Red Day - May 13th 2010

Yesterday, May 13th, 2010, nationwide Keller Williams Realty agents put on ther Red Day T-shirts and band together to reach out and give back to their community. And, small as our office might be in comparison to other KW offices, we stepped up to the challenge and gave from the bottom of our hearts for a worthy cause.
Talitha Koums is a small but vital part of our communities future. They reach out to the smallest members of our city, children who would have been forgotten without them. Without funding these amazing people help feed, clothe, love and educate children under school age who would other wise do without. The staff and volunteers are amazing but they need help so we choose this as our "project" but it became our "mission".
The KW Cares committee met and had a plan of action in place. After meeting with the coordinator of Talitha Koums they designed a plan to address their greatest needs. Supplies for the children were needed but the building was in need of even more attention. The rooms needed paint, doors to secure the building needed to be installed where there were none and others needed to be replaced, 35 feet of unstable shelving needed to be tore down and replaced and the yard outside needed mowing and trimming. What started as a simple project seemed to grow and we began to wonder if we had taken on more than we could accomplish.
As all good projects go, we had a plan but a few days before we were to start things seem to be falling apart. Not enough money, not sure where all the wood was coming from and confusion and worry began to rise. But thats when the magic, the mircle set in, not from just one source but from an entire office. Everyone stepped up and donated time and more money.
The morning we were to begin everyone showed up at the front of our office with cars and trucks and trailers loaded with tools, supplies and most important 'smiles'. We made our way to Talitha Koums and upon arrive we changed from a group of real estate agents to a fine oiled working machine. We split into crews, painting, tearing down shelves, cutting the wood, building frames for the shelving, organizing the supplies. As one crew finished a project they simply started another and helped out with another. By the end of the day we had accomplished every single item they had asked for and we had supplies to spare.
Yes, we were exhausted but you couldn't tell because we still had smiles on our faces and were joking with each other. It was a huge project for such a little group of real estate agents to take on but we all steeped up and stepped out of our comfort zones, never complaining once, which brings me to the point of todays blog.
You never know what you can do until you try. You'll never know how your actions will effect someone else if you don't get involved. Yesterday, we were an office of real estate agents, today we are better friends and made lasting bonds. We had each others back and did whatever was required to accomplish our mission. We did it with open hearts and minds. Though we help our communitee the mircle was within ourselves and our success and success feeds success.
Yesterday everyone of our agents succeeded at their highest level expecting nothing in return but they recieved the admiration and friendship of all who attended. I am proud to call you my family. So as you go through your day today be proud of what you did yesterday, who you are as a wonderful person and were we are going with our carreers together.

Why Do We Choke?

First off, I must give credit for this to my husband and his obsession with golf for if the golf digest magazine hadn’t been lying around I never would have had this to think about and send on to you.

I’m always saying I can teach technique but I can’t teach guts and if you can muster up a little guts you’ll have success and once you have success it’s not called guts anymore, it’s called doing your job, real estate. Why are some people so successful at this and others drowning? Why, when we know what to do and have a chance do we choke?

To quote Homer Simpson: “Stupid brain!” Your mind means well, but it’s hard wired to sabotage you. Blame it on thousands of years of evolution, the reason literally deep in our brains. The human race has survived because of the adrenaline rush you get when danger is near. There is a call to action.

When our caveman ancestors saw a sabor-toothed tiger, a message of “RUN!” shot from his brain stem through his nerves to his muscles. He fled, survived, and we’re here today. That’s great for out species, but bad for your ability to do your business.

Our minds work the same way today, only prospecting is that tiger and it activates the same danger signals: Your heart rate spikes, you sweat, your knees knock and you literally want to run away. It’s a primitive, primal reaction to fear.

The good news is that it is possible to reprogram your mind. The human brain is an amazingly adaptable thing, and it can overcome this fight-or-flight response by using a three step process.

1) Recognize your anxiety. Don’t deny you’re nervous, or it sneaks up on you. It’s there. Deal with it.
2) Paint a positive picture. Visualization is not mental-game snake oil. It works because see the outcome gives your mind something to focus on, which helps your brain stem send calming, business as usual pulses to your muscles.
3) Close the deal. Make a verbal statement to join in on the positive visual like – “I’d love to list my house with you.” What ever keeps you relaxed and not thinking about the fear factor.


Over the years, without realizing it I have been doing these things. I say things like “I’m an adrenaline junkie” but the truth is when I feel that rising I make it into an opportunity to end successful instead of disastrously. I have taught myself that a challenge is entertaining and ends with success. So I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone today using the tools you learn today: 1) recognize your anxiety, don’t make excesses for it. 2) Paint a positive picture in your brain and 3) Close the deal with a positive verbal statement, the statement you want to hear your client say to you, the relax because today you will be successful.

