What is Keller Williams Realty RED DAY? "RED Day", an acronym for Renew, Energize and Donate, is a company wide effort dedicated to improving our local communities.  Keller Williams associates across the US and Canada will engage in a coordinated effort to donate one day projects, related to renewing and energizing aspects of their local communities on May 14, 2009. Keller Williams Realty Northeast will be in Galveston, Texas to "Paint the town RED" on May 14th.  Keller Williams will be painting in Galveston to help residents and businesses put on a new face after the devastation of Hurricane Ike.   Keller Williams Realty Northeast will be supporting the group Help4Galveston. For more information on how you can help Galveston County repair, restore and rebuild visit Help4Galveston.  Inf... 05/05/2009

Ryson Real Estate has recently grown our business to include long term property management and apartment locating. This helps give us a full service real estate operation. We have sales, leasing, vacation rentals, and locating. We can help a client move from one service to the next seamlessly. We look forward to growing our property management in and around Galveston Texas!   Galveston apartments Galveston apartment locator   04/22/2009

Some say that the reason the Texas Legislature put in place the Deceptive Trade Practices Act (Chapter 17 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code), was to give attorneys an opportunity to sue for big bucks, win big settlements, and pack their pockets with big legal fees.  Maybe so. One thing that the DTPA brought was that it completely wiped out caveat emptor ("let the buyer beware") and replaced it with caveat vendor ("let the seller beware").  And along with it came the inability for either or both parties to waive the rights given them under the DPTA. In 1995, the Texas Legislature amended the statute so that now consumers CAN waive their rights under the statute.  However, "The consumer-buyer must possess equal bargaining power with the seller, and be represented by legal counsel no... 04/18/2009

Roy Hall (Prudential Gary Greene) and Michelle Hatmaker (HatmakerGroup.com GMAC Real Estate) celebrating Mardi Gras Galveston 2009!   Last night, Galveston came out in true Mardi Gras style with another fun-filled weekend of festivities and merriment.  I was a little "unsure" of exactly what this weekend would bring.  Mardi Gras is always a "hit" in our town.  The question was what kind of "hit" would it be this year???  Would we see happy, energized crowds of people ready to celebrate our success and survival...or, would the event show lack of attendance bringing yet another loss to our community.  As most locals know, Galvestonians can be a a little on the rowdy, scrappy side when tough times call for tough measures.  But, they can also be a dedicated, profoundly generous and fun bun... 02/22/2009

Ponticello is one of Galveston's newest, and most recently developed waterfront communities.  Located on Teichman Point, visitors entering the Island get a first-hand view of the intimate, gated neighborhood just off the southwest side of the new Galveston Causeway.  Noted as a popular fishing spot, the area also boasts some of the most beautiful sunsets on the Island.  Picturesque views of sailboats, power boats, and other watercraft are a daily site from Ponticello, as are the cool Gulf breezes.  Directly north, the new palm-lined Galveston Gateway is breathtaking!  Boaters living in Ponticello have easy access to Galveston Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Intracoastal Waterway.  Additionally, Ponticello's prime location brings homeowners close to the I-45 corridor, as well as the re... 02/22/2009

Mardi Gras Galveston, officially started today, February 13, and will run through February 24th.  Twelve days of fun and entertainment, beginning in 1867 it's in its 98th season.  Located at the Historic Strand District.  There will be numerous events and activities going on and the first big event since Hurricane Ike. More than 250,000 people are expected to attend, so expect crowds.  Not all of the resturants are open yet. For more information click on this link. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________  Cindy Bryant is the owner of Redesign Etc. Home Staging & Redesign Specialist in Houston, Staging Your House To Sell By Professional Home Stagers! Our goal is to get your home sold for top dollar in the most cost effective wa... 02/13/2009

My hometown is Galveston, Texas.  It's on a barrier island just off of the Great State of Texas.  I've not lived there in more than three years, but I still remain homesick.   Galveston, with some frequency, is hit by hurricanes.  The one that everyone talked about until 2008 was the famous 1900 Storm that did huge damage and killed at least 6,000 citizens.  But Galveston recovered and handled storm after storm unil September 2008...almost to the day 108 years after the 1900 Storm came ashore.   That's when Hurricane Ike struck.  Even in spite of the long concrete seawall that Galveston installed after the 1900 Storm, a seawall that was supposed to protect the city from 1900 Storm-style devastation, it caused such damage that if Galveston recovers at all, it will take years and billions... 01/10/2009

