Tupac vs. the MLS

Another great interior photo from a property listed in the MLS. We have Tupac on one wall and if you look closely at the right wall, I think that's Biggie in the photo over the T.V.

I like to think that this room's inhabitant is in their own small way trying to ease Biggie and Tupac towards some type of afterlife reconciliation.

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Knock Knock. Who's There? The Holidays.

The holidays are upon us. I feel more like the holidays are UP ON me, but semantics schmantics. I am not a holiday hater, but I have also never been one of those people that gets really into decorating or sets up a gift wrapping station in the guest bedroom. This year I did put up some little trees. Both artificial and one is black, so take from that what you will.

I know this is not a new or original sentiment, but my main "issue" with the holidays is that the year-round consumer culture that is so prevalent in America, is greatly magnified during the holidays. In year's past, I have participated in Buy Nothing Christmas and made gifts for friends and family. This year has been pretty busy and I can already tell that my approach to my holiday gift giving is going to be less handmade than in year's past. That got me to thinking about ways to shop locally and support the efforts of local artists, craftspeople and really, any business/person doing something unique or socially relevant. I have come up with a few recommendations that I think are worth sharing. If you have any ideas that you would like to share, PLEASE post them in the comments.
     

Places to Shop

• Blue Genie Art Bazaar  has been around awhile and now over 300 artists have their wares on display. Lots of variety. I got a small painting of a cupcake here once and it was a big hit with the recepient---who loves cupcakes.
• Community Renaissance Market   I just read about this place recently in my neighborhood newspaper. The concept is that this place is a "microbusiness incubator for people who want to start a business, but don't have a great deal of money to do so". It is located in what used to be the Albertson's on Westgate.  So, not only are they working to help small business, but they are making use of a space that sat unused for MONTHS! Also, this was started by a lady. Go lady business!
• Cherrywood Art Fair  will have work by 80 artists and a portion of the proceeds go to beautifaction projects in East Austin.
  
  Giving the Experiential Gift

• Check out Not That Martha. Local lovely, Martha Pincoffs is writing about food, catering it up and also teaching cooking classes! Cooking classes would be a fun group gift type deal. I can speak from experience...this girl can cook and she is super cool and fun to be around.
• The Alamo Drafthouse is running a deal right now where if you buy $100 in gift cards, you get a $20 credit for yourself. Be a hero to that film geek on your list that loves to quote along to Roadhouse and drink $5 milkshakes.
• Farmhouse Delivery offers local produce, meat, dairy, eggs and local artisinal products to customers in Austin. They will deliver to your house or office. Sustainability on your doorstep AND they are another lady owned and operated business! 

Charitable Gift Giving

• HAAM (Health Alliance for Austin Musicians) is an organization that helps uninsured musicians in our area obtain affordable healthcare. Their affililate the SIMS Foundation also does great work for the working musician community. We all love to hear live music, and by donating to HAAM/SIMS you can prove it!
• Since 1974 SafePlace has been working to eliminate sexual and domestic violence. They provide services for men, women and children. SafePlace often needs volunteers as well---so there are multiple ways to give!
• Communitites in Schools work to keep kids in school AT school. They work directly within the public school system to teach life skills and to provide alternatives to dropping out. They are also looking for volunteers and mentors in addition to donations.

We can define the holidays and gift giving on our own terms by opting out of the consumer frenzy that is all too common for many during this time of year and in doing so hopefully set good examples for our kids and our friends and our families.

Again, if anyone reading this has suggestions for unique gift giving, please share!

That would never happen on House Hunters!

I don't have cable. I have access to it sometimes, but even when I do I have to admit I am not compelled to watch reality shows about folks trying to buy, remodel or redesign houses. I love my job and I spend a lot of time doing my job, so when it comes to "down time" I like to try to get a bit of a break from the business.

That said, I am familiar with the format of  TV shows like "House Hunters" and I had an experience this week and thought to myself---"Why don't you ever see this on a reality Real Estate TV show?"--To be fair I have had that thought before.

Often when I am taking buyers to view properties, the properties for sale will have alarm systems. Most of the time you will, prior to your visit, get the needed instructions for how to disarm and arm these alarm systems. Sometimes even when you have done all of that, something will have changed and that alarm will go off--- LOUDLY and repeatedly and you look like kind of an ass and your poor client(s) are under assault by the sound as they try to check the place out.

This happened to me this week and after multiple phone calls and failed attempts at disarming the alarm system, we went through the property and did our best. I already knew that these particular clients were really great, but I now know that they are also very cool under pressure and would probably do very well in a war zone---good people to know.

Does this ever happen on "House Hunters"? Hell no. Here is another list of things that I am guessing never happen on "House Hunters".

1. Realtor attacked by dogs/cats/rabid children

2. Realtor has gun pointed at her as she is asked to leave.

3. Realtor walks in on a naked guy.

4. Realtor narrowly avoids being stung by hornets INSIDE the house.

5. Realtor stumbles upon grow room.

The only thing on this list that has NOT happened to me is that I have not yet encountered any rabid children, but the day is not over!

Again, I love being a Realtor in Austin and I am rarely bored.  I do wonder if there would be a market for a reality show that portrays what I know to be the true nature of working in this business---if so, sign me up!

PS: It is worth noting that in the 15 minutes we were at the property with the alarm screaming-- the cops did not show up.

