ron wickes: Crash......Hi I'm your new neighbor - 01/31/13 01:37 PM
Yep that is what my buyer had to walk across the street and say to his new neighbor. Hi I'm your new neighbor and I haven't even moved into my new house across from you yet. But guess what my lovely wife did. Yep that right she ran over your mailbox with our truck. Yep knocked it right over cleaner than a whistle. Yep that's it over there lying on the ground. Aren't you glad I moved in across the street from you?
Yes it is a true story. My buyer, one hour in the house, crash goes the neighbor's mail box.
I … (6 comments)

ron wickes: Pets and home buyers......facts - 01/29/13 12:07 PM
My seller can't believe that the buyers looking at his home won't make an offer because of the "cat odor".  Here are a few facts I managed to dig up that I hope will convince him that somting has to be done about the "cat odor".
40% of home buyers do not own a pet 58% of home buyers do not own a dog 60% of home buyers do own a cat Please remember that not everyone loves pets!
As you probbly can tell from the pictures I am not a big cat lover. Sorry but my ex had one. Memories.
… (1 comments)

ron wickes: The cow and the bear or how not to stage a home - 01/16/13 08:47 AM
I was showing a home to a wonderful young couple last week. This couple had two beautiful young girls ages 3 and 4 who were with us at the showing. The couple and I had all looked at the MLS listing and pictures on the internet. The home looked great. (We all know how that goes, right?)
Anyway we entered through the front door into a very nice foyer with a dining room to the left and a study to the right. Very nice and I am starting to cross my fingers. We viewed those two rooms and transisted the rest of the way through … (4 comments)

ron wickes: Positive things only please! - 01/09/13 08:21 AM
I made a vow to myself that I would kick all of the negative things out of my life in 2013. I only wanted positive things and people in my life from this point forward.  Little did I know at the time of that vow that one of the things I might have to kick out of my life was ActiveRain. Yes ActiveRain may have to go. You may be asking why at this point. Well, have you ever looked at how many negative blog titles there are on this website.
I just went to http://activerain.com to log in. The usual … (3 comments)

ron wickes: 2013 - 01/07/13 12:14 PM
I think I shall summarize my thoughts on 2013 in pictures rather than words.


… (4 comments)

ron wickes: Toothpaste and Mac Gyver - 10/01/12 12:47 PM
I  used to love the television show Mac Gyver. The tricks he came up with using nothing but his Swiss Army knife and ordinary household items were absolutely unbelieveable. Now we put up with some televison show featuring "boo boo", whatever or whoever that is and Mac Gyver languishes in Hollywood purgatory.
Apparently I am not the only one who misses Mac Gyver. Houselogic, brought to you be the National Association of Realtors, recently came up with ways to fix some things around the house using toothpaste that they called "Mac Gyverish". Are you ready for these? Get out your Swiss Army knife before you read … (3 comments)

ron wickes: 2011 Market Report - Conroe - 01/24/12 02:20 PM
The immediate Conroe area did not fare well in 20011 single family residence unit sales versus 2010. Let take a quick look at this MLS area and see what the 2011 number showed.
MLS area 19: The City of Conroe and the immediate surrounding area.
Single family residence unit sales in this MLS area took a little beating in 2011 versus 2010. Unit sales dropped 9.84% from 2010. The average price and median price pretty much held steady increasing less than 1%. I will hazard a guess that the unit sales drop was due to two factors. The first factor … (0 comments)

ron wickes: The Woodlands 2011 Market Summary - 01/23/12 03:33 PM
How did The Woodlands and its' MLS area fare in single family residence unit sales in 2011 versus 2010? Not bad considering all of the economic factors at play this past year. Plus let's not forget all of those politicians playing please let me be your presidential nominee. Who knows what impact that had on anything. Here is your quick look.
MLS area 15: Woodlands, Oak Ridge, Shenandoah, The and west to the county line.
This MLS area enjoyed a pretty good year in 2011. Unit sales for 2011 vs 2010 were up 6.84%. The average sale price increased 2.1%. That is … (0 comments)

ron wickes: Lake Conroe Report - 01/18/12 04:52 PM
Here is the latest lake report from the San Jacinto River Authority. We are expecting more rain this weekend also. 
Lake Conroe’s Level ReboundsBy: Blake KellumLake Conroe Division ManagerJanuary 10, 2012After Mondays 2 to 4 inches of rainfall, on an already sodden watershed, Lake Conroe’s level has risen approximately ¾ of a foot to elevation 193.79 msl. These winter storms are crucial to recharging the lake, as much as possible, before we dry out again during the spring and summer months.For those of you with boats beached on the reservoir, now is the time to be diligent in tending to your vessels so … (0 comments)

ron wickes: ROI on Home Remodeling Projects - 01/11/12 12:42 PM
It is that time of the year again when homeowners are starting to think about remodeling projects. In many cases it is because they are thinking about selling their home in the near future. With this in mind HouseLogic.com recently rated the seven best home improvement projects along with the respective Return on Investment (ROI). Here are the HouseLogic rankings from lowest to highest ROI. With the exception of the vinyl siding most of these projects should be great for the Lake Conroe area.
#7 – Vinyl Siding (foam backed) ROI 69.6%
#6 – Rear deck ROI 70.1%
#5 – New … (1 comments)

ron wickes: Lake Conroe Water Level - 01/09/12 01:15 PM
The lake level for Lake Conroe this morning (1/9/12) was 193.6ft. We are currently down 7.6' from our normal pool level of 201'. With the rain we are getting today and that is forecast for tomorrow our poor lake is slowly healing. Please keep the rain coming!
As our lake level rises to its' normal level expect those waterfront homes for sale to return to a normal pricing pattern. The deals now available won't be there for long.
 
