Galveston Condos and Pets   When searching for a condo to buy in Galveston, Texas be sure to ask about whether pets are allowed.   Many potential buyers are disappointed when they later find out that their cherished pet is not allowed in the development. We do have many condo developments on Galveston Island that do allow pets.  Some that do allow pets are Oceangrove, The Breakers, By the Sea and The Palms.  There are a few others, ask me about this in your property search! It's always best for Realtors© and buyers of Galveston Real Estate to keep this on the list when looking for property. We all love our pets, and we also love the beach! 05/19/2011

The Real Estate Market in Galveston Galveston, Texas and its real estate market has always been a little more unscathed by national trends; the reason for this is because Galveston Island is a resort community and heavily investor owned and second-home owned. Even in a down or buyers market, our vacation rental industry still makes huge profits.   When prices are lower, wise investors or second-home buyers know it's time to buy! The real estate market in Galveston today is a great time for every type of buyer to get in one great prices.  You can own a small condo at Casa Del Mar for as little as 50K...you can save 100K on a beach house on Galveston's west end, or you could get a luxury condo at Oceangrove for thousands less than top market price and use it for income. Our market in Galv... 05/19/2011

Galveston Condo vs. Galveston Beach House Many potential buyers already have in mind exactly what they want to buy...but sometimes I get asked: Which property would be best a condo, or a beach house? Beach homes and condos are both great investments as well as excellent properties for family vacations and weekends. Condos offer lower maintenance, most H.O.A.'s provide insurance within their monthly fee, and they are easy to care for and overall wise investment choices. Beach Homes do have insurance requirements but normally have very little in the way of H.O.A. fees and also provide for more space. Homes are also great if you have pets that you like to take with you to the beach! As far as Galveston vacation rental income, the closer you can get your beach house to the water, the better... 05/18/2011

Taking the Mystery out of Galveston Condo H.O.A. Fees   One of the first things everyone wants to know, about condos especially, is how much the home owners association fee is...the H.O.A. fee. In general, the HOA fees cover things like grounds maintenance, trash and insurance and sometimes cable t.v. and water.  Sometimes there are exceptions where condos will charge another fee quartely, etc..for insurance, but in general all of the building insurance is covered in the monthly home owners fee. This is a huge advantage for the condo buyer; rather than buying flood, home owners and windstorm insurance you have it covered within your home owners fee. Some newer or more luxury buildings have higher home owners association fees than the more established developments or smaller developments... 05/18/2011

Many people visit family gravesites on special occasions to pay their respects and leave flowers. This spring, God did an extraordinary job of leaving wildflowers on the grave sites at Galveston's historic Broadway Cemetery. I was in Galveston to show houses last week, when I passed by the historic cemetery between 40th and 43rd streets on Broadway Blvd. I was blown away by the abundance of yellow wildflowers covering the graves in the seven separate cemeteries located within the Broadway Cemetery block. I couldn't stop to take a picture, because I was in a hurry to meet my clients. But, today I was back in Galveston and made a side trip to the cemetery to get a picture of the beautiful flowers carpeting the graveyards. The flowers were still there, but I was disappointed that the cover... 05/10/2011

The Strand: A Lingering Shadow of Riches Untold, Whispering Night Bay Breezes by Bill Cherry Now that the battle that made Texas a republic in 1836 had ended, the founders of Galveston were finally able to get down to the business of building the new city. While French sailors were settling in at the Gem saloon ("Your First and Last Chance" was lettered on the door) for an afternoon of drinking that would extend through the night, members of the Galveston Company began selling lots to the town they had envisioned and designed. And in the same building, known as No. 6 Strand, near the corner of 17th Street, the first city council met to plot the course that the city would take to assure a prosperous development. Auction houses, steamboat agents, cotton factors and mercantile stores were... 05/10/2011

I have been working hard to get some new articles up and get some new pictures around town. I would like to write an article for every neighborhood going west to east on the island. These newest articles are on some of the nicest areas on the island. I am a bit partial to them for various reasons. Each one is very nice, has great buys right now, and are great vacation rentals. the start: Pointe West Galveston Playa San Luis Laguna San Luis       05/06/2011

