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!

More than a free cup o' coffee....

The past two days have been great - I was lucky enough to participate in the Texas Association of REALTORS® Instructor Training Institute. This training is just one of the many steps in the process to become a member of the Texas REALTORS® Faculty....and it was a blast.

As I have been winding down for the past few hours tonight, I spent some time playing on Facebook, and ran across the "Free Cup of Starbucks Coffee if you Pledge 5 Hours of Volunteer Time" page....

It's really pretty interesting...and something that can really make a difference if we all contribute.

Check out the website and think about ways you can contribute. If you're local, shoot me an email at chad at chadcardani dot com and let me know if you'd like to join me in a local activity.

I'm so proud....

Social networking is really something. I've enjoyed getting back in touch with old friends from high school and college. I've also had the extreme pleasure of tracking down some former students and interns.

My time at the Ames Chamber of Commerce was really pretty life changing. For those of you who don't already know, when I was in college I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. When I started my job at the Chamber our assistant Shirley and I bonded over having both been cancer survivors. This was also the time when I was charged with hiring interns to assist in special Chamber projects, which ultimately led to my strong desire to return to a college environment to work with students full time.

That change happened when I returned to the Chamber from a short vacation to learn that Shirley was in the hospital with a recurrance of cancer. She died three days later. It was a very emotional time, and a wake up for me to get my life in order and work toward accomplishing what I wanted to accomplish.

So back to the real story here. Recently I used the Facebook Friend Finder to find some of the interns that I worked with at the Chamber...and I was able to track down Daphne Meyers. Daphne and I had a great time while she was working as my intern. She had such a great time and was so talented that her first job out of college as at the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce...as the DIRECTOR!

Daph hasn't changed all that much I've gotta say. After exchanging some emails I checked out her website at www.dylanssmile.com and learned a little bit about what she's been up to.

She's doing really good stuff...and I'd really like it if all of you would check out her site, and if you're able to, give a donation to help the cause. You'll feel good, and you'll help my friend Daphne do good things for others.

You just gotta love Austin....

So it's January 2009. This week I had the pleasure of having lunch outside on the patio at Whole Foods in downtown Austin. Turned out to be a very very nice way to spend part of an afternoon.

It all started when I headed to AT&T to get a new phone. As much as the iphone is a cool gadget, it just wasn't working for me work wise. In fact, I was starting to really dislike it. I think part of it was because you have to use iTunes to do anything with it...and I really don't like iTunes either. Kinda makes me feel like I'm getting old...the interface just doesn't make sense, blah blah blah.

So I headed up to the AT&T store with my friend Bill and was pleasantly surprised that they offered me an upgrade with only a 6 month extension of my contract. Pretty cool. New Palm Centro (perfect for Real Estate Agents cause it can also serve as our electronic key and login token for MLS) for just 50 bucks.

Then I took Bill back to the office so he could meet with a client. I ran up to get my hair cut from the best hair cutter in town, Matt Hyder at Vitali Salon on West 6th. When that was finished around 2 p.m. I realized I was starving, so thought it might be fun to head to Whole Paycheck....I mean Whole Foods, for a quick bite to eat.

Apparently lots of other people had the same idea, because the place was packed. It was really pretty surprising, I figured the lunch crowd would have been long gone. There was actually a little line at the checkout. I did my normal Whole Foods routine...one container for cold, one for hot, and got a small sampling of a few things. Cost about 8 bucks. Kinda pricey but I looked at it as a special treat.

Then I went outside to find a seat on the patio. It was very nice to enjoy the sunshine, watch people (there were LOTS of pretty people out), and enjoy some reasonably healthy and wholesome food. As I was sitting there I was thinking about how lucky I am to be able to be in a place where I could have lunch whenever I wanted to, afford to treat myself to a Whole Foods meal, and bask in the sun for a few minutes.

Life is good.....

Suze Orman's Action Plan

If we have ever talked about money stuff, I've surely mentioned how much I enjoy Suze Orman and try and follow her advice.

One of the things Suze does on a regular basis is give away downloads of her books. Most recently Suze appeared on Oprah and shared her 2009 Action Plan book, along with an assortment of other free resources to help us get our financial lives in order.

Now, I'm right there with the folks who are starting to find Oprah a bit annoying....but once in a while she steps off her throne and allows someone else to be an expert. I'm guessing the fun and friendly Suze Orman would really open up a can of STFUB if Oprah tried to be the expert when it comes to regular people's finances. Thank you Oprah for working with Suze to bring this resource to us.

Check out the resources and download the book by visiting Oprah's website. If you follow through on only one thing in 2009 - make this that thing!

Some fuel news to be excited about

As I was responding to emails this morning I noticed an interesting news feed come across my gmail inbox... "Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel - Continental to Make Algae Biofuel Test Flight"

I have been had this question for some time... WHY, in 2009, are we STILL dependent on fossil fuels for the majority of our transportation and power needs?? Seriously....

Check out the story and see what you think. It's a small step in the right direction in my opinion - and I hope that work will continue so that the technologies advance quickly enough to help make the US a powerhouse in alternative energy technologies.

Austin 2009 Economic Forecast

One of the things I love about Austin REAL Pros is our brokers' dedication to providing resources and opportunities for all of the agents. Not only does it help us all stay on the cutting edge of our own real estate practices, it builds an incredible sense of camaraderie and togetherness....kind of family like even.

