How has Real Estate changed in the past decade?

In the last decade, a lot has changed in the real estate industry from how buyers go through the process to how prices have changed while some things haven’t changed like the median age of buyers, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

So what's the scoop? Here's what NAR research has shown us:

1. 1999: 37% of buyers searched for a home online. 2009: 90% of buyers searched for a home online.
2. 1999: median home value is $137,600. 2009: median home value is $172,600 (but not that some reports reflect that when accounting for inflation, the value hasn’t changed at all this decade).
3. 1999: 82% of buyers purchased detached, single family homes. 2009: 78% of buyers purchased detached, single family homes.
4. 1999: 46% of buyers choose suburban neighborhoods. 2009: 54% of buyers choose suburban neighborhoods.
5. 1999: 68% of buyers were married couples. 2009: 60% of buyers are married couples.
6. 1999 and 2009: the median age for buyers was 39.
7. 1999 and 2009: “neighborhood quality, affordability, and convenience to work and school have consistently been top priorities.”

It is interesting that the biggest change is that most buyers now search for their home online. This can be through many different websites - some with fantastic, up to date information, others with information that is outdated or simply wrong.

What remains the same? Buyers and sellers benefit from the knowledge and skills of a REALTOR® - someone that knows how to use the information that is available to us to create the best opportunities possible in today's new world.

Who can you think of that needs our help? You know what to do next - put them in touch with us!

Rebates for Appliance Buyers in 2010

The 2010 plan to encourage energy efficiency is the government rebate for appliance buyers. The plan lets people swap their old appliances for new energy-efficient models at very low prices.

Here are some things to keep in mind:
· State plans vary. For state by state specifics, check out the state-by-state javascript:void(0)rebate program.

· Is it really a deal? It may not be worth replacing appliances that are fewer than seven years old, but older models can represent a real deal. Joe McGuire, president of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, says a 20-year-old refrigerator uses three times as much power as a new Energy Star-approved model.

· Buy now before it ends. There is only about $300 million available and some states got more money than others. It is expected to run out fast.

Source: The Associated Press, Vinnee Tong (12/30/2009)

The January 2010 Newsletter is here!

One of my 2010 Resolutions is to stop procrastinating (as much anyway!) so I thought I'd get started early so that hopefully it will stick!

The January 2010 Edition of my monthly newsletter is now available for download.

Did you know that we can help you, your friends, your family and your colleagues lease apartments in Austin and the surrounding areas in addition to helping them buy and sell real estate? We can even refer your friends and colleagues to other top notch Real Estate Consultants across the United States and in Canada through our By Referral Only Referral Network. Who do you know that needs help buying, selling, renting or leasing? Please - don't keep us a secret!

Colleagues vs. Competitors

As I've been teaching more and more I often find myself in a conversation about the "colleague" perspective in Real Estate.

You see, so many professionals in our industry look at one another as competitors. I remember back in pre license school, I was sitting next to a woman (we'll call her Jane) who was going to go work with her mom. Jane's mom built her own business when Jane was growing up, so she had lots of insight and ideas that many of us had not had the opportunity to gain.

Jane started to talk about some of the things she was going to do to build her real estate career....then she paused, looked at me, and said "well, I shouldn't tell you any more because then you'll steal my ideas." I can play this video back in my brain like it happened yesterday.

I think when we look at each other as competitors, it causes us to be less than kind, less than professional, and sometimes, less than honest. One of the things I always share in my classes is that if I'm sharing something that I do that has worked for me, and a participant in the class would like to try it too, I'll give them everything I have to help them be successful.

Why? Because I think it's the right thing to do. There's plenty of business to go around. And let's be honest...is it really reasonable to think that my list of 250 contacts that I regularly stay in touch with has that much (or any) overlap with anyone else's list?

Real Estate is much bigger than me, it's much bigger than you, and it's much bigger than Austin. What we do as professionals in this industry impacts so many people and so many professions it is hard to wrap your brain all the way around it. Wouldn't it be great if more of us worked from the "colleague perspective" and helped support one another as we provide amazing service to our clients?

Imagine what that would be like..... And then work to help make it a reality!

Those cool things from days gone by

My earlier blog related to super cool NEW excitement.

This one is related to super cool OLD excitement.

Remember those cool "things" from years gone by? Like the cool road signs you'd see on family vacation? Or the cool t-shirts available at the diner you'd stop at on the way to Aunt Millies? Or the post cards you'd find in the visitors center right after you crossed a state line?

Vintage Roadside is working to preserve some of those memories. Check out the site for more information. They have a great collection of t-shirts as well as great stories about the fun establishments that are now few and far between.

Boeing's new Dreamliner shoudl fly today!

Flight has always been fascinating. Today, Boeing will test fly the new 787 Dreamliner - filled with cool technology that we can and can not see. Check out this blog for more info.

I wonder if the seats are comfortable??? ;)

Paying attention to your credit accounts

Many of you know my thoughts on credit cards (and banks in general). They're evil. There is simply no way around it.

Here's what is prompting today's post.

I have all of my recurring business expenses charged to one specific credit card. It makes my end of the year tax work much simpler. Each month anywhere from 2,000 to 3,500 bucks are put on this account. When the statement comes, I pay the balance off in full. The credit card company hates this.

The interest rate on this account was 9.9%. Not the lowest on earth, but it really doesn't matter to me since I pay the balance off every month.

A few things have recently happened.

1 - my grace period was reduced. Now instead of 30 days, it is 12 days. That means that I'm almost always paying interest on my purchases, because the grace period is up before the statement even comes.

2 - the electronic statements used to be sent 10-15 days before payment is due. That recently changed to 2-3 days. So if I'm not paying attention, it can be really easy to make a late payment.

In fact I did have a late payment...a payment was due 2 days after the statement was emailed to me. This resulted in a $39 late fee, and my interest rate going to the default rate of 28%.

I called and discussed this issue with a customer representative, who happily removed the charge from my account. She would not, however, change my interest rate back to the 9.9% that I had. She said I was late, and although she could remove the charge she could not change that I was not responsible enough to pay the bill on time.

You can imagine what was going through my mind when she said that.

I asked her how long it would take for the rate to go back down, she said 6 months. So, even after not having a late payment for six years, I had to wait 6 months for it to go back down. Now remember, they have also reduced the grace period - so now I'm paying nearly 30% interest on some portion of my balance.

So I got this great idea - I set up automatic payments of $50 every two weeks. In an effort to make sure I never have a late payment again, and to reduce any interest I am paying.

Great in theory. But, the credit card company responded by not sending statements AT ALL anymore. When I inquired about this, they indicated to me that they only send statements on accounts that have a payment due. My payments are made in advance, so I never have a payment due.

Pretty slick huh.

Does anyone really wonder why consumers are screaming for reform????

10 things I've learned in 2009

2009 has been a great year for me. Lots of changes, lots of learning, lots of new connections, lots of new friends, and lots of optimism for all that 2010 holds.

