Almost Wordless Wednesday - Istanbul Turkey During Spring 2013 we were fortunate enough to get the opportunity to spend a few days in Istanbul, Turkey. I thought of Turkey as recently  I heard there was a travel advisory issued by US State Department stating American Citizens should not travel there due to potential danger. This advisory was issued after the failed military coup.   We had a great time in Turkey and we found the people to be very friendly and most we encountered liked Americans. Fascinating country with so many wonderful sites to see and new things to experience/learn including the call to prayer. Yolanda wishes she had gone back before these recent events took place. We did hire a local tour guide and that was the only way to go in my opinion for numerous reasons.  Turk... 08/03/2016

Fort Bend County TX - Dogs must be on a Leash I have seen and heard about numerous occasions where dogs or pets have not been restrained by a leash in Grand Lakes and in several other local neighborhoods. It is the law in Fort Bend County TX that all pets must be vaccinated for rabies, registered and  restrained in a fenced backyard or on a leash. All Just when they are outside the confines of a fenced back yard. Do not assume you pet is harmless when the pet is being walked in any neighborhood. Use a leash. I cringe every time I see a dog not on a leash while being walked.   If you find any animal roaming around freely in the a neighborhood it is advised to call Fort Bend Animal Control at 281-342-1512. Be very careful approaching any roaming animal as you do not know how they will rea... 08/02/2016

How to Buy and Sell Your Home at the Same Time. Buying a new home is a very emotional experience in itself. When you're a current homeowner moving to a new home, you are most likely going to be trying to sell your current home at the same time. This is never an easy task. Things can get very stressful and confusing, but it's important to keep a level head. There's nothing worse than making a rash and irrational decision, especially when making such a large purchase such as home. Please take time to read the article I have provided the link below which is doing an excellent job of discussing this complicated topic.  As a competent and experienced Realtor plus an Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR®), my goal is to make sure my buyers know all of the information that they need about t... 08/01/2016

What is Hot in Grand Lakes Katy TX July 2016 I decided to discuss Grand Lakes in Katy TX for the What is Hot July ActiveRain Challenge as trying to cover the whole area is not feasible in my opinion. Katy TX is made up a huge geographic area which includes numerous neighborhoods both South and North of Interstate I-10.  The weather in Katy and of course the whole Houston area is always very hot and humid every summer and this type of weather can last through most of October. Below is a picture of our temperature gauge at 12:30 PM today which shows it is already 90.8 degrees and it is very overcast. We went about 8 weeks with no rain already this summer but this has changed in the last 2 weeks. It is always feast or famine when it comes to rain in this area. While summers are oppressive ... 07/31/2016

Hired College Student to Power Wash Driveway and Front Sidewalk I found an ad on www.garndlakeskaty.nextdoor.com written by a colege student who was looking for summer power washing work. There were several comments written by satisfied customers. I sent Bruno a message via this site and he went immediately to my home to complete the quote. He offered in his post to clean a driveway for $90. Flat. This is a good deal for someone like me. He contacted me right away with a quote to to clean the front sidewalk and walkway from our home to the street including the tile on our entry section.  Bruno came today and did a great job as you can see from the before and after pictures below. I asked him to quote me a price to do the backyard patio and gravel around our pool. I asked him to come nex... 07/30/2016

Sales Tax Holiday in Texas.. Friday August 5 - Sunday August 7, 2016 Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar wants all shoppers/consumers to know money can be saved on specific items costing less than $100 during the annual Texas Sales Tax Holiday.  The Sales Tax Holiday begins next Friday August 5 and runs through Sunday August 7, 2016. All of us need to pay close attention to the dates each year as these dates can and do change and have since last year. Some items are exempt from sales tax during this period of time and some are not. Generally most items of clothing, footwear, schools supplies and backpacks all priced at less than $100 per item will be exempt from the normal sales tax. Katy, TX finds folks paying 8.25 % of the total sales prices as sales tax to the state and local governments. ... 07/29/2016

A Taste of Katy Tailgate Event August 2016 The Historic City of Katy is hosting a Taste of Katy Tailgate event on Friday August 13, 2016  in Downtown Old Katy. All Katy residents are invited for an end of summer bash. This event is part of Operation Backpack which is an twelve year old Houston-wide YMCA program. The idea is to collect and distribute backpacks loaded with school supplies to children who are in need of assistance. I think this is a great program and there are many kids even here in Katy let alone in Houston who need this type of help. I have read 42% of Katy ISD students are at risk.  This event will feature food from numerous local restaurants who will be giving out food tasting and serving meals for purchase. There will be live music being performed by local bands. The ... 07/28/2016

