Citizens Celebrate Diversity at Amarillo’s Unity Day

The NAACP is hosting a Unity Day celebration at Martin Luther King Park on August 9th from 1pm to 5pm.  Originally created as an antithesis to the KKK’s divisive rally in 2005, Unity Day is a celebration of the contributions that all ethnicities have made to the Amarillo lifestyle.  There will be live entertainment, including a recital by the Celebration Dance Texas ballroom dance troupe, free hot dogs and barbecue and even inflatable bouncers and face painting for the kids.  For more information on the Unity Day festivities, please call 806-355-4733.

Amarillo Wants You to Name That Frog!

The Amarillo Botanical Gardens is holding a contest inviting residents to name the whimsical frog musician statue that welcomes visitors to the garden.  Our frog is also the mascot for the summertime Music in the Gardens series.  All of Amarillo is welcome to submit their suggestions by August 20th, with the winner to be announced at the Music in the Gardens’ final performance on August 25th.  The winner will receive an annual membership for a family of four to the gardens.  So, put on your thinking caps and name our toe-tapping amphibian friend.  All entries must be in writing and should be sent to the Amarillo Botanical Gardens, C/O Name the Mascot Contest.  For rules and more information, please visit the Amarillo Botanical Gardens’ website.  What a fun way to show your civic pride!

Things Are Great In Texas

Recently, Forbes.com released a report regarding America’s most recession resistant cities. Out of the 10 cities featured in the report, four of them were cities in Texas.  In fact, Texas was the only state to have more than one city recognized.  These cities included: San Antonio #2, Austin #3, Houston #7 and Dallas ranked as #10.  By the way, Oklahoma City took the #1 spot.
 
The Forbes report examined the 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas using key factors such as unemployment rate (U.S. Labor of Statistics), job growth in addition to housing affordability and stability.
 
Amarillo does not fall within the “50 largest metropolitan statistical areas”, but I believe Amarillo is just as strong as our Texas sister cities.  Unemployment is down (3.8% to 3.5%) and job growth is still in the positive area (1.6%).  Our real estate market is strong, with a steady increase in values since 1998 (Texas A&M annual report 2007).
 
My sound advice this week is to invest in your future and buy Amarillo real estate!  If you are considering a relocation move, then based on the Forbes report, Texas is the state to chose and, in my opinion, the best city to live is Amarillo, Texas.

Cooling Off Summer Cooling Costs

Summertime brings with it higher temperatures and higher cooling costs.  To help chill off without overheating your wallet, keep these tips in mind:

1. Whether portable or an outside unit, air conditioners should be placed in a shady spot.  That way, the unit doesn’t have to work as hard.

2. Buy the right sized unit.  If a unit is too small, it won’t cool enough.  If a unit is too big, it won’t pull all the humidity out of the air, creating a muggy atmosphere in your home.

3. On humid days, keep the fan on low.  Pulling air slowly through the unit allows it to pull more humidity out of the air, helping keep the air cooler.

4. Clean the air filters once a month.  Make sure you can vacuum and/or wash filter with soapy water.  If you have an outdoor unit, make sure to clean around it to get rid of debris and leaves.

5. Try using portable and/or ceiling fans.  This allows your body to believe it is cooler so you can set the temperature on your a/c unit higher.  But, don’t leave these on all the time or it defeats the savings.

6. Replace your regular light bulbs with CFL lights.  They don’t get as hot as regular bulbs and don’t increase the temperature of your house, easing the work your a/c unit has to do to cool down the air temperature.  At $5/year energy savings, a typical house can save $225 per year for 45 light bulbs.

7. Keep blinds and drapes closed.  Less sun exposure through the windows means less heat getting through.

Why Choose Amarillo?

Located in the center of the Texas panhandle, Amarillo earns its name as “the yellow rose of Texas”.  The millions of acres of agricultural land surrounding the city gives it a wide open “home on the range” feel.  But, Amarillo remains the Texas panhandle’s commercial center.

Besides Amarillo’s great public elementary school system, there are several wonderful institutions of higher learning set here.  These include everything from Amarillo Community College, a campus of Wayland Baptist University and the Texas Tech School of Pharmacy to the word famous West Texas A&M.

With over 50 city-maintained parks within its city limits, outdoor recreation plays a large part in the Amarillo lifestyle.  It also plays host to several events throughout the year to honor the American cowby, such as the Tri-State Fair and Rodeo and the World Championship Ranch Rodeo.  Native Americans are honored at the Kwahadi Kiva Indian Museum. 

Not everything in Amarillo is about the Old West, though.  The Amarillo Opera, Symphony and Lone Star Ballet call the Globe News Center for the Performing Arts their home.  Visitors and residents alike can enjoy any one of the many museums and art galleries in Amarillo as well.  For science buffs, the Don Harrington Discovery Center is an interactive museum that has over 60 hands-on exhibits for children of all ages to enjoy.

There are so many reasons Amarillo real estate should be put at the top of your list of places to live that I just can’t name them all here.  Give me a call or drop me a line and I’ll show you for myself why I love Amarillo.

