Archives June 2011

Day Trips from San Antonio

Daytrips from San Antonio

Created by Adrienne Lawrence

State Capitol

State Capitol

If it’s in Texas, it must be bigger and better. That is the motto that architects followed with the Capitol Building in Austin. At one time, it was the tallest capitol building in the nation. Others might be taller now, but this is still a beautiful building that shows off many of the natural resources which are so prevalent in Texas, such as limestone and the landscapes.

Fee: No      Duration of visit: More than 3 hours
See nearby places to eat 
Congress Avenue Bridge / Austin Bats

Congress Avenue Bridge / Austin Bats

The Austin bridge is where nearly 1.5 million bats live.

Fee: No      Duration of visit: 2-3 hours
See nearby places to eat 
Austin City Limits Live

Austin City Limits Live

Austin City Limits     According to the mythology, Austin City Limits is taped on an Austin hillside above the city. In reality, the show is recorded… more »

Fee: Yes      Duration of visit: More than 3 hours
See nearby places to eat 
Bishop's Palace

Bishop’s Palace

Ranked among the top 100 homes in the U.S. for its architectural significance, this ornate 1893 building was the home to the family of Walter Gresham, a former Confederate colonel and U.S. Congressman.

Fee: Yes      Duration of visit: 1-2 hours
See nearby places to eat 
Ashton Villa

Ashton Villa

Galveston has some of the finest examples of Victorian architecture, including this one. Col. James Moreau Brown bought land on the corner of 23rd and Broadway streets in Galveston to build his future home. Brown designed Ashton Villa by studing several architectural pattern books and modified his building plans accordingly. The villa was built in 1858 and completed in 1859 with slaves… More

Fee: Yes      Duration of visit: 1-2 hours
See nearby places to eat 
Moody Mansion Museum

Moody Mansion Museum

This elegant late 19th-century mansion of red brick, limestone and terra cotta tile, houses a collection of decorative arts, silver and furnishings associated with the Moodys, one of the city’s most prominent families.

Fee: Yes      Duration of visit: 1-2 hours
See nearby places to eat 
Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site

Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site

Visitors will enjoy a self-guided driving tour through the land where the former president was born and buried, plus his 717-acre ranch, you won’t have to walk your feet off to see this state park. The park is home to the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm. The farm is a working farm that lets visitors step back in time and experience life on a German farmstead in the early 1900’s… More

Fee: Yes      Duration of visit: More than 3 hours
See nearby places to eat 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Las Vegas Gearing up for NASCAR!

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR NASCAR ACTIVITIES!!!

 

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -NASCAR drivers and fans are descending on southern Nevada for a week full of activities, events and, of course, races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.Economist estimates put the total number of fans who will be coming for the events at around 300,000. An estimated $200 million is expected to be funneled into the local economy.Organizers said Thursday will see an exciting show on the Las Vegas Strip with the Hauler Parade at 6 p.m. Teams will have their big rigs roll down the Strip starting at the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign and up to Sahara Avenue. From there they will head off to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.Dirt racing events will also be on the scheduled Wednesday and Saturday before the Nationwide Series Sam’s Town 300 on Saturday. The Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 400 will close out the weekend.The event has sold out for the past 10 years, but there are still tickets available for this year. Organizers said with a great weather forecast and great events at Daytona and Phoenix, they hope to sell out again this year.

Celebrities are slated to be part of the race week with TV star Tim Allen set to be Grand Marshal of the race. The Strip cast of “Jersey Boys” will be performing this weekend at the speedway, as well, and, for the race Sunday, “American Idol” contestant Pia Toscano will sing the National Anthem.

Copyright 2012 KVVU (KVVU Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.

Hundreds Flock to The Sahara To Buy Everything

By Amanda Finnegan

There are rules to a liquidation sale, you know. Just because you are guarding that prime rib cart, that doesn’t make it yours. And there’s no bargaining or bartering, either — at least not on the first day.

But one of the foremost rules at the Sahara liquidation sale Thursday were words that probably had never been spoken inside the Sahara in its 58-year history.

