Here are some facts, predictions and bits of information I have stumbled across the past couple of days while catching up on my reading. You may or may not find them interesting but you just might be surprised. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) predicts existing home sales of 5.02 million in 2008, 5.32 million in 2009 and 6.2 million in 2010. (Optimism, I love it! All I want is 53 of those closings next year.) Texas is one of the major states still posting home price increases. (Does buy low and sell high ring a bell?) U.S. foreclosures are up 27% YTD in 2008 while Texas is down 18% YTD 2008.  (Our foreclosure boom is over if it ever got here.) NAR predicts 30-year fixed rate mortgages to average 6.2% in the fourth quarter of 2008, rise to 6.5% during the second half of 2009 an... 11/11/2008

I am so proud to be an American!  I know that might sound cheesy these days but I for one, still believe strongly and reverently about what our forefathers have sacrificed for us!  Each Veterans Day, I reflect on what these men and women before us have done for our freedom.  I also reflect on the men and women who bravely fight for our freedom and that of other's around the world! It is wonderful that so many of the schools include wonderful Veteran's Day programs and parades to honor these individuals.  My son's school at The Woodlands High School had an awesome program this morning.  Even though the event had to be moved indoors due to the rain, the program went off without a hitch.  I saw many tears in the audience as those men and women were honored in a very moving ceremony. Today... 11/11/2008

Last Thursday I attended our first LMC class for the year.  It was great seeing the group again.  We all met a month ago for our retreat. The day began at the San Jacinto River Authority office.  We heard speakers from Entergy, TexDot, and the River Authority.  We were given a tour of the dam and saw first hand some of the damage to the dam from IKE.  Thank goodness not as much damage was sustained as we did from Rita.  They believe that the damage was less severe even though the sustained winds with IKE were greater because of the repairs being so new from Rita. We were updated on the ground water conservation efforts being implemented in our county.  This is an area that is of great concern for everyone and a topic that the public needs to be educated on.  Montgomery County has been w... 11/10/2008

Okay, here's my take on the elections.  They are over, and now we can get on with life.  It seems that this election has been the most talked about that I can remember.  It was overpowering in the media and I believe that most Americans were ready for it to be over.  We will go forward from here and each do our best to make our country a great place to live, raise a family and work.  Enough Said! Okay, here's my take on the worst invention ever made.  The Remote Control! Last weekend I had planned on a quiet relaxing Sunday. Wrong!  I sat down to watch my favorite team play football (name withheld because I was embarrassed).  I had my diet soft drink (yeah sure) and my popcorn.  In comes the Mr. and grabs the remote control.  Before I knew it I was watching 2 footballs games, Nascar Rac... 11/05/2008

Conroe Independent School District is planning a special salute to veterans on Nov. 11 at 9:30 a.m. at the brand new Woodforest Bank Stadium!Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps students from several CISD schools will be participating in the event.  More than 300 cadets are expected to participate, as will The Woodlands High School band and choir.  There will be many volunteers from the community helping out with the event as well.In addition to the students, veterans and members of the armed forces are being invited to the salute. It will also be attended by Senta Kosters, mother of The Woodlands resident Corey Kosters who died while serving in Iraq. Corey Kosters died March 5, 2007 in Samarra, Iraq, from an improvised explosive device.More than 300 veterans and other guests have bee... 11/04/2008

Yesterday was the official launch of the new Franke Team website, which I have been working on building off and on from the ground up since I started working for the team in July.  There are still several kinks to work out, and hundreds of hours of research, development and SEO to perform on the site, but it was finally whole enough to go live! I am always trying to get a 3rd party perspective on the look and functionality of the site, after staring constantly at every detail of these pages for the past couple months, so please go check it out and leave some feedback (good or bad). Thanks so much! www.franketeam.com Article by: Jacob Hebert 11/04/2008

Yesterday myself and team mate Jay Mac Sanders attended our very last HAR/TAR Leadership class.  We were invited to the Houston Port Authority where we were briefed on the incredible import and export business of Houston.  If you want to know how our local economy is, visiting the ports of Houston is an eye opener!  According to the number of imports and exports coming in and out of Houston, our local economy is doing very well.  We were told that the port has experienced a huge increase in the shipment of new home supplies such as appliances, gypsum for sheetrock and steel.  These items will be in even more demand as the rebuilding from IKE picks up. The group of realtors from all over the Houston area were taken on a tour boat down the ship channel while we dined for lunch.  It really... 11/01/2008

