Top 3 Free Things You Can Do to Sell Your Home

Do you ever watch "Hoarders" on TV?  I think it comes on HGTV.  I'm not sure why it would be on that network, but it serves as an inspiration for those of us that fall into the "almost hoarder" category. 

When folks are thinking about listing their homes for sale, some of  my colleagues are able to convince their listers to hire a stager, rent furniture and spend lots of money, while my clients tend to want to hang on to their hard earned money and spend as little as possible. My job is to figure it out, give them a list of what they can do at little or no cost and get it sold for the most money in the least amount of time possible. 

Placing a home on the market instantly changes its status from home to product.  Think about buying a new dress or even a new car.  A new dress that's missing a button or has a dirt spot or a ripped hem will be discounted by the merchant or it will never sell.  A car with dings or dirty carpet will not sell for full price.  It just doesn't happen.  So why do people think that they can get top dollar for their home when it is cluttered and even worse dirty and in a sad state?

My top three things you can do if you seriously have no money to invest in prepping your home for sale involve the 3 C's.  Clutter, Cut and Clean.

1.  Your first step should be to de-CLUTTER.  Seriously.  Hoarders - get rid of your junk.  Less is more and yes, that does include your garage.  Breaking up is hard to do, but If you haven't used it in 6 months, you probably don't need it. Buyers will open drawers and closets and refrigerators. They will see your clutter and the accompanying dirt.  That clutter could cost you a few coins when they bring an offer.  You should be able to walk around the furniture on easy paths in the living, sleeping and dining areas.

 Minimize the decorative items.  Kitchen counters should be cleaned and all but 3 functional items removed.  Maybe a toaster, a coffee pot and your knives will be enough for most except for the very largest kitchens.  Buyers will want to see the countertops. 

Bathrooms follow the same rule.  Flush the toilet (yep, some sellers don't) and put the lid down.

Remove shampoo bottles , soaps, lotions  bathtub toys and just about everything.  Minimize and put what you absolutely must have under the sink or grouped in a decorative basket or box. Simplify!

The same rules apply for the dresser, armoires and any furniture with a horizontal surface anywhere in the house.

 Remove any religious, political and personal pictures and decor.  Fair housing laws require that agents show the home to any and all protected classes, but that does not prevent a prospective buyer from discriminating when comparing your property with others.

Think about all the time for fun activities when you don't have to spend time cleaning and dusting all your chachkies (also know as bric-a-brac), not to mention how quickly you can be ready for an unexpected last minute showing.

2.  CUT the grass! That means mow the lawn. Water the grass and at a minimum rake the mulch, trim the shrubbery and pull the weeds.  If your city has a brush site like we do in San Antonio, you can get free mulch.  If the raking was not enought to "dress up the place", add the mulch.  If possible a dark color will make the yard "pop".  Red mulch is better than no mulch, but probably not the best choice.  When it comes to nature, think of the colors we really see in nature.  Flowers are nice, but to add them will cost money so that will be addressed in another blog.  This article is all about what you can do for FREE!

3. CLEAN If your house is really clean, you won't  need to cover up with candles that "smell good", or baking cookies or bread before someone comes over for a look-see.  Clean is clean.  That means wash the baseboards and walls, wipe the switch plates, move the couch and clean underneath.  Dust the ceiling fans and make sure the lightbulbs are all working.

 Windows should sparkle.  (There is a recipe for sparkly windows in a previous blog.)  You can take the screens off the windows in the front of the house for additional sparkle. Keep them in one spot in the attic, basement or garage, so the inspector doesn't give you a ding for not having screens. 

If your window treatments(curtains and drapes)  are dated, faded, or  torn, just take them down.  Leave the privacy treatments such as blinds or shutters, but make sure they are clean and in good repair.  If your curtains or drapes are stylish and you plan to leave them with the house, just make sure they are washed and pressed, or cleaned.  Drapes and furniture absorb odors, so if they are not clean, the house will not smell fresh. 

