When kids were asked what they were going to do with the money they earned, some replied they were going to “spend it!” Others decided to give the money they raised to their church. The main point is that the children learned how to work for money and learned that they had the freedom to decide what they were going to do with the profit they earned. They were allowed to feel grown up and allowed a taste of the real world. This type of experience excites children and allows them the freedom to make decisions for themselves.

Sunday May 6 was Lemonade Day in 31 cities across America and Canada, including Bryan and College Station. When Lemonade Day first began, it included about 2,700 kids. Now, more than 120,000 kids across these 31 cities participate in the day. Lemonade Day was started as a program to give experience to children, teaching them entrepreneurship skills. Kids learn to plan, start, and operate a business through their experiences with Lemonade Day.

Kids were offered the chance to mark their lemonade stands on a map online that would be available to the community on Lemonade Day. The stand locations were given the opportunity to be published not only to the online map, but also to Facebook, Twitter, and via email.

The goal is to prepare children to be empowered future citizens. Upon registering, each child received a backpack that contained an Entrepreneur Workbook, teaching them 14 lessons that are a central part of Lemonade Day. They learned how to create budgets, how to set profit-making goals, how to serve customers, how to repay investors, and how to give back to the community. In addition to learning how to perform these skills, they also learned the value of the skills. The children are also taught how to set goals for themselves, how to problem solve, and how to gain self-esteem which will aid them in their future endeavors for success.

On Lemonade Day, children are allowed to keep all of the money that they make and are encouraged by adults to spend some of their money, save some of it, and share some of it with others less fortunate.

Lemonade Day teaches kids a very special and specific set of skills from financial literacy and economics, to college readiness and career, to life skills and personal development, and of course academics. The financial literacy and economics that the kids learn include subjects like capital equipment and consumables, supply and demand, credit, debt, gross and net income, marginal utility, return on investment and compound interest. To prepare kids for college, they are exposed to critical thinking and collaboration, interest in attending college, civic responsibility, customer service, teamwork and problem solving and presentation skills and design. Children also learn life skills and personal development such as leadership, the belief that attaining goals is within reach, personal productivity, self-direction and time management, social responsibility and charity, high order thinking and social skills and self confidence. The day also increases the kids’ academic capacities such as math calculations, reading and interpreting data, and oral and written communication.

Lemonade Day offers an online website for kids to register and sign up on. Lemonade Day sponsors and partners include many businesses and individuals in the area, including Dick and Linda Lester, Lenae Heubner, Atmos Energy, Double Dave’s Pizzaworks, James and Paula Lancaster, Research Valley, Len and Nancy Berry, Mathnasium, Caldwell Companies, AgniTEK, Wells Fargo, Research Valley Funds, Blue Baker, Documation, Copy Corner, Kroger, Ecolyse, Brazos Valley Small Business Development Center, College Station ISD, Bryan Broadcasting, The Eagle, Chamber of Commerce, Bryan ISD, Sideshow Creative, the City of College Station, KBTX Media, Brazos Monthly, KAMU, Mays Business School, AbouTown Press, KAGS, and the City of Bryan.

If you like to help out with and work with children, then you may want to consider becoming a volunteer for Lemonade Day. Volunteers are necessary to run Lemonade Day and are needed to stuff backpacks that are given out to the children to teach them entrepreneurship, spread the news about Lemonade Day by distributing materials to local schools and youth organizations, register youth to participate at special events going on in the community, and lastly you can help out by blogging, tweeting, or sharing information about Lemonade Day online or through Facebook!

PS -  Susan Hilton is Bryan College Station, Texas’ real estate specialist in foreclosure sales and real estate agent career building so if you need help – CALL!             979-219-3970

When Spoons Yogurt came to College Station, I heard the rumors. I still remember the frenzy it caused. Every night, the line to get frozen yogurt from Spoons went well out of the door. Students wore t-shirts with Spoons logo plastered across the front, and conversations often centered around how many frequent spooner rewards kids had racked up. After buying a certain amount of frozen yogurt, you won a free shirt or one of several prize options.

Over the next few years, I remember watching several frozen yogurt places pop up around town. Now, Aggieland would not be complete without its array of frozen yogurt shops. Spoons has three locations total now, and six other companies have also appeared recently around the town including Red Mango, Yogurtland, Froyoyo, Tutti Frutti, Happy Yogurt, and Project: Yogurt.

