Just put some "Tussin" on it, or WD-40!

I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open.

Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I'm impressed! WD-40 who knew? 'Water Displacement #40'. The product began from a search for rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement' compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.

Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you. When you read the 'shower door' part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stove top..... Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed..

Here are some other uses:

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar 20 strings.
4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps flies off cows.
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28. Lubricates wheel sprocket s on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes splattered grease on stove.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37. Florida 's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.
38. The favorite use in the state of New York , WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep
in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states..
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re wash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
44. It cleans motor oil off of vinyl boat seats…


P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL!

Central Texas Economy In Perspective

For the first several months of 2009, Austin was alone among major metros in continuing to see positive year-over-year job growth. That streak ended when revised May numbers were released by the Texas Workforce Commission. The initial release of July estimates shows that our losses since July 2008 are a relatively moderate -0.2%, meaning our "best performing" position continues to hold in our major metros ranking based on percent change in nonfarm payroll jobs.

Houston's 3.1% job loss rate has put it at 18th in this ranking for July, but Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio continue to place in the top 10.

If this ranking was expanded to the 100 largest metros, instead of the 50 largest, there would only be three metros outperforming Austin. Two of those metros added jobs over the last 12 months: El Paso (0.9%) and Baton Rouge (0.2%).
The median rate of loss among the 50 largest metros is -4.1%. Nationally, the difference between July 2008 and July 2009 is -4.2%, and for Texas it is -2.1%. Eleven states outperform Texas on job growth.

New York is the best performing large state with job losses amounting to only -1.9% and three divisions of the New York MSA also make the best performing metros top 10 list. California's losses (-5.0%) put it at 43rd and the state's large metros have seen losses ranging from -4.2% to -6.0%. Two of California's metros, Sacramento and Riverside, fall into the bottom quintile of the 50 largest metros. The very bottom of the ranking includes Detroit and Warren, with well known job market issues, but also Phoenix and Las Vegas, metros that, previous to this recession, had been among the fastest growing.

When we looked at the data for Austin and other Texas metros last week in @theChamber after the TWC release of this data, two sectors set Austin apart. Austin saw growth in private service providing jobs (3,200 jobs or 0.6%), where the other large Texas metros saw losses; and in goods producing industries, Austin's losses (10,000 jobs or 9.4%) were more dramatic than those seen elsewhere.
Breaking out private service providing employment for the nation's top 50 metros also shows Austin to be the only metro with positive job growth.
For goods producing industries (manufacturing, construction and natural resources), Austin's -9.4% change would rank as the 18th best. In the top 10 performing metros nationally, only Washington saw a decline in goods producing jobs as large as Austin's, however that metro is considerably less concentrated in goods producing industries than Austin and other metros.

The dominant sector buoying Austin's performance is continued growth in government jobs (5,400 or 3.5%). Other Texas metros and the nation generally are seeing those jobs grow, however Austin benefits from the relative share that the sector represents here. Among the top 10 performing metros, only Washington and Virginia Beach also have a government sector accounting for more than 20% of total employment. The average government share in the other top performing metros is about 15%.

by Beverly Kerr, Chamber Vice President of Research

The Party

Thank you, thank you, thank you; the party was a hit, we had a great time and raised a little money for Any Baby Can. There are so many people that I owe a huge thank you to for all their help.

First and foremost Thank You to BartonPlace and the efforts of both Ashley LaRocca and Andrew Shaw for all their work to help me both in the planning and execution of the party. The BartonPlace Visitors Center is a beautiful space and was perfect for event. I am excited to be associated with such a professional, creative, hard working group.

Thank you to everyone that attended the party and donated to Any Baby Can. I appreciate you showing up and pitching in. I cant wait for next year.

