This coming week is an exciting week for the Conroe Noon Lions. Lions and guests, mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 2nd.  The Conroe Noon Lions Club will be hosting our Membership Fair during our weekly meeting.  There will be booths with information about ‘The Greatest Club in the World,’ games, prizes and more.  If you have been thinking of becoming a member or even curious about Lionism, This Wednesday, November 2nd is the perfect day to come experience Lions at work and see that Lionism is more than a club, a group, or organization; it is a way of life! Recently we've lost a some longtime community leaders in the Conroe Noon Lions.  Has it made you wonder what drove them to support the community through the Lions so much?  It reminds me of a saying "You have a lifetime ah... 10/28/2011

It is a daily guarantee. Nothing we do, nothing we know, and no one we know will remain the same. Philosophy is one of deep thought, "educational concepts" that haunt each of us even if we never had formal education. Whether you realize it or not, it will haunt you.EXAMINE ALL POSSIBILITIESChange. What does it mean? As humans it means we have yet another mountain to climb. We have yet another problem to solve. We have yet another heart to heal and yet another dilemma to dissolve. We can do it. We were placed upon this earth to absorb, then rationalize and to then react. Our inclinations are to revert to primal thinking. This would mean thinking of one's self first and foremost. But, as civilized man, we are much more progressive than that. We, as civilized and educated man, instead of p... 10/25/2011

MORRIS EICKENHORST ~ A LOVING TRIBUTE TO A COMMUNITY LEADER! Montgomery County lost a very special person this past weekend.  The beloved Morris Eickenhorst passed away Sunday, October 16 in his home surrounded by family and friends.  Morris battled cancer valiantly for the past 19 months.  Morris made a huge imprint upon our community.  He was well loved by all who had the good fortune to have met him. Morris was born in Navasota, Texas and graduated from Navasota High School in 1969.  He met his lovely wife Linda and they were married in 1973.  Morris and Linda moved to Conroe where they became deeply involved in the community that he so dearly loved. No matter where you were, Morris seemed to be a part of it.  I worked with Morris on a Committee for the Montgomery County Fair.  This ... 10/18/2011

 That was my first question when I saw the new Inspiration Station post. Hummm...off I went to search for it! I absolutely love the idea! Being from a rural area my house was way back off the beaten path. Even I was afraid to go out in the dark on Halloween night! No one EVER came to my front door for candy.   I had to eat it all! Do you have a car or a truck? Then you have a trunk! This concept is based upon the candy going to the kids instead of the kids going to the candy! Yep, have car will travel. I am finding this a most fascinating idea and one I hope to execute. Drive to your local neighborhood or church or party and open your trunk! You can get crazy with your decorations and costumes! Over the course of the past few years Halloween and the celebrations have become forced to ch... 10/17/2011

Thinking back a few years ago I remember the attitude of..."It's my listing...don't touch it!"  I had progressed into the new millennium like a comet hitting earth for an old fart like me. It all seems to me to be a normal understandable thing to do! Zillow, Realtor.com and so many others scrape our listings anyway. Why not allow a competitor to show your listing on their web sites? Why not?Our standard rules are to show the listing company and simply place your name and contact information for the showings and "BUYER'S REPRESENTATIVE". We should all have the simple "DO IT RIGHT AND HAVE AT IT!" attitude. It is our Fiduciary responsibility to do everything we can to represent the seller when we take a listing. Placing that very listing on other sites is also a responsibility to give the... 10/16/2011

Oh my, I just thought this would be a mountain that I couldn't climb. I remember my first 50,000 points that seemed like it was never going to happen. I quit worrying about the points and simply began voicing my thoughts, business views, listings and other important communications for my business and "voila" here I am! I am so grateful to Active Rain and the forum they have provided us. I am found in so many places on Google and I never dreamt I could actually get there. Anyone can. Each and every one of you can get to whatever goal you set. This is one of the best things of AR. We have no quotas or expectations or judgments. We are all just friends and are supporting each other in the best manner that we can. I am no one but a simple Realtor® working to develop my Market the best way I... 10/05/2011