Vacuum and clean carpet. All of that decluttering that you did earlier will help make this job alot easier.  Be sure to check what I call the "gray edge" that I have seen in many houses that will develop along the edges of carpet on staircases or in corners.  It comes from an accumulation of dust over time. If the carpet is badly stained, the sad news is that the remedy for this condition is not free.  Offering a carpet allowances may help, but you only get one chance to make that first impression.

Setting out a bowl of vinegar overnight will help to remove lingering odors.  Be sure to get rid of the bowl before you have a showing! If the weather is accomodating, open the windows and "air the house".  Hanging pillows and throws on the fence to soak up some sun will improve the level of freshness when you bring them back in the house.

One more note - I mentioned first impressions.  The first thing a potential buyer sees is the walkway up to the entrance and the front door. They are standing there looking around while the agent accesses your property or while you come to the door.  The door, porch, any light fixtures  should be sparkling clean and in good repair. Remove any damaged or faded door mats, make sure the porch is swept and hosed off before any showing.  People should feel welcome when they come to your door.  Remove any personalized signs.  You want them to think of it as their own home.  

Of course the most important thing to consider is pricing your home appropriately.  With the help of your agent, you can consider comparable properties and their condition.  There are many other things to do to make your home "sellable".  Unless you are planning to discount the property, the home should be in good condition. 

These "FREE" suggestions are what I consider to be the most important and can be done without taking funds from your account.  Please let me know if you have more ideas, or if I can answer any questions about selling your property.

I am Stephanie Kelley, Realtor® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions about San Antonio real estate or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call me at or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail me at swkrealtor@aol.com Our experienced Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs. Visit me at http://SanAntonioHomeQuest.com

Boosting your Home Value in the New Year

Time for the procrastination to be over - It's already mid January and I haven't even gotten back on my new year diet and exercise program yet!

Its been a long time since I posted.  Fun flies when you are having time, and I just didn't take the time to continue on my posts after about the middle of last year.  My weight loss program, some traveling and yes, even real estate took precedence over the blog and for that, dear readers,  I apologize.

Its the new year and this year will be even bigger and better than the last.  (The last was actually pretty good, and I am still about 16 pounds lighter than I was in 2012). I plan a better blog schedule to keep you informed on fun stuff, and real estate developments  around San Antonio, my weight loss ideas and encouragement, and of course how to improve your Texas home if you are thinking of selling, renting or just improving for your own enjoyment, 

As super bowl rapidly approaches, folks begin to think not only about football, but about moving.  Maybe they just need more wall space for a bigger screen TV or better entertainment areas or a major life change, but thoughts of a new living space for the new year just seem to happen, particularly in an improving economy.  Here from a recent HomeGain.com survey are 5 low cost ideas to improve your homes value without breaking the bank.

1. Clean and de-clutter     The average cost is $290. with a $1,990 increase for a 586%  ROI
2. Lightening and brightening The average cost is $375 with a $1,550 price increase for a $313% ROI
3. Home staging  The average cost is $550 with a $2,194 price increase for a 299% ROI
4. Landscaping  The average cost is $540 with a $1,932 price increase for a 258% ROI
5. Repairing electrical or plumbing  The average cost is $535 with a $1,505 price increase for a $181% ROI

If you are planning to sell, you should at a minimum do #1.  People don't want to buy other peoples dirt and all of that clutter makes it almost impossible to see the good features of a property.  Besides that, its just good feng shui to get rid of the junk and simply your life in the new year, even if you don't plan to sell.  It's the reason the container store runs the Elfa shelving system on sale every January. 


For more information, check out the homegain.com website or call me!  Real Estate is always local, and prices for improvements may vary.  Any repairs or improvements that you can do yourself will save you money in the long run, provided you can do those repairs in a safe environment and provided that the results are professional in their appearance.  Consult with you real estate professional before beginning any projects. 

I am Stephanie Kelley, Realtor® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions about San Antonio real estate or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call me at or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail me at swkrealtor@aol.com Our experienced Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs. Visit me at http://SanAntonioHomeQuest.com

Better Life in 2012? Weight and See!

It's the second week of 2012 and this time I really am sticking to my number #1 resolution to lose a few pounds.  