As the year comes to a close, I thought it might be fun to share a few "one liners" (ok - some of them are more than one line!) that sum up a lot of the personal lessons I have had the opportunity to learn and grow from this year.

Here are the 10 Life Lessons I have learned this year.

1. It's always a good time to reconnect with old friends.

2. When you operate from a place of giving with no expectations, you get back a whole lot more.

3. I really dig strong, powerful women. It's those total bitches you need to stay away from. I really dig strong, powerful men. It's those total @$$holes you need to stay away from. How do you know who's who? See #10.

4. Doing the right thing is pretty easy to do - but watch out for some who say they "always do the right thing - even when nobody is watching"....many of them are in denial.

5. Treating the knowledge, skills, resources and abilities that you posses as if they are not valuable, makes them worthless.

6. When you take the risk and do the things other people are afraid or unwilling to do, you attract like minded people.

7. Never depend on other people or companies to "remind" you of anything - always set your own due dates and reminders on your own calendar.

8. Life is too short for grudges....sometimes it's hard, but you have to "build a bridge and get over it" (Thank you to Pat Strong for the great saying!)

9. You never know what the answer is unless you ask the question!

10. Listen to that little voice in your head.....EVERY TIME.

We're on the list

And it's a good list! Check out the lists of the cities with the best drinking water. That's great news for those of us trying to drink our 8+ cups of water a day!

"Your buyers will have to understand....."

I'm headed out to show some properties to a set of first time buyer clients tonight. We've been looking for quite some time, and although we have found some nice properties, we haven't found "the one" yet.

As of this morning at 11:34, there are 55 listings that meet the criteria of my buyers. This will be important as you read and process this post.

Of the five we are viewing, four are HUD properties (very smooth, reasonably easy process for agents to work with). The final is a short sale. Short sales are difficult. The last short sale I helped buyers purchase took us nearly 5 months.

When properties are occupied (as many short sales are), we as agents call to set a showing time. We also leave our business card in the property so that the occupants know that someone has been there.

Today as I spoke with the owner of the one short sale property we will view, I was reminded of something all sellers need to be aware of.

As I asked this person if a showing between 5:30 and 6 would be workable for her, she said "sure, your buyers will just have to understand that the house is a mess and I haven't finished getting it ready to show yet."

This is where the 55 listings thing comes in to play. What I would have shared with the seller had she been my client, is that in fact she needs to understand that there are 54 other properties she is competing with. These buyers have a lot of choices at this time. There really is no excuse to not have your property ready to sell when it is listed as active in the MLS.

So the lesson for the day is, when you are trying to sell your property, you already have one strike against you (you have a short sale listing), you are trying to get the most money for your property as possible in a down market, and there are 54 other properties you are competing with - you must work extremely hard to eliminate all the objections the buyer may raise when it comes to your property.

Although short sales are an unfortunate process, sellers need to remember that the bank is trying (in theory!) to help you avoid foreclosure - something that will present turbulence for you for many years to come. Although the process is irritating and cumbersome, it is better than having a foreclosure on your credit history.

Know someone that could use sound professional advice in order to be successful in today's market? Please, don't keep me a secret!

Good news for short sales

Anyone who has been involved in a "short sale" transaction knows that the process can be terribly cumbersome.

Recently, the US Treasury announced new guidelines to help smooth the process.

I think these guidelines will certainly help the process - and this is a good start. We have much more work to do in order to make the short sale process a more positive one for all those involved.

Who do you know that needs help selling their house through a short sale process or navigating the short sale offer process? The agents at Cardani Group, REALTORS® are here, ready to help. Our own Greg P is a Certified Distressed Property Expert - so please don't keep us a secret!

The December newsletter is here!

Check out the December edition of Chad's Chit Chat.

The new year will bring some fun changes to the newsletter - so keep your eyes peeled for the January 2010 edition as well.

By the way, who is the next person you know that could use our help buying or selling Real Estate in the Austin area? Please, don't keep us a secret!

Reducing your ecological footprint

Green seems to be the new black these days. We've heard people say "Oh, I'm green" and "Oh, that's green" and "Oh, YOU should be green" - but unlike the Green Eggs and Ham book from our early years, there doesn't seem to be much more content to those statements.

This article, again from our friends at Austin Monthly, has 50 ways you can reduce your ecological footprint. Many of them very simple.

So as you're thinking about what changes you'd like to make for the new year, consider some of these ideas. Our planet with thank you!

And while you're at it, consider a subscription to Austin Monthly, full of great articles directly related to life in our fantastic city!

We love our pets

You might already know that my mom was in town for our annual Client Appreciation Party on November 10. It was also her birthday, and Rick surprised me by flying her down. She was here for 10 days, and we spent a lot of time running around to various shops and eateries - things she can't experience in my hometown of Boone, Iowa.

As we were going from place to place, she commented many times about how so many people have dogs - big dogs - and they take them everyplace. I told her one of the things that makes Austin Austin is that people enjoy their pets.

Well, yesterday I was cleaning out my stack of magazines - you know, the ones you subscribe to because you just know you'll read them, but then you end up with a whole stack that you haven't read, then you feel bad for wasting money/paper/etc? One of those for me is Austin Monthly. Don't get me wrong - I always like the content - I just don't always get it read.

One of the issues that I have kept around was the Pet Lovers Bible edition. It is several months old, and I just got around to reading it. The information and resources included in the article are great - and I figured I'd post it here for those of you who are interested.

Now I'm not sure if Austin Monthly is going to be so happy about this - so it could disappear without notice (read: download it NOW or it may be gone!). I'm hoping that providing the above links to their website along with subscription information will help.

So, enjoy the article. Consider subscribing to the magazine. And for heaven's sake - clean up after your pet! ;)

A new resource for homeowners

Brought to you by the National Association of REALTORS®, HouseLogic is full of tips and tricks to help maintain and improve your home.

Check out the site for all kinds of information - decorating, drainage, improvement, maintenance, tax benefits and tons of other stuff.

Questions about what you see? Give me a call!

By the way, who is the next person you know that could use my help buying or selling a home or condo in the Austin area? Please, don't keep me a secret!

Funny stuff....

You know how you can just be minding your own business, and then you see something that just makes you laugh? This is one of those things....

Now, I'm not sure if this is just a great marketing idea or a random fluke. Thoughts??

Black Friday is almost here

And there are some fantastic deals to be had. I myself am about to head to San Marcos to the Tommy Bahama outlet, where they have 50% off the entire store. Now that's kinda exciting.

If you're a techie, check out this site for the Black Friday offers at many retailers.

One thing to remember, though. It's not a good deal if you can't afford it! With credit card interest rates creeping into the twenties even for the best customers, all the savings can be quickly eroded should you not pay that bill off within the grace period (those are shortening too, by the way).

Enjoy! And - be good!

Holiday times....

Can you believe this week is Thanksgiving??? Wow! We're nearly to Christmas then to 2010 - amazing how time flies.

This year has been a fascinating one - lots of changes - all for the better.