I also want to recognize and thank the sponsors of the party:

First American Title-Laurie Nunnellee
Austin Capital Mortgage-Jeff Wilkinson

Nunnelle Inspections-Kyle Nunnelle

First American Home Warranty-Kathy Kelly

Cornacopia-Nadia Elhaj

Congratulation to Dave and Lori Letourneau, they were the winners of the raffle and won a 26" flat screen donated by Jeff Wilkinson and Austin Capital Mortgage.

See you next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Swimmin Time!

Emma has learned how to swim and is doing an amazing job!

First thing she learned was how to hold her breath (very important). Once she got the hang of that she start getting comfortable staying under and moving around in the water. We swim a lot at the Lifetime fitness in south Austin and Dick Nichols Metro Park so she is getting alot of practice.

One day about a week or so ago Emma and I were at the Deep Eddy Pool (Freezing and fun all in one!) and she picked her feet up and doggy paddle her little body straight over to me. Now i am not saying she is Janet Evens and ready to break any Olympic records, but for being 3 she is kickin butt and taken names!!!

I guess we all have the choice to sink or swim and my little lady bug decided she was going swim.

Now its my turn, being in the real estate business you have to be up for the challenge every day. I have the chance to talk to people all day about real estate and get all types of perspectives on our "Market". The truth of the matter is, it is not easy, we have challenges in the real estate industry. Their are a ton of things that can be percieved as road blocks, challenges, problems, issues, whatever your word is, it is about managing those challenges (my word) and fighting your way up stream. I am commited to my mission and to my industry and look forward to the challenges ahead and the opportunities that will be created!!

This is the most recent home i am selling for a client in Buda. It is a Beautiful Custom Built home on 2.48 acres in a gated community called Elliot Ranch. The house is a 4143 sqft, 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom two story with the master down. There are also 4 full bathrooms in the house which is very convenient for large families and house guests.

Front Foyer with Hard Tile and Granit insets.

Large Kitchen with granit counters, large center island, bay window at sink, tons of cabinets and counter space.

Wide open living room, with great natural light, built in shelving, gas fireplace.

One of the great things about this house is the upstairs, it has a huge gameroom/upstairs living as well as a theater/gameroom/pool table which give kids and adults alike to hang out and have a great time.

Large covered back padio which looks out to a very private and level 2.48 acre lot.

Check out all of my listings at benphillipsrealestate.com

BartonPlace

1600 Barton Spring Rd. #6409 Austin TX 78704

There is a one of a kind community being built in Austin and I get to be a part of it!!



Part of my reason for writing this post is to say THANK YOU to Ashley LaRocca and Constructive Ventures for the opportunity they have given myself and Turnquist partners.

BartonPlace Residence located at 1600 Barton Springs Rd is projected to be completed February 2010.

From day one the residence of this 6 story mid-rise will benefit from the premier location of the property as well as the efforts and awareness of Constructive Ventures.

BartonPlace was the 1st project endorsed by Save Town Lake, a community organization dedicated to responsible development.

They gave back to the Austin community by donating $500,000 to the City of Austin's Affordable Housing. BartonPlace worked closely with the support of the Zilker neighborhood to come up with a plan that preserved the native pecan trees that EXCEEDED the city's regulations. The developers absorbed the cost of preserving these trees. (Over $200k cost).

Austin's City Planning Commission and City Council voted unanimously for the project with the support of organizations like the Zilker Neighborhood Association & Save Town Lake.

BartonPlace is also participating in Austin's Green Building program.

As for the location, BartonPlace is in the center of all that is Austin. One of the many conveniences of living at BartonPlace is the direct access you have to Lady Bird Lake, Zilker Park and over 10 miles of hike and bike trails. You can literally step out the front door of the property and begin enjoying one of the cities unique features and hot spots. If you are out to improve your fitness and endurance or just a casual stroll, Lady Bird Lake is a beautiful serene backdrop to enjoy.