You probably already know that losing a few pounds is one of the most common resolutions.  Did you know that January 9 is the most common day that people give up on thir resolutions?  Well, the Home Girl is no quitter, and the only kind of loser I want to be is "The Biggest", so I am steadily hanging in there.

There are all kinds of articles, websites and blogs offering helpful hints on how to best lose weight.  My favorite this year is Myfitnesspal.com.  It's available as an app for your smart phone, your I-Pad or your Mac or PC.  ITS FREE! I  also like it because it makes you accountable for what goes into your mouth and it has almost every item I could think about eating and almost every (chain) restaurant's menu items and nutritional content listed in it's data base, so I don't have to spend a lot of time researching nutritional information and recording it in my data base.  I was very pleased when I pulled up HEB southwest spicy black bean soup and was able to find that in the data base.  Wow! a specific "generic" brand from my favorite grocery store.  Truly amazing.  Reports show that people who journal their diet lose twice as much weight as those who don't.  This app makes it easy to journal not only what you eat, but also tracks your exercise and your progress, and has the ability to invite friends to join in with you on the weight loss quest.   The home girl (along with thousands of other people ) gives this app 5 stars!

Another incentive that is inspiring me was initiated by Shane Tokheim at Alamo Title Company.  He invited just about every real estate agent and related business workers to join in our own Biggest Loser Contest.  This is not to be confused with the one on TV.  He gathered a group of 17 women and I think about 12 men who contributed to a pool to see who could lose the largest percentage of their body weight.  Sometimes it is just being surrounded, supported, challenged by and competing (all at the same time) with my peers that gives me the initiative to work out, cut calories and get healthy. 

A couple of co-workers stopped by the morning and offered their advice on what the do to succeed in the never ending "Battle of the Bulge".  Besides "Just Do It", a couple more I Phone apps that help are Run keeper and Map my run.  I am using my Garmin Forerunner watch and heart monitor, which tracks not only my milage, but my time and heart rate and syncs to the computer.

Being healthy will help with every aspect of my life.  Losing a few pounds (or more) won't hurt. Lighter Realtors move faster & have more energy.  Love that - "move faster".  That's what most of my clients want - a faster move - HA!  I work in a business that can truly zap your youth and vitality if you let it.  Easting healthy, exercise and holding myself accountable should help give me the energy to do not only the physical but the mental gymanistics to help my clients successfully.  Sounds like a win-win!   You are cordially invited to join me in my quest.  Sign up for myfitnesspal and "friend me".

If you have any apps , suggestions or comments, please leave them at this site.  If you just want to follow the home girl and see if I succeed or fail, click on follow me.    I will keep you posted!

Need more help ?  Top Rated Gyms and Fitness Centers in San Antonio

Velocity Sports

Bella Women's Fitness

YMCA of Greater San Antonio

Gold's Gym - 9 Locations in San Antonio

Lifetime Fitness - 2 Locations in San Antonio

Spectrum - 10 Locations in San Antonio

I am Stephanie Kelley, Realtor® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions about San Antonio real estate or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call me at or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail me at swkrealtor@aol.com Our experienced Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs. Visit me at http://SanAntonioHomeQuest.com

Texas Home Buyer Two Steps Around Her Agent

A friend stopped by the Home Girl's office yesterday. She was terribly upset because a client that she had worked with for over a decade was terminating their agency agreement.

It's painful to be fired. Ask any number of the currently unemployed who have been terminated or laid off due to downsizing and the lousy economy. Sometimes the termination is justifiable because of the employee's actions or non-actions, and sometimes not so much.

But no matter the cause, the sick feeling in the pit of the stomach is right there, a tight, nauseating knot that lasts for days. Even when the the termination makes sense, it hurts.

In the private sector, employees are paid for their services. In fact, if an employee is not paid for work performed, then a complaint can be filed for theft of services. Governor Perry signed SB 1024 eliminating a loophole that previously existed for a criminal theft of service charge. Under prior law, a party obtaining services from another under a promise to pay could avoid a criminal charge of theft of service so long as the party was making minimal payments. Read more here: http://bit.ly/qYuWSJ

My colleague did not have such recourse. The buyer felt that she had "found" her home without assistance.