Since I moved to the Island 13 years ago, every year I would hear talk of casinos coming to Galveston, but I really did not start paying attention to the speculations and opinions from fellow Islanders until about 5 years ago when I started my career in real estate. As each year passed, more and more clients would ask me what I knew about the controversial issue and what impact it would have on the city of Galveston. It seems that this became a popular debate and “what-if” scenario for Island property owners since 2009. After the painful year Galveston experienced in 2008 due to Hurricane Ike’s wrath as well as UTMB, one of the Island’s major sector of the economy, laying off over 3,000 employees, more and more people seemed to support the idea of expanded legalized gambling in Texas. M... 05/05/2011

Galveston  investment property,  multi-family, with leases currently in place.  Perfect investor property priced at only $147,900.  Property has been upgraded and completely re-done after Hurricane Ike. Galveston Island is welcoming new businesses moving into the Strand District.  The Strand District is becoming Galveston's own version of the New Orleans French Quarter.  Fabulous restaurants and retail shops cater to the island's cruise industry, with hundreds of cruise vacationers visiting the Strand while in port.  There's no shortage of entertainment, shopping, and dining venues in Galveston.  Islanders often  walk or ride bikes to reach their favorite restaurants and shops.  A thriving community is coming together on Historic Galveston Island! The University of Texas Medical Branch ... 04/30/2011

I enjoyed a quick trip to Galveston this morning to show some condos along the Seawall. Condos in Galveston have been really popular with investors lately. One of the nicest condo projects in Galveston is The Dawn Condominiums located at 7000 Seawall Blvd., about a half a mile east of 61st Street.  The Dawn provides incredible ocean views, two sparkling resort-style pools, and a fitness center. The condos are right across the street from the beach, and are close to attractions such as The Strand, Moody Gardens, Schlitterbahn waterpark, the Galveston Island Ferry, historic homes and museums, and much more.  Some people live in their condos at The Dawn, but many of the condos are used as rentals for the Galveston Island tourist business. There is an on-site management company that will ha... 04/21/2011

  THE MASTER'S HAND By Realtor Bill Cherry I honestly don't think people act as civilly as they did in my mom and dad's time.  Not even as they did when I was growing up.  In fact, not even as they did when I was a young businessman.  Somewhere along the way, the once precious sanctity of getting along with our neighbors seems to have, in many instances, defaulted to determining resolution to disagreements by who can afford to be the biggest bully.  It's a means that is indisputably borne in despicable effusion. There was a very fine attorney who served the citizens of Galveston, Texas for many years.  His name was Owen Dudley Barker.  Mr. Barker thought his job was to resolve problems, not to file law suits.  When a client would come to him for advice, he would take the well-worn Bible... 03/21/2011

Mardi Gras in Galveston, Texas! You don't have to make that trip out of Texas to celebrate Mardi Gras!  Galveston's first recorded Mardi Gras was recorded in 1867 and with the exception of some suspensions during World War I and World War II, the celebration has continued. Mardi Gras in Galveston draws upwards of 250,000 people and more over two weekends.  Only a couple of days left to celebrate along the Gulf Coast seawall of Galveston! For further information, check the official website!   Diana Manzato, Broker Associate Coldwell Banker RES Denton County Texas Lakefront Property Specialist 03/06/2011

What do pancakes & Shriners Hospital have in common? On March 1st…….. EVERYTHING! IHOP restaurants all over the country are teaming up to raise money for Shriners Hospitals.  On Tuesday March 1st IHOP restaurants will be serving up hot cakes and asking only that you make a contribution to Shriners Hospital.  This favorite dining spot for those of us who like pancakes (who doesn’t?)  has set up a huge goal of raising $2 million for this one day event that is a tribute to pancakes and children. (What’s not to like?) For those who are not familiar with the Shriners Hospital, this is a group of 22 pediatric, specialty hospitals that treat children with burns, spinal cord injuries, cleft palate and orthopedic conditions.  Treatment of these children is not dependent on the ability to pay.  ... 02/22/2011

I've been writing for one newspaper or another since sixty years ago when I wrote my first story for Galveston's William B. Travis Elementary School's paper.  I've even written for national magazines, in those cases most of the time under a pen name.  Forbes, Business Weekly, Forbes, Playboy and even The New Yorker are examples. Many people are critical of the composition of the make-up of the editorial content of their newspaper.  Not enough national news. Not enough local news. Not enough state news. The paper's too biased.   Not enough news altogether. Maybe my explanation will help. In the main, there are only two sections of the newspaper that take up the same amount of space, day in and day out; the first page and the editorial op-ed section.  In order for every other page to exis... 02/14/2011

