Gorge tours available.  Approximately 3 hours long, $10 per person

Feb. 1-April 15, AARP Tax Aide (any age or income OK) will be at the CRRC Rec Center Tues 1-4 and Sat. 9-Noon.  830-885-2247

Feb. 21, Tues.  Chamber Mixer, Club H2O, Hwy 306.  5:30 p.m.

Feb. 23, Thurs.    CL Area Chamber Winter Texas Reception, CRRC, Free food, raffles, entertainment for winter Texans.  10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Feb.. 25, Sat.  Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country’s free exhibit at the TPM Library showing memorabilia from the museum.  Children are welcome.  11 a.m-4 p.m.

March 10, Sat.  Canyon Lake CROP Hunger Walk.  Walk begins at St. Thomas Church and continues on Canyon Dam.  Registration begins at 8 a.m.  Walk begins at 9:00 a.m.

March 15,  Thurs.  Children’s Advocacy Center of Comal County 5K Mardi Gras Run

March 21, Wed.  CLRW monthly meeting, TPM Library, 10:00 a.m.  Speaker to be announced.

March 21, Wed.  Pilot Club of Canyon Lake’s Annual Style Show and Luncheon.   GVTC, 11:30 a.m., $15.00 each.  Purchase tickets from any Pilot Club member.

April 15, Sun.  Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country Dinosaur Day, 12:00 noon-5:00 p.m.  Adults – $4.00 , Children – $3.00

April 19, Thurs.  CLRW Membership Luncheon, GVTC Auditorium, $15.00 each,

11:00 a.m.

If the events of your service club are not listed above, please contact me:

Irma M. Feibelman, CLRW Community Relations Chair:  899-2173

Interesting opinion from Mr Abbott that has me wondering, do I agree with his opinion or disagree.

He has valid points.  Now what to do, since I use these syndication sites extensively in our real estate business.
I solicit your opinions, pro or con, to help us all decide on what path to follow.

Thanx

JB

Texas homes continued to hold their value as sales jumped up in the third quarter of 2011.

For the period of July through September 2011, the volume of single-family home sales in Texas was 58,019, nearly 18% more than the same quarter in 2010. Real estate prices remained flat in the third quarter with the median price statically unchanged from Q3-2010 at $151,800 and the average price down less than one percent to $197,833, according to the latest Texas Quarterly Housing Report issued by the Texas Association of REALTORS®.

“We expected a significant jump in sales this quarter because, this time last year, sales were artificially low due to the homebuyer tax credit that pushed demand into the second quarter. Overall, we are thrilled by the performance of the market this quarter and believe these results illustrate the strength of Texas’ housing economy,” said Dwight Hale, chairman of the Texas Association of REALTORS®.

Jim Gaines, Ph.D., an economist with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, also commented, “The market is starting to look like it did before the real estate boom and bust. Sales this quarter are comparable to levels in 2002 and 2003, indicating the market is returning to a more normal sales pace.”

Gaines continued, “Despite being behind the first half of the year, we expect the second half of 2011 to outperform last year, ending the year slightly higher than 2010.”

In addition, Texas had 7.4 months of inventory in the third quarter of 2011 compared to eight months in Q3-2010. That figure, driven down by the decrease in the number of listings, is considered to be the high point of a balanced market by the Real Estate Center.

“Listings were down in part due to fewer distressed properties on the market as Texas’ foreclosure rates declined in recent months,” Gaines explained. “While Texas does not have the backlog of foreclosures seen in many other states, we do still have some pending. As these distressed properties hit the market, we will probably see a fluctuation in inventory in the coming months.”

Chairman Hale concludes, “It’s encouraging to see the Texas real estate market returning to pre-recession levels. Looking ahead, it will be important to maintain the affordability, access to natural resources, and quality of life that have drawn so many homebuyers to Texas, which is the continual focus of the Texas Association of REALTORS®.”

The Texas Quarterly Housing Report is issued four times per year by the Texas Association of REALTORS® with multiple listing service data compiled and analyzed by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.

About the Texas Quarterly Housing Report

Data for the Texas Quarterly Housing Report is analyzed by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University using statistics compiled from 47 multiple listing services in markets throughout Texas. The report includes data for single-family home sales over the course of one quarter and is scheduled for release by the Texas Association of REALTORS® on the following dates each year (or the next business day): Feb. 1, May 1, Aug. 1, and Nov. 1.

About the Texas Association of REALTORS®

With more than 80,000 members, the Texas Association of REALTORS® is a professional membership organization that represents all aspects of real estate in Texas. We advocate on behalf of Texas REALTORS® and private-property owners to keep homeownership affordable, protect private-property rights, and promote public policies that benefit homeowners.