One of the things I really enjoy about this time of year is making fun stuff for friends and family. This year I have been an embroidering fool. Bookmarks, polos, table covers - mostly for our new company Cardani Group, REALTORS®. We use these items as gifts and thank yous.

Recently I posted a status update on Facebook saying I was going to make some applique sweatshirts for my mom for Christmas. I got a few emails saying "ya right"....so here's the proof!

This photo is the front of the first shirt:


This is the back - centered just below the collar:


I'll post some photos of the second shirt soon....trying something "fancy" on the back. Keep yer fingers crossed for me!

The November Newsletter is available!

Check out the latest edition of my monthly newsletter.

Have you RSVP'd for the Client Party next week? We're looking forward to seeing you there!

If you've been on the fence...it's time to B U Y

This just in....the First Time Buyers Tax Credit has been extended...and enhanced to provide a credit for existing homeowners who have owned their homes for 5 years.

Who do you know that needs my help to make a residence change right now? With historic low interest rates, a relatively flat market, and now this additional tax credit - waiting shouldn't be an option!

More details.....

We are very pleased to report to you that the House of Representatives passed legislation today to extend and expand the current first-time homebuyer tax credit. The House action follows the Senate's approval on Wednesday and we anticipate President Obama will sign the bill in very short order.

The bill extends the current $8,000 first time homebuyer tax credit (which was due to expire at the end of November) through April, 2010. It also includes a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified move up buyers and increases the borrower income limits for both credits to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for couples.

Homebuyers will qualify for the full credit as long as they have entered a binding contract by April 30, 2010 and they close the transaction by June 30, 2009. The tax credit is limited to homes with a purchase price of $800,000 and below. The bill also includes anti-fraud language that gives the IRS the authority to do greater oversight during the processing of the return.

In addition, the legislation waives the recapture provision for members of the armed forces who are called on extended duty. These members of our military and uniformed services, who are out of the country for at least 90 days, will also be eligible to use the tax credit upon their return through April 30, 2011.

Voting Day is coming up....

...and there are a few propositions that are of particular importance to property owners in Texas.

You already know I'm not a big politics guy. Especially given the state of "politics" in our country at this time. HOWEVER, it IS important for you to voice your opinion on changes that impact you - especially when you are well informed and have made your opinions based on actual facts vs. scare tactics (but we won't go there today!).

Check out this article for information on the propositions important to Texas property owners. And, if you feel compelled, consider donating to the Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee. Find out more here.

TREPAC is important to at least be aware of. For many years I had no intention or desire of knowing what TREPAC was all about. I thought they were some messed up organization that promoted people I probably didn't want to be part of promoting. What I have discovered is that TREPAC supports candidates and policy that protects the rights of individual property owners in the State of Texas. If you own property, or want to own property - you need to be paying attention to the organization.

And most importantly - GO VOTE!

My customer service story - Part IIG

Ok....so after the grocery store incident, I made my way over to ABoR and enjoyed two fantastic classes instructed by a top notch national instructor (I'm not putting her name here because I don't want her to be associated with the rest of this entry!) on Social Networking, The REALTOR® Code of Ethics, and how to adjust my company's policy and procedure manual given this new social networking world we're in. Great classes. Only 30 people there - that might be the topic of my next post!

Anyway, at the end of the day I went home, traffic a little heavier than normal but no big problems. Took a bit of a nap (let's be honest, I'm not used to getting up at 6 a.m. and engaging my brain until 4 p.m. non-stop!). Then we decided to head to Best Buy to look at laptops and iPod stuffs. When we were done with that we were going to figure out what to do for dinner. In the car on the way to the store, we decided pizza sounded good. I pulled out my iphone and did a google search for the pizza place we wanted to order from. It's one of my favorites - but not as good as Casey's Pizza back home!

I found the site, but couldn't get a phone number to come up for the local store. Thankfully Rick was able to. So I called the store, and asked them what their specials were. They were two large two topping pizzas for 19.99. I asked if they had a special that included a specialty pizza - she said yes, one specialty pizza and one large two topping pizza for 21.99. I said perfect - let me figure out what specialty pizza we want and I'll call you back.

So we fired up the iphone again and looked at the specialty pizzas. I settled on the Smokehouse bacon and something or other - that came from the menu I pulled up on the iphone. Rick wanted the two topping to be Canadian bacon and mushrooms. So I called back and someone else answered....here's how it went.

PG (phone guy): Thank you for calling ABC Pizza (name changed to protect the...well, anyway), would you like to try two large two topping pizzas for 19.99

ME: No, but I'd like the one large specialty and one large two topping pizza for 21.99

PG: Sure sir - are you Chad Cardani at 2523 Carlow?

ME: Yes I am (wondering why they know this and thinking it's creepy - but a sign of the times apparently)

PG: Ok great. Is this pickup or delivery?

ME: Pickup (we're too cheap to pay someone to deliver it)

PG: Ok, what would you like as your specialty pizza?

ME: The Smokehouse Bacon and something or other (again, directly from the menu on Ricks' iphone that was in my hand)

PG: Gosh I'm having a really hard time hearing you - these phones are terrible. Would you repeat that?

ME: Sure. I want the (repeated it....THREE TIMES)

PG: Ok sir, sorry about that, it's really hard to hear. (in the background - HEY Sheila - is asjas;liasdglkasf asdljhasd asdl;hfasd asdjhk ) I couldn't tell what he was saying. Phone was hard to hear on. :)

PG: Ok sir, that will be $26.00 plus $2.00 for tax.

ME: 26 PLUS 2 for tax?

PG: Yes.

ME: How is that? The special is 21.99 for blah blah blah....

PG: Yes, but the Smokehouse Bacon blah blah pizza isn't a specialty pizza anymore, so I had to create it for you, and that adds more toppings (apparently that is what he was talking to Sheila about"

ME: But it says it is a specialty pizza online

PG: Well that's online - we're on the phone

ME: Uh...ok...so you're telling me there are two different menus?

PG: Yes sir.

ME: And you can't honor the online menu because we're on the phone?

PG: Yes that's right.

ME: And you weren't going to tell me there was a problem, you just created the pizza and added extra dollars to the special for me?

PG: Yes sir.

ME: Wow....so you can't fix this problem?

PG: No.

ME: So you want me to pay extra because I'm on the phone and not online?

PG: The pizza you want isn't a specialty pizza anymore

ME: But it says it is online

PG: But we're on the phone

ME: Ok....well I guess I'll figure out something else for dinner.

PG: Uh....ok....as;lk asd;lkjhasd asdlljhsad (he said something as I was hitting the hangup button.

WTH is that??? Really??? I realize we're talking about a couple bucks - but really? Wouldn't it have been better to make the pizza I asked for and not charged extra? So instead we wasted 5 minutes? And instead of keeping a happy customer and giving up those two extra bucks, they got NOTHING?? (And this bad PR!)

Since we were in the grocery store parking lot, we went in looking for something to eat. Low and behold they have take and bake pizzas...for 5 bucks. We got an onion, some lemons for water, ice cream, frozen fruit bars, and had a great conversation with the friend we ran into, for far less than the pizza stores price.

