Texas - The Lone Star State A Big Part of Texas is showing folks how proud we are to be Texans and part of The Texas Hill Country. A big part of Texas is the "WELCOME" we give folks. All the more reason to consider the Canyon Lake, New Braunfels Texas area. We are  part of the Texas Hill Country, which means location is great. Just north to Austin, south to San Antonio, west to the quaint town f Boerne and Bandera and east will take you to Houston. Now how is that for the best of the best as far as loction? No I'm not a travel agent or a realtor, I'm a home inspector. I see folks moving to Texas from all over the country.  We have been discovered; and many 'New Texans' are in town or will be headed this way. Why? Location, schools, tax base, weather, cost of li... 03/23/2010

  New Braunfels Texas to get new Hospital NEW BRAUNFELS' NEW HOSPITAL NEW BRAUNFELS (San Antonio Express-News) – Baptist Health System announced Wednesday plans to open a hospital in 2012 on 56 acres near the new Town Center at Creekside. The announcement comes nearly 60 years after the opening of New Braunfels’ only hospital, Christus Santa Rosa Hospital–New Braunfels. The new hospital off I-35 near FM 306 and Freiheit Rd. could cost as much as $110 million, depending on the number of beds it houses. Planning and design for the facility have not been finalized. The community hospital is expected to serve residents of New Braunfels, and Guadalupe and Hays Counties. It will be Baptist Health System’s sixth facility in the San Antonio area. For more information about the New Braunfels are... 03/14/2010

 A nice note from a consumer that Carl did an inspection for yesterday. Complete Inspection Service                                                       "Thanks for doing such wonderful work! It has been such a pleasure to meet someone like you. You help put me at ease. It is VERY comforting as the buyer to feel secure when making such a huge investment, for me anyway! You are extremely professional in your work! I can not recommend you enough. I AM SO EXCITED! Thanks for helping me make my dream a reality! Elizabeth Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry" Drum Roll for Carl ....   posted by Ceil Winters - Active Rain Blog March 12, 2009 Referral through Active Rain. One more reason to join Active Rain.                                                                                  ... 03/12/2010

  When I opened the panel today look what I found. Something had a "secret hiding place".                                                                             I would think they could find a better place to store the acorns. Reminds me of the time when I opened the panel to find a sneaky snake.                                                   ************************************** Carl Winters, Advanced Home Inspector, License #3630 - Have a property inspection, whether it is a new home, existing home or a home under construction.  Fortunately in this case the wiring was in tact. Rodents have been known to eat wiring. 03/09/2010

For the Love of Tennis. Attention: Tennis fans, Tennis parents, Tennis Retirees! Real Estate for the player in you.     New Braunfels, TX. Green Living in secluded but world famous tennis world of John Newcombe and Cliff Drysdale.   What follows bellow is not a marketing piece reproduced from the marketing materials. Rather, it's my personal observation learned first hand. My son has gotten an invitation to train at Newks Academy for a three day USTA TX section tennis camp. It was a great success. While he was training I was exploring the vicinity and real estate activity in the area, since this is what I do for a living. All photography is done by me personally. The day was gloomy:-(   Photos will de added shortly. If you follow Tennis on ESPN you should know the name of Cliff Drysdale... 03/08/2010

Why have a family fire drill? Visit Sparky! www.NFPA.org  For consumer information for all family members. Take a few minutes and visit Sparky with your children. http://www.sparky.org   Visit this very educational website with your children. It will help teach them the Do's and Dont's with some fun projects. What is MOST IMPORTANT have a fire drill and a plan in case fire should start in your home. Don't wait until it is too late.  The Sparky website offers Activities and Sparky Stuff that are good learning tools. PLAN A FIRE DRILL                                                               Candle Fires - Are at top of the list. The top five days for home candle fires are: Christmas, Christmas Eve, New Year's Day and New Year's Eve and Halloween.  Please be careful and not leave cand... 02/23/2010

