Sara Goss, Realtor, Houston Bay Area, Texas

I like to see the "organic" stickers on produce in grocery stores. Why? I like choices. Sometimes the cheapest price will suit my needs. Other times I am willing to pay a little more for the healthiest choice. At the Nassau Bay Farmer's Market in Nassau Bay, Texas you can talk to growers in person about their products and methods, ask them "what's the skinny on the squash?"

Organic means the produce is grown using certain production standards and in many countries (including the U.S.) the producer needs special certification to market food as "organic". What's for sale each week at this farmer's market depends on availablility: what's in season and locally produced. That means fresh!

You can shop Nassau Bay Farmer's Market every Saturday, from 10am-2pm, rain or shine, chill or blast furnace. This is a smaller scale farmer's market where besides fresh produce local growers and vendors may be selling plants, organic baked goods, goat & sheep dairy products & meat, grass fed meats, locally roasted coffees, jams, natural Himalayan Bath Salts and handmade soaps, organic/earth-friendly clothing, handmade jewelry and other items.

The market is held in front of Erma's Nutrition Center & Natural Market, 18045 Upper Bay Rd in Nassau Bay, Texas. Upper Bay Rd is across the street from JSC/NASA. For more information call: 281-333-4746.


SARA GOSS, REALTOR®
HatmakerGroup.com GMAC Real Estate
www.har.com/saragoss

Assisting home buyers and home sellers in the Houston Clear Lake area real estate market.

Do you have a son or daughter in the city of Pearland, Texas who would like to begin babysitting but you would like them to get some training specific to the job? Even if they have experience taking care of younger siblings or have prior babysitting experience for family, friends and neighbors, this course offered by the Pearland Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will increase their babysitting skills.

BLAST! (Babysitter Lessons and Safety Training) is a training program available to potential babysitters, ages 11 to 14 years or so, and parents considering hiring a babysitter. Participants who take this interactive course online will receive training in pediatric first aid, household safety and the fundamentals of childcare. Because this exciting course is taken online, the basics of babysitter safety are learned at the students convenience and own pace.

Participants who complete the training will have National Certification provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Parents: Did you know that PEMS is also available to provide Child Safety Seat Inspections upon request?

Call the PEMS business office Mon-Fri at 281-652-1956 for more information on either of these topics.


SARA GOSS, REALTOR®
HatmakerGroup.com GMAC Real Estate
www.har.com/saragoss

Serving the Houston Bay Area of Texas, helping families sell their houses and helping families buy the home of their dreams.

If you are thinking about a Houston relocation or are a new resident, here are 5 vehicle-related tips to help you survive your first year in Texas.

1. Tinted Windows: Get them tinted, if they are not already (check state & local guidelines). The sun is hot hot hot and the inside of your vehicle will be hot hot hot after it is parked in the sun for 30 seconds or longer. (Sun shades for the front window help.) TxDot Window Tinting Standards:
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/Misc/faq/tint.htm

2. Light Colored Steering Wheel Cover: If you want to drive without wearing oven mitts or burning your hands please purchase one. They are available everywhere: big box, dollar stores, grocery stores, auto supply stores.

3. Maneuvering on I-45: Become familiar with "feeder roads", which parallel I-45 and other freeways. On the feeder the speed limit is lower than the freeway and there are occasional traffic lights but are great for short distances when you don't want to get on the freeway. When traffic slows or crawls on I-45 you can exit to the feeder. (Occasionally you will see someone exit the freeway where there is no marked exit, crossing the grass or island, onto the feeder road. We call that a "texas exit", but I can't recommend doing that) When the feeder slows or crawls, you'd better exit to the next city road which parallels the feeder. You will soon become an expert at diverting your route to avoid slow traffic.

4. If you are a new resident you will need to register your vehicle(s) in person, within 30 days. Prior to registration you will need to have your vehicle pass inspection. Register your vehicle in the County that you live in. For all details on registration:
http://www.txdot.gov/drivers_vehicles/vehicle_registration/new_residents.htm

5. To obtain a Texas drivers license go in person to: Texas Department of Public Safety. New residents have 30 days to obtain a new license. You will need to have any vehicles registered and insured in Texas first. For all drivers license requirements and offices:
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/movingtotexas.htm

Watch out for tailgaters!

