Deb Brooks, Lake Livingston Real Estate

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

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - Makeover to Takeover?

Well it finally happened.

After losing 16 billion dollars in the past year Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were evidently going belly up. Somehow the fact that our President Bush seems to think it's temporary...I doubt it.

Here we go. Being run by a government entity we are in for the ride of our Real Estate careers.

Socialistic societies have never been the American Dream.

Quote: Bush said in a statement released Sunday afternoon. "Americans should be confident that the actions taken today will strengthen our ability to weather the housing correction and are critical to returning the economy to stronger sustained growth."

How can the government "correct" the housing crisis other than using our tax dollars to pull them out of debt? Or, even better, we could increase our National Debt for the good of generations to come.

I don't know about this...

What do you think will happen?

How do you think this will benefit our economy?

How is this going to change our industry???

Localism.

It is new and shiny and ready to go. Are you ready? I am. I like the look and I think I will post more than ever! The idea of being the "neighborhood specialist" is really appealing! Although, I work a lake of more than 50 active waterfront subdivisions I will enjoy the new Localism and take full advantage of the source!

Imagine if we could "get to know our neighbors" over the net just as we learn about each other over AR and other sources? From what I heard the old Localism had thousands of hits per month. I can only imagine being a consumer and stumbling across this site! Consumers will be looking for you!!

I only predict good things for our new Localism. It has been a long time coming so jump in there and "test the waters". I am.

What does this have to do with the "wealth of points?" The point is that we are being given the opportunity to get in there, post, and familiarize ourselves with the consumer and become the area specialist.

You can become the number 1 point of contact for consumers looking for you!

You get my point!

Later in the rain~Deb