A Primer of the Island's Experience with Gambling's PastBy Bill Cherry Once again, there are those who hope that legislation allowing casino gambling in Texas will be introduced in this session, and that it will be approved.And once again, the uninformed and the unrealistic dreamers who live in Galveston are salivating...they think this is the answer to turning around an economically crashing city.The majority of today's Galvestonians were not here or not old enough at the time to be able to evaluate what effect gambling had on the island's lifestyle and economy before it left for good in 1957. I was.In the days when Galveston's vice was operating wide-open, most homes and businesses throughout the U.S. were not air conditioned. So while tourists came to Galveston for the beaches, they ... 02/12/2011

The Balinese Room Galveston Texas The infamous Balinese Room a Galveston Legend, jetted 600 feet out into the Gulf of Mexico.  It was a very popular night club back in the 40’s and 50’s.  Some of the greatest entertainers spotlighted here. Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, ZZ Top and many others.  Patrons often seen here included Howard Hughes, Sophie Tucker [last of the red hot mommas] and well known oil barons from local Houston. In 1929 two brothers Sam & Rosario Maceo, Sicilian immigrants, took over control of the Balinese Room and turned the back room into a hot spot for gambling with all of the best and most modern gaming equipment.  The Balinese Room became a popular hangout for mob activities.  It was no secret to law enforcement what was going on, but with the paid protectio... 02/07/2011

    When buying a beach front home on Galveston Island, there are a few special things you need to know.   1.  Base Elevation – One of the first things to understand when purchasing property in or around Galveston Island is the base flood elevation (BFE).  The base elevation is measured from the sea level to a point above the earth.  On Galveston Island the lowest of zero to the highest of 15  feet.  2. Is the property you are planning to buy ‘Firm’ or ‘Pre-Firm?’  Firm =the official FEMA mapping of a community determining special hazard areas and the risk premium zones for that community.  Pre-firm = those buildings built before the effective date of the first flood rate map for that community. You may hear these buildings referred to as “Grandfathered” as the flood management rules do... 02/04/2011

  There are only seven species of sea turtles recorded and six of those are classified as endangered.  Kemp’s Ridley is the smallest of the all the species, with a full grown adult weighing between 80 to 100 pounds.  Their top shells or caraspace are oval or heart shaped.  They inhabit warm waters and the females return each year, mostly to the same beach for nesting from April to August.  The females nest three times per season laying 100 to 110 eggs in each clutch. Incubation lasts from 45 to 70 days.  Sexual maturity is not reached until the turtle reaches the age of 35.  The hatchlings sex is determined by the temperature of the climate during incubation.  The cooler the temperature the greater the chance of the sex being male.  Galveston has the only “Turtle Barn” in the nation.  T... 01/31/2011

The time has never been better for buying in Galveston. Prices are better than ever and interest rates remain low.  How long this may last is anyone’s guess. With the state legislature again looking at gambling for Texas and push coming from Galveston Island, time for great prices may vanish. In the fall the Galveston Chamber of Commerce conducted a survey of Island business owners and found that 79% of the respondents agreed that gambling would help their business. Gambling is a $31 billion industry and employs over 330,000 paying out over $13 billion in wages each year. It also adds economically over $5 billion in gaming taxes each year.  The best model to compare Galveston with for gaming would be Mississippi. Since 1993 casinos have paid the state over $4 billion in taxes. Now may ... 01/22/2011

“Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we should dance” ~Author Unknown~ That is exactly what Galveston Island plans to do. Mardi Gras Galveston will be celebrating its 100th event since its inception in 1867.  Twelve fun filled days of elegant balls, parties, parades, a beach front carnival, shopping and entertainment from Rock & Roll to Jazz.  The food will be spectacular as some of the best cuisine on the gulf coast is served. The Mardi Gras ‘Krewe’ is an organization structured around the concept of royalty.  They have a King, a queen and a court.  These Krewes are social organizations requiring membership dues for joining.  They sponsor elaborate balls, celebrations and are also the masking and parading members that Mardi Gras is known for.  Many of the Kre... 01/15/2011