SAGE Premium Texas Real Estate Blog

Real estate on the Texas Hill Country Regional Christmas Trail will be ablaze with lights beginning Friday.  During the holiday season from November 25, 2011 to January 1, 2012, Fredericksburg homeowners and businesses don their sparkling best to brighten up the darkest time of the year.

Drive past Fredericksburg TX real estate on a Texas Hill Country tour to Bandera, Blanco, Boerne, Burnet, Dripping Springs, Johnson City, Kerrville, Llano, Marble Falls, New Braunfels, and Wimberley.  These are the towns participating in the Texas Hill Country Regional Christmas Trail for 2011.

Friday evening, residents of Fredericksburg homes and ranches kick off the festivities at the Marktplatz with the Annual Lighting of the 30-foot community Christmas tree and the 26-foot German Pyramid.  A family friendly Yuletide celebration brings out local musicians, dancers, and singers, and tasty treats.  Most of the other communities along the Christmas Trail also plan festivities for Friday.

All of the communities invite visitors to other special holiday events, each with a unique country flavor.  Fredericksburg’s outdoor skating rink, St. Nikolausmarkt, live theater, Kinderfest, parade, Peddler Show, and home tour are just a handful of holiday happenings.  Nearby, Johnson City features one of the largest light displays in Texas and tours of the LBJ boyhood home and Christmas in a cabin. In Kerrville it’s parades, lighting, performances, and lots of downhome fun.

Bandera accents its style with a Cowboy Capital Campfire and storytelling, living nativity on the banks of the Medina River, and Christmas Singing in the Saddle at Longhorn Saloon.  Boerne’s Old World Christmas is complete with costumed shopkeepe4rs, horse-drawn carriages, Weihnachts Fest parade, Oma’s Christmas and more.

Burnet lights up its historic courthouse.  The community reenacts the ancient town of Bethlehem with authentically costumed townspeople.  Dripping Springs Wild West Fest and Christmas on Mercer Street begin its festivities.  Llano’s charm includes Starry Starry Nights on the banks of the Llano River and a special Snow Day for the children.

Marble Falls lights up 130 sculptures that reflect on beautiful Lake Marble Falls, especially enjoyable along the Walkway of Lights in Lakeside Park.  New Braunfels goes from lighting to Weihnachtsmarkt with distinctive merchants and artisans to Old Gruene Market Days, Wassailfest, and Christmas Gospel Brunch with a Texas Twist.  Wimberley presents an old-fashioned Creekside Christmas, Gardens Trail of Lights, and theater.

So take them one at a time or tour Hill Country during a special December weekend.  You may realize that you’d rather be home in Texas all year round.

For expert guidance in your personal search for the ultimate piece of the Hill Country, please call Dale E. Cook, MBA and owner of SAGE – Premium Texas Real Estate at (830) 992-0056.

• Read More »

Fredericksburg’s antique shops and antiquing events keep Texan history alive for Hill Country homeowners and Texas visitors alike.  The Annual Fredericksburg Fall Antiques Show coming up this week is a case in point.  “Shows Celebrating American Heritage” offers Texas ranchers and owners of Fredericksburg TX real estate a vast array of antiques and collectibles.

If buyers of Fredericksburg TX land or Hill Country ranches want to display antique agricultural machines, The Hill Country Antique Tractor and Engine Club will oblige.  The club’s tractors come out in full force for the Christmas Parades in Fredericksburg on Dec. 2, 2011.  They also host a large event in June at the Gillespie County Fairgrounds.  The summer show features a selection of memorable agricultural relics.

In the Historic District of Downtown Fredericksburg Texas real estate, favorite antique shops cater to the local penchant for visiting and resident antique collectors, as well as anyone looking for that perfect accent piece for any room in the house in Fredericksburg.  All year round, these antique shops bring in an appealing array of furniture and endearing items.

This weekend’s Fredericksburg Fall Antiques Show is one of a handful presented by Texas Hill Country Antique Shows.  Located in a large building and oversized pavilion at the Gillespie County Fairgrounds, the show exhibits many friendly well-known antique dealers and other quality exhibitors who are new this 2011 season.  These dealers offer a wealth of good information about the historical significance of various pieces.  The collections feature the best furniture, architectural collectibles, and other interesting conversation pieces such as Treasures from Christmas Past.

