Carl Winters Blog, Real Estate Inspector, New Braunfels, Texas

Reality really set in this week when Target opened at Creekside..... My dove lease is gone forever.

Growth has taken over in New Braunfels, TX.  Growth along the I-35 corridor between San Anonio, TX and Austin TX is unbelievable and New Braunfels is right smack in the middle.

Let me intoduce you to:

Target had a grand opening with the official ribbon cutting along with cheerleaders and of course The Oolmpah Band (New Braunfels Style). This is the Buzzzzzzzzz in New Braunfels.

As we walked into Target I remembered when just a couple years ago I was walking in a field of sunflowers with Brutus my faithful and loyal black lab. Now I'm standing in the middle of mass hysteria because Target has opened. The only thing I recognized that even resembled hunting was some clothing. Bye Bye to my hunting lease in New Braunfels.

Here is a brief bit of news as to what this expansion is going to bring to New Braunfels. Realtors listen up:

 Seventy-five acres dedicated to an integrated mix of multi-family residential, townhomes. This means home sales. This 400 plus acre planned retail and residential, professional mix will definitely bring lots of excitement to sleepy little New Braunfels, TX.

Next time you are coming to New Braunfels to visit Gruene, tube the Guadalupe or spend a fun day at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark, or visit Canyon Lake, watch for Creekside North of New Braunfels if coming from San Antonio and South if you are coming from Austin.

WE ARE GROWING IN NEW BRAUNFELS (even if I did loose my dove hunting lease) - Carl Winters

If you decide to stay awhile and in the market to buy a home; please call Complete Inspection Service (since 1994). I live, work and play in the area; therefore know the lay of the land. Carl Winters, TREC License #3630) Advanced Home &  Commercial Inspection Service. (830-660-0131).

                                                                                          God Bless Texas!

       If you are looking for something fun then you need to visit Texas Enchanted  Springs Ranch

North of San Antonio, Texas to Boerne, and West toward Bandera, Texas. You will enjoy a great day at this ranch that has been transformed into a old Texas town. This is a vacation must!

  - You are greeted by townspeople dressed in 1800's clothing and  A Friendly Texas Longhorn

   -Meeting a real Texas longhorn and learning about the history of the longhorns and bullalo  

  -Meeting cowboys and cowgirls

 -Tractor rides through 86 acres of pastures.You'll see some emus, llamas, exotic deer ,antelope and zebras.

 -You can have lunch in the great old west Texas town.

 -You may even get arrested by the sheriff and taken to jail.

Here are some great pic's for you to see all the wonderful things to see and do at Enchanted Ranch.

  You can even stay overnite at this old hotel.

     The old west town has a jail, saloon, blacksmith shop. Everything in Texas that an old west town would have.

This is about as texas as you can get. This is an outing both you and your children or grandchildren will always remember. The town and the buildings are great to put you in the era, live animals, the wagon ride are all things that will make your day fun and exciting.

.This will be something you may want to do. at Enchanted Springs Ranch - Summer Chuck Wagon Dinner on Wednesday & Friday from 5:00 - 7:30 p.m. You will have make reservations.

This old western town is used for commercials, movies, and more and it truly is a western town right out of history. The ranch has lots of animals worth checking out as well as a tractor wagon ride and more. George Strait has even done some of his commercials on the ranch.

Enchanted Ranch is north of San Antonio Texas toward Boerne, Texas. Follow the signs as you exit to Hwy. 46 toward Pipe Creek and Bandera. Information: www.enchantedspringsranch.com

If you should decide to stay in Texas and should need a home inspection ,please call Carl Winters, Complete Inspection Service at 830-660-0131. (TREC Lic. #3630 and have been in business since 1994). I live in the area and as we say in Texas I know the lay of the land.

God Bless Texas!

Are you a First Time home buyer? How exciting...You have found your Great Realtor...You have found that dream home...Now it is time to find your home inspector...One more important step in the process.

                      How to find a home inspector in your area. I will use Texas as an example since I live, work and play in the San Antonio, TX area and surrounding counties.

Although utilizing a Home Inspector at the time of a home purchase has become routine over the last few years; the value of learning details about the condition of a home prior to purchase is important. One imporant deciding factor is to decide if this is the right home for you.

Real Estate industry professionals are familiar with the services provided during a home inspection. How can you be sure to get the most benefit from the inspection of your potential home?  The best source of information about the quality of services provided by Home Inspectors are your co-workers, friends and family. Your realtor can also present a list of inspectors for you to choose from if you are new to the area.

Some questions to ask about the training and experience of the inspector. 

               Are you licensed or certified with a state organization?

                 Do you keep current on industry knowledge with continuing education?

                 Are additional licenses kept current or do they have areas of expertise?

                 Do you carry E&O Insurance

                 How long have you been in business?  A very important question.

                 When and how do I receive the report. Are photo's available.

In the state of Texas you hold a license through TREC (Texas Real Estate Commission). http://www.trec.state.tx.us/ You can find a list of inspectors, year they became certified and what specific designation they hold.

 A thorough inspection on a typical  2,000 square foot home will take a minimum of two hours. If it is an older home, larger or has additional outbuildings, pool/spa, hot tub or septic it will take longer. It is important that you attend the inspection. A detailed report is great but being able to see issues first hand is extremely valuable. This report will indicate items that may need repair or further evaluation.