• She failed to take into consideration the hours that were spent setting up searches using specific criteria requested by the buyer.
•  She did not take into consideration the number of homes that had already been shown to her.
• There was no accounting for time spent researching property values in communities in which she had expressed an interest.
• No mention was made for reimbursement of travel or gas expenses.

This is just a partial list. This buyer just didn't understand or care what her friend and agent was doing on her behalf, spending considerable time (and time is money) and concentrated effort.

This agent is sharp. Had the buyer mentioned that she was not finding her desired home, that her needs had changed, then the search would have been tweaked and more homes may have been available. There was a signed buyer agency agreement and an established relationship of many years.

Instead of communicating her wishes to her agent, the buyer called ANOTHER agent to show her a property. Kind of like a first date with somebody when you are married to somebody else. I guess the showing agent didn't ask the right questions (are you working with an agent?), had no ethics, or the buyer answered, "not really".

When I receive a sign call and ask "are you working with an agent" and the potential buyer answers "not really" , I usually cringe and then proceed to lose the lead by saying something intelligent like,
 " Seriously?, What does that mean? Not really. Do you or do you not have an agent?".

These questions are not an effort to be lazy, to not show my own listings, but are used as an effort to be ethical, to respect the efforts that another agent has invested into his or her client, and to avoid the confusion caused by an existing buyer's agency agreement versus the procuring cause argument that will probably be offered by the agent that showed the one property that my friends client "found".

As Realtors, we have an obligation to be ethical. Customers are under no obligation to share in that responsibility, but clients have signed an agreement to be loyal. It just seems to me that you got to dance with who brung ya, and if you don't want that, then break up before the dance begins.



Post script.  I was able to visit with my colleague today to see how things were going.  It turns out that she did have a conversation with the "new" buyers' agent.  The agent did ask the questions, but the answer was the usual - not really, not a signed agreement. ( I guess the buyer forgot  - hmmm)   The new agent has offered to pay a referral to my colleague.  I don't really think this is a win-win.  I am happy that my friend is getting a little compensation.  My opinion of her former client is not so great, slightly better of the other agent, but now I am the one with a sick feeling in my stomach and I don't feel like dancing with anybody.

Home Preparation Tips Inspired by HGTV's House Hunters

The home girl loves HGTV's House Hunter! I don't really consider it to be entertainment.  At least for me, the show is more like "home" work. I try to guess which home the buyer is going to select, using the keen skills that I have developed over the years, watching their reactions, their body language, what they say and more importantly, what they don't say about each property.

JUST KIDDING.

This show is so staged that it's fairly predictable, and let's face it, most buyers are not professionally trained actors.

This episode that I watched this morning was focused on a soon to be married couple buying in the Richmond, Va. area in the $200,000 ish price range. The real estate agent did a great job of finding suitable properties close to the price range for this couple, although I don't think the editors/producers/writers of the show encouraged or allowed her to offer very much advice to the buyers.

What I loved about this particular show was the predictability of the choice the buyers were going to make. The buyers' final choice was to exceed their budget and buy a newly constructed home. Seller's should watch this to see what they are up against when trying to sell a home in a buyer's market.

One buyer remarked in both resale homes that the carpet was nasty, and that she couldn't stand nasty carpet. My TV is HD and it really didn't look THAT bad, but I must admit you could see a few dirty spots, so it probably wasn't in pristine condition. It's just hard to compete with new. 

She made a comment in one home about a cheap plastic door. It appeared to be a type of sliding door between a hall and living area,  probably set up for temporary privacy for an office or other purpose. It could have been easily replaced. It's just hard for weird and temporary appearing to compete with new. 

You can follow the show here:  Richmond Mom

The outcome of the buyers' decision could have been so different if the sellers in either of the previously owned homes had taken the initiative to properly prepare their homes for sale.  There were missing or burned out light bulbs, missing chandeliers, dirty and stained carpet, outdated countertops in addition to non-curable problems such as dangerous dogs next door and a three story drop from the deck. 

