April brings some wonderful events to The Texas Hill Country 04/05/2014 - 9:00am to 3:00pm Cibolo Nature Center's "Mostly Native Plant" Sale Find ways to make your landscape more beautiful! Details   04/05/2014 - 9:30am to 1:30pm Farmers Market at The Cibolo Saturday mornings take on a festive air. Details   04/05/2014 - 10:00am to 5:00pm Wild West Day Enjoy a fun filled day of family entertainment and education "Wild West Style." Details 04/05/2014 - 7:00pm to 11:00pm Hot Rod Night at Soda Pops Show off your ride or just check out the scenery! Details   04/12/2014 - 9:30am to 1:30pm Farmers Market at The Cibolo Saturday mornings take on a festive air. Details 04/12/2014 - 10:00am to 8:00pm Boerne Parade of Artists A self-guided walking/riding tour of 16 art venues in the heart of Boern... 03/31/2014

02/08/2014 (All day) For the Love of Dogs COSAS is thrilled to feature our favorite loved ones during February!  After all, it is Valentine's Day! We will have 2 artists showcasing their fabulous works of dogs.  Join us from 4-8pm Saturday, February 8 for our opening reception during Boerne’s Second Saturday Art Walk. Details   02/08/2014 - 10:00am to 5:00pm Boerne Market Days Main Plaza comes alive with great shopping in an outdoor setting. Details 02/08/2014 - 11:00am to 5:00pm Boerne Chocolate Walk - SOLD OUT Boerne's Sweetest Event! Tickets go on sale January 8th with limited availability. They will go fast! Details   02/08/2014 - 5:00pm to 8:00pm Second Saturday Art & Wine The 2nd Saturday participants go all out each month with complimentary beverages and a variety of hors d'oeuv... 01/27/2014

New Construction in Balcones Creek Subdivision, Boerne, TX A beautiful new neighborhood, conveniently located off of I-10 on the border of Bexar County and Kendall County is currently in development.  The neighborhood, Blacones Creek located in Boerne ISD offers resort style ammenitites and convenient access to businesses, shopping and entertainment in Boerne & the La Cantera Area.  Some of the top builders have claimed this new subdivision as their own; Sitterle, Highland, Ryland & M/I Homes.     Lonnie Vandervorste, Sitterle Homes Sale Counselor stated, "Balcones Creek is a hidden gem.  Located between exit 546 and exit 543 on the west side of I10.  Home sites are ½ acre to ¾ acre in size, with Southern one hundred year old oak trees.  Staring first with the Estate Home Sites and Gard... 12/04/2013

Christmas Events & Shopping in Boerne Texas 12/06 & 07/2013 - 6:00pm to 10:00pm Dickens on Main O Tannenbaum Weekend Friday, December 6, 2013 – 6 pm to 10 pm Saturday, December 7, 2013 – 6 pm to 10 pm Details   Every Saturday - 8:30am to 12:30pm Farmers Market at the Cibolo For the Season of Harvests and Holidays, visit the Farmers Market at the Cibolo!  Fresh, local produce, Baked goods, Farm fresh eggs, Artisan products, Unique gifts, Live music, Kids’ Activities. Details   12/07 & 08/2013 - 10:00am to 5:00pm Oma's Christmas Craft Fair You will find all your Christmas shopping easy to handle with every type of unique gift available at Oma's. Details   12/07/2013 - 6:00pm to 10:30pm Weihnachts Parade The Weihnacht Parade is a long standing Boerne Christmas tradition and 2013 will be th... 12/02/2013

Build It & They Will Come -New Home Construction in Boerne, Texas The quiet little town of Boerne is no more, it is growing in every direction.  With the addition of a 2nd high school, Boerne Champion on Hwy 46E and 5 elementary schools and two middle schools, population has popped.  People are moving away from the stress of big city living and moving out to smaller bedroom communites.  Fair Oaks Ranch was originally known as a bedroom community, but it has expanded to include the Boerne area.  And who wouldn't want to live in Boerne, with it's cute little shops on Main Street, corporate shopping on the southwest side of town, historical areas, the Old #9 Trail and the newly added trails along the creek and behind downtown.   Fun events almost every weekend include Market Days, Music, w... 11/13/2013

  Why Borrowers Pay Different Rates Lenders, like any business, have to make a profit.  The cost of acquiring the funds, the operating costs to service and the expected profit margin are easily identified.  The variable in pricing is the type of mortgage and the credit worthiness of the borrower.  A loan with a 3.5% down payment is riskier than a loan with 20% down payment.  If the lender has to take the property back to recover their expense, the margin is greater between what is owed and what the property is worth on an 80% mortgage.  Credit scoring is a risk-based pricing method that allows a lender to be competitive in the market for the best loans from different borrower groups.  Individual lenders set their own levels for what they consider “A” credit which is reserved for the bes... 10/31/2013

