Real Estate Information

Howdy, Howdy, Howdy!

Wow...thanks for gracing our humble blog with your time and presence. We are honored to have you here, reading the glowing screen!

As far as real estate goes, you've probably heard this, but it is a fantastic time to purchase property--or to "upgrade". If you are thinking of selling, you certainly need to be realistic in regards to pricing, condition, terms--but the good news is that if you're looking at getting another place, you can expect to get a great value out of it. If you're looking at a more expensive place, then now is a great time to do it. If you're having to sell at say, 10% less than what you expected on a $150,000 home--that would net you $15,000 less than what you thought you'd get. Now, however, if you're getting a $250,000 home and save the same 10%, then you'd get it at $25,000 less than what you'd normally pay. In this example, you'd come out with $10,000 more than in a normal market. That, coupled with incredible interest rates make this, literally, the best time to get a home I've seen in my 14 year (Whoah--moment of realization here!) real estate career.

On a personal note, you may remember me talking about the Transformation I had taken on, and the half-marathon I was planning on doing...

...well, I'm THRILLED to tell you that I have completed both! In total, I've lost well over 50 pounds of life-choking fat, gotten a LOT stronger both inside and out, and now have more energy than I had as a 25 year-old!

IF--and only if--you're interested to see how that turned out, feel free to click on and watch a little video I put together on the experience. I think it's pretty inspiring, and I'm hoping a few more folks that are getting this decide to embark on this emotional and rewarding journey.

You can watch it by clicking:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH6Z6eohl2M

or by checking out my profile at www.Transformation.com/chipper1

Thank you for your support, and as always I hope this post you and yours doing INCREDIBLY WELL!

Well, I'm about to share some personal stuff with you--things that are in the process of changing my life.

But before I did that, I actually wanted to give you a little real estate information--a novel idea from a real estate e-mail...

First, our office will be welcoming Erica Hill back on Monday from her maternity leave after giving birth to the totally cool Evan James Hill. That little boy is loved as all kids should be! If you're in the area, stop by and say, "Howdy!" to Erica and the rest of the office...and collect a free Dr. Pepper or Diet Coke for your efforts. It will be great to get Erica back and for things to return a bit to normal. In the interim, my Momma, Brenda Franks has been pinch hitting and doing a great job--but she is ready to be a Realtor with us again!

Next, I've mentioned this before--but it is a great time to purchase a home in Central Texas! If you're interested in finding some great foreclosure deals, we've put up a website where you can sign up for free lists of new foreclosures that come out regularly. If you're interested in getting that list, go visit the site at www.killeenforeclosure.com. It's good stuff!

Now...I've warned you about the personal stuff...so here it goes! A little over 9 weeks ago, I decided to try and do something extraordinary to change my life for the better. I always felt like I had a GREAT life: beautiful wife and marriage, the sweetest most precious girl Beebies any man could ever ask for, my own business, and a pretty cool lifestyle. I have been blessed, but I don't feel like I've done enough with all that I've been given. Do you ever feel like you're not living up to your God-given potential? Honestly, I think very few folks are...

Case in point: I was lethargic, with little energy, and no 'get up and go' when I got out of bed in the morning. When I got home from work, I was so tired I literally just wanted to eat and hit the sack from being so tired. One evening, after getting home, and putting off doing some much needed cleaning and dishes because I was, "dead tired," my Angel looked at me and said, "Something has to change." And DID need to change...I was unhealthy, not looking after myself and very bluntly: OBESE. I was not happy with myself, and what I had let myself become, physically.

So, as I told you before, I joined www.Transformation.com and I've been in the process of changing my physical--and now also my emotional life. I've officially reached the half-way point of my 18 week challenge...and I'll give you a glimpse of what's happened...(and I apologize for the 'before' pix...I hope you haven't just eaten!)

Those are pretty significant physical changes, but the biggest changes can't be captured in pictures. I have an abundance of energy, I'm kinder and actively reaching out to try and help others, and I'm not even close to being done. I have changed my lifestyle, and there's no going back to not caring about myself (or my loved ones) enough to TAKE CARE of myself.

I don't tell you this for any other reason than to help others--what I want to do is reach out to you if you're feeling the same things I was several weeks ago and let you know that: YOU CAN CHANGE. You can decide to make a defining moment in your life and get better.

If you're thinking you may be interested in changing, then I encourage you to visit www.Transformation.com, take a look around, and maybe even sign up for an account there--it's free and you have nothing to lose by making the decision to change.

All right...that is it for this marathon edition of Morning Coffee! Speaking of Marathon...$400 has been raised for the Make-a-Wish Foundation at my site. If you're interested in giving to this INCREDIBLE organization (even a $5 donation is extremely welcome!), click on the 'make a pledge' on my Transformation site at www.Transformation.com/chipper1.