Now - here's a quick update. As I sat down to write this I pulled up the pizza stores website so I could find the name of the specialty pizza. It's not there. Apparently when you're using the mobile interface they haven't updated the site to show the current offerings.

Ya - I know the right thing to do would be to contact them and let them know there's a problem. And the right thing to do last night was to give me the pizza I asked for at the specialty pizza price.

I'm hearing my moms voice saying "Two wrongs don't make a right"....

Good thing she's in Iowa... ;)

My customer service day

I think it's kind of odd that I spend so much time learning and growing and attempting to help others learn and grow, all in an effort to provide world class customer service.

Let me tell you a story about my customer service experiences today.

Since we had a shift in temperatures over night, I set my alarm pretty early to make sure I would be able to get up to the Board of REALTORS® with plenty of time to get settled for class. Turns out I got up there around 7:15 a.m. for a class that started at 7:30. So I had this though - run by the local grocery store (it was not HEB) and get a bottle of wine as a welcome back gift for Sally who will be back in the office next week.

I walk in the store and find the wine...then I walk up to the front to check out. There were three people in line ahead of me - so I went looking for another check out - but at that time in the morning there is only one line open. Makes sense. I went back and got in line. By that time I was the 5th person in line. Then I notice there is no checker there. It looked like she had to run over to the customer service counter for something. Then she came back, and immediately turned around and left again and made a copy. Four other employees walked by. All of them looked at us. Nobody helped us. I stood there wondering if anyone was going to say something. Nobody did....so i went to the managers office and asked - with a little more volume than regular conversation - if it would be possible to get some help - because there were now seven of us in line and NO CHECKER.

The manager came and apologized, saying she was sorry her checker had left. When it was my turn - she apologized to me as well. I smiled and said thank you for taking care of us - but that she needed to know that the four other employees had walked by, noticed a problem, and done nothing about it - and to me, that was an even bigger problem. She seemed to agree....I went on my way.

The wine was a hit and I enjoyed a great day of learning with some of the best agents in Austin.

Stay tuned for part two....

Cool stuff going on in Austin

As many of you know, Austin is a creative place - lots of live music and films and all that cool stuff.

Check out this article to see what's happening right now in our awesome town.

Protect yourself online

Nearly every day I get emails from "other professionals" in the real estate industry. Many of them are junk that I haven't asked for from people I don't know - and most of the time those go directly in the trash unless they have a REALLY catchy subject.

About 10% of the emails are from people I have actually met or worked with. Often those will go in the trash too, unless they're directly related to a transaction we're working on or may be working on together (again, noted by the subject line).

Today I browsed an email sent over by a mortgage person that was working with the buyer on a property where I represented the seller. It was one of the smoothest transactions I've done - in large part because the mortgage person knew what was going on and actually paid attention and followed through on things.

What'd I learn today? I learned that some folks need to have better email passwords. Here's the scoop:

Stolen Hotmail Passwords Demonstrate Need for Stronger Passwords

By now, you've probably heard that 30,000 passwords for Hotmail and Gmail accounts were stolen earlier this month.

But did you know that a security group analyzed those passwords and found that the most commonly used password was 123456? If that wasn't bad enough, the second most common password that was used...yep, you guessed it...123456789.

In today's electronic environment, that's unbelievable. We no longer live in a world where we can use a simple string of numbers or a child's name as a password. They're just too easy to hack...and the results can be much more devastating than merely finding your emails made public.

The problem is that we all have so many passwords. So how do we make strong passwords that we can actually remember for every account?

The tips below can help you avoid the most common password pitfalls and even implement a few new ideas that will make your passwords easy to remember...and hard to break!

Don't Use a Password that's Easy to Guess

There's no way around it...a well-protected password is hard for other people to guess. How do you do that? It's pretty simple really. Just follow this advice:

* Use a random string of characters. That means no sequential letters or numbers, like those Hotmail accounts that used 123456!
* Make it looooong. The longer the better--even up to as many as 10 to 14 characters if space allows.
* Switch things up. Use a combination of upper and lower case letters, along with a few numbers mixed in the middle or end.
* Don't use substitute symbols in common words. Using "@" for "a" or "1" for "I" may look good to you, but most hackers are smart enough to break those substitutes rather quickly when the password consists of a common word.
* For that matter, avoid easy targets like words straight out of the dictionary or things like family names and birthdays.

Don't Use the Same Password for All Accounts!

Most of us cheat when it comes to passwords. We have trouble remembering our passwords, so we come up with two or three that we can remember and use them everywhere.

But...you should avoid the temptation! That's because all of your accounts will be vulnerable if even one account is compromised. The reality is, you need to create and remember multiple passwords--a different one for each account! Fortunately, it's easier than you think. Just follow the steps below.

4 Simple Steps to Memorable, Yet Unique Passwords

Good passwords come down to two things: (1) they're easy for you to remember and (2) they're hard for others to break. Here's a sure-fire tip that can help you achieve both!

1. Think up a phrase. Instead of a common word or family member's name, think up a unique phrase that only you know. For example, you may think up something off the wall such as "I Like Short Hair Too."
2. Make it an acronym. In our example, "I Like Short Hair Too" would become ILSHT.
3. Add Complexity. Remember those substitutes you're not supposed to use with common dictionary words? Well, you CAN use them with your acronym. For example, "I Like Short Hair Too" can become "1 Like $hort Hair 2" which makes: 1L$H2. You can also use upper and lower letters to make it 1L$h2. The point is to be creative, but in a way that you can easily remember it.
4. Make it unique. A password is only really unique if you use it for one account and one account only. So you can't just use 1L$h2 for every account. And, in reality it's still too short. Here's the key to the whole process: Mix in additional letters and numbers that are unique to each account. For example, if you're logging into a "gmail account" you can use the "gm" and "@cct" (for acct) to make: 1L$h2gM@cct. Then, for a Netflix account, you may use: 1L$h2Nf@cct. That way, you're passwords will be hard for others to guess and unique to each account, but also easy for you to remember!

Of course, these are just examples. You'll want to be creative and think up your own acronym and ways to add unique characters for each account. And then keep that little secret to yourself so no one will be able to guess your account passwords.

Follow these simple steps and you'll have passwords that are tough to break, unique to every account, and easy to remember. And if you have children in your house who are starting to use passwords for email and IM accounts, teach them these steps to help educate them on the importance of strong passwords - they'll thank you later in life!

I think they've forgotten some places

US News recently released their report on the best affordable places to retire.

Topping the list are Ann Arbor, Ashevile, Aurora, Columbia, Columbus, Eugene, Fort Worth, Jacksonville, Kansas City and Tucson.

These places are all great....for the most part. I mean, who really wants to deal with snow??? It's great at Christmas...and by that I mean Christmas DAY and that's about it.

