martin Dyna Theater. Cost - $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $4 for children 3-12.

Friday 08.31.07

7:30PM - Mystery Cafe. Currently Playing, "The Mother Lode". Enjoy this original interative mystery dinner theater located at the Sheraton Uptown. Cost - $38 for a four- course meal and show.

Saturday 09.01.07

1-4PM - World Peace Cafe at Shakyamuni Buddhist Center. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with a home-made dessert. Cost - Varies.

Sunday 09.02.07

10AM-7PM - Pedal Boats at Tingley Beach Enjoy a cruise around the pond. Rentals are available for 2 and 4 seaters. Cost- $8/10 for a half hour $12/14 for an hour. Drivers License or Credit Card required.

Ashley Drake Gephart, Associate Broker, REALTOR®
9201 Montgomery Blvd., NE Suite 101 Albuquerque • NM 87111
Cell: 505.261.0389 * Office: 505.271.8200 * Fax: 505.271.8217
Albuquerque Real Estate
Email Ashley

Why Your Home Expired

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:30:12 -0500

Photos

No photos, or the few that are being used, are very bad photos. There should be no people or pets in them. They should not be fuzzy or dark. They should not include closeups of the a/c unit, light fixtures, or the toilet. Speaking of toilets, we really don't need to see them. If the photo can't be angled so as to not include them, then at least shut the lid!

Unless there is a security reason, there should be the maximum number of photos your local MLS will allow. Ask your agent to provide a full customer sheet with the photos. Or search any site such as your local board or real estate company to see what the photos looks like.

Limited Showings

Restricting your showings to 10am-7pm shouldn't cause too much of a problem. Even asking for an hour or two of notice should be fine. Only allowing your home to be shown a couple of days a week or a few hours a day is going to cause your house to be skipped over. Asking for a day's notice, unless there are tenant rights, will move your house to the bottom of the pile.

No Lockbox

Unless you have a luxury home, not having a lockbox is the same as putting a "GO AWAY" mat on your front porch. With over 7000 homes on the market, agents don't need to wait for you or your agent to meet them at the house.

Poor descriptions

"4 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, Great home that won't last."

This description isn't going to cause a stampede of eager buyers to your home. Again, ask your agent or search the Internet to view the description of your home.

Over-Pricing

This is not the time to be "testing the market". Price your home correctly right from the start, or you will be chasing the market down until your home expires. Have your agent prepare a CMA and absorption report.

If your home has expired and you are ready to put it back on the market, give me a call to discuss my marketing plan, which includes a comprehensive Internet presence. If you are not in the Albuquerque area, please search Localism for an Internet-savvy agent or contact me for a recommendation.

Albuquerque Activities for the week of August 20, 2007

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 02:52:06 -0500

Monday 08.20.07

7-8:30pm - Monday Night Meditation. Learn how meditation works and its benefits every Monday at the Shakyamuni Buddhist Center. Cost - $8.

Tuesday 08.21.07

8-9:30pm - Night Walk at the Garden -Explore the flaura and fauna by the light of the moon on this guided tour. Cost - $6 adults, $4 children 3-12 and seniors.

Wednesday 08.22.07

4:45-6:15pm - Introduction to Hula for Seniors. Taught by native Hawaiian Cindi Heffner at Highland Senior Center. 131 Monroe St NE. 256-2000. Cost - Free

Thursday 08.23.07

9am-5pm - Airships: The Big, Bad, and Bold at the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum. History, culture, art, science and recreation of Blimps! Cost - $4 Adults, $1 children ages 4-12, $2 seniors.

Friday 08.24.07

Dusk (about 8:30pm) - Movies on Civic Plaza "To Kill a Mockingbird" a 1962 Academy Award winning drama. Cost - Free

Saturday 08.25.07

10am-3pm - Master Gardeners will answer your gardening questions at the Cherry Hills Library. Cost - Free

Sunday 08.26.07

9am - Map and Compass for kids - Part of the Elena Gallegos Open Space Sunday Hike Series. Paul Daily will be your guide. Cost- $2 for parking.

Four Hills Real Estate - SOLD

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 23:03:44 -0500

SOLD

See the most up-to-date list of Four Hills homes for sale. If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Four Hills, please contact me today.

