Butterflies are Free! - 02/28/10 11:37 PM
But the rest of the stuff, you have to pay for!
OK, there are some other great freebies as well:
 

 
It has been a beautiful day today.  The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the new leaves were starting to unfurl in the maple tree overlooking the canyon and the baby foliage on the roses is a bright burgundy.
I think that it's going to be a wonderful week!
… (1 comments)

Is Your Realtor Hiding? - 02/28/10 07:27 PM
Not a week passes when we don't receive a call from a Prospective Buyer wanting property information about a home that we have listed in San Anotnio Texas. 
We usually chat for a few minutes about the home, then we ask:
"Do you already have an agent helping you?" 
We receive some amusing responses:
"Yes,"
But I can't reach them My cousin (brother, cousin, monkey's uncle, etc), will write the offer My agent is out of town My agent is too busy to help me First, we explain how we work in a one-on-one relationship with our clients; much like a … (5 comments)

Ducks in the Park - 02/27/10 10:55 PM
It's the end of a long day, so I thought I might share with our friends a photos of where I WISH that I had been able to spend my day on a warm Saturday afternoon
- maybe relaxing on a blanket, sipping some wine and having a picnic with Steve. 
Maybe next week...

So, did your Saturday live up to it's potential? I hope that it did!
 
--Sara
 
… (8 comments)

Deliverance By Daylight? - 02/27/10 10:38 PM
Can you hear the banjos right now? 
It's amazing how one little element can really trash up the effect of a home.
Do you think that this feature brings up or brings down the perception of the quality and condition of any home?

 
Please consider:
Is there one element or feature of your home that you just KNOW needs improvement?
How much would it cost to remedy that deficiency?
 
Then ask yourself:  How much less will a Buyer offer you when they see the condition/quality of this item?
Is that the same number that your … (2 comments)

Stop and Smell the Flowers - 02/24/10 10:46 PM
This has been a busy business week and it's been wonderful.
Some very unusual (for San Antonio, Texas), but tiny snow flurries on Tuesday kept people at home and allowed my Buyer to have a little more time to consider the purchase of a new dream home for their family.  That made all of the frozen toes worthwhile.
But the frosty weather did make me think about our last visit to the Cayman Islands (usually, real estate conferences and seminars are located in Cleveland in the winter...), where even the trees are covered with beautiful, tropical flowers that perfume the … (13 comments)

833 Garden Meadow, Universal City (San Antonio metro area), Texas 78148 is SOLD! - 02/23/10 11:18 PM
… (1 comments)

Quiet Day at Sea... - 02/21/10 10:14 AM
We have missed chatting with all of out blog friends this week while we've been out of town at Mandatory Continuing Education. It's been great and we are ready to leap back in and show homes to Buyers on Monday. Our showings are scheduled, start and luncheon locations have been selected and we'll be ready to go; Except for one potential problem: Unfortunately, we're now trapped in the floating city (Voyager of the Seas), as the Port of Galveston is completely fogged in! Who knows how long we'll be here? To up the irony factor, of the agents who show for … (5 comments)

Buyer Optimism Returns to the Market! - 02/16/10 10:46 PM
This evening, Steve and I are at a large hotel. We are doing our Mandatory Continuing Education. Despite the scintillating class that we attended today on Legal and Ethical issues, Steve is tired and hanging out in our room.
Being the independent woman that I am, I head off to listen to some music and have a glass of champagne. While standing at the elevator bank with a fellow traveling gal, I meet a young man, about 12 years old and all of four-foot-two, wearing a suit and tie.
He pauses in front of me - I assume to ask directions, … (7 comments)

2008/2009 San Antonio Report and 2010 Projections - 02/14/10 09:57 AM
As the saying goes, "there's GOOD news and there's BAD news".  Let's get the "BAD" news out of the way first: The San Antonio market has started to reflect some of the national trends.  Hold it!  Not ALL of the national trends, and not NEARLY as "BAD". 
2008 Sales were 17,137 homes, vs 2009 sales of 16,887, a DECREASE of 1.5% (not bad)
The Average Sales price for 2008 was $183,989; for 2009 it was $177,710 DOWN 3.5%
Average Days on the Market went UP 23% to 131We have to add that in the neighborhoods we primarily list and sell homes … (1 comments)

Almost Spring - Wordless Wednesday - 02/10/10 11:14 PM
Despite glacial (40 degree days here ARE considered near-freezing in this part of Texas), temperatures today in San Antonio.  You can see it coming in the faint greening of the grass and the hint of new leaves in the trees.
Spring is headed our way here in San Antonio!

Soon there will be birds tweeting, crocuses blooming and fuzzy ducklings paddling.  I can't wait!
 
--Sara
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Speechless Sunday - Dreaming in the Treetops - 02/07/10 11:00 PM
This weekend, I took a walk and saw some gorgeous trees. 
I took a few minutes to fantasize about laying beneath them and looking up into the canopy. 
I love to look at the trees.  Their trunks and limbs are so architectural and then their are the leaves and the way that the sunlight dances on them at different times of the day - and that light continuously changes from day to day and season to season.

It never fails to bring me joy.
 
--Sara
 
… (5 comments)