Anyway...when you're thinking about retirement or talking with someone who is, consider two more spots - Georgetown, Texas and New Braunfuls/Wimberley/Gruene. These central Texas towns are reasonably priced, have a nice selection of restaurants and stores, and are near outstanding health care.

Know someone looking to make a change? Have them give me a call and I'll share some more information on these areas!

Check out the October Newsletter

Friends, the October version of my newsletter is now available for download. Check it out!

As always, if you know someone that can use my help buying or selling real estate in Austin or the surrounding areas, please put us in touch with one another!

Dine at Chili's on Monday, October 5 and help an Austinite out!

Many of you know our friend Delores Rosas who has been battling pancreatic cancer for about 2 years now. Delores proudly has continued to serve for the Travis County Sheriff's office during her fight. Recently, Delores insurance coverage capped out. While her supervisor and HR are trying their hardest to get her bills covered, she is needing some help.



We are very excited that Chili's has agreed to contribute to a fund raiser for Delores who is fighting cancer. Attached is a flyer that must be presented at the time of purchase. 10% of your bill will go into a fund for Delores. This event is all day and is good for dine in and take out. Please feel free to make as many copies as you need and pass them out to friends and family. All Austin area Chili's are participating to include Bastrop, Cedar Park, Buda, Round Rock and Pflugerville. Just make sure a flyer is presented at time of purchase. Thank you in advance for your help.


Contact Erika at epriddy@pancanvolunteer.org or 512-917-2037 with questions.

Who is your favorite Texas muscian?

So I am wanting to put together a play list of songs written by fellow Texans. Who do you recommend that I add to this list? If you'd reply here or shoot me an email, I'd really appreciate your help!

Thanks, y'all!

Groupon - like a coupon

Join one of the new waves in group purchasing - Groupon. Offers delivered to your inbox every morning - highlighting things to do, eat or see in Austin. Now, I don't want to hear you saying there's nothing to do! ;)

Create your own cool online "look"

Have you ever seen those cute (well, usually cute) comic type photos of friends or colleagues on the net? Here are a few great, and free ways to make your own.

Meez You can join this free community or just use the avatar creator. The service lets you create and download an animated, 3-D avatar complete with changing expressions. When you've finished your masterpiece, click Save and then Go to Exports to download it or to obtain code that you can insert in various websites. Meez DOES charge for some selections.

Gaia Gaia Online is a popular virtual community. You don't have to participate in the community to use the avatar generator.

Yahoo Although the interface isn't terribly user friendly, Yahoo! Avatar Creator offers lots of options including detailed backgrounds and costumes.

South Park Check out this fun generator and make yourself into a South Park character. You can not save your creation on this site, you will have to take a screen shot of it, paste it into Photoshop or another image editor, and then crop and save the avatar from there. Kinda complicated, but still fun!

Social Networking for REALTORS®

The real estate market is constantly changing. As practitioners we are constantly looking at what we are doing, what the market is doing, and what our clients are doing. For those of us paying attention - we're seeing a huge shift in communication, especially as it relates to clients (or potential clients) "checking us out" before the contact us and ask us to represent them in the sale or purchase of real estate.

Social networking activities are quickly becoming the tool of choice as our clients and potential clients watch and learn about who they may decide to work with. That said, we as practitioners must look at how to present a true representation of who we are and what we do - online. We don't always know who is watching. We don't always know where the information we put out ends up.

All of you who know me know that I'm an educator at heart. I love teaching, and love the learning that comes along with the teaching. My most recent project has been the development and delivery of the Technology series - provided exclusively at the Austin Board of REALTORS®. The courses have been very well received - illustrated by the evaluation data. This data is used to help the Austin board, as well as boards across the state and country, choose courses and instructors, so this data is extremely important to me.

Are you an agent wanting to know more about this new world of social media - and what it means to your business? Join us for the next series - scheduled for October. I'll look forward to seeing you there!

What kind of house are you??

Have you ever heard people talking about a style of house - and wondered what THAT kind of house was like? Well, take the mystery out by checking out this great site that explains with photos the various styles of homes.

Once you figure out what kind of home you like - give me a call so we can go find it! ;)

August market statistics 5 year comparison

Latest Market Statistics (August 2009) for single family homes in the Austin MLS.

Units for Sale: (compared to August 2008)
New listings are up 1.90%.

Pendings are up 9.04%.

Solds increased by 2.81%.

As for Average Prices:

The "New Listings" average list price is down 5.95% to $294,002. In August 2008 the average list price was $312,594.

Sold average sales prices decreased 14.65% to $236,376. For August 2008 it was $276,954.

Who is the next person you know that would like to take advantage of this fantastic buying market and maybe even the first time buyers credit???

315,000 homebuyers have filed for $8000 tax credit so far. Time is running out!

If you're on the fence with your home buying decisions - this might help you speed things up. The deadline for the federal tax credit for first time buyers is quickly approaching. With the new appraisal rules and regular turbulence in the buying (and closing) process, NOW is the time to be making an offer on that home of your dreams. Stop paying rent and get yourself in a great home, at a super low interest rate, and enjoy the tax credit!

Does the credit apply to you? Check out this great article for more info. Feel free to give me a call to learn more about how you can benefit from one of the best Austin markets in many years.

September Newsletter Online!

Check out my September newsletter. Mark your calendars for the annual client appreciation party and watch your mailbox for a formal invitation and RSVP site.

Enjoy!

American Recovery & Reinvestment Act in Texas

Comptroller Susan Combs has set up a website that will allow Texans to see where the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act dollars are being spent. Good idea.

Getting Started in Social Networking

Yesterday the ABoR Education & Professional Development committee met for our regular monthly meeting. Our lunch was sponsored by my favorite store ever - Costco! Thank you Michaela for sponsoring lunch!

We try to make sure that the meetings are productive, that the participants are the first to know about upcoming events (they got to see the 4th Quarter education offerings before anyone else), and that we provide a short 10-20 minute "Education Express" presentation. Topics for the presentation have included the city's new Energy Efficiency Ordinance, Short Sales, Foreclosures and several other interesting topics. This month we talked about Social Media.

The presenter: Yours Truly!

Sometimes this whole "technology thing" can be really overwhelming. So the Education Express talk presented a way to get started in just 5 easy steps. I've recorded the slide show and posted it to YouTube as well.



If you'd like to know more, please check out the education schedule on abor.com and sign up for the Technology Series in October. Hope to see you there!

Austin Market Stats

Good news in the Austin Real Estate Market, friends! Although our area has not been hit nearly as hard by the real estate "meltdown" that much of the country has experienced, volume has been impacted. The good news is, we're getting back on track!

The chart below shows where we are right now compared with the past three years. While we're certainly not at 2006 levels, we're still pretty strong. Hopefully as indicators continue to improve, our market will get just a little stronger - allowing for a moderate correction over the past 24 months, but without the huge decline that so many markets have experienced.



By the way - who do you know that could use my help, right now, to benefit from the current market? Please, don't keep me a secret!