Dixie Estep, broker associate with the prestigious Marion Franke Team and Keller Williams Realty Conroe/Lake Conroe/Huntsville has been awarded the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES®) by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR). Dixie Estep joins more than 16,000 real estate professionals in North America who have earned the SRES® designation.  All were required to successfully complete a comprehensive course in understanding the needs, considerations, and goals of real estate buyers and sellers aged 55 and older. SRES® Council, founded in 2007, is the world's largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing senior clients in real estate transactions.  There are more than 16,000 active members of the organization world-wide. The NATIONAL ASSOC... 10/27/2008

If you have been in the market for a home in the last few months waiting for the bottom...you are here.  Unfortunately for the average home buyer, they are paying too much attention to the media and the stock market and have put off buying a home until things turn around...and home prices rise. Home sales have declined slightly this month from September by 18%. HOWEVER, home pending status has jumped from 121 pending contracts in September to a whopping 553 pending contracts in October!  Buyers are taking advantage of the good deals out there right now while we are in this financial crisis. This is great news for future home sellers in Montgomery County areas like Conroe, Montgomery, The Woodlands and Willis that are thinking of selling in the Spring. Interest rates are low, buyers are ... 10/27/2008

Well, it's true, flu season has arrived early this year.  We have several in our office who are proof of that.  I heard on the TV that the main reason for the early arrival has a lot to do with the stress and worry that people are currently experiencing.  I have my own personal Top 10 list of things to do to relieve stress: #10:  Take a long walk.  I'm not talking a marathon, just a stroll around the neighborhood.  Chances are you will run into a neighbor and have a nice chat about the weather or how the high school football team is doing.  Calories burned are optional. #9:  Read a good book:  My current selection is Pieces of My Heart by Robert Wagner.  Wow, what a good looking specimen, oops sorry.  This book is laced with names of movie stars past and present.  It will definitely tak... 10/23/2008

You have finally made your decision to put your house on the market.  Now, what do you do?  There are many things that you can do that will help make your home marketable and attractive to future buyers. One of the first things you should do is take a good hard and critical look at every room in your home.  Survey the exterior of the home.  It is always good to get a fresh set of eyes to do this with you.  Because we live in our homes, often there are things we just don't see anymore that someone else can point out. Take notes on items that need to be repaired, re-painted or just need sprucing up.  If you have something that needs to be repaired, take care of it now.  The more things that you can get in top notch condition the better chance you have of selling your home quickly and gett... 10/17/2008

Despite all of the negativity about the national economy, just taking a look around Montgomery County makes one take pause and ask some questions.  Anyone who has taken a drive from the southern part of the county up through the northern corridor sees a great deal of activity and growth. The workforce is strong in Montgomery County and our area is very diverse and strong.  The number of new businesses that have chosen this area continues to show positive growth.  Thankfully, Montgomery County is truly a great place to live and to work.  A very strong educational system continues to support many families and attracts many others to move to this area. Of course we have all felt the effects of the national economic crisis.  Montgomery County I believe will make it through this period much ... 10/16/2008

HOGS in Heels Members of the Cut-N-Shoot, Texas Harley Owners Group, HOGS, donned high heels to support  the "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" event to raise awareness of domestic violence.  These manly men roared into The Woodlands' Central Park dressed in their finest leathers and traded their boots for petite (?) high heels.  10 of the 60+ members were brave enough to trade in their dignity and strut their stuff carrying a banner encouraging the end of domestic violence.  The event was sponsored by Montgomery County Women's Center and Verizon Wireless. There are more than 11,000 reported cases of domestic abuse annually in Montgomery County. This includes approximately 1,000 hot line calls. Statistics show that one in every  three women are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, in... 10/15/2008