“There is no smoking,” Don Hayes, who is overseeing the sale for National Content Liquidators, boomed over the microphone as the first buyers began to trickle in.

To protect the artifacts, of course.

More than 600,000 items were up for grabs at the first day of the two-month liquidation sale at the closed Sahara Hotel, which shut its doors just a month ago. That includes every dish, piece of silverware, housekeeping vacuum and toilet, yet another sign that a wrecking ball will most likely be the next patron to enter the empty Strip property.

Hopeful buyers lined up during the early morning hours Thursday to grab a piece of one of the last standing casinos from Las Vegas’ early boom years. The line started at the entrance of the Sahara and stretched to Paradise Road.

Hours into it, buyers were still waiting outside in the heat to get a glimpse of what was for sale inside.

Some buyers came on a mission with a particular piece in mind, heading straight for the black and white posters of Elvis or Johnny Carson, while others browsed and stocked up on framed prints from the hotel rooms, slot machine chairs and waste baskets.

Louis Bowl of Barstow, Calif., and his family scooped a frame photo of Elvis during one his visits to the Sahara and two poker tables.

“We headed over here about 6 a.m. and were the 40th in line. We’re looking for collectibles and a poker table,” Bowls said.

No more than an hour later, his family had a corner sectioned off with the casino floor with scores of items, and they were still going. Bowls said his group didn’t have a price limit.

The priciest item on the casino floor was the currency change desk at the casino cage, priced at $28,000. Next might have been one of Sahara’s famous camels, which everyone talked about but no one could afford at $12,000.

Even though most of the more memorable, moderately priced items were gone within the first few hours of the sale, Greg Hall, operations director for the sale, said they expect the sale to go the full 60 days.

“It’s going fantastic. Things are running smooth, everything’s going good, and we’ve got a great crowd,” Hall said about the first day of the sale.

He reported no scuffles on the sale floor so far, all accept for a small argument over a fake tree between two groups hoarding their loot on opposite sides of the casino floor.

But the hot-ticket items of the day were the camel lamps from the rooms. Priced at $150 a piece, buyers headed to the cashier set up at the registration desk with armfuls of the 700-of-a-kind, only-at-Sahara piece. Mary Lane Slack of Las Vegas wheeled a cart full of the camel lamps to the cashier, grabbing a piece of a casino she remembers as a glitzier place during her childhood.

Slack’s mother ran a children’s shop across the street from the Sahara called Small Fry, which she said was frequented by the stars who performed at the Sahara.

“The sale is fun, but it’s really sad. I can remember coming down here for dinner with my parents as a kid. The whole thing is sad because it seems like they are going to tear it down,” Slack said.

The lamps were all Slack had time to grab, but she said she still had her eye on a karaoke sign in one of the lounge areas for nostalgia’s sake.

Upstairs, buyers sized up the Sahara’s presidential and admiral suites and their early 1990s furnishings. The suites seemed more like a place where furnishings went to get a second life rather than luxury hotel rooms, with mismatched artwork hanging from the walls and worn throw rugs thrown over even more worn carpeting.

Other items for sale in the suites included bidets for $75, sink vanities for $200, $100 for artwork and $250 brass embellished doors, reading “presidential suite.”

Potential shoppers wait in line just before the opening of the first day of the Sahara liquidation sale Thursday, June 16, 2011. Nearly every item is for sale and were priced and sold as is, where is and on a first come basis.

But cassette player stereo systems and the mirrors over the beds in the suites didn’t have price tags. Their value must have been immeasurable.

Bob and Shirley Barrett of North Las Vegas, both in their Sahara T-shirts from the casino’s final days, browsed through the suites looking for flat-screen TVs. They didn’t find any, so instead settled on a $15 phone, a sign from the Golden Room and another from the casino floor.

The Barretts have been going to liquidation sales at closed casinos for the past 11 years, collecting pieces such as 350-pound neon signs from the Boardwalk hotel for their living room and another from the Paradise Café at the Stardust, which hangs in their kitchen.