This craze began six years ago in South Korea, eventually crossing the Pacific over into California. The first froyo chain, Pinkberry, opened in the US opened in West Hollywood in 2005. The store was opened in a location with bad parking conditions, the owner never anticipated how successful her business would be. People flocked to Pinkberry, parking illegally on the blocks surrounding the store, desperate for their froyo. The city was reported to have been taking in close to $15,000 each month from parking tickets from Pinkberry customers alone.

Customers love the concept of self-served, pay-by-weight dessert. It gives the customer more freedom than he or she has ever before had. Upon walking in, you can select what size bowl you want, then what flavors of frozen yogurt you prefer. Each froyo machine contains three flavors, two individual flavors and one that is a combination of the other two. Individuals are also allowed as many sample cups as they want to sample as many or as few flavors as they prefer. Customers can fill their bowl with however many flavors, and however much they would like of each flavor. After selecting the froyo, customers make their way to the toppings bar. A plentiful selection of chopped fruits and berries are offered to sprinkle onto your frozen yogurt. Cereals, granola, and nuts abound in another topping section, and finally candy bar bits and pieces are also available. After topping your froyo, you can cover your creation in any variety of sauces or whipped cream.

One of the strongest attractions to frozen yogurt is the fact that if you exclude the toppings, the frozen yogurt itself is about half the calories of ice cream, high in calcium, non fat, and contains millions of probiotics including lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus. These live and active cultures offer your body many health benefits and boost your immune system, increase joint health, and help with flexibility. Not only does froyo appeal to the individual with a sweet tooth, but also to the health conscious individual looking for a healthy option for dessert.

Spoons Yogurt
Spoons Yogurt was started by a group of students in a Mays Business Fellows program on campus working on a project for a business model. The students then pitched their idea to a former Aggie who was anxious to open a business in the area. Spoons quickly became one of the most successful new businesses in College Station.
Popular Flavors: Chocolate Malt Milkshake, Snickerdoodle, and Root Beer Float
Price Per Ounce: $0.39
Addresses:

Website: spoonsyogurt.com

Project: Yogurt
This business donates 10 percent of sales to charities in town. Partnering with five local non-profit organizations in the area, Project: Yogurt also provides a drop box for customers to donate change or bills to the charities. Project: Yogurt was able to donate $1,300 to charities in the first quarter the store was opened.
Popular Flavors: Dreamy Chocolate, Birthday Cake, and So Espresso
Price Per Ounce: $0.39
Address:
725 East Villa Maria
Bryan, TX 77802
(979) 823-1783
Website: projectyogurt.com

Red Mango
This business is part of a Korean-based chain headquartered in Dallas and an international franchise. Like Pinkberry, it originated on the West Coast and began the froyo trend. Red Mango also offers fruit smoothies and parfaits.
Popular Flavors: Pomegranate, Madagascar Vanilla, and Raspberry Cheesecake
Price Per Ounce: $0.39
Address:
614 Holleman Drive East
College Station, TX 77840
(979) 696-1840
Website: redmangousa.com

Froyoyo
Froyoyo not only sells your typical frozen yogurt, they also offer a special type of froyo called “Only 8.” This signifies that certain froyos they serve is made up of the following eight things: water, fructose, grade A Kosher whey, whey protein concentrate, maltodextrin, natural flavoring and stabilizers, calcium, and active yogurt cultures.
Popular Flavors: Yellow Cake Batter, “Only 8” Vanilla, and Peanut Butter
Price Per Ounce: $0.39
Address:
913 Harvey Road
College Station, TX 77840
(979) 703-4465
Website: froyoyo.com

Yogurtland
This business is one of over 130 locations nationwide. They offer unusual toppings that keep customers on their toes, such as Asian red beans and lychee fruits. Yogurtland creates their own proprietary frozen yogurt, allowing them to offer the lowest prices for froyo in town ($0.30 per ounce).
Fruit-infused water is free to all guests as well.
Popular Flavors: Double Cookies and Cream, Key Lime Bar, and Fresh Strawberry
Price Per Ounce: $0.30
Address:
1800 South Texas Avenue
College Station, TX 77840
(979) 693-1500
Website: yogurt-land.com

So when you are driving around College Station and are ready for a cup of frozen yogurt… Call me! I might meet you there.

PS -  Susan Hilton is Bryan College Station, Texas’ real estate specialist in foreclosure sales and real estate agent career building so if you need help – CALL!             979-219-3970

Housing and lending discrimination is something common that occurs when an individual attempts to buy or rent a home, but also when they try to buy homeowner’s insurance or a mortgage. Millions of complaints are still filed each year through nonprofit fair-housing agencies and other local and state agencies.