Kimberly Kelly - A new country sound from the soul!

Song writer and country singer Kimberly Kelly was playing at the Rail Head Smoke House in Aledo Texas Saturday night so I traveled north to meet with her and learn little more about this rising song writer and singing sensation. I arrived at the Rail Head a little early so that I could try to catch up with her while the band was setting up but got there about a half an hour before the band had even arrived. This gave me time to meet with the manager of the Rail Head Smoke House, Jeremy McCormick whom along with his staff, went out of their way to take care of me. Great folks and I really enjoyed me time with them.

The place opened in August of 2007 and has had a booming business every since. I would attribute it to the great food, wonderful staff and if Kimberly Kelly is any indication of the type of entertainment, I’d add entertainment to the mix. While I continued to wait I also had the opportunity to meet with some of the more charming and colorful local residents who went out of their way to entertain me.

Finally the band arrived and before they had even finished setting up for the sound check the room was packed with patrons. Kimberly stood at the microphone and entertained, talking and teasing in her sweet southern way making everyone smile as the crew set up the sound levels. When they were finished she came to the table where I was waiting. There was only seven minutes until show time.

Kimberly’s personality radiates from deep in her heart and pours out of her gorgeous smiling southern eyes. As she gives you her complete attention you can’t help feeling good just being around her. There is just something about her humbleness yet confident approach to life. She attributes her success to her belief and faith as a Christian first and family and friends second. She has loved singing her whole life but it wasn’t until her senior year in high school that she discovered and declared her intentions to be a singer and song writer.

She attended McLennan County College in Waco Texas. She took music class and got a degree in psychology. That is also where she met the beginning of her band members and the whole thing just started expanding from there. Debbie Scoggins is her stage mom and promoter and her Aunt, Diane Smith travels with the band attending to the promotional sales such as CD’s and Tee shirts. Their pride in being part of Kimberly’s life beams when ever they talk about her and it’s obvious she loves having them around also.

She plays the mandolin and just a little guitar and uses the piano when she’s writing a song. Writing songs is her passion. She told me that she would love to sing and perform every night if that is want is meant to be but if her calling is to just be happily married, raise babies and write songs from home she could be just as happy listening to her music being sung on the radio by a country star.

I look around the room and notice that not only are there the normal crowd here but two different radio stations and tables reserved by people who want to preview her to book for their parties. I have the honor of sitting at the table reserved for her friends and family but the room is so crowded that the walk ways are almost impassible for the waitresses. It is overwhelmingly loud and my seven minutes with Kimberly are over.

I watched as Kimberly stepped back out in front of her waiting audience and took control of the entire room with just a couple of words and a laugh. She has come a long ways from the girl I saw perform a year ago. No longer afraid, this place is hers and rightfully so. The band starts up and her deep from the soul country bluesy voice engulfs the room. It is hard to image a big voice like that comes out of that tiny little lady.

Kimberly and the band play song after song, some hers, some other artists, it doesn’t matter they’re all great. The band is outstanding, the crowd’s involved and they receives ample applause and cheers at the end of every song. Kimberly and her band is on their way to greatness; whatever that maybe. With every song Kimberly writes and sings, she comes one note closer to her goals and dreams. I look forward to catching up with Kimberly in the near future and visiting again.

Personal thanks to Debbie Scoggins who made it possible and to Kimberly Kelly and her band who welcomed me and let me take up their time.


Check out Kimberly’s website and when ever you get a chance go see her. We will keep her future engagements on our event calendar and follow her progress to stardom. Her CD’s are available on her site.
http://www.kimberlykellymusic.com/

Rosenthal Ranchette

Have you ever wanted to live in the country, but weren’t ready to take on a full scale ranch? Do you long for a space of your own and not just the 50’ by 75’ lot that the normal house sits on? Do you need to be close to town and know that your children are in a good school system? If you answered “yes” to the above then you need to read on and your dreams might just have found the perfect home for you.

Just a short skip and a jump from town, located close to Waco and just between the little town of Lorena and Robinson is eight beautiful acres with one of the most spectacular country yet elegant homes you will find in this area. When you walk through the front door of this 3602 square foot two story home you know there is lots to talk about as the first words out of your mouth will be “Wow!”