If you have not ever tried this recipe, put it on your list of things you will want to try. Beer Baked Bread - 3     cups flour 3     tsp. baking powder 1/4   tsp. sale 3/4   cup sugar 3/4   cup chopped cranberries ( also add some raisens or apricots) 3/4   cups chopped pecans 12     ounces beer ( I use any kind) 4      tbs. margarine or butter Preheat oven to 375 degrees.                Mix all ingredients and pour into a buttered and floured pan. Bake for about 50 minutes depending on your oven. It is simple, it is moist and it is great. I bake mine in empty pound coffee cans. Fill about half way (be sure to butter and flour the can). It comes out nice and you can top with cool whip.                                                                                   ******** If you are ... 02/21/2010

 No it is not my Valentine for you; it's a blog about taking care of your heart. Your Valentine Greeting card will come in a few day's.                                                                               In case you hadn't heard, February is American Heart Month, an initiative to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke, the number one killer in the U.S. Here are four good foods that could help keep yourself and heart healthy. Of course eating healthy and regular exercise is great. Hard to do with the weather we have been having lately unless you have an indoor gym at home. 1. Garlic: This herb is ideal for heart health. Studies have shown the potential benefits of regular garlic consumption on blood pressure. ceil uses allot of minced garlic in her cooking. They do have... 02/12/2010

              This is just one more reason to be a resident of Comal County. Lookie what has happened now. Scooter Store on Fortune Magazine's ‘Top 100 Best Places to Work' List...New Braunfels largest employer is in the news again. The largest private employer in Comal County has been named one of the best places to work in the country. For the 2nd time in 3 years, the Scooter Store has made it to Fortune Magazine's Top 100 Best Places to Work in the United States. This is the 2nd time the Scooter Store has made the Top 100 Best Places to Work List. In 2007, they ranked at #58. This time, they are up 20 spots, to #38 on that list. Scooter Store officials say a lot of credit goes to the City of New Braunfels and the New Braunfels Chamber for their efforts in the last year to work with t... 01/27/2010

New Braunfels Smokehouse named a Texas Treasure  The Texas Historical Commission has dubbed The New Braunfels Smokehouse Country Store & Tasting Kitchen a "Texas Business Treasure." Sen. Jeff Wentworth will present the award to The New Braunfels Smokehouse on Jan. 19 - with a tour of the plant to follow. This is the best ever. If you come to New Braunfels and not visit the New Braunfels Smokhouse you're missing out.  The family-owned business was founded in 1945 by Arabel and Russell Dunbar. Originally known as the Tastin' Room, The New Braunfels Smokehouse is in its third generation of family owners. The company smokes and ships about 1.5 million pounds of smoked meats annually across the U.S. The restaurant is located at 1090 N. Business 35, in the city of New Braunfels - just north o... 01/18/2010

  Yes, home ownership is still possible. America is where dreams can come true. Call a realtor today and start the process. It is important to hire a licensed home inspector.   One of the things you WILL want to do is have a home inspection by a licensed home inspector. In Texas all home inspectors must acquire a license by TREC. In order to do so, each inspector must meet certain obligations set by : TREC (Texas Real Estate Commission).   If you are selling your home, hiring an inspector before you put your home on the market can be a smart move if you want to prevent or at least prepare for any issues that might come up during the buyer's inspection.  Uncovering problems ahead of time can save you time and money: Know what you are buying. 1. A smoother process. The more problems you c... 01/15/2010

 I'm beginning to think I get better customer service online. It is there in black and white, no standing in line, get a printed receipt and delivered to my front door in a timely mannner. No more instore frustrations.                                                                                                                                   The Six Basic Needs of Customers 1. Friendliness (Not overly friendly but professional)Friendliness is the most basic of all customers needs. We like to be greeted with a smile and an eye-ball (not have to look at the head and never see a face). Is that too much to ask. 2. Understanding and empathyCustomers have simple expectations and that is to serve us with knowledge, understand and empathy. Not the attitude of "so what". 3. Fairness We all ... 01/07/2010

              Clean or Not to Clean....Should there ever be a question...the answer is YES, YES, YES.                                                                  Today it is your Kitchen!                                                                                                                                                                                                       DOES YOUR KITCHEN LIKE A WAR ZONE?It's difficult to inspect the kitchen when can't see one square inch of counter space. The sink is piled high with dirty dishes. It smells like an animal has died under the sink! It surprises me when I walk into a home and I can hardly walk due to the owner being untidy (I could say worse but best not). My Question: The buyer must have seen this very same thing. Why in ... 01/07/2010