I recently returned from the Leadership Montgomery County retreat.  Our original date was for the weekend that IKE came in so  we rescheduled for last week.  What an awesome group of people!  It was so fun meeting and getting to know our classmates for 2009!  There was so much energy and enthusiasm in the group!  The class of 2009 is a group of 32 professionals from various types of business from all over Montgomery County.  We will work together for a year with our ultimate goal being a class project that will benefit all of Montgomery County. During the retreat we participated in a variety of activities including the ropes course which I thought to be the most fun.  The tight rope was the most challenging by far for me especially since our group volunteered me to go out first to secu... 10/15/2008

Any community that has a performing arts segment is a very fortunate place.  Conroe has an exceptional group of performing arts organizations:     Conroe Symphony Orchestra     Creighton Players     Friends of Conroe     Montgomery County Choral Society     Montgomery County Performing Arts The Creighton Players were established in 1967 and are funded in part by the Conroe Commission on Arts and Culture.  While celebrating their 41st season as the premiere arts and entertainment organization in Montgomery County, the Creighton Players are preparing to move to their new home; the Owen Theatre, located in Downtown Conroe. A little history on the Owen Theatre:  the building was constructed as the Weisinger Pontiac/GMC dealership in 1948 and completed in 1949.  At the time the population of... 10/14/2008

Harry S Truman - The Buck Stops Here 'It doesn't matter how big a ranch ya' own, or how many cows ya' brand, the size of your funeral is still gonna depend on the weather.'    Harry Truman If you are new to Conroe/Montgomery County or from another part of the country, here are some pertinent facts about our beautiful community: Lake Conroe Area: Includes the cities of Conroe, Montgomery and Willis Location: Conroe is located 40 miles north of Houston, Texas County Seat of: Montgomery County City of Conroe Population: 43,993 City of Montgomery Population: 498 City of Willis Population: 6,322 Montgomery County Population: 374,517 Climate: The average high temperature is 78 degrees and the average low temperature is 57 degrees. The annual rainfall is 50.64 inches. Altitude: 245 feet above ... 10/09/2008

  On August 26, 2008, Keller Williams unveiled its newest division - KW Commercial!  Gary Keller has the incredible vision to always be looking toward the future and making sure that Keller Williams remains on the cutting edge!  What makes this even better is the fact that in order for an agent to be involved in the commercial division, very stringent guidelines must be met. First of all, the agent must be already a broker or in the process of becoming a broker.  Subsequently the agent must be in the process of acquiring the much coveted CCIM designation. (Certified Commercial Investment Member)  These requirements will already set KW Commercial agents apart from many others.  Gary Keller believes in doing things the right way from the start. I am thrilled to be in the process of the a... 10/07/2008

                                        Last Saturday, October 4th, over 30,000+ people showed up in downtown Houston at 7 a.m. to participate in the Susan Komen Race for the Cure.  The weather was perfect and it was great seeing the number of participants for this wonderful cause for breast cancer support. I ran with a group of friends down Allen Parkway 3.1 miles to be exact.  It was a great race as there were thousands of supporters lining the streets cheering us on.  What is so special about this race are the number of survivors who are out participating.  You can recognize them by their pink survivor shirts.  Also, there are pink forms that you can write a person you are running for in memory of that person or in celebration of a survivor.  Most everyone had a pink form pinned to t... 10/06/2008

                                             It is also the first day of the newly formed Franke Team Diet Club!  I'm not sure who the genius was that came up with this idea, but we are all (those of us calorically challenged) putting $50 in the pot, and at some undetermined date the winner will be presented with the $$.  Now, we are starting today but have no guidelines, no rules, no end date.  This should really be fun.  Add that to the fact that I DO NOT want my weight posted on a board for the whole world to see, so this should go great.  Wish us luck! Article by: Carol Hawkins The Marion Franke Team 10/06/2008

                                       Today is a day for firsts at the Franke Team.  This is our first official blog, as well as my first time to blog, so I will try to keep it upbeat, informative and entertaining.  All you experienced bloggers feel free to give me some feedback so that I know how I am doing! The Second First is starting our blog.  When asked to do it, of course I said yes, that will be fun, and I immediately started thinking about the subject matter.  Of course, being in the Houston area the first thing you think of is Hurricane Ike.  Not a day goes by that we don't all think of that hurricane and the damage caused.  I don't think there is one person in our office that didn't receive some damage.  Most of it minor, with the exception of one of our agents, who had a be... 10/06/2008