McCourt Real Estate Blog

Right away many of you immediately thought of MONEY.  And, while MONEY is a great tool for many of us to get things done, fulfill our dreams and make a difference in the lives of others - the "love" of money is not a good thing.

I always love this statement that a friend once shared with me, "Money is a poor God but a great servant!"

When I say, live RICHLY, I'm referring to:

• Rich in friendship
• Rich in kindness
• Rich in love
• Rich in gratitude
• Rich in abundance
• Rich in caring

Do you live RICHLY?

At McCourt Real Estate, our goal is to help you win at real estate.  Whether you are a real estate agent, a buyer, a seller or an investor, we want to use our expertise and our positive focus, to help you live richly.

If you want to learn more, then contact me, Caren McCourt.  I will keep the contact confidential.

If you want to just kind of observe us from the sidelines, then do feel free to by subscribing to our eNewsletter. It's the blue button on the front/home page of our website.

Live RICHLY!

The winds of West Texas continue to blow and it seems that the what came in "like a lion" is still here.  With recent hail storms and a flurry of bad weather, we also have seen not only storm clouds "swoop in" but also the many repair providers "swoop in" for business in our area.

Some have "swooped in" for the kill and are gouging the heck out of local people asking stinky things like "let me see what insurance will cover and THEN we'll provide you what our estimate of what the repair will be".  Or, one of the most common comments has been, "what's your deductible?  Well, we want you to pay that to a check to us first because we know the repair will be over that.  Youll just have to duke the rest our with your insurance company".  It's sad for everyone involved when these opportunistic price gougers descend upon your city.

How do you prevent all this?

First, get with your insurance agent and ask them the best steps to handle this.  If they won't see you or are too busy or just keep sending you to the national claims department, then it's time to go insurance agent shopping.

In speaking with our insurance agent, they recommended that for roofing issues it's best to seek a roofer out and get an estimate from them first - before connecting with an adjuster.  Why?  Because any home report is a "ding" against your insurance record.  On the auto side, by all means (according to our agent) report each and every incident but for homes seek the advice of a roofer you know, like and trust.  Which probably leaves out all the ones connecting with you from outside the area (hint: where's the phone call coming from on your caller ID).

Shop local.  Because local still has to face you in the school parking lot, at church, at the grocery store, at the baseball game and at community events, they are more likely to "shoot straight" with you than anyone else.

This is the time of the year when college letters have been sent off, a flurry of catalogs are on your table, internet research is heating up your laptop and talks of cars, homes, apartments and dorms permeate every discussion.

If you're a baby boomer who has a student going off to college this fall, then this post is for you.  You may already be wondering....how will I afford an apartment or duplex for my child at college or what am I going to do with all this space once s/he's off to higher knowledge?

It might be a time to think of downsizing your home.  Here at McCourt Real Estate we'll be happy to discuss options, alternatives and best practices.  Afterall, all of us are mom's here.  We all understand not only the emotions that new empty nesters are dealing with we know, from our very core, what mom's go through and what information would be helpful to them as they make some major decisions in their life.

This article will help your mind start thinking about adjustments that can be made...

The annual spring cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, April 4, 2009. Keep Midland Beautiful will sponsor this citywide fun event. Show your community spirit & join other concerned citizens. Lunch will be provided from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for all registered volunteers at Hogan Park. As usual, we'll also provide trash bags, safety vests, and gloves.

Help Midland remove litter – Enjoy a clean community!

We, here at McCourt Real Estate, are so proud to live in such a wonderful community that takes great pride, ownership and responsibility in keeping our community clean.

Keep Midland Beautiful Receives Prestigious State Environmental Award

Community One of Nine Governor’s Community Achievement Award Winners

Keep Texas Beautiful announced Keep Midland Beautiful as one of nine winners of the 2009 Governor’s Community Achievement Award (GCAA) for outstanding community improvement. The honor recognizes Keep Midland Beautiful with one of the most celebrated annual environmental and community improvement awards in Texas. The winners will share $1 million in landscape grants from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Keep Midland Beautiful will receive $155,000 for a landscaping project along a local state right-of-way.

Communities submitted materials to one of nine population categories and judges chose the winners based on their achievements in seven environmental and community improvement areas: community leadership and coordination, education, public awareness, litter prevention and cleanup, illegal dumping enforcement, beautification and property improvement, and solid waste management.

The accomplishments for Keep Midland Beautiful for 2008:

Keep Midland Beautiful educates and engages Midlanders in litter prevention, beautification and waste management.

AWARDS RECEIVED IN 2008

* Sustained Excellence & Gold Star Award from Keep Texas Beautiful

* President’s Circle Recognition Award from Keep America Beautiful

CLEANUPS:

* 407 organized cleanups

* 19,459 total volunteer hours

* 2,375 total tons of trash/debris removed through cleanups

* 469 tons of large items removed from alleyways

* 8,650 total number of participants in the Don’t Mess With Texas Trash Off, Make A Difference Day Annual Cleanup & Pick Up Some Trash for Cash

* Almost 98 tons of trash/debris removed at the Don’t Mess With Texas Trash Off, Make A Difference Day Annual Cleanup & Pick Up Some Trash for Cash

PUBLIC AWARENESS:

* 2,832 television minutes

* 3,498 radio minutes

* 2,454 total column inches of newspaper/magazine

* 54,000 total number of brochures/pamphlets distributed regarding mission items

* 214 total number of workshops/talks/presentations

* 159 total number of community events with KMB presence

* 1,600 vehicle litter bags & 1,000 pocket ashtrays distributed at area outlets

* Litter index delivers rating of 1.8 out of 4 (1 being best)

* 11,675 “hits” to KMB's website

BEAUTIFICATION:

* 178 – 15 gallon and 30 gallon trees planted at public parks

* Cost/Benefit analysis reveals a $1:7 return

* Trio of Gardens shares gardening tips with over 700 citizens

WASTE REDUCTION:

* 3,571 TONS of cardboard, aluminum, plastic, newsprint, and mixed paper

* 500 cars bring recyclables to Texas Recycles Day (1 every 30 seconds)

* Over 44 tons of computer EWaste kept from landfill at Texas Recycles Day

* 115 attended meeting to teach backyard composting by TAS/KMB

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION:

* Assemblies provided to 11 schools by "Environmental Entertainers"

* 14 schools collect over 27 tons of phone books for recycling

* 500 Water Awareness Kits distributed to promote conservation

* KTB & KAB Annual Conferences attended by Board Members & Staff