Beautiful Sprawling Pueblo in Country Club Neighborhood

Location: Four Hills

Check out this beautiful sprawling one-level pueblo style home situated on a large lot with mature landscaping located in the attractive Four Hills neighborhood. The courtyard entry beckons you into a home featuring a light, bright, open floor plan. Three living areas includes a media room with a wall of built-in cabinets and drawers and a large open family room with a fabulous dry-stack stone fireplace and built-in bookcase. Take pleasure in your covered back patio leading to an attractive backyard featuring a rose garden, basketball hoop, and automatic sprinklers. Have the benefit of comfortable living with sunny skylights, humidifier, three zoned heating, cooling, and solar heat, and energy efficient blinds.

Information

Contact Information

Ashley Drake Gephart

505.261.0389

ashley@ashleysellshouses.com

Contact Reply Form

Forward to a Friend

View Other Flyers

Pricing

Asking Price: $500,000.00

Property Location

1020 Brazos SE
Albuquerque , NM 87123
View Map

Features

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 2.75

Year Built: 1975

Subdivision: Four Hills

Garage Size: 2

School District: APS - Manzano High

Square Footage: 3740

Agent Name: Ashley Drake Gephart

Broker: Keller Williams Realty

MLS #: 507472

Attributes

Appliances

Range/Oven

Dishwasher

Sink Disposal

Microwave

Interior Amenities

Fireplace

Wet Bar

Kitchen Island

Exterior Amenities

Patio

Fenced Yard

Grass Lawn

Basketball Net

Photo Gallery

View as Slideshow View Photo Gallery (7 Photos)

Equal Housing Opportunity

VFLYER ID: 1246019

OPEN HOUSE

Sunday August 26th 2007
2:00PM - 4:00PM

Ashley Drake Gephart, Associate Broker, REALTOR®
9201 Montgomery Blvd., NE Suite 101 Albuquerque • NM 87111
Cell: 505.261.0389 * Office: 505.271.8200 * Fax: 505.271.8217
Albuquerque Real Estate
Email Ashley

Albuquerque Restaurant - Marcello's Chophouse

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 01:23:14 -0500

Frank Marcello opened his latest restaurant in November of 2006. Marcello’s Chophouse is an upscale restaurant in the ABQ Uptown Mall. I finally had the opportunity to have lunch at Marcello’s this week. It was a pleasant experience. We had a late lunch so it was fairly empty and by the time we left, I think we were the only patrons since meals aren’t served during 3pm-5pm.

Jason, our server, was attentive and very familiar with the menu. I ordered Frank's Healthy Chicken Platter. I must say that the oven-dried tomatoes were delicious! My lunch companion ordered the Chilled "Really Big" Shrimp. Jason was accommodating in her request for cocktail sauce without the green and red chili normally served.

The atmosphere was relaxing with small dining areas separated by partial walls. Adorning the walls were black and white photos of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, and my favorite, Frank Sinatra, as well as numerous other actors and actresses of that era. The music was also fun, which included selections such as the theme from “Batman” and “Octopus's Garden”.

Dessert was decadent. My companion ordered Frank's favorite "Bananas for Sundae" and I had the truly sinful "Hot Chocolate"-CAKE THAT IS!

Lunch for two with dessert, iced tea, and a glass of wine, was $53.00.
During August there is a large selection of entertainment planned in the Piano Bar from 7-10pm. Full details can be found on Marcello’s website.
Reservations are recommended and you can make them at 837-CHOP.

2201 Q. Street NE Suite # 9B * Albuquerque, NM * 87110

Tech-savvy and Eco-friendly in Albuquerque

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:58:37 -0500

Albuquerque Eco-friendly living

Friday, August 17th 9am - Saturday, August 18th 4pm. The City of Albuquerque is hosting a Tech Recycling event at the Balloon Fiesta Park.

Electronic recycler Natural Evolution will accept most broken electronics. Check out the City of Albuquerque website for more details about what can and can't be donated. The cost is free and residents can bring their unwanted items on Saturday. Friday is for businesses to donate. Help keep Albuquerque clean with responsible disposing of your electronic trash.

Solar Alternatives to electricity

How about those cell phones, cameras, and mp3 players? They use a lot of energy to keep charged. Here are a couple of greener alternatives.

Solio - This universal charger will charge many different items using various tips. It will charge your equipment at the same rate as a conventional charger. Just expose the Solio unit to sunlight for 8-10 hours and you will be able to charge your cell phone at least two times.

Gaiam - Portable Solar electronic charger. Just open it, expose it to sunlight, and power up your technology.

Reware - Juice Bags. These bags, made from recycled 2-liter bottles, will easily charge any item that could be charged in your car charger.

Dump the batteries! Or, at least switch to rechargables.

