Deb's Lake Livingston Real Estate & Stuff!

When you have a home built or are dealing with CONTRACTORS...

Or, cleaning up after a storm....

Getting a JACK OF ALL TRADES can be devastating. With so many "iffy" contractors pouring in to help clean up after IKE, we must all be very, very careful.

1. Interview a minimum of three licensed contractors.

2. Get everything in writing.

3. Remember the specifics like quality of tile and paint.

4. Require them to provide you with a copy of their license.

5. Check references.

6. Agree on the time-line  in writing.

7. Agree to a maximum of 10% overage.

8. Make sure the contractor will oversee the workers.

9. If you are living in the property place all valuables in the bank.

10. Plan to spend time watching the men too. If they dawdle you're paying for it.

11. Plan for rain days or sick days for the men.

12. Never, ever, give them money up front. A good contractor has credit.

13. Require all clean up be mandatory each day. Don't allow them to leave garbage.

14. Require your contractor be responsible for disposing of any debris.

15. Make sure to pick up any left behind nails.

16. Verify quality of all products as they come in. Windows, paint, tile and so forth.

17. Make sure all warranties are turned in with each product. Ceiling fans, appliances etc.

18. If there is major work like tearing out walls or using glue, plan to stay somewhere else.

19. Be prepared for a little trauma...it just is.

20. Hire a licensed inspector to review all work before work is totally complete.

21. Never hand over the final check with work still needing to be done. EVER...they won't be back.

Be very sure of the contractor you hire...don't get in a hurry. It could get worse!

Later in the rain~Deb

Boy, do I have an idea! I have always wanted to get together with "professionals" within the Real Estate business to network and learn.

I would like an easy going "open" forum where we can all relax, share and learn of new technologies and applications.

I want to meet with friends I have built relationships with through the network of Active Rain and its wonderful communities...I want to make new friends and expand my knowledge of the opportunities offered now and coming in the near future for the benefit of Real Estate.

I want to meet these two guys who seem to have the world on their side when it comes to business and    computer savvy. Rich Jacobson and Brad Andersohn will be giving seminars for our Active Rain!

Check out REBarCamp Houston for the details. Meet ActiveRich and ActiveBrad. This could be the beginning of an explosive growth of gatherings to benefit YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS.

And, believe it or not it's FREE. Yes, I said FREE.

Sign in here to or go to the barcamp site and RSVP. October 22, 2008 is Houston's first REBarCamp and the day before the Houston Association of Realtors annual trade show in downtown Houston.

You don't want to miss it. We are going to have a ball.

Sponsors are still needed. For information contact Michael Price for more info (832) 331-4846

Oh yeah, here's my idea...DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!

I'll see you there.

Later in the rain~Deb

Dear TLW, The Lovely Wife,

Please allow the power of prayer in numbers help to heal you and bring you strength. YOU, and especially YOU are the one that intrigued me to blog with Active Rain. To see and feel your humor and attitude gave me a surge of energy that only sunshine can give.

Your inventiveness, creativity, humor, diverse knowledge and "PRESENCE" are sorely missed. I do not have a clue what you are going through. None of us do except for BB. All 100+thousand readers know, without a doubt, the love between the two of you. It is apparent in each and every comment.

I believe in the depths of my being that whatever is plaguing you will be defeated. With every thought and feeling you experience...please keep that a part of you. You can win and God can wait. We all need you.

My hat is off to you. Literally.

You earned the iconic Presence.         

Please come back to us soon.    Later in the rain~Deb 

Hugs, TLW. Get well soon.

Internet (Cyberspace) property is judged by the same criteria as the Real Estate we sell daily.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

Where do you want your Internet Real Estate? At the top of Google of course.In some markets the competition is so fierce that you may feel your site is NEVER going to make it there. This Internet positioning is reserved for the cream of the crop and the sites that please Google the most.

When Google places your site within their Search Engine they base the "winning" criteria on many different "formulas or algorythems" and we all just guess at what they are at any given time!

