All Homes Dallas

Johnson City Lumber Yard Stewed Tomatoes

2010-10-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

Coming back to Dallas from a weekend in The Hill Country, we stopped for lunch at a cafe and antique mall in a former lumber yard in Johnson City. I ordered a plate lunch special with meatloaf, stewed tomatoes and something that wasn't very memorable. The tomatoes were off the charts wonderful. Sweet and savory with an under-layer of heat. I came straight home and made up a batch before I forgot the flavor mix. The recipe that follows pretty well nails it. This recipe is going to become my standard accompaniment for meat loaf. I have decided that what I want to go with it is mashed sweet potatoes. Those 3 together will suit one another just fine.

Johnson City Lumber Yard Stewed Tomatoes

Drain the juice off a large can of diced tomatoes. Reserve the tomatoes. Put the juice into a pan on medium heat and reduce. You will need to watch it because tomatoes have an unhappy way of scorching...so, stir the juice every few minutes. When the juice has been reduced by half, add the tomatoes and 3 heaping Tbsp of brown sugar (I used brown sugar Splenda and it was just fine), 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar, 1/8 tsp cinnamon and just a trace of cayenne. Return to the heat and allow flavors to mix. Serve and enjoy.

Levitt Pavilion in Arlington

2010-09-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a Live Music Venue in Arlington that has a whole lot going for it. It is the right price (free). They obviously focus on providing a variety of musical genres. It doesn't matter what sort of music you enjoy, they are going to have someone on their calendar that does it!

Check 'em out!

http://www.levittpavilionarlington.org/

Pear Chutney and Pork Loin

2010-09-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

Chutney is a traditional sauce used on the side of Indian food. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Grey's_Chutney I developed a taste for chutney as a child. I can tell you where I was sitting the first time anyone fed me a curry. I was hooked.

The main problem with chutney is that it is expensive. Major Grey's is a little bitty bottle with a great big price. I have substituted mango preserves into recipes that called for chutney, but it isn't the same. My friend, Jennifer, has often told me how easy it is to make chutney. I just have never done it, not until now. Recently as I was walking into a friend's house, I noticed that she has a pear tree in her yard that was covered (and I do mean covered) with fruit ready to pick. Pears don't ripen on the tree. They need to be picked and brought inside and watched over as they ripen. She let me have about 5 pounds of fruit. I came home and made Pear Chutney with it. http://www.food.com/recipe/ginger-pear-chutney-100006

So, now, here I am with over a gallon of Chutney. I will be giving friends half of that and I will use a fair amount of it as my contribution to covered-dish events through the Christmas Holidays (chutney over a block of cream cheese + water crackers and I have something to take to every covered dish event I get invited to for the next 4 months!). But, I need to do something else with the chutney. What I did was I used it to cook pork loin steaks in my small crock pot.

The Recipe: You will need a medium sweet potato and 4 slices of pork loin or 4 pork chops. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into wedges. Put a teaspoon of chutney into the bottom of a small crock pot. Add half the potato wedges to the crock pot. Slather potatoes with just a bit of chutney. Cover potatoes with half the pork. Spread a teaspoon of chutney on each piece of pork. Repeat the layers. Cook on high, for about 3 1/2 hours, or on low for 7 hours.

This combination would freeze well. Sweet potato will freeze, unlike the Irish Potato.

When I buy a whole pork loin, I cut it into "steaks" about 3/4th of an inch thick. Then I freeze the "steaks" in bundles of 2 servings. It makes it easy to use. The next time I get a pork loin, I think I may go on and make up the pear chutney pork loin and sweet potato mix so I can freeze cooked portions and have my own version of Meals Ready To Eat! All I would have to do is cook a side vegetable or make a salad and dinner is d-o-n-e!

Great Menu Planner Website

2010-08-31T12:20:00.000-07:00

How about a website that knows what is on sale at your neighborhood grocery store and has recipes that take advantage of those sales! Is that cool or what? FoodOnTheTable is a subscription service that also has a free teaser membership that gives you a chance to test drive the service. The Teaser membership limits you to 3 grocery stores. I chose a Tom Thumb, a Kroger and Central Market. I tried to add Whole Foods which is how I found out about the limit of 3 stores. Once those stores are identified, you specify which meats appeal to your tastes. The website then does a side-by-side list of which store has those items on sale, giving you a choice of which store you want to shop in. I asked the website to give me 3 menus. The recipes generate a grocery list that can be emailed to yourself so it shows up on your phone as a list. Now, THAT is a feature I can use!

http://www.foodonthetable.com/

The grocery list also has coupons for in-store specials. I couldn't find how to print the grocery list, but obviously there has to be a way to do it!

North Texas Traditional Dance Society

2010-08-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

Should you find yourself with a free Saturday night, consider going Contra Dancing with the North Texas Traditional Dance Society (NTTDS). http://www.nttds.org/ It is fun. It costs very little. It is good exercise without being being too far off the charts in terms of physical effort.

NTTDS has been around since the early 1980s. They have a dance pretty much every Saturday night with live music. Check their calendar for location. They welcome strangers. You don't have to show up with a partner. The group encourages everyone to change partners for each dance. There are usually more women than men so it is common for women to dance together. These people don't let much stand in the way of having a good time!

What is Contra Dancing? It is sort of like square dance, kind of like the old fashioned English country dancing they show in the Jane Austin movies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_dance. You will want to take a bottle of water with you. Dress is casual. Ladies wear skirts mostly because it feels good to dance in a skirt! Show up early and they will walk New-comers through the basics (currently between 7:30 and 8 when the dancing begins).

Foreign Parts

2010-08-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

I love my job. I get to learn something new just about every day! I have had 3 situations recently that required me to think about how things done locally have to mesh with things done in Foreign Parts.

In the first instance, a Canadian National wanted to buy a condo in Dallas. What I found out is that for her to do that, she would have to pay cash. In order for her to borrow money, it could only be with a US lending institution. And, her Canadian credit history won't help her. She has to establish credit in the US. And, it would take 2 years for that to happen.

The other two deals both involved a real estate sale by a US citizen who is currently working out of the country. In both cases, it was necessary for the seller to travel to the closest US embassy to have papers notarized in a form that is recordable in the US. One of my sellers decided that he didn't need to travel that distance. He got the papers executed by a local French notary and then paid to overnight those papers to the title company. That set off the Tilt Meter at the title company. The seller got to do it again, this time traveling 200 Km to the embassy.

Buying a Condo? Are you getting a Mortgage or Paying Cash?

2010-08-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

If you are buying a condo and you plan to get a mortgage, you need to find out if the complex is FHA Approved. You need that information even if you are getting a Conventional Loan. It used to be possible to get FHA “spot approval” for an individual unit. That option has been completely eliminated as of February 2010. Now the complex has to get approved. It didn’t used to matter at all because there really weren’t that many differences between FHA and Conventional financing. Currently, unless you have 20% to put down, the only kind of condo financing reliably available is FHA.

I recently had a deal where the buyer paid cash for the condo. He told me that it doesn’t matter to him that the complex isn’t FHA Approved. I told him that he may not care now, but eventually it will matter because he will need to sell it. The bigger the pool of potential buyers, the higher the demand there will be for the property. The higher the demand, the more likely the sales prices will go up. The more difficult it is to get a loan for units in the complex, the more likely it is that prices will be stagnant, or Heaven Forbid, go down.

To find out if the complex is on the FHA Approved List,

https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/condlook.cfm

Dramatic Downtown Views

2010-08-14T14:08:00.001-07:00

I was showing property to someone yesterday in Oak Cliff. He is a photographer. We began to talk about locations in The Cliff where it is possible to get dramatic views of downtown. I showed him my 3 personal favorites.

1. Commerce and the Levee. The City has put up an awning on the western Levee, just south of Commerce Street. The City did it to help people visualize the Trinity Project. I have always intended to stop but never have until yesterday. Good view (go figure). The photographer decided that for his purposes, from that perspective, fully 1/3rd of the view is consumed by the brown mass of jail buildings located at Commerce and Riverfront. He preferred the view from the Visitor Parking garage associated with the jail complex. It can be accessed from Riverfront. I have never gone into that parking garage, but the signage indicates that it is accessable to the public.

2. The Belmont Hotel. I don't know if there is any more scenic bit of real estate in Dallas. I know from experience that it is possible to ask the desk clerk to let you tour rooms until you find the one with the view that makes you happiest. http://www.belmontdallas.com/index.aspx There are two cheaper ways to enjoy the view. One is from the patio of the Belmont Bar. The other is to drive up along the bluff just north of the hotel. Both have great views of downtown. Interesting Preservation Tidbit. The Belmont was designed by Charles Dilbeck.

3. North-bound on Hampton Road as it crosses over I-30. It is obvious that it is possible to access the areas off-road, but getting there on foot is going to require some focus and determination as well as extreme caution. Dallas drivers don't expect to encounter foot traffic anywhere close to City Streets. Historic Tidbit. This bit of very high ground is the general neighborhood of the Utopian Colony, La Reunion. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/LL/uel1.html

"Hip Pocket" Listings

2010-08-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

A "Hip Pocket" listing is a property that can be bought but that isn't being openly marketed at the moment. The listing agent has it in their "hip pocket". The most common reason for a property being in "hip pocket" status is that it isn't in "market-ready" condition. I currently have several of those we are working on. In the case of a Lakewood classic, the elderly owner has been relocated but the 17 cats are still in residence. We are working on those cats. That home can't go into the Multiple Listing System (MLS) until we get the cat situation under control.

I almost always have 2 or 3 hip-pockets that are condos around Central Market. It is common for me to get phone calls from other agents who are looking in the area and haven't found what they need. They call me.

The flip-side of that happened recently when I had a client who wanted something in one of the highrises. I phoned 3 agents who work in those buildings. Sure enough, I found a hip-pocket that we were able to go see.

Before MLS was put into use, the only way to find out what was on the market was to contact each and every real estate agent and ask what they had to sell. It was like going booth-to-booth at a flea market. Commercial real estate is still largely that way. You have to know what agent works in the area in which you want a bit of commercial real estate. Then you have to phone that agent and ask. On one level, it feels slow and cumbersome. On another level, I like it better because it is a much more personal way to do business. Real estate is a relationship-based business. Even in the age of social media and text messages, it is still about relationships, first and foremost.