Time:  Saturday, Nov. 12, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 13, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Place:  Gillespie County Fairgrounds, 530 Fair Drive, Fredericksburg Texas

Admission:  $5.00/weekend with children 12 and under free and parking is free.

Antique buffs missing the show this week can stop by our downtown antique shops:

• Homestead at 230 E. Main Street, Fredericksburg TX, specializes in custom upholstery and traditional furnishings such as tables and chairs, and items to cozy up the home.
• Jackson’s Uptown Market at 214 W. Main Street, Fredericksburg TX offers fine art, antiques, furnishings, lighting, gifts, and accessories.
• Lauren Bade Fredericksburg at 229 E. Main Street Upstairs, Fredericksburg TX offers antiques, linens, gifts, and jewelry.
• Salt Branch Outpost at 244 W. Main Street, Fredericksburg TX is an antique gift shop specializing in antler art and furniture, custom designing, and antler lamps, chandeliers, and tables.
• Showcase Antiques at 119 E. Main Street showcases old porcelain, American brilliant cut glass, collectible French art glass sabino, sterling silver flatware, pottery, art glass, antique furniture and more.

Buying and selling property in Texas Hill Country

For expert guidance in your personal search for the ultimate piece of the Hill Country, please call Dale E. Cook, MBA and owner of SAGE – Premium Texas Real Estate at (830) 992-0056.

• Read More »

As readers negotiate the pathway towards owning Texas real estate in the Hill Country, we offer important information for anyone looking to borrow money to their Fredericksburg TX home or Texas land.  It may help some newer borrowers and could be uncomfortable for others.

More new standards are understandably being adopted by lenders, the same people who are still stuck with heaps of bank-owned properties and distressed borrowers.  The Chicago Tribune recently shed light on a new score being developed to help financial institutions discern good and not-so-good credit risks.  This score incorporates personal information about borrowers.

Credit reporting companies have been around since the 1950s.  Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO) generates scores using information from three main credit-reporting companies:  Transunion, Experian, and Equifax.  But these scores did not become widely used in the mortgage industry until 1995 when Federal agencies such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Authority began recommending them to lenders in the housing industry.

FICO scores are supposed to provide lenders with mainstay indicators about the credit worthiness of Texas Hill Country homebuyers from across the nation by showing how well they have paid back previous loans.  But FICO is developing new tools “to help the lending industry dig deeper,” Podmolik says.

FICO and CoreLogic announced they are collaborating to create a different score that will reflect personal habits and payment histories on a variety of levels.  This number will include payday loans, evictions, child support payments, status of payments such as utility bills, rent, and cell phone payments.  Some credit reporting agencies have already been providing lenders with estimates of income and available data on timeliness of rental payments.

Tight lending standards are the norm these days.  With the Fed keeping interest rates low, lenders do not have higher interest payments to make up for the losses caused by defaulting borrowers.  It is possible that this new score will help financial institutions.  It may help some wealthy buyers who usually pay cash and young borrowers who have little credit history.  It may not be as kind to other good applicants who happen to have encountered some challenges along the way to their new Hill Country homes.

For expert guidance in your personal search for the ultimate piece of the Hill Country, please call Dale E. Cook, MBA and owner of SAGE – Premium Texas Real Estate at (830) 992-0056.

• Read More »

For residents of Texas Hill Country homes, the Fredericksburg Standard—Radio Post Newspaper congeals the unabated sparkle of the marvelous small-town America quality of life we enjoy.  Just this week, a series of news posts cannot help buy endear anyone who is pondering relocation to Fredericksburg TX real estate or nearby Texas ranches.

Deliver right to the front door or computer of subscriber homes, the trusty Fredericksburg newspaper combines three historic papers—The Fredericksburg Standard, the Radio Post and the Harper Herald—to connect our communities and activities.

This week, we read about children from Fredericksburg and Harper schools who will be participating in the University Scholastic League Region XI Marching Contest in Hondo TX.  Anyone who missed the contest can experience these talented ensembles during halftime at varsity football games.

Another story highlights the youth Gold Star winners in 4-H who exemplify leadership, citizenship, community service, and excellent 4-H projects.  We are proud of the students recognized at the 2011 Gillespie County 4-H Banquet held at the Gillespie county Farm Bureau Center and the marching bands.

