Many things I've read recently say housing prices are down and rental rates are coming down as well.  This can be very good for the consumer who is needing to move or wanting to make a change.  The recession has caused lots of family members who were living alone to move in with other family members.  Thus, the reason for the lower rental rates and the increased vacancy rates. I've said for a long time "This is the time to buy".  If you can take advantage of the market at this time, you will have a good equity position in just a few years.  This could be the best time to buy in my lifetime.  Don't wait until the prices come back up.  Buy now!  That is what the smart investors do.  They buy when everything is low and sell when prices are high. If you are a seller on the other hand, or ... 01/25/2009

  The beautiful Texas Hill Country has enjoyed a good stable economy during the past couple years when the rest of the country was suffering.  Job layoffs, plummeting home values, foreclosures and other economic distress signals were in short supply here in our little insulated area.  Recently however, some of this has begun to creep in and the price of homes is decreasing a little.  Not all homes are affected but for those sellers who must sell, a lower price is necessary. The Kerrville area has always had lower prices than other hot selling areas of the country but prices have been at a premium compared to other Texas cities.  So if you have always dreamed of a home in the Texas Hill Country, this may be your opportunity to make your dreams come true.  With prices softening, there may... 01/21/2009

  After many years in the business, it is hard to get surprised at anything.  However, this past week I had two surprises. The first one was a house on acreage that I tried to show about a year and a half ago.  I could not get the owner to allow me to show the home to a qualified potential buyer because she had decided to take the home off the market and rent it.  I drove by several times during the next few months and there were people living in the house.  Too bad because it was exactly what my buyers had ordered.  We found something else though. Last week to my surprise, the house came back on the market.  This time it had a new owner.  A foreclosure company now owns it because the renters moved out and the previous owner could not afford the payments.  Too bad she did not let me sho... 01/13/2009

Do I Need A Buyer's Agent? This is a question I hear a lot of the time from first time home buyers and people who have bought several homes in the past.  First of all, let's answer the question "What is a buyer's agent?"   Then you will be able to determine if, in fact, you need a buyer's agent. A Buyer's Agent is someone who looks out for your best interest.  A professional real estate agent that can answer your questions, educate you on the process of buying, inform you of local market conditions, compare properties and prices, and can negotiate offers on your behalf are some of the things a buyer's agent can do for you. "Why do I need a buyer's agent?"  You need someone to help you with the above mentioned details but you also need a third party when it comes to negotiation.  You wil... 01/11/2009

  First time homebuyers are hearing a lot about foreclosures these days.  Many think they can get a good deal on these properties.  It should work that way.  Obviously, when someone has lost their property to foreclosure and the bank has taken it back, you would automatically think the bank would want to unload it as soon as possible.  Is that the case? Many lenders hold lots of foreclosures.  The people who work on the disposal of these are many times lacking in experience or lacking the staff needed to handle all the paperwork.  The bank or lender has no deadline to meet in selling the property.  Therefore, they do not have real motivation to sell.  Without motivation, will you get a real deal? A foreclosed property usually has been left vacant for a number of months or years.  Vacant... 12/28/2008

  Is December a good time to open a new business?  We will just have to wait and see about that. Is 2008 a good year to open a real estate office?  We will just have to wait and see about that also.                                                                         I think it is for me , in my location here in the beautiful Texas Hill Country.  Texas has been spared the worst of the real estate market downturn.  In fact, there are many areas with very good sales and even slight appreciation.  My area is holding its own concerning market values.  It is a slower market than it has been but there are still plenty of buyers and sellers looking to do business. A loan these days will require a buyer to have some money to put down and a good credit score.  These were the guidelines years ... 12/17/2008