Marty Kramer | Consumer columnist

Home valuation Web sites are great … except when they’re wrong … which is most of the time. If you want to read a lot on this topic, check out this article from SmartMoney, “The Fuzzy Math of Home Values.” If you prefer the summary, here goes:

Some real estate Web sites like Zillow and Homes.com estimate the value of most homes in the U.S. But even the sites themselves will tell you their numbers are often off. Way off.

In Texas, Zillow rates their accuracy one star out of four. Even for states with four-star accuracy, the valuation is off by at least 20% about a quarter of the time. (If I were younger, I’d end the last sentence with five or six exclamation points.) And the values for Texas properties are even worse than that?

Think about it. If you sell your home for 20% less than it’s worth, you’ve just lost a big chunk of change. Overprice by 20% and your home will languish on the market.

Sure, online home valuations are fun, but when I’m ready to sell my home, I’m going to work with a Texas REALTOR®.

Ward Lowe | Consumer columnist

Nov. 14, 2011

If I told you a house had been on the market for the average amount of time for its neighborhood, would that affect your decision to make an offer? How about if I told you that it had been on the market for 13 months?

Like it or not

It shouldn’t matter how long a house has been on the market – if you like the house, you like the house. But some buyers get scared when a property has been on the market for a long time. Rather than worrying, however, they should ask some questions.

You’re just guessing

Buyers may think a property that’s been on the market for a while has serious problems – termite infestations, toxic mold, haunted bedrooms – but it may not. There are plenty of reasons why a home could on the market.

The seller might’ve set his price too high at first. The home may have been listed too soon, when repairs were underway or a tenant was living there. Maybe the sellers aren’t very motivated, preferring to test the market for a while.

Find the real reason

Ask why a particular property has been on the market longer than you’d expect. A Texas REALTOR® can also help you figure out why a house has lingered on the market – and if you should be concerned.

Don’t let a number scare you away from a great house.

Reform rules for homeowners associations

A homeowners association (HOA) is supposed to add value to your home and enhance life in your community. If your association overreaches its bylaws or lacks proper management, it can stigmatize your community, hurting the market value of your home.

The issue

Proposals to reform how homeowners associations handle money, make rules, and enforce those rules will help HOAs improve their operations and make communities better for new and existing residents.

Why you should care about this

With many homeowners associations taking on functions traditionally provided by local governments, opportunities arise for HOA policies to be inconsistent with local laws. It’s also beneficial for current and prospective homeowners to have state HOA rules reviewed to keep a balance of power between residents and the organization.

What the Texas Association of REALTORS® is doing

During the 82nd Texas Legislature, the Texas Association of REALTORS® supported reforming laws governing HOAs to ensure a balance between the interests of property owners and of the HOAs. Some of the notable reforms achieved are assigning homeowners’ past-due payments to dues before paying fines; mandating open records and meetings for HOAs; making it more difficult for an HOA to foreclose; and restricting HOAs’ ability to ban religious displays, flags, and solar panels.

What you can do

If you’re concerned about this issue, talk with your Texas REALTOR® and let them know you learned about it on TexasRealEstate.com.

Bill Summary & Status
112th Congress (2011 – 2012)
H.R.3261
CRS Summary

From: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:HR03261:@@@D&summ2=m&

ABOUT SUMMARIES
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 Back to Bill Summary and Status

H.R.3261
Latest Title: Stop Online Piracy Act
Sponsor: Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21] (introduced 10/26/2011)      Cosponsors (31)
Related Bills: S.968, S.1228
Latest Major Action: 12/16/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

SUMMARY AS OF:
10/26/2011–Introduced. 

Stop Online Piracy Act – Authorizes the Attorney General (AG) to seek a court order against a U.S.-directed foreign Internet site committing or facilitating online piracy to require the owner, operator, or domain name registrant, or the site or domain name itself if such persons are unable to be found, to cease and desist further activities constituting specified intellectual property offenses under the federal criminal code including criminal copyright infringement, unauthorized fixation and trafficking of sound recordings or videos of live musical performances, the recording of exhibited motion pictures, or trafficking in counterfeit labels, goods, or services.

Sets forth an additional two-step process that allows an intellectual property right holder harmed by a U.S.-directed site dedicated to infringement, or a site promoted or used for infringement under certain circumstances, to first provide a written notification identifying the site to related payment network providers and Internet advertising services requiring such entities to forward the notification and suspend their services to such an identified site unless the site’s owner, operator, or domain name registrant, upon receiving the forwarded notification, provides a counter notification explaining that it is not dedicated to engaging in specified violations. Authorizes the right holder to then commence an action for limited injunctive relief against the owner, operator, or domain name registrant, or against the site or domain name itself if such persons are unable to be found, if: (1) such a counter notification is provided (and, if it is a foreign site, includes consent to U.S. jurisdiction to adjudicate whether the site is dedicated to such violations), or (2) a payment network provider or Internet advertising service fails to suspend its services in the absence of such a counter notification.