There are several options:

Standard battery charger. Will charge most standard sizes of batteries. Great for cameras, handheld games, and mp3's.
Solar battery charger. Will charge AAA, AA, C, and D as well as 9-volt. Will work on AC power as well as a solar panel.

Switch from Cordless phones to Corded phones.

Uses less energy.
Won't interfere with other devices.
Won't lose service during a power outage.
Keeps more electronic trash out of landfills (no batteries to worry about).

Eco-friendly resources from around the nation:

Ashley Drake Gephart, Associate Broker, REALTOR®
9201 Montgomery Blvd., NE Suite 101 Albuquerque · NM 87111
Cell: 505.261.0389 * Office: 505.271.8200 * Fax: 505.271.8217
Albuquerque Real Estate

Photos provided by stock.xchng

Albuquerque Activities for the week of August 13, 2007

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 03:15:51 -0500

Monday 08.13.07

6-9pm - Marcello's Chophouse. Open Piano Night in the Piano Bar. Read more about Marcello's Chophouse.

Tuesday 08.14.07

8-11pm - Scalo, Il Bar -Open Jazz Jam with the Stu MacAskie Trio - Free.

Wednesday 08.15.07

Noon-1pm Lunchtime at the Library - Bring your lunch and enjoy Mariachi and Mexican Folk music at the Main Library - Free.

Thursday 08.16.07

6:30-9pm Bear Canyon Senior Center Thursday Night Dance

Friday 08.17.07

Dusk (about 8:30pm) - Movies on Civic Plaza "The Day the Earth Stood Still", a 1951 Sci-Fi film.

Saturday 08.18.07

10am-4pm - Around the World in 80 Days. Each Saturday your balloon will land in a new part of the world. This week will be Arctic - Iceland and Norway. You'll explore that locale's culture, ballooning history, sample food, and enjoy entertainment.

Sunday 08.19.07

11-11:45am Dharma for Kids - Every Sunday at the Shakyamuni Buddhist Center $1.

Ashley Drake Gephart, Associate Broker, REALTOR®
Keller Williams Realty
9201 Montgomery Blvd., NE Suite 101 Albuquerque • NM 87111
Cell: 505.261.0389 * Office: 505.271.8200 * Fax: 505.271.8217
Albuquerque Real Estate

Open House Four Hills Albuquerque - SOLD

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:26:45 -0500

SOLD

See the most up-to-date list of Four Hills homes for sale. If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Four Hills, please contact me today.

Open House Sunday August 12, 2007 1:00-3:00pm

Sprawling one-level pueblo style home in Four Hills.

1020 Brazos · Albuquerque NM· 87123

5 Bedrooms · 2.75 Bathrooms · 2 Car Garage · 3740 sq. ft.

MLS # 507472 · $500,000

The foothills location with large lots, spectacular mountain and city views, makes Four Hills a great neighborhood in SE Albuquerque. The Four Hills Country Club boasts a 135 acre 18-hole, par 72 course designed by Bob Baldock. You can also enjoy tennis, swimming and dining as well as two large ballroom style banquet facilities.

If this home isn't what you are looking for view other Four Hills Homes or search for ABQ Homes.

If you are thinking of selling request a complementary comparative market analysis and absorption report for your home.

Three living areas includes a media room with a wall of built-in cabinets and drawers and a large open family room with a fabulous dry-stack stone fireplace and built-in bookcase.. Covered back patio leading to an attractive backyard featuring a rose garden, basketball hoop, and automatic sprinklers. Comfortable living with sunny skylights, humidifier, three zoned heating, cooling, and solar heat, and energy efficient blinds.

School Districts:

Elementary: Apache Middle: Grant Middle High: Manzano

Ashley Drake Gephart, Associate Broker, REALTOR®
9201 Montgomery Blvd., NE Suite 101 Albuquerque · NM 87111
Cell: 505.261.0389 * Office: 505.271.8200 * Fax: 505.271.8217
Albuquerque Real Estate

Pool Homes Albuquerque Buyers Tips

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 02:25:45 -0500

When you're ready to take a splash and buy a home with a pool, there are several factors to consider.

Utilities - Ask to see a year's worth of utility bills. Find out what months the previous owners have kept the pool open as well as the average temperature they've kept the pool heater set. Your usage may differ and you should take that into account.

Maintenance and repairs - Even if you plan to maintain the pool yourself, factor in the cost of chemicals. If you plan on hiring a pool service, be sure you understand the cost of not only weekly service, but opening and closing the pool each year.