It won’t matter if you want to entertain here or just raise a passel of kids, as you walk into the house you will know you can do it all. Here’s a quick run down starting with the 4 bedrooms ( 2 bedrooms upstairs and 2 downstairs, including the master bed room and master bathroom), 3 ½ bathrooms, a study, formal living room, entertainment/game room, upstairs living area, 4 fireplaces, a large kitchen and dining area, and so much more. From the master bedroom or the dining room you can walk out through French doors on to the covered patio area.

Once you’re outside and looking out from the covered patio, yet within the privacy fence, you’ll see a beautiful sparkling blue pool and small yard. Remember all of this is sitting in on eight of the most beautiful acres in the state of Texas. A large pasture sprinkled with a few trees and a nice stock pond sits out in front of the home with many large trees and more pasture behind it. If you’re thinking about a horse or two, a place for the kids to ride their bikes or go-carts or you just want the peace and serenity of owning land, this might just be the little ranch for you.

Now imagine, you’ve had a hard day at work and within minutes you’ve left it all behind and you’re pulling off the main road on to your long concrete drive and up to your home. In the back yard the kids are playing in the pool and you can smell the barbeque grilling something really good. Within seconds you’ve changed into a swimsuit and taking a cool dip, preparing to spend the evening with your family listening to the crickets and watching the sunset in your own little piece of heaven on earth.

Okay, now wake up! You don’t own it yet so you better get on the phone and get a hold of the agent listed on this web site and go buy it before someone else does! No really, if you’d like to see this beautiful place we’d love to show it to you and get you started on the path to owning it so give us a call.

First Monday in Canton Texas

I’d bet every state has at least one of these, it may not be held on the first Monday of every month. It might happen on the first Tuesday or maybe even every weekend but if you look hard I’d bet you could find one in your area, at least a small one. I’m talking about what used to be called a Farmers Market. They use to be where the local people got together to sale their goods. New and used, hand made things, food, knickknacks, chickens, goats, cows and horses. Anything that could be dragged in was sold. Today it’s still the same way except these days you can also find shops with imports of new stuff from pretty much all over the world included.

Canton Texas during its prime had the largest First Monday Sale I have ever seen. Twenty years ago it was just little booths and tables thrown together in lines that haphazardly formed rows on the flat dirt areas and the rest were scattered up and over the root invested and slick mud hills. You could get lost looking at everything and I guarantee you’d lose the car or truck you came in if you weren’t careful and scoped out some king of land mark. But these days though it doesn’t seem as large it’s much better organized. There are rows of long large metal buildings full of little shops selling everything from spices and furniture and so much more. The hills where we used to stumble over roots and slip in the mud is now covered with asphalt and little old time looking shops filled with candles, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, a massage` parlor, ole` time photos, bars and on and on. Across the main road is where the farmers, junk dealers and puppy kennel owners still line the dirt trails in make shift booths. This was still the Canton I remembered.

It was a bitterly cold day and the weekend after Thanksgiving that we choose to make this trip. It took us about two hours to get there. Canton is just a little south and a little more east of Dallas so it’s close to the big metroplex area but a tad more than a hop, skip and jump for us coming from Waco. And did I mention it was a vey cold day! I don’t like the cold very much so I will admit I would have had more fun if it was warmer but still all in all I had a pretty good time. We walked through most of the shops in the big metal buildings first and that is where I met Mike the spice man. He was selling and I do mean “Selling” the spice that he had created. He told us that he used to own a barbecue joint and his clients were always telling him he should expand but he thought that would be too much work so he decided to market and sell the spice he concocted to a larger audience. At that point I didn’t know how good his spice was but I guarantee he was working hard at selling his product and had my husband in hook line and sinker. My husband who never cooks needless to say walked away with two bottles of spice. I later used it on some fish and Mike, you are right! It is great stuff. Mike has a website if you’re looking for a great tasting spice. He says it’s low in sodium, I don’t know about that but I love the taste. Mike’s website is www.mikesseasonings.com if you’d like to try it out.

If you like metal art then you’d love Texas Metal Art. Cheryl Loggins didn’t have to sell me anything here. I wanted to buy it all. I was amazed at what can be done with plasma cutter and a torch. It took me forever to choose what I wanted there were so many stunningly beautiful pieces of art here. Cheryl I real want to thank you for braving the cold and being there that day. Your circular, rope wrapped torch color heated State of Texas with the blue bonnets will forever hang in front of my desk where I can look at it every day. You can see her beautiful art pieces at www.texasmetalart2.com but I would suggest you venture out to Canton and see them in person if at all possible.

