misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Please remember our troops this holiday season - how to send them a flat rate package!! - 11/26/08 09:46 PM
I posted this last year but I think it is so important I am going to re-post it with some modifications.
Last year the first thing I talked about in the post was the email that goes around saying to send a Christmas card to Walter Reed and I'm going to … (35 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Websites about "Buying, Selling and Renting Stuff"!! - 11/10/08 09:08 AM
I'm continuing on with my series on the 100 websites PC World recommended. Well kind of; this is my version so I am adding and deleting because I can.
These websites are about buying, selling and renting stuff.
http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites This was the first site on PC Magazines buying list and I have … (38 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Websites about "Learning Stuff"!! - 11/08/08 01:02 AM
In the current issue of PC World they give a section on 100 useful web sites. I found some of these to be really interesting. I am slowly visiting them and I am forwarding my favorites on.
This is going to be a series and the first are websites about Learning Stuff. I … (60 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Why I drive with a hand's free blue tooth head set in Texas!! - 10/18/08 11:28 AM
Why I drive with a hand's free blue tooth head set in Texas!! I have been driving with a hand's free head set for years. I have to admit I'm to the point of feeling like I'm not wearing a seat belt when I drive holding a phone to my … (38 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: The Pink Ribbon Tour to promote awareness of breast cancer; wear your pink Oct. 25th, 26th and 27th!! - 10/10/08 10:24 AM
The Pink Ribbon Tour to promote awareness of breast cancer; wear your pink Oct. 25th, 26th and 27th!!I recently went to visit my daughter in New York City. My sister flew in from Colorado and we planned a girl's weekend. It was great timing as I flew in on September 17th … (51 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: "Did you really mean to schedule to show my home during a hurricane?" - 08/05/08 05:49 PM
"Did you really mean to schedule to show my home during a hurricane?" Centralized Showing Service called me back with that question yesterday when I was scheduling appointments for today. I told them to let the seller know that if the weather got where it was not safe I would call and cancel … (44 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Battle Hymn of the Republic - Two Renditons! - 07/04/08 09:44 AM
Battle Hymn of the Republic - Two Renditons!
I had a friend send me a link to a rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. It was so INCREDIBLE that I wanted to pass it on. The arrangement is sung by 4 public high school choirs and an elementary school … (16 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Flag Day June 14th - a little history!! - 06/10/08 07:54 PM
Flag Day June 14th - a little history!!
Last year I pulled up a wonderful article about Flag Day but I pulled it up on the actual Flag Day. I put the article in a folder to write about it this year. Amazingly I remembered!
Flay Day is celebrated on June … (38 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: 2008 Memorial Day Meme, the after party continues - 05/30/08 02:29 PM
I was recently meme'd by Rebecca Levinson. In looking at the history of this meme it was started by Mary McKnight on her RSS Pieces and then at some point skipped over to Active Rain. I'm not usually crazy about writing a meme but this one was kind of fun as … (38 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: A Mother's Day Surprise!! - 05/10/08 11:19 PM
A Mother's Day Surprise!!
I flew in to Colorado and surprised my Mother for Mother's Day. I came up with the idea a few weeks ago when she tried to talk me in to coming in and surprising my sister for her birthday. I decided to turn the tables and come … (72 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johson - A Gem small and valuable! - 04/27/08 11:56 PM
I have a friend whose husband is also in sells and he has been using what she thinks is an expensive advertising campaign that no longer works. She told me that she had told him that his cheese had moved. I was intrigued by that comment and have wanted to read "Who Moved My Cheese" ever since. … (39 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: North Houston Networking Eliminators walk for Cancer at Northwest Houston relay for life! - 04/21/08 06:33 PM
North Houston Networking Eliminators walk for Cancer at Northwest Houston relay for life! The North Houston Networking Eliminators walked for Cancer at the Northwest Houston Cancer relay Friday night April 18, 2008. The North Houston Networking eliminators happen to be the North Houston Networking Group; a business and professional organization designed … (16 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: The ABC's of Stress Relief! - 04/01/08 02:30 PM
The ABC's of Stress Relief!Kathy Wortham RMT was a speaker at my networking group speaking on the ABC's of stress. Kathy is a massage therapist and her business is called Hands with a Heart. Needless to say she sees lots of people who are dealing with stress. For me March was … (48 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: St. Patrick's Day Parade photos in NW Houston TX - 03/18/08 12:13 AM
The NW Houston 1960 Parade was Sunday and I went to watch and took some photos. Northwest Houston has a very festive parade with music, many floats of every kind where they throw beads to the croud along with candy, St Patrick's Day hats and other St Patrick's Day trinkets.