Fredericksburg’s interesting weekend events offer samplings of activities unfamiliar to most city folks.  The Annual Lone Star Gourd Festival opened yesterday at the Exhibition Hall and Peddler’s Pavilion at the Gillespie County Fairgrounds.  It continues through Sunday.  Artisans from across Texas are displaying their artworks and children will find hands-on arts and crafts activities at the Gourd Fest.

In addition, the Annual Fredericksburg Indian Artifact Show is happening in Pioneer Pavilion at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park.  This show includes 70 tables of fossil displays, some dating back to 10,000 B.C.  Texas collectors travel here to show off their ancient treasures for the benefit of buyers, sellers, traders, and all interested parties.

On Sunday, October 16, 2011, residents and friends of Fredericksburg homes will take steps to relieve world hunger.  The Hill Country Hike for Hunger and annual walk begin with registration at 2:30 p.m. from the Kinderhalle at Marktplatz.  Three quarters of the proceeds go to the church World Services and the remainder to the Fredericksburg Food Pantry.  Events include a 5K walk through residential areas (3.1 miles) and the Golden Walk, a shorter version.

For expert guidance in your personal search for the ultimate piece of the Hill Country, please call Dale E. Cook, MBA and owner of SAGE – Premium Texas Real Estate at (830) 992-0056.

• Read More »

Hill Country homeowners have plenty of advantages when it comes to landscaping, considering the beautiful weather patterns in Central Texas.

Sometimes, however, residents of Fredericksburg TX homes, ranches, and neighboring communities do not quite know what to do to create and maintain nice yards and acreage.  Maybe a yard in Fredericksburg property is overgrown, plants are on the wrong side of the building for optimum healthy growth, or the soil has a deficiency.

Who does know what to do?  Excellent landscaping companies near Fredericksburg real estate in the heart of Texas Hill Country are here to help.  They know how to invest in soil, mulch, trees, shrubs and flowers to get the most appealing results.  These companies offer a variety of services to assist.

Perennial Landscape and Design helps with designing landscapes for new homes and replacing or refreshing existing landscapes.  The Dodds Family works with small beds up to commercial designs, incorporating native landscapes or deer resistant plants as requested.  There’s Hill Country Gardens and The Xeriscape Guys who specialize in “Water Wise Landscaping.”  The list of small companies continues.

Perennial’s website is a great source of information.  The company offers on-site consultation.  Full-service landscape services begin with site preparation, plant installation, and finish work.  Before executing a design, the company show clients a computer animated version of the proposed finished product.

Variables all come together to create the dream yard.  Perennial uses 100-percent Raleigh sod with a three-inch base of soil that has been screened for weeds.  Homeowners are informed which plants are options for each sunny or shady area and plants that will thrive with given water sources.  Irrigation systems can be planned and phased in during future growth.  To avoid having to thin a garden in a few years, Perennial recommends that all plants be spaced out depending on their projected size at maturity.

This company offers a full spectrum of landscape materials, edging, rock and stone, fertilizers, mulch and soil, and plants and trees available.  They recommend using three inches of mulch or rock material in the landscaping beds and have many suggestions based on the horticulture of the area.

For expert guidance in your personal search for the ultimate piece of the Hill Country, please call Dale E. Cook, MBA and owner of SAGE – Premium Texas Real Estate at (830) 992-0056.

• Read More »

Visit Fredericksburg Texas Hill Country homes during the lively Oktoberfest.  No event harkens back to the German beginnings of Fredericksburg Texas real estate, homes, and land like Oktoberfest.  Genuine Bavarian hospitality and merriment fills the Marktplaz and hundreds of bed and breakfast establishments tucked into the Hill Country real estate around Fredericksburg.

Now a community tradition, Oktoberfest began in 1981. The 31st Oktoberfest celebration will be Friday, September 30, 2011 through Sunday October 2, 2011 when Texas Gemutlichkeit will fill the streets with song and dance, toasts and feasts, games and contests.

The heartbeat of Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg (pop. 10,000) features a vibrant community, excellent schools, great restaurants and shops, world-class museums, plentiful recreation and beautiful homes and Texas ranches.   Fredericksburg is located 70-75 miles northwest of primary homes in San Antonio and southwest of Austin homes.

