Recently, I was asked to write a review for two of Jim Randel's books in the "Skinny On" series. Here's 
the post that I composed for those: Free Books?!? One of the Coolest Perks to Being a Fairly Well-Known Blogger
Rand Publishing was apparently happy with my first post, because they sent me another FREE book to review here. Like each of the others, "The Skinny on Real Estate Investing"is something that can easily be finished in under an hour. I read my copy while hanging out during my older kids' martial arts class. Speaking of the kids, even they were able to relate to the friendly cartoon-like format. They read it and then went around the house spouting real estate advice like junior Donald Trumps.
I am impressed with Jim Randel's ability to boil things down to the most important points, and to present things in a way that is easily understandable for the layperson.
Randel provides some very solid basic real estate investing information, including a handful of formulas (cap rate, return on cash invested, etc.). Anyone who is considering investing in property could learn a thing or two here. This volume is Part 1 of an upcoming 3-part series.
The Skinny On books are based on the very popular "Manga" style, which is a Japanese graphic novel genre. Essentially, it's like reading a longer comic book on a topic with educational value. Self-deprecating humor and a likeable cast of characters makes them entertaining, too!
Even though I have been selling real estate for over 12 years here in Austin, this book provides me with some good reminders, since I don't specialize in working with investors, although I own three properties of my own.
At a very affordable $14.95, I would recommend picking up a handful of copies to give to your clients who have expressed interest in investing. The ebook is also available for just $9.95:
http://www.jimrandel.com/books.htm
Big thanks to Rand Publishing for selecting me to help spread the word. Feel free to send more free reading material!
Sometime late Thursday afternoon, our upstairs A/C unit stopped working. Well, it was blowing air, but it wasn't cooling properly at all. The temperature crept into the mid-80's up there, while it was about 10 degrees cooler downstairs.
My wife called me, asking if the fact that I hadn't changed the filter in awhile could have caused this. That particular filter is rarely even dirty when I change it, so I figured that we were dealing with a tripped breaker (very easy fix, of course), or something major.
That night, we called a couple of companies that billed themselves as being available "24/7". None of them were available, and we didn't even hear back from them until the next day.
Our older kids slept downstairs in our family room on an air mattress that night, which they loved, since it's like a campout, but which is relatively inconvenient for us.
The next morning (July 3rd), we got up early and started calling around, trying to find someone (anyone) who could come look at our A/C that day. Keep in mind that it has been well over 100 degrees outside for weeks now, and we were on the eve of a huge holiday weekend. This didn't seem to bode well for our chances of finding someone quickly.
One company agreed to come "between 1 and 5pm", which is somewhat standard for that industry, I suppose. We kept calling.
At around 7:30am, we spoke with someone at Braswell A/C & Electric, who indicated that they could have a technician at our home between 8:30 and 9:00am. Really?!? WOW! My wife and I literally prayed that the repairs would come in under $200, although I had a feeling that it could be thousands.
David Castilleja was the man who showed up as promised. He spent about 2 hours getting things in working order. It turned out that the problem was a faulty capacitor. Total cost - $135!
To say that Braswell A/C was the answer to a prayer is not overstating things at all. Since I am ridiculously UN-handy when it comes to fixing things, I was prepared for the worst.
I just wanted to share this, in case anyone is looking for a great and honest local company for HVAC repair work. Thanks for reading!
My wife grew up in San Antonio, and we like to visit periodically, since it's only about an hour and a half from our house. About 3 weeks ago, we took a weekend trip to just hang out and relax a bit. My older kids LOVE to eat at the Magic Time Machine. In the video below, you can experience our visit, too!
The restaurant is located at 902 NE Loop 410. They have another one in Dallas, at 5003 Beltline Road.
Enjoy!
I have been selling homes full-time in Austin for 12.5 years now. When I got my license, I was 26 years 
old, and I was hungry beyond belief. My business partner at the time was 21 years old, so we both wore suits (or at the very least, shirt and tie) most of the time, even during the hottest months of the year. This was part of our effort to appear older and more experienced, as I recall.
With the exception of special events such as weddings and funerals, I haven't worn a tie in roughly 10 years. Why not? Because I DON'T LIKE THEM. We have had record-high temperatures in Austin this year for several weeks running, peaking in the 107-degree range a couple of days. The thought of wearing a hot, long-sleeved shirt and tie, especially with a jacket, makes me a little woozy now.
Instead, you are much more likely to find me in a polo shirt and either jeans or khakis. I like being comfortable, and I have more than enough knowledge about this industry. In other words, I don't need to try to prove anything by wearing a double-breasted suit (yes, I did that too back in the day). That being said, I rarely wear t-shirts outside of the house. Something about my prep school upbringing makes this difficult for me.
I am thankful to be self-employed, and even more thankful to live in Austin, which is probably the most casual big city in Texas. I haven't been able to bring myself to wear shorts and sandals for showings.....yet. However, I have encountered agents who do this regularly, especially those who specialize in ranch or waterfront properties.
I typically advise my agents that it's best to be dressed just a little nicer than our clients. If they are wearing shorts, jeans will probably suffice. If they are wearing jeans, wear something slightly dressier. If they are wearing a suit, you must rent a tuxedo. If they are nude, wear a bathing suit. Of course, I am kidding about the last two. I can't remember which sales trainer I heard mention this rule of thumb, but it has served me well over the years. Generally speaking, the vast majority of our clients wear VERY casual clothing when viewing homes, unless they are coming straight from work.
The bottom line: If you are looking for a button-down, 1950's-style real estate agent, I don't really fit that bill. If you want a real estate broker who cares passionately about his clients and strives to make the process as easy as possible, give me a call! Who knows? I might even wear a tie if you request it, assuming I can find a jacket that fits. :)
Thanks for reading!
Photo above by paul goyette - found on Flickr.com.
My RSS feed is http://activerain.com/jasoncrouch/rss.
My wife and I don't get a chance to sit through very many movies all at once. Typically, it takes 2 or 
more evenings for us to get through a whole film, since our time is limited to the hour or two after all of our kids are asleep, assuming that we don't get interrupted by our newborn baby or toddler.
That being said, we watched a movie a couple of nights ago that was so interesting and well-made that we couldn't wait to finish it the next night. As with many of the things we watch, this was available via our Roku device, which streams movies from Netflix to our TV.
"Dear Zachary: A letter to a son about his father" is quite possibly the best and most memorable documentary that I have ever seen. We were intrigued because it is one of the few selections we have seen with a 5-star rating from other Netflix users. It turned out to be time well spent.
In a nutshell, "Dear Zachary" was made by an independent filmmaker, Kurt Kuenne, who wanted to provide a complete portrait of his murdered friend Andrew for Andrew's newborn son Zachary. He tirelessly travelled around the country, interviewing Andrew's friends and family, and he included a lot of footage from when they were kids growing up together.
If you commit to watching this movie, please be advised that it is somewhat emotionally draining, but it is an editing masterpiece, and the story is incredibly compelling. Be prepared to cry - maybe a lot. As you get to know the people who loved Andrew (including Kuenne himself), the emotions are palpable and raw.
I don't often give such a ringing endorsement, and this is certainly the type of movie that requires more attention and thought than average, but my wife and I have been talking about it for days. I think it's very worthy of more exposure and word-of-mouth.
It was released last year, and it has received a lot of attention from critics and film festival audiences alike, including being selected as one of the Top 5 Documentaries of 2008 by the National Board of Review.
If you have a chance, don't miss this one.
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I have been working as a full-time Austin area Realtor since January 1997. My years of experience serve me well as the broker and co-owner of Austin Texas Homes, LLC, which began operations in 2004.
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