Now that you are feeling rejuvenated and ready for a good meal find yourself again right outside your front door for some of Austin’s most popular restaurants and night life. On Barton Springs alone is: Chuys and Baby A’s (Tex Mex), Shady Grove (Tex Mex-Features Austin Unplugged by KGSR), Uncle Billy's (Brew & Q, music, bar-b-queue), and Green Mesquite (Barb-b-queue, live music), Austin Java and Flipnotics (Coffee bar/breakfast food), Romeo's (Italian), Daily Juice, and Tom's Market for all of your Grocery and Daily necessities.

This is truly the heart of the city and for all of those who choose to make Bartonplace their residence, you will get to experience Austin the way it was meant to be.

$8,000 Credit

Get your $8,000 HUD tax credit now!

HUD tweaked stimulus tax incentive so first-time home buyers get instant assistance with down payment and closing costs.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- First-time homebuyers will now have access to quick cash to help them with their down payments.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that first-time homebuyers using FHA-approved lenders can now get an advance on the $8,000 tax credit created by the stimulus package and apply it toward their down payments or closing costs.

"We believe this is a real win for everyone," said HUD secretary Shaun Donovan in a speech before the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB). "Families will now be able to apply their anticipated tax credit toward their home purchase right away. What we're doing today will not only help these families to purchase their first home but will present an enormous benefit for communities struggling to deal with an oversupply of housing."

As part of the stimulus package, Congress created a refundable first-time homebuyers tax credit in hopes of helping on-the-fence buyers to take the home-purchase plunge. But buyers couldn't collect the $8,000 credit until tax time, rather than at closing time -- when it's needed.
The delay created an obstacle to reigniting the housing market because most first-time buyers -- the ones who would buy much of the available inventory -- have only saved enough to cover 4% of the purchase price, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The mechanics of the new program, according to NAHB economist Robert Dietz, allow lenders to purchase tax credits from the buyers and then collect the rebate from the IRS. Homebuyers must still come up with FHA's mandatory downpayment of 3.5% on their own, but they can use the tax credit to lower their principal balance and save on monthly payments.

The initiative also authorized downpayment help programs already offered in Colorado, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington and other states. To quickly infuse cash into their housing markets, the housing finance authorities in these states created bridge loans to allow buyers to borrow against the $8,000 credit and then repay it with their tax refunds.

There are also non-profit groups, such as ones affiliated with the National Home Ownership Programs for the community organizer NeighborWorks America, that offer bridge loans for downpayment assistance that will be repaid with the tax credits.
Under the state and non-profit programs, the tax credit can provide the entire downpayment; there's no requirement that homebuers put 3.5% down.
The first state to launch such a plan was Missouri, which rolled out its Missouri Housing Development Commission Tax Credit Advance Loan program on January 14 -- a month before Congress approved the stimulus package. Since then, Missouri has approved applications by more than 360 borrowers and closed on 166 of them.
Lamar Cherry and his wife, Chrishanna, used the program to augment their down payment when they bought their home in Kansas City.
The couple purchased a four-bedroom, three-bath split-level home for $150,000, putting about 6% down. Much of that $9,000 came from the loan program, which they tapped so they wouldn't have to drain their reserves.

"We had money saved up that we were going to use for the down payment," said Cherry. "Now we can use some of that to buy some things we need for the house."

At closing, the Cherrys, like all buyers in the program, signed for their first mortgage, plus a second mortgage issued by the state. The second note is good for 6% of the price of the home, up to $6,750; there is a $350 set-up fee, but no interest is charged if the debt is repaid by June 2010.

In Missouri, borrowers can only access $6,750 of the $8,000 credit for down payments. "We wanted them to have a cushion below that $8,000 in case other tax liabilities show up," said Greg Spurgeon, the single-family homeownership administrator for the Missouri Housing Development Commission.

If borrowers don't pay off the note, it becomes a 10-year fixed-rate mortgage with an interest rate one-half percentage point above that of their first mortgages. For example, borrowers paying 6% on their first mortgages would be charged 6.5% on the second.