This year’s highlights include Czech Folk Dancers of West and Cadence Cloggers.  New events being rolled out this year include the Oktubafest, Chicken Dance Around the Square, and Dominoes tournament.  All weekend, there will be entertainment, exhibitions, great food, contests, tents full of juried artisans, and lots of fun for children.  And everyone so looks forward to the hearty menu of German and Mexican-American foods plus American, Texas, and imported beers.

Look at the list of bands and music groups that will sound out the oompah, polkas, and waltzes this year:  The sound Connection, Havlak Batla Polka Time Band, San Antonio Combo, Jodie Mikula Orchestra, Seven Dutchmen, Tuba Meisters, The Polkamatics, Village Bank, Ed Kadlecek and The Fun bunch, The Bandaids, and Swingin’ Dutchmen.

Admission is $6, $1 for children 6-12 and free for children under 6 years old.  With the help of community volunteers, Creative Arts Alliancesponsors the festival.  Proceeds go to support the local arts and student scholarships.

In 1846, Baron Otfried Hans von Meusebach of German renounced his title, taking the name of John O. Meusebach.  Meusebach led the “Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas” as well as the “Noblemen’s Society” as they fled the failed Revolution of 1848.  The educated group of Germans refused to learn English and stuck together in Fredericksburg and other independent Texas communities.  Excellent museums follow their footprints.Charming Fredericksburg retains the robust work and play ethic of its forefathers.

For expert guidance in your personal search for the ultimate piece of the Hill Country, please call Dale E. Cook, MBA and owner of SAGE – Premium Texas Real Estate at (830) 992-0056.

• Read More »

High net worth investors and private equity fund managers continue to confidently invest in Texas real estate and businesses.  They know a good Gillespie county or Fredericksburg TX real estate deal when they see it.

During the first half of 2011, there were 142 sales of Fredericksburg Gillespie County real estate in the Hill Country.  That is 23 per month.  Compared to the same time frame in 2010, sales of Fredericksburg TX homes and Gillespie County properties remained steady.  Both are up from 2009.  The total dollar amount for Fredericksburg and Gillespie County home sales for Q1 and Q2 combined exceeded $45.5 million.

As many folks who own principal homes in Austin and San Antonio invest in second homes and Texas Hill Country ranches or Gillespie County horse properties, let’s look at the numbers for July 2011 home sales in those metropolitan areas.

In Austin, total sales reaches 2,178, up 33 percent from 2010.  In San Antonio, sales reached 1,731, up 11 percent.  Sales of existing single-family homes in the State of Texas totaled 19,628, up 18 percent from a year earlier, according to MLS data compiled by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.

In a blog entitled, “Why Investors Like Texas” posted on August 29, 2011, Mark Dotzour sums up just why Texas continues to attract investors.  Dotzour is the Chief Economist and Director of Research at the TAMU Center.  Summarized here:

• Texas leads the U.S. in current economic recovery
• Its large, international economy is growing and profitable
• Population is increasing throughout the state
• People are flexible and entrepreneurial
• Taxes are lower in Texas

Resilience runs strong in the Lone Star State. It experienced only 16 months of job losses during the recession.  From May 2010 to May 2011, the state generated 198,400 jobs or more than 20 percent of the growth in the U.S. employment picture.  Private employment drew by 229,400, a 2.7 percent increase.  There is no place like Texas to bury your gold or plant your feet.

For expert guidance in your personal search for the ultimate piece of the Hill Country, please call Dale E. Cook, MBA and owner of SAGE – Premium Texas Real Estate at (830) 992-0056.  As the heart of Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg (pop. 10,000) offers a vibrant community, excellent schools, great restaurants and shops, world-class museums, plentiful recreation and beautiful homes and ranches.

• Read More »

Title insurance protects buyers and owners of Fredericksburg and Texas Hill Country real estate in many important ways.  Although it is paid as a one-time premium at closing, an extra cost usually resented, the title insurance pays off when Hill Country homeowners most need its benefits.

Title insurance protects owners of Fredericksburg TX homes, Texas ranches, and other Hill Country properties—usually the single largest investment in a resident’s portfolio.  The insurance assures that the property is free and clear of title defects that may have been hidden over time.  For example, ownership may have changed several times by sales, foreclosures, inheritances, and other means.  Each transfer of ownership opens the door for mistakes, sometimes clerical mistakes that can put a property’s true ownership at risk.