I can't help but think of this story every year during the Christmas-New Year Holidays, and I always have this burning desire to share it.  It took place just before New Year's Eve in about 1960. ++++++++++ Gigs for Italian singers had been terrible for a long time. But then out of nowhere came "That's Amore," "Mel Blu di Pinto di Blue," and "Al di La." And things got very good for them. And that's when Macino Rapuchi, with his Sam Maceo-esque billing, "the International Continental Stylist," hit Galveston with his guitar and accordion, and found his way to headline at the Studio Lounge upstairs over the Turf Grill at 2214 Market Street.  That very spot had headlined Peggy Lee, Myron Cohen, Sinatra, Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy, and a host of others; that is as long as the casino abo... 12/30/2008

There is a new historical pictorial titled:Galveston: A City on Stilts (General History: Texas) by Jodi Wright-Gidley and Jennifer Marines (Paperback - Oct 13, 2008)It is primarily a selection of photos taken by a professional photographer named Zeva B. Edworthy, who lived in the city for about eleven years after the famous 1900 Storm.The photos were inadvertently found by his daughter, Judith Wray. She had stored them along with other of her mother's possessions after her mother's estate was settled some years ago. When she found them recently, she donated them to the Galveston County Historical Museum. Galveston:  A City on Stilts was a Christmas present from my lifelong friends, Victor and Judy Damiani.  Those of you who have read my book, Bill Cherry's Galveston Memories or read my ... 12/26/2008

The phone lines are going in early next week and the sheet rock starts mid next week! The office is coming along. The roof is being completed this week!! Its been a long time coming, but with the new office and the extra space we need more REALTORS. So, we have taken on 2 new agents this week. We hope to get them posting on Active rain ASAP. Azalea has been selling Bayou Vista for years and is very successful. Erin was working as an appraiser and knows his values! We will keep you posted on the progress, but we still have 3 office spaces to fill!!   12/19/2008

            Unlike 108 years later when Hurricane Ike struck, Galveston was in a stark raving fiscal and financial mess when the 1900 Storm hit the island on Sunday, September 9, 1900.               That on top of that the 1900 Storm killed at least 6,000 of the island's residents.             There were many heroes who rose to the challenge when most of the surviving residents decided to rebuild the island rather than to just leave behind ravishes of the storm and to move elsewhere.             One person you rarely hear of or read about was Edmund R. Cheesborough.  He was the secretary-treasurer of the Texas Portland Cement and Lime Co., and of another company that developed all of what is now known as Galveston's Victorian Silk Stocking District.             Prior to the 1900 Storm, ... 12/04/2008

For the last eight years, every Thanksgiving I have shared this extraordinary recipe.  (If you're not interested in how I obtained it, scroll down now to the recipe. ) It's the perfect solution to left over Thanksgiving turkey.  And just so you'll know, from time-to-time when Patty and I are planning a dinner party, our guests who have been served Turkey Mornay before, will ask that it be the entree.     THE TURF GRILL'S FAMOUS TURKEY MORNAY (Serves 4) Dallas Realtor Bill Cherry 214 503-8563 THE STORY  For years and years, after I left Galveston for college, I frequently thought about the Turf Grill's Turkey Mornay.  It cost about seventy-five cents back in the late '50s.  After a movie at the State or Martini, taking your date for the first time to the Turf for Turkey Mornay was the su... 11/29/2008

This large banner is not hanging from the gallery of an Episcopal Church.  It's hanging on the front porch of one of Galveston's famous 19th Century Victorian homes, a private home that has survived many hurricanes.  And it came through one more time as Hurricane Ike totally ravaged more than fifty percent of the homes, businesses, schools and hospitals on Galveston Island.  Many residents -- some educated estimates are one-third of the population -- have left and promised not to return. Interestingly, the home in this picture is the private residence of The Reverend Ronald D. Pogue, D.Min., who is the pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church, a church that is over 150 years old.  A church that was one of the very first congregations established when Galveston was first settled in the 1830s.... 11/27/2008

