Sam White's College Station Real Estate Blog

Dear readers,

Do you ever feel that as a consumer, you just don't have a chance? Are there no consequences for companies that promise good service and don't comply?

You may have read my blog yesterday about losing access to my Websites hosted by IPOWER during the course of last weekend. To recap, one of my hosted sites was to autorenew last weekend. Monday morning my e-mail was bouncing and my Websites were unavailable.

Long story short, I spent 1 hour and 57 minutes on hold yesterday (my phone told me so), before a nice man came on the line, apologized, confirmed my card information, and said there was no reason why the site didn't auto-renew. He PROMISED me that the site would be up within a couple of hours.

Needless to say as of last night, and now this morning, it still isn't working. So, I called them back yesterday afternoon and after 1 hour and 15 minutes on hold, I gave up.

This morning I've been on hold for over 30 minutes. The recording claims heavy call volume. I wonder why.

The worst of this is that they hold my domain name hostage until they answer and agree to a transfer. Consequences?

So, I've decided to keep the Active Rain community informed of their bad service. As Realtors, we all use the Web, and some of us may be considering IPOWER. I know that at least one other person in my office uses IPOWER, and he is already in the loop on this incident.

I'll keep you updated, but right now, if you are considering using IPOWER for hosting, I wouldn't.

Try Go Daddy. They always answer their phones promptly, and they have always fixed any problem with one phone call.

Blue skies,

Sam White
www.SamWhiteRealty.com

Dear readers,

Don't forget to attend the Texas Renaissance Festival during this great fall weather. Since 1974 the Texas Renaissance Festival has been bringing entertainment to the Brazos Valley.

The festival is open on Saturdays and Sundays through November 25th, 0900-Dusk. The drive to Plantersville is quick and pleasant.

There are just a few weekends left. For futher information go to www.texrenfest.com.

Blue skies,

Sam White
www.SamWhiteRealty.com

Dear readers,

When I woke up this morning, two of my Websites were down. Unfortunately, it made some sense as both are hosting with IPOWER (formerly Ipower Web). The hosting account was supposed to auto-renew on Friday, and every indication up until Monday morning said the renewal went OK.

I have used IPOWER since 1999, and although their hosting platforms and control panels are great, their service is VERY poor. Every year it gets a little worse.

Before my real estate career, I did some Web design and hosting, and became one of IPOWER's resellers. That "entitles" me to use the reseller support lines. This morning, I spent 1:57 on hold before getting some "help."

When help finally came, he couldn't understand why the domain and hosting didn't renew. We confirmed the essential information, which was all correct, and he said he'd have it fixed this afternoon. Well....

This evening I've spent 45 minutes on hold. I can't give up, they have my domain hostage, but I'd sure like to charge them for my time.

In case you're wondering, my other sites are hosted with Go Daddy. They have been great.

Blue skies,

Sam White
www.SamWhiteRealty.com

Dear readers,

You never know, this is the Internet age.

We have misplaced one of our Tuxedo Cats. We live on Ember Glow, in Chimney Hill, and he has been gone for a week.

Here is his photo:

He is soft, young, and missed. If you have any information, please call me at 979.574.0626.

Thanks.

Blue skies,

Sam White
www.SamWhiteRealty.com

Hi readers,

Well, the Aggies were outscored by our competition from Kansas last night. It was a home game here in College Station, and the town and stadium were full.

One of the things that make this school special is how we take a loss. Its not easy, mind you. Football is BIG here, but Aggies are sportsmen, and they treat their guests well.

Restaurants are CRAZY here on game weekends, even after being outscored. We were out last night after the game, and although the tone was slightly subdued, life went on.

Parents love being with their kids, and a lot of positive energy is generated here on game weekends despite problems on the football field.

I hope your weekend was positive.

Blue skies,

Sam White
www.SamWhiteRealty.com

Dear readers,

There was relatively good news about College Station Real Estate in the business section of this morning's Eagle, our local paper.

According to Karr Ingham, who compiles a monthly economic index for The Eagle, new home construction spiked in August, after declining for several months. Overall new home construction is still down 7% for the year.

According to The Eagle, Jim Gaines, who is a research economist at Texas A&M's Real Estate Center, calls the local housing market "stable." The average price of homes sold in College Station and Bryan is up almost 12% from last year, indicating the market is still strong.

According to Mark Doutzer, the Real Estate Center's chief economist, homebuilding across Texas needs to decline approximately 25% to prevent a long-term decline in the housing market.

The local economy continues to expand, up 2.7% in the last 12 months.

For the full article, including retail spending and tax numbers, visit The Eagle.com.

Have a great Sunday!

