Well it never ceases to amaze me. Texas weather. Past 2 days have been sunny and warm. I mean really warm for winter time. Today, now...SNOW! And in the 30s. On Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas to Waco and to ALL! May you, and your loved ones have the best Christmas ever. Now that the snow is here, hope we get a little more that covers the ground. In the mean time, I am starting a fire and staying warm. It's cold and windy outside! 12/24/2009

Waco Shopping--The Shops of River Square Center  Forget Walmart, Target, Kohls, Dillards, etc.  Well maybe not totally forget. These are great Waco shopping spots too. But try taking yourself somewhere different. Somewhere that overwhelms you in the best of ways. The Shops of River Square Center   Waco, TX I will tell you why this is my favorite, but the owner, Jennifer Wilson, explains it better than I could ever. Read her description here: "The Shops of River Square Center Story" MY TAKE. I've been visiting this little collection of shops for a few years now and have loved it from my first visit. The style, the class, the variety, the smell, the ambiance. Well, you get the picture. It's just a feel good place. And it changes constantly, always offering new things. It's so much fun jus... 12/13/2009

 Waco/Texas Housing Market Reports   I’ve written about this before, but think it is worth repeating a very useful and reputable resource for finding out about Housing Market Reports in Waco and all of Texas. Not only that, there are other great pieces of Texas Real Estate related information and data given on this site. The Real Estate Center Website has extensive monthly data posted that dates back multiple years including sales numbers, median prices and months inventory. If you are looking to compare year to year or just month to month, a quick glance can give you a very powerful education as to what is happening in the Waco or other Texas markets. Of course, these statistics are market wide and do not single out specific neighborhoods. But for a general outlook, they are valuable ... 11/07/2009

What do you think of Waco TX and Temple TX? Austin TX has 6Th street and a reputation for being a major music city. What is it that Waco and Temple offer its residents? I would appreciate your comments. I am just curious. Is it a town for Artist? Musicians etc? Why do you like living here and what do you do for fun? 10/25/2009

Smooth Jazz on the Brazos Presented by Black Tie Productions Featuring Brian Simpson & Althea Rene With special guest Dave Wild Trio Saturday October 17th Bosque River Stage Tickets are $20 Gates open at 5:00 p.m. Show starts at 6:00 For More information Call (254)722-2071 or 749-8758   10/16/2009

I have been at Keller Williams Realty in Waco for almost exactly a year now, and I love it! They have weekly office meetings which are always fun and informative. They emphasize education and are always having classes at the office. I am currently half way through one called "Seller Mastery." But the main reason I love it here is because they give back to the community. In May they had a "Red Day" in which not only my market center, but every market center in the country performed a day of service. We chose to help clean up and paint the PUTT PUTT Golf course at Lions Park. Unfortunatly, I was not able to participate because the day before my son fell on the play ground at school and broke his collar bone. But it was a big success and we are already planning next years. And I plan to he... 09/23/2009

09/22/2009

Sales in the Waco area are down from last year, but still doing well considering the state of the housing market. There were a total of 221 sales in August with a total sales of $29,003,842. The average sales price was $131,600 and average days on the market was 137. Compare that to 265 in August of 2008. The total sales volume was $32,441,214. The average sales price was $122,419 and average days on the market was 119. So our DOM is up, but so are sales prices. Here's a little further breakdown of sales by price range: 0-$50,000 = 28 units sold $50-$100,00 = 71 $100-$150,000 = 55 $150=$200,00 = 30 $200-300,000 = 25 $300 - $400,000 = 11 $400,000 and up = 2 09/13/2009

Waco Residential Market Reports—August 2009 August does it.  It outshines both June and July 09. Yes, still doesn't measure up to last year, but I really like the fact that we held steady and even beat the prior 2 months. Around mid month, things were looking very slow for August, but all of the end of month sales wrapped up the month to be a little better than the prior 2. Things do slow down typically this time of year in any market, so look for a typical decrease in sales heading into the fall.  Please take note of average and median prices. Our market shows to be stable. I believe the growth and job opportunities in our area are contributing to a great overall market which is here to stay and only get better. Here are the figures: August 2009** Residential Sales: 221 Median Sales Pr... 09/08/2009

Every year on Labor Day Weekend, the city of West (about 20 miles from Waco on I35 South),has it's 34th Annual Westfest. It is a fun weekend of celebrating that areas' Czech heritage attended by an estimated 20,000 people. They have Polka Bands, Kolaches , dancers and lots of beer! Hours of operation are 11:00a.m. to 12;30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the West Fair and Rodeo Grounds. There is a sneak preview Friday from 5:30 to 12:30. Admission for the preview party is $12. Other special events are: Crowning of Miss Westfest, 7 p.m. Friday Westfest Parade 10 A.M. Saturday Kolache 5000k Fun Run, 8 A.M. Sunday Polka Mass, 10:15 a.m. Sunday  Parking is $3 per car and tickets are $8 for adults,$4 for seniors, military personnel and students. Children under 5 are free.    09/04/2009

Today I attended the "Hour Economy", a quarterly luncheon the Waco Chamber of Commerce holds to keep members of the business community up to date on what is happening in McLennan County. I am happy to report that our unemployment rate is 7.2 compared to 5.1 last year, but the Waco Metropolitan Area has only lost 800 jobs from this time last year. That is still 2.5 % below the national unemployement level.      And many new jobs will be created in the next few months. The Waco VA Hospital just held groundbreaking ceremonies for a new post traumatic stress disorder research unit that will employ 200. The VA is also opening a national pharmacy call center in Waco which will employ 224 by next spring. L-3 Aviation, which refurbishes military aircraft, just opened a new hanger and will be hi... 08/26/2009

