Connie Taylor

Everyone wants to find an affordable home, especially first-time buyers. So, a great place to begin your search is in Amarillo , Texas . The community has some wonderful little fixer-uppers. A fixer-upper is a home that needs repairs or upgrades. These types of properties are usually small, but can also be a cost-effective way to buy a home.

Okay, I know what most of you are thinking. Size matters. But in today's economy, you have to ask yourself, "How much does size really matter?" Affordability is what most first-time buyers are looking for, so they will have to expect less space and expect the property to need a little tender loving care.

If you're a first-time buyer looking for an affordable home, you may want to consider a fixer-upper. Of course, you will also have to overlook the imperfections. That's why it's called a fixer-upper. One of the top benefits to buying a fixer-upper is the equity you can build over time. Hey, face it; the equity you build now can put you in your dream home later.

As always, when buying a home, it is important to get an inspection. This is even more important when buying a fixer-upper. You don't want to get stuck in a money trap. Some basic repairs to expect with a fixer-upper is new flooring, paint, window treatment, landscaping, and other minor repairs. Anything more than that, you will have to use your better judgment and weigh the price of the home versus the repair costs.

Just remember to take your time when buying any home. It would not hurt to look at 10 to 20 homes before making a final decision. Good luck with your house-hunting experience.

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Amarillo, Texas has some really great schools in the community. But even with good schools, sometimes bringing home a report card can be very traumatic for some students. Some students just need a little extra help. So, one local organization has started the Brainfuse program. Brainfuse is an online tutorial that helps students bring up their grades.

Brainfuse has been funded by the Harrington Library Consortium, available to almost all libraries in the Texas Panhandle. The program gives students the opportunity to get one-on-one tutoring from a professional. The program is available from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the week in both English and Spanish.

Library officials can assure parents that the program is safe and reliable for children to improve their studies.

The professional tutors working with Brainfuse each have four year degrees, are specialists in their subject, and are all current educators. They have even had background checks. The tutors range from graduate students to retired teachers.

To access the program, students only need a library card and pin number.

If you have a student in Amarillo , Texas schools, you can access the program by clicking on any of the links below:

http://proxy.harringtonlc.org:2048/login?url=http://main.hlc.tx.brainfuse.com

http://www.brainfuse.com/

http://www.harringtonlc.org/

http://www.amarillolibrary.org/

Amarillo, Texas Real Estate

Every community across the nation needs a good public library. Amarillo , Texas has one of the best library systems around. The Amarillo Public Library was founded by handful of women from the Just Us Girls Club. Since then, the library has served Amarillo residents for over 100 years.

In the beginning, the library only had one location and 123 books. Now, the Amarillo Public Library System has five locations that offer a varied collection of learning materials including over 1/2 million printed books, books on cassette tape and CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes of documentaries, CDs, MP3s, and 56 computers throughout the 5 libraries with Internet access and the wonderful, much used Microsoft office program.

The Amarillo Public Library offers several programs that take place daily, weekly and monthly. Story-time is held each week day, sometimes two or three times a day. Meeting facilities are also available for non-profit organizations. Must reserve the room in advance.

The library, now, wants to hear from you. They want to know what your story is. If you have used the library to learn something exciting about your family history, or if you found information to help your business, or if you have ever taken advantage of the library's online resources to prepare for test or homework help, they want you to let them know how the library made a difference in your life.

To let the library know how it's made a difference in your life, just write them a short paragraph of 75 words or less and send it to stacy.yates@amarillolibrary.org. Just by submitting your story, you will have the chance to win a cash prize and be featured in the marketing campaign of the Library.

Library Address and Hours of Operation:

Central Library Southwest Branch

413 E 4th 6801 W 45th

Amarillo, TX 79101 Amarillo , TX 79109

(806) 378-3054 (806) 359-2094

Monday - Thursday 9am to 9pm Friday & Saturday - 9am to 6pm Sunday - 2pm to 6pm.

East Branch North Branch Northwest Branch

2232 E 27th 1500 NE 24th 6100 W 9th

Amarillo, TX 79103 Amarillo , TX 79107 Amarillo , TX 79106

(806) 342-1589 (806) 381-7931 (806) 359-2035

Monday & Tuesday 12pm to 9pm Wednesday - Friday 9am to 6pm Saturday closed Sunday 2pm to 6pm.