Another fun internet find

Last night I was so excited about the Jello 1-2-3 and Pepsi Clear finds that I couldn't hardly stand it. Today another find - a great article on 3-D printers! What the heck is that you ask? Well - it's a crazy contraption that lets you "print" your own 3-D stuff...belt buckles, ipod docs, etc. And you can build your own 3-D printer for under $1,000! Like most new technology things, this is just the beginning, and these printers will likely get even more advanced and less expensive as time goes on.

Isn't it amazing where technology has taken us....even more amazing where we're headed - if you can even imagine that!

Do you remember these cool things?

So tonight I ran across this article as I was checking out the interwebs. I was first excited about the mention of pepsi clear - but THEN I ran across the mention of Jello 1-2-3! I remember having that so often in college and grad school it isn't even funny! Now Jello has a 1-2-3 recipe on their website so that we can get something close. Just a few months ago I was trying to share my love for Jello 1-2-3 with some friends and they all looked at my like I was crazy....and you know sometimes I am...but I swore this was for real and now I have proof!

Anyway, check out the story on cool things that came to an end before there time. Well, maybe not all of them...but it's really sad that some of these things are gone. Who knows, maybe we'll have some companies want to reintroduce some fun stuff from days gone by.

Feds Scold BoA, Wells Fargo on Loan Modifications

Interesting story came in today from REALTOR® magazine.

I've had so many conversations with people that needed assistance or have friends/family members that needed assistance and were being turned away - the question kept coming up - are they helping anyone???

Here's the scoop....

The Treasury Department on Tuesday announced that only 9 percent of eligible home owners had been helped by the federal program to modify home loans and prevent foreclosure.

It scolded banking giants Bank of America and Wells Fargo, both of which received federal bailout money, pointing out that these banks have been among the least willing to assist troubled borrowers.

Bank of American modified 4 percent of eligible loans, and Wells Fargo modified 6 percent.

Big banks that did better included JPMorgan Chase & Co., which modified 20 percent of eligible loans, and Citigroup Inc., which modified 15 percent.

The bank with the best results was Saxon Mortgage Services Inc., which helped about 25 percent of its eligible borrowers.

Source: The Associated Press, Alan Zibel (08/04/2009)

The first of the month???

It's really hard to believe it's August 2nd already! Time flies when you are having fun.

Some of you know that I've had some major changes in the past month...all of them good. I'm not 100% ready to make official announcements - but they're coming soon.

As I was spending some time on the internet tonight doing a little research for some projects, I decided I needed to know more about how flikr works. While it doesn't do what I was hoping it would, and there does not seem to be any reason for me to stray from Google's Picassa, I did find this very cool photo in a random album.

I've always been fascinated with old and abandoned buildings. There are so many beautiful buildings that are suffering from neglect - amazing examples of classic architecture across our country. This shot is from a spectacular building in downtown Detroit. If you're into that kind of thing, go to www.flikr.com, create a free account, then search for "abandoned detroit" and see what you find. Amazing!

We have had a friend in town since last Thursday. Good to spend time with fun people and just relax for a while. Have a few big weeks coming up, so the low-key weekend was perfect.

Hope you enjoy your week!

What cats do when it's hot...

....or really any other time they feel like it I suppose!

This is a cute photo of Peggy, the cat child of our friends Matt and Claire.

Peggy got her name because she has a short tail...a peg if you will. She's funny. It has been so stinkin hot here lately, that there really isn't much else a cat (or anyone else for that matter) should be doing.

I've never really known a cat to just sprawl out on their back with all fours spread out for a nap. But I've never HAD a cat...so maybe this really isn't all that unusual. Please let me know what you think.

The joys of teaching...

All of you who know me know that I'm an educator at heart. Most of my professional life has been in education (and I consider Real Estate education as well - that is a large part of what we do as agents), and one of the reasons I wanted to start Cardani Group, REALTORS®.

For a little over a year now I've been teaching the Texas Real Estate Commission Legal Update and Ethics courses and the NAR Ethics course at the Austin Board of REALTORS®. I also taught a few Principles I and Principles II courses at the Champions School of Real Estate Austin campus. Every time I teach, I learn. Every time I teach, I meet new people. Every time I teach, I make new friends.

On Monday of this week I taught Technology 101 - An Overview at the Austin Board. This was a custom designed course written to help agents get a better understanding of the huge variety of technology options available to them. We had a great time exploring various hardware, software and services related to our profession, looked at ways they can assist us in our business, and considered some of the ethical implications of the technology.

As a special bonus, the participants received special discount codes for many of these services - including showing feedback, text response services and cell phone service. Two lucky people one free tech toys...the first a digital key chain and the second a free domain name.

At the end of the three hour course, it was clear that we were really just getting started and there was so much more we could cover. It could have easily been a 6 hour course. We will likely have the same experience in the 102 and 103 sessions. I can't wait for those, coming up in August and September.

Anyway, from being with my peers and the simple joy of being in a learning environment is always fantastic. And it's always a special bonus to check out the participant evaluations. Good stuff. Here's an excerpt from one participants evaluation. Always makes you feel good to hear this type of feedback!

Thank you to everyone who attended the class. It was absolutely my pleasure to share this information and to facilitate our learning. While 101 was an very intentionally an overview, 102 will be an in-depth exploration of social networking technologies, how they can be utilized in our business, how the Code of Ethics impacts our social networking activities, and how to create a plan that balances our regular networking activities with this new phenomena. I'm looking forward to seeing you again next month! Bring your friends!

Birthday Day II

Our friend Jennifer always refers to her "Birthday Season"...it's about a month long, and includes gifts and indulgences in celebration of her special day.

This year I'm embracing that a little bit...with perhaps a birthday week?

Tonight we had dinner with our friends Claire and Matt....we usually do that at least once a week. We enjoy the company and friendship, and Claire and I enjoy whipping some new things up in the kitchen every once in a while. Matt has been known to dabble in some great eats as well. Lots of fun, low pressure, good times.

Claire made a cake for my birthday....a Lime Chiffon Cake. YUM. It was very tasty and very pretty....Rick suggested I take a photo to share on my blog.... After a little discussion about how a good REALTOR® always has a camera, I used the camera in my phone to snap this shot. Now it's important for you to know that I have a "real" camera in my car for emergency purposes - an old Kodak that takes AA batteries for those times when I didn't intend on taking a photo but I need to (usually at houses, but it has come in really handy when I've come along on an accident or something. Why use the phone cam instead of a real camera? It actually rained in Austin, Texas today...and I didn't want to mess my hair up! ;)

We're back home now...dry and full....winding things down for the day.

Technology 101 at the Austin Board of REALTORS®

Today was the first class in my three part technology series being offered at the Austin Board of REALTORS®. The class today, Technology 101, was an overview of many technologies available to help REALTORS® build and retain business, and provide outstanding service.