 Just wanted to share a few night time pictures of the pretty Christmas lights with you.  This is the front of the Courthouse which is in downtown Kerrville.  Of course it says "Santa is coming to town...are you ready?     The courthouse takes up the whole block and all the trees around it are lit up with lights.  Even the light posts are decked out.     If it were in the daylight, you could see the large cypress trees that the area is famous for.   This is the gazebo that provides shade in the summer time but now it glows with red and blue lights.       Come around the corner and there is the nativity scene.         This next picture is of a "quiet street" just like the streets I grew up on so long ago.  You can walk downtown at night and not be afraid.  You can hear a bird chirp, you ... 12/07/2008

KERRVILLE AREA SALES - OCTOBER November 6th, 2008 categories: Assessing the Local Market Sales in the Kerrville area were WAY down during October. Total sales in the entire Kerrville MLS totalled $21.06 Million last October. This year, they were $12.42 Million. The percentage decreases according to each category were as follows: As was also seen in the Boerne area (see ARTICLE: BOERNE SALES IN OCTOBER), the Average Residential Sales Price increased ($199,413 in October, 2007 to $231,557 in October, 2008). This was NOT due to an overall increase in the market but RATHER to an increase in the value of the homes that ARE selling. The conclusion: There are fewer buyers in the lower price ranges. Not surprising given the tightening in the financial markets. Stricter guidelines, higher downpa... 11/06/2008

GREEN oak ACRES COTTAGE - VACATION RENTAL OR EXTENDED STAY COTTAGE IN THE COUNTRY JUST 5 MILES TO KERRVILLE October 8th, 2008 categories: B&B's & Vacation Rentals GREEN oak ACRES COUNTRY COTTAGE B&B or EXTENDED STAY - Lovely Country Cottage just 5 minutes to Kerrville off of Cypress Creek Road. Convenient to Hospitals and Shopping. Easy Drive to Fredericksburg and San Antonio. Rvers and Winter Texans welcomed. Fully equipped efficiency style setup with semi-private full size bed, private bath, full kitchen with dishes, coffee pot, and pots and pans all on 2.5 acres in country setting. Enjoy the deer off of the back deck. TV/DVD player also available. Warm and comfortable decor. Sorry, no smoking on property, 2 person limit. Would also be great as an extended stay or vacation rental. Rat... 10/24/2008

There were 61 Residential sales in Kerr County for the month of July 2008 vs. 62 during the July 2007 according to Data compiled from the Kerrville MLS. The total sales volume was down by $1.5 million although Sales Price/List Price was pretty even from year to year (both at 95%). Just less dollars. That means the average selling price is down ($205,644 in July 2007 vs. $183,555 in July, 2008). The median price (e.g., half the prices have values less than the median and half have values greater) for July 2008 was $155,500. All of this data is helpful for you to know during your negotiations. We take pride in helping our clients get the best deal they can get. If you are a Buyer looking in the Hill Country area, we would love to help you find your “Hill Country Dream.” We sell anywhere i... 08/19/2008

  If you are a first time homebuyer, and 40% of home purchases are first time home buyers, you are not alone.  The big question is "Where do I begin?" You need a professional.  You need an agent with the heart of a teacher ( as Dave Ramsey would say).  You must learn some real estate terms.  I always give my first time home buyers a booklet with common terms and their definitions at our first meeting.  I want you to understand what we are talking about.  Then I explain the process of buying a home and give the approximate time tables for getting each step done.  I assure my new clients I will be there from start to finish and every question they have will be answered.  This is a project we are embarking on together. Choosing an agent with experience, knowledge of the current market, hig... 08/13/2008

  I took a new listing recently.   The owner had passed away and the children are selling the home and the furnishings.  What a big job they have.  It's a big house with four bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car garage, office, sunroom and it's on 11 plus acres.  It's a beautiful setting at the end of the road.  There is a hill on one side and a fenced area on the other with a stock pond and cattle grazing.  It's a peaceful place for someone to live.  I'm sure the old man that lived there enjoyed his home and yard a lot.  The fenced in garden area keeps the deer out and protects the fruit trees from hungry mouths.  The deer are abundant in the hill country.   There is something the old man left behind that can't just be sold.  Her name is Domino and they call her Pizza for short.  She is the friend... 08/11/2008

