I should buy a lotto ticket

SECOND pat on the back of the week! Thank you Stephanie and Adam, I really am honored you chose me!

Pat on the back…

Thank you, Matt and Kelsey – a kind testimonial indeed…

“Martha was the greatest! Prompt, attentive, and knowledgeable; what else do you want in a Realtor?!?!?! Her enthusiasm was second to none. Within 10 minutes of walking in our front door, she had plenty of suggestions for what needed to get done so we could maximize our sales…and she was RIGHT! Because of Martha’s ideas/suggestions, we had viewings within hours of the property hitting the market (we even had a couple before it went public)! She didn’t hesitate to fight for our asking price; there was no indecision on her part. Quick with suggestions and how to counter. Her follow through was amazing. Every step of the closing process she was there to make things easy for us to comprehend and execute. You’re losing money if you don’t allow Martha and her team to take care of your home selling needs!”

Matt & Kelsey Klein
August 2014

Austin 4th of July Fireworks

Denise Moody at Gracy Title always keeps me informed on what is fun happening around Austin.  Here’s a link for all the fun fireworks displays around town…at which one will you celebrate? Link here as well

Random Acts of Kindness

My company, Keller Williams, hosts and annual “RED DAY” where offices all over the world close and give back to the community. This was my first one and I won’t miss another one. My group of 4 was given $40 and had do do at least 3 random acts of kindness with that money. We helped a lady buy a lamp, gave water to homeless kids on UT Campus, handed out roses and paid it forward in the McDonald’s line. What will you do today to pay it forward and leave a smile on someone’s face?

Star Bar:Great Food Truck Race

Today between 5-7pm the Great food truck race Show is stopping by Star Bar<
, Rattle Inn and Ranch 616 to tape for the Food Network. As if it isn't crowded enough down there – but great press and exposure for Austin. Valentina's – better stock extra brisket tacos today!

2014 Austin Summer Camps Guide

AUSTIN OUTDOOR KIDS Get out and about and explore trails, swimming holes, water parks, playgrounds, lakes, amusement parks, and other destinations filled with fun and learning. Ages 5-13. June 16–Aug. 15. 512/487-5122. $310-325. www.sites.google.com

 

 

AUSTIN PARKS & RECREATION CAMPS The city offers all manner of camps that incorporate sports, hiking, art, dance, theatre, and much more. Go online to find one that’s right for your kid. June 16-Aug. 22. 512/974-6700. $75-215. www.austintexas.gov

 

 

BYGONE DAYS! VICTORIAN ERA CAMP What was summer camp like back in the 19th century? Kids will find out through era-appropriate art, crafts, sports, dance, and more. Ages 7-10. July 21-25 & July 28-Aug. 1. Neill-Cochran House Museum, 2310 San Gabriel, 512/478-2335. $250. www.nchmuseum.org

 

 

CAMP FIRE ADVENTURE CAMP Kids get out of the house and into the great outdoors as they hike, swim, pitch tents, and generally commune with nature. Ages 5-12. June 9-Aug. 22, 8am-5pm. Asbury United Methodist Church, 1605 E. 38 1/2, 512/349-2111. $250. www.camp-fire.org

 

 

CAMP INDIGO Help your kids find their inner creative spirit through nature hikes, dance, drama, and yoga, while learning confidence, communication, and respect for themselves and others. Ages 4-12. June 16-20 & 23-27. Austin Discovery School, 8509 FM 969 #200, 512/476-8884. $300. www.amalafoundation.org

 

 

CAMP ON THE MOVE Every day’s a field trip, not a week goes by without Schlitterbahn and Fiesta Texas, and other stops for go-karts, zip-lining, and more. Charter buses wired to screen movies ensure minimal fidgeting en route. Ages 7-14. June 9-Aug.8, 7:30am-5:30pm. $295-365. www.camponthemove.com

 

 