Blondes vs Brunettes

2010-08-12T12:31:00.001-07:00

My precious friend, Jenn Thompson, is part of a really amazing group of women who have found a way to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Dallas. They will be playing a football game Saturday night. In the last 2 years, the game has raised right at a quarter of a million dollars. They are on target this year to raise about $200,000.

If you don't have other plans, consider coming out for the game! I will be there, partially because Jenn is going to be at the gate with an Attendance Check List and partially because there is going to be "free" beer at the after-party (having paid for two tickets, it isn't "free" free...but, it is easier to call it "free" than to call it "at no additional expense").

Ebby herself is going to be there, doing the coin toss. And, watch for the Blondes' QB....it will be Jenn!

http://www.bvbdallas.org

How to crochet: lesson 1

2010-08-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Developing An Offer Price

2010-07-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

I have a check list that I use when I am getting ready to make an offer for a Buyer-client.

The single most obvious factor is what have other properties in the area sold for. I check by subdivision as well as geographical area.

Condition. Just because two sold properties are on the same street as the subject property doesn't mean that those homes are truly comparable. You have to compare Apples to Apples and not to Bananas. In older neighborhoods, one also has to determine the condition of the subject home as well as of the other properties sold. It is common for one home to be almost a tear-down and the house next door to have granite counter-tops and updated bathrooms.

Tax Valuation. The Taxman isn't always right. However, it is a quickly available source of some one's opinion of value. The Tax Assessor does NOT have access to the interior of the property. Also, their square foot number is not always correct. Their number is just one of many factors to consider.

Length of Time on the Market. A Seller who has been anxiously waiting for a Buyer to appear for 120 days is going to behave very differently than someone who only put their home on the market a week ago.

Type of Seller. An owner-occupant is going to need to be handled very differently than where the owner is a bank. It is much easier to offend an owner-occupant with a low-ball offer. Banks aren't going to take it personally. Banks are just talking numbers.

How much did the Seller pay to buy the house? Buyers always ask this question. As the Buyer's Agent, I don't have access to that information but I can frequently make an educated guess. The information is only relevant in trying to get inside the Seller's mind. If a home has sold in the last 10 years, the sales price will be in the MLS system. The Tax Office keeps information about original mortgage amounts.

What is it going to cost the Seller to Close? In addition to paying off the mortgage, the Seller has to pay their closing costs. No Seller wants to have to write a check at closing. Typically, it costs a Seller 8% of the sales price to sell. The Seller pays the Real Estate Commission (typically 3% to the listing agent, 3% to the buyer's agent), the Title Policy (1%) and another 1% in misc costs such as escrow fees, attorney fees, filing fees

Seller Motivation. It isn't always possible to measure the Seller's Motivation, but there are signals. For example, if the home as been on the market for a while and the Seller hasn't reduced the price at all, that is not a motivated Seller. Another signal is whether the home is occupied or not. A vacant home means that the Seller has "moved on" in the truest sense. It typically means that the Seller is making payments on two properties. Vacant homes have their own problems.

Money Isn't Everything

2010-07-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

There are lots of things to think about when you decide to make an offer on a house. Price is one, but only one, consideration. There can be factors that are extremely important to the Seller, things that in their own way can be as important as price. There are a number of contingencies in the typical

When I am acting as a Buyer's Agent, I always phone the Listing Agent and ask questions. Sometimes I get useful information, sometimes I don't. I ask questions that are directed at figuring out what things matter to this specific Seller. For example, when can the Seller move and where are they moving? If my client can make it possible for the Seller to continue to live in the house for a few days or weeks, that is something the Buyer can offer to do that may have value to the Seller. In Seller-Leaseback, the Seller reimburses the Buyer the daily cost of the Buyer's Mortgage.

The single best example of correctly identifying something the Seller wanted more than money was the time that the Seller was a Compulsive Hoarder and my client offered to deal with everything that was left in the house that the Seller didn't want. My Buyer-Client was one of 3 offers, his offer was $50,000 less than one of the offers, and we got the deal.

Another example? I am currently assisting in finding homes for a litter of kittens, something that the Home Owner needs to have happen before she can move. Finding homes for those kittens is extremely important to her. Consequently, she is more focused on those kittens than she is on the actual sales price.

Typical terms that may tip the scales for the Seller:

Moving after the closing. Giving the Seller a lease-back means that the Seller gets to see the Buyer's money before they actually commit to the purchase of their next home. You haven't see misery until you have seen a situation where the Seller has closed on the next house and then the sale of their current home doesn't close. Miserable. Totally miserable for everyone associated with the deal.

A short Option Period or no Option Period (Sellers worry about the Buyer backing out until the Option Period is over)

Lots of Earnest Money. Typically, Earnest Money is about 1% of the purchase price. If the Buyer wants to get the Seller's attention, put up more money.

Loan Pre-Approval. If the Buyer is completely pre-approved for the loan, it is possible to eliminate the financing contingency.

Make-Ahead Sour Cream Coffeecake

2010-06-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

From America's Test Kitchen'd "The Best Make-Ahead Recipe" CookbookMakes two 9-inch cakes, each serving 6-8

Streusel

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces and chilled
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans, almonds, or walnuts, chopped

Cake

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sour cream
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled.

1. For the Streusel: Using your fingers, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the nuts and set aside.

2. For the cake: Coat two 9-inch cake pans with vegetable oils spray. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the sour cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and melted butter together until smooth. Gently whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until the batter looks smoothed and well combined but do NOT overmix.

3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of both cakes.

4. To Store: Wrap the pans tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 1 month. Do no thaw the frozen cakes before baking!

5. To serve: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the cakes and bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes if refrigerated or 40-45 minutes if frozen. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

To Serve Right Away: Bake the cakes as directed in step 5, reducing the baking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

VARIATIONS

Apricot-Orange: Stir 1 teaspoon grated orange zest into the flour mixture in step 2 and 1 cup chopped dried apricots into the finished batter in step 2.

Cranberry-Orange (dried cherries can be substituted for the cranberries). Stir 1 teaspoon grated orange zest into the flour mixture in step 2 and 1 cup dried cranberries into the finished batter in step 2.

Dean Schmelling's Beef Stew

2010-06-27T22:07:00.000-07:00

This is a Crock Pot Recipe. It makes its own gravy, its own WONDERFUL gravy. When it is cooked, I portion it out into 1 or 2 cup servings, put it in ziplock bags and and freeze it. Then, when I want beef stew, I will cook veggies until tender (carrots, potatoes, English peas for example) and then add the cooked beef stew portion. It is also pretty good over a baked potato, topped with grated cheddar cheese.

This recipe makes great single servings. Just freeze it in snack-sized ziplocks!

____________________________________________

Trim 2-4 lbs chuck roast, removing as much fat as possible. Cut roast into cubes and place in crock pot.

Measure out 1/2 c flour. To that flour, add 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Sprinkle flour mix over beef cubes. Stir to coat each piece with flour. It may take more than 1/2 cup of flour to effectively cover all the bits of beef. If so, just keep adding heaping tablespoons of flour until the beef looks "covered".

Combine 3 cubs beef broth, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 3 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves. Add to crock pot.

Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low 8-10 hrs. If I am at home while this stew is cooking, I will stir it periodically, making sure that all the meat is submerged below the sauce.

Appraisals

2010-06-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

People tend to only just barely have a vague notion of what it is that Appraisers do. It is common for people to confuse an appraisal with an inspection.. People commonly have an expectation that an appraisal is going to tell them the "True Market Value".

An appraisal is a report ordered by the lender. The focus and purpose of that report is to assure the lender that if they have to foreclose on the property they are not going to loose money on the resale of the foreclosed collateral.

"An appraisal is a valuation of the property. An appraiser renders an estimate of value as of a certain date under assumptions and conditions stated in the appraisal report. Typically, a buyer's lender requires an appraisal to verify that the loan is secured by property that is worth a certain amount. An appraisal is not the same as an inspection." From the Texas Association of Realtors "General Information and Notice to a Buyer".

Under recent changes, there is an entire new insulating administrative layer between the lender and the person doing the appraisal. Having that layer has not been the enormous headache that was originally predicted. It does, however, take longer to get an appraisal than it used to.

Annexation

2010-06-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

"Annexation. If the property you buy is outside the limits of a municipality, you should be aware that the property may later be annexed by a nearby municipality. You may find information on the boundaries of nearby municipalities by contacting the municipalities directly" (from the TAR Form 1506 "General Information and Notice to a Buyer").

If a rural property is within a few miles of the city limits of a municipality, it may also be subject to limited amounts of regulation by that town because it is within the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction of that town. Again, check it out.

One of the unexpected consequences of Annexation is that a home may have been built when the area was rural and was subsequently annexed....but, it may not be completely connected to City Services such as sewer. I know an area of homes along a creek in Oak Cliff that were built with septic systems. As those systems fail, the homes owners are being required to tie into city sewer lines at a cost of thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars.

After the Home Inspection

2010-04-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

I spent today helping an agent evaluate a Home Inspection. We ended up with a 2 page list of repairs that she is going to be asking the Seller to do. That is the longest list of repairs I have ever seen. None of the proposed repairs were big things, it is just that there were a lot of them.

Here are the steps. After the Home Inspection, the agent sits down and reviews the report. Hopefully, the Inspector has a summary of items at the end of the report. That makes it easier to come up with the list of things that need to be addressed. The Buyer's Agent usually will send a copy of the report to the Listing Agent so that agent can also see the list and can begin anticipating what needs to be addressed. On one of my listings recently, we had all but one of the listed repairs completed before the Buyer's agent brought us the proposed Repair Amendment! That is unusual, but it does happen. In that case, I had a good Seller who had worked on getting the property ready to market before it was listed, so there weren't that many things wrong with the property!

So, the Buyer's Agent and the Buyer put their heads together and come up with a list of things that they believe are the most important to get fixed. That list of repairs is converted to a "Repair Amendment". The Buyer signs that document. Then that document is sent along to the Listing Agent to submit to their client.

Many times, what happens next is that the Seller will counter with a suggestion of "cash in lieu" of the repairs. That cash is represented in the deal as either a reduction in the sales price or as an increase in Seller's Contribution to Closing Costs. The best reason to take cash is that way the Buyer can have the work done after closing and can supervise the work.