“We just wanted to add one sign from the Sahara,” Bob Barrett said. “We moved here in 1999 and the first sale we went to was the El Rancho liquidation. We just started decorating our home that way because we love Vegas. We brought stuff from Massachusetts, but we didn’t fill the house. It’s full now.”

But Shirley Barrett would like everyone to know, “We aren’t hoarders or anything. Just collectors.”

She said she had her eye on the fake marble tub in the center of the master bedroom in the Admiral Suite, but the couple would have to pry it off the worn carpeting themselves.

Like other pieces bolted down at the Sahara, it would cost much more than its $450 price tag to have it removed and hauled out, and probably much more than its actual worth.

Chinn Testimonial

My husband and I have enjoyed working with Briana as she is able to quickly ascertain and understand our needs, therefore eliminating time wasted looking at properties that were of no interest to us.  As we are not local, we picked properties to view from the internet and she pre-screened them for us, as well as locating others.   She would go see the properties to check their condition, and take photographs, and then email them for us to peruse, and decide which ones that we wanted to visit.  She always easy to reach, via phone, email or smart  phone.  Through her system with electric signatures, we were able to make bids on houses through our email (when we are on vacation) without having to run to a fax machine. In fact, we are working with her again because we may be interested in more property.  She is very professional and we highly recommend her.
Eva and Doug

Arcadia, CA

Yamashiro Testimonial

I was a first time homebuyer.  I didn’t know anything other than what I found online about buying a home.  I really did my research when it came to scoping out properties and Briana was the first to surprise me with her insight and knowledge of the real-estate market.

Briana knows her neighborhoods, property values and people. She was even able to help me figure out what I needed and wanted even when I didn’t really know myself.  My budget was small, but she gave me the time, energy and attention as though I were buying a multi-million dollar property.  She really knows her stuff and she’s an A-class professional.  She’s amazingly hard working and dependable and I couldn’t have asked for a better real estate agent.  It was a great experience and though I closed a long time ago we are still close to this day.  Whether you’re buying, selling or renting, I highly recommend Briana’s services.

 

-Beth Y.

Hayes Testimonial

From the first time I spoke with Briana on the phone I knew I was dealing with a professional.

Instead of the “buy now before the house gets taken!” nonsense you get from most agents, she was ready to give me an honest assessment of the market I was looking into. The house I purchased was a foreclosure, and she walked me through the pros and cons of purchasing a short sale vs a foreclosure before we even sat down at her desk and searched for properties. Her extensive knowledge and personable demeanor immediately put me at ease, allowing me to make an informed and relaxed decision about things such as: how much my initial offer would be, how much my monthly expenses would be after the purchase(stuff like HOA, insurance, and warranties), and how much money I would need to get the house livable(she knew a lot about landscaping and kitchen upgrade costs, very useful). Although I was a first time homebuyer, Briana was not the first agent I dealt with, and I can tell you, agents are not all the same!

One thing I really appreciated about Briana was that she had an office. I could call or stop by anytime I wanted, and even if she wasn’t there, her secretary could take any forms I needed to drop off and always knew what was going on. If you’re like me, nothing is more annoying than trying to talk to a secretary that is clueless about her boss’s whereabouts and dealings. The previous agent I worked with did not even have a secretary and had been working out of her car. And besides being difficult to reach, I had to fax her all the forms from a local Kinko’s. I mean, who owns a fax machine anymore?

Another thing I liked about Briana was that when we were looking at properties, I always felt like she was thinking what I was thinking. For example, one of the properties we looked at early on was one of those “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” houses, as in, the only thing going for it was its curb appeal. Rather than insult my intelligence by exaggerating the few positives within, she simply said with a smile, “It’s okay if you hate it. You won’t hurt my feelings.” We had a good laugh about the smell and moved on to the next house.

Having Briana help me find a house was like having one of my friends help me. Briana was there for me before, during, and long after the sale of the house, and being the son of a developer I can tell you that it is very rare to find such sincerity among brokers, agents, and realtors these days.

Sincerely,

Daniel T Hayes

Texas Short Sales

Image result for texas short sale

How are mortgage liens treated in Texas?