CAMP SUMMIT All the usual camp fun – swimming, crafts, cooking – with a bit of Christian education thrown in. Ages 4-12. June 9-Aug. 1. 2121 Cypress Creek Rd., Cedar Park, 512/250-1369. $175-205. www.summiteagles.org

 

 

CAMP TRINITY Whatever you kid is into Trinity’s camps cover it: cooking, martial arts, computers, cheerleading, comic books, theatre, science, sports, & more. Ages 6-14. June 2-6 & 9-13. Trinity Episcopal School, 3901 Bee Caves Rd., 512/472-9525 x215. $250 ($450, full-day). www.austintrinity.org

 

 

COUNTRY HOME LEARNING CENTER Keep the kids on the go with field trips to museums, play areas, and game centers while encouraging their interests in educational endeavors. Ages 5-13. www.countryhomelearningcenter.com

 

 

EARTH NATIVE WILDERNESS SCHOOL Learn all about the natural world of Central Texas through exploration and games. The older kids get into some survival techniques at the overnight camp in Bastrop. Ages 6-17. June 9-Aug. 1. McKinney Falls State Park, 5808 McKinney Falls Pkwy, 512/299-8870. $245 ($595, overnight camp). www.earthnativeschool.com

 

 

EPIC ADVENTURES Choose from the 7- or 12-day overnight camp that forgoes all the usual trappings of cabins and cafeterias for tents and campfires. Sleep under the stars after a day of biking, climbing, rafting, caving, and/or backpacking. Ages 13-17. June 15-Aug. 3. 512/417-6127. $800 per week. www.myepicadventures.com

 

 

ESCUELITA ART-ES INC. Bilingual instructors guide campers through various themed camps that include dance, music, theatre, art, yoga, sign language, and more. Ages 3-11. June 2-Aug. 1. 6100 Parkwood, Oak Hill, 512/965-3604. www.escuelitaart-es.com

 

 

EXTEND-A-CARE FOR KIDS Keep your kids mentally and physically active all summer with a well-rounded, diverse program including drama, cooking, soccer, reading, nature walks, and more. Ages 3-12. June 9-Aug. 15. 512/472-9402. Up to $170. www.eackids.org

 

 

GENAUSTIN Three-day camps educate and empower girls to be better individuals and friends and generally prepare for middle school. Ages 9-12. Mitte Foundation Carriage House, 1008 West Ave, 512/808-4044. $150. www.genaustin.org

 

 

GIRLSTART Choose one of the weeklong camps and learn about animals, music, or even create their own virtual theme park. Ages 9-13. June 9-Aug. 1. $300. www.girlstart.org

 

 

GROWIN’ TOGETHER HANDS-ON CAMP Choose your camp and put on a play, build something cool, or save the planet. Ages 5-12. June 16-July 25. Austin EcoSchool, 4105 Manchaca, 447-8516. $249. www.growintogether.org

 

 

HAWAIIAN FALLS CAMPS Younguns (ages 6-12) learn about science and nature through water and weather experiments and have some fun in the water park, naturally. Kids 12 to 15 can learn some lifesaving skills at the junior lifeguard cam. Older kids (ages 15-16) will lead the younger campers as part of the training program. July 7-Aug. 11. Hawaiian Falls Water Park, 2411 FM 685, Pflugerville. $125-250. www.hfalls.com

 

 

INSIDE OUTSIDE SCHOOL The Inside Outside School inundates kids with crafts, games, art, music, cooking, and even a few farm animals. Long story short? Your kids won’t be bored at these two-week camps. Ages 5-12. June 9-20 & July 7-18. 5530 Killingsworth Ln., Pflugerville, 512/251-1109. $550. www.insideoutsideschool.org

 

 

IQUEST Honestly, these guys win for widest variety of topics covered: comic books, Mandarin, philosophy, improv, TV production, college application help, etc. Seriously, etc. Ages 4-18. 5145 RR 620 N., 512/537-7664. $200-375. www.iquestaustin.com

 

Orginal Article From Austin Chronicle

 

Preview Orginal Article Here

 

 

New Listing – 1625 Enfield – Listed at $625,000

Super house with refinished original hardwood floors. Recent remodel of master bathroom- walk in glass shower with bench! Great period details like built in cabinets and knotty pine study. Awesome neighborhood with parks, splash pads, grocery, coffee shops and restaurants near by. Call or Email for extra details and pictures.

