Russell Lewis, Broker,CLHMS,GRI

I love ice cream; in fact I would say it is my favorite food in the world. If ice cream had been available in the Old Testament it would have easily replaced the apple as Eve's temptation. History reveals many stories and myths surrounding the tasty treat dating back to Roman times. My favorite tale revolves around a King who wanted a dessert that had both the elements of summer and winter in the same dish. And some intrepid soul invented the hot fudge sundae. (My current personal favorite!)

Austin, Texas is home to the most original ice cream store on the planet. Amy's Ice Creams was founded by Amy Simons in 1980. She previously worked at another shop called Steve's. Steve's establishment was popular for what, at that time, was the completely bizarre & unconventional practice of taking homemade ice cream and smashing different ingredients (cookies, candy, nuts, fruit, etc.) together and serving it in a cone or cup. Seems strange these days when you can buy pints of just about any flavor mixed with just about any ingredient at your local supermarket! Steve's closed and Amy went on to open her own shop and she now has 12 locations in Austin as well as stores in Houston and San Antonio. But don't look for mass growth. At Amy's its all about quality, service and community.

Amy's special secret is no secret at all. They use only the best quality ingredients and don't cut any corners in producing the highest quality ice cream available in the world. Flavors change on a rotating basis and there are also seasonal fruit, berry, and nut ice creams available. In additional to the standard sugar cones, Amy's also makes their own large waffle cones that are tasty by themselves as well as a vehicle for the most luxurious ice cream you will ever eat, taste, nibble, gorge, or devour.

Amy's goes out of the way to employ interesting and compelling folks that know the true meaning of "Keep Austin Weird". The company mascot "Lola" an awesomely funny cow, is prevalent everywhere. Each store has its own whimsical personality and feeling. Children and adults alike are always delighted by the décor, the antics of the employees (there are often displays of ice cream juggling which, I know sounds strange but trust me on this one) and the overall ambience that goes along with the most flavorful, richest, tastiest, creamiest ice cream you will ever put in your mouth.

My favorite location is, obviously, the one closest to my home. Amy's in the Mira Vista shopping center 2765 Bee Caves Road is managed by the wonderfully bright, energetic and cheerful Melissa Hanson. She is a true disciple of the Amy's mentality and a purveyor of all that is delicious in the world of ice cream. In the interest of full disclosure I have to tell you that our son, Morgan, was an employee at this location until he recently left for college. I don't mind admitting how proud his mom and I were that he managed to get hired because it is something of a challenge to get accepted. Amy's looks for employees who are a little different, somewhat interesting, and creative as well as hard working. Although maybe not as significant as being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys or nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, we were thrilled to know someone on the inside of the Amy's empire. And I admit I may have used the connection to get a few extra sprinkles of "crushin's"!?!

Enough of this talk... I cannot think of anything but ice cream now so, as soon as I post this I will be driving over to the Mira Vista store for my current favorite obsession. (My hands tremble in anticipation as I hasten to finish typing and I begin to expectantly look forward to the sinfully extravagent indulgence). Pictured at left and served up with good humor and a smile (by my favorite Pit Boss/Scoop at the Mira Vista location) the not so discrete object of my desire. A three scoops Sundae of Mexican vanilla, chocolate chip cookie dough and Belgium chocolate (with Oreos crushin's) covered partially with Amy's homemade hot fudge and a half scoop of their warm praline sauce. This artery clogging concoction will be topped with freshly whipped cream, fresh sliced strawberries, and some mixed nuts. Eaten with a plastic spoon ONLY (to prevent freezing of the tastebuds and enhance the full flavor of the frozen dessert). Okay, I can hear all the health nuts and fussbudgets out there but before you start preaching, please remember, life is S H O R T, eat dessert first and... I know, I know.... I will have to run an extra 5 or 7...or, oh whatever, a bunch of extra miles this week, but it will be worth it. Remember to indulge responsibly...

Do yourself a favor; if you are lucky enough to live in or travel to Austin, San Antonio or Houston Texas, visit Amy's and enjoy a world class treat that originated right here in Austin Texas!

Well now, Congress finally managed to pass a bail-out..."Recovery Bill" at a cost $700 BILLION. But nothing has fundamentally changed. People from all walks of life are worried because everyone wonders what is going to happen next. Unemployment numbers skyrocketed this past week and worldwide economic indicators are falling. But that's just part of it. It seems like every time you turn on the T.V. there's more and more bad news. The level of worry and stress is going up everywhere while the overall mood of people keeps dropping.

Who can blame anyone? The same culture of corruption that has increasingly put us in the mess over the last eight years, telling us all along that "everything is fine and we are in a stable financial situation", suddenly pops up with a cry of alarm and a three page "solution", demanding that we just "TRUST" them. If I were to go on a listing appointment with the same flimsy approach and shoddy documentation, my clients would run me off without a second thought. Where is the accountability?

