AmeriTex Builders, Inc.

Be prepared for safe summer paddling by Steve Sherman
With increased traffic on the lake and
river, paddlers should heighten their sense
of awareness and safety. Kayaks are a lot
of fun, but they are no match for speeding powerboats and jet-skis on the lake.
Fast-running water on the river can cause
problems for paddlers, too.
As a paddler, be prepared for:
Other traffic – Whether its powerboats, sailboats or inner tubes,
watch where they are going and plan your direction accordingly. Give
everyone (especially fishermen) a wide berth and be considerate of
others on the water.
Low light conditions - Stay visible. Make others aware of you by
packing a flashlight, whistle or air horn and be ready to use it.
High UV conditions – Wear a hat. Use and pack the appropriate
level sunscreen.
Spills – Be ready for an unexpected swim. Practice getting back
in/on your kayak. Wear appropriate clothing and shoes (water socks,
etc.), and always wear your PFD (Personal Floatation Device).
Longer outings than expected – Leave a float plan with someone
who will notify others if you don’t return. Beginning a trip, we all
have more energy and tend to take on more than we should. Remember, you may have to paddle equally as far to get back and you may
be paddling against the wind or current.
Weather changes – Check the weather forecast before you go.
Many of the safety items mentioned above are available from
your local hardware store.
Have proper floatation for you and your boat. If you paddle a
sit-on-top kayak, your boat has inherent floatation. If you paddle
a sit-in boat, add floatation inside the bow and stern. If you don’t
have kayak floatation bags for this purpose, use collapsible water
containers that are filled with air or extra PFDs to keep your boat
afloat.
Never paddle under the influence of alcohol or drugs and avoid
water and weather conditions beyond your skill level.
Be aware, be safe and enjoy some of the best paddling in
Texas.
Steve and Lyndy Sherman manage Canyon Lake ACE Hardware.
Having tried powerboats and sailboats, their boat of choice is a
16-foot, two-seat kayak. For more information, call 964-2797.
Canyon Lake Ace
Wimberley Ace
Phone: 830-964-2797
1150 FM 2673
Canyon Lake, TX 78133
www.CanyonLakeAce.com
Phone: 512-847-2356
14307 Ranch Road 12
Wimberley, TX 78676
www.WimberleyAce.com
The helpful place.
Unbeatable Customer Service,
Selection, Competitive Prices,
and Close to Home
Is your builder registered with the TRCC?
by Mike Jones
About three years ago the State of Texas passed a law that all
homebuilders in the state are required to be registered, and register
their projects. Each new home that is built now should be recorded
with the Texas Residential Construction Commission.
The mission of the TRCC is to promote quality construction for
Texans by registering industry members and residential construction projects; providing information and educating homeowners
and the residential construction industry; acting as a resource for
complainants; and offering a neutral, technical review of alleged
post-construction defects.
All builders in Texas are required to register with the commission if they build new homes or work on an interior remodeling
job that either costs $20,000 or more, or that – regardless of cost
– changes the square footage of the home’s living space.
Registration includes a criminal background check and requires
builders to provide a set of minimum warranties for their work.
Before hiring a builder, consumers should ask for proof of
registration or contact the commission to make sure the builder
is a reputable, registered business. The commission has an online
searchable database to verify builder registration. The database
contains all current registered builders’ names, DBAs, cities and
registration numbers. You can also search through the information
for registered homes built or being built if you have a little information on the builder you are inquiring about. Consumers may
also verify a builder registration by calling 877-651-TRCC. The
website address is www.trcc.state.tx.us. Registered builders should
have a commission-issued registration certificate or wallet card to
Canyon Lake Views
verify proof of registration. Ask to see it.
Most builders in compliance are proud
to display these prominently.
Consumers should always ask for references when hiring a builder. It is also
a good idea to contact the local chamber
of commerce or Better Business Bureau
for more information about anyone who
may work on your home.
Most of this information came directly from the TRCC website.
Mike and Jan Jones, a husband and wife team who live in Wimberley, have owned and operated AmeriTex Builders, Inc. for five
years. Mike has 30 years of hands-on experience in various phases of home construction and oversees every stage of construction
to ensure excellence in craftsmanship. For more information, call
Mike at 866-847-6800 or visit www.AmeritexBuildersInc.com.
AmeriTex Builders, Inc.