11/02/2013 - 10:00am to 4:00pm The Rainwater Revival The Rainwater Revival is a fabulous family festival that celebrates the timeless practice of rainwater collection, conservation and common sense.     11/02/2013 - 5:30pm to 10:00pm The Chamber of Commerce's Wild Game Dinner Go hog wild at the Greater Boerne Chamber of Commerce Annual Wild Game Dinner at the Kendall County Fairgrounds. This will be the third year of the popular fund-raising event. Admission includes food, drink, all you can eat of the savory wild game dishes, live & silent auctions and registration for door prizes.   11/02/2013 - 7:00pm to 11:00pm Hot Rod Night at Soda Pops Hot Rod Saturday Nights are reminiscent of Old Fashioned Americana Street Parties... gathering place for old and new friends. This Saturday, the D... 10/28/2013

  All month in October Random Pumpkin Patch All during the month of October, Random will have a Pumpkin Patch. Random is your backyard destination for fun, family & friends to enjoy! Come experience the beer garden, outdoor play for the kids, unwind with some wine, eat some food truck eats & relax in a beautiful ambiance of nature. Details 10/05/2013 - 10:00am to 4:00pm Boerne Handmade Market A unique market where local artisans sell everything handmade from hand sewn creations to jewelry, woodwork, various arts and crafts and more. This is a great opportunity to support your community, buy locally and shop with a clear conscience! Details 10/05/2013 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm Boerne Worldwide Photo Walk Photo Contest This walk will be a casual/informal meeting of shutterbugs. We should get so... 09/27/2013

  Triple H Invites YOU!   Come join us for our  13th Annual Mounted Scavenger Hunt & Scenic Trail Ride at  Triple H Equitherapy Center 791 Backhaus Road Pipe Creek, Texas 78063  on Saturday, October 5, 2013 8:00 am to 4:00 pm 170 acres of beautiful Hill Country trails  through wooded areas with meandering streams  and magnificent cliff side views!     $25 per Riders/ $10 for Non-riders (Current Coggins Required)    Join us for a wonderful Home Cooked Meal and great Lunchtime Entertainment.  Also Holding a BIG Raffle with GREAT Prizes!    Contact Triple H at 830-510-9515  info@triple-h.org   Proceeds benefit Triple H Equitherapy Center where therapeutic horseback riding programs assist children, youth, adults and wounded veterans with special needs.     www.triple-h.org           The Pl... 09/25/2013

BOERNE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE GO HOUNDS! Fri, 09/20/13 7:30PM   Away @ LLANO H.S. vs. LLANO H.S.   more info Fri, 09/27/13 7:30PM   Home @ BISD STADIUM (BOERNE H.S.) vs. LYTLE H.S.Homecoming   more info Fri, 10/04/13         BYE     Fri, 10/11/13 7:30PM   Home @ BISD STADIUM (BOERNE H.S.) vs. *NAVARRO HS   more info Fri, 10/18/13 7:30PM   Away @ *FREDERICKSBURG H.S. vs. *FREDERICKSBURG H.S.   more info Fri, 10/25/13 7:30PM   Home @ BISD STADIUM (BOERNE H.S.) vs. *BANDERA H.S.   more info Fri, 11/01/13 7:30PM   Away @ *CANYON LAKE H.S.-FISCHER vs. *CANYON LAKE H.S.-FISCHER   more info Fri, 11/08/13 7:30PM   Home @ BISD STADIUM (BOERNE H.S.) vs. *WIMBERLEY H.S.   more info       BOERNE CHAMPION HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE CHARGE!!                 Fri, 09/20/13 7:30PM   Away @ MA... 09/19/2013

08/28/2013

  If I'd Known...     We’ve probably all said or at least thought “if I knew then, what I know now, I would have done things differently.” We should have stayed in school longer. We should have listened to our parents. We should have bought Apple stock in 2002 for $8.50 that sells for $400 today. Or we could have bought gold in 2000 for under $300 for a four-fold profit today.   Years from now, if we look back at 2012, we may say that it was the best buyer’s market ever. Even now, in 2013, it’s apparent that both housing and mortgage prices are going up and they may never return to the record low levels.   The housing affordability index, which is considered to be good at 100, had increased to over 200 this past December, January and February. Shrinking inventories and rising prices in ... 07/30/2013

Have you ever been working out in your garden and when it comes to quiting time you have to pack up all you handy tools and put them away until the next time. Well I think this might to an alternative to putting away your garden tools and supplies. That's right a Mailbox in your garden! What a great idea! Mailbox in the garden to hold gloves and tools. Keeps things dry and clean and right where you need them. It might have to be a pretty good size of mailbox to hold all of my things, but I like the fact that you can decorate it as part of your Garden. Check out some of the other interesting ideas and advise on our TexasHomesDuo-FaceBook Page. Examples are: What happens when the rates go up? Moving? Check your home insurance policy to find out how many days it allows for vacancy. IMPORTA... 06/03/2013