Housing discrimination isn’t always obvious, and is something that is still prevalent today in our society.

Sarah, a young mother, in Toledo, OH, was searching for a house where she and her daughter could live for a reasonable price. After searching for months, she found a two-bedroom condo that they could live in. When she called the rental office, her excitement grew as she listened to the description of it. However, this anticipation was quickly killed when she was informed that children were not allowed in the complex. Sarah, who worked for Toledo Fair Housing Center, knew that the “no kids” policy was illegal. After a testing investigation and discovered the rental company was illegally discriminating. Sarah filed a formal complaint and the rental company is negotiating a settlement.

Joseph had lived in his apartment in Takoma Park, Maryland, for over five years when the management was turned over to a new company. All of the tenants in the units were African American. Shortly after the turn-over, the new management evicted all tenants except for one who was allowed to live in a basement and was limited to building access from a side entrance to the apartment complex. Though the landlord claimed massive renovations, leading to increased rent, these renovations were completed within a week and new tenants moved into the building, none of whom were African American.  Joseph’s local fair housing center was able to discover that all of the company’s other units were managed in the same way and demonstrated the same discrimination. Joseph filed a complaint against the new management’s illegal behaviors.

Leah and her husband Brad were looking for a new place to live in San Jose, California. Leah is blind and is guided by her Seeing Eye dog to get around. After finding a promising listing in the local paper, the couple decided to make an appointment to meet with management and see the property.  When they were showed around the apartment, the couple were pleased by what they saw and made an appointment to apply for the apartment. However, when they met with the owner, she promptly informed them that they were not allowed to have any pets and “if [she] let [them] have one, everyone will want one.” Though the couple explained that their dog was a service animal, the owner would not compromise. She allowed them to fill out the application, without any intention of renting to the couple. Leah and her husband filed a complaint to a federal court to make sure that others in their situation would not fall under the same discrimination and the couple won a settlement from the owner who would not rent to them.

The following activities are not permissible under the Fair Housing Act when based on discrimination:

• Refusal to sell or rent housing
• Refusal to negotiate with an individual for housing
• Making housing unavailable to an individual
• Setting different terms, conditions, or privileges for sale or rental
• Providing different housing services or facilities
• False denial that housing is available for inspection, sale or rental
• Persuading owners to sell or rent for one’s own profit
• Denial of access to a facility or service related to the sale of housing
• Refusal to make reasonable accommodations in rules or services if necessary for a disabled person to use housing
• Refusal to allow a disabled person to make reasonable accommodations to his/her dwelling
• Threat towards anyone making a fair housing complaint
• Refusal to provide municipal services, property insurance or hazard insurance for dwellings, or providing such services or insurance differently

It is important for you to be aware of your rights and to utilize the laws that have been set in place. Most individuals who are discriminated against in housing are not aware, or take no action to prohibit it. If this problem is not stopped little by little, it will continue to exist and thousands of others for generations to come will continue to experience discrimination.

If you need to report a complaint, include the following information: your name and address, the name and address of the person your complaint is against, the address of the housing involved, a short description of the event that caused you to believe your rights were violated, and the date(s) of the alleged violation.

If you need to reach your local HUD office, call 1-800-669-9777, TDD 1-800-927-9275 or visit HUD.gov.

To identify the private housing enforcement office in your area, call 202-898-1661 or visit the National Fair Housing Alliance.

Remember we are here to help you purchase a home in Bryan College Station, Texas. Aggies Don’t Discriminate!”

Thanks!

David

PS – David Whitener, I never forget you have a choice when choosing a Realtor to represent you in Bryan/College Station. 

That’s right, the last two weekends here in Bryan/College Station were dominated by the semi-annual HBA Parade of Homes.  Not only did visitors get their fill of beautiful and perfectly staged homes, they also got the chance to check out each of the builders work and judge for themselves how these builders measured up to the competition.

The RNL Homebuilders home in Castle Rock seemed to be one of the favorite homes of many visitors this year and most were impressed by the level of quality and features included at this moderately-priced home.  Building on 25 years of custom home-building experience, Ricardo Reyna, the owner of RNL Homebuilders, has expanded his business to this area after both of his son and daughter attended Texas A&M University and fell in love with the Brazos Valley so much that they convinced their father to move here.  At RNL, business is definitely a family-affair as Ricardo (the Father), Nora (the Daughter), and Luis (the Son) all play a very hands-on role throughout the design, construction, and completion phases of building a custom home.  And best of all, they have 24 lots in the highly-desirable Castle Rock community for you to choose from and truly create your dream home.