Here are some … (22 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Party animals social mixer in Houston TX - 03/16/08 01:23 PM
Party Animals is a new dog friendly social mixer series at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center. They are hosting The Mutt Strutt on April 5th from 3-5 pm at Memorial Park. (Weather permitting)
Dogs on leashes and their owners are invited to come out and enjoy music, refreshments (poochie punch) and … (9 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: The Houston Rockets 21 game (in a row!) winning streak! - 03/16/08 11:30 AM
The Houston Rockets has had 21 wins in a row! They have won 30 of the last 33 games, jumping from the number 10 spot to tie for 1st in just two months.
Today they play the LA Lakers in L.A. and I hope this winning streak continues for the Houston … (16 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Life's litte twist and turns - our children in Kuwait on the same day! - 03/11/08 04:10 PM
This post really does not have anything to do with real estate it is more about life's little twist and turns. Today March 11, 2008 I find that I have both of my children in Kuwait. We moved here 11 years ago and this was the week we closed on our … (25 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: If I had my life to live over I would burn the pink candle! - 03/08/08 10:00 PM
At the first of the year a dear neighbor found out that she had terminal pancreatic cancer and I just found out this morning that she passed away. I am writing this post in memory of my friend Charlene; my friend, neighbor, and bunko partner (we were usually going for the most losses.) When … (66 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: My unique, Spring Texas birds were such a mystery! - 03/08/08 01:27 AM
Recently I started getting the prettiest birds in my birdfeeder and was so excited about this. Soon, they told all their friends and I had so many pretty birds that they were lining up and some were waiting in the tree outside my window and the bougainvillea right next to my … (34 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: We spring our clocks forward March 9th - I'm so glad my furry friend can't tell time. - 03/03/08 04:22 PM
It is almost time to spring forward. This Sunday March 9th is the date for us to spring our clocks forward 1 hour. The main purpose of daylight saving is to make better use of our daylight hours. I know there has been some opposition about the change as it interrupts … (21 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: A campaign to thank our veterans - 02/29/08 11:19 PM
I want to share this Campaign to Thank our Veterans. This is a crussade to show appreciation for all our soldiers and veterans. They give so much for us, we can give back in this small way. This sign means "Thank you from the bottom or my heart." Sometimes we just … (24 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: The 2008 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo - 02/17/08 05:55 PM
The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo annual event will be held March 3rd - 22nd, 2008. Houston is home to the world's largest and richest rodeo. During February and March Houston is known as the cowboy capital of the world. It is nothing to be driving around any area of the … (28 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Before you put your house on the market - Part 2 - 02/14/08 11:40 PM
This is a continuation of my first post on listing your home, titled "Before you put your house on the market-first steps."
There are some key market factors in selling your home. People often ask," How long will it take to sell my home." There is not an easy answer-some homes … (16 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Kings Mill Subdivision , Kingwood, TX - 02/10/08 03:03 AM
… (16 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Monster Jam at Reliant Center - 02/03/08 03:22 PM
Monster Jam was at the Reliant Center last night (Feb. 2, 2008) and as always it was entertaining for everyone! There was much excitement when Spring, Texas' own Daron Basl w/El Matador was in the semi finals with Pablo w/Gravedigger. The hard charging Daron Basl was even with Gravedigger when after the … (12 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Before you put your house on the market-first initial steps! - 02/03/08 01:58 AM
Your house could sell faster and at a higher price if it shows well! Potential buyers will get the best impression if your house is clean, light, airy, uncluttered, neat & in good shape-after all, the first impression is usually the only impression.