Almost Wordless Wednesday - New Family Member Yesterday Yolanda posted about the new grand baby our family was blessed with last Thursday July 21, 2016. I was waiting for her to tell everyone she is now Nonnie. I have mental block about what I should write today for a post. I decided to post some additional photos of Ava June Crew my step-grand daughter. I have not come up with a name she can call me yet as she already has two grandpa’s and I am not sure what they want to be called by her. Any suggestions for me? Be nice!!!  This is the Gilbert/Crew family first born grandchild. Congratulations to Alex and Rebecca as Ava June is a beautiful little girl that all of us will take great pleasure spoiling!! LOL>>    Almost Wordless Wednesday - New Family Member  07/27/2016

Harry Potter Book Release Party at Katy Budget Books Katy Budget Books is hosting a party to celebrate the Release of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts one & Two”. The festivities begin at 10 AM on Saturday July 30, 2016. Attendees will receive a number at the door with presentation  of a purchase receipt for this book.  Starting at Midnight, readers will be called by their number to obtain their new Harry Potter book. There will be games to play such as Quidditch Game , Pin the scarf on Harry Potter plus numerous other fun activities. Dress as a favorite character and enter the special Costume Contest. Parents must accompany their children.  Katy Budget Books is located 2450 Fry Road, Houston, TX 77084.While they have a Houston address folks consider this area part of Katy on ... 07/26/2016

  Home Buyers - A Backyard can Provide Health Benefits Typically a home with a backyard is a highly sought after amenity. This is  especially the case if you have pets, kids, love to entertain and enjoy fresh air. Another benefit you might not be aware of is having a backyard can actually be beneficial to your health as well.  Sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too! Take the time to read the article I have supplied a link to below as it discusses the how a backyard might be a contributing factor towards living a healthy lifestyle. As an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) and professional realtor, I can assist you with finding your perfect home, with all the features you need. I look forward to hearing from and working with you! Why Your Backyard May Be Making You Healthie... 07/25/2016

Almost Speechless Sunday - Date Night at Tango & Malbec We do not go out very often as we like to stay home, drink good wine and have a nice dinner in our own home in Katy TX. Last Saturday July 16, 2016 evening we had date night night and went out for the evening. We went to restaurant in Houston named Tango & Malbec. This is a steakhouse and wine bar which is geared towards Argentine food. The food, wine and surroundings were excellent. If you are looking for a change to your restaurant group you frequent try Tango & Malbec and let me know what you thought! We both had a special 3 course July dinner and the steak was excellent.   Almost Speechless Sunday - Date Night at Tango & Malbec  07/24/2016

Backpack and School Supplies Giveaway in Katy TX.The EmPowerment Center and Destiny Bridge Builders are sponsoring a Back to School Backpack and school supplies giveaway on Saturday August 13, 2016. The first 250 children ages 5 -11 years old with parents will obtain the free of charge backpacks with school supplies.  The EmPowerment Center is a non-denominational church and Destiny Bridges appears to be run by the wife of the pastor at EmPowerment Center. I do not know anything else about these organizations. If your child is in need of a backpack and school supplies this free of charge giveaway maybe an excellent means for your family to obtain needed assistance.  I am always in favor of helping folks who really need assistance and especially for children who need school supplies and ... 07/21/2016

Let’s Clear the Shelter Day at Fort Bend Animal Control Saturday July 23, 2016 is National Let’s Clear the Shelter Day and the Fort Bend Animal Control is celebrating this event by opening its doors from 9 AM till 4 PM. The adoption fees on this day will be very inexpensive as dogs are $10 each and cats are $5 each with vetting services such as spay/neuter, microchip,heartworm test and rabies vaccine included.  Payments can be made by money order or credit card. Last year this shelter had over 50 adoptions on this National Clear the Shelter day. It would be fantastic to have more adoptions this year than last year!  Please consider attending and take home a new family member by adopting a dog or cat who will love you and be very loyal for the rest of their lives.  Special offers and pro... 07/20/2016