I thought you might find this bit of sociology interesting and worth pondering. At Thanksgiving in 2000 the book I had written comprised of historical stories about Galveston, Texas was published.  It was a trade paperback -- that means a regular hard cover book-size paperback -- and it sold for $19.95. Over the following years, amazingly literally thousands have sold.  I had told the publisher when they first approached me that I doubted more than 500 would sell, and I advised him not to print many more than that.  Instead, the first printing was 5,000 and there has been a second printing but I am unsure of how many thousand were in that printing. Nevertheless, since Hurricane Ike hit the island, apparently there has been a re-surging interest in my book by the public.  Add to that tha... 11/21/2008

We spent the day yesterday working on our new office and the building it is in. The 61st st plaza had seen better days after the storm pushed debris in the parking lot, plastered mud on the walls, and ruined the flower beds. The office is not owned by us but the older gentleman who owns it has had some major losses in the storm. So, because it is our store front we decided to pressure wash the building, rip off the old signage, sweep the parking lot, and clean the flower beds. We also cleaned the windows and the inside of the office (which still has ripped out sheet rock, dust everywhere , and stuff left from the chiropractor. Needless to say the place looks 10x better and is really starting to feel like ours. We will keep working on the unit this week and have our phone guy in later. 11/19/2008

The world is aware that Galveston Island suffered extreme damage when Hurricane Ike came through in early September.  This disaster for the Island is only exceeded by the famous 1900 Storm that everyone has heard about, and more recently read about in the book Isaac's Storm.  What the world doesn't seem to know is that help from the outside -- FEMA, state sources...even the insurance companies who sold policies to property owners --- is in total slow motion.  In fact, so slow that I'm one of those who's wondering if it hasn't just stopped. It is axiomatic that towns that slip on the banana peel of natural disaster suffer tremendous loss, pain and exasperation.  No matter the size of their savings, the amount of insurance, the number of friends willing to pitch in and help, without dedi... 11/14/2008

UPDATE:  Two songs from Kathryn's new CD, SOMEWHERE IN TIME, broke the magic 100 mark on the IAC (Independent Artist Charts), with "When October Goes" up to Number 17 and "The Boy From Ipanema" has risen to the 70's  so far! Dick Robinson's "American Standards by the Sea" syndicated radio/tv program has also been featuring a tune from "Somewhere in Time" in his broadcasts. ****** When she was just beginning in college in the mid-60s, she found herself wanting to perform as a vocal soloist.  I had just gotten off of the road as a pianist playing hotel restaurants across America, so I gave her some pointers and helped her negotiate her first full-time gig. Time past, we both did other things.  Kathryn ended up in the east, married and with a real executive position.  And then her husband,... 11/13/2008

   The San Luis Resort is THE top resort on Galveston Island. It has more features and amenities than most towns. Not to mention, the beach views of this high rise are to die for. So what can you get for 300,000 to 1 million? Almost anything. The list would include concierge service, valet parking, shopping, the best bar on the island, the best steakhouse on the island, multiple waterfalls, pools, private outdoor cabanas, water-slides, wedding gazebo, hele-pad, private beach view balcony, private parking, and much more. The bar/sushi bar called H2O is a place that should not be missed while visiting Galveston. It has a swim up bar with large flat screen TV's, intimate lounges, fire pits, a top sushi chef named Kenny Sato, and very friendly service. The other draw of the San Luis resort... 11/12/2008

Diamond Beach Galveston will rival any condo resort anywhere. It will be the modern San Luis and have many must have luxury features and amenities. The condos start at $500/sqft and are already over 50% sold out. The units are currently under construction and had no problem surviving hurricane IKE. The completed condos will have valet parking, concierge service, bar, conference center, Spa, private beach, and much more! It will be a great vacation rental and may offer in-house vacation rental services. Don't miss Diamond Beach Galveston!     for more information on Galveston real estate please visit our website! 11/11/2008

Ocean Grove Condos are a new addition to Galveston's famous Seawall. These condos are located at 9420 Seawall BLVD. The large Green complex is like something you might see more in Florida than Texas. Ocean Grove condos feature a loft like feel, Granite everywhere, updated light fixtures, storm doors and windows, and much more. Outside the units you will find many must have amenities including gated parking, pool, workout facility, and glass elevators showing off a private nature preserve. With the beach right across the street and entertainment within walking distance- what's not to love about Ocean Grove.   for more information on Galveston real estate please visit our website! 11/11/2008