Fourth of July  celebration  in Kerrville, Texas  comes with MUSIC                                                                                                                     Food   Flags   Face Painting    Souvenirs   Glow Sticks, Necklaces, Bracelets, Toys   Picnics in the Park   Swimming                 Games   Lots of Fun                  And of course,  FIREWORKS Kerrville has the greatest place to have a Fourth of July celebration.  The banks of the Guadalupe River at Louise Hays Park is the perfect setting.  Families come and spend the day picnicing and swimming and playing football or frisbee.  There are numerous bands that play during the day providing lots of different kinds of music.  There are food booths, and all kinds of vendors selling different things.  The park ... 07/05/2008

                                                              2007     HILL COUNTRY    TOUR OF HOMES                                                                   October 20-21 and October 27-28                                                                              Saturday 10AM-5PM                                                                                                                                                                               Sunday Noon-5PM                                                                                                                     ADMISSION FREECome visit the 27 homes and 7 developments on the tour this year.  There are 17 builders recognized and a variety of architectural styles and designs.  You may register for a $500.00 ... 10/19/2007

Looking for Higher Education?  Kerrville has it with Schreiner University, a 4 year liberal arts institution.  It was founded by Captain Charles Schreiner, a hill country rancher, merchant and former Texas Ranger in 1923.  Captain Schreiner asked the Presbyterian Church to join him in this effort so the young people of the hill country would have a place of higher learning.  The University has been reported as one of the top universities in the western United States by US News and World Reports' America's Best Colleges Guide.   Schreiner University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award masters, bacclaureate and associate degrees.                                                                          Programs offered in... 10/04/2007

Back in the 1980's...I CRIED with many people that were losing their homes.  As a Realtor, you care about your clients and try to help them every way you can.  You are the one they look to for a miracle, sometimes.  And sometimes, it will take a miracle.I changed my office back then and began to sell only FORECLOSURES  and Soon To Be FORECLOSURES.  I cannot help but get emotionally involved with my clients' needs.  So I understand what many people are going through today. This was the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area.My area today is in the Texas Hill Country and it is strong and there are relatively few problems here.  In fact, we still have an Appreciatiing Market.     DAYS ON THE MARKET and the INVENTORY SUPPLY   is a bit larger but things are good here.    Want to invest?  Come here.I've said... 09/29/2007

                                                                                                        If you check out my website www.rickieichlerrealestate.com, you'll find I mention "Paradise" a lot.  This is what I call the beautiful Texas Hill Country area.  I first discovered the area in 1986 on my way to South Padre Island, also a beautiful vacation spot.  My husband insisted we stop for the night in Bandera, TX.  I complained because I wanted to get to the coast as quickly as possible.  When we topped the hill on Hwy 16 just outside of Bandera, I was astounded at the quaint beauty of the Medina River valley.  The big water tower downtown stood out against the hills and I had a good feeling about our detour from our original path.Three weeks later, my husband insisted we go home... 09/21/2007

Tell me about your vist it Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country Guadalupe River Rowdy Tree ResortsHunting and fishing and water sports,Visit Roddy Tree resorts in Hunt, Tx  Kerrville Folk Festival 36th Annual Kerrville Folk FestivalMay 24 - June 10, 2007Eighteen great days of musical events, starting the Thursday before Memorial Day at the outdoor theater at Quiet Valley Ranch. Enjoy excellent music on the scenic campgrounds.  Food and beverage available. Fees vary according to days attending. Quiet Valley Ranch is located 9 miles south of Kerrville on Hwy. 16.For General Information Call 830-257-3600                                                           Tickets Only - 800-435-8429   16th Kerrville Wine & Music FestivalAug 31 - Sept 2, 2007 (details forthcoming) Kerrville Wine & Musi... 05/28/2007