Quality Construction at Affordable Prices
1-866-847-6800 Toll Free • 512-847-6800
310 Ranch Road 3237 just East of RR12 • Wimberley
www.AmeritexBuildersInc.com • TRCC #1597
Page 13 July 2007
Ken Raba
Changes in technology
and real estate
and The
BROKEN ROPE BAND
by Jerry McHugh
Wed • 4th of July Jubilee • 1:30pm
Ozona Bank Grounds in Wimberley
Friday • July 6th • 7:30pm
Spechts Store
Saturday • July 7th • 12:pm
Hondos in Fredericksburgh
Saturday • July 7th • 9pm
The Shanty • FM306 at 2673
Friday • July 20th • 8:30pm
TX 46 in Spring Branch
I was watching an old movie on television a few nights ago. The movie was Sierra Madre with Humphrey Bogart. It was
made in the late 1930’s or early 40’s. Of
course, it was black and white, no color. As I watched, I realized the technological changes that have occurred since that
time. At one point, Humphrey was on the road and looking for
a place to stop and make a phone call. I’m thinking, just call
512-557-5960
him on your cell phone. Oops, hadn’t happened yet. There was
no television set in his hotel room. He paid for the room with
www.KenRaba.com
cash. When was the last time you did that?
When I went to work for Texaco in the 1970’s, there was no
Internet. The few computers were huge main frame ones that took
up a whole floor of the building. No PC’s. Administrative people
still used typewriters, and made carbon copies. Copy machines
were very expensive, slow and made black and white copies
only. Long distance calls were very expensive, and limited. You
didn’t have the teleconferencing
capabilities of today, so busi6OLUME)SSUE
#ANYON,AKE4EXAS
ness that needed
to be handled face to face involved travel. There
6OLUME)SSUE
$ECEMBER*ANUARY
were no#ANYON,AKE4EXAS
fax machines
so documents had to be marked through
$ECEMBER*ANUARY
Promote your business to over 7,500 addresses for a fraction of
the postal service, which took days or even weeks.
the normal cost of direct mail and link to our website too!
All of these technological changes have made a great impact
on the real estate industry as well. Consumers now have access
CALL 512-644-2093
to so much more information, through individual web sites and
others such as Realtor.com. Most county appraisal districts have
their information online, also. Years ago the multiple listing ser“I think that any business that tries the Canyon Lake Views
vice involved typewritten pages of listings that required constant
will be amazed at the response.”
manual updating. Most MLS’s now are online with almost inJamie Landry
stant updates, so gathering information for comparative market
“The first day the magazine landed with my business feature,
analyses is so much more accurate and up to date than in the
we got 20 new customers. We asked and we counted.”
past.
Judy Ward, Texas Elegance Emporium & Bakery
Obviously, all these advances provide greater information
“The response from our ad has been great.”
for
buyers,
sellers, and real estate personnel. But in the final
www.CanyonLakeViews.com
Rick Scudder, Discount Doors
analysis, it still comes down to the human element. The cell
www.CanyonLakeViews.com
Views you can use today
“I’ve been receiving good feedback from my articles.”
phones, computers and other technology can help in the process,
Views
you
can use today
Justin King, Liquors at the Lake & Liquor on the River
but the actual negotiations and interactions in the transaction are
between people. This is where individual traits such as trust, re“I’m getting calls from my ad and making sales.”
spect and honesty come into play.
Bryan Harwell, B&H Custom Siding & Windows
Canyon
Canyon
LakLeake
VIEWS
VIEWS
VIEWS
S
Canyon Lake Views
Canyon Lake Views
www.CanyonLakeViews.com
Creative Consulting
Page 1
Page 1
December 2006 / January 2007
December 2006 / January 2007
Jerry McHugh and his wife, Marcy, own Lakeside Realty in Hancock where Jerry is the Broker. They also own and operate JM
Property Management and are a full service real estate office in
both sales and rentals. Call them at 830-935-2911.