Maybe you don’t have the time or patience to build a house from start-to-finish yourself, and that’s definitely okay because they have several homes that are at various stages in the construction process that still allow you the freedom to choose some of the finishes to suit your individual taste, such as granite, cabinetry, and paint colors.  The Reyna’s have worked extremely hard to make the RNL brand stand for high-end design and extremely high-quality and it is shown throughout each home, as they spend money on higher-quality materials and construction techniques that they would have to, in order to give their home buyers the best possible home available.  They start with an extra-reinforced foundation that is 6” deeper than almost anyone else’s, then they use higher-grade lumber, all stone and brick exteriors, and top-of-the-line A/C systems to create an extremely quality product.  The high-end design elements are shown through the use of handscraped Hickory wood floors, double-layer crown molding, soft-close cabinetry, designer paint colors and custom tile surrounds – not to mention that Nora is the in-house interior desig
ner who will guide you each step of the way to ensure that your home is as perfect as it should be!  Overall, RNL Homebuilders has a phenomenal product and a great business model that should fit very well in the B/CS community and make them extremely successful with the buyers in the market which means that they will be around for a long time.

If you didn’t get a chance to see the RNL Homebuilders house during the Parade of Homes, head to www.RNLHomebuilders.com for plenty of pictures and more information and call Luke Marvel at 979-217-1162 for a private showing!

One of these new laws directly concerns the general homestead exemption. This exemption pertains to most, if not all of individual homeowners in some way. But it would hardly be considered an exemption if every home received the break. So, in order for a home to qualify for the general homestead exemption, it must meet certain criteria. First, it must be the primary residence of the homeowner. Second, the property must be owned by an individual (so basically not owned by a business or corporation). Also, the property must be the principal residence of the individual as of January 1st of that tax year. A home must also qualify as a homestead: any kind of separate structure, condominium, or manufactured home located on privately owned land. It also can be on land of up to 20 acres given that the land is owned by the homeowner and used for residential purposes.

So what is this new change in laws regarding property tax exemptions in Texas? For the homestead exemption, the recently applied ‘House Bill 252’ requires all applicants of the homestead exemption to provide a copy of the homeowner’s state driver’s license or identification card. It also mandates the presentation of the homeowners vehicle registration receipt to be sent with the exemption application. And for homeowners without vehicle ownership, the new bill allows for a simple substitution. Applicants for the homestead exemption that don’t own any vehicles may send in their current utility bill that provides their name and address, along with an official declaration indicating the homeowner’s lack of vehicle ownership.

Though, it is important to note that these requirements are not necessary for homeowners who applied for the homestead exemption before the changes in legislation. Upon applying, it will not be necessary to re-apply unless your principal residence moves or you receive a new application to be processed from your regional tax office.

The reason for these new measures might seem unusual to those bothered by the extra required documentation for the application of a property tax exemption. Yet, according to Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, “The homestead exemption is intended to help relieve the tax burden of Texas full-time residents. This new legislation ensures that the system is working fairly and legally.” Regardless, a few extra papers and methods of identification are hardly anything new in government processes. And if they help provide for a relief on a homeowner’s property tax, the extra hassle is definitely worth the return.

Changes in the requirements for homestead exemptions are not all that have changed with the recent passing of property tax legislation. All homeowners seeking for the ‘Over 65 years of age’ exemption, as well as the disabled exemption, the disabled veteran’s exemption, the extended exemption for a homeowner’s surviving spouse, and the mobile home exemption are all subjected to the requirements mandated by the new law. Though, certain aspects of a few particular exemptions have been elaborated upon.

First of all, under the new law, Texas will now give property tax breaks to the spouses of 100% disabled veteran’s. The old exemption had always provided a full relief for veterans who had declared 100% disability from a service related incident. Now, however, the spouses of these veterans are also allowed that relief, should the veteran die. Also, for the spouses of homeowners who qualify for the 65 year old tax exemption may qualify for a property tax ceiling, given they are 55 years or older. These tax ceilings allow for the cost of the property tax to go below the provided ceiling, but never to exceed it.

