So Steve and I have arrived in fabulous Eagles Pass, Texas, just across the border from Piedras Negras. Since 
we're afraid (at 7pm) that they'll roll up the streets at any minute, we headed out to locate dinner.
Aha! Fuddruckers: Bastion of burgers and cerveza! At the order counter I notice a sign proclaiming that the burgers are made with "vegetarian-fed beef". I had no idea that there was another possibility.
Aren't all cattle vegetarians or are there some carnivorous cows out there?
Really, some things you just don't want to know!
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Here in Texas, we love to enjoy all the local flora and fauna.
We live on the upper edge of the Hornbeck Preserve, a 13 acre nature area on the west side of Stone Oak. It is the little jewel of our neighborhood. When we moved to this home 5 years ago we were thrilled to live on the edge of a beautiful canyon filled with trees, birds and four-legged creatures. Our big covered patio allows us to relax in the shade, sip a Margarita (favorite drink of San Antonians), and look out at the trees and birds in the canyon... Ah, it's a Texas Paradise!
People often talk about how great the Stone Oak area is, but don't talk know how much wildlife can be enjoyed here: We see pairs of cardinals, sparrows, and other species less identifiable- got to get out that field guide from the Audubon Society!
Sometimes late at night, especially during the full moon, we can faintly hear the coyotes yip and howl from the base of the canyon. Occasionally they dart across a street, dashing for cover in the brush- they are not very social outside of thier playgroup! Then there are the deer, and the armadillos... they could be there somewhere- right?
Just another thing we love about living in Stone Oak, in San Antonio!
Reproducible photo courtesy of www.saaudubon.org
Where the Locals Eat in and Around San Antonio
What: Bobby J's -"Old Fashion Hamburgers"
Where:in Helotes, just northwest of San Antonio, on Bandera Road, outside the 1604 Loop.
13247 Hwy 16
Helotes, Texas 78023
(1 1/2 miles north of Loop 1604)
Phone: (210) 695-4941
RATED: WOW!
WHY: Funky atmosphere, good music, reasonable prices- oh, and the 'burgers' are terrific! How do you want that burger? The selections are nearly endless, and sizes range up to 4 1/2 pounds! You will need extra napkins...
The cashier talked me into the 'patty melt' with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut- de-licious!
***WARNING***: This is not the place for your low-fat, low cholesterol diet; but if you're looking for a tasty burger, home-cut fries and a beer or soft drink, this is it!
Award Winning
San Antonio Express News
Critic's Choice Awards
2002, 2004, 2007
Helotes Best Burgers & Fries
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Be sure to visit Bobby J's website at www.bobbyjsburgers.com for a map, directions, and information on their hours and extensive menu offerings!
What's important to you and Texas' future? Now is the time to take a stand and VOTE EARLY! Early voting for registered voters is made easy in Texas; in person, by mail, by FAX, and even drive-up voting. (IS THIS A GREAT STATE OR WHAT?) Early voting is from October 19th - 30th this year for State, County and Local initiatives.
If you already know that you're registered: GO VOTE! Be sure that you know, What's on The Ballot?Otherwise, here are some helpful links for additional information:
There are important constitutional amendments on the ballot that affect Texas Homeowners. Be sure to check them out and HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS.
(Images courtesy of GIFanimations.com)
We just got the new 'stat's from the San Antonio Board of Realtors (year over year - September 30, 2009).
I'll TRY not to bore you with all of the numbers- but all San Antonians can be thankful that ou
r market has remained stable throughout the "financial melt-down" and related woes in real estate nation-wide.
Up to about the end of June sales volume (units sold) was down 10%, but since then sales have improved to nearly par with last year.
One last note: Our inventory is only 8 month's supply and demand is steadily improving. Rates are excellent and the selection of beautiful neighborhoods in San Antonio is very appealing. It's a great time to buy or sell.
iTexas Realty Co. is a Virtual Brokerage specializing in San Antonio, Texas & nearby Communities. We're Luxury Home Specialists & offer our Buyers & Sellers Luxury Service at all price ranges.
Not everyone knows what it's like to move over, and over, and over again, but we do. 
Our family has been relocated 8 times in the last 20 years alone! We moved with our children from California to Butler (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area), to Wheaton (Chicago, Illinois suburb), back to California, finally to beautiful San Antonio, Texas! With this wealth of knowledge and personal experience, we know how to help you and how important communication, and our industriousness are to getting your sale or purchase completed.
We work together to help Buyers meet their goals of moving to their dream home (within their price range!), and help our Sellers by finding Buyers who can close the sale, so the Sellers can move on with their lives! Although we are both Accredited Luxury Home Specialists, we work to provide Luxury service to both Buyers and Sellers.
We have a very intensive process and a passionate approach to home buying and selling. Please read more about us to find our if we are a good fit for you.
Our Process for Finding "THE PERFECT HOME" for YOU! Over the years we've been very successful at finding the best homes for our clients by following this process; if you need to work differently, we understand and can discuss your needs. Our objective is to find the ‘perfect home' for you and your family- which means we spend many (many) hours researching and ‘sifting' through the hundreds of homes on the market- including new homes, if that is an option for you. We have years of experience and are familiar with neighborhoods, schools and amenities so that we may better advise you. Your current list of 'wants and needs' may seem to be the most important factors in finding your new home: The best home, at the best value and we are always looking after your best interests. Keeping an eye toward the future, we realize that one day, you will want to move again. Helping you to purchase the right home today, can help you to have a more successful sale when you decide to move again.
