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.

SUNDAY, JULY 03, 2011

San Antonio Area Fourth Of July Events

SAN ANTONIO AREA FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS

Schertz 4th Of July Jubilee - July 1-4 @ Pickrell Park, Schertz

www.schertz.com/?page_id=2284

July 4th Arts & Crafts Show - July 1-4 on the Riverwalk www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com

Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus - July 1-4 in the Alamo Dome www.alamodome.com

Annual Freedom Fiesta - July 2 @ Central Park in Downtown Seguin www.freedomfiesta.com

4th of July Jazz Explosion - July 2 100 @ W. Houston, 21st Floor of Frost Bank Tower www.cooljazzforever.com

4th of July Celebration - July 2-4 in the Market Square www.marketsquaresa.com

Seaworld 4th of July Fireworks Picnic - July 2-4 @ Seaworld www.seaworld.com

Lights of Liberty - July 3-4 @ Six Flags Fiesta Texas www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas

Summerfest San Marcos Celebration - July 4 in San Marcos Plaza, 232 W. CM Allen Pkwy www.summerfestsanmarcos.com

4th of July Celebration at Woodlawn Park - July 4 Woodlawn Lake Park www.saparksfoundation.org/fourth_of_july.html

Looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home? Visit us at http://sanantoniohomequest.com

Posted by Randy Kelley at 12:13 PM 0 comments Links to this post  
Labels: It's happening in Bulverde this weekend, Randolph AFB And Fort Sam Houston Living, San Antonio Real Estate, What's Happening In San Antonio This Weekend
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7 June 2011 Grilling On The Lot For The San Antonio Children's Shelter

If you're in north San Antonio in the area of 1102 East Sonterra Blvd around noon on Tuesday, 7 June 2011, you're invited to a cool event on a hot day.

It's GRILLING ON THE LOT, a charitable event for San Antonio's Children Shelter.

For a reasonable price you'll enjoy the best brisket lunch under the sun and have the opportunity to buy a yummy homemade desert prepared by a member of Keller Williams Legacy's stellar realty services team. Proceeds go to the Children's Shelter.

Enjoy our YouTube Flyer for this year's event and video of last year's grilling great time.



This year promises to be even better. See you there!

SanAntonioHomeQuest.com
Realty Solutions Team
Randy & Stephanie Kelley
Realtors®
Keller Williams Legacy
(800) 201-9145
(210) 867-8743 (Stephanie)
(210) 863-2661 (Randy) Visit Our Blogs At:

http://www.trulia.com/blog/stephanie_kelley/

sanantoniorealestate.blogspot.com/

AirForcePCS.com

Texas Home Girl Report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Value of a Greenbelt

MacMillan online dictionary describes a greenbelt as an area of land around large cities where no buildings are allowed in order to protect the countryside.

Another definition that I like calls it an area of undeveloped land around a residential area created by covenant, deed restriction, or city zoning with the intention of preserving the open space and natural environment.

Here in San Antonio, for real estate purposes we have a lot description called "GREENBELT".  I think that sometimes that description is rather loosely interpreted and what some folks consider greenbelt may not exactly fall into ANY of the categories listed above.  What you can pretty much guarantee is that there is some undeveloped or unused land behind or adjacent to the home that is being offered for sale.

There are currently 36 properties listed as backing to greenbelt in the area where I live and specialize.  Now this is a huge area and we do have some wonderful parks with walking and riding trails, some river authority owned property , some flood plains, some golf courses, and even some power lines. All of the above can fall into the greenbelt category, so it is a good idea to have a good look at the pictures of your real estate if you are looking online or even better idea to have your agent take a look for you.  I just looked at the pictures of all 36 of these properties. I KNOW these houses and I KNOW these neighborhoods.  Some greenbelts are absolutely fabulous!   Some,  not so much.