Thank you folks--and I truly hope this finds you healthy and happy.

I have quite a few things to share with you.

First, I am still in the process of Transforming my health and, quite honestly, my spirit as well. I am about to finish Week 8 of my 18 Week challenge and it is going extremely well. So well, in fact, that my original goals for the challenge have been updated to include something that I thought would have been suicide for me just a few short weeks ago...

...I will be running the Denver Half-Marathon in October! Now for any of you have seen me in the last year--I was extremely fat...in fact, I was obese and probably on the road of some serious health problems if I continued with that lifestyle. So this is a big change for me.

I've dropped over 20 pounds (about 35 or so to go), gotten stronger both inside and out--and I will never go back to the way I was living before this. I am a changed human being!

Anyhow, I wanted to share a quick story with you regarding the Half-Marathon. It's a bit lengthy, so I will summarize it the best I can--but you can find the FULL, Un-Edited story by clicking on:

http://www.transformation.com/forum/transformation-central/15364-make-wish-you-may-not-have-thought-way.html

One of the Past Champions of this Transformation Challenge, a lady named Denise, recently lost her 15 year-old daughter, Jonnae, to Leukemia. Jonnae was about to get a wish granted by the Make-a-Wish Foundation to ride a white horse on the beach of the Carribean before she passed away. So instead of granting that wish, her dying wish of taking care of discarded Greyhound dogs was granted post-humously.

My sweet 9 year-old daughter Mandy read about this story and decided on the spot, on her own, that she would fulfill Jonnae's wish of riding the horse on the beach for her. As it so happens, my family will be going to the Carribean next month (Mandy didn't even know that was where we were going). She's going to make a sign saying, "For Jonnae" and send Denise a picture (she asked for one after Mandy sent her a message). It's pretty touching.

Well...when I run the Half-Marathon, it will be for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the wonderful work they are doing. If you are interested in making a donation (no matter how small--it is all appreciated deeply) to the cause, please visit my Transformation home page and click on the 'Make a Pledge' button to help this wonderful organization. It can be found at:

http://www.transformation.com/chipper1

Thank you for your support--and I hope you will continue to be blessed in your life.

Howdy again! I must begin by apologizing for not sending this 'Morning Coffee' as regularly as I should...I know how these words are like a cold glass of water on a hot day for your soul...(at least that's what my ego likes to think--hah)!

I hope this is finding you doing well, and I must say that I am doing well--the Transformation challenge that I mentioned in my last e-mail is going great, and I have to thank those of you who have asked me about it and have held me accountable. Your support makes this even better. If you're curious at all about my progress and what I'm doing, please feel free to click on  http://www.transformation.com/chipper1 to check on me any time you'd like. I'm going to finish 18 hard weeks of this challenge, NO MATTER WHAT, so I don't mind anyone keeping tabs on me...

With that out of the way, I actually want to talk REAL ESTATE--a novel concept for a real estate company e-mail! We just had a Client come down from out of town, and purchase 3 properties over the weekend. I commented to him that he is on the right track for building wealth--and he is! They were VA Foreclosures and they have what is known as 'Vendee Financing'--where the Department of Veterans Affairs loans the money directly to the borrower (no bank officially involved), and they only ask for 5% down to investors (!!!) and the interest rate is still below 5%! These are great, not good--but GREAT deals, and I don't know if there's ever been a better time to get these homes. Most are priced under market value--many are stunningly under market value, and almost all of them would rent for quite a bit more than the mortgage payment. This can be a wealth building MACHINE for you, and this can be one of the greatest e-mails you've ever gotten if you decide to act on these.

What now? If you're interested, go to www.killeenforeclosure.com and sign up to get our Foreclosure list sent to you. If you're really interested, you can get pre-qualified so you know you can get one of these homes. To do that, call my favorite, whole-heartedly endorsed mortgage lender, Laura Franks (she's also the most beautiful mortgage lender out there--not that I'm biased) at (254) 535-3227 and she can do that for you free of charge. If you need to work on something, she'll let you know. She'll also let you know if you've got a blank check to start building some real estate wealth.

I turned a whopping 37 years old on Monday (pause for the obligatory 'Happy Birthday' here), and I have to say that I'm a pretty happy guy in most areas of my life. I have a loving wife and the two most precious daughters that God put on this Earth (you may disagree, if you have some of your own...but parents are supposed to feel that way). I have a career/business that I love, a great extended family and friends, a beautiful home and I've traveled a lot and done some pretty interesting things so far in my life.

With all of that said, there is an *asterisk* next to it. Why is that? It's because I've really neglected my health and fitness. I've taken it for granted and, to put it bluntly...I am a Fattie. I am not even close to the God-given potential that I have been given, and I am embarrassed that I let myself get THIS out of shape.

