Good times at a great new Austin eatery

My friend Deb and I ventured to a new Austin eatery today - Cuatro's. One day last week I happened to see a news story on this new place - and thought it would be fun to check it out.

We started with a basket of fried dills - very tasty and a great way to start out.

Deb had tuna tacos - they were beautiful! When I think back to the news report it seems like this is actually one of the specialties. I had the boca beef tacos - very tasty as well. And when we saw that they have sweet potato fries - we just couldn't resist.

The coolness of today wasn't 100% about the food. Since Deb and I both grew up in little ol Boone, Iowa....it would just be wrong if I didn't tell you that we enjoyed this fantastic lunch on the outdoor patio....it was a beautiful day today, 75 degrees, sunny, nice breeze.... you just can't beat that....especially in FEBRUARY!

So...everything was great - reasonable prices, good service, fantastic food and great company ( if you want a very fun, enjoyable midwesterner to dine with, give either of us a call and we'll be happy for you to take us there!)

The next time you're thinking about heading someplace new, check out Cuatros on 24th and San Gabriel. You'll be glad you did!

Spring is in the air....

...and it led to something fun to share with all of you.

For several years I've thought it would be fun to send out wildflower seed packets in the spring....reminding y'all that spring is right around the corner, my practice is "still blooming", and that I sincerely thank you for your business and referrals.

All kinds of companies try and sell marketing "stuff" to REALTORS®, including these seed packets. You might even know someone who sends these out each year. You can have special pictures printed on them, have special messages, etc. But that is part of the problem for me....ANYONE can do that. By now you know that if ANYONE can do it, I probably don't want to. Our Real Estate family is growing because we do the things that everyone else either can't or won't.

So as much as I thought this idea was fun...there was just something missing...the personal part of it. I thought perhaps making these seed packets myself would be something a little more personal....so I went to google and ebay to see what it would take to put together little seed packets with a personal touch....special little envelopes, Texas Wildflower Mix, and maybe a special stamp to put on the envelopes so that you all know that these are something unique.

It was then that I ran across the best seed packets EVER. As I was looking for bulk wildflower seeds, I found an auction for seed packets put together by a seven year old little girl in South Carolina named Katie. Her mom sells seeds on ebay too. So Katie wants to have her own farm when she grows up, and she realizes she has to save money to make that dream come true. What better way to start saving money than to sell seeds on Ebay like her mom does!

Now I can't even start to explain how cool this is. Katie has a dream, and she's willing to use her resources to help make her dream come true. Katie's mom, Ashley, is doing one of the best things she can do....helping Katie understand that all of her dreams can come true if she works hard and uses her resources to work toward those dreams. So Ashley put this ad on ebay, explained the circumstances, and here we are. I contacted Ashley to see if Katie was up for a bulk order - and they were both thrilled.

So watch your mailboxes.....in the next few weeks you'll get a packet of wildflower seeds. Not just any packet of wildflower seeds...but a packet personally put together for you by a little girl in South Carolina saving money so she can buy her very own farm. Ashley says Katie is working diligently on the packets as I write this blog.

Want to contribute to Katie's efforts? Find Ashley's auctions here and look for the items that say they're Katie's seeds.

A cool green resource

My friend Lynn is the queen of green. She's always been the first person I know to make changes that are positive for our environment....recycling, using green cleaning products, etc.

Today she sent a link to this cool website called Green Cupboards. Good stuff...check it out!

Thanks, Lynn!

Keeping in touch

We're going into uncharted territory here. For years ALL of my client communication has been printed...newsletters, postcards, etc. I really think it's the only way to send you valuable information, and you know that if I'm willing to spend the money to print it and stamp it, then it must be worth opening.

Today I'm adding an electronic version of my newsletter. It will be posted here each month and shared to my facebook page so you view it wherever you are, and forward it very easily to your friends and family members. Remember - only the people you LIKE!

Check out the first electronic edition and let me know what you think.

By the way, who is the next person YOU know, that could benefit from my help as they look to buy or sell Real Estate in the Austin area? Put us in touch with one another!

The name game....

One of the things I've been wanting to do for quite a while is build a team of REALTORS® that do business the way I do business.... I call it "world class service" but my clients usually refer to it as their "Client for Life" service.

This goal is one major reason why I have affiliated with Austin REAL Pros, REALTORS®. The firm is a home grown firm, with two talented and resourceful brokers, and a very positive environment. We're kind of like a small family.

Part of the team building process involves determining what to call the team. The name needs to be something that plays well with Austin REAL Pros... the XYZ team AT Austin REAL Pros or OF Austin REAL Pros. The name also needs to work as a freestanding name, so that if in the future we wish to operate independently, we can avoid re branding ourselves.

I really like the name "Dwell"... yup...just Dwell. Or Abode. Unfortunately Dwell is already being used in our market. A friend suggested "5 star" which I like, however a local "5 star" group has recently gone away, and I'm not sure that I'm comfortable taking a chance that people will confuse my group with the previous group. Then we talked about Marquis.... because the team will work in "all facets" of residential real estate. The team will have coaching, mentoring, free in house education, marketing, and provide all the related services to our clients.