Requires online service providers, Internet search engines, payment network providers, and Internet advertising services, upon receiving a copy of a court order relating to an AG action, to carry out certain preventative measures including withholding services from an infringing site or preventing users located in the United States from accessing the infringing site. Requires payment network providers and Internet advertising services, upon receiving a copy of such an order relating to a right holder’s action, to carry out similar preventative measures.Provides immunity from liability for service providers, payment network providers, Internet advertising services, advertisers, Internet search engines, domain name registries, or domain name registrars that take actions required by this Act or otherwise voluntarily block access to or end financial affiliation with such sites.

Permits such entities to stop or refuse services to certain sites that endanger public health by distributing prescription medication that is adulterated, misbranded, or without a valid prescription.

Expands the offense of criminal copyright infringement to include public performances of: (1) copyrighted work by digital transmission, and (2) work intended for commercial dissemination by making it available on a computer network. Expands the criminal offenses of trafficking in inherently dangerous goods or services to include: (1) counterfeit drugs; and (2) goods or services falsely identified as meeting military standards or intended for use in a national security, law enforcement, or critical infrastructure application.

Increases the penalties for: (1) specified trade secret offenses intended to benefit a foreign government, instrumentality, or agent; and (2) various other intellectual property offenses as amended by this Act.

Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review, and if appropriate, amend related Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Requires the Secretary of State and Secretary of Commerce to appoint at least one intellectual property attache to be assigned to the U.S. embassy or diplomatic mission in a country in each geographic region covered by a Department of State regional bureau.

Told me my camera I was purchasing required special extended life batteries, which I didn’t think was right  but deferred to them thinking they knew more about it than I.  I agreed and he (Jack) told me I they were 1900 mah, then named a brand that wasn’t Nikon.  I told him I didn’t want any aftermarket batteries.  He then tried to sell me a memory card for $400, I refused and he finally came down to $199, whihc was inline with other dealers so I said yes.

He tried to sell me a bunch of other crap to which I all refused.  He said he would rush the order, took a week to get here.

When I opened the box the camera box and the battery grip box looked like they had never been packed, maybe rolled around in a truck for a month or more.  Nothing was damaged and all worked well.

The 2 batteries they charged me $260 for were regular Nikon 1500 mah that can be purchased anywhere for $60 give or take a few dollars.

I called back & left messages for Jack who never returned the call.  The next day I called back to his extension, someone answered that sounded like Jack but denied it was him.  He told me that Jack would have never said those things and I should send him a money order for $45 for restocking.  I told him you didn’t ship the batteries that you quoted over the phone so there should be no fees.  Send me those batteries and I’ll chalk it up as my fault for trusting these thieves.  He said no way so I told him I would cal AMEX for a dispute and he said he wasn’t going to let me argue with him and then hung up.

DO NOT PATRONIZE THESE PEOPLE THEY ARE CROOKED, LYING, CHEATING BASTARDS!

Search for their reviews on Google & you’ll be amazed how they are still in business.  New York BBB gives them a F on their business practices!

Homes in popular retirement havens are heavily discounted right now, motivating some baby boomers to start buying now ahead of retirement, a new article from Money magazine suggests.

For example, prices for condos in Napa, Calif., and Naples, Fla., have dropped about 44 percent since the housing boom, according to Fiserv data. That mixed with historically low mortgage rates are prompting some to start picking their retirement haven.

According to the 2011 National Association of REALTORS® Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, the average age of vacation-home buyers is 49, and 34 percent said they planned to use the home as a primary residence in the future, suggesting it may become their ultimate retirement destination.

Financial experts recommend that retirees who are considering buying a second home prior to retirement may want to consider renting it out until they’re ready to move in to offset the cost of ownership. However, if they don’t want to step into the landlord role themselves, they should expect to spend 10 percent to 15 percent of the monthly rental fee on a property manager. Also, if they’re looking at purchasing a condo, they should make sure the development allows rentals since some developments do not or have restrictions on rentals.

“Buying your retirement home free and clear may make sense as long as you’ll have enough savings left over to cover a year’s worth of living expenses,” the article at Money notes.

Source: “Retiree Havens Go on Sale,” Money (November 2011) and “Buy Now, Retire Later,” Forbes Magazine (June 27, 2011)

DoubleAgentTeam

Canyon Lake Texas Real Estate and Canyon Lake TX Homes for Sale including Real Estate in the Canyon Lake Texas & Mystic Shores area. Canyon Lake Real Estate, Guadalupe River Homes, Comal County Property, Realtor

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