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Galveston, TX Real Estate News

By BILL CHERRY, Broker & Wealth Coach
(Bill Cherry, Realtor)
BOB FORD DIED LAST WEEK ON GLAVESTON ISLAND.  HE WAS 81. More than 50 years ago, Bob Ford and his friend, Charley Killebrew decided that there was money to be made as beauticians, so they drove back and forth to a beauty school in Houston to learn the trade and to get licensed. Then the two of them and their wives bought Jacqueline's, an on going and well-established Island beauty shop that was in downtown Galveston next to the Martini Theater. They were ready to go full speed ahead in their new venture. On their first day as owners and as practicing beauticians, my mother and one of our neighbors called for appointments with the former owner.  They learned she was no longer there, but it was then suggested that Mr. Bob had a couple of openings.  My mom and the neighbor, independently o...
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By Cindy Bryant, "Houston Home Staging Pros"
(Redesign Etc. Home Staging)
The Galveston Restaurant Association and Galveston.com & Company "Great Taste of the Gulf" Epicurean Evening will take place on Monday, September 27th from 6pm to 8:30pm at the Moody Gardens Convention Center, and has been generously underwritten by Galveston.com & Company for the eighth consecutive year. Guests attending the event will have the opportunity to sample some of the Gulf Coast's finest cuisine and beverages from Galveston County's top restaurateurs, hoteliers and dedicated suppliers.
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By Cindy Bryant, "Houston Home Staging Pros"
(Redesign Etc. Home Staging)
The annual Downtown Lofts Tour returns October 2-3! This year, guests will have the chance to explore a wide range of living spaces and decorative styles each unique to its owner. From a young couple's chic loft decorated in a monochromatic white palette, to a sprawling family compound that spans the upper floors of three adjacent buildings, variety is at the heart of the tour. Absorb the carefully balanced blend of styles, colors and accents in the vast loft of an interior designer, and then be wowed by another home that takes a black and white color scheme and with a splash of red. No matter your own style you are sure to find something you like in this year's great selection of loft homes.
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By Dr. Paula McDonald, Granbury, TX 936-203-0279
(Beam & Branch Realty)
TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® CONVENTION 2010 ~ ACTIVE RAIN IS HERE!  What a pleasant surprise for me to find the Active Rain booth at the Texas Association of REALTORS® Convention here in Galveston, Texas! I sang the praises of Active Rain to all those who were inquiring.  (Hey - maybe I should get some extra points for word of mouth advertising!  :)))))  Really though, it was fun being able to tell others how much Active Rain has impacted my business, increased my Google status and best of all....the new network of friends and colleagues that I have amassed on this site. I put in my plea to bring an Active Rain Camp to the Houston area!  Hint, hint!  Houston is the 4th largest city in the nation!  Bring us a camp please!!! I am having a great time and enjoying the weather here in Gal...
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By Dr. Paula McDonald, Granbury, TX 936-203-0279
(Beam & Branch Realty)
WHO IS ATTENDING TAR THIS WEEK?  Any Active Rainer's out there attending the Texas Association of REALTORS® Convention this week down in Galveston?  I will be there and would love to have the opportunity to personally meet some of my AR buddies! Interesting too that today marks the two year anniversary for Hurricane Ike which hit Galveston on this exact day.  I will be posting a blog about that today later on.  I will take some pictures while I am down there to show how the island is bouncing back. So, if anyone is interested - give me a shout and we can sip some libations on the island this week!  Hope to see you there!
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By Susan Laxson CRS, Realtor in San Diego, CA & Naples, FL
(Palm Properties)
Over our Labor Day weekend getaway to Austin we thought that we would hit the freeway and head to Houston and Galveston for the day.   My family and I love road trips and think it is a great way to see the sights and experience new adventures.  The trip took longer than we thought, but it was worth it.  Houston is beautiful metropolis and while we passed through quickly, we would definitely make it a destination in the near future.  Our primary goal was to see Galveston.  I had a friend who has since passed away, Dr. Bernard Haber, who was a professor at the University there and he had always spoken lovingly of his home in Galveston.  Galveston is located near Houston and is a coastal city located on Galveston Island and on the Gulf of Mexico.  Galveston relies on tourism, health care a...
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By BILL CHERRY, Broker & Wealth Coach
(Bill Cherry, Realtor)
The Famous Portrait of the Little Girl Named Judy  By Bill Cherry It hasn't been that long ago, really, since a major portion of physicians, dentists and attorneys had their offices in their city's downtown. The prestigious ones were in big bank and major office buildings; the lessers sprinkled in here and there. And ladies wore their nicest dresses with big hats and gloved hands whenever they went downtown, even if they got there by a city bus rather than in the backseat of a chauffer driven Cadillac limousine.   In fact the only way you knew they weren't on their way to church was because it wasn't Sunday and they didn't have a Bible under their arm.  During the war years, Edolia (Ed) Rees and her daughter, Joyce Crainer, drove into downtown Houston for Miss Joyce's appointment with ...