The Terrace Condos

2010-04-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

The Terrace Condominiums are located on the extreme southern edge of the Central Market Condos area. They fill the block formed by Matilda Street (west), Sandhurst (north) and Amesbury (east). The complex is gated. There is one pool and a community room. The HOA includes all bills because the heating and cooling for the complex come from a central chiller/boiler.

There are a total of 108 Units in the complex. Most of the units are 1 bedroom units. All the one bedroom units are inside the complex. There are some 2 bedroom units as well as a very few 3 bedroom units. The 2 and 3 bedroom units face Sandhurst. These larger units have two bathrooms. The shower in one of the baths is e-n-o-r-m-o-u-s! When the units were built, no one expected to have washer/driers in their unit. There are coin-op units throughout the complex. Some units have retrofitted washer/drier connections.

Parking is covered, assigned and gated. Additional parking is available along the street. The complex can be accessed through a pedestrian gate along Sandhurst.

The pet policy is one dog, with a weight limit of 20 lbs.

The complex is one of 7 built in the area by the same company during a period from 1968 to 1972. Those complexes are Sandhurst Manor, The Terrace, Sandhurst Plaza, Williamsburg I (aka Caruth Manor), Williamsburg II, Birchbrook Manor (aka Birchbrook I) and Birchbrook II.

The property is managed by Alternative Management Group Inc, whose office is in Garland.

Crockpot Red Beans

2010-04-13T10:39:00.001-07:00

Pick through a 1-lb sack of red beans. Rinse. Put into crockpot.

Add: 3 ribs celery, chopped
2 bell peppers, one red, one green, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Creole seasoning
7 cups water.

Cook on low for 4 hours. Add 3/4 lb smoked turkey sausage, sliced. Continue to cook for another 4 hours or until beans are tender.

Serve on rice. Garnish with chopped red onion and chopped green onion.

Oven-baked Brisket

2010-04-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

My traditional brisket recipe is more of a technique than an actual recipe. I have been using this technique for 20+ years. Line a roasting pan with enough aluminum foil, leaving enough overlap to be able to completely enclose the brisket once it is in the pan. Add enough carrots and celery stalks to the pan to create "logs" that will support the brisket and keep it up out of the juices. The idea here is to steam the meat, not boil it. Trim as much of the fat off as you feel like doing...you can remove it once it is cooked. It doesn't hurt to take it off now, but there are better ways to spend 20 minutes of your life..... Salt and pepper the brisket and add to the pan.

You could wrap the brisket and bake it at this point. The results would be just great. What I usually do is add a sauce but there have been times when I just cooked the brisket plain. You are still going to end up with a really good sandwich meat.

My sauce: 1/2 bottle commercial Chili Sauce, 1/2 bottle Pic-a-Peppa Sauce, 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar, 1/2 c brown sugar. Cover the brisket with the sauce. Wrap up the aluminum foil bundle. Bake for 8 hours at 275 degrees. Summer time, I do this recipe over night.

When it is cooked, let it cool enough to be able to handle. Remove the cooked fat and discard. Drain the juices and let the fat rise to the top. Remove the fat. Shred the meat. I freeze the meat in 2-serving bundles, with some of the juice in the bag.

Another variation: Crock-pot this recipe.

My current favorite way to serve this recipe: Warmed up and served on top of Central Market's Russian Rye bread. Even better with a vinegarette cole slaw on top.

Birchbrook Manor

2010-04-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

Birchbrook Manor is a Dallas condo complex located between Lovers Lane and E University, east of Central Expressway. There are 62 units in the complex. Most of the units are approximately 1050 square feet, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, with one living area. Some of the units have a larger floor plan that has two living areas. The complex has 2 assigned covered parking. The HOA covers all utilities other than electric (and phone, cable, Internet...but, you would expect that). The HOA also includes the wages for a porter who picks up the garbage twice a week from the back door of each condo. He is also very conscientious about sweeping the common areas. He keeps the place looking nice. Each unit has its own heating and cooling system. The cost of upkeep and replacement are the responsibility of the individual homeowner. There are pet limits (dogs have to be smaller than 40 lbs and there can't be more than two pets per unit). There are coin-op washer-driers in the back hall of each "stoop". Those appliances are shared by only the 4 occupants of that "stoop". Some unit owners have retrofitted washer-drier connections into their units. To do that requires HOA board approval.

The complex is one of seven built in the area by the same company in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Those complexes are Sandhurst Manor, Sandhurst Plaza, The Terrace, Williamsburg I (aka Caruth Manor), Williamsburg II, Birchbrook Manor and Birchbrook II.

Birchbrook Manor is 3 blocks from the Lovers Lane Lightrail Station and a block from Central Market. The complex is in the DISD attendance zone for Stonewall Jackson Elementary. It is a great place to live!

"Drive Until You Qualify"

2010-03-27T09:01:00.001-07:00

There is an old expression in real estate about "Drive Until You Qualify". Homes located further out from the center of an area cost less the further away you go. There is a reason. The further out you go, the more likely you are going to have to spend lots of time commuting in.

I came across a great website that calculates the cost of that commute as part of the cost of the home. http://www.cnt.org They have an interactive map with 330 metropolitian areas in the US. It makes sense to include that cost just as one would include the cost of the utilities. If you have to spend $120 per month to use a toll road to get to your job from your new house...well...you will want to factor in that cost.

To see how much it actually costs to own your car, go see http://www.edmdmunds.com/apps/cto/intro.do

Getting Keys Made

2010-03-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

If you need a duplicate key, don't take it to the grocery store or to a Big Box Store to have it made. I am not naming names but you know what I mean. We are talking about those big chain stores that have put local hardware stores out of business.

It doesn't cost more to take it to a professional, a lock smith. They charge the same price. The difference? Their keys always work. Always. Not so the keys from the Big Box Stores.

Let me tell you how many times I have had a property owner duplicate a key and bring it to me, only for us to discover that it doesn't work. I currently am working on a listing where the owner lives in another state. They over-nighted the keys to me. I drove over to the property once, only to discover that I had left the gate code at the office. I drove over to the property a second time, got inside the gates, found the unit (which is identified with a unit number not in the tax records or supplied by the owner so I got to intuitively locate the unit and hope that I wouldn't get shot in the process). The keys don't work. I am about to go back over with someone else and a a can of WD-40 just to make absolutely certain that the problem is the key.

Water Heaters: Tank or Tankless?

2010-01-27T10:39:00.001-08:00

For a really great review of the pros and cons of hotwater heaters, Taunton Press has a great article entitled Water Heaters: Tank or Tankless. The article can be found at:

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/choosing-water-heaters-tank-and-tankless-options.aspx

Public Expectations

2010-01-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

I am working the Property Desk at the office today. What that means is that I am sitting here, waiting for possible clients to phone in, usually off yard signs. My job is convert those callers into clients. Usually, they are Buyer clients. Not always, but usually. Converting those calls is one part Science and about 43 parts Art. Part of the Art is making a decision about whether or not I want the caller to be my client.

I just got a phone call from someone who gave me the following information: He is moving to Dallas as quickly as possible, someone had told him that there was a property on the market but there wasn't a sign out in front, that he wanted to see the property and he wanted to see the property in the next hour. I asked him a few questions. He was resistant. The only thing he wanted was to get into that specific property and he wanted to get in now. It was obvious that his perspective was that my only role in his life was to get him what he wanted and to get it now.

I was clearly talking with someone who mistakenly believes that the sum total of my job is to unlock doors. Period. That always tells me that the person hugely misunderstands my relationship to a real estate transaction. It also tells me that they are not going to be receptive to the possibility of a different perspective. I can change that perspective, but not quickly and almost never on the phone.

By this point in the conversation, I have already pretty much made the decision to let this fish go on down the river. However, there is no reason to not try and make it possible for him to get what he wants. He obviously has a very low opinion of real estate agents generally. There isn't any reason to actively make that opinion lower if I can avoid it.

I looked the property up for him. It wasn't even listed by our company. Where I have no obligation to show the property, the listing agent does. Part of the duty of a listing agent is the obligation to show the property to any qualified buyer who wants to see it. There is an obligation to prequalify the buyer, but that it about it.

The Caller needed to know that if he is dealing with the listing agent, he is unrepresented. I asked about his experience level. He told me that he has bought and sold real estate in the past. This guy wasn't going to listen to my lecture on the Laws of Agency. I gave him the phone number for the listing agent and wished him the best. Phone call ended.

Judith's Standard Brisket Recipe

2010-01-14T10:21:00.000-08:00

This isn't as much a recipe as it is a technique. You make a sauce, put the sauce over the meat and then cook it. Easy. Sometimes I cook it overnight in a slow oven. Currently I am doing it in a crock pot. I portion out the meat into one or two servings containers, put those servings into the freezer. Serve as an open-faced sandwich on a nice, dark Russian rye, topped with a vinaigrette slaw or sauerkraut salad. Makes a great lunch sandwich. Very portable.

_____________________________________________________________

The Sauce: 1 bottle commercial chili sauce, 1/2 bottle Pic-a-Peppa, brown sugar (about 2/3rds cup), 1/4th cup cider vinegar.

To cook in the oven: Line roasting pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, leaving enough foil on the sides to be able to create a sealed package. Add three or 4 carrots to the bottom of the pan to act as lifters to get the roast up out of the juices that are going to accumulate on the bottom on the pan. Salt and pepper a trimmed brisket. Place it on top of the carrots. Gently pour the sauce over the brisket. Seal up the package. Cook 8-10 hours at 275 degrees.

To cook in a crock pot: Salt and pepper a trimmed brisket. Put some of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Begin folding the brisket into the crockpot, adding sauce in between any folds created. Cook on low setting 8-10 hours.

When done (using either cooking technique), let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes. Remove meat to cutting board and remove and discard any remaining visible fat. Chop meat. De-fat the broth. Combine chopped meat and broth. Portion into individual serving containers. Freeze.

Crockpot Red Beans & Rice

2010-01-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

I tend to cook in large batches and freeze most of what gets cooked. I portion out the results into one or two servings. That way, I have lots of main-dish meals in the freezer, in small portions, just right for one or two people! With the red beans, I cook the beans in my large crockpot. I freeze all but one or two cups of the beans.

_________________________________________________________

Pick through a one pound bag of red beans. Wash. Put into crockpot.