So far, Spurgeon said, a significant proportion of participating homebuyers have repaid their loans. He expects most of the others to do the same before the deadline.
Cherry has claimed the federal tax credit on his 2008 taxes, but he hasn't gotten his refund yet. He definitely intends to repay the loan before the 2010 deadline because, he said, not doing so would add about $75 a month to his house payments.

First Published: May 29, 2009: 2:37 PM ET

Things are going great!!!!

Its been a little while since i have posted anything, life has been very busy, very good and time is flying by!

As you can see, all with Emma is on track and going smooth! She is the perfect child, never upset, shares all of her toys with everyone and does not expect everything RIGHT NOW (please)

My amazing Sister Dana Phillips earned the O'Henry Teacher of the Year award for her hard work, dedication and innovation in the classroom. She has been at O'Henry for 11 years and teaches 8 grade English.

As for the real estate market there are some very exciting changes happening in the city of Austin and around the country. They are in the works of amending the $8,000.00 first time home buyer tax credit so that it is available at closing to be applied to closing cost or down payment! This is going to be a benefit to first time home buyers that do not have the 3 1/2 percent currently needed to buy.

Another big change we are seeing locally is the new energy audit ordinance which states that all homes within the city of Austin that are 10 years or older must perform the audit in order to sell. It was on the front page of the paper today!

Austin home sellers to have new chore: energy auditsBy Shonda NovakAMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Come Monday, many Austin home sellers will have one more chore, along with touching up the paint and sprucing up the yard, before putting their house on the market. That's when a new city ordinance kicks in that requires sellers of homes older than 10 years to get an energy audit and disclose the results to prospective buyers. City leaders who approved the audits last year said it was one more way to reduce Austin's energy consumption and make Austin greener, although sellers are not required to make any improvements as a result of the audit. The audits will cover issues such as how much insulation the house has and the condition of the heating and cooling equipment and include recommendations for improvements. Sellers must provide a copy of the report to buyers.

The auditors are required to provide a copy of their report to Austin Energy within 30 days. The ordinance says violations are a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500. However, an amendment bound for a conference committee in the state Legislature could strip the ordinance of its teeth. The amendment says that "a municipality may not impose a criminal penalty on the seller of real property for the failure to perform an energy audit." Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, filed the amendment to an energy efficiency bill introduced by state Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay. Ed Clark, a spokesman for Austin Energy, said that on average, a home that is 25 to 30 years old and has never had energy improvements wastes 30 to 50 percent of the energy it uses. Austin Energy offers rebates or zero percent loans for energy upgrades. In the past five years, 23,800 residential customers have made improvements that collectively reduced their energy use by 38 million kilowatt-hours and saved a total of $3 million on their energy bills, according to the utility.

Energy audit highlights

Who needs one: Sellers of homes 10 or more years old in Austin that get their electricity from Austin Energy.
Who can skip it: Owners who have made certain improvements under Austin Energy programs in the previous 10 years. The ordinance does not apply to condominiums or mobile homes.
Who does the audits: City-approved firms that are certified by a national organization. Costs: Estimated at $200 to $300 for a typical home of 1,800 square feet or less. Austin Energy recommends getting at least three bids.

For the entire report go to: http://www.statesman.com/

More information: http://www.austinenergy.com/
snovak@statesman.com;

I like the energy audit ordinance in that it gets people talking and thinking about energy saving. I also think this is the "Granite Counter Tops" of the mid 2000's. Having a efficient GREEN ENERGY home will begin to demand more money in the market. If you are a seller wanting the most money out of the sale of your home. Going Green is the best way to spend your money upgrading the home. Of course overall condition will still have a large impact on the saleability of the home, but going green is a great way to stand out from the crowd.

What do you think, do you agree with the steps Austin is taking to improve our carbon footprint and force home sellers to perform an energy audit to sell there home?

Thanks for Reading!!!!!!