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By Liz Flint, Houston\Tomball Realtor (832)816-8066
(Century 21 Hardee-Team Realty)
  Free Fun on Galveston Island.  Have you been to Galveston lately?  Well the Ferry from Galveston Island to Boliver is the best deal on the island in terms of entertainment.  It is a free boat trip -- and sometimes you can see dolphins swimming alongside the ferry.  There are about three ferries in operation.  The one in the picture has these great seats that you can sit on while riding the ferry.  You can walk onto the ferry or drive your car onto the ferry. If you are a bird lover you will like the sea gulls, pelicans and other birds you will see when riding the ferry.  Hope you enjoy your time in Galveston and can ride the ferry when you go.
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By Liz Flint, Houston\Tomball Realtor (832)816-8066
(Century 21 Hardee-Team Realty)
Hurricane Ike Damage -- 2 Years Later!  Don't underestimate the power of a hurricane.  Please stock up on supplies for the hurricane season or know your evacuation route.  This is on the Galveston seawall on the west end near 61st street.  Obviously the building has not reopened for business.  Several of the concrete pillars are missing, as well as the bottom floor of the business.  This house is on the west end of Galveston Island near Bermuda beach.  From the damage to the house, the main brunt of the storm was the front and left side of this house.  Signs like this one remind people to keep off the dunes.  My sister in law said sand had to be trucked in to put in front of the sea wall after the storm.  I think this house is a lost cause. t   This is a close up of the previous house. ...
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By BILL CHERRY, Broker & Wealth Coach
(Bill Cherry, Realtor)
In 1981 Dr. Thomas Sowell's Ethnic America was published.  Its purpose was to track each of the ethnic groups that had emigrated to the Unites States, under what circumstances they had come, and what methods they had used to integrate and to succeed in their new country. It is a book that should be required reading before any student can graduate from a United States high school.  It explains who and why we are, and provides formulas for personal family success. Galveston's Dundee family began their citizenship into America as Irish emigrants - a self-proclaimed hard living, beer drinking, fist-fighting, hard labor bunch.  Each one carved out a little more of a piece of the U.S. Cultural Action, and the accrual has brought them to where they are today. George Benjamin Dundee, Ph.D.,  h...
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By Liz Flint, Houston\Tomball Realtor (832)816-8066
(Century 21 Hardee-Team Realty)
Are you ready for a hurricane?  September 1st through 15th is traditionally when hurricanes hit the Gulf Coast.  These pictures were taken on Galveston Island the last weekend of August 2010, but show damage from hurricane Ike, which hit the Galveston coast in September of 2008. This house is in Spanish Grant, a subdivision on the west end of Galveston.   This house is also on the west end of the island.   This one looks like it is about ready to fall over.  Wow, the roof really looks sad on this one. Now I can see why I couldn't get a reservation at the Flagship Hotel for Friday night, there is a big chunk of hotel missing and also a portion of the driveway going from the seawall to the hotel is missing.  People in Houston were affected by hurricane Ike as well, with many experiencing ...
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By Dr. Paula McDonald, Granbury, TX 936-203-0279
(Beam & Branch Realty)
  TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® ~ CONVENTION, GALVESTON, TEXAS!  It is almost time for the TAR Convention & Trade Show in Galveston, Texas September 13-15.  The beautiful Galveston Convention Center will once again be the place of action!  Rick Rigsby will open the convention with his inspirational message, "The Essence of Greatness."  The Convention will offer many MCE classes and other educational opportunities.  The trade show is a favorite showcasing the latest tools of the trade for our business. You can register online and time is getting closer!  Hope to see you there!
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By Lorna Presswood
(Elite Texas Properties )
Galveston Vacation Rentals   If you're thinking of investing in Galveston Vacation Rentals, whether it be a condo or a beach house; Now is the time to buy in Galveston!   Many visitors to Galveston typically rent a home or condo for their stay on the island and curiously wonder if maybe they can buy one themselves and do the same thing! You certainly can! ....Now more than ever.   In Galveston Texas real estate, our market is always centered around tourism first. Overall we are also a "buyer's market" just like the nation, but money is still being made on vacation rentals. People are flocking to our island in this economy as an affordable way to enjoy vacations and weekends from the Houston, Texas area and beyond.     A small condo, such as Casa Del Mar in Galveston can be had for $ 47K...