"In school, you couldn't get away with that garbage because the taxpayers know that if we don't uphold scholastic standards, we will wind up driving on badly designed bridges and go in for a tonsillectomy and come out missing our left lung, so we flunk the losers lest they gain power and hurt us, but in politics we bring forth phonies and love them to death." - Garrison Keillor

'Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress... But I repeat myself.' --Mark Twain

"Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies" -Thomas Jefferson

And you want to know something? This is nothing new; check out this little tidbit from out the last century: "We the men in this hall, who control the economic destiny of the Nation, knew in 1927 that this terrible depression was coming, and we did nothing about it." - President of the American Bankers Association, speaking at their convention, in 1931

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that I broke my crystal ball many years ago. I am not the smartest individual around and a good example is that I entered real estate in 1989, in Texas, in the depths of the S&L Crisis. Yep, there were thousands of foreclosures, many more thousands of homes on the market and what, maybe a few dozen buyers? It was the greatest financial dilemma since the depression but somehow, we made it.

Now please don't get me wrong! I am not one of those "Pie in the sky" dreamers jabbering empty platitudes and honestly, I tend at times to have a darker more cynical attitude that I have to monitor. This is a very sinister time and we have some incredible challenges so I just get up every day and go to work with my EYES WIDE OPEN. I will not wait around or be paralyzed by fear and I will not be a prisoner of my thoughts. I make an effort to not give any power to those whose only path is that of failure on woe while offering nothing but complaints and never solutions. It's funny but I am amazed at how powerful my thinking can be as it determines my every day actions. I don't have to play that game--regardless of what's going on in the world.

Oh, by the way Congress...along with each and every one involved in getting the country into this mess, your X-RAY came back and I think we found the problem!

See you at work on next week!

The next installment of the Architecture at the Umlauf Series is this week. This monthly series was founded by two of my associates at AvenueOne properties; Scott Harvey and Carla Umlauf (grand daughter of the esteemed sculptor) and is sponsored by our firm, AvenueOne Properties. The lectures take place at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and the series is now in it's second season. There is a minimal charge of $5.00 for the event but is free to museum members. The next lecture falls on First WEDNESDAY this month and is specially catered by the hot new restaurant Mulberry (interior architecture by Michael Hsu).

And don't forget the AIA Austin Homes Tour next weekend: AIA Austin Homes Tour 2008

I'm sitting in traffic about a quarter of a mile from the stop light at one of the busier intersections in Austin, Texas. Behind me cars stretch as far as I can see. I begin to feel the tension in my shoulders as my frustration starts to build. I am just about to shout (at no one in particular just out loud,) when I notice movement in the car next to me. I look closer and see a man pounding on his steering wheel and shouting. Next to him I see his companion. Her chin in her hand staring out the window and probably wishing she was somewhere else. At that very moment, I have an epiphany and decide from that moment on I would let people like him be upset for me in any frustrating driving situation. Whenever I was in traffic, I would be absolved from getting angry or frustrated by knowing that somewhere out there, there will be several people going off like a steam kettle. To this day, when stuck in traffic I almost always see someone carrying on in the same manor and these days it makes me laugh.

I read a recent interview with Tom Vanderbilt, a freelance writer and author of "Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)," just published by Knopf. It's a well-researched 402-page book on the complicated and interesting relationship between people and the machines they drive "at 88 feet per second (60 mph) or sit for hours in bumper-to-bumper-to-bumper traffic." Vanderbilt writes that driving is "the most dangerous thing most of us will ever do." In the interview he makes some very interesting points.

He quotes a number of studies that prove without a doubt that we are not as skilled at driving as we have lead ourselves to believe.

• Talking on a cell phone takes concentration, and Vanderbilt's book points out the many ways in which a driver becomes less attentive while on a call. Because of that split attention, he writes, "We become worse drivers and worse talkers."
• "Accidents": The way we talk about traffic, Vanderbilt says, can make us think that driving a car isn't as dangerous a task as it can be. Consider the word "accident."
• "We prefer the word ‘accident' because we all drive. When you hear about a plane crash, you don't hear ‘plane accident.' We wouldn't feel comfortable with that description because it would indicate someone throwing their hands up and saying, ‘Oh, accidents happen."
• "This is the classic thing in traffic safety. You don't want to petrify people. But, on the other hand, you sort of do. ... Forty-three thousand people a year-that's just fatalities.
• "There's so much associated with driving-romance and excitement. A survey by some Canadian people found that 50 percent of car commercials showed unsafe driving acts. What are they selling?" (The ultimate driving machine?)