Add: 3 ribs celery, chopped
2 bell peppers, (one red, one green), chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
7 cup water

Cook on high setting for 5 hours.

Add: 3/4 lb smoked turkey sausage, casing removed and sliced

Continue to cook another two hours.

During last 30 minutes cooking time, cook small batch of rice. Serve beans on top of rice.

Russian Banya of Dallas

2009-12-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

There is a traditional Russian Bathhouse in Dallas. Who knew??? 3 of us found the Banya yesterday. We intended to only stay about 3 hours. It ended up stretching to about 4. Who noticed??? http://russianbanyaofdallas.com/

There are three types of saunas at The Banya, Turkish, Finnish and Russian. I had never really thought about “wet” saunas as being “Turkish” and “dry” saunas being “Finnish”, but that is how I will think of them from here on out. Turkish saunas are relatively cooler with higher humidity. Finnish saunas are all about heat, with no humidity at all. Russian saunas have less heat than the Finnish saunas with more humidity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banya_(sauna)

One of the things that makes the Dallas Banya unusual is that it uses a traditional wood-fired stove to heat the banya. There is this wonderful, vaguely smoky smell to the place that made me think about being in the mountains in winter.

Everything in the Russian sauna is hot. You have to wear flip-flops or your feet will be uncomfortable. The wooden seats are hot enough that you have to bring in a plank from outside to sit on. I made the mistake of wearing a bathing suit that had a metal ornament on it. That metal heated up. I kept waiting for the underwires in the suit to become a problem. They might have eventually, but I shucked off the suit before that happened. The Banya is better in the buff.

We bought a Venik, a bundle of oak branches, with the leaves intact. The management soaked the Venik for us. Using it in the Banya added another layer of sensations to the experience.

The Banya has a Rosemeade address but it fronts on Marsh. I spent an extra 10 minutes or so trying to locate the place. Rosemeade is the dividing line between Dallas and Carrolton, so the street numbers on the south side of the road don’t match up with the numbers on the north side.

I had a massage. The guy is good. Next time, I will schedule the massage ahead of time and set it up toward the end of the process.

The vast majority of the time at the banya is spent sitting outside, waiting to go back in. You have to cool off a little before you can take more heat. Bring a book. Bring your knitting. Bring a friend. Order a snack and some tea. It is all good…

Yogurt Cheese

2009-12-13T09:32:00.000-08:00

I have been making yogurt cheese for years. It is a lot like other fresh cheeses such as fresh mozzarella or ricotta. I mix it with mayonnaise and use it in salads. It isn't hard to make. I have a drip coffee filter that I use. I line it with a paper filter, fill it up with yogurt, set the filter into a container that will keep the filter in an upright position, cover the entire rig with plastic wrap, and let it sit in the refrigerator over night.

Here is Alton Brown's recipe for it. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/yogurt-cheese-recipe/index.html

The liquid that remains is called "whey". Using it up is more of a challenge. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/353018 I substitute it as the cold water part in making jello. I use it in oatmeal. It can be used in any baked-good substituted for the liquid.

I came across an interesting recipe several days ago using the cheese. It preserves the cheese using olive oil. Preserving with oil is just another way to keep things from going bad without refrigeration. For an over view of this (and other) preserving techniques, see http://campfire.theoildrum.com/node/4858

The recipe? Make the cheese. Put about a cup of olive oil into a clean jar. Add garlic cloves to taste (I did about 5 large cloves, but, then I really like garlic). Then create walnut-sized balls of the cheese and add them to the oil, being careful to completely cover each ball with the oil (to avoid having them stick to one another). Once the jar is full, put the lid on the jar and refrigerate.

To use, let it come up to room temperature. The olive oil is going to do that funny thing that olive oil does in the refrigerator.

I am going to use the cheese as a spread on crackers or bagels, or an addition to pasta and marinara sauce (once it is on a plate and ready to serve). And, the oil is going to take on the garlic flavor and can be used in cooking or as a dip for slices of baguettes.

And, I just bet there are going to be lots of other places to use this new way to flavor and save Yogurt Cheese

Chain E-mails and Snopes

2009-11-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

About once a week someone will ask me how it is that I know the things that I know. They frequently have this puzzled look on their face that will tip me off that The Question is coming.

And, of course, the answer is that I have already made that Mistake at least once. In some cases, once was not enough. I had to go back and try it again. Having done it wrong, I am in a position to report to those who are on the verge of perhaps making the mistake themselves.

Many years ago, I learned the hard way to not take those chain e-mails at face value. I hit the forward button and sent on an email telling people to delete a file off their computer. It was a hoax. It caused massive amounts of trouble for me as well as for several people who received the forwarded message from me. That experience taught me to be more careful. That is also when I learned about Snopes!

http://www.snopes.com/

The main value of Snopes is that they have invested the time and energy in chasing down the background of a number of these chain-emails. Lots of times, there is absolutely no basis for the email. It is just another urban legend. If I find the email in Snopes, that is the end of it for me. I do NOT pass it on.

If I don't find it in Snopes, I will cut and paste the first sentence into the search box on Google and see where that leads...

The main problem I have had is what do I do to tip off the person who sent it to me? The Universe has given me graphic proof over time that it is NOT my assignment to straight everyone out. So, usually I just leave these emails alone. Not always. Just usually. I had an office manager at one point who was not a very sophisticated email user. She would step off into one of these email traps about every 3 months or so. I finally went around the corner and physically showed her how to find Snopes on her computer. The emails stopped.

Homestead Affivit Scams

2009-11-03T12:59:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe calling it a Scam is over kill.....How about "Creative Capitalism"?

In January, there are companies who will send out copies of the homestead affidavit to everyone who bought a new house in Texas during the prior year, offering to take care of filing the affidavit for the new homeowner "for the modest cost of $_______".

There isn't a cost to file the Affidavit. But, these people are making a nice living doing it for people.

To file a homestead affidavit, just print out the Affidavit, sign it before a notary, and mail it to the Tax Assessor in your county. To find a notary, call your bank or go back to the title company where you closed the purchase of your home.

Homestead Affidavit

2009-11-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

Property tax exemption status is determined on January 1 of the tax year. If you live in the house as your principal residence as of January 1, then you are entitled to a Homestead Exemption for that tax year.

The Homestead Exemption will reduce the total tax bill by an amount between 15% and 20%. We are talking serious money here.

Sometimes new homeowners get so overwelmed by the process of homeownership, they may miss out on filing the Affidavit the first year. All is not lost. The taxing authority will apply the exemption to one prior tax year. The critical thing is to get it filed!

The affidavit has to be signed before a notary. Once it is on file, that it it. The taxing authority assumes that you continue to use it has your principal residence until you sell the property.

To print out the form go to: http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxforms/50-114.pdf

How much is the Homestead Exemptions

2009-11-03T12:46:00.000-08:00

Because every taxing jurisdiction decides how much they are going to allow for the Homestead Exemption, there isn't an easy answer for how much the Homestead Exemption will reduce your tax bill. In the dark ages when I first got exposed to this information, the Exemption was a flat dollar number. At some point, it got shifted to a precentage of value. Expect that precentage to come in between 15% and 20% of the total assessed value.

Texas is one of the few states that doesn't cap the valuation.

For a good overview on the Homestead Exemption, go see: http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/proptax/exmptns.html

Gonzales Mexican Food in Oak Cliff

2009-10-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

Fresh home-style tortillas. What more does anyone need to know?

OK, how about they have the best tomitillo sauce in town.

My idea of a perfect meal at Gonzales? Chicken enchilladas with tomitillo sauce.

I always use their neon sign as a landmark. I drive down Jefferson until that sign comes into view. Then I begin looking for parking. Parking can be something of a problem. Be prepared to park on a side street and walk back around the corner. Also, I am not very fond of their salsa. It just isn't to my taste. But, the tortillas and the tomitillo sauce.....oh my.....

367 W Jefferson Blvd Dallas, TX 75208(214) 946-5333 www.gonzalezrestaurant.com

Panini Bakery & Cakes

2009-10-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

I love this bakery. It is just around the corner from my office. I drive past and the steering wheel of my car begins to shake in my hands, as if the car was about to turn into the parking lot against my wishes! As if I needed more bad habits!

It is obvious that the bakery is run by a family. Just talk with them. Clearly they are passionate about quality and service, a novel thing in this day and time. They don't try to be all things to all people. They don't have a Cake-of-the-Day. They just do what they do and what they do they do very, very well.

The first cake of theirs I ever sampled was the white chocolate raspberry. The memory of that taste is what first got me to walk in the doors of their bakery. Later, they made the grooms cake for my son's wedding, a truly wonderful chocolate cake that people still are talking about. They sell cake by the slice, but what they do best are whole cakes. Worth the price. They will do fondant, but their butter cream is absolutely everything icing is supposed to be.

You will need to get there before 3 p.m. because they close up and go home (which makes my drive home safer.....)

6063 Sherry Ln Dallas, TX 75225(214) 363-1225 www.paninicakes.com

Dennis Road Automotive

2009-10-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

These people are in charge of my cars. My car is too big an investment to just let anyone mess around under the hood! I have been going into their shop for about 4 years now. I have started getting the oil changed there too. The shop is clean. The floors are clean. They call me several days after the work to ask for feedback.

Martha Stewart may not have decorated their waiting area, but I don't go there to get decorating tips. The coffee is good and the magazines are current. And, the bathroom is clean. Who cares about Martha?

When these people fix my car, they charge me a fair price and they say funny things while I am in the office paying my bill. How can I not like them?

Jannie's Nails on Mockingbird

2009-10-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

I live up by Central Market. I have tried every nail place in the area. Jannie's is the place I always come back to. It is cheap, cheap, cheap. Not much English, but there is enough English spoken to communicate. I have never had an appointment and I have been using them on a regular basis for years. I have always just walked in. I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes.

Parking looks as if it could be a problem. Every parking place available has a sign that says that it is reserved for Campisi's and that they are going to tow my little Buick someplace far away if I park there for 7 minutes. Scary. Dangerous. My solution to the parking problem is to come during the hours that Campisi's isn't likely to care much about cars in the parking spaces...in other words, during the week, during the day and not during the lunch run!

Have you ever wondered why and how nail salons tend to be run by Vietnamese? It all began with Tippi Hedren. http://en.wikipedia.or...

