I attended the White Rock Market centers last event ot the year today and bought some beautiful winter veggies from Good Earth Organic Farms in Celeste, Texas. I bought a large bunch of organic turnips and a large bunch of organic Kohlrabi. I have never tried Kohlrabi and the young man who sold them to me said to peel them and saute them in olive oil and garlic, or steam them and eat them like brocolli. I also bought some bees wax from the Texas honey bee Guild and met a guy named “Garlic Mike” . He gave me some great tips on growing garlic. Nanci Taylor the publisher of “Edible Dallas & Ft Worth was there to. I think her magazine is the best with all the wonderful foody information and promotion of local farmers and restaurants. I love this wonderful market where you can buy items like home made pastas, artizan bread, raw unfiltered honey, free range and chemical free meats, and organic vegatables. Today December 10th was the last market of 2011. The next market will be held on the 2nd Saturday in March 2012. You should definately plan on attending this local White Rock event.

My sweet wife Paula who gave me a wooden indian last year for my birthday gave me another very cool creative gift for my birthday this year. Our friend and local artist Bill Pochial has painted a series of monkeys in a circle to put in outdoor venues. I mounted mine on the porch of my shop. You can put yours wherever you like. Bill still has some for sale. If you want one send me an email and I will hook you up with Bill.

Birthday monkey

Nothing to do with article, but I like the photo

In  over 30 years of marketing White Rock Lake real estate for sale I have seen 1,000′s of houses in
various states of condition from one house that you could smell the cigarette
smoke coming from inside the house when you were in the front yard and where
inside there was animal feces and dirty clothes literally piled to the ceiling,
to a 60 year old house that was kept in such perfect condition that the home
inspector could only find one tiny piece of siding that was missing on the
garage when it sold. In the market we are currently experiencing it is critical that you present you real estate “Product”to the public at its absolute best.  I always tell my sellers to “Keep working on your product”. When homeowner’s decide to put their house on the market they go over it knowing that there are repairs either cosmetic or otherwise that they need to do to sell the house. Things that they have lived
with over the years needing attention. Usually if we neglect these maintenance issues they become worse, which ends up costing more money to repair than if the were taken care of in a timely manner.
After counseling with their Realtor they come up with a list to repair and typically as is human nature, spend as little time and money to take care of the issues as possible. The reason for that is since they are selling the
house anyway, they want to optimize their bottom line, and they kind of mentally divorce themselves from the house and don’t love it as much anymore thinking about the next home they are purchasing. They then take care of most of the necessary repairs and doll the house up with some fresh paint and
flowers in the yard etc. As the house goes on the market we are all excited about the quick sale that all new seller’s expect and all the money we are going to make, especially since our homes are normally overpriced as to what a buyer would be willing to pay.  As time goes on and no offers come in, most seller’s and many Realtors start to slack off on their marketing efforts.  I think the homeowner’s just get discouraged and tired of having their home invaded and having to keep it ready for showings and their Realtor may perceive a lack of motivation from the homeowner, especially if they are unwilling to make price adjustments when necessary.  We need to understand that when we are putting our house on the market we are offering a “Retail Product” to a consumer. Now that we are in a buyer’s market with a lot of inventory available
the consumer is much more selective on price, condition, location, and other factors that are considered in a home purchase. When you put your house on the market, you are now a retailer. Successful retailers are always working on the “presentation” of their product. And timely adjust the price if the public does not respond to the improvement of their presentation. Home selling is no different. In over 30 years of
business, I have never once had a purchaser tell me they will pay a certain price for the house, because “That is what the seller has to have”. As your house is on the market, I always recommend to my seller’s to “Keep working on your product” and improving it to make it more attractive to your consumer and make sure your Realtor keeps you informed about what homes are selling for in your area, as
price and condition is critical for the successful sale of your property. Please feel free to call me to assist you will all areas of your home sale and purchase.

White Rock Lake Real Estate, LLC

Mike Schmitt

214-676-4326 24-hours

866-987-5253 Toll free

Michael.Schmitt@sbcglobal.net

Visit Mike’s web site for valuable information on
White Rock Lake real estate

http:www.WhiteRockLakeProperties.com

On Saturday and Sunday October 15th and 16th between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm the 19th annual White Rock Lake Artists’ studio tour will be held with over 50 artists featured and 5 art schools and centers. Artists’ featured will be potters, sculptors, painters, mosaic artists, metal fusionists, paper art, and glass artists will all allow you into their studios to enjoy and purchase their works of art. You can go to the web site at http://www.whiterockartists.com or the following studios to pick up maps. 6451 Patrick, the studio of Marty Ruiz with colorful contemporary art, 9031 Daytonia, the studio of Angela Gallia who does ceramics, 8166 Barbaree, Richard and Marty Ray with incised pottery and paintings, or 7434 Coronado, the studio of David Hickman, with sculpture of kinetic metal and stone.  You will love this tour!!

The fourth annual Little Forest Hills and Casa Linda Estates National Night Out Against Crime event is Tuesday, October 4, 6 to 8 pm at Casa Linda Park (San Saba and Old Gate Lane). National Night out is the night of the year to meet your neighbors and the local police officers who take care of us in the White Rock Lake area, and to raise community awareness about crime.  Drop by the park anytime between 6 and 8 and enjoy free hot dogs.  It is a great opportunity for residents and law enforcement to come together to fight crime and celebrate community spirit.

Also please turn on your porch lights on that night from 7 until 10 to show your support.

We hope to see your there!

Jim Hughes, Jim Folger, our ICP officer, & Linda Calvert

We received the following information from our local
“Citizen Forester”, Jim Floger:

Your trees are very valuable, follow the simple
directions below to help your trees to survive this extreme drought.