What we do know is:

1. Google loves fresh content.

2. Your keyword count is imperative. No more than 6% overall please.

3. Keep it real, interesting and market specific.

4. Google looks at length of time of positive performance.

5. Google considers the quality of back links and the number.

6. Also, the popularity and number of hits counts.

Many, many other issues are considered but I haven't a clue what???

How can you break into the TOP OF YOUR GAME immediately?

How can you provide Google with everything they want?

How can you step ahead of all the "biggies" that have been there so long?

LOCALISM. THAT'S HOW. AND, THROUGH THE POWER OF ACTIVE RAIN.

Google loves LOCALISM for so many reasons you can take a GIANT STEP ahead of the competition if you use it properly. Post to LOCALISM at least once a week. Concentrate on your Key Words that apply to your market area, and just don't stop!

Our target Key Word Phrase is: Lake Livingston Real Estate. We are in competition with 269,000 others.

Our websites are on the front page at the top from years of work. And, was I surprised to see this!

Our double entry is at the top of the second page right along with all the professionally designed and placed sites that have struggled to be there for years!

WooHaaa....cool, huh?

LOCALISM AND ACTIVE RAIN SERVE IT ALL UP ON A PLATTER FOR US !

Use it to your advantage. You place the Key Words and let AR and Localism do the rest.

With your fresh content each week, the presence of AR and Localism with the search engines, their time and power of Internet Presence to back you up, back links in the hundreds of thousands that are all Industry Specific....you just can't miss.  

Later in the rain~Deb

Hi Honey I'm Home!

I'm so glad to be home! I'm excited about getting back to work and I am grateful that we were so fortunate to have had as little damage from IKE as we did.

The closer I got to home the more the damage was apparent.

Trees down, roofs patched, many road signs simply propped up, cars filled with little dogs and RV's and Trailers being pulled with so many trying to get home.

I'm back on high speed Internet and I love to point and click again. I've missed visiting with all my friends here and will be commenting as much as I possibly can this week.

I've missed you all!

We have quite the mess to help clean up here. We will be contacting the Insurance company this week and begin the inspection process. Thanks everyone for all the wonderful support you have given myself and all others that have been affected by this storm. IKE caused a huge wake of damage and we will all be working on recuperating for a while.  

Thank you so much for all your support and God Bless.

Later in the rain~Deb

Diary of a Day of Dial-Up for Deb...

First of all let me just say that I am grateful to have access to the Internet right now with so many people still fighting the effects of IKE.

I am connected to a phone line that is as old as dirt in the rural area of Texas...nuff said.

I am not complaining! Really...I just want to remind all of you HIGH SPEED junkies just why you are addicted. I remember why I am!

When I signed up for Dial-Up they were calling it "Lightning Fast"...

IMHO...that is yet to be determined.

If lightning were truly this fast we would have time to point to the sky, gulp, scream, run or sonter to the

house and call the neighbors before it hit. Lightning Fast Dial-Up is a true oxymoron such as "Jumbo

Shrimp" and "Military Intelligence". Sorry.

I have a habit of booting up in the mornings with a great cup of Java and lingering over the new postings. I don't spend too long since I have to get to work. I will then check in later in the day to see what else is happening and leave a few comments. The days of 10 comments are long gone. I believe the approximate 30-40 would be closer to the truth.

I don't comment for the points but for the fun of building friendships and a mutual "intellectual interaction" with peers within our profession.

My comments are few and far between at this point for one single reason....Dial-Up.

My day still begins the same way but ends much differently (like in total frustration). I walk to the puter and boot up. I hit connect...I then go to the coffee pot and flip it on. Check the puter...I find the box that says...must open separate window to run...so I click okay. Go brush my teeth. When I return I am able to click the connect button for the Dial-Up...I almost go to sleep again while watching the little green bar creep itself to full and then finally and about six minutes later...Oh Glorious Day...we have a connection! I pour my coffee after clicking on Active Rain.com...off it goes.

Active Rain comes up quickly!  Kudos to you my friends! I dread logging in...my home page takes so long to load but only about 90 seconds...really. When it gets there I'm always so thrilled to see the comments left by my friends. Then it goes downhill.

I click on a post I would like to read...the little green bar almost freezes.

