Amarillo Texas is named #7 on the Top 10 Real Estate Markets to watch in 2012 put out by Inman News today!  Several factors were taken into consideration that made us rank high on the national list, including - job market, home affordability, low foreclosure and a low vacancy rate.  What a wonderful place to live, work and play!  Take a moment to read this article and let me know if you are ready to make this great city your home or ready to purchase a home now that you know you are living in this top city already! 

It's a Good Life, Treat Yourself Right and Call Me Today!

http://www.inman.com/reports/markets-watch2012#continueintro

This information is presented by:

 

Connie Taylor

Keller Williams

ConnieTaylor@KW.com

www.AmarilloDreamHomes.com

 

Information is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed.

 

 

Wondering what will look pretty in your garden as you dream of spring flowers?  I found out, take a look at this article in a favorite magazine of mine, Home by Design.

 

African Violets Will Bloom throughout the Winter Season!
Written by Robyn Roehm Cannon

 

For gardeners, winter can be a terribly long and colorless season. But if you’re a plant lover who’s discovered the joys of growing African violets, just the opposite is true. Their dainty blooms, in a wide array of purple, pink, blue, white, and multicolored combinations, will appear almost constantly and brighten any gloomy January day.
 This member of the same botanical family that includes gloxinias and lipstick plants has a long history, and although they’re called “violets,” they’re really not violets at all. The first plants were discovered by Baron von Saint Paul in Africa in 1892 and were given the botanical name Saintpaulia ionantha by the director of the Royal Botanical Gardens in honor of the baron. The species name, ionantha, Greek for “resembling a violet,” is in reference to the flower.  
  
  
 Just two years after they were discovered, a New York florist brought African violets to the United States. But in drafty homes of the late-nineteenth century, the plants often became chilled and died. They became known as finicky and hard to grow, a reputation that proved untrue after the fluorescent lightbulb was introduced in 1938. It was then that people discovered that with just a small amount of care and under lights, healthy plants would bloom for six months and rest for three before starting their cycle again.
 Today, African violet hybridizers have created countless foliage types and a rainbow of flower colors by combining the parent plants Saintpaulia ionantha and Saintpaulia confusa. Some beauties to look for include plants with variegated, blotched, wavy, oak leaf, quilted, and fringed leaves, with flowers that range from single, double, star, ruffled, bicolored, and even striped. The combinations are endless!

Temperature, Soil, and Light. One thing to remember when raising African violets is that they like the same temperature as people do. If you keep your home at seventy degrees during the day and lower the thermostat to sixty at night, your plants will be happy. Any hotter or cooler, and it tends to stunt their growth.
 They love soil that is loose, porous, and drains well. Look for a specific African violet potting mix, which has better drainage and more acidity than regular houseplant potting soil. If your house lacks humidity, choose a soil that is higher in organic matter, which will hold more water and not dry out as quickly. Also, consider your pot: choose plastic pots instead of clay, which lose more water through evaporation. And for the best bloom, keep your plants a bit root-bound.
 A huge consideration for continuous bloom success has to do with the quality of light you provide your plants. Giving your African violets enough—but not too much—light will be your challenge. Generally speaking, a location with bright, indirect light from a south- or east-facing window is best. Turn your pots a quarter rotation weekly and they will grown evenly and retain their symmetrical rosette form. A good way to test the intensity of the light your plants are receiving is by putting your hand between the plant and the window with the back of your hand toward the light. If the light casts a shadow but your hand doesn’t feel hot, you’re headed in the right direction.

Water. One of the most important things you can do to ensure your African violets stay healthy and continue to bloom with profusion is to learn how and when to water them. Develop a timeline in which the plants are watered thoroughly and allowed to dry out a bit in between. African violets are particularly susceptible to leaf spotting caused by cold water splashed on the delicate, furry leaves, so be very careful to lift the leaves and water only the soil if you water from the top.
Watering from the bottom in a tray that allows the roots to wick the moisture is the safest method; just be sure to empty the tray so the roots will not become waterlogged. Use only tepid water and mix in a diluted solution of chemically balanced fertilizer such as 20-20-20. Once every six weeks, give your African violets a “flushing” by watering well from the top to flush the fertilizer salts from the soil.
  
   
  
 

   
  
 
   
 
                      
For Additional Information Visit the African Violet Society of North America
www.avsa.org

 

This information is presented by:

 

Connie Taylor

Keller Williams

ConnieTaylor@KW.com

www.AmarilloDreamHomes.com

 

Information is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed.