Texas is known as a title theory state where the property title remains in trust until payment in full occurs for the underlying loan. The document that secures the title is usually called a deed of trust but may also be referred to as a mortgage.

How are Texas deeds foreclosed?

The primary method of foreclosure in Texas involves what is known as non-judicial foreclosure. Except for certain notice provisions this type of foreclosure does not involve court action. When the deed of trust is initially signed it will usually contain a provision called a power of sale clause which upon default allows a trustee to sell the property in order to satisfy the underlying defaulted loan. The trustee acts as a representative of the lender to effectuate the sale which typically occurs in the form of an auction. Because this is a non-judicial remedy there are very stringent notice requirements and the legal documents are required to contain the power of sale language in order to use this type of foreclosure method.

Power of Sale Notice Requirements:

  1. Prior to initiating a foreclosure the lender must send a demand letter requesting the payment of past due amounts which gives the borrower twenty (20) days to pay any past due amounts otherwise foreclosure proceedings will begin.
  2. After the twenty day notice above and at least twenty-one (21) days before any foreclosure sale, further notice of the foreclosure must: (a) be filed with the county clerk in the county in which the property is located; (b) mailed to the defaulting borrower (and other creditors whose liens affect the property) and; (c) be posted at the county court where any sale would occur.
  3. Foreclosure sales must take place on the first Tuesday of each month (between 10AM and 4PM) at the courthouse, even if the date falls on a legal holiday. The trustee will auction the property to the highest bidder including the lender who is given credit for the value of the balance of any outstanding indebtedness under the loan.

In Texas, the lenders can also go to court in what is known as a judicial foreclosure proceeding where the court must issue a final judgment of foreclosure. If the deed of trust does not contain the power of sale language the lender must seek judicial foreclosure. The property is then sold as part of a publicly noticed sale. A complaint is filed in county court along with what is known a lis pendens. A lis pendens is a recorded document that provides public notice that the property is being foreclosed upon.

What are the legal instruments that establish a Texas mortgage?

The documents are known as the deed of trust, note, and in a commercial transaction, a security agreement. Sometimes the mortgage document is combined with the security agreement.  Alternatively, a mortgage is filed to evidence the underlying debt and terms of repayment, which is set forth in the note.

How long does it take to foreclose a property in Texas?

Depending on the timing of the various required notices, it usually takes approximately 60 days to effectuate an uncontested non-judicial foreclosure. This process may be delayed if the borrower contests the action in court, seeks delays and adjournments of sales, or files for bankruptcy.

Is there a right of redemption in Texas?

Texas has no statutory right of redemption, which would allow a party whose property has been foreclosed to reclaim that property by making payment in full of the sum of the unpaid loan plus costs.

Are deficiency judgments permitted in Texas?

Yes. A deficiency judgment may be obtained when a property in foreclosure is sold at a public sale for less than the loan amount which the underlying mortgage secures.  These judgments are limited to the difference between the fair market value of the property (regardless of what the property sold for at the foreclosure sale) and the defaulted loan amount at the time of sale. Fair market value is determined by appraisal.

What statutes govern Texas foreclosures?

The laws that govern Texas foreclosures are found in Title 5, Section 51 of Texas Code.

Testimonials

Douglas and Eva Chinn

My husband and I have enjoyed working with Briana as she is able to quickly ascertain and understand our needs, therefore eliminating time wasted looking at properties that were of no interest to us.  As we are not local, we picked properties to view from the internet and she pre-screened them for us, as well as locating others.   She would go see the properties to check their condition, and take photographs, and then email them for us to peruse, and decide which ones that we wanted to visit.  She always easy to reach, via phone, email or smart  phone.  Through her system with electric signatures, we were able to make bids on houses through our email (when we are on vacation) without having to run to a fax machine. In fact, we are working with her again because we may be interested in more property.  She is very professional and we highly recommend her.

—————————————————————————————————————————–

Renee Duran

Briana was a paragon of patience, especially considering we didn’t seem to always know what we wanted. The proof of her abilities is how much we’re enjoying our new home. It was a great pleasure working with Briana.