Martha Small – 512-587-0308 – Martha@MarthaSmallHomes.com – MarthaSmallHomes.com

Austin Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival – Starts this Week

Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival presented by the Paramount Theatre brings to Austin, TX some of the funniest, wittiest and oddest world-class comics from around the globe. This marathon of side-splitting nights throughout the city is slated to bring over 100 comedians doing everything from stand-up and sketch to improv and musical comedy. National headliners, up-and-comers and local Austin-based comedians ensure that there are options for every type of comedy fan; die-hards to those just looking for a fun night.

Wednesday Schdule below:

5:00pm – 7:00pm | Moontower Lounge at the SFA Bar & Terrace

7:00pm | Paramount Theatre | DEMETRI MARTIN
Demetri Martin, Levi McDonald

7:15pm | The Velv Comedy Lounge | TRIFECTA
Jackie Kashian, Dan Naturman, Nick Thune, Host: Brendan K. O’Grady

7:15pm | The Parish | FOUR EYES
Andy Kindler, Mike Lawrence, Nick Mullen, Sara Schaefer, James Adomian,
Ari Shaffir, Rory Scovel, Host: Kerri Lendo

7:30pm | The Parish Underground | SHE-BANG
Erin Foley, Jen Kober, Cameron Esposito, Maggie Maye, Ashley Barnhill
Arden Myrin, Laura Kightlinger Host: Sean Patton

7:30pm | Stateside at the Paramount | PAJAMA MEN

8:00pm | Cap City | TRIFECTA
Kurt Braunohler, Brent Morin, Beth Stelling, Host: Chris Tellez

8:00pm | The New Movement | OPPOSITES + AC LEROK

9:15pm | The Parish | BLUE MOON
Dom Irrera, Brent Weinbach, Brad Williams, Kurt Metzger, Bridget Everett,
Godfrey, Jen Kober, Host: Bobby Slayton

9:30pm | Paramount Theatre | HANNIBAL BURESS
Hannibal Buress, Dan Soder

9:30pm | The Velv Comedy Lounge | COMEDY JACKPOT
Billy D. Washington, Paul Varghese, Greg Warren, Noel Wells,
Lucas Molandes, Laura Kightlinger, Chris Cubas, Host: Bob Khosravi

9:30pm | The New Movement | TNM TALKS

10:00pm | The Parish Underground | AUSTIN TOWERS!
Matt Bearden, Mike MacRae, John Ramsey, Mac Blake, Brian Gaar,
Kat Ramzinski, Host: Doug Mellard

10:00pm | Stateside at the Paramount | ALWAYS BE CLOSIN’ WITH RORY SCOVEL
Rory Scovel, Justin Willman, Sara Schaefer, Host: Kerry Awn

 

See the complete schdule here

For Tickets and extra info visit the main home page here

So you wanna sell a house…

My dear friend, Maggie Moore, in Fort Worth posted this blog (credit to Greg Nino out of Houston) and I laughed until I cried.  SO SO TRUE!  Take a minute to read this “Open Letter to Anyone Wanting to Get Their Real Estate License” and humor me a bit.  xo 

CLICK HERE TO READ or see info below: 

This post by Greg Nino, real estate agent at Re/Max Compass in Houston, was originally published on ActiveRain.

Several times a year I am approached by people who want to become a Realtor. Many of them think it’s a great way to supplement their income while they keep their day job. A lot of others are interested in a career change. I decided to type this blog post to save myself time. Each time I’m asked I’ll simply send the inquiring person a link back to this post. So, with that said, grab your favorite beverage and read below, because you’re about to get a heavy dosage of what it’s like to start a real estate career.

