Trey's Blog: March 2008

The south end of College Station has certainly been a testing ground for plumbing systems particularly in regards to water heaters and their early demise. Recently while looking at a new listing with the owners, I noticed the inlet pipe to their one year old water heater was dripping and had an extraordinary amount of corrosion for the age and also a white substance  was built up on it.  I have seen this on many homes in the area. Several plumbers have indicated it is from the high salt or sodium content in the water, not sure which. Any way this has to be frustrating to home owners in the area , and  repair plumbers have told me water heater life is really short in the area. ( Bet they love that! )  That is a shame.  I do know you are supposed to use what is  called  a      di-electric coupling with water heater pipe connections. They have a small plastic sleeve that prevents dis-similar metals from touching one another , as that speeds up corrosion.  I am not a plumber, but still am a partner in a home building firm so I do know what to watch for.   A lot of the new homes use the new style plastic pipe so this might cut down on some of the corrosion problems in a home. Let's hope so.

Have a prosperous week!

Trey

We should all be proud of the Aggie Women's Basketball Team. They were nothing short of outstanding today in their defeat of Duke. They play with so much heart and really shined today. This win insures the ladies a slot in the Elite Eight , which is they farthest they have ever come from what I understand.  One step closer ladies. Way to go! Gig-em'! Let's keep our fingers crossed and wish them the very best!.

When I was growing up in small town USA we had a Pound, which was short for the Dog Pound. I think the reason they called it the Dog Pound was because the Dog Catcher,  (the Animal Control Officer)  was really not interested in stray cats or other animals, and exerted most if not all his efforts in rounding up mangy stray dogs. He never responded much to cat calls unless maybe it was a cat that was going in circles and foaming at the mouth. I remember my mother was always afraid of anything "foaming at the mouth" which in those days was taken as an absolute  sign of Hydrophobia which is what we called  rabies  back then. We kids foamed at the mouth too and I am surprised they didn't call the Pound on us too.  

Anyway 40 to 50 years ago the dog pound was not a place any dog wanted to end up. I remember going there one day with my father, to see if our dog had been taken in when it had gone missing. The pound was not a pleasant place to visit and had a profound effect on me. I remember it to this day. The "inmates" were mostly skin and bones , flea bitten  dogs. The conditions were worse than a North Vietnamese POW camp. The Pound was run by the city back then on a shoestring budget I am sure.

Things sure have changed for the better, however. Now with the  Humane Society the "pound" is no longer an interment POW style facility. We visited ours this weekend to shop for another cat to fill a vacancy at our home. I was amazed at how many  people were lined up in their office to apply for the chance to provide a caring home for a cat or dog.  My have times changed...for the better. 

Have a prosperous week!

Trey

http://www.treythurmond.com/

Invest in Aggieland!

Prime 3.13 Acre Tract located just  a few hundred yards south of the intersect at William Fitch Parkway and state Hwy 6 South. This is a great location and is zoned general commercial. Minutes to Pebble Creek Subdivision, Castlegate Subdivision, Woodland Hills Subdivision, Spring meadows, Woodlake, Sweetwater, Nantuckett, and Indian Lakes.  Opportunity knocks for investor or user.  We can just see a restaurant or strip center here! 

Asking $900,000           mls #48209

Milam F. "Trey" Thurmond, Broker, CRB, GRI
Classic Realty Inc./ GMAC Real Estate
3600 Hwy 6 South Suite 100
College Station, Texas 77845
(979) 694-8844 -110
Cell: (979) 229-8465
Fax: (979) 694-2299

trey@txcyber.com

www.classicgmac.com

I never did really say I had one particular real estate specialty.  As a broker -owner I suppose I have to know about most types of property and the associated contracts and I have grown  to know when to say No..that is not something I am able to even help with, but will refer you to an expert.

But in general I will sell a $30,000 property... or a 3 million dollar property.  I guess part of this is out of necessity since we are not really a large enough market to say Well,I specialize in homes over $500,000.  And it really isn't that ....I really do enjoy selling it all. I enjoy helping someone with few assets obtain a home, or the first time investor sticking his neck out on a limb to buy a diamond in the rough. Also folks typically  move up the ladder. That first time buyer often turns into a repeat buyer through the years and usually is always stepping up the economic scale. But if you don't help folks on the first home they buy, there may never be a chance for you to sell them a second or third home.  So in a nutshell I guess my specialty is just helping folks buy or sell a home, all price ranges.

Trey

http://www.treythurmond.com/

My wife talked me late in 2007 into attending the monthly chamber mixers held locally by our  Bryan /College Station Chamber of Commerce, and sponsored each month by a different local  business member. These events are a great way to casually visit with local business owners and representatives and also to get to know a little more about the event sponsor. Tonight's event  was held at a local successful artist's studio and retail store. Most Aggies know about Benjamin Knox, but not everyone knows all that he offers other than just his own famous Aggie oriented art. They have a coffee bar, wine bar, framing studio, and gallery for others to exhibit in. There is a fun outdoor area with an old train caboose and outside patio with weekly live music. The overall architectural theme is centered  around old train stations, which is how the city got its name College Station.

I would highly recommend that if your local Chamber offers these kinds of  events, that you attend. You will be glad you did. :-)

The real estate activity in College Station, Texas , not unlike many areas around the country is very  school semester oriented.  Many  buyers and sellers want to complete transactions and be out of the old home and into the new home in time to settle in a little before the next school semester begins. It certainly makes it easier on the whole family to have some time to unpack, decorate, relax , meet the neighbors, and just learn the area. 

This applies not only to families in our area, but to the untold number of singles, and  students including those attending Texas A&M University and Blinn College. Lots of those students and/or their parents buy homes, duplexes, condos, and other housing in our community and have a significant input on the local economy.

Sometimes newer agents have a hard time understanding our "Real Estate Seasons" in this area.  Those seasons are directly in line with semester change. So after August, when all the students and families with children in school, have settled in their recent purchases...the phone stops ringing....

 Agent on   September 15th:           "Oh my gosh what is going on ?  I haven't gotten a call in 10 days!"

  Agent on   April 30th :                   " I need some time off.  My feet hurt. I need extra help!"

Our market is a lot like Texas Weather... just wait around a little while and it will change.   :o)

Have a prosperous week!

http://www.treythurmond.com/

As an owner-broker I try to stay in touch with the daily tasks of agents. One of the ways to do that is to go on our local association tour of listings which in our area is every Tuesday. It is a great way to see other agents in person, stay in touch , visit, and get to see a variety of properties plus the incentives like good food are enticing to say the least.  There is only one thing that disturbs me, however. It really seems like fewer and fewer agents are going on our tours any more. Are they just too busy?  Do they not see any value in them? Or is this just another result of the Internet?   IE.  They can take the virtual tour.

I still say nothing beats the real deal, besides I can't eat a virtual sandwich. :o)

Want a bite?

www.treythurmond.com

Commercial Corner At MLK and San Jacinto ( Business Hwy. 21)  in downtown area of Bryan.     MLS  # 37762

Corner lot location...possible convenience store , pharmacy, reastaurant  location.   Minutes to state Hwy 6, or FM 2818.  Property  also includes a 2500 +- sq. ft. residence.   This is an opportunity that shouldn't be overlooked by investors or users.                                Asking price    $630,000.

  Celebrating 30 Years of Service to the Real Estate Communit

For information;  M.F. "Trey" Thurmond, Broker, CRB, GRI

979-694-8844

http://www.classicgmac.com/