Waco Residential Market Reports—July 2009 Around the middle of July I started to think we wouldn’t meet our figures from June. Well we didn’t, but we are very close. Still down from last year’s sales at this time as well, but that is not too surprising with all things considered. Dollar figures were nearly identical to last years in median and average sales prices, but less than June of this year. As usual, certain areas in and around Waco are doing better than others. If you are looking to sell or buy in the Waco or Greater Waco area, it's very important to understand the trends in each neighborhood.  I can tell you that in some neighborhoods you are simply going to find much better deals than in others. And most of the best deals are NOT in the most popular neighborhoods. I can also t... 08/04/2009

Even a blurry shot through the window of a fast moving car doesn't stop the beauty of a colorful  Sunset over Lake Waco.  What a gorgeous drive this was yesterday at about 8:30 in the evening. 08/02/2009

Waco Schools, Mclennan County Schools      If you have school aged children, and are relocating or considering relocation to the Waco, TX area, you are probably very concerned with finding good schools. Even if you already live in the area, I am sure your interest in your children’s school is of the utmost importance.     The latest 2009 accountability ratings for Texas Schools is now online. I am sure there are arguments for and against such rating types, but they are nevertheless a type of indicator in how a school system is performing.     From my observation, the reputation of schools in our area coincides pretty closely with these accountability results. Some of the more popular schools performed very well, while some of the less popular schools performed poorly.     But just like ... 08/01/2009

New government mortgage regulations took effect on July 30, 2009. Here are four key elements Realtors need to know. (1) If the homebuyer is financing a property, these new regulatory and investor guidelines will impact and could even dictate the closing date. Historically, homebuyers and sellers would agree on a closing date, and then service providers, including lenders, would work the best they could toward meeting that date. Going forward, purchase contracts can still be written with a specific closing date in mind, but all parties need to take into account that the earliest any home purchase transaction can close is 7 business days after the homebuyer is issued his or her initial mortgage disclosures from the lender. (2) Upfront fees cannot be collected by the lender (except for a c... 08/01/2009

Just read this in the Waco Tribune Online:   http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/breakingnews/entries/2009/07/27/waco_mammoth_site_legislation.html   We are getting closer to this site becoming a National Monument. Very exciting stuff indeed.   http://www.wacomammoth.org/   View Larger Map 07/27/2009

There are many new and exciting things happening in the Waco area, but there are 2 things that I find particularly exciting. Space X and the Mammoth Site. In the past couple of days, the Waco Trib has written 2 articles, each about these 2 extraordinary places: "Mammoth site moves closer to national monument status"  "McGregor's SpaceX competing with Alabama company for $150 million in funding" Space X—Right in our own backyard in McGregor TX is Space X test facility.  The Waco Tribune, Mike Copeland discussed the fight for stimulus funds that could greatly increase the size and mission of Space X. Very interesting reading. I visited Space X yesterday while they tested a rocket. Was a very powerful site that made me really appreciate the importance and potential coming from this company... 07/10/2009

I've already written about Waco Home Prices in the following ranges: 300,000 - $499,999 and $500,000 and up   Now it's time to talk a bit about the 200K range* As you probably expected there are many more choices in this price range, 219 active listings as of today.So what kind of Waco homes can you buy in this price range? At the top list price of $299,900 --8 great listings:3 in China Spring    1 brand new beauty  in newer subdivision with with wood flooring and other quality amenities.    1 2004 built near The Lakes Country Club complete with oversized garage and safe room.    1 other 2004 built out in the country with 14 +/- acres. 2 in West    1 2006 built on almost 1 and a half acres with inground pool.    1 2003 built sitting on about 17 acres, nice looking home with granite coun... 07/07/2009

So let's say $500,000 and up is not your goal for a home purchase in the Waco area. Let's take a closer look at homes priced between $300,000 and $499,999. $400,000 - $499,999* 38 homes available Coming in at $499,900 list price, 3 lovely homes: A beautiful brand new executive home perched up high in a newer Waco neighborhood that overlooks Lake Waco. A special find in China Spring sitting right on the Brazos River. Another jewel located in Clifton with 17.5 acres.  And at $407,900 list price: Another brand new home located in the master planned community of Villages at Twin Rivers in Waco right off Hwy 84 near McGregor.   $300,000-$399,999*  91 Homes Available Taking the top spot at $399,999 list: A 1999 built 10 bedroom home on 20 acres in Hubbard TX complete with a tank for fishing a... 07/06/2009

Today I spent the 4th of July with my family. It was nice to have a day off. I have been very busy and working very hard this summer. In fact I am busier than I have been in the last 6 years. I hope this is a trend for the better. I hope this means we will soon be out of the recession. I have included some photos of my family and the fireworks. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Also, I would like to thank everyone who has served or fought for our country. Thanks very much! God Bless You and your family! My children Cody, Brooke and my husband Bob.......................................................................... Lemon Ice is a family tradition at this even......... The Fab 5 in concert........................................... Every year we go the Waco's Fireworks display a... 07/04/2009