Galveston, TX

If you know anything about Galveston's past, you surely know that it's always been the town's hobby to cover up one body of water while opening up another.

For an example, 25^th Street used to be a canal. For some reason it was filled in, then named Bath Street. Never mind the water was gone.

And then there's what's known as English Bayou. It's the big pond that's on the east side of 61^st Street. It's manmade. The dirt and sand and stuff that were there were dug up and used to raise the area to its east. From that came streets like Bayou Shore and Borden.

My lifelong friend, Bob McCulley, passed away a few days ago by the hand of a very aggressive cancer. Bob was a great storyteller. This is one that he told me.

<<==Jody and Bob McCulley

Ellis Badgett was the father of the famous Galveston quadruplets, Joan, Joyce, Jeanette, and Jeraldine. But he and his friend James R. McCulley, who was Bob's dad, also owned a small heavy equipment company.

They dug, dredged and filled-in holes all over Galveston Island. Built an entire company around this Island obsession with finding water in one place, hiding it in another.

One time they were digging a big hole in the sand just after the west end of the Seawall. The sand was being used to fill parts of the undeveloped area around Harve Lafitte.

And like you'd suspect, they'd hit the water table and the water was rising around Sis, the old tractor. The hole had grown in its perimeter to a gargantuan size.

McCulley was operating Sis; Badgett was driving the dump truck.

Sis, began belching smoke and coughing even more than usual.

And then wouldn't you know, one morning just before noon, Sis coughed, wheezed, bounced up and down a few times, and then died.

McCulley and the tractor were now sitting in this huge water hole, and neither of them was moving.

"Ellis, what do we do now? McCulley yelled at Badgett.

"Aren't you about ready to retire?" Badgett responded to McCulley.

"Yep," McCulley said back.

"Wade on over here. I'll take you home in the truck."

Badgett and McCulley and their loyal friend Sis retired on the same day.

Sis, left all alone, stayed behind, knee deep in the muck of that big hole filled with water, for many years thereafter.

Copyright 2010 - William S. Cherry

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - PARK CITIES

Our 45th Year

214 503-8563

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Biography

State of the Island – Real Estate Sales on Galveston Island, Near Texas

It’s a new year and I dare say most everyone is glad to see 2009 end. There is new hope and heightened expectations for better days in 2010. And I must say, it feels good already! The phone is ringing more, there are more appointments on the calendar, more pendings on the board, and it feels good!

So I decided to do a little market research using our local MLS to try and figure out where we are. Galveston Island was hit by a hurricane in September of 2008 so I had to do my research ‘around’ that event. I wanted to see how much we have recovered from the first half of 2009 to the last half of 2009 and to see how that recovery compared to the state of the market just before the hurricane.

I chose the east end of the island where most full time island residents live. Here is what I found for the first half of 2009:

January 1 – June 30, 2009

And here is what I found for the last half of 2009:

July 1 – December 31, 2009

It appears that sellers are getting about $15 more per square foot for their property than they were in the first half of last year which represents about a 26% increase in sold price. That sounds pretty good. The Days on Market have gone from an average of 98 days to 122 days on market which is about right given our economy. And the list price to sold price is up about 1% since the beginning of the year.

But how does this compare to the state of the island in 2008 just before the hurricane? How far did we fall? And how much further do we have to go to get back to ‘normal’?

Let’s look at May – July 2008, just before the storm.

Before the storm, homeowners were getting $93 per square foot on average as compared to $74 per square foot on average over the last 6 months. So we are still down about 21%. Now I realize that some of the decline can be attributed to the down turn in the economy, but I think that is only about 5% - 6%.

Here is May – July 2007 which shows that the downturn in the market from 2007 to 2008 is about 5.5%, $98.80 per square foot versus $93.32 per square foot.

If we assume the downturn in the economy is contributing about 5% to the decline in the market on the island then it seems we are still down about 16% from levels before the hurricane.

I know that many areas in the rest of the nation have been hit far worse by the recession than we have here in Texas. And I am going to go through this exercise again at the end of April so I can determine if what I am feeling is being reflected in the numbers for 2010.

I do so hope that 2010 brings buyers and sellers together again and better times for everyone.

The Game of Life: Beginner's Handbook. It's a pocket size book that's about forty pages long, and it was written by my friend of more than half-century, Jerry L. Vaughn, Sr.

<<<====JERRY L. VAUGHN, SR.

In the Preface, Jerry makes a profound petition:

"It is my fondest desire that this book will become required reading and discussion for all high school and college students.

"As a book focused upon relationships, particularly those relationships that have been so divisive in the world of education, the roles and ethical relationships, described should qualify this as a primer for any student or person. Yes, anyone with a basic interest in how "things work"...in a non-judgmental and ethical way...will be enriched by what they read."

When Jerry was younger, he worked as a lifeguard in the summers. And now at about seventy years old or so, Jerry's taken on saving lives again, this time with his Game of Life: Beginner's Handbook.

In recent years, Jerry has been a financial planner for a great number of his lifelong friends and, before them, their parents. With his worldly counseling has always come spiritual counseling, and it's that combination that has made his life's involvement the benchmark for many of his peers.

Archbishop Daniel Cardinal DiNardo wrote to Jerry after reading the first copy of The Game of Life: Beginner's Handbook, ‘I think it's a great idea to offer your wisdom to others."

Here's one of Jerry's profound statements explaining Faith and Truth:

Faith is not Truth in Itself

Faith is simply faith that a stated belief is truth.

Truth, wrapped in faith, acquires validity when scrutinized under the

Microscope of scientific methods that include:

1. Historical documentation

2. Survival of Tradition

3. Applicable scientific evaluation methods

4. Utilization of technology for accuracy

You can order copies of The Game of Life: Beginner's Handbook from Jerry at the Lifestyle Development center:

Minimum Order - 5 copies $50.00

Sales Tax 4.13

Shipping _ 7.00

$61.13

Jerry L. Vaughn, Sr.

The Lifestyle Development Center

7104 Spanish Grant

Galveston, Texas 77554

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BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - HIGHLAND PARK

Since 1964

214 503-8563

WEB

WIKIPEDIA BIOGRAPHY

With our newest agent, Debora Aguirre, Ryson Real Estate is now into Galveston apartment locating. Debora has many years of experence to back up her great knowlege of Galveston apartment complexes! Soon, with updates to our website you will be able to browse all of the galveston apartments and enjoy write ups, pictures, and virtual tours. Please feel free to visit our site on Galveston apartment rentals as it continues to grow!

Cynthia Mitchell passed away just after Christmas at her home at The Woodlands. She was 87 and had suffered from the ravages of Alzheimer's disease for about ten years.

Her funeral was held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Galveston, the church she and her family had attended fifty years earlier when they lived on the Island. Her ten children were there to celebrate her life as was her husband, George Mitchell, 90. And the church was packed with friends.

Another lifelong friend, Trish Clason, sent me one of the printed programs and told me about the service.

The program shows that five people, four of them family members, eulogized her. And I know they did a great job, doing their best to remind all present of how remarkable Mrs. Mitchell was.

But the one who captured and told it all was the person who thought printing this picture of Mrs. Mitchell on the program would be a worthy contribution to her last rite. For me, this is what said it all. It left me to ponder with a smile our many year friendship.

Cynthia Woods Mitchell

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - HIGHLAND PARK

Since 1964

214 503-8563

WEB

WIKIPEDIA