Should I water my tree?

Texas is in one of the worst droughts in state history.
If you have a tree in your yard, it’s likely stressed from the drought.

When should I water?

If you can, avoid watering during the hottest part of the
day (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Check with your city or local water utility company
for watering restrictions. Many place limits the time of day, method and
duration to conserve water.

Protect your trees by watering now. A couple of dollars
worth of water right now can protect your tree investment.

What are the best ways to water my valuable, larger yard
tree?

Garden Hose and Soaker Hose: These are the preferred
methods, especially if you have watering restrictions.

Garden Hose Sprinkler: This is the fastest way to water
larger areas.

What if I have in-ground, pop-up automatic sprinklers?

Take a long screwdriver and poke it into the soil
under  the tree. If it doesn’t go 6” to
8” deep in the soil, give your  tree more
water with the above methods.

More information is available from a flyer that will be
posted on the LFHNA website at:

http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/Little_Forest_Hills

Check out the flyer for photos and additional
information.

Thanks to Jim for the valuable information.

The Peninsula neighborhood is on the east side of White Rock
lake. It is bounded by Buckner Blvd(Loop 12) on the east, Waterview drive on
the North, Lake Highlands drive on the west, and Lake Highlands drive on the
south. Lake Highlands drive also overlooks White Rock lake and has a gorgeous
million dollar view of the lake and the Dallas skyline. The Bathhouse cultural
center is accessed by the Peninsula neighborhood and offers local theater,  art gallery, the White Rock lake museum, and
other cultural events offered by the city of Dallas. Peninsula neighborhood
association is very active in sponsoring programs designed to improve the
neighborhood. Architectural styles include Mid-century modern, Minimalist
traditional, Colonial, Greek revival, Ranch, Tudor, Craftsman, & Prairie
school. If you live on the Peninsula you will be within easy walking distance
to the fun and relaxation of White Rock lake. Contact Mike “Your White
Rock lake expert” for more information.

Number of homes on the Peninsula:              483

Average sales price:                                       $297,813

High sales price:                                             $540,750

Low sales price:                                              $137,940

List to sales price ratio:                                  90%

Neighborhood web site:                                  http://www.peninsulaneighborhooddallas.org

This beautiful Peninsula home is less than 200 yards from White Rock lake.

Typical Little Forest Hills cottage

Little Forest Hills is located on the east side of White Rock Lake. It is bounded by Angora street, Old Gate lane, Eustis Drive, and Lakeland drive. There are over 800 homes in Little Forest Hills. Architectural styles include Minimal Traditional, Modern, Ranch, Tudor, and other eclectic styles that are a best described as a mélange of various styles. The slogan for Little Forest Hills is “Keep Little Forest Hills Funky” borrowed from Austin’s slogan “Keep Austin Weird”. This neighborhood has a mix of singles, artists, young professionals, senior’s, and  families with children. Little Forest Hills has a very active neighborhood association that sponsors activities like the 3k fun run, a 4th of July parade, a White Rock Lake adopt-a-shoreline group who clean up a section of the lake shoreline once a month; the Fix-it folks who help the elderly or infirm residents with projects they need done to their homes; and a yearly garden tour and plant sale once a year in conjunction with other White Rock Lake neighborhoods. If you want to live in a neighborhood where you will be invited to join in the fun and get to know your neighbors, then Little Forest Hills is for you. Little Forest Hills is less than a half mile from White Rock lake, Casa Linda shopping and restaurants, & 3 miles from the Dallas central business district.

Number of homes:               889                                   Average sales price:          $199,207

High sales price:                   $463,000                       Low sales price:                  $117,500

List to sales price ratio:     96%            Web site:  http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/dallas/lfh

Forest Hills on the shores of White Rock lake was dedicated in 1924. At that time it was six miles from the city limits of Dallas. It is bounded by Garland road overlooking the lake, Lakeland Drive, the Santa Fe railroad tracks, Highland road, & one block of San Rafael drive. Forest Hills was annexed into the city in 1945. Diverse architectural styles accent this neighborhood including Tudor, Victorian, traditional ranch, Georgian, Spanish Colonial, Italianate, Greek revival, Prairie school, & modern contemporary. Forest Hills has a very active neighborhood association with many activities including a 4th of July parade, garden club, neighborhood police patrol, Memorial day barbecue, garden tour, and Easter egg hunt and picnic.

Number of Homes:             594                                                Average sales price:      $600,320

High sales price:                 $1,380,000                                Low sales price:               $182,500                       

List to sales price ratio:   92%                                               Web site: http://www.foresthillsdallas.org

Situated less than a half mile from White Rock lake, Casa Linda estates is south of Garland road and bisected by Buckner boulevard. It is bounded by San Saba drive on the west, Peavy road on the east, and the S&P railroad track on the south. Most of the streets have Spanish names such as Tranquilla, Hermosa, & El Campo. Lots run from a half acre up to a few at 3 acres. Deed restrictions allow a resident to have 2 horses per acre. The neighborhood has a country feel to it but also a very short drive to downtown Dallas. It has beautiful mature trees and a multitude of architectural styles such as modern contemporary, traditional ranch, Greek revival, Spanish colonial, & minimal traditionalist. Casa Linda has an active neighborhood association with many activities such as movies in the park, a garden tour, crime watch, & plant sale. Casa Linda shopping center is within walking distance with a multitude of restaurants, grocery shopping, & other merchants.

Real Estate Statistics

Number of homes in Casa Linda Estates               349       Average sales price:    $307,509

High sales price:                $495,000                                       Low sales price:      $167,000

List to sales price ratio:   94%                                                  Web site:   http://www.clena.net