Another alteration in the requirements for exemptions from property tax includes particular circumstances regarding manufactured homes (or mobile homes). Owners of these vehicles must provide documentation in addition to their proof of residency: including proof of purchase of their mobile home, as well as a statement of location and ownership provided by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

Of all these adjustments in the requirements and procedures of Texas Property Tax Exemptions, there are still many exceptions and exclusion that accompany all documented legislation. For the best source regarding individual qualification for tax exemptions and specific county property taxes, it is best to confer with the Brazos Valley County tax office, or through whichever particular county your principal residence is located in.

Susan Hilton

PS -  Susan Hilton is Bryan College Station, Texas’ real estate specialist in foreclosure sales and real estate agent career building so if you need help – CALL!             979-219-3970

Fannie Mae is in fact the largest lender throughout the United States. And the current exponential growth of their real estate ownership is primarily due to the incredible number of recent foreclosures. It is a reality of the market that when a bank forecloses on a house, businesses like Fannie Mae stoop in to relieve the Bank of their loss, while turning a small profit of their own in return. However, with the drastic quantity of foreclosures across the nation, the prices and values of these homes have plummeted. And now more than ever these foreclosed homes that are being re-released into the market are selling at some of the lowest prices out there.

So what is this program? And how can a prospective home buyer use it?

The program is called HomePath, and can be used through navigation of the website address, www.homepath.com. This program offers many advantages, including the convenience of an online web page. However, it also gives buyers and lenders a more relaxed approach to the finance requirements. In other words, you’re not just buying the house through Fannie Mae: you’re also getting access to the HomePath mortgage and buying process.

The advantages of a loan through Fannie Mae’s HomePath program are surprisingly appealing. First, home buyers are required to make a down-payment of as little as 3% the total cost of the home. Along with this, neither mortgage insurance nor appraisals are required. And to top it all off, the requirements for credit scores are much more flexible than your average loan. So for potential home-owners, looking for a great deal as well as an opportunity to start over or begin fresh, this program is particularly appealing.

So how can you use this program? First off, if you go to the HomePath website and browse through the homes by location, price range, size, number of bedrooms and baths, etc., you will find a button that reads “Make an Offer.” Upon clicking this you will view a note explaining how all offers must be submitted by licensed real estate agents. As a licensed real estate agent, you will then have the opportunity to register for a profile through HomePath.

As a registered member of HomePath, a Realtor is allowed to place offers on homes and evaluate them in various ways. The program also offers assistance in finding homes of outstanding affordability through the “Great Buys” link. Some homes will be listed as “Needing Renovation.” Fannie Mae then allows for eligible home buyers to use the HomePath Renovation tool, which will actually help to finance the repairs on the home. This aspect of the program literally assists in financing the repairs for distressed properties that need a little help before they are entirely ready for people to be living in them.

When all is done, and properties have been weighed, examined, and inspected by home buyers and realtors alike, HomePath allows for the purchase of properties through the website itself. As stated before, there is the “Make an Offer” button, which requires the login of a licensed real estate professional. But then beyond that there is even a way to “Offer to Purchase.” This can be done conveniently and effectively through the website since HomePath actually offers the required documentation via upload. Many of these forms may then be submitted online through the Realtors account, or uploaded through the website immediately.

Once you have completed the forms and agreed to the terms and conditions required by the website, you have an opportunity to confirm your offer or cancel. Listing agents then have the option of receiving the offer, rejecting it, countering it, or entering it into a ‘multiple offers round.’ If the offer is accepted it is the buyer’s responsibility to contact the listing agent. If it is rejected, countered, or entered into a multiple offers round the buyer can then either revise their offer, or withdraw/rescind their offer.

The entire process of purchasing homes through HomePath is quite simple and will be a leading design for future online real estate. And through the knowledge and guidance of a licensed Realtor, nothing can be simpler. The only complication, perhaps, comes through the possibility of multiple offers. But all in all, the development of Fannie Mae’s new online program, HomePath, home buyers all over Texas and the United States have the opportunity to buy houses at lower prices and with better mortgage deals than ever before.