I sip my coffee, tap my foot, look all around the room at the little things I should be doing, rock in my stationary chair, tap my fingers...twist my hair a little and wait some more. By the time the post finally loads I have finished my coffee, gone for a refill, made the grocery list, fed the dog and mumbled a few very bad words...

I've actually begun to turn on the TV so I can hear the news! I'm so use to being able to scan the front pages of MSN and Yahoo I am pretty caught up on the latest news before going any further.

Every three to four trys I do get a post to come up and I leave my comment...the phone will ring and "poof" I get a "you have been disconnected" notice and I begin the process again.

I WILL BE COMMENTING AS SOON AS I POSSIBLY CAN - I DON'T MEAN TO IGNORE MY FRIENDS!       

PLEASE KNOW I WILL BE BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS ASAP.....

I AM A PROFESSED HIGH SPEED JUNKIE...

Later and I do mean Later in the rain~Deb

Ike, The Bay of Pigs and Me and Bobby MgGee...

I do have a tendancy to become fearful of storms. Growing up just outside of Camp Atterbury as a young child caused a major impact to my personality. Camp Atterbury was being used at the time for the "test bombing" operations. We were not allowed to be on the street when they were actively bombing so when a loud siren would sound we would scatter down the street and I would immediately end up under my bed. This was the Kennedy era and we were taught to climb under our desks at the sound of the siren in the sanctity of our classrooms. As a child I (we) were being taught that bombs or missles could begin to fly at any time. We faced the fear of the Bay of Pigs. Even as small children and today a loud boom such as thunder can rattle my world.

I want to say thank you to all my Active Rain friends that have helped me get through Ike. Your phone calls and concern is truly endearing to me. Thank you for your encouragement and prayers. My husband put his foot down and made me go to my Aunt June's house in Wichita Falls. Now, I'm glad he did.

We have two houses on our property. One is the main house and the other is used as our office. Our main house miraculously made it through IKE unscathed. We lost a few trees and large limbs.

The office took a hit from a tree and is experiencing a roof leak...just minor in my book. Hubby and the animals made it safe and sound. They are without any electricity and he told me it looked a bit like a war zone.

My daughter, her husband and children are fine. One street over from her a tree went into a neighbors home and killed the lady inside. So, not all were as lucky as we were.

FEMA is bringing in MRE, "meals ready to eat" just down the road from our home so Scott is taking advantage of that. I, on the other hand, am having a wonderful time with my Aunt June and cousin Ruby! I worry, yes. But, he was right about not staying there.

I'M GOING TO HAVE TO OWE YOU THE SONG "ME AND BOBBY MAGEE" BECAUSE I'M ON DIAL UP! The song has been going through my head after hearing it on satellite radio on the way here. It warmed my heart and reminded me just how lucky I am to have this great network of friends!

I never thought I would appreciate dial up this much! I grow older by the minute waiting for the pages to load but hey....it could be so much worse. I am counting my blessings.

Thank you friends...hopefully we can get back to normal soon.

Later in the rain~Deb

Okay, I am reporting in. I'm scared. My hubby hates it when I say that. I guess it's because I've shown a sign of weakness.

We have been told by the State of Texas that we must have our cats under surveilance and in isolation for the next 65 days. For more information read my post titles, Drats, Cats, and bats.

1. Two cats had run out of their 3 year rabies certificate two weeks before a rabid bat showed up on our front porch. Therefore, by the state they must be isolated for 90 days.

2. We probably should have evacuated for the Hurricane Ike that is predicted to hit our Lake Livingston area with 100 mile an hour winds within the next 24 hours.

3. We cannot board our cats because of the state order. Remember my rabies post? My bat?

4. The 100 mile an hour wind will be directed directly to my house and this is the picture. Get the picture?

We have an entire wall of glass that will be hit with the direction predicted for IKE.

I have a tiny cuby hole prepared within the house that will allow us to hunker for the storm.

My husband is making me leave.

I don't want to drive north with the dog. He wants to watch out over the house and the cats.

I am scared. I don't know if I'll leave or weather the storm with him. We are going to make that call in the morning.

I just want to tell all of my AR friends and family that I will communicate as soon as I am able. If (when) our electricity goes out I will be without Internet and everything else. I have gas in my car...food in the house and a prayer on my lips.

