It's almost time for the Spurs season again!  I know a lot of you are caught up with the Cowboys or whatever your favorite football team is.  I like football too but I love the Spurs!  

One of my favorite photos is of the Terrific Three.  Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are all three wonderful players on their own but put them together and what a team!  Tim and Manu are much taller than Tony and seem to tower over him sometimes.  The other players also are taller than Tony but he is so quick and such a good player, he outshines many of the rest.  I always think of him as short because of the height of so many of the other players.                             

On the news the other day, I saw Tony signing autographs for some of the fans.  To my surprise, Tony stood taller than all the rest.  He is not short at all.  He just appeared that way to me when he was standing with the team of giants.

Do you feel short when you are standing with a team of giants in your office, your Board of Realtors office or with your Realtor network?      There are real giants here on Active Rain.  Remember the best games are played with good teams.  It takes every player.  Every player is important.  I remember last year how Tony pulled several games from loss to victory.  He is one of the most valuable players and so are you.

Your team would not be the team it is without you.  Do not let the towering presence of the other players make you feel unworthy.  When you are with your clients and customers, you are just like Tony signing autographs.  You tower over them because of your knowledge of the marketplace and your skill in directing your clients into a safe transaction.  They place their confidence in you and your ability.  That is why when it is all over they treat you like a star.  Your fans love you and look up to you.  Don't ever forget how valuable you are to them.

Ricki Eichler, your Texas Hill Country connection              www.RickiEichlerRealEstate.com

Every fourth Saturday in September, Medina Lake Betterment Association hosts the

 annual CAJUN FESTIVAL.  There is the Great Gumbo Cook-off similar to the famous Texas chili cook-offs.  Folks from all over these parts bring their famous and varied recipes to try to win the championship in Gumbo cooking.  Attendees get to try all the different ones for a nominal fee.

Some of the booths featured fried catfish, fries, sausage on a stick, crawfish ettouffee, jambalaya, Louisiana meat pies, crawfish pies, Red Beans and Rice, Cajun corn on the cob, bread pudding with whiskey sauce, pecan tarts and pralines, barbecued shrimp and more.  The one thing I had never tried was Boudin.  It was different and I think you have to develop a taste for it.  It is a sausage with rice and a few vegetables in it.  Nothing like what I thought it would taste like.  It is a little hot to the taste.

The Festival is a day of eating, drinking, listening to music and dancing, like a big Louisiana Party.  Everyone gets covered in purple, green and gold beads.  It is fun for all.  The kids try their hand at games and win prizes.  Everyone goes home tired and happy.                                             

The proceeds go to the Medina Lake Betterment Association to be used for various community projects during the year.  It is held at the Civic Center and the Center is operated yearly with these funds.  The best thing about it is over 500 volunteers do all the work.  Can you imagine the planning and coordinating of 500 volunteers in a community of about 3000 people?  To me this is one of the most awesome things about the festival.

The Cajun Festival is well run and I was very impressed by the shuttle service to my car.  I parked at the Methodist Church and there were other parking lots as well.  The shuttle was run by volunteers driving the local school buses.  This is old time community involvement.  Way to go, Medina Lake!

I'll be back next year with my dancing shoes on!

Ricki Eichler, your Texas Hill Country connection          www.RickiEichlerRealEstate.com

I love the Fall season.  The weather is just right, not too cold and not too warm.  The changing leaves and the falling acorns are fun to play with.  

It is so quiet and peaceful out here.  Wait a minute, what is Dad doing? 

I don't believe it!

Mom has always said he is a clean freak but this is ridiculous!      

Hope no one sees this, what will I tell my friends.

That's a strong suction!   Surely there's a better way to play with acorns.

This could be embarassing.  Hope my friends don't show up unexpectedly.

What is he going to do next?

I can't watch this anymore.

Maybe I'll go play next door.

Ricki Eichler, your Texas Hill Country connection                     www.RickiEichlerRealEstate.com

Guess I chose the wrong business.  When I write a contract for a single family home, I use an 8 page contract, a financing condition addendum, sometimes an intermediary relationship notice, sometimes a lead based paint addendum, or on site sewer facility addendum, or a multitude of other forms that might apply to the home.  When I am finished a contract agreement can easily be 20 to 30 pages long.  Even for a home priced under a $100,000 the forms are all the same.  It takes a lot of paper to cover all the aspects of buying a home and make sure all potential hazards have been addressed.

After this is done, we look at inspection reports, well reports, title commitments, and then the several inch file of closing papers are unbelievable.  You must declare you are a citizen, married or unmarried, sign a form that goes to the IRS and all the paper to the lender and the deed and on and on it goes.  Does anyone have an idea how many pages of paper are used in the  average purchase of a single family home with a 30 year note?  It is considerable as you can see.

So my question and dilemma is:  Why does it only take 3 pages to write an agreement to take $700 BILLION DOLLARS from the taxpayers!!!!!    Guess I should have gone into politics or went to work on Wall Street!

Thank you, Gail Tassey, for your recent post concerning your one year anniversary with Active Rain.  I have been so busy lately, I almost missed mine.  I began on Active Rain on September 15th last year and what a year it has been!

I was like Gail in the beginning.  I never thought I would write a blog of my own.  I just intended to read and comment on some of the ones I read.  What interesting reading Active Rain is though.     The information I found here was invaluable in my business.  The friendships I began to develop were also invaluable.  Active Rain has been one of the best experiences of my life.