©2009 Sara Goss All rights reserved


SARA GOSS, REALTOR®
HatmakerGroup.com GMAC Real Estate
www.har.com/saragoss

Serving the Houston Bay Area of Texas, helping real estate buyers and sellers maneuver the local market.

In the City of League City, Texas we are billed monthly by the city for water usage. How do they know how much water we have used? Drive-by readings. If you are a recent home buyer here you may have noticed the meter box in the lawn near the edge of each property.

The water meter itself can be seen if you take the cover off. These meters belong to the city and have electronic devices that can be read by a "drive-by-unit". Water usage is measured in "thousands of gallons". You can read the meter yourself manually if you take the cover off. If water is obscuring the dial, remove it. Plumbers have a tool that looks something like a bicycle pump to pump water out of water meter boxes, etc. Compare the numbers to what is on your bill if you like.

It's a good idea to keep your lawnmower clear of the meter box. Do NOT mow over or around it, trim by hand or with a "weed eater". Parts replacement for the meter from damage due to a mower or the like may need to be paid by you. Inform your lawn care company of this.

Landscape wisely and do not place plants or trees whose roots could eventually grow around water lines, near the box. City personnel may occasionally need access to your water meter, do not obscure or camouflage it with your plants, hardscape or mulch.

For emergency water shutuff you can purchase a "key" at your local hardware or home improvement store. They are not very expensive. A general rule of thumb is that if there is a leak or plumbing problem located from the water meter to and including your home you will pay for the repairs. If the leak or plumbing problem location occurs from the water meter down to the street and main lines the city will cover costs. Each case is different, check with the Utility Department.

For meter leaks or billing questions call the Utility Billing Department at 281-554-1335.

©2009 Sara Goss All rights reserved


SARA GOSS, REALTOR®
HatmakerGroup.com GMAC Real Estate
www.har.com/saragoss

Serving the Houston Bay Area of Texas, helping buyers find the home that is right for them, and helping sellers to sell their homes, no matter what their water needs.

I haven't watched tv for one week. Zip. Nada. I emailed the government early this year to request our free coupons for two televisions. The coupons arrived in the mail well before the first transition deadline and I hightailed it to the grocery store to redeem the coupons for two free converter boxes. The manager was keeping the store's stash of converter boxes in his office upstairs. He disappeared for a moment, reappearing with two boxes and handed them off to me saying, "do you have coupons?". I nodded.

Piece of cake. We made it.

We have lived without cable or satellite tv all these years, attempting to keep our television time to a minimum. Standard free daytime tv isn't worth watching (in my opinion) so it has worked some. I admit, sadly, that I have spent many many more hours sitting on the couch watching the tube than I would like. My husband tested the connections of converter box, antenna, tv and discerned that we will need to purchase new antennas.

No biggie. Just a quick trip to the big box store a couple blocks away.

Early May we were planning to visit the big box that weekend when almost simultaneously we looked at each other thinking, . . . "do we have to?" The government has scheduled the end of the analog-tv-world and we must convert we must convert but really, . . . "do we have to?" Is television time really adding any value to our lives? On long, difficult days it has been a blessing to let the television take me away, but do I need to watch it virtually every night? Is it the only way or the best way to unwind? At social gatherings when discussions turn to the latest episode of 'Lost' or others that I have been enjoying will I feel leftout?

For now, with what is going on in our lives, we are not in a rush to reconnect to the world of regularly scheduled programming. I am experiencing my days, and especially nights, without tv as a mind vacation. I have hours of time where I can think about my life, my goals and my passions. I have time to finish or finally discard projects that have been collecting for, ahem, years. And best of all, I have time to be newly creative.

I'm sure we will make the connections and return to watching television in time. But with an awareness of what tv has to offer, and the limitations of it. So for now it's still snowing inside.

I have been comparing my experience watching no tv to my real estate efforts and tools. If I cold turkey any of what I am doing what effect will it have on my business? I have some time to investigate some new techniques. Are my efforts and tools effective or am I mindlessly following routine? How about you?

©2009 Sara Goss All rights reserved

SARA GOSS, REALTOR®
Serving the Houston Bay Area of Texas, helping buyers find the home that is right for them, and helping sellers to sell their homes, whether they watch tv or not.