   What do you think?         Are We Being Micro-Managed with a Slew of New Laws Introduced for 2010?            When I turned on the news this second day of the New Year I was enlightened to hear of a slew of new laws being introduced this year.             Examples: Differs by state....a couple of examples:             Better know the law if you use one of these:              Better know the law if you use one of these:    Texting while driving is a big issue.             Better know the new laws if you are a realtor, mortgage broker, inspector or anything to do with real estate.                                                                                                             Some Are Good and Some Not-So-Good Tip for the Day: Stay current with home inspection code in your a... 01/02/2010

Some of you may remember awhile back we had you vote which countertop you liked for our kitchen that we would be remodeling. If you forgot Ceil decided on Canalle Granite. This is a project she pretty much did herself with my help. The granite was ordered and Ceil went to work removing 50 year yellow formica; then the counter tops, sink, stove, evrything as you will see in the photo's. Well the new countertops have been installed; backsplash will come after the first of the year. We wanted to show you the finished product. We had some very nice folks at Home Depot from New Braunfels that worked with us and the best three installers ever from Stonemark with James the lead installer. Ceil is tickled but pretty worn out and has bruises and bumps to show for it. So here goes. Item 1 Canalle... 12/09/2009

www.schlitterbahnchristmas.com Come on over to New Braunfels TX and experience the true meaning of Christmas brought to life in music and lights. It's tradition! It's Schlitterbahn New Braunfels for the whole family. Live entertainment, shopping, good food all in one place.            Two new events this year is HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD.                                           -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                           Merry Christmas from Carl & Ceil Winters & Brutus                                      David, Susie, Nicole, Garrett and Colton, Rocko, Carlely, Lacey Winters                                                                 ... 12/04/2009

Don't miss Lost Maples- The leaves are turning 11/18/09 Report: The front that went by on Monday took a lot of Maple leaves off the trees. After they turn any wind or rain is hard on the trees. We did get some near freezing temperatures the last two nights that will complete the turn on the twenty percent of the Maples that haven't turned yet. This will also get the Red Oaks turning and the lacy Oaks should start looking better as well. The East Trl still has the best color and the one mile drive into the Park still looks good. The West Trail is just starting to show some color as the Red Oaks are starting to turn and a few Lacy Oaks looked to be starting. The west Trail should look very good about the first and/or second week of December. The high temperatures are predicted to be in th... 11/18/2009

                                                        How do you know ~~~ without a Home Inspection? When a property is sold in "AS IS" condition , how do you know without a Home Inspection what you are really getting.      It is up to you the Buyer to take action to satisfy yourself that the property is worth the money. it may be well worth your while to consider a Home Inspection. You could possibly end up spending more then you had anticipated. The Question: What is the true condition of the home? It may be worth  to spend a couple hundred dollars (depending on the size of the home) to "know what your getting and if there may be some costly defects or repairs.     One     Example:                                                                                     The Attic The atti... 11/15/2009

My friend Luke hanging out with "Das Schnitzel" at Wurstfest 2009. No, I didn't fly to Germany this weekend. I've spent a lot of time in Germany in the course of my life.  I was there before the Wall came down and have spent months at a time roaming from town to town while I was still a musician.  I actually had designs on being a German teacher at one point in my life.  I still speak and understand some of the language - enough to get me where I need to go. I have a certain love for all things German.  I guess it just rubbed off on me during my time over there.  Some cities are so familiar to me I can point you in the right direction of my favorite restaurants, hotels, and venues.  My love for all things German especially extends to two things: beer and sausage (or Wurst as they are c... 11/08/2009

Speechless Sunday...in tune... Photography by:  Jeani Thomas Richie, copyright 2008 Visit my photography website. My friend Steve warming up for a set at Art on the Loop in New Braunfels, Texas.  This was also my first photography exhibit which was held about a year ago.  Steve is amazingly talented and is working on his degree in the ministry, his wife Renee was my son's fifth grade teacher at NB Christian Academy and they are also clients of mine...today we start their dream home search! 11/08/2009