PS -  Susan Hilton is Bryan College Station,
Texas’ real estate specialist in foreclosure sales and real estate
agent career building so if you need help –
CALL!             979-219-3970

You have seen them, dogs and their owners.  Dogs love the the sidewalks as they lead the way on their leashes.  Most dog walkers have real doggy bags on their leashes.  It is exciting to see and know that the sidewalks are clean of debris for everyone.  The sidewalks are wide enough for dogs and their owners can walk and still give way to other pedestrians.  If you have a beagle, like me, you know that having a wide sidewalk helps.  I promise, my beagle Riley-Puppy, does not lift his nose from the ground the whole time we are on a walk.   Sometimes I think he is hunting for a beagle that smells just like him.  He will always leads the way around the 2.25 mile sidewalk straight to our front door.
Kids love the sidewalks because it leads them straight to Forest Ridge in the morning.  It is thrilling to see all the parents that ride their bikes next to their kids every morning.   Kids need sidewalks to ride bikes.  Recently, I saw that the sidewalk was cleared of all the underbrush that was between the sidewalk, fence and Forest Ridge.  This way kids can be seen. Thank you, city of College Station and Castlegate HOA!

You may not know this, but the sidewalk changes in elevation more than you realize.  You do not notice the hills in the car, but when you are running your legs will not miss them. These sidewalks are so much better  than running on  graded street.  There is a half mile downhill, and you guessed it, a half mile uphill around the northeast sidewalk.   There are flats, curves, wooden bridges and lots of turn offs that lead to other streets in the neighborhood.  Read some of the shirts people are wearing while running.  You will see several people with running event shirts while training on these sidewalks.  5K, 10K, ½ marathons and marathons shirts are running past you all the time.

Hopefully, if you have not utilized the sidewalk in Castlegate, you will now.  Spring is among us so get out there and walk your dog, ask your kid if they want to be a bike rider today or go for a 10 K run.

Keep them clean and keep it classy.

Steve Santos “My REALTOR”

PS - I’m Steve Santos, I do what I say I will do, some times more just never less

From 5-10 p.m. downtown Bryan offers First Friday, an event for the cities of Bryan and College Station and surrounding areas to join together and have an enjoyable evening. Whether your evening consists primarily of dining out and visiting with friends or bringing the kids along for a carriage ride and movie, the choice is yours.

Madden’s Casual Gourmet is a popular favorite spot for dinner. All of their food is made from scratch, including every soup and mayonnaise on the menu. Chef Madden is constantly seeking to widen the variety on his menu and challenging himself to find additional flavorful combinations for customers. Madden’s uses top quality products and their presentation of food is nothing short of artistic. The restaurant strives to provide only the freshest ingredients for their customers. Relationships with local producers and manufacturers, as well as a garden of their own, provide Madden’s with top quality food. Madden’s also hosts a movie night for families on First Friday. Movies such as Alice in Wonderland, Thumbelina and the Blind Side have been played in the past.

Wine bars and coffee houses are hotspots at any time in downtown Bryan but take on a certain quaintness on First Friday. The Village Downtown is an art café that specializes in soup, salad, pastries, and sandwiches. The Village offers a place for live music, and an art gallery which support their mission to create an awareness of all things local in the Brazos Valley. Downtown Uncorked Wine Bar is located next to the Village Café and is a place to come and take a load off while you enjoy a glass of wine. Revolution Cafe & Bar is another venue offering live music and artwork.

The historic buildings of downtown Bryan are beautifully constructed and create a feeling of being back in the early 1900’s, when the Carnegie Library was built. This library, located in downtown Bryan, served as the community’s library for nearly 70 years before becoming a center that houses stacks of files and books of the city’s history. The LaSalle Hotel is another historic building that has been renovated. When it first opened in 1928, this hotel was seven stories tall and contained 100 guest rooms. It also housed a ballroom, a meeting space, and several small businesses including a tailor, a barber and a café. The hotel went through several conversions, and a period of being closed but is now reopened and a major attraction for the city of Bryan. The Queen Theatre is another historic location that is currently under construction.

Many art galleries offer live jazz, free art activities and numerous exhibits from local artists. Square One Studio & Gallery displayed an exhibit of art by graduating seniors majoring in Art, from Texas State University during the First Friday of April. Live painting demonstrations were held at the  Arts Council of Brazos Valley’s info tent, as well.

Shopping for unique accessories or one of a kind antiques is another popular attraction of downtown Bryan, and First Friday only brings in more jewelry pieces and antiques. Corner of Time Antiques & Collectibles Mall, is one place where customers are free to browse the antiques and then stop by the soda fountain for a drink. Corner of Time offers pottery wheel throwing and wood carving demonstrations in addition to live music. Jim.n.i. offers a wide variety of women’s clothing and accessories; from baby items, handbags, gifts, to all types of clothing.

Custom stained glass pieces and demonstrations of how to stain glass are offered by Brazos Glassworks.