Learning specific information about mortgages, listings, computer technology, how to's on everything from A to Z and back, even humor, Active Rain has it all.  The folks who write here are to be congratulated for sharing their expertise and their soul.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being my friend.  I apppreciate you all so very much.  Looking forward to another great year!

Ricki Eichler, your Texas Hill Country connection   www.RickiEichlerRealEstate.com

When I was growing up, my Mom would say to me "Aw, you don't know the price of onions" or "You don't know the price of potatoes".  She would do this to get across her point I didn't know what I was talking about.  That made me more determined to research the facts before I spoke to her about the millions of subjects I was curious about.  I also learned more and developed a desire to always keep learning.  I was always eager to tell her something she didn't know but I did.  

Just a little tidbit I realized today, my favorite tuna has not only been raised in price but the can has also shrunk in size.  My 6 ounce can now only contains 5 ounces.  Did they think I wouldn't realize this?  It looks the same but with as many cans as I have held in my hands over the years, I was sure to notice.  Sorry Charlie, like they used to say to Charlie the Tuna on the TV commercials, guess you will never get into this can.  The price just went up more!

Want to buy something you want to go up in price?  Consider investing in real estate.  Give me a call and let me help you find a property that can bring you enjoyment and be a good investment as well.

Ricki Eichler, your Texas Hill Country connection         www.RickiEichlerRealEstate.com

First Time Homebuyers have a lot to learn and  sometimes may feel overwhelmed at the terminology and all the questions, answers and choices they have to make.  This is not a reason to turn back from your mission to buy a home for your family.  I know lots of times first time homebuyers do give up the search for reasons such as this. This is where your Realtor comes in.  After you have interviewed and found the real estate agent that you can work with, that you can Trust, begin your search and do not turn back.

Home ownership is the best way to gain wealth.  The average home owner will move in about 5 years. That means you get to do this all over again.  Many of the reasons for selling and buying again are job transfers or the family out growing the current home.  The second time will be easier because you have learned so much the first time.

Remember first time homebuyers, even if you don't get it all right the first time around, you will probably be OK.  Homes generally increase in value and you would be renting and not receiving anything in return.  There is not a house built that will have all the amenities at the price you want to pay.  Take the closest thing to it and be happy.  You will probably be selling it again in about 5 years.  Use this one as a first step to the home of your best dreams.

Educate yourself and be wise in your decision to buy, but BUY.  Don't put it off indefinitely.  You need to make that decision to start building wealth today and providing a nice place for your family to live.  The benefits of home ownership far out weigh the responsibilities.

Just listening to the Economic News... and it looks like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are going to be bailed out at an expense to the taxpayer via the U.S. Treasury for up to 200 billion dollars!  That's a lot of cash my friends.  (An example of how much; the cancer research in this country amounts to $6 million.) 

Job losses were 84,000 for August, 2008 more than the anticipated 75,000.  Unemployment is at a higher level than in 5 years.  Most of the losses were in manufacturing and construction. 

There was a warning for those that have 401K and mutual funds to check if they are tied to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  There could be some loss there.  Someone will bear it.  We know from experience that the ones that bear the brunt of mistakes, corruption and bad policies are the little people not the CEO's and policy makers.  They walk away unscathed and we are left picking up the pieces and our children and our children's children are left paying for the loss.

Eleven bank failures this year and more may be looming on the horizon.  Do you think it is Time for a Change?  I do.

The beautiful Texas Hill Country offers many wonderful places to "Beat the Heat".  Here are a few pictures of my favorite places along the Frio River.   The Frio River is located about an hour from Kerrville near the small towns of Leakey and Concan.   Yes, that's Concan not Cancun.  Concan is my choice between the two.  This area was virtually undiscovered twenty years ago when we first found it.  Since then, there has been lots of development even though most city folks will say where is the development!?

There are camps, RV parks, convenience stores, tube rentals, kayaks rentals, B & B's and restaturants all along the roadways now that were not there just a few years ago.  Hopefully, it will continue to remain as uninhabited as possible so the natural beauty will always be there for everyone to enjoy.

The Frio River is a spring fed rock bottom river that has very cold water.  There are springs that gush in from the cliffs as you float by and you can actually feel the temperature change.  Moss hangs from the cliffs and water drips through to the water below.  There is one area where the doves nest and you can not even talk to another person as you float by as the cooing is so loud.  The wonders of this area are too numerous to list.  It is a mystical place and one that has to be explored to be appreciated.  Have fun "Beating the Heat" in the Frio River but please leave your glass bottles and loud music at home.  This is not the place for it.

  There is no better place to "Beat the Heat" than this.

                                                                  Peaceful flowing or rapids, wonderful in every way

Fun for all

Ricki Eichler, your Texas Hill Country connection

www.RickiEichlerRealEstate.com

Thursday, beautiful Thursday.  It is my day to take off.  I put on jeans and a t-shirt on Thursdays and don't worry if my hair isn't the best it has looked all week long.  Since Saturdays are always busy real estate days and Sunday afternoons can be also, I have to make time for myself and my family.  So Thursday seems like a good day for that.

Running errands, washing clothes, cooking, shopping, paying bills, doing the little things that get put off until the last minute make Thursday a busy day.  Taking the time to watch a movie or sit on the back porch just listening to the sounds of little birds that come to the bird feeders can be so special when the usual is rush, rush.  I love Thursdays.  It has become a good habit.                           

I could not find a good picture of my bird feeders so here is one of a deer in the back yard.  Can you see quiet?  In this picture you can.

What day is your Thursday?

Ricki Eichler, your Texas Hill Country connection       www.RickiEichlerRealEstate.com