Galveston, TX

This year the Galveston Historic tour of homes will be on the weekends of May 2nd and 3rd and May 9th and 10th from 10am until 6pm. There will be 10 homes dating from 1816 to 1904 on the tour, most of the homes have damage of some sort for various reasons. some are survivors of the Great Storm of 1900, others of Hurricane Ike. Some have survived fire, collapsing foundations and tornadoes. Galveston is undergoing a change due to the damage from Ike, and this is "Celebrating Galveston's Rebirth".

For tickets and information call 409-765-7834.

What is Keller Williams Realty RED DAY?

"RED Day", an acronym for Renew, Energize and Donate, is a company wide effort dedicated to improving our local communities. Keller Williams associates across the US and Canada will engage in a coordinated effort to donate one day projects, related to renewing and energizing aspects of their local communities on May 14, 2009.

Keller Williams Realty Northeast will be in Galveston, Texas to "Paint the town RED" on May 14^th. Keller Williams will be painting in Galveston to help residents and businesses put on a new face after the devastation of Hurricane Ike. Keller Williams Realty Northeast will be supporting the group Help4Galveston.

For more information on how you can help Galveston County repair, restore and rebuild visit Help4Galveston.

Information is provided by Amy Rocka of Keller Williams Realty Northeast. Whether you want to buy or sell a home, visit my website www.AmyRocka.com for more information about the real estate services provided by Amy.

Ryson Real Estate has recently grown our business to include long term property management and apartment locating. This helps give us a full service real estate operation. We have sales, leasing, vacation rentals, and locating. We can help a client move from one service to the next seamlessly. We look forward to growing our property management in and around Galveston Texas!

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Galveston apartment locator

Some say that the reason the Texas Legislature put in place the Deceptive Trade Practices Act (Chapter 17 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code), was to give attorneys an opportunity to sue for big bucks, win big settlements, and pack their pockets with big legal fees. Maybe so.

One thing that the DTPA brought was that it completely wiped out caveat emptor ("let the buyer beware") and replaced it with caveat vendor ("let the seller beware"). And along with it came the inability for either or both parties to waive the rights given them under the DPTA.

In 1995, the Texas Legislature amended the statute so that now consumers CAN waive their rights under the statute. However, "The consumer-buyer must possess equal bargaining power with the seller, and be represented by legal counsel not identified, suggested or selected by the...seller."

So with respect to real estate transactions, property can now be sold "as-is" under certain circumstances. And while the buyer can still file suit against the seller under the DPTA statute, if the "as-is" notice was properly negotiated and agreed to at the time of the sale, conventional wisdom seems to say that the buyer cannot recover any monetary damages.

There is a voluminous article titled "As-Is" in the April 2009 issue of Tierra Grande magazine that real estate professionals as well as propery owners should read. It's written by Judon Fannbrough. Tierra Grande is a publication of the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.

It seems to me that it would be appropriate for any and everyone selling and buying property within the areas hit by Hurricane Ike to agree that the purchase is an "As-Is" transaction. Afterall, no one can be sure the totality of damage to any property and further, that the remediation was properly done.

If I were a Realtor practicing in, say, Galveston County, I would advise my listing clients to properly identify their sales as "as-is"

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS - HIGHLAND PARK

214 503-8563

Roy Hall (Prudential Gary Greene) and Michelle Hatmaker (HatmakerGroup.com GMAC Real Estate) celebrating Mardi Gras Galveston 2009!

Last night, Galveston came out in true Mardi Gras style with another fun-filled weekend of festivities and merriment. I was a little "unsure" of exactly what this weekend would bring. Mardi Gras is always a "hit" in our town. The question was what kind of "hit" would it be this year??? Would we see happy, energized crowds of people ready to celebrate our success and survival...or, would the event show lack of attendance bringing yet another loss to our community. As most locals know, Galvestonians can be a a little on the rowdy, scrappy side when tough times call for tough measures. But, they can also be a dedicated, profoundly generous and fun bunch, as well. This weekend they were true to form...in both ways!

Our little group of revelers gathered at Jan's house on 25th Street..directly on the Parade Route. The party was a diverse mix of local Realtors, mortgage people, bankers, and other business owners...as well as visitors that just love being in Galveston. The talk was lively and fun, but always returned to "How did you make out?" "How's your business?" "Are you open yet" The BIG question..."Did your insurance come through for you?" And it was always followed up with..."Let me know if you need anything...or if I can help!" Conversations were bittersweet mixed components of Hurricane Ike pain....and hope in Galveston's future opportunities for growth and change. Mardi Gras was a welcome relief...a little return to "normalcy"...or at least the beginning of what will be Galveston's "new normal."

A rather unique mix of party-goers gathered outside the gated area of Jan's lawn, bead-laden and dressed in Mardi Gras boas and hats, with blinking trinkets and noisy fog horns. Most everyone was in a cheerful and talkative mood...ready to reach for the beads that would rain on the crowds once the parade arrived. I happened to be inside foraging for a little nourishment when the parade actually started. So I missed the first float or two, but I could hear the cheers and shouts of those gathered on the street...and I thought back to last year's events. I couldn't help but wonder, "What will THIS one be like?" After stuffing myself with a few wings, and a little brie, I headed outside to join my friends...my community. For a moment, I had completely forgotten how many, if not all the original Mardi Gras floats had suffered severe damage in Ike. But as the parade progressed, I could hear others talking about how the Krewes had pulled together...rebuilding floats, sharing floats, "recreating" from the remnants that were left. I saw new sponsor names on each of the over sized "bead mobiles", stood in amazement at the ingenuity and creativity of some of the new additions to the string of moving monsters, and recognized many of the happy faces cubbied in the sanctuary of these bead-generating contraptions. The bands, the dancers, the crowds...all celebrating...celebrating more than just Mardi Gras...celebrating our return to "normal."

As the parade passed, and the evening progressed, I thought back to last year...again. Such a different time, such a different event. But, the common thread of community still interwoven among those of us that call Galveston "home." We're a little dented and different, this time around. That's okay...we're reshapen into something new...the beginning of something even more special than before.