My house backs to property that I think belongs to the golf course.  It may be owned by the River Authority because there is a part of the 500 year flood plain running through it, but it makes no difference to me.  It is my own personal "BACK 40".  It's a rough area of the golf course, far enough away from the fairways and greens to make it appealing, because we don't like golf balls hitting the back of the house. My next door neighbor has a path through to the course.   Our greenbelt affords views of the wildlife, and we have a great place to walk the dogs.   We can encroach with a sacrificial garden that feeds only the deer and rabbits.  (The one thing they don't eat is parsley)

TAAD  (Texas  Association of Appraisal Districts) gives appraisers "wiggle room" when it comes to value for views, but I can't find anything that discusses a distinct value for greenbelts. My experience has been that a buyer will usually pay much more if the greenbelt is a nature preserve or golf course, a little more if it is a drainage easement, and less for an electrical easement if there are power lines involved.  So, I guess the value can be compared to  beauty and all considered in the eye of the beholder.  Or you can ask those that own property adjacent to the greenbelt.  Greenbelts afford privacy and spitting room that is hard to come by in urban areas.  Go on, ask someone who lives near one. They will tell you . . . it's priceless. 

The Resta Fiesta

I can't believe it is almost over!  We've had so much fun and there has been something for everybody!  The San Antonio Home Girl took a little time off from showing houses and went to the Witte to see all the beautiful trains . . . the kind on the back of dresses, not the choo-choo kind. There were trains from before I was even born! Some looked like flappers from the roaring 20's and some were more like Miss America in the 1960's, and some even resembled stained glass windows in churches, but they were all gorgeous.  There were mariachis and of course Mexican food to be eaten in a courtyard.  The sun was shining and the weather was perfect. 

Check out the video from "A Taste of New Orleans".  The dancing was almost a flash mob!  We  do know how to have fun in San Antonio.  This event has some of the best jazz around during Fiesta.

 Today was the Battle of Flowers parade, and tomorrow you will find the home girl at my favorite event, the King William Fair and Parade.  You can use the link to make sure you don't miss anything . . . just two more days.



IT'S FIESTA FINALE TIME

Saturday April 16 8am - 12pm

Fiesta Pooch Parade - Alamo Heights Swimming Pool, 250 Viesca

Saturday April 16 10am - 12pm

King William Fair and Parade - King William Historic District

Saturday April 16 7:45pm - 11pm

Fiesta Flambeau Parade - Downtown

Want to know more?  Go to http://www.fiesta-sa.org/

Outside Schooling!

Think back to elementary school, and to those early spring days when the sun was shining, the flowers were beginning to bloom and the trees were turning green.  It was just NOT a good time to be in the classroom. 

In the spring a young kid's mind turns to thoughts of . . . . FIELD TRIP! 

This week San Antonio Home Girl got to join the kids at a local elementary (An exemplary school) on a field trip to Live Oak Park.  I haven't had so much fun since I was in elementary school. 

The kids and I got to meet June, the cow.  The nice dairy farmer who transported her there explained that 1 farmer feeds about 100 people in the U.S.  He taught the kids a little about nutrition, a little about technology( they got to see the milking machine in action), and gracefully handled the inevitable question about where the baby cows come out.  Ah, spring!

Next the nice folks from SAWS (San Antonio Water System) provided a presentation in which the third grade class that I was accompanying "built" a water system.  They had to learn to inspect the pipes, budget, and build a water system to carry water from a well (bucket) to the city ( another bucket) . It was an engineering marvel!  Playing in water is always fun on a warm day, but it was also educational, the children loved it and they learned a valuable lesson in preparation and teamwork.  I was truly impressed. 

 There were other activities and the kids settled under a shady tree for lunch before boarding the buses back to school. 

This is just one of many excellent schools in the San Antonio area.   I was so happy to be a part of this day and I know many parents and grand parents who would enjoy the same opportunity.  If you want to learn more about the schools in and around San Antonio  you can enter a street address at : Great Schools Report to get a report for nearby schools or you can click on the links provided below for several of the Independent School districts.

• Judson I.S.D.
• North East Independent School District
• Schertz Cibolo Independent School District
• Northside Independent School District
• Comal Independent School District

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.

Check out our  real estate blog @ sanantoniorealestate.blogspot.com