For years, the state of Texas installed signs everywhere with just two words "Drive Friendly." I think this simple message actually encouraged people (weather directly or subconsciously) to do just that. I wish Texas would bring them back because it might help. It is always irritating to be stuck in traffic, but the bizarre and aggressive nature of other drivers can also be maddening. For instance, I turn on the signal to change lanes and the person in the next lane (usually in one of those cars advertising its self as "the ultimate driving machine,") roars up to cut me off. Road side gawkers who slow to a crawl to look at anything at the side of the road from a clearing wreck to (in Austin at least) a man dressed in a pink thong pulling a wagon full of odd junk. Honking freaks, lying on the horn, if you don't move the instant the light turns green or just to express themselves at any given moment. You can fill in the blank with your own particular aggravation.

Okay, I am going out on a limb here with some admittedly "half baked theories". Of all the things in the world that make me cranky, hunger is right up there in the top two or three. I think this also applies to the majority of people in the world today. Now, think about the fact that at least half of the population is on some type of diet. You see where I am going with this? Well, it makes sense that there are a lot of people on the road who are already on edge from self imposed hunger pangs that are just a snack away from losing it! I know I will catch flack for this but my other "prejudice" concerns the people who pilot the aforementioned "ultimate driving machines". Now don't take my word for this. Just start looking around and I feel certain that you will soon begin to notice many of the smaller versions of this car whipping in and out of traffic, turn signals apparently broken, barrelling down the road with no regard for others around them and generally "letting the ego take the wheel..." Okay, enough of that, you get my point!

As a real estate broker in Austin Texas I spend a great deal of time behind the wheel. I am one of those realtors who divide my time almost equally between representing listings and working with buyers. Over time, I developed a strategy to stay comfortable both physically and mentally while driving. I like driving a nice car that is as comfortable as possible and is also good for shuttling clients to various homes. I believe in a hands free phone system so I can talk and drive if the need arises. I utilize both an iPod as well as a subscription to Sirius radio for a wide variety of music choices. A word of warning: avoid choosing hard rock, punk, or speed metal when in traffic as this may increase the aggressive side of your driving nature. Always have a snack nearby to avoid the crankiness driven car tactics I mentioned earlier. Last but not least, give yourself ample time to get where you are going. If you are behind before you get in the car you are already inclined to drive like a bat out of hell. In no way am I preaching. I just hope we can all drive in harmony and save ourselves some emotional anguish and maybe even some lives.

As always, I remain yours in the social graces and will see you on the road.

While recently updating my E-key, I noticed that the roster function deleted 78 members and then added 84 members for a net gain of six. Looking at the roster total I saw that there were 10,859 agents currently registered with the MLS system in the greater Austin, Texas area. Now, that is a huge number of real estate agents in my part of the world. Out of curiosity I learned that in the last year approximately 12 percent of the agents had sold around 90 percent of the real estate. Further investigation showed that 70 percent of the new agents entering real estate quit in the first year. Of the 30 percent left, 90 percent of those quit in the second year. It appears that the people making the most of this massive turnover are those that own real estate schools. I talked about this with Jason Crouch (who also had the same experience)at lunch recently and was inspired to write this post! Thanks Jason!

I hear people say that with the downturn, maybe it will clear out some of the crowd but I have never found this to be true. In good times people flock to the profession in search of the so called "easy money". In bad times even more people seem to get a license because "if you can't do anything else you can always be a Realtor". As professionals we encounter and incredible amount of competition. The only way we can effectively stand out is by building a solid reputation based on results.

I often go on listing appointments and face the challenge that my soon to be client has both friends and family who are realtors. At these meetings I also see a lot of refrigerator magnets, calendars, cup holders, drink coasters, and other house hold items emblazoned with the names and logos of competing agents and companies (which is the reason I don't employ such marketing gimmicks.) Although 75 percent of my business comes from personal referrals I depend on my reputation and that of my company to build and expand my business.

I am fortunate to work at an independent high quality firm where all of the associates are FULL TIME most of the members are share holders of the company. Last year with 36 associate brokers and agents we sold nearly 300 million dollars worth of real estate in Austin, Texas. Compare that production with the largest company in town that has over 3,500 agents and likes to trumpet the fact that they sold 1 billion worth of properties. You get the picture.

No matter where you work, you can succeed by focusing on your abilities and what you can do for your client. It is paramount that you be truthful and realistic and (walk the walk) for any claims you make about your expertise. There are at least 2 dozen agents in my area that I know might beat me at any listing appointment where I compete. If that happens, that is fine. They are all very good agents and the only thing that distinguishes us is that different people work with different personalities.

The most important thing we all have to remember is this; in the majority of cases, a person's home is the single most valuable investment they will ever have. Because of this it is important to have the best representation possible. Not a friend, family member or part timer but someone who is a full time, committed professional with the clients' best interest at heart!

Here's the difference: my clients can get the same service, effort and expertise as Neiman Marcus or they can go to Wal-Mart... which would you choose?