5600 Mockingbird Ln Dallas, TX 75206 (214) 828-2303

Sole Therapy Chinese Foot Massage

2009-10-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

What a great thing to do for yourself! This massage shop does Chinese Foot Massage, an hour-long massage for $35. English is navigated, but not very deeply. My massage person didn't understand that I wanted a full hour, at least not at the beginning. It took some work on my part to communicate. We got there! She did a great job working all the pressure points on my feet and shins. Part of the hour massage is some neck, back and shoulder massage.

They also do chair massage and traditional full-body massages. They are open until 11 at night, so it is possible to finish work for the day, get in a workout and then go get a massage. The perfect ending to a great day!

Appointments recommended.

10455 N Central Expy Ste #114Dallas, TX 75231(214) 234-0551

Cedars Mediterranean Mezza

2009-10-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

A Mediterranean buffet in Preston Center? Shawarma, kababs and fresh pita within easy reach of my office? Whats there not to like? I need to round up some of my vegetarian friends and walk them through the doors at this place! Really good, fresh food, buffet style. Lots and lots of well seasoned vegtables. The meat entrees looked good. The desserts display was really very inviting but I managed to resist that siren song ("hold me back, please! Hold me b-a-c-k!!!").

I had the falafel platter...a generous scoop of Hummus and Babaghanouge, a very lemony tabuli. After a while, the waitperson brought me a very nice platter with 4 falafel patties, carmalized onions, tomatoes, lettuce and a really nice yogart sauce. It was a whole lot of food.

I am a big fan of Fadi's buffet. This place measures up well to Fadi's. Their website has a coupon tab. As of today, there was a coupon for "buy one entree, get 2nd at half-price".

6125 Berkshire Ln Dallas, TX 75225(214) 363-1717 www.cedarsmezza.com

Texas de Brazil Express

2009-10-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

I have been eagerly watching this storefront as the building was updated for this new concept for the Texas de Brazil chain...The idea is exciting...all that really great meat, done fast... The mother-restaurant of the chain is such a total total total pigout (remind me to tell you the story about going there the night before doing a distance run.....).

6101 Luther Lane Dallas, TX 75225 (214) 378-1200 www.tdbe.com

I had a sandwich made from chicken medallions wrapped in bacon. The counter-person sliced the medallions right there while I watched. I got to pick the bread and the trimmings and the sauce. It should have been wonderful. It was close to wonderful. All that kept it from being wonderful was that the meat tasted as if it needed salt. Or something. I'm not sure what it would be other than salt.

I will go back. It is only 2 very short blocks from my office. The quality of the ingredients is impeccable. Next time I am going to give the beef the chance to win my heart!

Lenders

2009-10-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

People who work in the Mortgage industry tend to be some of the smartest people in the real estate industry. They have to retain massive amounts of information about all the different loan programs. And, they have to have better than average problem solving skills. They have to be able to change directions when they encounter an obstacle.

There are two kinds of lenders. There are Mortgage Brokers and Mortgage Companies.

Mortgage Brokers function as a kind of money clearing house. They match up borrowers with people who have money to lend. The Broker has no relationship with the mortgage after closing. Someone else is going to be servicing the loan. It costs more to close a loan with a Mortgage Broker because that is the only possible point at which they can be paid for their services. Don't let that scare you. They earn their money, believe me!

Mortgage Companies typically lend their own money. It costs less to borrow from them because they are going to make their money off the interest charged and the fees collected while the loan is being serviced. Mortgage Companies tend to do best with "clean" borrowers, people with good credit, a W-2, no foreclosures, no financially challenging situations. Having said that, don't assume that they can't help you. If they can help you, it will cost you less money out-of-pocket to close. That is always a good thing! You want to run your loan application through a Mortgage Company even if you think there may be something in your credit history that might not be easy to work around.

Babe's Chicken Fried Steak

2009-09-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Babes does everything well, too well for my waist line. They serve family style on everything other than the meat, which means that it is possible to founder yourself on the sides. Biscuits. Cream gravy. Mashed potatoes that might make your Granny jealous. And, don't get me started talking about their desserts. It would be possible to get as many calories in one meal at Babes as you can get at Thanksgiving dinner!

For some reason, I tend to go to the Babe's in Carrollton more often than any of the other locations. They have shops all over the metroplex! You can also eat at a Babe's in Roanoke, Garland, Frisco, Cedar Hill, Sanger, Burleson and Granbury.

http://www.babeschicken.com/Babes-Chicken-Dinner-House-Carrollton.html

I have wonderful friends who managed to have their rehersal dinner at the Carrollton Babe's. You can't reserve the space. They don't do special events at Babe's. What my friends did was that they had the wedding party there when the doors opened to seat people for dinner and they just took over the part of the Carrollton restaurant called "The Chicken Coop".

Bubba's Biscuits

2009-09-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

The first time I bit into a Bubba's biscuit, I just shut my eyes and knew that the angles were going to start singing any minute. My tastebuds were telling me that I was clearly in heaven. Bubba's is just that. Biscuit heaven.

The fried chicken is perhaps the best in town. They do a great chicken-friend steak, but I don't go there for CFS. I go to Bubba's when I want one or two pieces of fried chicken and a biscuit.

They do breakfast. I have been told about their cinnamon rolls. I haven't had the courage to go find out how good it is. I don't need any more bad habits.

They do more carry-out than dine-in. If I wanted to do carry-out, I would definitely call ahead. Failing that, park and go in to order. The drive through is always long enough to use up more gallons of gasoline than a drive to Shreveport in an RV!

http://www.babeschicken.com/bubbas-dallas.html

The Baths at The Arlington

2009-09-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

For the first time in my memory, there is a new bath-house in Hot Springs, Arkansas. And, now, for the first time in my memory, The Arlington has changed up the services offered in their Bath-house. They have gone modern. It used to be that the massage was more of a slap and tickle. They are now offering real massages, along with things like hot rocks and mud baths.

The bath-house services are at the bottom of the page at this link:
http://www.arlingtonhotel.com/spaexp.htm

Other things are still the same. The actual bath-house is still what it has always been. Years and years ago, The Arlington was my first bath-house experience. Like all first loves, it has a special place in my heart. The tubs are enormous cast-iron and enamel beauties. They are long and deep. The bath attendants put this contraption into the water that has always reminded me of a trolling motor. They turn that thing on and leave you alone in the bath, alone with your thoughts. Pretty close to perfect as far as I can tell.

If you want to go on the weekend, you will want reservations. Another consideration is the light. The bath-house has lots of wonderful natural light. The interior is high-ceilinged and all white-tile surfaces. I like it best by morning light.

Royal Sweets

2009-08-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

This shop is basically a snack food place with a lunch counter. It is always filled with people. When I first started ordering off their menu, I only knew two things...samosa and dosa. So, I would order those two things. To read about dosa, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa

Then I would ask the ladies behind the counter to order for me. They have always been kind and helpful and I have enjoyed the things that they have suggested for me.

I like the mixed chaat a lot.

I have eaten at two shops, one in Richardson the other in Carrollton. I usually go to the one in Richardson. It is a little hard to find because it is in a strip center that faces a side street off of Beltline. http://www.royalsweets.net/

The other thing that they do are snacks. They have one case of sweet snacks and another case of savories. I just like the way the choices are arranged. It is visually really pretty, just to look at! My experience with Asian sweets is that their definition of what taste "good" is not exactly in line with my definition. Having said that, over time and with experimentation, I have learned what to buy from the two snack cases. If you ask, they will put your choices into a pretty candy box. I have used their sweets as my contribution to a covered dish event or as a hostess gift.

The Clay Pit

2009-08-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

If people tell me that they have never had Indian Food, I start them off at The Clay Pit. I don't do the lunch buffet, I take people for dinner and order a la carte.

http://www.claypit.com/ On the southside of Beltline between east of Midway. The restaurant looks as if it were built to be a Blackeyed Pea.

Try the stuffed Naan. Naan is a flat bread, sort of like a pita but larger. I like the naan stuffed with onions. I also like the naan with spinach and paneer (a soft, fresh cheese sort of like ricotta). You can order an assortment of three types but don't order it unless you are there with more than two or three people (unless you want to carry it home).

Korma is a cream sauce made from almonds and cashews. Anything "korma" is wonderful.

Order a curry. Many people think that "curry" can only taste like the curry powder sold at the grocery story. Like chili powder mixes , curry is a spice blend that can be very different based on the region it comes from. Think of the difference between a Ft Worth Chili Powder and a New Mexico Chili Powder. Curry is like that too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry_powder

Order something with paneer in it. They do a spinach and paneer entree that is very good. Korma with paneer is pretty good, too.

Periodically the Clay Pit will do a weekend special menu that is buffet based. They always offer something a little different than they do from the menu.

Central Market Bargains

2009-08-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

I live so close to Central Market that I can (and do) treat the store as my personal walk-in pantry. I know their inventory. There are lots of bargains and good deals over there. One just needs to know where to look.

It is possible to spend an obscene amount of money at Central Market. I stood in the meat department with a friend while she spent over $100 on meat for 2 for only 3 meals. I was shocked. All I could say was at those prices I hope those cows died happy.

HEB House Brands tend to be less expensive than the house-brands at Tom Thumb or Krogers. They haven't been driven all over the continental US. People in other parts of our fair state can just go to their HEB to buy these products. In Dallas, we have to rely on Central Market to provide them to us. So, look for the HEB house brands. I am notoriously fond of their frozen fruits (a 3-cup bag of Mango chunks for $1.80, a 13-cup bag of peach slices for about $8). House-brand pasta, crackers, butter, milk. It is all good.

Bulk items. Why buy a pound of powdered sugar if you only need a cup? Bulk teas are a great deal. I have had people balk at the teas because they looked at the price per pound and stopped there. When I have coaxed them forward to actually putting the teas into a bag and they saw how much volume they were getting, they became converted.

Spices. Bulk spices. Central Market has changed my life in the spice department. I haven't bought a bottled spice since Central Market opened in Dallas. I keep a list of standard spices I want in my kitchen. Once a year I throw away all of those spices and I start over. I spend 15 minutes in the bulk section bagging and weighing small amounts of bulk spices. It may cost me $5 to replace all my spices.

