Wednesday, September 29, 2010

En Fuego in Murphy -- UPDATE

Check out who was the first En Fuego customer to enjoy the new patio?

J.T. enjoying his pipe on the new patio.




That's J.T. Oden the Real Estate Man enjoying his pipe on a small pile of bricks.  Something tells me that's not the final seating design but it's going to be nice.  See why Your Broker Matters (TM)?  Yup.




Construction on the patio proceeds on...


So, I'm getting ready to run away from home.  The best coffee house of all: Saxby's in Murphy, is a scone's throw from the new En Fuego location.  Sweet.












The Moore guys reported on Facebook that the wood floors went in Tuesday.  That's going to be a lovey value add.  Nice.  I suspect that there are Murphy residents who are occasional pip and cigar  fans who have never been inside an upscale cigar establishment like En Fuego.  They're going to love it.


Thursday, September 23, 2010

Customer Service Post #54

Mozy.com
It's an online backup service. No CD's, no external hard drives, secure, fast, easy---or so they said.

Guess what, it broke. It wouldn't work on my computer. Now, at only $5 a month, I didn't expect a lunch with the company president. I didn't get it. I did get a refund! Not only that, but 2 free months should I chose to stay with their service. Grand total cash we're talking about? $25. My 3 months paid when the service failed plus they gave me 2 more months free. But money isn't the point for either of us.

Customer service is what moved them and makes me willing to stay on as their customer.


Hey, you gotta give props when they're due.  I like www.mozy.com


Friday, September 17, 2010

10 Reasons to Buy a Home

Time magazine is being overly pessimistic [because Time magazine is largely edited by idiots --Ed.] in its recent cover piece that called into question the benefits of homeownership. In fact, now is a great time to buy. And, what's more, tomorrow will be a great time to own, because the fundamental strength of homeownership hasn't changed [and because Time magazine doesn't remember that there is more to the USA than California and the East Coast--Ed].

Why is now a great time to buy? Here are 10 reasons:

1. You can get a good deal. Prices are down 30 percent on average. They're at a level that makes sense for people's income.

2. Mortgages are cheap. At 4.3 percent on average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, your costs to own are down by a fifth from two years ago.

3. You can save on taxes. When you add up the deductions for mortgage interest and others, the cost of owning can drop below renting for a comparable place.

4. It'll be yours. The one benefit to owning that never changes is that you can paint your walls orange if you want (generally speaking; there might be some community restrictions). How many landlords will let you do that?

5. You can get a better home. In some markets, it's simply the case that the nicest places are for-sale homes and condos.

6. It offers some inflation protection. Historically, appreciation over time outpaces inflation.

7. It's risk capital. If the economy picks up, you stand to benefit from that, even if you're goal is just to have a nice place to live.

8. It's forced savings. A part of your payment each month goes to equity.

9. There is a lot to choose from. There are some 4 million homes available today, about a year's supply. Now's the time to find something you like and get it.

10. Sooner or later the market will clear. The U.S. is expected to grow by another 100 million people in 40 years. They have to live somewhere. Demand will eventually outpace supply.

Source: Wall Street Journal, Brett Arends (9/16/10)

Murphy is SMOKIN! ---UPDATE

En Fuego Murphy Update

I describe En Fuego as an upscale cigar shoppe (with two p's). This is no discount tobacco store. This is as delightful a location as you could imagine for sharing a cocktail, a cold beer, coffee, and sitting with friends to chat and catch up----provided you enjoy cigar and pipe tobacco smoke. We look forward to their grand opening!

EnFuegoMurphy

En Fuego is expanding to Murphy! We anticipate opening in November. We will keep you informed of their progress.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

BP offers compensation to real estate professionals

The Texas Association of REALTORS(R) reports that real estate brokers and agents in Texas who have lost income as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill may be eligible for restitution from the BP Gulf Coast Claims Fund. To qualify for these emergency funds, applicants’ lost business must be in close proximity to the coastline.
What’s the objective of this fund?
The fund is intended as emergency assistance and pertains only to certain types of lost income with many exclusions, such as commercial transactions. Consult the claim form to determine eligibility.

How much assistance is available?
Each claim is eligible for a maximum payment of $12,000.

Who decides if a claim is paid?
Members of the Texas Association of REALTORS® Legal Department and Leadership Team will conduct preliminary reviews of claims to confirm eligibility, but the association will not determine fund allocations. The eligible claims will be forwarded to a third-party administrator who will decide which claims to pay.

How do I file a claim?
Download the claim form from TexasRealEstate.com. The deadline to file a claim is Nov. 23, 2010. Contact the Texas Association of REALTORS® Legal Department at 800/873-9155 for more information.
(Article reprinted crassly without permission, originally published by