Parking for this event is available in the brand new parking garage located at 27th St. and N. Washington, next to the Clara Mounce Library.

Downtown Bryan is located at 105 S. Main St., Bryan, TX.

See you there!

Steve Santos

PS – I’m Steve Santos, I do what I say I will do, sometimes more just never less!

These elegant events are held in Rudder on the Texas A&M University Campus and offer a place of amusement for visitors and locals alike. OPAS was initiated as a student organization with the intent of serving the community by offering a variety of performances and serving students by granting them the performing arts program they needed. Theatre productions, music and dance programs inform and entertain the audience, exposing them to a night of fine arts not found elsewhere in the Brazos Valley. This contributes to enhancing students’ appreciation of the arts and results in a much more cultured city.

OPAS is internationally known for its performances by Yo Yo Ma, Les Miserables, Rent, and the world premiere of the Bolshoi-Grigorovich Ballet (covered by The New York Times). Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Color Purple, Beauty and the Beast and Mama Mia! have been performed at OPAS in seasons past. This season is filled with many hits that are straight off of Broadway. There is no longer a need to drive to Houston or some other large city for a dressed-up show. The hits are brought straight to you here in Bryan, College Station, eliminating the necessity to take up an entire night with driving to and from a big city and spending too much on gas money.
OPAS programs are funded entirely by revenue generated from ticket sales and contributions, so low ticket prices are a priority to encourage as many community members as possible to attend. The organization’s focus is not to make a profit, they instead focus on bringing the community together through their shows and through other activities. They offer musicals for families to attend accompanied by ice cream socials catered by Blue Bell, a great opportunity to get the whole family together for a night of fun. Family night doesn’t have to be routine. Change it up and try visiting an OPAS performance after a family dinner.
OPAS serves a wide audience from children who come to see the OPAS JR performances such as Charlotte’s Web and ImaginOcean, to seasoned veterans who have been participants for almost 40 years. Different events are offered to appeal to these different audiences. The array of performances range from Broadway, to Main Stage, to Intimate Gatherings to OPAS JR. While OPAS does offer high culture events for the individual who enjoys a fancy night out, they also provide performances such as Jeff Corwin from the Animal Planet and the Spaghetti Western Orchestra. There truly is something offered for everyone.
The real value of the performances comes after the entertaining show. A post performance reception is offered for viewers who are interested in interacting with the performers and asking them about their hometown, asking how they were introduced to performing and learning about their life. This personal interaction is where memories are made and stories exchanged. Socializing with the artists after the performance is an uncommon opportunity that you won’t want to miss out on.
The 40th season of OPAS is about to open and announce their list of performances. Don’t miss out on this wonderful community experience!Bryan College Station is known for being a down-home Southern town with locals who are all about going out of their way to show hospitality. Home cooked meals, evenings spent out on the back porch, and walks through the green pastures are all part of this small town country life and evenings are often spent together with family around the house or in the back yard. But that doesn’t mean this community doesn’t enjoy getting dressed up for an evening out of performances by MSC OPAS (Opera and Performing Arts Society).

These elegant events are held in Rudder on the Texas A&M University Campus and offer a place of amusement for visitors and locals alike. OPAS was initiated as a student organization with the intent of serving the community by offering a variety of performances and serving students by granting them the performing arts program they needed. Theatre productions, music and dance programs inform and entertain the audience, exposing them to a night of fine arts not found elsewhere in the Brazos Valley. This contributes to enhancing students’ appreciation of the arts and results in a much more cultured city.