Jimmy's

2009-08-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

Oh, lets sing a song of the happy lunch, a sandwich from Jimmy's will make that happen. I love Jimmy's. It is a Guy Lunch Place. The noticeable majority of the people who walk in the door to buy lunch are guys. The first time I ate there, I ordered a muffuletta. Eating that sandwich was an incredibly sensual experience because the olive oil has a way of escaping from the sandwich and running down one's hands and arms!

Jimmy's is actually an Italian grocery in East Dallas. In addition to the lunch counter, it is possible to get a wide range of Italian grocery products. The store is on the northwest corner of Bryan and Fitzhugh. 4901 Bryan St, Dallas, TX 75206; (214) 823-6180

Standing at the lunch counter, waiting for my sandwich, reading the list of other things available, I saw that they sell pizza dough that can be taken home and turned into home-made fresh pizza. That inspired me to search out other ways to make pizza dough at home, a great winter home activity.

The family who runs the store has a long and interesting history of being in the grocery business in Dallas. They ran a grocery on 2nd before moving to the present location in 1966. The store burned in 2004. It took 13 months to get the store back to operational.

http://jimmysfoodstore.com/

"My Listing Agent Hasn't Shown My House"

2009-08-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

A very common complaint I hear from home owners is that their agent hasn't shown their house. More than anything else, that tells me that the listing agent hasn't done the important job of exploring the client's expectations. Buyer's Agents show houses. Listing Agents almost never show the house they have listed.

What the listing agent does is market the house. That is done by getting the house in front of the buying public as well as brought to the attention of buyer's agents. The most effective way to get a home in front of the public is on the Internet. 80% of all buyers begin their search on the Internet. Getting the attention of those buyers is all about pictures and the written house description. The reason that written description is call the "romance" is because it needs to be filled with emotional words that will bring the reader in closer where they can fall in love with the home.

If the home is being shown, that tells me two things. The first is that buyer's agents are seeing the property. The second is that it is priced right for the neighborhood.

If the home is not being shown, it is almost always about price.

Royal Thai

2009-08-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

My default choice for Thai. The interior finish-out is all this wonderful carved mahogony. The dishes have a lovely celadon glaze. You can buy stems of orchids at a modest cost on your way out the door. I love almost all the appetizers, the soups, the curries. The chicken dish "flying angel" is the one that I keep coming back to. The chicken is served on a bed of cooked fresh spinach (whats there not to love?).

http://www.royalthaitexas.com/

Publish Post

Pre-Paying Mortgage Principal

2009-08-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

Consider prepaying your mortgage principal. The faster you repay the principal, the less of each payment is interest.

Interest is "rent" being paid on the money you are being loaned. When you buy a house, you aren't renting space any more.....but, you are renting the money.

The first time I saw the total amount paid over the life of the mortgage figures on a Truth-in-Lending form I almost choked. It was back in the Bad Old Days when interest under 12% was considered favorable lending terms. I assumed a VA loan one time that had 16% interest. At the time, I was thrilled to get it. Thrilled. And, I made lots of money off that deal, too!

Play with the following chart and see how $50, $75, $100 per month impacts the total cost of your loan. http://www.vlender.com/cgi-bin/calc/prepay.cgi

People tell me that they don't want to prepay the mortgage because they aren't going to be in the house that long. My response to that is to ask if they have access to a place to put the money that will pay them as much as the interest rate on the mortgage "pays" them. View the interest being paid as a kind of reverse of a savings account.

People ask if they should get a shorter-term mortgage. I suggest that people get a 30 year mortgage and then treat it as if it were a 15 year mortgage. You don't have to make the higher payment if you aren't able to.

For a pro-and-con discussion of pre-payment , see http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/04/realestate/your-home-debate-over-prepaying-on-mortgage.html

How To Look At A House

2009-08-02T22:54:00.000-07:00

Ignore Paint Color. Ignore the furniture. Ignore the family photos. Your job is to see the bones and only the bones!

Make notes as you go. If you see more than 3 in a day the details are just going to run together. Another trick to help you remember is to name the house. Stand in the entry hall on your way out of the house and give the house a name.

Look at the size of the rooms. Most updating doesn't involve moving the walls around. Some people are comfortable in smaller spaces, some people in larger. You have to decide which one works best for you. Do you want one large room or two smaller ones? Are you happiest with one living area or two? Do you want to have the "mess" of your office out in the middle of things or do you want to be able to close it away out of sight?

Think about "flow". Think about how you could use the space. A room that has a wall of windows and doors on each of the other three walls is going to be difficult to use. There aren't any walls against which to put furniture! A kitchen that is a narrow galley with only one way in or out is going to be a bottle-neck when you have parties!

Look for the light sources. Usually the reason that skylights get installed is because someone felt that the room didn't get enough light. A north-facing room that only has windows that face north is never ever going to get direct light. A window over the kitchen sink is a nice thing to have. Think about what sort of light you like to have in your home. I know someone who built a home that has only the bare minimum of windows required by city code. He doesn't like strong light. (He doesn't like drop-by company either so there isn't a doorbell on his house). I have a child who follows me around turning off the lights because he prefers it to be darker than I do. So, he turns off the lights. I follow him around turning the lights back on! We laugh about it!

Look at the storage. The older the house, the less storage there usually is. Attic storage is pretty much useless. It is too hot up there to be able to store things. The heat just ruins things.

Location Location Location

2009-08-02T22:43:00.001-07:00

Things to think about.....Almost no one wants to live in a house if it:

1. Fronts or sides to a major street. Sometimes things have been done to ameliorate the problem of backing up to a major street, such as fencing or landscaping. But, still, backing up to a major street is almost as bad as fronting or siding to it.

2. Backs up to or is adjacent to a commercial strip or office building.

3. It is one or two blocks away from the busiest stretch of an interstate in the community. Think what it would be like to live next to I-635 in Dallas (aka LBJ Fwy). I have sold a condo that backed up to LBJ. I found a buyer, but I am a trained professional after all. It wasn't easy.

4. Is adjacent to a major power line. The fear here is cancer. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/risk/magnetic-fields

And, there are people who would prefer to not live in a house it if.....

5. Is next to a cemetery (these people don't even want to be able to see it down the street!).

6. Is next to a creek (they think snakes and mosquitoes in addition to flood water).

7. Across from a school (they want to be close to a school but not THAT close).

Routine Maintenance: HVAC Mechanical Systems

2009-08-02T22:19:00.000-07:00

The HVAC Mechanicals are the 2nd most expensive thing most homeowners may have to replace. Only the roof is more expensive. With the change in energy standards, the new equipment has pushed prices up to the point that a new HVAC mechanical system can be more expensive than a new roof, depending on the roof!

For a good overview of the system, go see: http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-maintain-an-air-conditioner.htm

I recommend that all my clients hire an HVAC company to come clean and service their mechanicals. Most companies do a twice-a-year come-and-clean-it for about $100 per year. Having the system cleaned and serviced will substantially lengthen the life of the equipment. Substantially. Because the equipment is functioning as well as it possibly can, the utility cost will be as small as it possibly can be, given the age and type of equipment.

It falls into the Just Do It school of Home Maintenance!

Home Inspections: Post Closing

2009-08-02T22:11:00.001-07:00

The Home Inspection Report give the Buyer a road map of repairs that the Buyer really needs to do after closing. Many of the things in the report aren't all that major. Many of them can be done during the TV football game commercial breaks. The point is that as a Home Owner, you are going to want those things fixed.

Most Home Inspection Companies include a check list of post-purchase routine maintenance items as part of the Inspection package. Even if you don't feel competent to do those maintenance items, it is possible to hire a handi-person by the hour or by the day. It is a whole lot cheaper to pay to have something maintained than it is to wait and have to replace it later!

When you start thinking about selling, go find that Inspection Report. Consider having the Inspector come back out and do another inspection before you list the house. At a minimum, use the Inspection to walk through your home and look at the items on the Report. It is cheaper and easier to fix those things leisurely before the home goes on the market than it is to get them fixed in a hurry after there is a contract on the home.

Home Inspections: How It Works

2009-08-02T22:03:00.001-07:00

Once the Buyer has decided which Home Inspection Company to use, I confer with the Buyer to see what day and time of day is going to be the most convenient for the Buyer. Then I call the Home Inspection company and see what days and times work for them.

Most Home Inspectors have the ability to get the house key out of the Supra Key Box. They use a special code that I get from the Listing Agent. Some Inspectors don't have a Supra. They rely on me to get access to the house. That is why I have to be the person who sets up the inspection time.

The Home Inspector gets out to the home at the appointed time. It takes them about 2 hours to do the inspection. The Buyer and I arrive at the home in time to get a report, after the inspection is finished. For example, it is common for the Inspector to arrive at 9 a.m. and give a report to the Buyer at 11 a.m.

The Home Inspector gives the Buyer a printed copy of the Inspection Report, with pictures usually. A copy of the report also gets e-mailed, usually.

Home Inspections: The Basics

2009-08-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

The Home Inspector is hired by the Buyer and reports directly to the Buyer. The Buyer selects the Home Inspector. The Buyer pays the Home Inspector directly. The Inspection Fee is in addition to the closing costs discussed with a lender. That cost is not included as one of the Closing Costs.

A Home Inspector will tell you if the structural systems of the home appear to be functioning within a normal range. Structural systems are the roof, the foundation, the wiring, plumbing and heating/cooling system.

If the Home Inspector thinks that something is NOT functioning within a normal range, a suggestion will be made that an expert be consulted.

Who are the experts? A licensed HVAC person. A licensed electrician or plumber. A structural engineer. It is common for there to be a charge for that expert to come say grace over the house. That fee ranges from $100 to $350.

If an expert says that the system is functioning just fine, then it probably is.

All of these inspections happen during the Option Period. Buyers say that it gets expensive to get the house checked out. I tell them that it is better to have as complete a picture as possible.

Even with all that, not all problems with a structure become apparent prior to closing. These people are all going to give their best advice. But, they can't foresee all future problems.

Why Make A Back-Up Offer?

2009-08-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

Why make a Back-Up Offer? Because half the time you end up getting to buy the house. That is a good reason!

It takes time and trouble to go through the exercise of making a Back-Up Offer. Lots of agents won't do it. From a Buyer's Agent's perspective, I like making Back-Up Offers. Lots of times it is possible to negotiate more favorable terms for the Back-Up because the Seller assumes that the contract in first position is going to close and so they really don't have to pay all that much attention to our deal. Right????? Wrong...Seriously, half the time when there is a Back-Up Contract, it is the Back-Up that gets closed!