Thankless to Tankless: Water Heater Efficiency

The life span of a hot water tank is only 10 years.  If you are in the market for a new water heater, consider going tankless.  This fabulous device instantly heats water on demand and takes up much less space than a traditional water heater.  Since it only heats water when needed, there is no need for a water tank holding unused water and wasting energy to keep it at a ready-to-use temperature all the time.  Their newer technology allows water to be heated more efficiently than in the past.  So, not only is it a space-saver, but it is an energy-saver as well.  With so many people looking for ways to live “greener”, the tankless water heater is a great way to help the environment and your pocketbook all at the same time!

See for yourself why Tom Kile is a sound choice for Amarillo real estate.

Searching for Amarillo

It is the middle of spring and the summer will soon be upon us. This is the traditional time of year that Americans move to new locations whether in their home town or across country.

 

Today, I decided I would do some research on the internet to see what “hits” were received  when someone searched for  Amarillo relocation information. I used the search criteria of Relocate to Amarillo and Amarillo Relocation. I found a Cost of Living/Relocation calculator that was helpful and several sites that allowed you to search the MLS. I found that most of the sites, I visited, wanted your information but did not give community information. I found some sites interpretation of information was to post demographics and charts regarding population and the economy but did not tell you about the City of Amarillo or the surrounding areas.

 

My sound advice for you this week is to check my website, AllAmarilloHomes.com. Here you will find information on the City of Amarillo, Bushland and Canyon. You will also find information on Potter County and Randall County.

 

My goal each week is to give you sound real estate advice, not “blow my own horn” but in this case I really feel that my website AllAmarilloHomes.com is among the best for giving you relocation information.

 

If you are thinking of relocating to an area outside of Amarillo you can contact me and I will refer you to a Realtor in that area.

Texas Wins

I believe in Amarillo as one of the best places to live in the nation and a sound investment for your real estate dollar.

 

According the Texas A & M annual report 2007, unemployment is down by about .03%, job growth is on the plus side with a growth of 1.6% and the real estate market in Amarillo is strong and steady. In the Past 10 years, the value of homes has been on a steady rise.

 

If that is not enough for you to consider investing in Amarillo, you should know that Forbes.com recently released a report showing that the State of Texas is the strongest in the nation to withstand a downturn in the economy.  All four of Texas ’ largest cities made the list as America’s Recession Proof Cities. In the top 10 spots were: Dallas (#10), Houston (#7), Austin (#3) and San Antion (#2).

 

The factors such as low unemployment, continued job growth, housing affordability and the stability of the housing market were all considered. As you can see, Amarillo also shares those assets.

 

If you are considering an investment into your future, consider investing in Amarillo real estate. If you are considering relocating,  you should definitely consider the benefits of living in Amarillo , Texas .

One to Get Ready:

When marketing your home, you need to keep it in “ready-to-show” condition. This is not always easy as you do not live in a model home with plastic people.

Here is some sound advice for a quick fix:
Throw it away: Throw away any items that do not belong and empty the trash.
Wipe it down: Wipe down counter spaces in the kitchen and bathrooms. Use a duster for quick dusting. Damp mop and vacuum the high traffic areas.
Arrange it: Neatly arrange items that have not been thrown. Put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher and make the beds.
Use your closet: Hide away any items in the closet that really don’t belong.
Turn on the lights: Turn on your lamps and open the blinds slightly to let in the light.
Spray and scent: For quick odor elimination, use an air freshener and light a few strategically placed candles (kitchen, living room and bathrooms).

Two to Show: Now, you can sit down and relax with a smoothing cup of tea and you will look like a pro!

Do Home Improvements Sell?

There are those that will tell you that home improvements will make your home sell for more. I am here to tell you, in my honest opinion, this is most likely not the case.

All homes are “sell-able” in their present condition. In real estate, price fixes everything. The question is: do you want to sell your property in its present state at the current market value? If your answer is no, I caution you to make your choices on improvements carefully. If you are planning to sell in a relatively short amount of time, this is an even truer statement. I would advise you to consult with a real estate professional about what repairs need to be done to receive the best return for your money. If you are looking to improve your property to suit your lifestyle and standards and do not plan on selling any time in the near future, I would suggest that you make the improvements that you will benefit from and enjoy the most.

A sound piece of real estate advice is to only make improvements because they will meet your lifestyle. Do not keep up with “the Jones” but do keep up with the types of homes in your particular neighborhood. A word of caution: if the improvements will be above the standards in your neighborhood, a wiser choice for you may be to consider purchasing a home with the amenities you want already built-in.

It is possible to over-improve a property. Even if your home is the nicest and best maintained in the neighborhood, at best, it will only sell for slightly more than the average maintained home in the same neighborhood. An over-improved/built property may prove to be a white elephant and the money you spent may have been better used to purchase a “move-up” home.

For sound advice regarding making decisions about whether to remodel or move up in the Texas Panhandle area, please contact me.