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010: The year Brandi is reminded of her age and her mortality

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 was the fifth year of a music festival that we are so lucky to have in Austin. It has a markedly more DIY (in the best way possible) and less corporate feel than the better known ACL music festival and the programming is more punk rock centric (hip hop, indie, metal and electronic music are also well represented). This year along with great acts like The Gories, Strike Anywhere, The Hold Steady, OFF!, Peelander Z, "Weird Al" Yankovic, The Bronx, Bad Religion, Deerhunter, The Casualties and The Dwarves---the Descendents were booked as a last minute replacement for Devo (who are also so GREAT) because they had to cancel due to a band member's injury.

The Descendents are a band that I loved as a young Brandi and still love as an older Brandi. My love affair with punk rock started around my 14th birthday and has waxed and waned over the years, but it is a genre of music I hope I will always have in the mix. It is rare that a band's music endures for me over really long periods of time. Not to imply that I am fickle, it's just that as we change and stuff happens/is happening in our lives certain music may speak to us more at one time than another. The Descendents wrote songs about food and girls and coffee mugs and not wanting to grow up and turn into boring jerks. They wrote songs about being yourself and questioning authority.

I may know myself better now than I did when I was 14, but I still sometimes have a hard time being myself and I am self employed primarily because I don't like being told what to do. I also really like food.

So, here's where I get to the part about being reminded of my age and my mortality. Because this was possibly going to be my only chance to see the Descendents play live I decided I needed to be near the front of the stage for the show. This is something younger Brandi would have done and therefore older Brandi--having been very in touch with younger Brandi over the past 48 hours---did and the result was the opposite of cool. The minute the Descendents started playing the crowd crush was dramatic to say the least, and I quickly found my feet literally off the ground (and I am really tall) as my body became not my own as it was absorbed into a mass of movement. The feeling was one of total lack of control and since I was pressed between what felt like 1000 lbs of weight I could not get the space or leverage to throw an elbow as I so jubilantly recall doing in my younger years. I realize now that when I was going to shows as a teenager I was often one of maybe 50-100 people in the crowd and that's totally easy to maneuver ---Sunday night was not easy to maneuver and along with not really being able to focus on the show, I was about to lose it if I did not get out of there. It is also worth mentioning it smelled really bad---really, really bad, which was weird because there was so much dust in my nose and it was not very hot outside.  I was able to grab the boyfriend just long enough to yell in his ear that I was getting out of there and that I wished him luck and good fortune.  Amazingly, once my mind was made up I successfully escaped the crush of the crowd pretty quickly and found a very civilized spot with a great view and proceeded to have my mind blown by one of the most fun shows I have seen in a long time. The boyfriend also escaped unscathed.

The crowd that would later crush me

Descendents at FFF

The whole FFF weekend was really great and even though I was reminded of my age and my mortality---that's ok. Sometimes I need reminding.

Crazy Ass MLS photo, whaaaatt?

This is a photo of a bedroom in a property for sale in the MLS. For real. Does the giraffe convey?

Austin Film Festival or A fun thing to do when it will not be 105 degrees outside

The high temperature in Austin today is going to be 105 degrees. This is not news. We have hot summers here and every year it's like I somehow forget how hot it gets. The same way women have evolved to forget the pain of childbirth so they will continue to procreate---I forget how hot it gets in August and do not plan accordingly. I guess my evolutionary path is meant to keep me in Austin. So, when it gets this hot I like to think about the other times of year here when the weather is so nice and then that got me to thinking about October.

The weather is awesome here in October. Breezy and cool and sunny. October is also when the Austin Film Festival happens! In recent years Austin has become a hotbed of film making activity and we count some pretty famous directors and actors among our permanent residents. I hear a lot of folks talk up the SXSW film festival, but I am telling you that the AFF is not to be missed.

I have gone for the past 3 years and plan on attending this year as well.  I have participated (and by participated I mean sometimes I was just present---sometimes I had a question) in Q. and A. sessions with Danny Boyle, Jason Reitman, and Diablo Cody. In my opinion, often the most interesting post film discussions are actually at many of the smaller narrative films and documentary screenings.

I am a huge film dork and I love going to the movies. During the AFF many of the screenings are at the Paramount Theater  and while the leg room may be lacking for this one and her tall self, the theater makes up for this small discomfort with it's gorgeous design and turn of the century pedigree. Screenings are also held at other theaters around town, so there are a lot of options.

The AFF also makes me reconnect with my city. During the 7 days it happens I find myself downtown more than I usually do and walking more from place to place. People are always really friendly and eager to talk about films they have seen or plan on seeing. All in all it's a great experience that I look forward to every year.

You should totally come get on my film dork train, there's plenty of room---and get yourself passes to the film festival.

My First Place TV Show Filming in Austin!

Hey first time home buyers! If you want to have your home buying process chronicled for a T.V. audience and get a free gift -check this out! I am working with some clients presently and we are looking into this, but if you or anyone you know is interested and they need a Realtor---send them my way!

From the Press Release:

BUYING YOUR FIRST PLACE?

Then HGTV is looking for you!

MY FIRST PLACE, HGTV’s hit series, is coming back for a ninth season and we’re looking for first-time homebuyers (and their agents!) in the Austin area RIGHT NOW!
We are looking for fun, high-energy people who are just starting the home-buying process for their first place and would like to share their story with HGTV! Our goal is to capture all the trials and tribulations of looking for, bidding on and buying your first place.
Taping takes place this summer. Ideal candidates will be enthusiastic buyers with a great story to tell and a desire to share their experiences. Singles, couples and families are all invited to apply!
Candidates who complete taping will receive a surprise housewarming gift as part of the show and also a DVD copy of their episode to document their first home buying experience for all time!

Request an application by emailing:

cbaggish@highnoontv.com

Or call cindy baggish at (303) 712-3093