——————————————————————————————————————————

Beth Yamishiro and PG Schrader

I was a first time homebuyer.  I didn’t know anything other than what I found online about buying a home.  I really did my research when it came to scoping out properties and Briana was the first to surprise me with her insight and knowledge of the real-estate market.

Briana knows her neighborhoods, property values and people. She was even able to help me figure out what I needed and wanted even when I didn’t really know myself.  My budget was small, but she gave me the time, energy and attention as though I were buying a multi-million dollar property.  She really knows her stuff and she’s an A-class professional.  She’s amazingly hard working and dependable and I couldn’t have asked for a better real estate agent.  It was a great experience and though I closed a long time ago we are still close to this day.  Whether you’re buying, selling or renting, I highly recommend Briana’s services.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

Daniel Hayes

From the first time I spoke with Briana on the phone I knew I was dealing with a professional.

Instead of the “buy now before the house gets taken!” nonsense you get from most agents, she was ready to give me an honest assessment of the market I was looking into. The house I purchased was a foreclosure, and she walked me through the pros and cons of purchasing a short sale vs a foreclosure before we even sat down at her desk and searched for properties. Her extensive knowledge and personable demeanor immediately put me at ease, allowing me to make an informed and relaxed decision about things such as: how much my initial offer would be, how much my monthly expenses would be after the purchase(stuff like HOA, insurance, and warranties), and how much money I would need to get the house livable(she knew a lot about landscaping and kitchen upgrade costs, very useful). Although I was a first time homebuyer, Briana was not the first agent I dealt with, and I can tell you, agents are not all the same!

One thing I really appreciated about Briana was that she had an office. I could call or stop by anytime I wanted, and even if she wasn’t there, her secretary could take any forms I needed to drop off and always knew what was going on. If you’re like me, nothing is more annoying than trying to talk to a secretary that is clueless about her boss’s whereabouts and dealings. The previous agent I worked with did not even have a secretary and had been working out of her car. And besides being difficult to reach, I had to fax her all the forms from a local Kinko’s. I mean, who owns a fax machine anymore?

Another thing I liked about Briana was that when we were looking at properties, I always felt like she was thinking what I was thinking. For example, one of the properties we looked at early on was one of those “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” houses, as in, the only thing going for it was its curb appeal. Rather than insult my intelligence by exaggerating the few positives within, she simply said with a smile, “It’s okay if you hate it. You won’t hurt my feelings.” We had a good laugh about the smell and moved on to the next house.

Having Briana help me find a house was like having one of my friends help me. Briana was there for me before, during, and long after the sale of the house, and being the son of a developer I can tell you that it is very rare to find such sincerity among brokers, agents, and realtors these days.

Pre-Qualify

Finding the right lender is a difficult choice, but one of the most important decisions you will make in the home buying process. My clients have rave reviews about each of these loan specialists:

 

GET PRE-QUALIFIED HERE!
Josh Sigman | Senior Vice President
Legacy Mutual Mortgage
3503 Paesanos Parkway| San Antonio, TX 78231
Office: (210) 999-5963| Fax (210) 492-6363| Cell (210) 287-9119
Email: josh@legacymutual.com
Web: https://thesigmanteam.legacymutual.com/

 

EASTON-CRAFTSGET PRE-QUALIFIED HERE!
Easton Crafts | CEO | Senior Loan Officer
Directions Equity Mortgage
18730 Stone Oak Pkwy #208| San Antonio, TX 78258
Office: (210) 257-0642| Fax (210) 257-0510| Cell (210) 325-4073
Email: Easton@directionsequity.com
Web: http://www.directionsequity.com/

 

kariGET PRE-QUALIFIED HERE!
Kari Phillips, MBA | Senior Loan Officer
Southern Fidelity Mortgage

6585 High St. | Las Vegas, NV 89113
Office (702) 228-2889 x1813 | Fax (702) 951-5051 | Cell (702) 375-3401
Email: Kari.Phillips@GoSouthernFidelity.com
Web: www.GoSouthernFidelity.com/KariPhillips