Most of us think our homes are in fine shape, … (28 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: What's happening at the Barbara Bush Library - 01/27/08 07:02 PM
There is always something happening at the Barbara Bush @ Cypress Creek Library! They have story time for small children ages 3-6 years. People of all ages can benefit from the vast amount of books, videos, magazines they have.
This library is offering an Adult Microsoft class where you an learn … (13 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Most Positive Experience - My Active Rain Testimonial - One year in the Rain! - 01/27/08 05:36 PM
First off I want to thank Active Rain and everyone who has contributed to its inception for providing this wonderful free blogging venue for us. I know that I would not be to the point I am today in blogging if not for them. I still have not figured out where … (68 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Lessons from the Lion King - 01/22/08 07:20 PM
I just got back from my New York City trip. As I told in a previous post we had a Mother/Daughter weekend in New York City going to see the Lion King on Broadway. I have always loved the story of the Lion King. I remember seeing it with my children … (35 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: A Mother/Daughter trip to New York City! - 01/16/08 11:22 AM
A Mother/Daughter trip to New York City!I am getting ready to take a trip to NYC this weekend with one of my friends and her almost 13 year old daughter. We will be staying with my almost 26 year old daughter in Kew Garden in Queens. My friend wanted to do … (29 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Getting organized by Stephanie Winston - a book review! - 12/31/07 10:53 PM
Getting organized by Stephanie Winston - a book review!I have had several books that have inspired my sales career over the years. I have written about a couple of them. See you at the Top by Zig Zieglar and The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz. I read both of … (33 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Merry Christmas REALTORS - 12/16/07 06:15 PM
Merry Christmas REALTORSI love real estate but sometimes there are some ups and downs. I could so relate to the attached video; I expect you will be able to also. I wish I knew who to give credit to. The email I received it from was a local agent in the Houston area but the … (30 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Sending flat rate packages to our US troops! - 12/02/07 01:34 PM
I have seen quite a few posts on here about sending Christmas cards to soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital. Joshua Jarvis did some research and found out that the postal service will not accept mail posted that way. He gave a wonderful suggestion about finding a neighbor, co-worker who knew someone … (28 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Lighting of the Doves Festival - 11/15/07 04:35 PM
The 25th Annual Lighting of the Doves Festival, November 17, 2007 is going to be a day of family fun! Santa arrives at the festival at 6:55pm and There will be fireworks at 7:30.
The Lighting of the Doves Festival has 3 stages for the Entertainment of the whole family! The International Stage, The Festival … (22 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Mr. and Mrs. Seller you need to make your home available for showings! - 11/14/07 10:17 AM
Mr. and Mrs. Seller if you are going to all the work to list your house with a Realtor it is extremely important that you go to the extra work of accepting showings when they are called in. I recently had out of town buyers in for one day only. They gave me a … (93 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: The Wind Beneath My Wings - 11/13/07 11:21 PM
The Bette Midler song, "The Wind Beneath My Wings" is the song that my son Ryan picked for the Mother-Son dance at his wedding. It really got to me and I didn't even know what song they had chosen for sure until that night. I could see through blurry eyes, my friends standing there wiping tears from … (41 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: The Greatest Generation - revisiting their battlefield campaigns! - 11/11/07 06:24 PM
I was listening to Laura Ingraham while I was driving Friday. As an honor to Veterans Day she was interviewing Timothy Davis who founded The Greatest Generations Foundation. It is a Denver based non profit that was founded to offer our combat veterans the opportunity to revisit the sites of their battlefield … (47 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Halloween Safety Tips - 10/29/07 09:48 PM
Candy HenthorneResults RealtyEmail Candy 281-413-3076
… (14 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: So, what about MEME! - 10/21/07 09:41 PM
I received a MEME from Mary Warren a couple weeks back and really tried to put this out of my mind! Well, I didn't really know what a MEME was--I called my friend, Marchel and asked her, "What the heck is a MEME?" Well, I was not going to do that! I … (38 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Almost time to Fall Back - Daylight Savings time ends Sunday Nov. 4th - 10/12/07 01:27 PM
Daylight Savings time ends on Sunday Nov 4th at 2:00 AM. I'm curious if I'm the only one that didn't realize that daylight savings time ends a week later than what it use to. I knew it had been extended in the Spring but I guess I missed the part about … (28 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: The foreclosure you are buying may not close on time! - 10/11/07 10:21 PM
There are a lot of foreclosures out there right now and there are some good deals. If you are buying a foreclosure just keep in mind that you might need to be flexible; especially when it comes to getting it closed. I have had several buyers lately that have not closed … (33 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: This is the future!! - 09/18/07 08:01 PM
And we thought Color Television was a great invention! This will soon be available in stores and then to the general public. I can't wait until it is more affordable. This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen.