We want you to be satisfied in a comfortable, secure new home in an area that works best for you and your family! Here's what we do: •o Discuss your needs: preferred price, location, style and amenities that fit you best. •o Search the MLS services for homes that appear to come the closest to your specifications. •o Create a private, secure personal web site for you on our local MLS system to view homes. •o Send listings to you for your feed-back, then adjust the criteria to fine-tune our search. •o Continue to send new listings as soon as they come on the market. •o Select the "best-of-the-best" homes available at the time you are ready to shop. •o Preview homes to save your time by eliminating homes that in person do not ‘measure up'. •o Schedule a day to go with you to view the best of the best homes, usually about 6-8 homes. •o Select the home that stands out as an "A+" compared to the rest of the best homes available. If we've done our homework and seen the best 6-8 homes on the market, but have not found an "A+" home for you, then your home is not currently on the market (it happens), or we need to adjust criteria and start again. Remember, we usually have about 12,000 homes available - and generally start with 100-200 homes that fit your criteria, sorting through those to recommend the best homes for your approval. During your search process, we watch the MLS for new listings DAILY in case another fantastic home comes on the market. It is not unusual for the best homes to sell quickly, so we are always keeping our eyes open and alerting you every time a promising new listing is placed on the MLS. We will also guide you through the process of getting lender approval. We don't ‘qualify' our clients (we are not lenders). Instead, we have a list of reliable, local lenders our most recent clients have been very satisfied with, and you can contact those lenders or any of your choice. It is crucial to the home buying process that you start early with the mortgage process and are pre-approved or approved prior to shopping for your home. Sellers welcome offers from qualified Buyers- so it is in your best interest to be ready to make an offer with your lender's Pre-Approval letter attached!
Carlos and Arlina, First-Time Buyers from Out of State:
"I would like to thank Sara Woolford for helping us get the house of our dreams, and most of all for helping us even with the most minimum question or need that we had. Thank you Sara for being so efficient as our Realtor! It is difficult to live in a different state (California) and accomplish our house dream in Texas, but you made it easy for us. I started searching on the Internet for houses and it lead to quite a few e-mails to different Realtors, and Sara Woolford in San Antonio replied right away to my e-mail in which she included a link to houses meeting the specifications of the type of house size and footage I was interested in the San Antonio area. I was surprised to get such a prompt response. Sara was very instrumental in getting our house and continued to contact us, or we would contact her even after the puchase of our new home. We feel that Sara and Steve were a Godsend to us getting a house in San Antonio"
Robert is a busy executive; we found his home in one day!
"Just a comment on the superb service I received from Steve...I told him a price range and area that I requested and he lined up four homes for me to look at...one of the four was perfect and I was able to make an offer right away. Through Steve's experience and contacts I discovered what a great buy this was to be! His dillegent efforts to make sure everything I requested did happen...he even made an arrangement with my new neighbor to allow access through their yard for a pool builder to install my pool! Steve is very savvy in his craft and I would highly recommend him to any prospective home buyer!"
Barbara and Rudy took months, but found their home!
"My wife and I have purchased 4 homes in the last 30 years, and each time we have enlisted the services of a proffessional Realtor. Our most recent search involved quite a focused and discriminating seach of numerous homes in a geographic area for unique characteristics that would have tired even the most patient Realtor. For the past several months we have had the pleasure of working with the most professional couple in the real estate business. Sara Woolford and Steve Golson are a class act! Not only are they knowledgeable and professional, but they have bent over backwards to accomodate our special and very unique needs in a search for a new home. We have really enjoyed their personal attention and special way they have in making us feel like we were their only clients. We would have absolutely no reservations in recommending Sara and Steve to our friends, colleagues and business partners! It is said that customer service is the most important asset in any business. Sara and Steve epitomize customer service in every way and we look forward to working with them in the future!"
John and Marie's daughter needed help:
"Our daughter was shocked when her husband demanded a divorce. The tumoil made it very difficlut for her to sort out ideas and plan for the future. One of her concerns was the disposition of property, something she had no idea how to handle. Marie searched the Internet for someone to help. Of all the people she talked to on the phone, Steve was the nicest and most cooperative. Steve provided us with all the data the court required for a settlement, and astounded us when it was at no charge! His compassion and cheerful cooperation to help with our problems can only come from a man who really cares about people he deals with. If Steve is this good in a life changing event, imagine how much he can help you when it is just a home purchase or sale. Marie and I, and our daughter Karen, would tell anyone that Steve Golson is the absolute best person to deal with in a crisis (we've always though that dealing with home buying/selling is always a crisis). Steve, thanks for being more than a friend with strangers!"
Toby and his wife needed a home- NOW:
"Steve and Sara were a Godsend! They took charge of our house search that my wife and I had been doing for six months. We worried about nothing! They viewed properties before they took us out to view them, focusing on the key features and the 'must haves'. My wife got exactly what she was looking for. I'd never seen such a smile on her! Truly unbelievable, when you find your special home you'll know what I'm talking about. This is what true professionals do!"
Thomas needed the RIGHT home for his family.
"Hello Sara and Steve! Thank you for doing a wonderful job for us. You have found us a great home in San Antonio and we are still enjoying the relaxing patio. When I stated I wanted a home that had all of my personal touches already inplace; you took the time to get to know us and found the perfect house. Thank you for doing a wonderful job. You guys are still the best in San Antonio!!"
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