The non curables can be cured with the difference in price, but the real objection coming from the buyer seemed to be the dirty carpet, the cheap door and the missing tub in the master suite.  All of the previously mentioned items,  even a remodel for the tub and the cost of a new refrigerator would probably be less expensive after negotiations than the cost of new construction. 

In a buyers market, or really in any market, sellers should stage their homes to compete with new consruction, price to deal with non curables and prep their homes to show at their absolute best. 

There are plenty of ideas on how to stage your home to sell.  I can't find any that are as detailed as I would like for them to be, so I am writing a detailed check list on how to prep your home for sale.  You can get all the information by following this blog.  Just watch for it!

FIRST TIME BUYERS

Don't miss out on an opportunity to be on HGTV.  They are coming to San Antonio!  Learn more by reading Randy's blog:  http://sanantoniorealestate.blogspot.com/  We are giving an additional bonus if they select one of our buyers.  Check it out!  Hurry!

I am Stephanie Kelley, Realtor® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas.  If you have questions about San Antonio real estate or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call me at or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail me at swkrealtor@aol.com

Our experienced Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs. Visit me at please call me at or (210) 867-8743, Visit me at http://sanantoniohomequest.com or follow my blog at TexasHomeGirl.blogspot.com

San Antonio Parade of Homes 2011

The Home Girl went to the Parade of Homes this morning! 

Every year the Greater San Antonio Builders Association puts on a show featuring the biggest, brightest and best homes, decorating, landscaping, pools, outdoor kitchens, outstanding craftsmanship, awe inspiring designs and ooh la la  that they have to offer. 

And OOH LA LA, it was!  They sparkled and shimmered with contemporary features. Silver metallic, or textured faux paint finishes added drama and elegance.   Beaded chandeliers were in abundance.  In most any home, the lighting fixtures were refreshingly different from those we have seen in Parades past.  There were sparkling glass accessories and lighted onyx sinks .There were crystal knobs on cabinet doors.  Glass tiles, marble flooring, marble, granite, Silestone, or under lit honey onyx counters could be found almost anywhere you looked.  It is truly amazing what a million or so will do!

There were outdoor living spaces so grand that you would never want to go inside.  One home even had disappearing glass walls that actually opened to the outdoor living areas, literally bringing the outside in.  Or the inside out, I'm not really sure, but it was quite nice and one of my  favorites. 

All of the houses but one had pools.  Two had fire and water features which kind of made me think of the fifth element.  High on the hill, we had wind, some of the most expensive earth in San Antonio,  fire, the negative edged pool had a gas line just beneath the negative edge so you saw a line of fire just above the edge.  It took my breath away! The other pool had a water fall flowing over an outdoor fireplace. I guess the fifth element would be a buyer for any of these homes.  I would be happy to assist and can be reached at http://SanAntonioHomeQuest.com  :-)

With most of the homes in the million dollar and up range, that I nor most of my clients would be able to afford the extreme luxury that was shown at the parade of homes.  What it does for us is open us up to new ideas, style changes and the opportunity to pick the minds of some of the best builders in the business. 

The Parade of Homes will be running through Sunday, September 11, 2011
For More Information: Schedule, Ticket Information and Map



I am Stephanie Kelley, Realtor® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions about San Antonio real estate or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call me at or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail me at swkrealtor@aol.com  Our experienced Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs. Visit me at http://sanantoniohomequest.com .

Hot Time, Not Cooking and Screaming at Goliath

It's hot. This is a major understatement this year in south Texas. It's really hot. I am ceasing to count the days over 100 degrees and instead counting the meager number of days that have blessedly slipped to under 3 digits.

I am hot, too. Not in the popular conversational movie star icon sense, nor in the more appropriate menopausal grandmother Hot flashy sense, but in the raging, screaming, "Falling Down", or even networky, "I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take it any more" , hot around the collar kind of sense.

Last January, I updated my kitchen, a few light fixtures, and the flooring in my house. The decorator that I hired was competent and chosen mainly because I didn't want to deal with the inevitable hassles and problems that can occur during remodeling. Even though she is doing her best to help with what should be a minor issue, I can't help but feeling a little like David battling Goliath. I need a bigger rock, a stronger slingshot or at least a better strategy.