 

 

Sunday, January 1^st, 2012, the start of a new week and a new year all in one day! Are you one of the estimated 44% that make New Year’s Resolutions? Do you have a plan to make them happen, or will you then become part of the estimated 80% that fail or quit?

 

Here is a list of the Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions:

 

1. Eat healthier

2. Get a better job

3. Spend more time with family and friends

4. Get fit / Work out more

5. Get out of debt

6. Recycle

7. Save money

8. Volunteer

9. Quit smoking

10. Lose weight

 

We must be optimistic if we plan to succeed!  Start preparing now, do some research if you need to on what you need to do to make a plan and outline your steps for your goals.  You should always write them down and make them public.  In our technology world, it is easy to get support and encouragement from others by posting your goals on twitter or facebook.  You may have to start with one at a time.  Remember old habits are hard to break and it can take 20 consecutive days of doing something to make it a habit! 

 

Start today! Prepare for Sunday and surround yourself with positive reinforcement and have things already in place to make it a smooth transition and a successful start! You can always start smaller if you need to, with maybe taking care of the 5 or more email addresses you have that you never consolidated!

 

This information is presented by:

 

Connie Taylor

Keller Williams

ConnieTaylor@KW.com

www.AmarilloDreamHomes.com

 

Information is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed.

 

 

 

 

Are you looking for something to do this weekend in Amarillo Texas?  Spend the evening at Amarillo Botanical Gardens for their second annual Christmas in the Garden. Enjoy caroling from different local groups each night from 6:45 - 7:15 PM. This is a free event with donations appreciated. Take your family on a stroll through the lighted gardens and have a hot beverage. The event is from 6 – 8 PM. Amarillo Botanical Gardens are located at 1400 Streit Drive.  Call them at 352-6513 for more details!

 

www.amarillobotanicalgardens.org

 

This information is presented by:

 

Connie Taylor

Keller Williams

ConnieTaylor@KW.com

www.AmarilloDreamHomes.com

 

Information is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed.

 

 

Yes, thanksgiving is this Thursday! Hopefully you have made plans with family and friends and everyone knows what they are bringing.  We sometimes get absorbed in all the details, we forget something.  The turkey seems to be one of those forgotten items. We buy it early to get our perfect size or we  purchase it just a day or two before the holiday.  Now we have a frozen turkey and it is Wednesday!

 

No fear! If you were prepared, you can thaw it in the refrigerator, at a rate of four pounds a day thawing.  If you were not prepared, you will need to do a cold water thaw. Keep the turkey in the package, thaw in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes and thawing at a rate of 30 minutes per pound.

 

With all the different ways to make your turkey, you may want to have two!  The most popular is the traditional oven roasted or using a table top roaster.  You can also do a variation on that method with the new roasting bags and not having to worry about basting.  Deep frying and smoking are gaining in popularity due to the unique flavor they have and known for their moistness. However you choose, remember 180 degrees is considered a done turkey.  If problems do arise, you always have the Turkey Hotline to call – 1-800-BUTTERBALL.

 

www.butterball.com

 

This information is presented by:

 

Connie Taylor

Keller Williams

ConnieTaylor@KW.com

www.AmarilloDreamHomes.com

 

Information is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed.

 

 

 

 

 

Keller Williams Realty is going green this week.  We hear about it all the time, what are you doing to erase your carbon foot print or just simply put, do you recycle?  Many of the things to make a difference can be costly like, new appliances, new heating and air conditioning units, solar panels, new insulation or even buying an electric car.  We can all make simple changes that we may not have even thought about. 

 

-         Go Vintage! Have you thought about looking in the very back of you closet, or a friend or relatives closet? Take a look at consignment stores or garage sales, be creative!

-         Use a mug when you are at work or take it with you to the coffee shop.

-         Unplug your chargers and small appliances.

-         Turn off the dry cycle on your dish washer.

-         Use cloth napkins.

-         Caulk around your windows while the weather is still nice.

-         Use a toaster oven.

-         Fill up your car when it is cooler. This cuts down on emissions by decreasing the amount of fuel lost to evaporation.

-         Do electronic subscriptions.

-         Recycle your gift wrap and be creative on your wrap and bows!

-         Replace your Christmas lights with LED’s. They use a fraction of the energy as conventional bulbs and are cool to the touch.