Blue skies,

Sam White
http://www.samwhiterealty.com/

Dear readers,

For football excitement and action, don't forget that the Texas A&M Aggies are playing the Kansas University Jayhawks at Kyle Field in College Station today (Saturday, October 27) at 6pm CDT. The game will be carried on ESPN2.

Kansas at 7-0 and 3-0 and nationally ranked, is expected to give the Aggies, 6-2 and 3-1, a run for the money. The Aggies beat KU last year 21-18, but did not hold the lead until the final minute.

For those driving to the game today, and games everywhere, take care and have fun.

Blue skies,

Sam White
www.SamWhiteProperties.com

Dear readers,

If you haven't been to downtown Bryan in a while, its worth the visit. My wife Sondra and I were there last night (Friday) for a photo shoot, and found the area alive and well.

Anchored by the revamped LaSalle Hotel, downtown Bryan was bustling with restaurant goers and shoppers. Nearly all of the fine restaurants downtown had customers waiting outside in the great fall weather, and many of the area's unique shops were open for business.

We finally settled on Doe's Eat Place, and had fantastic steaks. Other restaurants in the area include the Square One Bistro, Maddens's Casual Gourmet, Los Nortenos, Papa Perez, and Cafe Capri.

Look for more detailed posts on all to do in Downtown Bryan in coming posts.

Blue skies,

Sam White
www.SamWhiteRealty.com

Dear readers,

Yesterday evening my wife, Sondra, and I were pleased to attend the sixth annual George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service. The award was presented before an enthusiastic crowd of over 3,000 Aggies at Texas A&M University's Reed Arena.

The honor is designed to pay homage to its namesake, highlight the achievements of the recipient and encourage the public to take on similar challenges, according to the Bush Presidential Library Foundation. Former winners are Rev. Billy Graham, former German chancellor Helmet Kohl, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Sen. Edward Kennedy, and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In his acceptance speech, Gates called upon the thousands of Aggies before him to step forward and commit to public service.

"If America is to be a beacon for all who are oppressed ... then the most able and idealistic of today's young people must step forward and accept the duty and the burden of public service," said Gates.

According to The Eagle, our local paper, Gates is a former CIA director who has worked under seven presidents. He came to Texas A&M in 1999 to serve as interim dean of the Bush School, a post he held until 2001. The following year, he was named Texas A&M president, a post he held until December, when he stepped down to become defense secretary.

When Bush lured Gates to Texas A&M, he did so under false pretenses, Gates joked to the crowd. The former president called Gates and asked him to assume the role of interim dean -- a job the elder statesman promised would require just a couple of days a month and would be largely honorific, Gates recalled.

It was two years later -- after Gates commuted two weeks a month from Seattle to College Station -- that a permanent replacement was found, he said.

"It was a classic bait-and-switch con," Gates said.

Gates said he was headed home from his job as interim dean when he was asked to consider becoming the president of the university. He repeatedly declined the offer. But in December 2001, then-Texas A&M System Board of Regents Chairman Don Powell called him to make one last plea. Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Gates said, he felt compelled to perform one more act of public service.

The world, he said, turned upside down last year when duty and the president -- this time George W. Bush -- called upon him once again.

"In our heart of hearts, we are romantics, idealists and optimists," Gates said of public servants. "We actually believe we can make a difference, make the lives of others better."

Gates is an impressive man, who cares about every member of the armed forces. In his speech he demonstrated that he know the exact number of service personnel in the Iraqi and Afghan theatre, as well as those killed and wounded.

Selfishly, we want him to return to Texas A&M, but at the same time, we are proud to share him with the world. In this day and age, his is the man who can make a difference.

Blue skies,

Sam White
www.SamWhiteRealty.com

PS - Thanks to the Bryan/College Station Eagle (www.TheEagle.com) for their coverage, so I could listen without taking notes. 

Selfishly, we want him back at A&M.

Dear readers,

Join us on All Hallow's Eve for Keller Williams's First Annual Trunks for Treats bash. The event will take place in our large parking lot in front of our offices at 701 University Dr. East in College Station, also known as the Chimney Hill Shopping Center next to the Hilton College Station.

Designed to provide a safe place for children of all ages to Trick or Treat, the event will feature jumpy houses, pony rides, pizza and soft drinks, as well as lots of candy distributed from the decorated automobile trunks of our agents.

Although admission is free, there will be small charges for pizza and pony rides, all to benefit the Down Syndrome Support Group of Bryan/College Station. It's all part of the Keller Williams Philosophy of giving back to the community.

For more information, please contact me directly at 979.574.0626, or sam@samwhiteproperties.com. We hope to see you there!

Blue skies,

Sam White
www.SamWhiteRealty.com

Dear readers,

Happy Thursday!

Yesterday, I received a call from a lender advising that one of my clients had been in for pre-approval to purchase College Station Real Estate. This is a client that I have been working with for over a year, and I wondered what caused this person to get off the fence and meet with the lender.

