Is Your Home Ready for the Holidays? November 2009 is finally here, and that means it's a count down until the guests arrive. Thanksgiving, the biggest shopping day of the year, and the infamous game between Texas A&M University and TU are just around the corner. So much to do, so little time! Dealing with the pressure of knowing that people are coming for dinner in a matter of days is similar to the feeling you get when you are just about ready to put your home on the market for sale. Where do you start? It is time to clean, finish the minor house repairs and stage for the holidays! I'll never forget my clients that wanted to list their home on Thanksgiving weekend. As I walked up to the front door the husband greeted me on the porch. "Thanks for coming to talk to us about selling our home," he said. "Please don't step on the yellow mat. It is covering up a hole in the floor and we don't want you to fall through!" The first question, when it comes to home cleaning, is deciding if the best use of your time includes grabbing the mop and bucket or simply picking up the phone and calling someone else to do it for you. There are many great and highly reputable cleaning companies in town, and if you need a Ritz Carlton clean at a Wal-Mart price, another option is for you to call your Realtor. No, we don't clean houses, but with all the sales we do, with clients moving out and not having anytime to make the home ready for the new buyer, we always have a good house cleaner that is on call in a pinch, knows how to clean from top to bottom and is extremely reasonably priced. The key to a good clean for the best price is to make sure you have supplies ready and that the home is picked up and free of toys, counter top clutter, and pets that can prevent access to the entire home. I got a call once from a service provider that told me "Raylene, the rest of the home is fine, but we couldn't go into to the master bedroom closet, because there is a large live boa constrictor hanging from the ceiling." When getting the home ready for visitors, be sure to remember to clean where it will be most noticeable to guests: ceiling fans and return air vents are the areas most commonly overlooked. And when cleaning that return air vent, might as well change the air filter while you are at it. If you are one of those folks who dust and dust yet seem to be getting no where, an item to add to the Honey Do list before the guests arrive is to buy a tube of clear caulk, climb in the attic, and seal your return air vent on both sides. Often, little bits of insulation dust can be brought into the home from the attic. Sealing the return air vent on both sides with eliminate the problem and result in more free time between house hold dusting. Just remember to wait for the caulk to dry before placing the air filter back in place. And of course, when you are in the attic, watch your step! "Yes, Raylene...um this is the Heating and A/C Company. We completed the repair you requested on the furnace for the closing this afternoon and the return air duct is all sealed up. Unfortunately, our guy fell through the ceiling on his way out." When the home is ready, it's time for the fun part! Shopping and staging for the holidays. Guests love walking into a home and getting the nice, warm fuzzy feeling of Holiday Spirit. A good starting place is to find a holiday scent you like and sticking with it throughout the home. Evergreen and Peppermint are popular ones, as long as they are not overwhelming. My mother always told me "the way to a man's heart is though his stomach," and I don't think you can go wrong with a scent of pumpkin spice, sugar cookie or ginger bread. The key is to not mix scents and to try and stay away from smells that are fruity or overpowering. Scents that smell like fresh sweet cooking also complement the holiday, and guests might even think the great smells came from your kitchen! Many of the stores in Bryan-College Station are great with providing holiday accent pieces for home decor. Always check the paper for the latest deals of the day. If you are like me, and want your home staged and looking it's best for guests, confusion erupts when walking into a store and deciding what to buy. (Personally, I want it all!) A great option to eliminate the buying confusion is to hire a holiday stager. This is very different from having an interior decorator or designer come in, and is just a fraction of the price. For roughly $200.00 - $400.00 depending on what you want done, you can have a stager go with you to pick out floral, art, and accent decor. These folks are also great at finding the best deals in town and are highly creative at getting you the look you want in-budget. You can also hire your stager to dress up the home with items you provide and / or rearrange furniture to make the home look its best. For more information on Staging, you can go to www.stagingbcs.com As always, don't forget the point of the November holiday season is to be thankful and enjoy time you have with your close friends and family. This can easily be accomplished, no matter what state your home is in. "Mrs. Smith, I am so glad you are thankful to your husband for surprising you with this Master Garden Jacuzzi tub as an early Christmas present! I know you are going to enjoy it. Now, if you don't mind, can you please get out of the tub so we can finish the final walkthrough of the home? I'm afraid we may be late to the closing."