Today the gang all headed to the Austin Renaissance Hotel to attend the 2009 Economic Forecast hosted by the Austin Board of REALTORS® and the Austin Homebuilders Association. After a very tasty breakfast we heard Jay Gohil, 2009 Chairman of the Board of the Austin Board of REALTORS®; Wes Peoples, 2009 President of the Austin Home Builders Association; Derrick Jones, Broker at Austin City Living; Charles Porter, past Chairman of the Austin Board of REALTORS®; Eldon Rude, Director of the Austin Market Metrostudy; and Jon Hockenyos, President of Texas Perspectives give assessments of the Central Texas (Austin and surrounding communities) economies from their individual business perspectives.

In addition to many of the leading agents, brokers and builders in the area, we were joined by State Representatives Mark Strama and Donna Howard, and Austin City Councilwoman Laura Morrison.

In four hours these industry leaders shared way too much information for me to convey to you in a detailed fashion here. However, there were a few vital notes to share...

- The National Homebuilders are working on a project called "Save Housing First" intended to aid in kicking the national economy back into gear by focusing resources toward homeowners, including extending the current $7500 tax credit to buyers, expanding the credit to all buyers from just new buyers as it is now, providing fixed rate mortgage programs of 2.99% (Until June 30, 2009) and 3.99% (from July 1 to December 31, 2009). The plan would cost around 100 billion dollars over ten years.

- While many of our sister cities around the country are suffering from net job loss, Central Texas added between 12 and 13,000 new jobs in 2008. Just this week, there were three teams from the Austin Chamber of Commerce working with prospects to relocate their business to our area, with a goal of adding 21,000 new jobs in 2009.

- New economic information shows that we have been in a recession since December 2007. While that isn't terribly exciting news, the good thing is we're already just over a year into this, and we will likely begin a slow recovery within the next year.

- While appreciation in Austin has slowed, it has not yet stopped. That means while we are experiencing an increase in home inventory, prices have not yet started falling. Compared with the rest of the country, this is fantastic. Be prepared for that to change slightly in 2009. Additionally, Austin's available home inventory is 50% what is is in our sister cities.

- The Central Texas population increased by approximately 250,000 residents between 200 and 2007.

- Finally, Jon Hockenyos wrapped things up in just a few lines. You know me - that brought a huge smile to my face and I was thinking how funny it was that four hours were pretty much summed up in a few words...

...2009 will be slightly worse than 2008. 2010 will be better than 2009. 2008 was better than 1987 (the last major slowdown in Austin), and can be compared to the .com bubble we most recently experienced. 2010 will bring us back to the upswings of the 1988 recovery and we will then continue positive movement.

If you're interested in more of the information from the forecast, just let me know and I'll be happy to email you a copy of the charts that help illustrate these points.

The bottom line here? While things aren't fantastic they're pretty stinkin good. This is a great time to buy property in Central Texas. For any of you who have thought, as I have..."Man, I wish I had taken advantage of the opportunities in 19XX so I could be reaping the benefits now"... NOW is the time to do something! Give me a call, let's talk!

The recyclable house...?

Remember when recycling was pretty much limited to a a small box the schools distributed for us to put our used printer paper in? No staples, no colored paper, and when they said used they really meant barely used...not painted on, not too much print, etc...

Well my friends, we have come quite a ways since then. It is really quite amazing what we can recycle now, and how relatively easy it is to do so.

As I've been reading up on Green initiatives as they related to Real Estate, I found this story in the Chicago Reader. Ken Ortiz, a certified deconstructionist in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook, is keeping busy helping people literally take apart their homes, and reuse building materials for new construction.

Imagine for a minute, just in our own area, how many building materials have been hauled to the dump, when they could likely be reused....

Since 2009 (at least JANUARY 2009) seems to be my month of challenges... here's a new one for you. Let's see what we can do this year in terms of recycling things....reusing materials we would normally throw out, or at least putting stuff in the recycle bin more than in the trash bin.

My first re-use (that I was aware of anyway) happened just yesterday. As I was putting together IKEA bookshelves for the new home office, I reused the cardboard they came in to protect the bed frame we stuck in the attic. Pretty resourceful, huh! It's not quite the same as deconstructing a house, but hey, it's somethin!

Look what we've started....

So another old friend saw the first 2008 in review post and sent this for all to see as well.

This is probably a good time for a disclaimer....the fine print:
For the most part, I work to keep politics out of my blog. Clearly these two year in review messages have some political messages. I do not take responsibility for the authors intent, nor do I intend for anyone to attempt to draw their own conclusion as to my personal political beliefs from either of these messages.

That said, Enjoy!

2008 in Review

I received this from an old friend this morning...it's kinda cute so I thought it would be fun to share with all of you...

Enjoy!

Hello from one of the first....

National Association of REALTORS® GREEN designees....

Last month I wrote about being in a course with many of the NAR executives....that was the first part of the designation. To finish it up, I took an online course from NAR specifically aimed at green practices in residential real estate building, practice and evaluation. Really interesting stuff.

So for any of you who are green minded, or know people who are, and are looking to buy or sell real estate in Austin or the surrounding areas, give me a call. Today, there are THREE agents in Austin have completed the designation....two of them (Bill Evans and myself) are with Austin REAL Pros! We're on the cutting edge!