Amarillo Texas real estate for sale

Amarillo Public Library System: http://www.amarillolibrary.org/about/index.php

Amarillo Public Library Calendar: http://www.amarillolibrary.org/calendar.php/

Amarillo, Texas will be celebrating Veterans Day for days before November 11. There will also be traveling replica of the Vietnam Veteran Memorial with over 58,000 names on it coming through the city. This will definitely be an emotional day for many Amarillo residents.

Some of the events you can take advantage of and enjoy are:

November 7 -

• Take a Vet to School from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Austin Middle School at 1808 Wimberly Road in Amarillo .
• Military Appreciation Night at 7:05 p.m. at the Amarillo Civic Center with the Amarillo Gorillas at 401 S. Buchanan Street . All veterans will receive discount tickets.

November 8 -

• American Legion Post 54 Breakfast from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 617 S.W. Seventh Avenue in Amarillo . They will be accepting donations at the breakfast.
• Hutchinson County Veterans Appreciation Dinner at 5:00 p.m. at Borger Elks Lodge. Dinner will be free with feature speaker, state Rep. Warren Chisum.
• Veterans Day Cookout and Welcome Home from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center at 6010 W. Amarillo Blvd.
• Veterans Day Parade to honor all who have served our country at 10 a.m. on Polk Street in downtown Amarillo . They are asking for everyone to bring U.S. flags and wear the colors red, white and blue.

November 10 -

• Military and Family Appreciation Dinner at 5:30 p.m. at Leal's Restaurant on Georgia Street and Interstate 40 in Amarillo . The event will be sponsored by All Saints Church. All active duty military personnel and family are welcome. Please RSVP.

November 11 - Veterans Day -

• Veterans Day Program at 11:00 a.m. at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial at 4101 S. Georgia Street in Amarillo . There will be a featured speaker, Andrew M. Welch, from the Amarillo VA Health Care System.
• Veterans Day Program from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 pm. at Houston Middle School at 815 S. Independence Street in Amarillo . There will be a featured speaker, Letus Lebow, a survivor of the USS Indianapolis.

November 17 -

• Free Military Appreciation Dinner from 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at Golden Corrall on Coulter Street and Interstate 40 in Amarillo .

Whether you live in Amarillo , Texas or are looking to buy a home in Amarillo , I hope you will get to attend some of these great events.

I recently read one of the most inspirational and touching stories about a young Canyon, Texas man. Seventeen-year-old, Mark England is a 6' 1" 260 left guard for the Rebels. Mark fills the pulpit of his church each Sunday night with a guitar over his large chest and belts out "Precious Memories" in a deep strong voice. Then he asks the church members and visitors to bow in prayer.

Mark is a young, associate preacher at Bethel Baptist Church in Canyon. The Good Lord has answered many of Mark's prayers by giving him the chance to preach to his congregation for 36 minutes each Sunday night.

When Mark preaches, he doesn't shout and his hands are rarely still, but he does deliver a very strong message that comes across loud and clear. He also mixes humor with Scripture to keep all eyes and ears alert while he preaches. Mark said that sometimes it seems like a lot of baggage, but he takes it to the cross and knows everything will be okay. Mark has never been to seminary school but preaches because he loves it so much.

Mark England's other passion is football. He absolutely loves to play the game, the camaraderie and the friends he's made on the team. He has had two major knee surgeries that he has overcome. Injuries like his would have ended most players careers. Mark willed himself through tenacity and hard work to stay on the team and earn himself a starting point on the offensive line.

Most people that meet Mark think he is a full grown man in kid's body. He is very mature for his age and it shows every time he opens his mouth. Mark accepted Christ when he was just 11-years-old. He said it changed his life at that very moment. And at the age of 13, he was asked if he wanted to preach is first Sunday night sermon.

Mark knew he needed to be in front of people, so he said yes. His first sermon lasted just 4 1/2 minutes. He said he was so nervous as he preached on "Fleeing from God." Since then, Mark has preached so many sermons he can't count them. He also has his own website www.markenglandministries.com.. Mark believes the Lord is moving him to do this. He says the Holy Spirit takes over and it's awesome. He truly loves it.

Wow, so young to be so inspirational to so many. It's a very touching story of such a young man who knows what he wants, and isn't afraid to go after it.