830-935-2911
0#AND-!#).4/3(
We use what you have and make it better
Spyware and Virus Removal, Tutoring, Wireless Networking,
Hardware and Software, Websites, Photography
om
/ January 2007
sWWW'ARY0OSSCOMs'ARY 'ARY0OSSCOM
Canyon Lake Views
18200 FM306, Suite 120 • Hancock Plaza
www.LakesideRealtyTexas.com • [email protected]
Jerry McHugh, Owner/Broker
Page 14
Marcy McHugh, Owner/Realtor
July 2007
Refinancing your home mortgage
by Oscar Dupre
Mortgage refinancing is a way to change your financial situ1) Are you looking to lower your mortation. The reasons for refinancing are numerous and there are gage payment?
several options available when you do decide to refinance your
2) Do you want to pay down your loan
home. First, educate yourself so when it come time to refinance faster over a shorter period of time?
you are ready and able to go forward with the confidence to obtain
3) Do you want to get cash out of your
the possible refi package for your particular situation.
equity to pay off bills or take an extended
When is the best time to refinance? The answer really depends vacation that is long over due?
on what you want from the refinance. A popular time is when
The main thing you want to look for when you refinance your
rates drop and you can better your payment. Your financial goals mortgage is to consider the options you have and what your finanwill also be a determining factor when you refinance. When you cial needs and goals will be in the future.
do a mortgage refinance, you need to consider where you want (financially) to be in 15 to 20
Oscar Dupre, TSML# 51700, is
years. This will help detera Mortgage Broker for Omega
Omega mOrtgage COmpany
mine not only whether you
Mortgage Company and has
should refinance but also
Office: 830-964-2230 • Cell: 512-695-8978
been a Canyon Lake resident
what kind of refinancing
since 1986. Visit www.OmeOsCar Dupre
2254 Johnson Road
would be best for you and
gaMortgageCompany.com for a
Serving Texas from Canyon Lake
Canyon Lake, TX 78133
your particular situation.
free pre-qualification. For more
Mortgage Broker Lic. #51700
[email protected]
Here are some questions
information, call Oscar at 830www.OmegaMortgageCompany.com
when you are considering
964-2230.
refinancing.
Using all your senses to get the most out of sampling wines
by Justin King
Most people know when sampling wines that you look, smell
and taste. Customers often ask how to get the most out of the
character of a wine. I find it difficult to explain to my customers
the differences in taste and character, however, the following are
some guidelines to use when tasting.
When tasting wine, think of body in terms of milk: skim milkwhole milk-heavy cream. Skim milk is light bodied, whole milk
is medium bodied and heavy cream is full bodied. Besides the
grape telling you about the wines, the region can also. Light bodied wines usually come from cooler places. Full bodied wines
usually come from warmer places.
The following are steps in tasting.
Sight. Look at the wine against a white background like a napkin. Whites range from pale yellow-green to straw-yellow to yellow-gold. Reds range from dark pink to ruby red to inky dark
purple, but the red comes from the grape skins. The juice is clear.
Generally, the darker color of the wine, the fuller the body, for
both whites and reds. Look at the “tears” to tell you whether the
wine is light or full bodied.
Smell. Swirl the glass (to release the aromas). Hold the glass
up to your nose and inhale. You are looking for the winey smell of
fruit, and to make sure the wine is in good condition, not musty,
not vinegary.
Taste. Tastes are sweet, sour, and bitter. Sweetness is tasted on
the tip of the tongue. Acidity or tartness or tanginess is tasted on
the sides. Bitterness is on the back, and fruit gets noticed in the
middle. Take a small amount of wine into your mouth, letting the
inhalation aerate the wine and swallow. (By drawing in air, you
utilize your nasal passage to detect more character)
Canyon Lake Views
Touch. Take a sip and focus on how it
feels in your mouth or how the touch of
the wine effects your mouth, tongue, and
throat as you swallow.
Overall impression. Mentally combine your impressions from evaluating
the wine’s appearance, smell, taste, and
body/finish. I urge my customers to visit
the many wineries we have here in Central Texas. For a listing of
the wineries in Texas and a map how to get to them visit www.
GoTexanWine.org
Justin King is the owner of Liquor on the River in Sattler and
Liquors at the Lake in Startzville. He can be reached on the River
at 830-964-2673 or at the Lake, 830-899-5626, or by email at
[email protected]. If you would like to know when
tastings or special sales are planned, email them to be included
on their Friends’ List.
Liquor • Wine • Cigars
Justin King, Owner
Liquors at the Lake
830-899-5626
8088 FM2673 • Startzville
Page 15
Liquor on the River
830-964-2673
1391 FM2673 • Sattler
February 2007