Annual Medical Physical Exam for Me | What about Your Physical?   I had my annual physical exam today similar to last year during  May. Some folks might read that sentence and say ‘So what” and ‘Who cares”. My primary reason to write this post as well as in the past years is to encourage someone who is over 40 years old and not planning to get an annual physical to do just that by biting the bullet and getting it done. The exam really is no big deal. Even if you under 40 years old a physical is a good idea as a problem might be uncovered which you had no idea existed and could save your life. Most of my life I have gone to GP’s and typically I would have to have about 2-3 office visits a year with the several different doctors ( over many years) to renew my various prescriptions. Usuall... 07/19/2016

Memorial Hermann Hospital Katy Hosts Stroke Support Group Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital is hosting its monthly Stroke Support Group on Tuesday July 19, 2016. The meeting starts at 6 PM and lasts until 7 PM. The speaker will be Louise Hayes Ph.D. who will give a talk about training your brain after suffering a stroke.  The Stroke support Group is designed to educate stroke victims and their families about strokes and provide inspiration of hope for all during their journey to recovery. The goal is to bring together stroke survivors, caregivers and experts in the field with the  objective to share valuable information and provide needed fellowship.   This group holds its monthly meetings on the Third Tuesday of every month. The meeting will be held in the first floor conference... 07/18/2016

From a very young age, real estate has always fascinated me.  The character and diversity of homes and the allure of the hunt to find the perfect one has always been a welcome challenge.  Just out of high school, I was barely 19 when I purchased my first home.  My first real estate agent was Tami Thompson with RE/MAX out of Abilene, Texas.  (Don't feel bad, I wouldn't have known where Abilene was either if I hadn't been born there.)  Tami was amazing.  She went on the hunt with me, answered countless questions and mainly just made herself available whenever I needed her.  However, I think the most important quality that Tami possessed was that she took me seriously.  Rather than dismissing me for more important clients with deeper pockets, she bragged that I was her youngest client ever... 07/18/2016

Pet Alert - Hot Weather Can Cause a Pet to Burn its Feet  The weather here in Katy and the whole Houston area ( probably all of Texas) is extremely hot and humid. This is very normal as it is always hot and humid in this area during the summer months which sometimes extends into October!  I have seen weather reports where many parts of the US are suffering due to unusually hot weather. Many of these states and cities are not use to this type of weather conditions. This made me think of last summer and various posts I saw regarding pets and hot weather. When weather conditions are filled with very hot days, pets can easily get their feet burned when they walk on hot concrete or pavement. I have seen several examples of these poor pets who have ended up with bad burns on their feet. So if... 07/17/2016

Home Seller Tip # 1 - Make Sure Front Yard does not Look Like  Desert  I am starting a series of home selling tips for sellers and this is the first post of this series. I am convinced readers of posts these days are more interested in easy to read and to the point posts than long drawn out essays. Most folks have a very short attention span especially in the days of instant updated news and constant social media.  I have noticed in the last few weeks many yards in the Katy area and especially the Grand Lakes neighborhood are starting to look like a desert. The ground is very hard and and small areas of grass still exist in some instances. The weather in the Houston area is very hot and humid. While we had too much rain this spring right now we are experiencing limited rainfall. Some fo... 07/15/2016

IRS Phone Scam Still Going Strong - Katy and Everywhere Our friend found an automated message on his home answering machine the other day here in Katy TX. The recording said this is the Internal Revenue Services and you owe back taxes of a large sum. If these taxes, interest and penalties are not paid immediately the Internal Revenue Services will take drastic actions. Our friend knew right away this is nothing but a scam. Note the caller message stated  “Services” and not “Service”! The IRS will never add an “S” to the end of its name! He called the number the scammers left on his machine with their phony message. A voice with a very heavy accent answered using the”Services” name once again. The sound in the background sounded like a boiler room or telemarketer call center. Our friend ... 07/14/2016

HOME BUYERS: Walk Carefully, DO NOT Run to Your Dream Home If you’re ready to buy a home, there are a few steps that you can take to prepare before starting your search. Your first move is to assess your finances, and then get pre-approved by a lender. The home buying process can be extremely competitive, potentially confusing and you don’t want to miss out on your dream home because of something that you could have prevented by being proactive.   Please take the time to read the linked article shown below which has a lot of excellent information for you to be aware of and be ready to deal with it.  As an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) and Real Estate Professional, I can walk you through the entire process from start to finish. I look forward to working with you and hearing fr... 07/12/2016