 
Here are the current conditions from the San Jacinto River Authority.
Have a great day!
Ron
www.lakeconroeconsulting.com
www.lakeconroegroup.com
 
… (0 comments)

ron wickes: Great UT/OKLA License plate - 01/05/12 03:12 PM
I am not a University of Texas fan nor am I a University of Oklahoma fan. And no I am not an Aggie fan either. However I did sort of enjoy the UT slam on this license plate. The wife was driving the car.
 
 
Have a great day and GO TEXANS!
Ron Wickes
www.lakeconroegroup.com
www.ronwickes.com
 
… (1 comments)

ron wickes: Nonsense thoughts from Lake Conroe on a Friday afternoon - 09/16/11 04:25 PM
Nonsense thoughts on a slow Friday afternoon at the office:
-Now that all three of my high tech devices  (Android cell phone, Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablet and laptop computer) are all synched it sounds like a calliope when one email arrives. And if someone sends an email to all of my four email addresses at the same time it sounds like the London symphony Orchestra when they arrive.
-Foxnews is reporting on Iran's nuclear secrets. Are they still secrets if a major television station is reporting on them?
-I know the unemployment rate is high because there are so many republican presidential candidates seeking one job.
… (1 comments)

ron wickes: Conroe YMCA SCUBA - 09/07/11 11:01 AM
The last SCUBA class of the year is starting tomorrow (9/8/11). There is still time to sign up and become a certified open water SCUBA diver. Give me a shout today!
Ages 10 and up. This is the sport of a lifetime!
Have a great day!
Ron
www.ronwickes.com
www.lakeconroegroup.com
Dive here: I did. It's great! Think you know where it is at? Give me a shout.

 
 
… (0 comments)

ron wickes: Conroe YMCA SCUBA - 05/09/11 11:08 AM
The next Open Water Diver SCUBA class at the Conroe YMCA will start the first week of June. If you or someone you know is interested in learning to SCUBA dive please get in touch with me. The course is open to anyone 10 years old and up who is in good medical condition and can pass a basic swimming skills test.
For those who haven't been diving in a while a SCUBA skills update class is also available. A NITROX class (enriched air NITROX) also can be scheduled for those who may be interrested.
Don't miss this chance to learn to SCUBA dive, … (0 comments)

ron wickes: Montgomery County, TX Market Report 1st Qtr 2011 - 04/15/11 06:23 PM
2011 1st QUARTER MONTGOMERY COUNTY REAL ESTATE UPDATE
SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE SALES 
MLS Area 15 (The Woodlands and West to the county line, SW Montgomery County)
Single family unit sales were very close to the same in 2011 as for 2010. There were 612 homes sold in 2011 this period versus 614 in 2010. The average price did rise 9.5% and the median price rose 2.3%.  The number of active listings in 2011 increased 5.7% versus 2010 while sold homes spent 10% longer on the market. The hotness ratio at the end of March indicated that sales in April would probably … (1 comments)

ron wickes: Texas Education Spending - 04/15/11 06:04 PM
Texas spends just over $11,000 per school student per school year. Today I was at an auto repair shop when I saw the usual sign telling customers that because of insurance regulations they are not allowed in the shop work area. Unfortunately this particular read:
"Because of insurance regulations customers are not ALOUD in the shop area."
We are either not spending enough money on our students in Texas or we are spending way too much. Maybe we can just buy some inexpensive versions of "Spellcheck". Wouldn't we save a whole lot of money educating our students?
I wonder if the sign maker was an Aggie or … (1 comments)

ron wickes: Lake Conroe is Not Going Dry - 01/03/11 06:24 PM
Like many places in the United States Montgomery County will have a severe water problem if planning for the future doesn't start now. The planning has started in our county. Our "water" future is bright. Unfortunately a few people hear that Lake Conroe will be going dry and that property values will be fall like the lake level.
Well that isn't true. There have been many studies done and many public hearings held. The future is bright. Please realize that right now Lake Conroe releases 7' of water every year that currently goes unused. That 7' equals twice the amount of water that is currently … (2 comments)

ron wickes: Great Website for Homeowners! - 12/27/10 05:05 PM
Are you a homeowner who really cares about their home? Are you a homeowner that wants to update your home however isn't sure which improvements are the smart ones to make? Are homeowner who wants to know more about energy tax benefits? Are you a homeowner who wants to know more about ..............
And the list goes on and on and on. If you are a homeowner who really cares about your home than one of your most valuable assets is a website brought to you by the National Association of Realtors. The website it www.houselogic.com This website contains a tremendous amount … (2 comments)

ron wickes: Lake Conroe Quick Market Report - 12/18/10 02:00 PM
The November sales numbers are out. MLS area 39, the Lake Conroe area, had a good month. Unit sales were up over 14% compared to last November and the average price was up....wait for it....$73,108! WOW! What a jump. Available inventory climbed almost two months and average days on the market increased to 90.
As might be expected units sales dropped from the previous month however the average price did increase. Property located on or close to the water is still retaining its' value.
For those doubting whether this is the time to buy the answer is strong YES. The figures … (1 comments)

 

Find TX real estate agents and Conroe real estate on ActiveRain.