One of the topics we discussed is the increase use and popularity of video and the ease of producing video. During the class I shared the new Flip Ultra HD video camera - small, light weight, and excellent quality. Below is a quick video that we shot during a break (you'll hear Beat It in the background - I always play some background music along with the timer on the screen - keeps things fun - and few other instructors do it so it helps set me apart. Seemed like it was a good opportunity to pay tribute to MJ)



Next month I'll be teaching Technology 102 - Social Networking, and in September we'll finish things off with Technology 103 - Hands On. Great times and great info - and three hours of MCE credit for each class! Join us!

Mortgage Broker vs. Mortgage Banker

One of my clients asked a great question today - and I thought it would be good information to share here.

Q: What is the difference between a mortgage banker and a mortgage broker? You send me information for three people - two are brokers one is a banker. What should I do?

A: I nearly always send clients the names of three professionals that I have first-hand experience with when I'm asked for a referral - whether it be for a mortgage, plumber, furniture restoration, etc. I think it's always best for people to call all three, and be completely up front about that fact when they have that first conversation with a provider. At the end of the calls, you then have a decent feel for what it will be like to work with these individuals, and can make your choice based on who you feel best about. Remember - I will only send you referrals for people I have first hand experience with - I call them Strategic Alliance Partners. They WILL take good care of you!

Now to answer the specific question about what the difference is between the broker and banker....

According to the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, a Mortgage Broker is "an independent real estate financing professional who specializes in the origination of residential and/or commercial mortgages." There are, according to NAMB, approximately 20,000 mortgage banking firms nationwide.

In essence, mortgage brokers know where the money is. Rather than lending their own funds, they lend money from other sources such as banks, pension funds, insurance companies, and savings and loan associations. They find competitive mortgage pricing from various mortgage companies, insert their individual profit, and ask for that profit at closing. The theory is that because a mortgage broker has access to multiple lenders, they have the ability to shop for the best rates AND the best programs for your specific need.

A mortgage banker is different. A mortgage banker, says the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, is "an individual, firm or corporation that originates, sells and/or services loans secured by mortgages on real property."

Normally, mortgage bankers are affiliated with a specific lender, and have access only to the products available for that specific lender. There may be programs available elsewhere that will be a better fit for your particular purposes, however the mortgage banker does not always have access to them.

The most important thing to remember about mortgages - work with someone you have been referred to and who has a proven history of getting the job done! When I review transactions that either failed to close, or where my clients were not as happy with the outcome as they could have been, it 9.9 times out of 10 it was due to working with a mortgage professional that did not put our clients interests above their own or simply was not taking care of business even with the constant follow up that I provide for every client. In every single instance, the client worked with a friend of a friend or someone they found online.

Need a new map?

Hey all you Austin REALTORS® (and everyone else that uses a Mapsco map)...have you heard the news? You can now trade in your old mapsco and for just $10 get the newest version.

You know how it is...you're headed out to show a property in a newer area, you punch the address in your gps and....nothing. And sometimes the directions are kinda sketchy on the listing. Don't be caught without your Mapsco!

I'm headed to get mine today!

Austin Board of REALTORS® Leadership Academy

If you're watching facebook you've probably seen some of my status updates with information about my participation in the Austin Board of REALTORS® Leadership Academy. Lots of great information and training from our local board, state association, and an assortment of other state and local leaders. One of the best things about participating in something like the leadership program is the camaraderie.

The photo attached is from the Austin REALTOR® magazine - July edition. Kinda fun to see yourself in print. Funny how you can always spot me in a photo like that...bright Tommy Bahama shirt vs. the more "conservative" look of my colleagues. Lots of great information, great experiences, and amazing professionals. I am very honored to have been a part of the program!

Great tips for green cleaning

Here are some fantastic recipes for all of you working to "green" your life without parting with too many greenbacks....everything from floor cleaner to toothpaste can be made right at home with safe, natural ingredients.

With five ingredients — baking soda, washing soda, liquid soap or detergent, distilled vinegar and an antiseptic essential oil — you can clean everything in your house.

Baking Soda and Washing Soda. The magic of these minerals is that they neutralize many stains and odors. They are alkaline, cut grease and can even dissolve wax. Baking soda also serves as a mild abrasive. Washing soda is the best heavy-duty scourer, but it is slightly caustic, so you need to wear gloves when using it.

Liquid Soap or Detergent. Soap is better for your health and the environment than detergents, but because water reacts with minerals in soap, washing clothes with it can leave an insoluble film and turn clothes grayish. If you wash your clothes with detergent, select the most biodegradable brand.

Vinegar and Essential Oils. Vinegar neutralizes many stains and odors, dissolves scale and pulls dirt out of wood. Use only white distilled vinegar for cleaning; apple cider vinegar could stain some materials, such as upholstery. Antiseptic essential oils — such as tea tree, sweet orange, lemon-grass, rose, clove, eucalyptus, cinnamon, birch or lavender — kill bacteria and mold.

And for the recipes...

Soap for Sparkling Dishes
This cleaner works well except in hard water, where it can cause soap scum.

1 ounce liquid castile soap
2 cups water
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
5 to 10 drops lavender essential oil (optional, but lavender is antibacterial)

Combine the soap and water in a jar. Add the glycerin and lavender (if using). Stir to blend. Pour some on a sponge, or add a few teaspoons to a sink full of warm water.

Soap Scum-fighting Spray
1 teaspoon borax
1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
2 cups hot water

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle, and shake to blend. Spray. Follow with a sponge. Rinse. Makes 2 1/4 cups.

Gentle-but-effective Scrub
Can be used on Formica countertops, sinks, the bathtub and the shower stall.

1/2 cup baking soda
Enough liquid soap or detergent to make a frostinglike consistency
5 to 10 drops essential oils, such as rose or lavender (optional)

Place the baking soda in a bowl; slowly pour in the liquid soap, stirring all the while, until the cleaner has a frostinglike consistency. If you're using any essential oils, be sure to add them last. Scoop the creamy mixture onto a sponge, wash the surface well and rinse. Makes 1/2 cup.

Floor Shine
You can use this preparation on all floors except when directed by the manufacturer to avoid even mild detergents.

1/4 cup liquid soap or detergent
Up to 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar or lemon juice
2 gallons warm water

Combine the ingredients in a large plastic bucket. Use with a mop or sponge. Makes about 2 gallons.

Club Soda Linoleum Spray
The alkaline minerals in club soda work wonders against dirt.

2 cups club soda

Pour the club soda into a spray bottle, spray onto linoleum and mop dry. Makes 2 cups.

Magic Window Wash
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent
2 cups water
A few drops of essential oils, for scent (optional)

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to blend. Spray on surface, then remove with a squeegee, paper towel or newspaper. Makes 2 1/4 cups.

Toilet Bowl Tidy-up
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
2 cups water

Vinegar is an, underused but effective disinfectant. Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle, shake and spray along the inside rim of the toilet. Leave on for 15 minutes and then scrub with a toilet brush. Makes 2 1/4 cups.

Baking Soda Oven Cleaner
Small- to medium-sized box of baking soda
Water

Sprinkle the bottom of the oven with baking soda to cover. Spray with water until very damp, and keep moist by spraying every few hours.