So, I went into the client's Top Producer record and discovered that on the day she scheduled her appointment with the lender, Top Producer had automatically sent her an e-mail about lender approval. That's what prompted the client to finally call.

To me this is just another example of how important drip campaigns are. Every month, without fail, my clients get at least one e-mail from me, all without me having to do anything.

They really do work!

Blue Skies,

Sam White
www.SamWhiteRealty.com

Dear readers,

I want to take a moment to thank Bryan, College Station and the Brazos Valley for turning out for the Buddy Walk last Sunday at Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheatre.

Over 2,000 participants walked to promote Down Syndrome awareness in the year's largest fundraiser for the Down Syndrome Support Group of Bryan/College Station.

I'd also like to thank our sponsors, who donated time and merchandise to our effort. A list of sponsors can be found at http://www.downsyndromeofbcs.com/sponsors.html.

Finally, if you are looking for a safe, Halloween activity for your kids this year, Keller Williams Realty Brazos Valley will be having our first annual Trunks for Treats Halloween night at the Chimney Hill Shopping Center, from 5:30 to 9:30 pm. There will be pony rides, jumping castles, pizza and Keller Williams agents will have their automobile trunks decorated for Halloween and will be handing out candy.

Once again, proceeds will benefit the Down Syndrome Support group of Bryan/College Station. For further information, call Rebecca at 979-846-0001 or rebeccayoungkw@gmail.com .

Blue skies,

Sam White
http://www.samwhiterealty.com/

Dear readers,

Happy Sunday!

When I was at the office earlier today, I ran into a Realtor friend that works for another broker. He commented about the cost of advertising. As we talked a bit further, it became apparent that he was frustrated and at somewhat of an impasse. But, I thought I had something that might help.

I stepped into my office and grabbed my Camp 4-4-3 books, which are definitely showing some wear. I think volume 2 fell into a swimming pool for a couple of seconds sometime this summer, and all of them had been carted around in a backpack at one time or another.

Camp 4-4-3 is Keller Williams' basic guide (in 3 or 4 volumes) to achieving 4 listings and 4 sales in 3 months. The camp's methodology leans heavily toward establishing a constantly expanding database, and maintaining contact with the database regularly through the postal system, e-mail and the telephone.

It is a model that works very well if you follow it without major modification (have no ego), and have the time and discipline to devote to the task. Best of all, it is low cost, especially compared to image advertising. I'll be eager to see if he likes the program as much as I did.

Camp 4-4-3 is just the first class in a long line of educational opportunities available to Keller Williams agents. Although taught live over several weeks, it is also available to KW agents 24-hours on the Web, along with hundreds of hours of other video instruction.

If you are interested in Keller Williams, and I can help, you are welcome to contact me at sam@samwhiteproperties.com, or 979-574-0626.

I think College Station is enjoying our last day of summer. We've been in the low 90's until now, and the high tomorrow is supposed to be in the 60's. It will be nice to silence the air conditioners.

Blue skies,

Sam White
www.SamWhiteRealty.com

Dear readers,

Last weekend the Big State Festival was held at the Texas World Speedway, just south of College Station, Texas. With over 50 country and western bands performing, including Willie Nelson, crowds for the three-day event topped 30,000.

Besides at one time being the fastest track in the world, the Texas World Speedway was made famous in 1974 by hosting Willie Nelson's Second Annual 4th of July Picnic, which drew up to 50,000 fans. The speedway makes a great fall venue.

Remarkable about the festival is the fact that over the course of three days, there were only four complaints and six arrests. Of the arrests, the majority were for public intoxication (surprise),  and marijuana possession (dude). Of the four complaints, three involved theft and one came from the nearest subdivision where they complained of noise.

Its great that we can get 30,000 reasonable people together, even with alcohol, and have this few conflicts. I think it says a lot about the organizers and participants. I know the county commission was Leary to issue the permit for the event, and I'm very happy that their confidence was justified.

Its also great to see the Texas World Speedway used again as a concert venue. Thanks to everyone who helped make it a success.

Blue skies,

Sam White
www.SamWhiteRealty.com

Dear readers,

Its nice to be back after a hiatus from blogging. I didn't mean to stop, but, you know, circumstances prevailed.

First, its been a busy fall real estate wise. That's good! As I wrote earlier, our local College Station real estate market hasn't fallen out from under us. Folks are still buying, selling and investing.

Second, my laptop died. Blogging is something I do in my "free time." That usually meant early morning and late in the evening...times when I hope I am not sitting at my desk.

So, now that I have the October closings complete, it time to prospect and blog, prospect and prospect.

Best wishes for a great week!

Blue skies,

Sam White
http://www.samwhiterealty.com/