Dear Kodak,You have been a part of my life for many years now. I have photos of my children taken from your cameras and vacations and old photos of myself taken from one of your very old cameras with a huge flash! I still have it and it is now considered an antique just like me!  I love the fact that I am dealing with a company that is much older than I. Because of this very fact and your tried and true experience, you will have my respect and preferred business for all time. I would like to share a story with you of a time that I really needed you. But alas, you were not there for me. This is not really a grievance as I have discovered that you could have been there for me had I been a bit more on the ball. I was sadly in the dark instead of having my head in the clouds where it should... 10/05/2011

I received two calls today from my blogs about FEMA from local residents! It is a double edged sword since I am reporting and explaining bad news. August 16, 2011 the new FEMA flood maps became official. As of today, Wells Fargo customers are receiving their Flood Certification Notices. Others may be too. The new maps are now replacing the old and the perimeters are much, much different. Homes that once showed in the "safe zone" or the "C zone" are now showing in the "A zone". What does this mean? This means that their property has just been bumped into the "YOU HAVE TO PAY EXTRA FOR FLOOD INSURANCE" zone. All maps have been re-zoned to include many more properties and acres in the 100 year flood zone. A nice local gentleman said, "hi, I came across your blog on FEMA and the new Flood Z... 10/04/2011

Or, maybe if everyone bought a house, would Real Estate Stabilize? I just read a post written by Pam Hills,  Just a thought & please don't shoot me for asking.... wondering about revisiting the old practice of Lease To Own or Lease Purchase. Her title made me laugh. It reminded me of "They shoot horses don't they?" Pam, I totally enjoyed your post. Today with so many homes sitting on the market for so very long owners that are carrying that second note hit a critical moment. They ask themselves, "should I let the house go?" My answer to them is, "not unless you absolutely have to! As your Realtor® I would recommend that we visit the possibility of creative financing." Creative Financing is wonderful when you can make it work. It is actually a great deal more work than selling a house du... 10/03/2011

Web Cam 101 For Seniors, The Way I Want To Be! You have probably already seen this wonderful and playful video. Two seniors were playing with their Web Cam trying to take a picture. They had no earthly idea that they were recording themselves! I have watched this at least 5 times all the way through. I want this to remain in my posts so I can watch anytime! You should save it too. Their mutual respect, playfulness, support and honest love is ... The way I want to be! Enjoy! 09/30/2011

Talk about amazing. I was sitting in a lovey little spa just a few minutes from my home today being a little pampered. Having my nails done, both hands and feet and I was wishing I could get back home even though it was pleasurable. The place was packed. All of a sudden we heard this amazing earth shaking boom. I jumped as I was sitting right next to the window but wow! When I looked OUT THE WINDOW there it was! Rain! Hallelujah~It was rain. The sky darkened and the clouds were heavy and dark. It began with a sprinkle but down the street I could see a wall of rain. I told the ladies that it was there and hopefully it would come our way. It was a bit of a surprise because we were all moaning and praying and keeping our fingers crossed. At that moment the sky opened up! It poured. Everyon... 09/29/2011

Home Sales in the Montgomery County area went way up over the last month due to home buyers taking advantage of historically low interest rates.   Just in the month of August, sales increased almost 36 % from August 2010, a total of 172 more homes sold this year. With averages interest rates in the mid-to-low 4 percent range, Lake Conroe Real Estate saw a significant increase in home sales despite the current low water levels in the Lake.  If you have a good to high credit score, you still have the opportunity to lock in some incredibly low rates and make a move on the home of your dreams.  The Marion Franke Team in particular had their best month during the month of August for the last 3 years, selling almost 50 homes and close to $10 Million total. Please feel free to give us a call ... 09/28/2011

Is what they say! Who are they? I don't know but I have to believe them I guess. I do know one thing. Our Active Rain 30 Day Localism Challenge has been phenomenal for me. If you have been participating in this challenge then you understand what I am talking about when I say "creating a habit". This wonderful challenge was hosted by Deborah Byron Leffler  and has truly opened my eyes to the benefits of Localism. In the past I have not been totally focused on Localism posts. I would do a few each month for the Search Engines and to keep my placement in google but it was just to place the keywords. Many of you are probably doing this. After having to discover new and interesting things about my area, day in and day out, I have learned more than I imagined I could! This challenge has actua... 09/28/2011