My minor issue is the oven. I cook good! I mean really good. Well is probably better gramatically, but I still mean good. Randy's eyes would roll around and he made yummy faces when I prepared something from our old oven. This NEW Jenn Air oven does not cook good. In fact, it does not cook a frozen pizza without burning the bottom. I spent forty bucks on cheese cake ingredients for the bake sale for the children's shelter and tried to make my famous blackberry cheese cake.  (I got the recipe from Texas Monthly - click link). I could not bring myself to sell that cracked up mess at the bake sale. It would have been far too embarrassing.

I knew there was something wrong with the NEW oven fairly early on, but thought that I just needed to get used to it. After about a month of trying to adapt, a call went out to Jenn Air. The response was that it needed calibration, and we had to do that ourselves before the service people would come out.

We calibrated it ourselves. It was 40 degrees off. The other problem was that it was not consistently 40 degrees off. Randy is accustomed to field expedience, ( military experience) and I just tend to make do with whatever is handy, so we wrangled up the thermometer that we use for cooking the turkey at Christmas, and have been using that to judge temperature on our  NEW hi tech, computerized, state of the art Jenn Air oven.

OK, I know that you can get a lemon with anything, and that most anything can be repaired, and with all the surveys and customer service and good will going on, this excellent product, backed by a very excellent company is sure to be repaired, lickety split. Right?

Wrong. Sometime, probably in late April or May, Jenn Air sent out technicians from General Services. They were nice young men, very polite, usually not extremely punctual, but always called to let me know if they had a flat tire, death in the family , or excuse du jour for why I was the appointment that had to be moved to 7:30 or 8:00 on Friday evening, or better yet why my Friday appointment had to be moved to Saturday. Poor things. I think they were over booked. They couldn't seem to get the right replacement parts, plus they broke my cooking stones when they turned the oven over. We even thought at one time they had discontinued a part for a brand new model oven, but found out later that was just a boo boo. Whew!ALTHOUGH IT REALLY DOESN 'T MATTER BECAUSE IT STILL DOESN'T WORK!
Jenn Air was obviously beginning to have doubts about General Service, because they scheduled another service company, South Texas to check out my oven and confirm if it was really irreparable.  The gentleman from South Tex said "No Problemo" and expedited the order for 3 parts to hopefully be here before I left for vacation on the 13th of July. 

Needless to say, the parts never materialized and while I was sunning by the pool on July 25th, I got a call from Jenn Air in Cleveland, Tennessee (so thankful they were calling from the USA) who in their infinite wisdom scheduled the nice, but ineffectual folks from General Services and the relative newcomers from South Texas Appliance to show up at the same time.  What Fun!  At least in my mind.  I envisioned something like a repair showdown, sort of between the "Showdown at the OK corral meets Hell's Kitchen". 

I am still waiting for a replacement for my cooking stone. The nice folks from General Services came for their scheduled appointment - a 4th or 5th visit to my house on Friday, July 29. For the second time, they deem the NEW oven to be irreparable. The representative from South Texas called and gets kind of whacked out because the competing company is here and will not come.  I am so disappointed.  No showdown.  THE NEW OVEN STILL DOESN'T WORK. 

It is now August 3,  we have been through vacation, have waited for a set appointment because South Texas has 1  of 3 parts  in.  They know that this part (which has already been replaced once - it's a mother board.  Is this second one a step mother board?)   will repair my oven that General Service has already deemed irreparable.  Yesterday, I literrally screamed at the supervisor when they didn't show up for a scheduled appointment and their excuse was that I did not call them back to confirm within 5 minutes.   I banged my head on the wall.  I acted like a real baby.  I shook.  Randy took my blood pressure. I did not want these people and their step mother board in my house.  All I wanted to do was pelt them with the pieces of the cooking  stone that the other service company had broken. 