Maintaining the pool - If you plan on maintaining the pool yourself, make sure you understand how much time this will take. If you hire a service, you generally wouldn't need to be home.

Landscaping - Does the current landscaping have a bearing on keeping the pool clean? Overhanging trees may drop leaves or grass may blow in during mowing.

Pool cover - What type of cover does the pool have? There are pros and cons for each type. There are several types including solar, vinyl, semi-automatic, and automatic.

Type of pool - There are different types of pool construction, such as vinyl, fiberglass, and inground gunite pools. Understanding the type of pool construction is important since it affects the maintenance and longevity. An inground gunite pool is considered top of the line.

Children - Do they know how to swim? Are there safety features in place or have you factored in the cost of adding them?

Pets - Do you have outdoor cats or dogs? Again, consider their needs and consider if you need a fence or net for them.

Fence or Safety net - is there a fence around the pool? Or a safety net? If not, do you need one? Make sure you factor in the cost.

It is imperative to have a pool inspection done by a licensed, qualified individual. For more information about the importance of a pool inspection, Cyndee Haydon, a Clearwater, Florida Real Estate agent, has written an informative post with detailed photos. Read Tampa Bay Pool Homes for Sale for valuable information about getting a pool inspection.

When purchasing or selling a home with a pool, make sure you have an agent that understands all the factors involved. If you are looking to purchase a home in Albuquerque with a pool, contact me today!

For all your Albuquerque Real Estate needs, contact me today!
Ashley Drake Gephart
Keller Williams Realty
Cell: 505.261.0389

Spectators Gives Pets a Home

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 01:03:43 -0500

In the Spring of 2004, a beautiful calico kitten showed up on our patio. She was cold, scared, and hungry. We managed to coax her in. We gave her food, water, and love. She didn't want to stay in and kept getting out. We put food and water on the patio. After a couple of weeks, it was obvious she was pregnant. By this time, we had named her Madison. Madison got out one night and we couldn't find her for several days. I was worried about her knowing she was about to have her babies. Fortunately, our neighbor Jack was able to get her into his house.

Several days later, on April 15th, Madison, who Jack had renamed Roxy, gave birth to her five precious little kitties. We took in Salem and Christopher and have given them a happy, safe home. Some animals are not so lucky. Help give a happy home to a pet in need!

Spectators and the City of Albuquerque will be having an Adopt-A-Thon this Saturday, August 4, 2007 from 11:30-2:30.

Spectators is located in the Mountain Run Shopping Center at Eubank and Juan Tabo.

Spectators-Sports Bar & Grill
5850 Eubank Blvd NE # 59
Albuquerque, NM 87111
(505) 275-1166

Google map for Spectators

Web resources:
City of Albuquerque Pet Services
Should I adopt a dog?
Should I adopt a cat?

Albuquerque Real Estate

NM Homeschool Resources

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:16:40 -0500

Homeschooling in NM

I have been homeschooling in NM for the last 9 years and overall, NM is very homeschool friendly. I take a very unschooling approach, so I may be missing some of the more traditional viewpoints. If you are homeschooling in NM and want to add anything, please feel free to leave a comment.

Here is my "(NOT) Back to School" Resources for the homeschoolers in NM.

Deluge in Albuquerque

Albuquerque Real Estate | Ashley Drake Gephart (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 01:11:38 -0500

We had a pretty good rain today in Albuquerque, NM. Like a lot of other SW desert cities, we don't have adequate drainage on the streets. So within minutes, the streets can flood. I was just off Academy Road near the Arroyo Del Oso Golf Course, when a storm hit today. You can see the heavy winds in the first video. The second one shows how Academy was slowing down traffic. Just like the rest of ABQ, the north side was the heaviest covered. Typically, the streets will clear in under 30 minutes and we are left with dirt and rocks on the roads.
Here are some tips to remember when driving under these conditions:

Do not try and cross running water. In ABQ, it is important not to drive through Arroyos that have a road. See the third video on how fast the water can run.
Allow more driving time. Drive at a much slower speed.
Stay towards the middle of the road when possible.
Turn on your lights and, if you can't see the car in front of you, pull over.
Leave extra space between you and the car in front of you.
Remember, larger vehicles can spray up a lot of water. Slow down even more, if necessary, to let them pass you.
Make sure you keep your car in good shape, including your wiper blades.

Yes, we are a desert. But we do get heavy rains just remember to stay safe.

Looking to buy or sell a house in Albuquerque? Visit my Albuquerque Real Estate Site.

Albuquerque Real Estate | ABQ NM Expert

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Deluge in Albuquerque