Let set overnight. In the morning, simply scoop out the baking soda — all the grime will be loosened — and rinse the oven well. Baking soda needs a lot of rinsing, but it is well worth the effort because it produces no toxic fumes. For really tough jobs, substitute washing soda for half the baking soda.

Balk at Using Standard Bleach The active ingredient in most household bleach is sodium hypochlorite, a moderately toxic chlorine salt. In the wastewater stream, household bleach also can bond with other chemicals to form cancer-causing organochlorines.

Seventh Generation's brand offers an effective alternative; you can find their non-chlorine bleach in stores like Newflower Market, Sunflower Market, Whole Foods, and a host of other stores.

Drain Cleaner Blues
Many commercial drain cleaners are very caustic. Some are nothing more than straight lye, a dangerous material you don't want in your home, especially if you have easily damaged PVC pipes.

Other drain cleaners are acids. All seem to be bad news for the wastewater stream. The efficacy of drain cleaners is in doubt, too, according to Consumer Reports. So, instead of resorting to chemicals, grab a plunger or a plumber's snake, and unclog your drains by hand. And to keep drains clean, pour 1 cup washing soda down them every week or so.

4 ounces calcium carbonate (chalk)
2 ounces baking soda
Enough glycerin to make a paste
1/8 teaspoon refined (white) stevia or 1 teaspoon honey
10 drops essential oils, such as oil of wintergreen or peppermint

Combine the ingredients in a bowl, stirring vigorously until well blended. Scoop the paste onto a toothbrush with a knife or spoon. Makes 3/4 cup.

Among commercial products, Tom's of Maine has one of the best natural formulations, with a synthetic detergent, sodium lauryl sulfate, derived from coconut, not petroleum. The Natural Dentist and Weleda brand toothpastes are made with herbs and no sodium lauryl sulfate.

Cool Cleaner for Your Hairs
10 ounces water
1 to 2 ounces liquid castile soap (the less the better)
1 teaspoon glycerin or 1/4 teaspoon mild oil, such as olive or almond oil
20 to 35 drops essential oils (optional)

Make the herbal water infusion by putting a handful of herbs in a pint mason jar and immersing them in boiling water. Cover tightly, let set overnight; strain. Add the soap, glycerin and essential oil (if using); cover and shake to blend. Shampoo as usual. Makes 1 1/2 cups. Caution: Essential oils can harm the eyes, so be sure not to get shampoos, rinses or conditioners in your eyes, and add no more than 3 drops of essential oil per ounce of base. Among commercial shampoos, Aubrey Organics, Logona and Real Purity are good brands.

Astringent
Gypsies first formulated this wonderful astringent, called "Queen of Hungary Water," for use primarily as a medicinal remedy; the recipe appears in many old herbals, using a variety of herbs. I have often made a version, originated by noted herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, for Christmas gifts, bottling it in beautifully shaped blue glass. Here is my favorite adaptation of the recipe; it omits chamomile (because so many people are allergic to ragweed, to which chamomile is related) and increases the amount of calendula. Feel free to adapt the recipe to suit your own skin type and preferences.

6 small handfuls fresh lemon balm leaves
5 small handfuls calendula flowers
4 small handfuls rose petals
3 small handfuls fresh comfrey leaves
1 small handful each rosemary, lemon peel and sage
Organic apple cider, as needed
Rose water or witch hazel, as needed

Place the herbs in a 1-gallon glass jar. Cover the herbs with organic apple cider vinegar, leaving about 2 inches to spare in the jar. Screw the lid on tightly. Let it set for four to six weeks. Strain. Divide the mixture into smaller jars, and dilute to half its strength with rose water or witch hazel extract.

Sesame-spiked Sunblock
Sesame oil is a natural sunscreen, and zinc oxide protects against UVA and UVB radiation. Apply this block every hour or so when you're out-of-doors, and reapply after swimming.

2 1/2 ounces sesame oil
1 1/2 ounces coconut oil or cocoa butter
4 ounces water or strong green tea made with distilled water
1/2 ounce beeswax
2 tablespoons zinc oxide
Natural preservative (see "Dreamy, Creamy Lotion" formula)
10 to 20 drops antiseptic essential oils (optional)

Melt the oils and beeswax in a double boiler over medium heat. Remove from heat, add water and mix with an electric handheld mixer until thick and creamy. Add the zinc oxide and preservatives, followed by the essential oil (if using). Blend well. Makes 1 cup. (Reserve the double boiler and the handheld mixer especially for making these preparations.)

Dreamy, Creamy Lotion
Many commercial lotions have high amounts of alcohol, which can dry your skin and make the use of heavy creams necessary. Homemade lotions without alcohol eliminate that problem and offer a pleasant change.

2 1/2 ounces almond, olive or peanut oil (or a combination)
1 1/2 ounces coconut oil ounce beeswax
2 ounces aloe vera gel
2 ounces water or rose water
1 tablespoon glycerin
Natural preservative (1 teaspoon vitamin C powder, 1/4 teaspoon vitamin A powder and 1 tablespoon wheat germ oil or 1/3 teaspoon grapefruit seed extract)
10 to 25 drops fragrant essential oils, if desired
1 teaspoon borax (optional)

Melt the oils and beeswax over medium heat in a double boiler. Remove from the heat, pour in the aloe vera gel, water, glycerin, preservative and fragrance (if using), and stir with a mixer until thick and creamy. For a thinner lotion, slightly decrease the beeswax. (You can add 1 teaspoon borax, too.) Makes 1 cup. Whiskers-be-gone Shaving Cream

Shaving Cream
2 ounces almond oil
1/2 ounce beeswax
4 ounces water
2 ounces liquid Castile soap
1 ounce glycerin
1 teaspoon borax
1/3 teaspoon grapefruit seed extract
20 drops essential oils

Combine the oil and beeswax in a double boiler over medium heat. When the beeswax is melted, remove from the heat and stir in water, soap, glycerin and borax. Blend with an electric handheld beater until creamy. Add the grapefruit seed extract and essential oils, and stir to blend. Makes 1 cup.

If this sounds like too much work, look for some of these brands at your local stores. Remember to try and stick with locally owned whenever you can!

All-purpose Cleaners Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Pure Castile Soap, Seventh Generation

• Carpet Cleaners Granny's Old Fashioned Products and Infinity Heavenly Horsetail liquid detergents
• Floor Cleaners Infinity Heavenly Horsetail Life Tree Home Soap, Murphy Oil Soap, Sodasan All-purpose Cleaner
• Disinfectants Power Herbal Disinfectant and Deodorizer
• Automatic Dish Detergents Life Tree, Seventh Generation
• Bleach Seventh Generation
• Hand Dish-washing Soap Ecover
• Laundry Products Earth Friendly Products, Ecover, Life Tree, Seventh Generation

Remember our friends at South Austin People when it comes to bar soap, liquid soap, scented lotions and other great products.

Recipes and additional information courtesy of Annie Berthold-Bond & motherearthnews.com