OPAS is internationally known for its performances by Yo Yo Ma, Les Miserables, Rent, and the world premiere of the Bolshoi-Grigorovich Ballet (covered by The New York Times). Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Color Purple, Beauty and the Beast and Mama Mia! have been performed at OPAS in seasons past. This season is filled with many hits that are straight off of Broadway. There is no longer a need to drive to Houston or some other large city for a dressed-up show. The hits are brought straight to you here in Bryan, College Station, eliminating the necessity to take up an entire night with driving to and from a big city and spending too much on gas money.
OPAS programs are funded entirely by revenue generated from ticket sales and contributions, so low ticket prices are a priority to encourage as many community members as possible to attend. The organization’s focus is not to make a profit, they instead focus on bringing the community together through their shows and through other activities. They offer musicals for families to attend accompanied by ice cream socials catered by Blue Bell, a great opportunity to get the whole family together for a night of fun. Family night doesn’t have to be routine. Change it up and try visiting an OPAS performance after a family dinner.
OPAS serves a wide audience from children who come to see the OPAS JR performances such as Charlotte’s Web and ImaginOcean, to seasoned veterans who have been participants for almost 40 years. Different events are offered to appeal to these different audiences. The array of performances range from Broadway, to Main Stage, to Intimate Gatherings to OPAS JR. While OPAS does offer high culture events for the individual who enjoys a fancy night out, they also provide performances such as Jeff Corwin from the Animal Planet and the Spaghetti Western Orchestra. There truly is something offered for everyone.
The real value of the performances comes after the entertaining show. A post performance reception is offered for viewers who are interested in interacting with the performers and asking them about their hometown, asking how they were introduced to performing and learning about their life. This personal interaction is where memories are made and stories exchanged. Socializing with the artists after the performance is an uncommon opportunity that you won’t want to miss out on.
The 40th season of OPAS is about to open and announce their list of performances. Don’t miss out on this wonderful community experience!

PS -  Susan Hilton is Bryan College Station,
Texas’ real estate specialist in foreclosure sales and real estate
agent career building so if you need help –
CALL!             979-219-3970

US News has rated Real Estate Agents as one of the best jobs of 2012, with high flexibility and a high employee satisfaction rate. And, if this isn’t surprising enough, the market for positions as a real estate agent is expected to grow at an unusually high rate of 12.2% over the next eight or so years. Luckily for up and coming employment seekers, obtaining a license has never been more simple. The only real requirements are a high school diploma, and a passing grade on a state administered written exam (although a college degree will assuredly help agents to move forward in their field). So we can be sure to see the expected growth in this industry over the next several years.

But how is all of this happening?

To begin with, the economy is recovering. In fact, recently revised employment data for Texas suggests that the State economy is undergoing
“a more solid economic recovery than before.” Unemployment rates in Texas are down to 7.2%, a full 2% decrease from the National average
just one year ago. And to top it all off, the annual growth rate of non-agricultural jobs in Texas increased 2.6% from last year (compared
with only a 1.6% increase across the nation). Texas’ economy is in good shape, and improving.

What myou can optimistically take this to mean is that the economy in Texas (and across the nation) is more stable than it was in the spring of
2011, when the first real signs of recovery started (ending in another brief market collapse). This only means good things for the real estate
industry: but, in laymen’s terms, it means there’s more money out there for people to buy homes. More money to buy homes means more homes sold.  And more homes sold means more business for Real Estate Agents.

However, this prospect does not only suggest that the market for real estate is returning to its previous state. Instead, research shows that the
industry is growing, making room for thousands of new positions over the next few years.

So let’s rationalize for a moment.

Over the span of the recession, and the several months before, the market for selling houses did not slow. Only the market for buying houses came to an abrupt halt, as people began conserving cash and deciding it in their best interest to postpone home ownership (as well as the process of obtaining loans became more difficult). Neglecting the percentage of investors who took full advantage of the reduced home sales, most homes have remained on the market since, as more homes have joined the market over the past few years. And now, as the economy climbs back to stability, people looking once again to own homes have entered a vast market. This means extra business for Real Estate Agents.  And as Texas’ economy is performing well above the national average, it is no wonder that the market for real estate agents has reached the Best Jobs list of 2012.

But, of course, homes are not the only aspect of real estate that agents thrive off of. Business real estate, as well, is a heavy factor of an agent’s success. And Texas, particularly the Brazos valley, is not short on business growth. For instance, College Station’s business district, Northgate, is experiencing a prime period of development as old business and real estate make way for new opportunities. New student housing complexes are leading the way, the first of which, called “The Stack,” being immediately followed up by a second new high-rise to be constructed just feet away. This second complex will be 18 stories tall, housing over 175 student apartments, as well as a grocery store in the
ground level and a 400 space parking garage. Construction for this new development should begin over the next few weeks, and marks only one aspect of a real estate explosion which is occurring all over the state.

In fact, evidence shows that all but four Texas Metropolitan areas have increased in the number of jobs available over the past year, and several of the lowest unemployment rates across the nation are in Texas cities. Exciting things are happening for the real estate industry,
especially in Texas: and real estate agents are (and will be) reaping the benefits. So when you are ready for a career in real estate…. CALL SUSAN HILTON!

PS -  Susan Hilton is Bryan College Station,
Texas’ real estate specialist in foreclosure sales and real estate
agent career building so if you need help –
CALL!             979-219-3970