I do pray for all the people that are in line to be hit by IKE and I thank our State for the reactions they've had in evacuating so many people that wouldn't have been able to get away.

I pray that all souls will be protected from this hurricane and all negative hits.

Please stay safe. I am thinking of all of you. I will remain in touch as I can...Later in the rain~Deb

P.S. I love you all, my friends..thank you for all the emails and calls of concern. Let's all pray for all.

Yike, now comes Ike...Yuk. Please take care if you are in the wake of Ike...please.

What is it? Is mom nature upset with us? Do we seem too lethargic or overly confident within our mortality? What?

Here comes another and I CAN'T STAND IT!!!! 

Okay, I have a generator and gas now. What the hell do we do with that?

I pray there are no more casualties from anymore storms for many years...it doesn't hurt to pray.

God Bless you all and do what you can to remain safe....

If you need me or any other AR member....please just call. We are there for you.

I wish I could tell you I was totally confident in the fact that we will all be okay. Yeah, I wish.

Take care, I love you all.

Later in the rain, and wind, and twisters, and flying debris, and gully washers, and evacuations...~Deb

SMART INVESTMENTS. 

When the going gets tough the investors buy.Have you read Rich Dad's series written by Robert Kiyosaki? It's amazing and profitable. What I can find by his teachings is that they are governed by YOUR states' mandates. He and his wife Kim are great. They are a success story from the heavens. They are people that you want to aspire to be like.

They teach you how they became rich. I am not one of their REPRESENTATIVES.  I just read it. It' worthy. It will teach you. I am simply a voluntary student. My husband pushed the books on me. Now I'm glad.

Get it.

Use it.

Believe it and don't be afraid.

And, here's the dig. When the economy is down is when the "okay" get richer. My husband and I are "okay." We are not rich as we work for every penny brought into this household. But, let me give you an example of what you can look for.

Country Club Community: This is one the richest aspire to and the "not so rich" do without to be in...well, I'm not going to do without. That is... I won't do without the important things. Food, clothing, energy, gas, medical and good credit.

Remember you can't do just about anything in this market today without GOOD credit.

If you have good credit and look for the good deals you'll find them.

We have just gone to one of the most affluent neighborhoods in East Texas and we found a foreclosure. No one wanted to deal with it.

When you have $350,000.00 to spend for a house in Texas you at least want to move into a move-in ready home. Now, this may not sound like much for the West Coast.

But, you Californians...what you spend a million for there, I can sell you here for $300,000.00 today! No exaggeration.

Think of new comparables. Our area is just as weak or strong as you want to call yours. A million dollar house here is in the top 1% of all of Texas homes sold. Our homes are not less than what you have but we are with a different cap rate and economic level.

Today I placed an offer on a 3,300.03 square foot home on the golf course at an affluent Texas neighborhood and (Lord willing) will receive an acceptance for about .50 cents on the dollar. It's a fixer upper.

Our bank (with good credit) will allow us to purchase (with written contract), and place $30,000 to $40,000 thousand into the remodel. We are really using the bank's money. It looks like we're using it on paper. We will begin with an appraisal for the existing building and the purchase price compared to the retail. In comes the appraisal...for the "as is" at $200,000.00.. Say they give us $30,000.00 for the remodel. The same house after the remodel will appraise for $350,000.00. You then have $120,000.00 in equity.

The banks in Texas can loan 70% of the total retail (appraised) value and that comes to $87,750.00. If you subtract the $87,750,00 from the balance of $245,000.00. Our total balance is $157,250.00.

This is the equity in the house at the point and day of the financing! Your total of 15% down then is equivalent to $30,000.00. If you take $30,000.00 from the equity (appraised) value of $157,250.00 you end up with $127,000.00 in instant equity. Your 15% will have been credited as "down" and we will have a new home. Not to mention we will be living in one of the most affluent neighborhoods in East Texas....now, that's what I call "investing".

I thank you for listening. Later in the rain~Deb

Click Wyatt Hunter to subscribe...great grandbaby , Huh?____>>>

                                                                                                  Wyatt Hunter Yeager Slaughter