Perhaps some of you have seen this.
Popular Mechanics is describing and showing us what … (36 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: No bait needed for this kind of Phishing! - 09/10/07 08:45 PM
Phishing is on the increase as criminals are using this technique to create fake, but very real looking e-mails and Web sites to gain our personal information for identity theft. These emails usually "appear" to come from legitimate businesses such as (Wells Fargo, PayPal, eBay, Citibank) and they design them to … (18 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Litter - I don't get it!!! - 08/20/07 03:02 PM
As I have been driving around today I have been noticing the amount of litter on the sides of our roads. I live in Northwest Harris County if I got to the south of where I live it is being maintained by Precinct 4 and they do an okay job. They … (27 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: New Texas law requiring disclosure of fire dection & safety devices! - 08/15/07 10:35 PM
I was reading the Texas Realtor magazine and came across information about a bill that affects all of us that live in the state of Texas. It has to do with fire safety requirements and affects owners, sellers, and landlords of residential property; I would say that is just about everyone. … (8 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz Ph.D - found again! - 08/12/07 09:00 PM
I have been in sales for the last 25 year, the last 10 being in real estate sales. I had a couple of books that I read early on in my sales career that had a big impact. The first one was "See you at the Top by Zig Zieglar" the … (23 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: HAR.com celebrates its 10th year and wins two awards!! - 07/30/07 03:07 PM
The Houston Association of Realtor's website HAR.com is not only celebrating its 10th anniversary but has also won two outstanding website awards by NAR. There were actually five categories of awards; Outstanding Design, Outstanding Education Feature, Outstanding Online Property Search, Outstanding Online Newsletter and Outstanding Member Service Feature. The two 2007 … (5 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Fire ants in Texas!! - 07/01/07 07:59 PM
Fire ants in Texas!!Having moved to Texas from the North I have come to realize that we have some unusual pest in Texas and one of these are fire ants. We moved here a little over 10 years ago and it did not take long for me to be introduced to … (14 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: The Harris County flood maps are being updated on June 18th, 2007. - 06/16/07 09:39 PM
The Harris County flood maps are being updatd on June 18th, 2007 We attended a meeting about TSARP with Jacob Speen from the Harris County Flood control district last week. He discussed with us how the flood maps were done and the effect it would have on the community. TSARP stands … (11 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Marchel's Meme - 06/04/07 10:46 PM
I was meme'd by Danny Smith and first had to go and find out exactly what a meme was. Danny told me there was a meme group and then I found the meme tutorial and alpahabetical index of all memes on Active Rain by Lucky Lang where you can really see the nature … (27 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: 50,000 points and our son back in the United States - 05/28/07 05:18 PM
This post is going to put me over 50,000 points which is way cool but our son getting back to the United States today is even cooler.