A good friend of mine from Ecuador (in fact, he was with me the night I first met my Angel...) wrote me today and sent pictures of himself and his family. The guy hadn't changed a bit! In fact, if anything, he's grown into himself more and is still competing in Judo tournaments, rock climbing and that kind of thing. I am WATCHING football! I'm actually ashamed to send a picture of myself to him now. BUT...here's the good news:

I've done something about it. In fact, just me writing you about this is helping to move me in the right direction. I've decided to do something extraordinary over the next 18 weeks. I've gone to www.Transformation.com and entered their TRANSFORMATION contest. I've read up on it, I've taken some absolutely dreaded "Before" pictures...and signed up for a crazy few months of getting the old "Chipper" back. The guy that wrestled, and went for runs regularly...the guy that could dance all night (oh, I can still do that ;0)

And now...I got some serious "Leverage" as Anthony Robbins would say (I'm a fan of his stuff). I got my sweet daughter Mandy involved as my "Coach," and she is helping me measure my progress, plan the workouts, record my nutrition. She won't let me NOT finish this thing strong. Of course, I will finish strong. In fact, I'm so sure of it that I'm "burning my boats" by telling you all about this.

So, the next time you come in to contact with me, you can ask, "How is that Transformation coming?" I better have a good answer for you...

We have a few new readers today as we've been asked in person to add names to our Morning Coffee list--thank you for the request (shout-out to Andre)! I am honored and humbled that we bring a little happiness to some that read what I have to say in these.

On a side note, when asked the question recently (at the same Financial Peace University class I referenced last week--read about it at http://www.marketplacelistings.com/Blog) what I would do as a career if I could do ANYTHING, it was being a WRITER (which even beat out Professional Chili-Cheese Dog Eating While Watching Football Guy~~a real man of genius profession). Well, I'm getting a chance to do that, and by you reading the thoughts that are coming out of this great big head, you're allowing me to be a Writer, and for the second time in this short e-mail, I thank you.

Today is the "National Day of Prayer," and you may have heard about it being as it's generated a little bit of news this year.

On a Day like today, I feel it appropriate to mention one thing I believe in very strongly, and adding a little commentary which will hopefully inspire you to think about it, mull it over (heh, heh--I just said "mullet"--business in the front, party in the back!) a bit and either reinforce the way you think, or cause you to consider what I have to say as the truth. The thing I believe:

--There is a God, and He is a Loving God.--

Okay, maybe "He" isn't the correct Pronoun, but I use it for the sake of convention here.

I have had a few friends that are atheists, and personally, I can't understand why they could think there is not a God. They believe in Evolution. They believe that human life (and its accompanying soul, I suppose) originated as some simple single-celled organism that was brought to life (I'm guessing this is what they think, as they never articulated their beliefs fully to me--even though I've asked) by a lightning strike in some nutrient rich primordial oozing puddle a' la Frankestein's monster.

I obviously don't believe that--and I think Science backs me up on this, but even if this type of scenario WERE true, then where did the lightning and the ooze originate? Did it spontaneously pop out of the air of an Earth that grew from space? Space that grew from ???

I often wonder how Parents who are Atheists can hold that view. If they've witnessed the miracle of childbirth, and felt that immense, overpowering love grip their heart when they've looked into the perfect little face (although, as Paul Reiser says, all new babies look like miniature Winston Churchills)...then I think they've felt God.

I not only said, "There is a God," but I also threw in 'Loving God'. I'll talk more about that in future e-mails. There is much more to my arguments...but I'm saving it for another time--unless you are an Atheist who would like to talk to me about it, please e-mail and let's begin a discussion.

Speaking of Discussion, and getting back to the National Day of Prayer, I think it's pretty cool to be able to have a Discussion with the God that knew your Soul even before the Earth was created. So, take advantage of that. I urge you to take a few minutes today to find a quiet place, open your soul and Pray.

This Sunday night, my wife and I graduated from a class called "Financial Peace University" given by a guy that you may or may not have heard about: Dave Ramsey. It's a great course, and it delivers on the promise of the name. I digress a bit here, but if you'd like to find out more about it, you can look up the info at www.DaveRamsey.com. Also, in the near future, we plan on holding this course through our real estate business. Shoot us an e-mail if you're interested...okay back to the point of the e-mail!

This blog is about Skip. I'm getting to him, I promise...

The last class in FPU is called "The Great Misunderstanding" and it's about GIVING money, which may at first seem counter-productive to having Financial Peace, but I assure you that it DOES give you peace. Anyhow, one of the questions during the discussion portion of the class REALLY got to me. The question was: "Has anyone ever surprised you with a meaningful act of giving? How did that make you feel?"