1. Passing the exam is easy. Creating a business with real income is a different story.

2. Now that you have your license, be prepared to lose friends and get your feelings hurt. Most, if not all, of your friends and family will avoid using you the first year or two that you’re licensed. Simply put, you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. Earn your battle scars. Even after you’ve gained experience, you’ll have friends and family who will not work with you because you’re a friend or because you are family. It happens every day to Realtors across the country.

3. If you don’t spend money, you won’t make money. You need to spend THOUSANDS of dollars to create a business. Most of what you are thinking is a cute and new idea has already been tried a thousand times. You will do what every new agent does: Spend money (A LOT OF IT) on the wrong things. Over and over again. There’s a famous saying in this business: “If you want to get rich in real estate, sell stuff to Realtors.”

4. You and your smartphone will become inseparable. You will have to get up from eating, watching a movie and sleeping to take calls, return emails and respond to text messages. Of course, you don’t have to do this, but you also don’t have to make any real money in this business. You’ll get out of it what you put into it. Ignoring a call could be a $20,000 mistake. Or more.

 5. Be prepared to be second-guessed, doubted, questioned, accused and lied to repeatedly. Buyers and sellers have the propensity to lie just like you and the guy next to you at the grocery store. People have perceptions about lawyers, mechanics and police officers. They have them about us, too. Even after years of experience there will be clients who will second-guess your every move. This will never go away.

6. You will show thousands of houses. Showing a house isn’t just about unlocking a door. Sometimes you get rained on while showing. Sometimes the house says active on the market when it’s already under contract with another buyer. Sometimes you are late to the appointment because of traffic. Maybe your buyer will be late. The number of things that can go wrong are practically endless.

7. Almost nobody will respect your time. Almost everyone thinks you are overpaid.

8. Expect people to ask for kickbacks both legally and illegally. Buyers and sellers will often want to haggle with your commission.

9. You will pay taxes. A lot of taxes. Expect to pay for the gizmo you use to unlock doors. You will pay for this yearly along with dues to three different associations. You’ll pay for signs, lockboxes, tools, equipment, cameras, advertising for both you and your listings, leads, websites, and on and on and on.

10. You will pay for your own health and life insurance. There is no 401(k) matching in real estate. You are an independent contractor. In fact, YOU will pay to be at your local real estate office! The broker will take money from you. You will also pay for an office if you want one. Your phone is your cost. Your Internet is also your cost. So are your paper, pens and everything else imaginable. You’re running a small business. It’s ALL your costs. You’ll also pay for errors and omissions insurance. The list is really long. Yay!

11. You will get screwed in this business. It’s not for the naive, lighthearted, ignorant or thin-skinned. You will work your rear end off and sometimes not make a dime.

12. You will deal with a certain number of psychopaths each year.

13. You will meet criminals, convicts and felons, especially if you work in the leasing industry.

14. Strange men and women will ask you to meet them at houses RIGHT NOW.

15. You might get a gun pointed at you while showing a house or two. Sometimes rabid pit bulls will chase you down.

16. Expect to get towed at least once.

17. Eventually you’ll get in a wreck while showing. You better hope your clients aren’t with you. Is your auto insurance updated correctly?

18. There is no disability insurance. So, if you break a leg while playing softball, you’re screwed. It’s going to hurt your business.

19. You might get sued even when you aren’t at fault.

20. When you become successful, your competitors might file complaints on you because they are jealous. You won’t like this.

21. As you show houses you’ll be in questionable neighborhoods from time to time. You need to learn self-defense, and carry a gun or a can of mace. Everyone should be concerned about their safety.

22. Be prepared to leave a social event early to run and show a house or to get yelled at by one of your clients for something you did not do. It doesn’t matter, you are the chew toy sometimes.

23. It’s likely you’ll get audited by the IRS. You have too many write-offs and, once again, you make too much money.

24. Lawyers are annoyed by Realtors.

25. Expect to list homes and never sell them. No agent sells every home they list. You will waste time, money, energy and resources.