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By BILL CHERRY, Broker & Wealth Coach
(Bill Cherry, Realtor)
GARTH BROOKS, TIM MC GRAW, WILLIE NELSON AND BIG MIKE I don't know Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and Big Mike, but I do know Willie Nelson...at least this Willie Nelson Before he started performing full-time, this Willie Nelson was an insurance company executive who worked for my daddy at American National Insurance Co.'s home office in Galveston And before that, we went to high school together. Since he retired from the insurance industry, Roy Hammock has been impersonating country music singer, Willie Nelson, in lounge shows throughout Las Vegas.  And he not only looks like him when he's dolled up like he is here, but he sounds like him when he sings. Roy as Willie, along with the fellows who impersonate Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw, who are with Roy in this photo, also have others who joi...
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By BILL CHERRY, Broker & Wealth Coach
(Bill Cherry, Realtor)
HENRY WIENCEK AND E. DOUGLAS MC LEODTaken in the Foyer of the Moody Mansion Galveston, Texas started its life as a city with a lot of families who would become rich as a result of the many businesses a very prolific and active seaport would sustain. One of those families, the family of Colonel William Lewis Moody, his wife and children, came to Texas in the late 1850s and settled in Galveston a few years later. Col. Moody and his son, W.L. Moody, Jr., built an empire whose foundation was cotton compressing, wharf ownership, and banking.  At the turn of the century, a life insurance company was added that would sell small weekly-premium insurance policies to the working class.  It grew into a huge company, the American National Insurance Co., and it still maintains its home office in Ga...
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By Lorna Presswood
(Elite Texas Properties )
Beautiful Sunrise in Galveston, Texas   Just thought I'd share the sunrise photos I took this morning of Galveston Beach at sunrise.     The island has been busy with people enjoying the warm water and sandy beaches. Galveston real estate seems to be busy as well; lots of people like the close proximity that Galveston shares with Houston.   I take a lot of Galveston photos, I love sharing the beauty of the island. I think it also helps prospective buyers see just how gorgeous our little island paradise can be.     Hope everyone has a great weekend, and if you get the chance to come visit Galveston; Please do! Now is a great time to buy real estate and also enjoy our island's welcoming spirit and historic charm.      
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By BILL CHERRY, Broker & Wealth Coach
(Bill Cherry, Realtor)
There used to be a school a half-block behind Galveston's famous seawall.  It was Lovenberg Junior High.  It was torn down after a storm seriously damaged it about forty years ago. But it was the junior high school I went to in the early 1950s.  And I forgot to tell you it was directly across the street to the west of Galveston's most famous seafood restaurant, Gaido's. The Gaido family has owned and operated that institution since 1911, and has served millions of fish to tourists and islanders. The Gaido patriarch was Mike Gaido.  He understood the restaurant business and the importance of good food and service better than anyone.  One of my school chums was a fellow named Robert.  I remember he played the French horn in our school's terrible band. He made good grades in the academics....
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By Liz Flint, Houston\Tomball Realtor (832)816-8066
(Century 21 Hardee-Team Realty)
  I have always wanted to go on this paddlewheel boat.  It has been at Moody Gardens for quite a few years now, but this particular day my sister and I purchased Day Passes and could see any IMAX and do any activity or attraction -- so we both wanted to go on the Colonel. Here is a floating Tiki Hut bar. My sister spotted this great house before I did.  It has some great outdoor seating areas. Here is a view of the Moody Garden Pyramids.  The Glass one in the front is the Rainforest Pyramid, the Green one behind it is the Aquarium, the copper on on the far right is the Discovery Pyramid.  The Discovery Pyramid is currently featuring an exhibit on Immigration into the United States through Galveston Island from 1850 to 1924. Here is a close up of The Colonel.   Aside from riding the Colo...
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By Liz Flint, Houston\Tomball Realtor (832)816-8066
(Century 21 Hardee-Team Realty)
Great Day Trips from Houston.   Fun with the penguins at Moody Gardens.  These pictures were taken on Thursday July 1st at the Aquarium at Moody Gardens in Galveston Texas. I called ahead of time to find out the feeding times.  The trainer told me feeding times were 11am and 3pm plus or minus 15 minutes.   I love the little Penguin Xing sign on the left. Here is a penguin skeleton near the penguin habitat. There are many viewing portals, this one is underneath the penguins. They were very active the day I went.  If you want to see a live web cam of the penguins, click here and then scroll down to the bottom of the page.
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By BILL CHERRY, Broker & Wealth Coach
(Bill Cherry, Realtor)
For as long as I can remember, Galvestonians have moaned and groaned about the physical denigration of the island.  And that's a long time when you realize I opened my eyes for the first time at Galveston's St. Mary's Infirmary 70 years ago. I've written about the Island's problems before.  The most recent was in a piece that I wrote three years ago, "Carbuncles Harming the Island's Skin." Critics say, Not enough middle-income housing, not enough good jobs, the perception of poor public schools, too much public housing and no industry. How dare UTMB threaten to diminish in size? What to do?  The standard decision:  Call in a study group from another part of the country to evaluate the city's strong and weak points.  Let the study conclude what can be done to resolve the problems.  (Have...
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