It made me think of a very specific instance when I was in High School in College Station. Let me paint the picture: I'm living alone with my single Mom, we have one car (my beloved 1976 Jeep) between us, and we are pooling together our resources between her job and mine after school to pay rent, utilities, eat, etc--you know, the basics! I drove her to work each early morning, drove back to school, rolled my eyes through most of my classes (I was 17, a Senior, and knew pretty much everything), then went to work at the same place my Mom worked until we went home, had dinner and repeated the same process the next day. Well, we got by, but that was brought to a crashing halt when my Jeep stopped working one morning. The starter was out, and the repair was a few hundred bucks which we didn't have.

So, for the next few days, my Mom took the bus to work, and I walked to school (it wasn't too far, so put away the violins). I hitched a ride with a buddy to work after school, and my Mom and I were dropped off by a co-worker after the day--at least that's how I remember it, as it's been a while...

Back to the question: "Has anyone ever surprised you with a meaningful act of giving?" That same week, on a Saturday morning, I walked out of our apartment to find my Jeep hood up, and the Dad (this is the Skip of the E-mail's subject) of one of my school friends busily putting in a starter for our car. This man, a Department Head of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M, took it upon himself after hearing about our situation from his son to just do this for us. He refused any payment, and just said he was glad he could help. In fact, I'm convinced that if I didn't come outside early that day, I never would have known that it was him that fixed the Jeep for us.

Whoah. I'm still getting choked up just writing this. I thank God for Skip and think it's great (and somewhat humbling) that we live in a World with "Skips" in it. If you read this, and are a bit touched by his act, then I encourage you to pay it forward (to borrow a used phrase). Look for a way to bless the lives of others, anonymously if you can--and see how a meaningful act of giving will make you feel.

I just returned home from a moving experience that you may or may not know about: Aggie Muster.

If you haven't heard about it, it is when Texas Aggies gather together to remember fellow Aggies that have passed on through this life. We gather, eat a bit, tell stories and remember our days at our beloved Aggieland. Then we hold a 'Roll-call' of the Aggies that have passed away since the last Muster, and those that are there answer, "here" for those that can not answer.

Again, it's a very emotional and moving experience--going from the highs of singing The Aggie War Hymn in very loud, happy voices, to the quiet, solemn playing of Silver Taps (our version of Taps) in honor of the departed. Some tears were shed by me, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I was thinking of the Blessing of Life. I was thinking about my Family, my Friends, My Country (and its Freedom) and My God.

There are things that are much, much bigger than each of us. Aggie Muster reminds me of this--and I hope that hearing about this tradition will serve to remind you, as well.

Our Muster Speaker this year (right here in Fort Hood!) was Texas Governor Rick Perry. He is a Class of '72 Aggie himself. He challenged those in attendence to do three things during their life: Love Your Family, Honor Your Word (Integrity Matters, Folks!), and To Serve Something Greater than Yourself. I took those words to heart, and it struck me that we don't hear as much of that kind of talk as we used to hear. Maybe I'm getting old (I WAS the oldest Ag at my table of Eight!), but I think it's something that is sorely missing from our Society today. If you're reading this, I pass on his challenge to you as well.

I am writing to you today with a very deep and profound love for our dear Country and the Constitution.

We are Free. We have been Free our entire lives (most of us, anyhow), and as such, probably don't appreciate that fact like we should.

I sincerely hope that if you are reading this, that you love your country. I'm reading the book "1776" by David McCullough now. (If you want a synopsis, you can check it out at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1776_(book). It's a very historically accurate book about what happened in our Country-to-be the year our Declaration of Independence was signed.

It is simply amazing how perilous the path to Freedom was for America. If any of hundreds of events had turned out differently, then our Country as we know it would not have existed. It leads me to believe something about our great Nation:

Divine Providence Guided the Creation of Our Country.

Regardless of your Political beliefs, be glad you are in a place where you are free to express them.

Okay. Enough of the Philosophizing! In fact, being as this is being sent from a Real Estate Company, I should mention a bit of real estate news: In case you missed it, the Government has decided to reward folks purchasing a home for the first time with an $8,000 tax credit! For purposes only the Government knows, it has defined first-time homebuyers as those who haven't owned a home in the last three years. That's a tax CREDIT, folks. If you owe $4,000--and have paid that much through witholding and such, you will get a nice fat check with an "8" followed by three zeroes from the U.S. Treasury.

If you'd like to know more about this incentive to get the Economy going, please shoot me an e-mail or call the office. I'll be glad to inform. In the meantime, pass it on to someone you know, then tell them they need to talk to Chip, or you'll have to physically force them to do so (you have my blessing)!