From a Listing Agent's perspective, I love having a Back-Up Offer. Having one of those in the file takes a lot of the drama out of negotiating repairs during the Option Period. It is a great way to shield my Seller-client from the emotionally wringing process of repair negotiation. We just have to decide what we are willing to do. We let the First-contract-buyer know what our position is and then they just have to decide if they can live with those repairs or not. Very cut-and-dry.

Back-up Offers

2009-08-02T20:36:00.001-07:00

Once a home is under contract, no one else on earth has the right to step in and take that deal away from the Buyer as long as the Buyer moves forward to closing. The Seller's Agent will eventually instruct MLS to show the property as having a change in status. They have a short period of days to report the change in status. It is common for Buyers to check their new home on-line and then become distressed because it continues to show as "active". The Seller has an absolute right to continue to show the house and to encourage people to bring offers. However, any offer that comes in is a "Back Up Offer". It just sits there and waits. The Back-Up Offer is in 2nd position, after the first contract. It doesn't matter if the Back-Up Offer is for more money and better terms, as long as the Buyer keeps moving forward, they get to buy the house. Period.

Where things get tricky is when the Buyer with the first contract is negotiating for repairs during the Option Period. A Seller with a Back-Up Offer is not going to be very motivated to negotiate good terms on the repairs.

A Seller has to tell you if they have a Back-Up Offer in place.....but, ONLY if asked directly.

Offer vs Contract

2009-08-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

Just because my Buyer Client has signed papers does not mean that the house is under contract.

"Contract Formation" occurs when both sides have agreed on each and every term and have signed and initialed everywhere on all the papers. The process takes a lot of ink. At that point (and not a minute before), the house is under contract.

In Texas, the date that Contract Formation occurs is also called the Effective Date of the contract. Most of the dates in the contract are counted from the Effective Date, such as the Option Period and the Financing Period.

Making An Offer

2009-08-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

It is very common for a first time home buyer to be a little fuzzy about how an offer gets made. I routinely deal with buyers who think that I am going to be able to phone up the Listing Agent, describe our deal, and then get a response. I do call the Listing Agent to let them know that we are getting serious about the deal, but I don't give them the terms of the offer until later in the process.

To be enforceable, an offer for the purchase of real estate has to be in writing. It has been that way since 1677, when the British Parliament passed what is referred to as The Statue of Frauds. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statute_of_frauds

What that means as a practical matter is that when a Buyer gets ready to make an offer, I spend an hour or so in front of a computer, preparing the forms and documents for the Buyer to sign. After the Buyer has signed those papers, I then send a copy to the Seller's Agent, along with a copy of the Earnest Money Check and the Option Fee Check. 75% of all Seller's Agents will not present an offer unless there is some document that addresses the question of how the purchase will be paid for. That means that I have to also send along a letter from a lender (either a Pre-Qualified Letter or, better, a Pre-Approval Letter). If the Buyer is going to be paying cash, I have to submit what is called "Proof of Funds".

The Meadows Museum

2009-07-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

The Meadows Museum is the largest collection of Spanish Art outside the Iberian Peninsula. It was a gift from the Dallas Oil Man, Algur Meadows. It is said that in the early 1950s he went to Spain in search of oil and the oil that he found was on canvases.

I love the museum. The building is a classic box-style museum, very symmetrical, with a massive stone staircase in the middle of the building.

http://smu.edu/meadows/museum/

Admission is free on Thursday nights. They also have a nice program of free lectures that are frequently also on Thursday. The programs are listed on the website.

The Museum is tucked away on the southern end of the SMU campus. Parking is under the Museum. The entry to the parking garage is on the south side of the building. If you miss it the first time, just circle around and come back and try again!

Multiple Offers

2009-07-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

I spent time this week being one of two offers on a property that had been languishing for months. No offers for months and then... Wammo.....2 within a 12-hour period.

Buyers frequently think that the Seller is making up the other offer, that it really isn't happening. Buyers may not actually come right out and say what they are thinking, but I can read what is on their faces. They suspect that perhaps the Seller is not being truthful, that there really isn't another offer.

I can't see into the hearts and minds (or the files) of the other agent. There is a chance that the other agent doesn't have the ethical standards that I expect from members of a profession that I love. There is always that chance. However, that isn't my experience. My experience is that these things just happen. They really do just happen. It is part of The Zen of Real Estate.

In the recent past, I represented a buyer who was one of three offers made in the first 6 days that a home went on the market. Our offer was not the highest offer. The Sellers chose us anyway because we offered something besides money that the Sellers needed and wanted. Deals are not always just about money. The reason Buyers are asked to make their "Highest and Best" offer is that it isn't just about money. The only limit to a deal is the human imagination. Figuring out what sort of terms and conditions of sale might appeal to the Seller is what the "Best" part of that phrase is about.

From a Listing Agent's perspective, getting multiple offers is tricky. About 30% of the time, what happens when a Buyer is contacted and ask to make their "highest and best" offer is that Buyer walks away. Keeping all parties in the boat requires some pretty careful negotiation.

Bottom Line? With a multiple offer, put your prettiest offer out there and wait. While you wait, avoid day-dreaming about where you are going to be putting the furniture!

The Oasis Cafe on Greenville

2009-07-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

When I think about comfort food, Mac and Cheese isn't on the list. My list is really short. Chicken Fried Steak. Biscuits. Period.

OK. Sweets. The entire category of sweets is on the list, too. But, I am working on learning how to say "I just don't like sweets" without giggling like a hyena.

Where to go get good biscuits? Go do breakfast at The Oasis. They run out of biscuits, especially on the weekend. Try and get there before 10 a.m. But, then again, if you haven't had breakfast by 10 a.m. maybe we need to be having a different conversation entirely.

The Oasis produces a biscuit that is a contender. Babes/Bubbas may be the Gold Standard in the biscuit department, but The Oasis is definitely a contender.

http://oasiscafedallas.com/home.html

Walking at Northpark Mall

2009-07-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

It is too hot to walk outside. Besides, the air quality has been Orange almost every day for a month...and it was Red one day. So, I'm walking at Northpark. The trick is to get out of there without buying socks or some such.

http://www.northparkcenter.com/walkingmaps.html

South Dallas Cafe & The Cedars

2009-07-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

Lunch today was at the South Dallas Cafe, located at 3126 Grand Ave. They are located on the east side of Grand, going south from Fair Park. Like old-fashioned home-style cooking? Well, stop talking about it and go have some! They may have the best greens I have ever put in my mouth. The hotwater cornbread is pretty good.

We got there early for lunch today. The Chicken-Fried Steak had been held too long on the steam table. No one cooks CFS the way it needs to be cooked. Everyone does deep-fried these days, which is a pity. I haven't had a real CFS since Jeanie's Bishop Grill closed (years ago now...the space is now Hunky's in the Bishop Arts District).

The vegtable choices today had 2 types of sweet potatoes. I avoid any sweet potato that is cowering under the protective cover of miniature marshmallows. Their other sweet potato is candied but my hope was that the candied concept was perhaps less aggressively applied than with the other choice. It was interesting. I think it had crushed pineapple in the sauce. Pumpkin-pie spices and crushed pineapple.

They also have a store out in Oak Cliff. I keep meaning to go to that one. It is the one with the website. It is a little confusing because there is no mention in the website of the original store, located in South Dallas! http://www.southdallascafe.com/index.html

If you go, take a drive back through The Cedars. There is always something new being done down there. You need to go take a look! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedars,_Dallas,_Texas

2009-07-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Did you know that there is a US mint in Ft Worth.! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Engraving_and_Printing

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing has a Western Currency Center located at 9000 Blue Mound Rd in Ft Worth. For information about their tours, go to http://www.moneyfactory.gov/locations/section.cfm/25

Basically, they are open during the week from 8:30 until 5:30. Tours for individuals are done on a first-come-first-serve basis. They want you to arrive 30 minutes before the tour begins to be able to do a security clearance. Tours are every half hour. They also have 2 floors of interactive exhibits.

The Currency Center would make a nice add-on to having lunch at The Classic Cafe in Roanoke.....

Classic Cafe in Roanoke

2009-07-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

I was part of a group of people who spent time yesterday riding around in Southlake. We went to real estate offices to talk with office managers about the dfwRealtor.com Leadership Academy. They needed to hear about how the Leadership Program can become an effective Agent Development Tool. We told 'em. Some of the people we spoke with actually heard what we had to say. Some others will eventually hear the message (we will be back).

Part of the trip was a nice lunch. A nice lunch can undo the impact of a fair amount of Cold Calling. We went to the Classic Cafe in Roanoke. http://www.theclassiccafe.com/home.html I hadn't eaten there since the mid 1990s. Lunch was a $21 prix fixe meal that included a Chef's Choice item (it was bacon-wrapped pork loin yesterday).

As a destination, I don't know that it would be enough on its own. However, coupled with something else (for example, doing garage sales in Southlake or The Trophy Club, or perhaps coming back from Texas Motor Speedway), it would make a nice addition to a daytrip out from the middle of Dallas!

How to Shop at Sam Moon Store

2009-07-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

There are Rules and Procedures for how to shop at Sam Moon. For a sample of what you can expect to find in the store, check out their website at http://www.sammoon.com/web3/

I can't tell you how often I have shared my shopping system with people, taken them into the store and watched them go absolutely bananas over the inventory. They spend an absurd amount of money. Months later, they will sheepishly tell me that they should have listened to me. And, of course, the way this system was developed is that I did it the other way first. As my old Daddy used to say, hard heads require hard lessons.

Rule Number One. If there is no place to park, don't go in. It is best to go by Sam Moon's during the week rather than on the weekend.

Rule Number Two. Only take the money you plan to leave there. $20 to $30 is a good number. Spend much more than that and you will be sorry.

Rule Number Three. Don't worry about trying to match something to an outfit. Just look for good design. Good design is timeless. Good design will never go out of style. And, good design from Sam Moon's stops traffic. Trust me on this one.

Procedure for Shopping. Again, just humor me and do it my way. You have your money, so lets go.....