                                                    Breathe Easy     The benefits of regularly changing the heating and air-conditioning filters are obvious to homeowners; the real challenge is creating a system to make sure it gets done.    A reasonable schedule would be to replace it with a new one-inch pleated filter every 60-90 days. Households with shedding pets should consider replacing them every month. Some people change their filters every month when they pay their electric bills.  A simple system would be to set a recurring appointment on your calendar like Outlook or Google.   Filters trap dust, mold and bacteria which can directly affect the air quality and play havoc with your allergies. When a filter is dirty, it prevents proper airflow and allows dust, dirt and allergens... 05/24/2013

The Boerne Chamber, the City of Boerne, the Hill Country Mile, and the Hill Country Council for the Arts, invite you to join us at the BEST of BOERNEFEST: BLOCK PARTY 2013 on May 17-19, 2013 on and around Boerne's Main Plaza and the surrounding area. All the fun starts Friday Night and continues until Sunday evening. This high-visibility festival captures the imagination of both visitors and the broad range of hill country residents as it explores the synergy of culture, community and commerce. The 2013 BOERNEFEST demonstrates why Boerne holds the title of the 4th Best Small Town in America. A free concert by Two Tons of Steel kicks of the activities on Friday night with food and beverages available. Saturday head on out to Main Plaza where you will find artistic displays and performanc... 05/01/2013

Some homeowners, who were not able to sell during the recession, chose to rent their homes instead.  In some cases, they didn't need to sell their home at the depressed prices and opted to rent it until the market recovered. It's a valid strategy but there are time restrictions that could have serious tax implications for some homeowners. The section 121 exclusion for gain in a principal residence requires that the home is owned and used as a main home for at least two years during the five year period ending on the date of the sale.  This allows a homeowner to rent their home for up to three years and still have some part of the exclusion available. The sale of a home with a $200,000 gain that qualifies as a principal residence would result in no tax being paid by the owner.  Comparab... 04/26/2013

This Texas Hill Country delight is perfect in every way.  Enjoy an open floor plan with wood & tile flooring.  Gourmet island kitchen with granite counter tops, built in appliances and added buffet space in the breakfast area.  Private master suite with wood flooring and large separate sitting area that can be used as a game room, library or media area.  Separate desk area is perfect for office or homework.  Enjoy the spring and summer with the covered patio and spacious back yard.  Lush and landscaping adds the perfect touch.  Minutes from Boerne Walking Trails and Schools all of this sitting on a quiet cul de sac street. MLS#992463 located in Boerne, Texas $395,000  For more information please go to www.myboehmteam.com       04/02/2013

  Low inventory is a relative term depending on how you're comparing it.  Would the comparison be to total number of homes on the market last year, homes in a certain price range or homes in a certain area?  In some situations, it's a combination of all of those things.   In any given market, inventories will fluctuate based on area and price range.  The National Association of REALTORS® considers a balanced market to be six months' supply of homes.  If it takes longer than six months to sell, it is thought to be a buyer's market and less than six months, a seller's market.  Most buyers and sellers probably feel inventory equilibrium is more like three month's supply of homes. Inventory has a direct impact on price.  During the housing bubble, demand decreased, supply ballooned to four ... 03/13/2013

Boerne TX  High End Real Estate Market Report February 2013 So, how did the High End Real Estate Market in Boerne TX do in February 2013?  For this Boerne TX Luxury Homes for Sale Market Report for February, I am looking at homes priced between $500,000 to $2,000,000.  There are several homes for sale below that price range and several above that.   Currently there are 138 Boerne TX Luxury Homes available for sale.  The average list price for these homes is $889,130.00 with a current days on market being 267.  There is a wealth of prices and sizes of luxury homes for sale in Boerne TX, the lowest priced home within this range being $510,000 and the highest coming in at just under 2 mil, at $1,959,000.   Presently there are 8 pending Boerne TX High End homes for sale.  The average list p... 03/09/2013

  We're constantly bombarded by lenders to refinance our mortgage under a variety of programs. The volume of offers can almost make you numb to the rational consideration.     There are common rules of thumbs that homeowners and agents use such as not refinancing more often than every two years or there must be at least 2% savings from your previous mortgage rate may not always be accurate.   The reality is that if you can refinance for a lower rate and you'll be in the home long enough to recapture the cost of refinancing, it should be considered. The costs of previous refinancing that haven't been recaptured by monthly savings may need to be added to the costs of the new refinance.   Take a look at the chart that shows the average rates according to Freddie Mac for 2012. They are lowe... 03/01/2013