What constitutes the wrong Realtor®? If you are a Listing Agent that likes to sell your own listings you may not want to read this. My opinion on Dual Agency has grown more and more fervent as time passes. Especially in this economy. What does the economy have to do with it? EVERYTHING! Because my husband and I have been partners in Real Estate for the past 9 years we have tried it all. On both Lake Conroe and Lake Livingston I listed and sold my own properties. He listed and sold his own properties. I listed a property and he sold it. He listed a property and I sold it. There were times we almost strangled each other disagreed with each other and it caused personal dissension between us. But, this isn't where I mean to take this post.This is for the good of you, my client. Are you the ... 09/27/2011

It's Sunday. I guess you know that but I'm kind of talking to myself. I want to talk to you but my mind literally went blank. Very rarely is my mind not going 100 miles an hour but I can honestly say it isn't working today. I have always believed that we shouldn't work on Sunday but it hasn't always stopped me from doing so.  I think I will use that as an excuse for today. Many of us are participating in the 30 day challenge being hosted by Deborah Byron Lefflor and if you are then you are surely tired too! I have been writing my posts a day or two ahead of time so I didn't feel so much pressure to get one in the day it was due but I fell behind. I think one of my problems is that I have a terrible time compromising my posts just to get them in. I want each and every one of my posts to ... 09/25/2011

We have all been encouraged to write more Localism for the good of the community and the good for us as individuals! Our marketing is based a great deal about reaching out to the public that is looking for something we are offering. The question is, "how will they find us?" and "where will they find us?" Are the titles of our blogs important? You bet they are! Your title can pretty much guarantee whether you (your post) will or will not be found by google and other search engines. And even MORE IMPORTANTLY...whether it will be found by a potential Client. How do we perfect our titles? Think like the consumer. Place yourself in the position of the masses. It's easy. Here's an example. You are about to write a post about a local restaurant. The name of the restaurant is Eggs and More! Yes... 09/22/2011

Our Montgomery County, Montgomery Texas Rental Market is booming. Just this month we have had 55 more Rentals to enter into Active Status. What does this mean for you? It is really good news if you are wanting to move your children into our prestigious Montgomery School District. And of course it's not too late.  If you are unable or simply not ready to purchase, renting is a great option and even more affordable than purchase at this point. You will only have the one payment each month to the Landlord and he/she will be taking care of the taxes on the property. To qualify:There is a credit check required.You will be asked to provide references of past rentals.Landlords do have different requirements so we will shop to find the right fit.Most Owners require a deposit equal to the monthl... 09/21/2011

Right here in Conroe there is an absolutely amazing thing going on. It's called the Conroe Noon Lions Club. Many of you reading this may not know of the history of the Lions Clubs and aside from a collection box for Eyeglasses seen here or there you may not be aware of the work of this incredible organization. I say this because a few short years ago I was ignorant of most of this and am now proud to be a member and a small part of the Conroe Noon Lions for the past few years. A Brief History of Lions Clubs International In 1917, Melvin Jones, a Chicago business leader, told members of his local business club they should reach beyond business issues and address the betterment of their communities and the world. His group agreed, held an organizational meeting in June, 1917, in Chicago. ... 09/18/2011

Mom hired me as her assistant. She could see the many talents I possess. It takes talent to recognize talent...right? I do all that I can to keep her organized and when she gets a little down I kiss her feet. She giggles and says to "stop" but I know she doesn't mean it so I keep licking! Mom and dad adopted me a few months back and I love my new home. I am a cross between a Shuh Tzu and a Rat Terrier. You don't have to mention the latter cuz I don't look anything like one! Mom named me Reecie Sue cuz she always wanted an assistant like me and she could say, "this is my little shitsue" and it works! I hope you like my video. With rots of ruv, Reecie Sue Brooks 09/14/2011

          TDHCA Announces a New $10,000 Down Payment Assistance for first time home buyers Montgomery County, TX Today TDHCA Announced the Release of a new Down Payment Assistance program in the state of Texas. This program offers First time home buyers the chance to take advantage of the current low interest rates rates AND get down payment assistance at the same time. Unlike Bond 77 Down Payment Assistance there are no additional fees with obtaining the down payment assistance from TDHCA. This makes it an ideal down payment assistance program for first time home buyers because their closing costs will be decreased as opposed to other down payment assistance programs. To find out if you qualify you will need to fill out our online application here or simply call (936) 228-1944 and we ... 09/14/2011