26. Your signs will be stolen, spray-painted and eventually played with by the local kids.

27. Your flier box will always be empty because kids, passersby and neighbors will take too many. Sometimes they’ll take all of them in one day. Then you’ll be chastised for not having fliers in the flier box.

28. Did I mention you’ll deal with at least two crazy people each year?

29. EACH real estate transaction you work means you are likely dealing with at least eight different people. You’re responsible for 15-20 things. Right now I am trying to close 11 contracts. I am a little stressed. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about my paperwork, my clients and my business.

30. You will become an unlicensed therapist, divorced lawyer and counselor. You aren’t allowed to give legal advice, and you shouldn’t. You aren’t a doctor, but everyone will unload their personal lives with you. You will sometimes live their life.

31. Your spouse will at times hate what you do for a living.

32. Your wife or husband will despise the fact that you are always on your phone.

33. When you’re sick, you still work. There’s no floating holidays.

34. While on vacation, you still work. You can get an agent to cover your business, but NOBODY will care for your business the way you do.

35. Sometimes when you make mistakes it costs people money. You can’t just apologize.

36. You have to have a nice car. You must wear nice clothes.

37. When you first get started everyone will know you don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s a fact. This sucks. But if you stick it out, you’ll be OK. Seventy-five percent of the new agents don’t make it.

38. You get to work with agents! Not all of them are put together correctly. A lot of your problems in this business will be because of the other agent. You will get upset, angry, pissed and offended. Egos are here, too.

39. Wait for it:  Friends, neighbors and family will ask you for real estate advice while they are involved in a real estate transaction YOU aren’t.

40. Other Realtors will give your client advice when they aren’t supposed to. Every buyer and every seller knows an agent somewhere.

41. Each market is different. Very different sometimes, but that won’t stop friends and family from influencing your client. Your client will become confused at times.

42. You have a better chance of meeting E.T. than you do working real estate part time and being successful. It takes time, effort and money to be a part-time Realtor. In fact, being a part-time agent can be even more difficult.

So why do agents do this?

You’ll have the amazing opportunity to reap what you sow. You can work when you want. No matter how bad your boss (client) is, you are working for them for only a certain period of time. You get new bosses all the time. You can make a real difference in a lot of people’s lives. You literally help shape dreams. YOU can be the difference in someone’s life as they look to sell and buy a home. And not all clients, buyers and sellers are bad. Most of them get it. It’s awesome when everything works out.

And sometimes the money is really good.

 

Help Imagine the Future of Town Lake Park

New MindMixer Website Launched for Town Lake Metropolitan Park

This online public forum allows the community to share views, vision for the park.

Austin Parks Foundation, the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) and Tur Partners invite you to join us in a new and exciting way to help imagine the future of Austin’s premier lakefront park, Town Lake Metropolitan Park. We have recently launched an online virtual public engagement forum via mindmixer.com that allows community members throughout Austin to share their experiences, views and ideas toward a long-term vision for this park.

This website is built upon discussions initiated during the first four visioning sessions held Fall 2013 and Winter 2014. All sessions are part of a larger initiative to collect community input that will inform the future vision of Town Lake Metropolitan Park. As directed by the City of Austin Resolution #20121011-081, Austin Parks Foundation is working in partnership with Tur Partners, LLC, a global advisory firm, to conduct a study that will provide recommendations for enhancing public access and enjoyment of Town Lake Metropolitan Park. The final report will be delivered in April 2014.

To join the online discussions, please visit townlakepark.mindmixer.com. For more information about Town Lake Metropolitan Park, visit the Austin Parks Foundation’s “Special Initiatives: Auditorium Shores” webpage, http://www.austinparks.org/auditorium-shores.html, or contact Josh Strickland: (312) 506-6950; jstrickland@turpartners.com.

 

Orginal Article Posted by City of Austin

Click here to see orginal article