Our son has been stationed in Germany as an Intelligence Analyst with the Army for the past two years. One of those years was … (23 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Houston to Austin BP MS 150 Bike tour that was held April 21-22 2007 - 05/13/07 09:55 PM
Houston to Austin BP MS 150 Bike tour that was held April 21-22 2007
My friend Paula Metzler from Tomball TX and her 15 year old son Billy recently finished the Houston to Austin BP MS 150. It is a two day cycling ride from Houston to Austin that raises funds to … (3 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: What happens when your Realtor Associations public home search goes down? - 05/04/07 05:12 PM
We are finding that out in the Houston area right now. On May 2nd a virus threat was identified on the servers that operate the HAR web site and the public HAR was taken off line as well as the agent and company websites. The Houston Association of Realtors has provided … (5 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Do’s and Don’ts when preparing to purchase a home - 04/16/07 10:18 PM
Do's
Do make all your payments on time. Your credit will be checked again right before you close.Do continue saving money. There are always additional expenses once you move and you will be glad for that savings.Do make deposits into your bank account on a regular basis. If you have any unusual … (2 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Book Review - Zig Ziglar's "See you at the Top" - 04/08/07 02:13 PM
One of the books, other than the bible, that has inspired me the most in the last 25 years is Zig Zieglar’s “See you at the top”. I first got in to sales some 25 years ago when our daughter was born. Up to that time I was pursing the field … (7 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Market timing! - 03/18/07 09:35 PM
I just read "What's in" and What's out" with homebuyers in 2007 written by Mark Nash. One of the things he said was in was 'Market Timing. He said that many sellers were on their own timeline in 2006 and missed opportunities by not recognizing the ebbs and flows of the real estate … (0 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: 7626 Winkle Wood Northwest Houston $99,900 - 03/16/07 10:47 PM
… (1 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Pre-approval vs. pre-qualification - 03/14/07 05:28 PM
One of the most common reasons for a real estate transaction to break down before closing is due to the loan not being approved. The buyer thinks that they are approved but the problem is the lender often issues pre-qualification and pre-approval letters based on limited information. The lender pre-qualifies them … (3 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: What is a Municipal Utility District (MUD) - 02/08/07 11:00 PM
When we moved to Texas 10 years ago from another state we had never heard of a MUD district. If you live in Texas, especially the Houston area long it doesn't take long to get acquainted with municipal utility districts. A Municipal Utility District (MUD) is a political entity created under Texas … (2 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Houston Market still very affordable - 02/07/07 09:31 PM
The Houston real estate market continues to be very affordable, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of Realtors. Sales and prices ended 2006 with further strength, capping another record-breaking year for the greater Houston area.
Total property sales for the month of December registered 7,136, which was a 1.1 … (0 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: FREE 411 INFORMATION CALLS - 02/04/07 04:36 PM
<h1>Free 411 Information Calls</h1>Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls. I have just recently learned about a FREE 411 number. I have plugged the number in to my cell phone and now when I need a phone number I call it instead of the information number … (2 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Appraisal Difficulties! - 01/30/07 08:13 PM
Appraisal DifficultiesAppraisal problems can create loan difficulties when selling your house. I had some clients who had found a new house they liked and needed to quickly sell their existing house. I came up with a marketing plan and quickly had two offers. I negotiated the first offer and the prospective … (2 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: What is a Title Committment? - 01/27/07 10:33 PM
What is a Title Committment?Title insurance provides protection against title defects that were unknown to you at the time you purchased the policy.
Before writing a policy, a title company will check for defects in your title by examining public records, including deed, mortgages, wills, divorces, court judgements, tax records, liens, and … (1 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: What to bring to your real estate closing! - 01/26/07 09:45 PM
What to bring to your real estate closingAt this point you will have a clear title commitment and will have completed any inspections etc. you wish to have on the property.
You will be required to pay all fees and closing cost in the form of "guaranteed funds" such as a Cashier's … (4 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Questions to ask your home inspector! - 01/25/07 08:44 PM
Questions to ask your home inspector!Most people only think of one or two questions to ask a home inspector. The most common being "How much is your fee" and "When you can inspect the home". Below I am including a list of additional questions you might ask.
The State of Texas does … (3 comments)
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misc ramblings from a spring tx realtor: Preparing your house to put it on the market - A tale of Two homes! - 01/24/07 08:10 PM
Preparing your house to put it on the market When you are putting your house up for sale there are certain things you can't change. You are going to have to live with your location, the size of your yard, your floor plan, what other homes in your neighborhood are selling for. … (2 comments)
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