Raylene Lewis, Realtor
Century21 Beal, Inc.
979-218-2235 Cell
979-764-2100 Office
979-764-0421 Fax
University Title Company is Brazos County’s largest title insurance provider, and has been helping the people of the Brazos Valley since 1973. It is the job of the title company to research the title, handle the money, and file all the papers necessary at the courthouse. This means that when the job is given to UTC, they make certain that the property has clear title, all financial aspects with the current lender are handled, and all invoices be it for repair, inspections, or home cleaning/maintenance are taken care of. The title company is also a great source for obtaining deed restrictions, homestead exemption forms, TREC forms, home warranty order forms, and for finding existing surveys on a property. There are basically 7 steps to the Closing Process once a property goes under contract and is submitted to the title company. 1) The Contract and Earnest Money is given to University Title Company and UTC deposits the Earnest Money Check 2) UTC issues a Title Commitment – This shows the history of the property and what items need to be taken care of to clear title. 3) All Pre-Closing Items are Provided to University Title Company — This includes inspections, surveys, invoices, payoff information etc. 4) The Title Company Provides a Settlement Statement to all Parties — This can be thought of as a document like a big receipt that shows where all the money in the transaction is going and what each billed item is. 5) The Closing – All parties meet and sign the documents necessary to change the loan and to obtain / release ownership. 6) The Funding – The money is received by the lender or new owner and is actively distributed accordingly. 7) The Title Policy – Within 90 days of funding, the title policies are issued and mailed to the appropriate parties with all recorded documents. The company has six insurance underwriters, professional title insurance experts, readily available escrow officers (to help address any concerns before closing) and a large title production and closing services staff. The motto at UTC is “to make each and every transaction as smooth and swift as possible, always expertly tending to the details.” They can close any transaction for real estate in Texas, and if you will not be able to stay in town for the closing, they can email, fax or FedEx the necessary closing documents to you. Their website offers tips for both seller and buyers and, when a contract is submitted for processing, UTC provides an online closing tracking program that allows all parties involved in the transaction see what stage the file is in. It also provides access to documents and emails and lets all parties know when the information is updated. Their goal is to insure that there are no surprises at closing. Once at the closing table, at UTC you can expect to be provided with a drink and fresh baked cookies. They also have a patio for pets and DVD’s for children to watch while their parents are signing all the necessary documents. The company is an active leader in the community and regularly contributes time and support to local charities. They have earned many awards both for the service they provide and for being a great place to work. If you are going to be needing the services of a Title Company, UTC is definitely a place to consider! Need information on Buying or Selling a Home in Bryan-College Station? Give me a Call 979-218-2235 or send me an email! Raylene Lewis www.buyincollegestation.com Information on Buying a home in College Station Information on Selling a home in College Station Featured Listings and Active Rain Blog
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Nothing beats a chain-food lunch or dinner like an original restaurant. A well known local establishment for fine Mexican food is Jose's on South Texas Avenue in Bryan. Jose's is known by locals for "good food, good drinks and good fun." It is named after it's owner Jose Montemayor, who came from Mexico to live out the American Dream and cook fine Mexican cuisine for the people of the Brazos Valley. Jose came to Bryan-College Station in 1971 and purchased the local Zarape Restaurant. He wants all patrons to know that the menu choices you find at his restaurant comes from what you would normally find served in a typical Mexican home. The recipes from the Jose's and Zarape restaurants come from Jose's Mother, Mama Maria de los Angeles Garcia de Montemayor. Everything cooked and served in the restaurant is made from scratch, and there are no pre-prepared foods, no soy extenders, no flavor enhancers, and no instant mixes. If you are hungry for authentic Mexican food, Jose's and Zarape's are definitely places to try! Questions about Buying or Selling Real Estate? Give me a call 979-218-2235 or Send me an Email! Raylene
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Located just across University Dr. from the United States Post Office on Texas A&M University Campus in College Station, Texas you will find Cycles Etc. This Locally owned and operated bike shop is walking distance to campus and a place every Texas A&M University Student should know about. It is your one-stop bicycle needs shop.