World Class Real Estate Group also comes to mind...but seems kinda long.

What do you think? I'd love to hear any ideas you have. Shoot me an email at chad AT chadcardani DOT com or post a response to this thread on facebook. If you submit something that we decide to use, you'll get one of our famous South Austin People gift baskets in exchange for exclusive rights to use the name... ;)

I need your help....

Many of you know that I am a two time cancer survivor. A couple years ago I received an email from the Lance Armstrong Foundation, sharing some ways that I could contribute to the cancer cause. One of those opportunities was to become involved with a group called Cancer Connection.

Spearheaded by Karen Greif and her husband Bill, Cancer Connection trains volunteers to provide support to people who are living with cancer, or those who are providing support to friends or loved ones who are living with cancer. The organization is filled with folks who have been touched by cancer in some way, and who want to do their part in making the journey a little easier for others who are in similar situations.

While I was reading the Cancer Connection newsletter today, I noticed that there are a few things the group is looking for to assist them in their hospital/treatment center visits....

-Knitted caps
-Lib balm (non-petroleum)
-Small bottles of lotion
-Small packages of toothpaste
-Toothbrushes
-Combs and small hair brushes
-Small mirrors
-Word game books
-Sudoku puzzles
-Blank Cd's

So I was thinking it would be cool to pull some of these things together as a group so that we can donate them to the cause. The visitation program is where the volunteers go out and actually sit with/talk with/provide support to people who are going through their treatments.

Here's what I need YOU to do....

-Take a look at the list
-Figure out how you can contribute
-Bring the stuff you're able to contribute to my office

Everything that is in that box on Wednesday, February 11, will be donated to the cause.

Give me a call with questions of for directions to the office if you haven't already been there.

Living in exponential times....

Very interesting.... a bit hard to really wrap your brain around!

How cool is this???

Yesterday was historic in so many ways. We had TransactionPoint training at our office during the inauguration, but we took a break to watch the new president take his oath of office. Pretty neat stuff.

As we were gathered in Carries office I wondered what it must be like to be in DC experiencing it live. Can you even imagine?

Today I was checkout out Facebook and found that my friend Dean Jackson posted a link to a satellite photo of the crowd. Check it out - very very cool!

What's with the lights???

Have you ever had one of those days where you worked and worked and felt like you were not getting anything done??

That was today.

One of the things I DID get done to day was a trip to Lowes to make copies of a couple keys for a tenant. One of the things I noticed was that about 50% of the lights were off.

Anyone know what that's all about? Is Lowes trying to be more "green" or are they trying to save more "green" or???

We're grilling some burgers tonight on the new grill....and then I have a ton more work to get done!

Life on the cheap....

Times are tough....and we all have to eat. Lately, we've been paying a lot of attention to how much we're spending on dinner. It's really easy to blow a ton of cash eating! Now, don't get me wrong, eating is one of my favorite things, BUT, so is having cash to do other things.

There are several places to eat that are really reasonable. Below is just a short list - and I'd love it if you'd share your ideas too. I'll update this post each time I get something from one of you so that we can all benefit from the collaboration.

Here's the scoop....

Monday - Carino's 1/2 price family platters. These platters serve between 2 and 4 people, and range in price from $21 to $28 before the 50% discount. Add all you can eat salad for .99 and drink water....you'll be amazed when the bill comes...and probably have some leftover for lunch tomorrow!

Tuesday - Logan's Roadhouse 2 meals for $13.99 This offer is good on Mondays and Tuesdays....and includes 12 meals. Another tip - they have a kids portion steak tip plate...6 oz of steak with fries for something like 1.99! Just be nice to the wait staff and anyone can be a kid.

Wednesday - Subway $5 foot longs. You've all heard the commercials and seen what Jared has done. This is one of my favorite things....and the special is good every day and night. Stacey and I used to split a foot long and chips for lunch...about $3 bucks each. Very nice!

Thursday - Hut's Hambugers 2 for 1. Yum...one of the Austin originals. They have other daily specials, but this one gives the most bank for the buck. TWO burgers for the price of the more expensive burger that you order. Add an order of Frings and you're all set!

Friday - Each Friday Randalls has a $5.99 special....meatloaf, chicken, etc. Feeds 2-3 people depending on how much you eat. Add a bag of lettuce or another side from their wide selection and you can have dinner for around $12 total.

Saturday - Applebees $9.99 steak dinners. YUM....STEAK!

Sunday - make something at home...invite some friends, and ask them to bring something to share. This is one of my favorites, cause I love to eat, and love to have friends over. We do this often with our friends Matt and Claire - alternate houses each week or depending on who is busier or has something in the fridge that needs to be used.

One thing I've noticed...dinner bills are LOTS cheaper if you drink water. Seriously. $2.50 for a coke??? WTF? Suck it up and drink water....it's better for you anyway!

Also, pay attention to your Val Pak mailer and those goofy newspaperish things we get stuffed in your mailboxes. Once in a while you'll see a coupon for buy one get one free, a free appetizer, etc. Every little bit helps!

Remember - email your tips so that I can share other ideas with everyone!