It was a long afternoon and a longer night.  I was up at 2:30 a.m. watching Little Miss Sunshine and then Law and Order re runs because I was so bothered by my own behavior and because I had allowed a minor inconvenience, the 7 months long delay of the repair of a hi tech, computerized, lemon glazed oven and the absolutely horrible customer service.

I didn't pick  either of these service companies. When the people finally show up, they are personable, polite and seem to be knowledgeable, even though the problem is still not corrected.  The crux of MY problem is not only that my NEW oven doesn't work right, but the gatekeepers, appointment makers and schedulers who have been trained to "understand", don't really understand at all.  They don't understand how frustrating it is for a cooker who loves to cook to do without for 7 months, to not be able to perform a community service, to not be able to enjoy cooking with grandchildren and family.  I have missed cooking for: Easter, Numerous Birthday Cakes ( I do have a huge family) Red, White and Blue Cakes for 4th of July,Children's Shelter Bake Sale, Ham Biscuits to take on Vacation, I nearly blew the run Cake for Jason's grooms cake and I have really just been making do with my turkey thermometer.  Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  I think the appointment makers are reading off a script.  I don't think they understand or care for that matter.  An unhappy customer is just a kink in the works, a minor annoyance.  I want to find a piece of my cooking stone and pelt them with it. 
After my emotional explosion, Randy called, rescheduled the appointment. Of course now it was another day later before we could be worked into their busy, busy schedule.  He was told that our appointment time was between 8 & 1.  We MUST answer our phone to confirm that we are here for our scheduled appointement, because they will not come out if we do not answer and if for ANY reason we are on another line, we'd better call back in less than 5 minutes or they will have to reschedule. 

South Texas showed up today.  They called at 12:56.  So at least they were punctual - they had 4 minutes to spare.  They brought the step-mother board.  They did not bring anything to make sure the oven is callibrated. I guess we have to do that ourselves.  The frozen pizza from lunch nearly burned.  The Jenn Air is label is peeling off the oven.  I think it wants to escape.  I am still not happy.  I don't think I will be happy.  I feel like David just got peed on by Goliath and I still can't find my stones with which to hit him. 

July San Antonio Realty Market Report

The second week in July is typically San Antonio's realty market yearly high point. Many pending sales will close within the next 30 days. Uncommitted buyers with school age children must rush to find the right home in order to able to close on their purchase or at least be under a binding contract before school starts.

Many factors are converging to make this year’s San Antonio's realty market interesting.

The local economy is strong, population growth is high and, after being relatively flat for many months, home values in most neighborhoods are gradually rising. Home sellers have responded accordingly as evidenced by a gradual upward creep in the asking price for homes for sale.

Buyer response has been fair to good so far, especially for moderately to lower priced homes and for luxury grade housing. 

It is difficult to reach conclusions as to the long term market trends, but, in the short term, it's clear San Antonio's current home sales market parallels last year’s relatively tepid market.  Basically, it’s not unhealthy, but significantly less than vibrant.

For those who love stats, here are the key indicators for San Antonio's single family detached home listings as of 8 July 2011.

There are 12,094 active listings, compared to 12,891 one year ago. The inventory is slowly decreasing. That's a good sign for home sellers.

The average sales price for the most recent closings is $193,883, compared to last year's $190,763. The increase in average sales price, although small, is another good sign for sellers.

Average cumulative-days-on-the-market (CDOM) for the most recent sales is 133 compared to 122 last year. In 2010, CDOM dropped fast during the Federal Tax credit home buying frenzy, then rose quickly when that program expired. It remains to be seen if cumulative market time will improve, but a slight downward trend is possible in the short term. For the time being, CDOM da ta is positive for San Antonio home buyers.

Industry analysts see these data as reflecting a housing market drifting toward balanced conditions.  That means the market neither favors buyers nor sellers.

That's all for our July 2011 San Antonio realty market report. We encourage reader comments and recommendations about how to make our reports more informative and useful.

What's Cookin' at Legacy ??

I have something yummy in my car!  I'm sitting at my desk thinking about it. 

Most marketeers know that a way to a Realtors heart (and clients) is through their stomach. . . or something to that effect.  So, they feed us.  When we are not selling houses we get to go to coffees and lunches and dinners,  to great buffets and grand openings and even networking events.  All provide  great food and munchies.  They wine us and dine us.  It's a marvelous life for an agent/foodie.