Decide how much time you are going to invest in looking.
Get a basket.
If it catches your eye at all, put it in the basket. You aren't making a purchase decision at this point, you aren't trying to decide if it matches your new suit. Your only decision is "do I like it?" and/or "is it good design".
At the end of your allotted time, tump out the basket contents on a counter. Pick out the best pieces you can get with the money you decided to spend.
Hand the rejects to the cashier (I know it is rude, but you will never be able to put them back).
Pay for your purchases
Go home.

My system.....

Hot Springs Hotels

2009-07-22T20:50:00.001-07:00

I love Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is fast and easy to get there from the Metroplex. And, it is possible to get your attitude adjusted and be back home in just a weekend. What I like to do in Hot Springs is take a Mineral Bath, get a massage, eat, take a nap and begin the process all over again.

Where to stay?

I like The Park Hotel. http://www.parkhotelhotsprings.com/ It is cheaper than the Arlington. It is also smaller. It has more of a boutique feel to it. The lobby is very high-style Deco. This hotel is old enough and quirky enough that the rooms are almost all different. Ask for an assortment of rooms to inspect when you are checking in. Go upstairs and pick out the one that you like best!

I also love The Arlington. It was my first choice for years. http://www.arlingtonhotel.com/ Stay here at least once. There is an elevator that only goes to The Spa. Check out the stain glass in the elevator that goes from the guest floors directly to The Spa. The main reason I stay in The Arlington is to be able to go hang out in one of the largest hot tubs in the known universe. It is built into the side of the hill behind the hotel and seats a crowd. I have been in that hot tub during Thanksgiving weekend when the air temperature was perhaps 38 and the water was steamy and delicious.

Berry Picking Daytrip!

2009-07-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

All three of the following places are located between Gainesville and Sherman.

Pick-your-own Blueberries/Blackberries. They open at 9 a.m. They will tell you to "eat all you want, pick the rest..." Take a cooler to bring home your berries in style! After you pick the berries, the staff at the Berry Patch will run your berries through a machine that will vacuum and shake away stems and such. Bring the berries home and freeze in a single layer, unwashed. http://www.txberry.com/

Pick-your-own Lavender. http://www.lavenderridgefarms.com/ They have a great gift shop, too.

Peaches http://www.redriverpeachorchard.com/

If you go through Gainesville, stop into the Fried Pie place off The Square. They are good. The reviews on this website makes it sound as if they are perhaps the best thing ever. They aren't THAT good. They are worth making a stop. http://tinyurl.com/muexmz

While you are there, there are lots of other interesting shops in the historic downtown. http://www.shophistoricgainesville.com/

Other things to do in Gaineville? The Outlet Mall. http://tiny.cc/Fqcxc .
The Frank Buck Zoo. http://www.frankbuckzoo.com/

Siegel's Wine Tastings

2009-07-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

Siegel's does free wine tastings. I usually go to the ones held at the Greenville Ave store or the store down on Fitzhugh. Both of those locations are easy for me!

I have told management that their "free" wine tastings have cost me a small fortune. I walk in the door, try a few samples. Everything is just fine until I fall in love with something. Oh My.....

To get the email notices, go to http://tinyurl.com/l56jz5. Just review the opportunities as they come out and RSVP for the ones you want to go to. Some have a charge, so just watch for that with the RSVP.

The other approach is to go to the Greenville Avenue store (just north of Lovers on the west side of the road). Ask for Dave Waddington. Tell him that you want him to recommend bottles under $15 each. You will be in reliable hands. You don't even have to tell him I sent you!

Good Tofu is not an Oxymoron

2009-07-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

I didn't know until a few years ago that it was possible for Tofu to taste good. It doesn't have to be nasty. Freshly made it is a thing of Joy and Beauty. Tofu, after all, is a fresh cheese, just like Ricotta or Yogurt. It just starts off with a different category of "milk".

It is possible to buy fresh tofu in Dallas. Tuyet Tofu‎ 9780 Walnut St, Dallas, TX‎ - (972) 889-8638‎. North of LBJ, east of Central. Corner of Audelia and Walnut, tucked away into a tiny store-front in a large strip center. Almost no one speaks English. They will sell you 4 cakes of fresh tofu for $1.

It has a substantially better flavor and taste than any other tofu I have ever encountered. I tried to find a website,but there isn't one. They just have an address. In addition to Tofu, they sell other food items. I haven't had anything there that I enjoyed, but my Foodie BFF Vanessa, just raves about the balls with the red bean filling.

If you go, consider also making a run through the gia-mormous Asian grocery in the same strip center. Lots of really beautiful produce.

Jessica's Baby Shower Recipes

2009-07-22T19:57:00.001-07:00

I have had people ask for the recipes I used at Jessica's Baby Shower.

Goat Cheese Torta

Combine in Food Processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.

1 package(10.5 oz) goat cheese
1 package cream cheese (8 oz) softened
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Line a 2- or 3- cut glass bowl with plastic wrap, allowing 3" to hang over sides.

Spread half of cheese mixture into bowl; top evenly with 1/2 to 3/4 cup Pesto (I use the Pesto from the deli case at Central Market...I used to make it from scratch, but their is better than any pesto I have ever made).

Top with remaining half of cheese mix. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Invert chilled torta onto serving platter. Remove plastic wrap. Garnish if desired. Serve with baguette slices.

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The next recipe came to me from Judy Cole. She got it from her daughter in Plano, Melissa Henson. I have absolutely no idea who Laura is, but I intend to ask if she has more recipes this good!

I have used the leftovers as a salad dressing on plain salad greens. I have also used it on cold pasta for a really nice pasta salad. I have used it on cold cooked chicken, again for a really nice salad. Good stuff.....

Laura's Christmas Dip

1 can mild Rotel -- drained
1 small flat can sliced black olives -- drained
1 jar (5 oz) sliced green olives --drained
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup Italian dressing (don't use lite)

Combine. Let sit for 24 hours to allow the flavors to combine. Serve with sliced baguettes.

Indian Preserved Limes, Preserved Lemons

2009-07-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, precious Vanessa and I were at the Dollar Grocery Store. She spotted something, an Indian condiment, a preserved lime. She put a jar in my basket and told me to take it home with me. It took me 6 months to work up the courage to open the jar. I am glad I did. But, it took me a while to build up the courage to try it.

Vanessa is perhaps the most adventurous eater I have ever known. I have her buy stuff in ethnic grocery stores where there was no way to tell from the label if she was buying a dessert or shoe polish. She is good.

I have made batches of both of the pickles below. The Lime pickles recipe is the condiment that Vanessa introduced me to. I now know that it is a standard. It shows up on the side of dishes that I order at Royal Sweets or The Clay Pit. Good stuff. I am going through the Lime recipe fast enough to justify a second batch. It is out on my 2nd floor patio right now. I give it a good shake every day when I am out there watering the plants. It took about 2 weeks in this Texas heat.

To help decode the recipe ingredients, "methi" is another name for fenegreek seeds. "hing" is asafoetida.

Indian Lime Pickles
http://indianfoodrocks.blogspot.com/2006/08/make-lime-pickle-sans-oil-while-sun.html

I am not so certain about the Lemon Pickles. I am waiting for my other BFF Foodie, Jennifer, to get back to town to help me decide what I should do with it. For the short term I think I will try using it under the skin of a chicken being roasted. I know that will work.

Indian Lemon Pickles
http://indianfoodrocks.blogspot.com/2006/05/lemon-pickle-without-oil-picture.html

Event Alert!

2009-07-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

For inexpensive access to a wide range of live performance venues, add your name to the Event Alert! email list. They discount last-minute tickets to events and performances all over the Metroplex. All you have to do is send in your email to EventAlert@EventAlert.org and request to be added.

I continue to buy my season tickets to several different Venues even though Event Alert! tends to have tickets to those Venues. I want to support those local resources by being a season ticket holder. If something is really good, I have used Event Alert to go back!

How to use Event Alert! effectively:

1. After a while, you will see a pattern as to which venues are most likely to dispose of extra tickets with Event Alert. I went onto the Venue websites and put their events in my calendar in pencil with two question marks. Half the time, those events have shown up as being available, 2 or 3 days out. Because I had them in my calendar, I didn't book something else into that time slot, so I was able to take advantage of the ticket service.

2. When I have had out-of-town guests for the weekend, I begin looking for the Event Alert mailer about Wednesday or Thursday. Notices go out as they get tickets. They also send out a summary of what events they have tickets for. I just pick out the thing that my company is going to be most interested in seeing.

Furniture Places

2009-07-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

A friend recently asked me where should go to buy (or sell) furniture.

Craigs List, of course. http://dallas.craigslist.org/

My favorite furniture resale place is Dulce on Oak Lawn. Very high-style, very good quality. Don't expect Garage Sales prices. Prices are very reasonable for what you are getting. http://www.mydulce.com/

The Salvation Army on Inwood has great furniture and lots of it. This store is The Mother Ship for the Salvation Army's operation in the Metroplex. They have a room in the back for the donated vintage/antiques. I have friends who make it a point to go by this store once a week when they are looking for a specific type of furniture piece. It is truly amazing what sorts of furniture shows up at this store! If you go on Wednesday, all the clothing is half-price.

As you walk into the store, there is a desk to the left of the door. Usually there is a store manager standing at that desk. Ask him (I don't think I have ever seen a woman standing there) to explain their mark-down policy. They have a schedule for reducing the prices on the furniture.

The Salvation Army's website doesn't make it easy to find their stores. The store does show up on Google Maps. 5554 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas 75235- (214) 630-5611

Wineries Downtown

2009-07-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

There are three wineries that are, pretty much, in downtown. One is off Lemmon and Inwood. Another is in Deep Ellum. The third is in the Design District.

Farqua Winery is run by the extremely affable Lee Farqua. Their tasting room is easy to find. Just follow the signs off Lemmon. http://www.fuquawines.com/

The winery in Deep Ellum is run by a charming young Frenchman named Benjamen Calais. When you go, make sure you have change for the parking meter. It is in Deep Ellum after all! Young Ben's mission is to produce wines that are not so expensive that people hesitate to treat it as a beverage. I think he is successful. http://www.calaiswinery.com/

Inwood winery is a little hard to find. It is easy to become convinced that as you continue to drive into the office/warehouse complex that any second you will reach the absolute end of the earth. The effort will be rewarded. Just keep going until you find it!http://www.inwoodwines.com/