 

Sometimes we just need to think about how we can reduce our use and how we can be creative and reuse something in another way. National Green week is February 6-10, 2012 and Earth Day is April 22, 2012. Pick a week during this time and mark it on your calendar and have your whole family be involved in making some changes. Small changes can make a difference and you can always plant a tree!

 

www.thedailygreen.com

 

This information is presented by:

 

Connie Taylor

Keller Williams

ConnieTaylor@KW.com

www.AmarilloDreamHomes.com

 

Information is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed.

 

 

Everybody’s concerned about saving the planet today. After all, this is the only one we have to live. At least, today and the next half of a century we’re sure of that –Earth is the only planet for human kind.

As the tide of ecological alertness sweeps on to mankind, building owners pitch in to save Mother Nature by attempting to make their structure LEED certified.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is granted to a building if it passes the LEED Green Building Rating System. The building is rated in four levels - LEED Certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold, and LEED Platinum.

Austin, Texas, has been the first to call for LEED certification in the United States. Dallas follows the Texas’ capital’s lead by issuing a resolution that all buildings owned by the city government should be at least LEED Silver – certified. Frisco also goes green by using requiring LEED certification on all commercial projects.

Just last year, the Greater Texas Foundation designed something that has never been done before – the first LEED Gold – certified building. The completed structure, also one of the first LEED buildings, is in Bryan, Texas.


Connie Taylor
Realtor
Keller Williams Realty
Office: 806-457-4810
Cell: 806-236-1370
www.AmarilloDreamHomes.com

Wild fires have caused a lot damages in Texas, burning almost 4,000,000 acres of land this year as recorded in the Incident Information System.

Last week, the Texas Forest Service has been reported to have answered to over 100 fires including the 19 incidents yesterday which burnt 1,099 acres.

The wild fires have torched vast areas of land in the counties of Bastrop, Cass, Marion, Gregg and Palo Pinto. The disaster did not only leave charred trees and trails of ashes in several areas of Texas, but it also burned down a thousand homes and killed two in the county of Bastrop, and almost set twenty homes on fire in the county of Upshur, and a gas plant in Gregg county.

In Magnolia, main roads were closes as firefighters battled the fire. Residents helplessly watched the smoke rose, burning down properties and the forest.

Reports say that officials have declared that the fire near the state’s capital, Austin, is the most destructive among the 180 fires that have torched Texas.

In response to this disaster, Red Cross has provided a shelter for people and pets. The team also has mental health specialists to keep everyone calm after the catastrophe.

The fires did not only cause stress and worried the people who have lost their homes in the fire but also had the state firefighters worried about the winds picking up, damaging some more of Texas.

This information is presented by:

Connie Taylor
Keller Williams
ConnieTaylor@KW.com
www.AmarilloDreamHomes.com

Information is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed.

On the REBAC Hotsheet this week, an interesting tip list from Intersections Inc. on how to avoid having your important paperwork and numbers get into the wrong hands. This got me to searching for more helpful tips for all, and HireAHelper.com has a blog about good Moving Advice on how to avoid being the victim of any type of theft, including ID theft.

Moving is stressful enough, as is selling or buying your home. Taking steps before the end rush will help you and your family avoid having to deal with theft and ID theft!

This information is presented by:

Connie Taylor
Keller Williams
ConnieTaylor@KW.com
www.AmarilloDreamHomes.com

Information is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed.

With the long weekend ahead of us, I thought I’d do a quick post of July 4^th Trivia! You can be sure that these facts will be interesting tidbits to pepper your conversations with this weekend! May yours be fun filled and safe!

http://www.chiff.com/a/fun-facts-fourth.htm – This list is trivia about the current celebration of the 4^th, like who exports the most beef in the US (Texas), how many times have patriotic names (53 altogether), and other neat facts.

http://www.oldeducator.com/july4factsandtrivia.htm – This is trivia about more the history of the 4^th, such as who all signed the Declaration of Independence, American flag etiquette, and a lot more interesting history.

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/fourth-of-july/printable/26546.html – For those with 4^th to 8^th graders, this is an excellent document tailored to that age group so they can impress all your relatives and friends with their knowledge!

Not trivia, but for a fun, quick, and delicious treat this weekend, go check out the Red, White, and Blue Chocolate Covered Strawberries!

This information is presented by:

Connie Taylor
Keller Williams
ConnieTaylor@KW.com
www.AmarilloDreamHomes.com

Information is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed.