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Tim Moncrief, Co-Owner-Bartlett RE Group

Do not go to Cars (dot) Gov, maybe: See details below.......

Normally I would never ever pass on a political post; but what you are about to see is one of shocking form of BIG BROTHER taking over your life AND YOUR COMPUTER that we have seen in our country's history. It is regarding the site "cars (dot) gov". I wrote it that way so you would not accidentally click on the website, which is the website for the Cash for Junkers program. Some say that the verbiage of this is directed at the dealers; and, that may be true, but the verbiage is so typical of government over the decades taking more control.....and that would be with either party.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM30nqfasyU

Steiner Ranch Concert at the Park: TOMORROW!!!!

TOMORROW, SATURDAY THE 22ND The merchants and businesses of Steiner Ranch are pleased to announce the second annual Steiner Ranch Concerts in the Park Summer 2009 event in celebration of the families and community friends which make Steiner Ranch an excellent neighborhood to work and live. Other than THE BARTLETT REAL ESTATE GROUP OF KELLER WILLIAMS, below is a list of other profit and non profit organizations involved in the Concert. Go to www.SteinerRanchConcerts.com for more details. WE ARE PROVIDING 2000 ICE CREAMS in cooperation with Cups N Cone's Ice Cream.

Spend an afternoon with the entire family and enjoy fun and games, concessions, local business exhibits, and get your groove on with the sounds of live local music by Lost in Austin and the Vandargrift Drill Team, Band, and Cheer.

Steiner Ranch Concert in the Park – Summer 2009

Saturday, August 22

Steiner Ranch Town Square Community Center

Corner of North Quinlan Park Rd. & Country Trails Lane

Steiner Ranch, Austin, Texas

5:30 – 9:00pm



Business/Organization

Vista Ridge Shopping Center

26-MUSIC

Vista Ridge Dental

Steiner Orthodontics

Wild Basin Fitness

Villari's Martial Arts of Texas

Children's Center of Austin

Rising Stars Pediatric Dentistry

The Market

Thai Harmony

Shops at Steiner Ranch

Wag-a-Bag

Ernie Reyes West Coast Martial Arts

Cups & Cones

Lakeside Pizza & Grill

Steiner Dental

Fion Wine Pub & Bistro

School in the Hills

Steiner Primary Care

Steiner-Based Businesses

4 Points Business Association

Sugar & Spice Catering

Lending 360

Karin Wilkinson Strategies

Taylor Woodrow

Artisan AV/Bennett Technologies

Steiner Ranch HOA

Flowerscapes

Games 2U

Rooms U Love

Freedom Boat Club

Aqua-Tots Swim Schools

A Home for Art

Steiner Tees

Studio 563

Gene Arant/Keller Williams Realty

Kimberly McLaughlin/Keller Williams Realty

Solar Community

Longhorn Village

Apricot Lane

Water District 17

IFIT 150

UT Golf Club

Landers Premier Flooring

Lexus of Austin

The Marketing Wrangler & Company

All American Pest Control

Steiner Steakhouse

River Place-Based Businesses

Four Points Family Chiropractic

Pigtails & Crewcuts

J.W. Tumbles


River Place Country Club

Wells Fargo - Austin Four Points

Entertainment & Administrative Support

Lost in Austin

Hiduke Consulting

Non-Profit Organizations

Cub Scouts & Boy Scouts

Steiner Cares

Dress 4 Success

Atlas 4000

Hill Country Bible Church

River Ridge Elementary

Vandegrift High School

Media

Peel, Inc.

Hill Country News



Austin is running out of water...... Can ANY of us REALLY depend on water 20 years from now?

Though this notice if for one community in Austin, River Place on Lake Austin, it does pose the question of what will likely happen to not only cities, but states in the coming years to decades unless some major alternatives are designed. We will make it through this drought.....but what will happen in 25 years when our city population doubles? I don't have the answer, but it is pretty safe to say that our water source will be bone dry if we maintain our current system and another serious drought occurs. It is a concern that we all have been ignoring until it may be too late. We are feeding off a river (our Colorado River) as do the farm lands down to Mexico. Other cities and states are in a very similar situation. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE RIVER DRIES UP??? Ohhhh, that can't happen, right?

Here are the restrictions we are facing today which can face a $400 fine on first offense:
  1. Watering of lawns allowed 1 day per week.
  2. Outdoor water use prohibited from 10am to 7pm
  3. Washing of vehicles can only be done on the designated day outside the designated hours.
  4. Filling of pools can only be done on the designated day outside the designate hours.
  5. Watering of golf courses can be done on the designated day outside the designated hours, save grey water.
  6. Restaurants can not serve water unless requested
  7. Washing of driveways, sidewalks, patios, or other hard surfaces are prohibited
  8. Water run off is prohibited
  9. Sprinkler heads that are not properly adjusted by 10% in reaching the streets are prohibited
  10. Misting sprinklers are prohibited
  11. Failure to fix a sprinkler leak is subject to fine
This is over the top...right? What was a lovely Lake Travis is slowly turning into a river.

So what is our backup plan? We are waiting for a hurricane to blow out the high pressure cell.

Bartlett Group retains top spot in South Texas for KW

Well I hate to toot my own horn. OK, that is a lie. Sometimes when the market is down it is good to hear some good news. At first I was not sure if we were the least worst or we actually did pretty good. As July was our best month in a few years, I guess we did pretty good. This is for SOUTH TEXAS REGION and not for the entire state. We will probably never win the most homes sold as our price point is double the state's average.

Now there is August......... OK...that is enough tooting of the horn for the day............

Here is an email I just received......

Hello Everyone,

Congratulations to the Top Producers in the South Texas Region!

Top Individuals Written Units

#17 Christine So 8 units

Top Teams Written Volume

#5 The Sutter Team $1,802,000.00

Top Teams Closed Volume

#9 The Sutter Team $1,683,700.00

Top Groups Written Volume

#1 The Bartlett Real Estate Group $7,081,606.00

Top Groups Written Units

#9 The Bartlett Real Estate Group 19 units

Top Groups Closed Volume

#1 The Bartlett Real Estate Group $5,221,323.00

Top Groups Closed Units

#1 Lisa Kosub Young 28 units

#10 The Bartlett Real Estate Group 16 units

Top Teams Adj. Closed Volume

#8 The Sutter Team $1,467,066.67

Top Groups Adj. Closed Volume

#1 The Bartlett Real Estate Group $4,993,969.67

You may have the "IT" FACTOR and not know it........ So find "IT"

Here is a very short story of an agent that found she had the "IT" factor in real estate on day one.....(about 6 years ago)..... but a day I will never forget. Those that may not know, someone that has "IT" is an unexplainable attribute that makes them a huge success with such ease. They just have "it". You know them, but are you one of them. My theory is yes; but can you find your "it"?

I will call this agent "Claire". (not to be confused in any manner with recent AR member Claire Record with Southland Log Homes, who sells magnificent log homes in any state, though she is based in San Antonio. http://activerain.com/clairelinn ) . Sorry, had to make that plug disclosure. Anyhow, as the story goes, "Claire" worked in real estate, but mainly as listing coordinator. If you knew "Claire", you would know that a listing coordinator would not be even close to a fit, as she is, perhaps, the most outgoing person I have ever met and she says absolutely whatever is on your mind (that may be blog 2 about Claire). The agent she worked for once told me that "Claire" sometimes said "I'd would rather be sitting in a corner sucking her thumb than being a listing coordinator". Perhaps a clue, eh? So "Claire" approached me and said that she wanted to try on site sales for a bit. I was thinking to myself...."ohhh, this might be sight to see".

So on day one, hour one, I tell "Claire" that she can be my shaddow until she gains a feel for the business and a feel for the whole on site process of introduction, qualify, demo, site and close....blah blah blah. I have no idea what she said, but I am sure she was really thinking "whatever", as "Claire" is going to do things the "Claire" way.

So as fate has it......the door bell to the model rings in hour one and some guy (I will call him Joe) comes in frantically calling if anyone is there. So I tell her to follow along, but she replies, "let me do it". Mind you she has never done anything like this so making such a comment is not heard of from someone so green to the business. We see JOE at the front door and he is absolute in a state of panic. I am thinking to myself "boy did she start off with bad luck". JOE said "I went into one of your homes and when I got in, the alarm went off; the door was unlocked...I just wanted to see the home and I did not know what to do so I came here". The poor guy looked like he just ran over someone's cat. He was terrified and felt really...really bad. Ya just wanted to immediately tell JOE, "It's OK". I knew what I would say, and you probably know what you would have said, but we are not "Claire".

So her first words were not "I sorry" or "Don't worry about it" or any introductory words that any normal other agent would likely say. Her first comments to this poor guy were: "Do you know the Pottery Barn Rule". Now I am behind her and am thinking, ohhh good Lord, what in the world is she doing?" JOE appeared stunned and looks up to her and says, in sort of a shivering voice, "noo...ooo". So "Claire" says in a very serious tone, "The Pottery Barn Rule is IF YOU BREAK IT, YOU BUY IT." (I'm am thinking OMG). The poor guy just look up and says "huuuhhh". She says "the rule is the same here, you set off the alarm, now you have to buy it". I am totally speechless. There was this awkward pause for a few seconds, though for me it seemed like 20 minutes, then they looked at each other and started to laugh.

By the end of the day, we were writing up a contract on a home with this guy. That year, she was rookie of the year and off she went to be a selling machine. Now she sells homes all over the country. (Rats, I should not have said that as you may confuse this with the other "CLAIRE".) Yes, for years and years, "Claire" did not think she had "IT". "Claire" definitely has IT" and I found that out on her first day....a day I will never forget.

The story has a couple of points: 1) You may or may not be in the right position.....you may absolutely hate your job and would rather be in a corner sucking your thumb; but you have to step out of your box to find out what fits you....as we all know you can put a square peg into a round hole (though Claire may disagree). 2) Be who you are. Don't be what an industry says you have to be. If you do, it will hold back your potential. It may cause you to fail at what you are currently doing, but you may not be doing the right job.

I did ask the agent why did you put Claire in a listing manager. She said that she needed to fill that position and thought that sooner or later Claire would catch on. Life just does not work that way....unless you want to be miserable doing what you are doing.

So, starting tomorrow, be who you are; BE YOU!!!!