Robert Rose, owner of Cycles Etc. for the past 11 years, takes pride in his shop and makes certain all clients and customers are well informed and properly equipped in the biking world. He makes certain that when you walk in his door you are greeted instantly with a bicycle specialist who is ready to help you find your next bicycle, or assist you in fixing what you've got.
The store offers special fittings, bicycle repairs, bicycle gear, and every accessory imaginable. They have bikes to accommodate all age ranges from infant riders to kids first bicycles and up. Their bicycles range from Trek, Gary Fisher, Raleigh and more! You can find Road, Hybrid, Mountain and Tricycles and choose from their many styles including Texas A&M University, The Discovery Channel and even the University of Texas.
If you purchase a bicycle from Cycles Etc. you will have free tune-up's for life and receive half off of labor. From the smallest repair like airing up a tire, to the largest repair-if you bike gets a case of the crunchies- the staff at Cycles Etc. will take great care of you. They also have a guarantee that you will have your bicycle back within 24 hours, but this does exclude bicycles that require special orders.
Many customers will agree that Cycles Etc. is one of the best bicycle shops in the Brazos Valley and is conveniently located in College Station, Texas walking distance to Texas A&M University! It is another locally owned and operated business every Aggie should know about! Raylene Lewis The Century Tree Reader-- Original Post http://raylenelewis.thecenturytreereader.com/2009/07/27/cycles-etc-a-brazos-valley-bike-shop/
Questions about Buying or Selling a home? Give me a Call 979-218-2235 or send me an email!
Raylene Lewis
Buying a Home in Bryan-College Station
Selling a Home in Bryan-College Station
While you can never go wrong with a sit-down breakfast of bacon, pancakes and eggs, if given the choice on what we are eating for breakfast, my son and daughter will always suggest going to Kolache Rolf's before anything else. Whether you have time to sit down and enjoy your meal, or if you need to get breakfast on the run, Kolache Rolf's is always there to provide you with a variety of breakfast choices.
The store is owned and operated by Rolf and Melissa Larson. When Rolf was a child, he purchased a pig at a county fair and then raised him as a loving pet. Rolf fed the pig old Kolaches, rode around on his back and had the pig following him on a leash. Rolf learned responsibility through caring for the pig and the pig and boy developed a strong friendship. As a result, his dad named the pig "Kolache Rolf" and that is where the store got it's name.
The Lawsons' have three store locations: on Longmire-in the Kroger shopping center in South College Station, on Texas Avenue-next to Copy Corner, and in the Tejas Center in Bryan-next to the HEB. Our favorite breakfast items are: the Sausage and Cheese Kolaches, the Bacon Egg and Cheese Bubba Buns, the Cream Cheese Kolaches and the Cinnamon Rolls. But keep in mind, there is a huge selection of Breakfast items a well as traditional & fruit kolaches and cinnamon baked goods. Kolache Rolfs is a fabulous College Station owned and operated business that should be taste-tested by all!
Questions about College Station? Thinking of Buying or Selling Your Home? - Give me a call or send me an email!
Original Article on Kolache Rolf's In College Station, Texas
Raylene Lewis, a House-SOLD Name! This year, I have sold over 90 Units in Bryan/College Station. As a Realtor, my Job is to get you what you want in the time you want & I guarantee Satisfaction!!
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