As we walked up the long hill through the little shops I realized we we’re the only ones there. The shops were open but there were no shoppers. It felt like a ghost town. One of the shop owners braved the cold to step out and speak to us. I asked her if the current economy was slowing things down. She said it had a little but mostly just the cold. I guess only crazy people like us we out walking in it. After we finished with the hill area we headed over to the animals and the real farmers market area. This would normally be my favorite part but by now I felt like a popsicle. We walked at a brisk pace through the rows of old tools, goats, every kind of fowl you could need and more, calves, and row after row of puppies. There was a steady flow of people coming and going. The cold didn’t seem to even phase the people buying and selling chickens but I’d had had enough by then and we headed back to the truck.

I really had a great time, bought a few things here and there, including a new pair of deerskin work gloves. Rehashed some wonderful old memories and remembered why we used to only go until the early fall and not through the winter without a heavy coat, two pairs of socks and big ugly but warm hat. It’s one of those places everyone should experience. It takes you back in time to a place where everything was bartered for, the place we used to purchase everything before Wal-Mart and grocery stores were so accessible. Face to face with the people who made it or owned it.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back! It has been a long time since I’ve written. So much has happened! Let me start with our E-Zine. Some time in April it locked up the entire server and froze forever. I bet you thought we just forgot to up date it. Unfortunately, we just got too much information on it, too many hits and it froze. Then, no matter what my great web master tried and the server people did, they could not recover it. The only thing we could do is buy a new system and have it rebuilt and that was a very time consuming process.
So as we sat and waited for the E-Zine to be built we watched the economy deteriorate. Loans dried up, real estate agents, mortgage officers, title companies, an entire industry slowed to a crawl putting many folks out of work. These people were the first to start losing their homes as they scrambled to find other employment to feed their families. Home owners in Texas weren’t as badly affected at first because there weren’t as many bad loans written in Texas as other places but the economy slowly began changing here as well and gas prices began to go up.
Next the Presidential election began to consume our lives and again the Nation slowed even more as we wait to see who will be our next President. Then in the mists of all this came the “Economic Reform Package”. Will it save us? Who knows but I do know that the real estate agents, mortgage officers and so on left in this industry are learning great lessons in fiduciary responsibility for their clients and the economy.
So, now as we sit and wait on the economy, the election and things to change, we are using the time to make big changes within our E-Zine and our office. The new “Texas Legacy Country E-Zine” is up and running and though we still have a few things to change, we have a great line up of experts joining our team. Watch for their pictures and articles to start appearing on the home page. They will teach and entertain us about things we need to know about everything from farming, land care and animal issues to insurance, mortgage and economy issues. I’ll continue telling you about farms, ranches and great recreational land I’ve had the privilege to visit and even throw in a few pocket listings here and there. The economy will change for the better and when it does we'll be here bigger and better than ever.
I’m really excited about the growth of our E-Zine and can’t wait to see who joins us next. I hope you will continue on this journey with me and see where it takes us next.
/Annie

Land for Sale with Mineral Rights in Abbott Texas!

It rained all day Sunday, good for the garden but bad for people who love to be outside. So I spent most of the day reading newspaper articles in a book my husband found in an old building in Waco. The newspapers were from the 1850’s and up for Tarrant County. I can’t wait till I get to that area so I can tell you about the information I discovered but for now I’m still down here in Hill County and consumed with my garden. The sun is out this morning and though I need to be finding buyers for land and advertisers for the website, I thought I’d take a moment to tell you about piece of land for sale right here in Abbott and another one in Mt. Calm.

The property in Abbott is about forty acres, give or take an acre or two. Currently the land is being farmed in beautiful rows but would make a great place to sprig and grow coastal hay and raise a few head of cattle. It has a stock pond and a few trees and rolls down to a seasonal creek. It has water and electric available and has a great home site with some nice views. The school district is one of the best with teachers who really care about their kids. One of it’s best features is it comes with its mineral rights and since it’s rumored that one of the local land owners has hit gas that might be real appealing to those looking for a future investment. Did I mention the great neighbors?

The next property is 40 acres a little to the east close to the Mt Calm light. This property was farm land but has not been maintain for a while and has many young trees on it. It has water and electric available and would make a great home site or ranchette. It has great neighbors and school district. It’s only a short drive to Waco on good roads and mineral rights are negotiable. This flat land would make a wonderful place to raise your family and some horses.

As always you can check these and hundreds of other properties out on our website at www.TexasLegacyCounty.com and if you’d like to see them give us a call or email us. If you have property you want to sell this is a great place to advertise. We’re also looking for Rep’s so if you want to make some extra money and know how to sell contact us.