Columns

Buying a house in today’s market is a lot like being a kid in a candy store: there’s so much to choose from that it’s hard to know where to begin. That’s great — and a bit overwhelming — if you’re the buyer, but what if you’re the seller? The fact is, potential homebuyers have everything to gain — and sellers have everything to lose, including their hard-earned equity if they happened to buy at the top of the market when the market was hot.

Dear Weiss, I am troubled with a problem and don’t know what to do. I am part of a small group of people who have to work closely together to accomplish a particular task. Although this group is not work related and there is no compensation for the effort, it is, nonetheless, a “must work together” group effort that any one of us who would stop now would definitely end the effort.

The buildings in which we live, work, and play protect us from Nature's extremes, yet they also affect our health and environment in countless ways. The design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal of buildings takes enormous amounts of energy, water, and materials, and generates large quantities of waste, air and water pollution, as well as creating stormwater runoff and heat islands.

September is the month of change. It’s time to think about changing our gardens and preparing for the fall. If you haven’t fertilized in the last six weeks, now is the time to do it. Fall fertilizing is the most important of the year. Use a winterizer on your lawn and shrubs. Chemical fertilizer will need to be watered in after it is applied.

I went fly fishing, or fly casting, or waving a long stick over my head, or whatever-you-call-it for the first time last week. Wading upstream, I passed another fisherman. “Any luck?” I inquired. “No, but you’re here now; maybe you’ll change things. Nice hat by the way.” “Yeah, maybe I’ll drown,” I replied.

Noel- I actually really enjoyed this movie despite the fact that movie critics gave it horrible reviews. What Happens in Vegas is a romantic comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. Both reach times in their lives where they just want to get away from the norm for a while, so they head to Vegas and the way they meet is hilarious.

Robert Rahm of Hye celebrated his 80th birthday on Saturday, August 23 at his home on Deer Trail Ranch in Hye. Guests came from Boerne, San Antonio, Fair Oaks Ranch, Bandera, Georgetown Fredericksburg, Harper, Mason, Garland, Rowlett, Cedar Creek, Port Lavaca, Cibolo, Comfort, Ingram, Center Point, Castroville, Southlake, Cedar Park, Austin, Blanco, Lavernia, Dripping Springs, Doss, and Hye.

Births September 6, 1968 Mr. and Mrs. Gene A. Sleven are the proud parents of a baby daughter, Amanda Sue, born on Monday, August 5, at 7:45 p.m. at Johnson City Memorial Hospital in Franklin, Indiana. Little Susie weighed in at 8 pounds, 12 ounces and was 22 inches tall. Maternal grandparents are Mr.

AUSTIN - The Texas Transportation Commission on Aug. 29 met and voted in response to an Aug. 21 letter signed by Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick urging the commission to get rolling on the issuance of highway construction bonds. The five-member commission, appointed by the governor to oversee the Texas Department of Transportation, voted unanimously to issue $1.5 billion in highway construction bonds to support 2009 projects that would have been unfunded or underfunded because of a $1.1 billion shortfall. Commission Chair Dierdre Delisi said she has instructed TxDOT to identify projects that are ready to move forward and expects TxDOT to present these projects to the commission later this month. By amending the Texas Constitution, voters gave the state permission to issue short term highway construction bonds when they approved Prop.

The occasional impulse buy can be fun. Just throw an extra treat into your grocery cart or pick up that great-looking jacket and plunk down your credit card. But a house? You don’t hear many people say, “Guess what I bought while I was out this morning?” and finish that thought with, “A house.” It’s a good thing, too.