The home inspection is a visual examination, structural and mechnical. The inspector's trained eye and education can  help spot items that you or a friend may not even be aware that may need attention. The present owner may not even be aware if it is an existing home. If it is a new home sometimes the contractor may have missed some items in error. If you are building a new home consider phase-inspecions - pre-slap, enclosure,and final walk-through. Depending on the home a fourth may be necesary.

Fees vary widely for Home Inspections. Shop for content not cost. An incomplete or substandard inspection can cost a lot in the long run. Good information is valuable but should be cost effective.  Some leg work at the beginning of the Home Inspector selection process will increase your satisfaction with the new home you choose.          

A home purchase is a hectic time. Use the information provided here to get the best result from your Home Inspection. It is not a process that you want to rush through. Your first home purchase has to be right for you.

                                                  GOOD LUCK & ENJOY YOUR NEW HOME!

If you are moving to the San Antonio and surrounding area please consider me for your Home Inspector. Carl Winters, Advanced Inspect, TREC License #3630, I've been in business since 1994. I know the lay of the land as we say in Texas; therefore would appreciate the opportunity to be your Home Inspector of choice. 830-660-0131.

San Antonio - Boerne-Canyon Lake- Bulverde-Blanco-New Braufels-Converse-Scherz-Cibolo-Seguin-Wimberly

Lackland Air Force Base , U.S. military installation West of San Antonio, Texas. Est. 1941. Lackland is a major air force training center located in San Antonio, Texas.

New Items of Interest:

Homebuyers seminar
The Housing Office will conduct a Home Buyer/Seller Seminar July 31 at the Freedom Chapel from 1 to 3 p.m.
Information on current real estate market and interest rates, home buyer/seller tips, title search and insurance, lender documents and closing, Texas Veteran Land Board Programs and more will be distributed. Please RSVP to Elvira Martinez at 210- 671-0568. If no answer, please leave a message.

Gate construction
The 37th Civil Engineer Squadron will begin installing shades over Airman's Gate, Gateway East Gate and Selfridge East Gate July 21. The footers will be poured through July 25, with construction moving from Airman's Gate to Gateway East Gate to Selfridge Gate. This will allow the contractor approximately two days to complete the work at each gate.
Traffic will have only one inbound lane on the days the specified gate is under construction. 

If you have a spouse looking for employment here is a help link for employment in San Antonio, TX and Bexar county. A wide variety of positions is available on and off base. For on-base employment, check civilian personnel offices at each base. For off-base jobs, check local classifieds at MySanAntonio.com.

If you are a family member coming for graduation held on friday's, expect to see an impressive parade ground. The USAF Security Forces Museums is something you will want to see.

If you should be relocating to another base facility here is some helpful information.

Brooks-City Base

Fort Sam Houston

Lackland AFB

Randolph AFB

If you are buying or selling your home in San Antonio, Texas (Bexar County) and should need a home inspection, please call Complete Inspection Service, Carl Winters, Advanced Inspector TREC Lic. #3630 @ 830-660-0131. Service area is Bexar, Comal, Kendall counties.

We have a great recycle program in Comal County Texas. It has been so successful it is being expanded. 

Pick up days are diferent for each area within Comal County. Where we live we take our recycle every Friday to our fire station at Startzville. We don't have to seperate our recycle since comal county has a service that does that for them.  We don't even have to get out of the car or truck if we choose not to. We pull up, county employees unload your recycle and you pull off.  How hard is that?

When the recycle program started a few years ago they had a truck that pulled a small high-sided trailer. Today we have two trucks like you see below. This program has been very successful.

 Recycle Program in Comal County is growing.The trucks are always well maintained and the county employee's are always friendly and courteous. Here is another picture of the drive up for unloading your recycle. Comal County has now announced they are going to expand the program according to an article in the  New Branfels newspaper. For more information you may want to check out http://www.co.comal.tx.us/rec.htm (or Google Comal County Officeial Website for a menu of services)

I encourage you to check out your Recycle Program in your area. For realtors, if you are selling a home in comal county you may want to mention this program...it is FREE for all comal residents.

If you are moving to Comal County and looking for a home inspector please call Carl Winters, Complete Inspection Service, Advanced Inspector, (TREC License#3630). Our family  lives, works and plays in Comal County. 830-660-0131.

Pilot recycling scheme is welcome
The City of New Braunfels is increasing its recycling efforts this month rolling out 3,500 96-gallon wheeled recycling bins.

My son asked me the other day why I blog? This got me to thinking seriously why I blog almost daily here on Active Rain. I was also inspired by my frined Dale Baker over in New Hampshire to write this blog. Being a successful blogger, What does it take! 1 in a Series

                     This is how I picture this in my mind. Here is a map of the United States. I can sit in the comfort of my home, don't have to drive anywhere (in my small compact car)   to meet or greet people in person.

By blogging you can reach across state lines, meet new people, learn about community activities in other states, have fun, expand your business, and make some life long friends...WHY NOT BLOG?

Some of you know I enjoy blogging about our area of New Braunfels, TX and The Texas Hill Country. No I am not a paid promoter ,just a proud Texan. I conduct home inspections for a living.

The only difficult thing about blogging is to decide what I'm going to blog about each day.  Seems every day I am inspired by something I see or hear or even become inspired by another Active Rain member. Do not hesitate to blog...Just Do It!

If your buying a home in  my area and looking for a home inspector, please call me Carl Winters, Complete Inspection Service serving the Texas Hill Country since 1994. This is where I live, work and play. 830-660-0131

                                                                          God Bless Texas!

Be sure to leave a comment so I will know you dropped by for a visit - Thank You!