Now if that were not enough, most agents also like to cook.  I mean, if home is where the heart is and the heart of the home is the kitchen. . . . I think I mean that you will find lots of agents in the kitchen, cooking their little hearts out when they are not out working with a client. 

With that thought in mind, the agents at my office (Keller Williams, Legacy) conceived a great opportunity to share our love for food with our clients, and give the proceeds to The Children's Shelter.  We would create our own cookbook! 

This morning, feeling very Paula Deen and inspired by Guy Fieri,  I made my very first vlog/cooking show.   First,  I selected the 1 dish Easy Cobbler Recipe provided by JJ Arida .  The recipe can be found in the KW, Legacy cookbook, and it's a piece of cake to make! Ha!  Watch the video - it took less than 5 minutes to throw together and cooks in 45.   It smells absolutely heavenly and I can't wait to try it. 

If you come by the Keller Williams, Legacy office on Sonterra, you can have a bite.  Oh, you can get a cookbook, too.  They are $11.00 and the proceeds to go to The Children's Shelter.  If you are not in San Antonio, let me know if you want a cookbook and we can make arrangements to get you one.  I apolgize for not being able to get you a bite of the cobbler, but I'm sure that will all be gone this afternoon. 

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® , sanantoniohomequest.com
at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas.

Contact us at (210) 863-2661 for Randy,

or (210) 867-8763 for Stephanie,

or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com, or kelleybus@aol.com,

 Our broker is Steven Gragg at (210) 482-3200.

I don't think I'm dead, but you can have the money anyway

I am a Realtor.  When not showing, selling and marketing houses, I am cleaning out the junk box on my email.  Hundreds and thousands of emails seem to accumulate there and I guess I am not smart enough or just haven't figured out how to delete them in a more efficient manner.  My husband/partner tells me to set up my inbound privacy settings better and I will - in my spare time.  In the mean time, I pretty much just delete, delete, delete ( kind of to the tune of The William Tell Overture). Occasionally, just out of curiosity I will open a piece of SPAM from some very creative writers. I get about a dozen or so of these a week and I really haven't looked at any in a long, long time.   Today, I opened this and I know that the people in the office next door must have KNOWN I had finally lost my mind because I was in here, all by myself rolling on the floor laughing. Feel free to respond to any of the emails they listed below - maybe you can be lucky enough to be on their mailing/reading list too. 

Courtesy of Pastor David Garry of who knows where?

"ARE YOU ALIVE??

Attention,

I am Pastor David Garry, General manager of Eco Bank , this note was taken in my office where i was serving verification documents to the White men Mr Albert Evans and Mr Mark James  who stormed my office with the black man,Sam udo claimed to be your representative and they said that you were dead and before your death, you appointed them as the next of kin to your contract fund presently under our custody these two white men and the black gentleman quickly applied that your Inherited fund should be presented to them at the spot.

Please be informed that any silent to this massage means that you were dead, therefore we highly need your urgent response for more confirmation that you are not the one that appointed them to come and claim the fund on your behalf, but we will not hesitate to continue the payment transmission to them if no response comes from you.

Contact Address as follows;

Name of Manager;Pastor David Garry.

Email: ( mr-davidgarry@hotmail.com <mailto:mr-davidgarry@hotmail.com> )

Awaiting for your response immediately and call me once you reply,but your silence will be a clear indication that you authorized them to effect the above claims.

Regards,

Pastor David Garry.

<mailto:mr-davidgarry@hotmail.com> "

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley and Missy McBee, Realtors® , sanantoniohomequest.com at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas.

Contact us at (210) 863-2661 for Randy,

or (210) 867-8763 for Stephanie,

or (210) 288-9810 (se habla español) for Missy,

or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com, or kelleybus@aol.com, or missymcbee@kw.com (se habla español).

 Our broker is Steven Gragg at (210) 482-3200.

Your SanAntonioHomeQuest.com  Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with all your home buying or selling needs.