Nowadays, the increasing number of foreclosure or REO sales compounds title problems.  The reason is that banks as REO owners are a step removed from and unfamiliar with the properties in their portfolios.

Most bank sellers have never seen the properties they are selling.Normally, sellers are required to disclose know defects, including details about easements, mineral rights, encroachments, property boundaries versus current usage, etc.  However, the bank owner doesn’t know that the neighbor was given permission to plant a vegetable garden on the far corner or to walk through the property.

Title insurance allows property owners to relax knowing that their property is fully theirs to use or to sell.  Title companies offer several types of coverage that vary in cost.  They range from standard coverage to enhanced or extended coverage to comprehensive or “eagle” policies.  Standard coverage may run about $1000 for a $275,000 purchase.  Upgraded coverage costs just a little more.

Standard title policies generally cover any defect in the title that exists at the time of purchase, prior recorded mortgages, judgments, and other liens, easements or use restrictions, and right of legal access.  It also covers forgery, fraud, and duress or a title vested in someone other than the seller as well as unmarketable titles.

The enhanced or extended coverage additionally covers an incorrect survey, claims for adverse possession or prescriptive easement, pre-existing violations of subdivision laws or zoning ordinances, silent liens like estate tax liens, and coverage for encroachments and conflicts in boundary lines.

The comprehensive eagle policy further covers post-policy forgery, forced removal of non-permitted improvements, post-policy encroachment, and post-policy increase in value up to 150 percent, plus location and dimensions.

For expert guidance in your personal search for the ultimate piece of the Hill Country, please call Dale E. Cook, MBA and owner of SAGE- Premium Texas Real Estate at (830) 992-0056.

• Read More »

“It’s Something to Crow About” when folks gather from Fredericksburg and Texas Hill Country homes and ranches every month for shopping expeditions to Fredericksburg Trade Days at Sunday Farms.  Hill Country real estate is well represented at the events.

Vendors and 85,000 shoppers from San Antonio and Austin homes, Gillespie, Kerr, Humble, Mason, Llano, Blanco counties as well as Gillespie County homes and farms make the Fredericksburg Trade Days an ongoing success.  It is the place to bring family and friends to shop for unusual treasures and to relax to live music in the biergarten.  In the German tradition of Fredericksburg, over 100 varieties of bier are on tap.

Sunday Farms is located seven miles east of Downtown Fredericksburg TX real estate.  Held monthly on the weekend of the third Saturday of the month, Fredericksburg Trade Days are ongoing.  Upcoming Trade Days in 2011 include August 19-21, September 16-18, October 14-16, November 18-20, November 25-27, and December 16-18.  Hours are Fridays and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sundays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Fredericksburg Trade Days harken back to another era.  Six barns and over 350 vendors offer special antiques, collectibles, tools, crafts, shabby chic, primitives, ranch furniture, hunting accessories, candles, unique clothing, jewelry, food, and much more.  It’s the place to pick up homemade preserves or an accent decoration for the home.  Even more important, Fredericksburg Trade Days are times to gather and enjoy the camaraderie.

History comes alive at hundreds of bed and breakfast establishments in the area.  The Pedernales River flows near Fredericksburg Trade Days.  There’s the Texas Wine Trail, lavender trail and peach farms to sample, and attractions such as Luckenbach and Enchanted Rock to explore.

Fredericksburg Trade Days are located on Highway 290E across from Wildseed Farms.  Recreational vehicle, car, and motorcycle clubs are welcome!  There’s free Wi-Fi, a front pasture available for special events.  The property features hookups for RV camping.  The physical address is 355 Sunday Farms Lane, Fredericksburg TX 78624; mailing address is P.O. Box 341 Stonewall TX 78671.

For expert guidance in your personal search for the ultimate piece of the Hill Country, please call Dale E. Cook, MBA and owner of SAGE – Premium Texas Real Estate at (830) 992-0056.Fredericksburg (10,000 pop.) offers a vibrant community, excellent schools, great restaurants and shops, world-class museums, plentiful recreation and beautiful homes and ranches.  It is the heartbeat of Texas Hill Country.

• Read More »