Sometimes, you just gotta get away.  We know we do!  Fortunately hotels, inns and B&B’s recognize this and often put together discounted packages that make it super easy to escape.  The following is our favorite “Get Away” resource list compiled over several years of travel.

Thorough and comprehensive, BedandBreakfast.com offers listings for B&Bs around the world.  Check out their special offers page.

Traveling to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic? EscapeMaker.com is packed with escape options.

Just closed that really BIG deal?  Try the latest getaways from the Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

BBOnline.com, is another directory of inns and bed and breakfasts across the U.S. This site provides listings by state and package type, with easy-to-access links.

Canada lover? Who isn’t! Here's a website with a plethora of Canadian mini-break possibilities highlighting the best of Canada WeekendTrips.com.

Kimpton, a boutique hotel chain, regularly puts together special packages at its properties across the United States. Possibilities include wonderful health and wellness packages.

Another directory-based site that we like, ILoveInns.com focuses on B&Bs in the U.S., Canada, and U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

And lastly our favorite, Lastminute.com (formerly Site59.com) offers a host of possibilities for those needing a quick getaway. Specializing in travel within a two-week period, the site is a boon for procrastinators, spontaneous travelers, or those just needing a change of pace.

Now, go on….get outta here!

Do you have a horrible neighbor? If you do and don’t tell other people you are hurting future buyers in your neighborhood. These people can make life miserable for an entire neighborhood.

When I started real estate in the early 90’s there was NO internet to search for this kind of info about what kind of people live in your area. Now you can run web searches for the lasted trends or info on just about anywhere in the world. I wish I had access to this info back 15 years ago.

I can remember and old client who moved in to a northwest Austin neighbhorhood and found out he had a bad neighbor. It was nice house and clean yard, but there were some very scary folks that came over the that house everyday. After about 3 months my client found out from the police that that owner of the house was a drug dealer.

If you knew you there were rotten neighbors you would probably not buy that home in that area.  I still think the best way to discover what a neighborhood is really like, then go to the area during different times of the day and night so you can really see what’s going on. Talk with the people in the area about what they think about it. This way you can believe your own eyes and ears about what is really going on.

If you want to search the web to see who your lousy, nosy, scary, and trashy neighbors are on in the your 'hood… Click here to visit Rotten Neighbor.

If you know you have bad neighbors them you check out this article on the how to deal with those horrible folks. Watch the news story on NBC’s Today Show.

• Form a small planning committee of neighbors to discuss needs, the level of interest, possible challenges, and the Watch concept.
• Contact the local police or sheriffs' department, or local crime prevention organization, to discuss Neighborhood Watch and local crime problems.
• Invite a law enforcement officer to attend your meeting.
• Publicize your meeting at least one week in advance with door-to-door fliers and follow up with phone calls the day before.
• Select a meeting place that is accessible to people with disabilities.
• Hold an initial meeting to gauge neighbors' interest; establish purpose of program; and begin to identify issues that need to be addressed. Stress that a Watch group is an association of neighbors who look out for each other's families and property, alert the police to any suspicious activities or crime in progress, and work together to make their community a safer and better place to live.
• Consider setting up a website just for your community watch activities and use it to inform members of recent crimes and prevention tactics.
  

• Elect a chairperson.
• Ask for block captain volunteers who are responsible for relaying information to members on their block, keeping up-to-date information on residents, and making special efforts to involve the elderly, working parents, and young people. Block captains also can serve as liaisons between the neighborhood and the police and communicate information about meetings and crime incidents to all residents.
• Establish a regular means of communicating with Watch members e.g., (newsletter, telephone tree, e-mall, fax, etc).
• Prepare a neighborhood map showing names, addresses, and phone numbers of participating households and distribute to members. Block captains keep this map up to date, contacting newcomers to the neighborhood and rechecking occasionally with ongoing participants.
• With guidance from a law enforcement agency, the Watch trains its members in home security techniques, observation skills, and crime reporting. Residents also learn about the types of crime that affect the area.
• If you are ready to post Neighborhood Watch signs, check with law enforcement to see if they have such eligibility requirements as number of houses that participate in the program. Law enforcement may also be able to provide your program with signs. If not, they can probably tell you where you can order them.
• Organizers and block captains must emphasize that Watch groups are not vigilantes and do not assume the role of the police. They only ask neighbors to be alert, observant, and caring and to report suspicious activity or crimes immediately to the police.
• The Watch concept is adaptable. There are Park Watches, Apartment Watches, Window Watches, Boat Watches, School Watches, Realtor Watches, Utility Watches, and Business Watches. A Watch can be organized around any geographic unit.

• Hold regular meetings to help residents get to know each other and to collectively decide upon program strategies and activities.
• Consider linking with an existing organization, such as a citizens' association, community development office, tenants' association, housing authority.
• Canvas door-to-door to recruit members.
• Involve everyone. Young and old, single and married, renter and homeowner.
• Gain support from the police or sheriffs' office. This is critical to a Watch group's credibility. These agencies are the major sources of information on local crime patterns, home security, other crime prevention education, and crime reporting.
• Get the information out quickly. Share all kinds of news to quash rumors.
• Gather the facts about crime in your neighborhood. Check police reports, do victimization surveys, and learn residents' perceptions about crime. Often residents' opinions are not supported by facts, and accurate information can reduce fear of crime.
• Physical conditions like abandoned cars or overgrown vacant lots contribute to crime. Sponsor cleanups, encourage residents to beautify the area, and ask them to turn on outdoor lights at night.
• It's essential to celebrate the success of the effort and recognize volunteers' contributions through such events as awards, annual dinners, and parties. To help meet community needs, Neighborhood Watches can sponsor meetings that address broader issues such as drug abuse, gangs, self-protection tactics, isolation of the elderly, crime in the schools, and rape prevention.
• Don't forget events like National Night Out or a potluck dinner that gives neighbors a chance to get together. Such items as pins, t-shirts, hats, or coffee mugs with the group's name also enhance identity and pride.

The jobs report that came out this morning was expected to be bad but according to CNN-Money it was much worse than expected.  The reports have slid downward for the prior 3 months and this one was the worst in 4 years. 

Where's the Good News?

Well, the question is no longer will they or won't they drop rates at the upcoming Fed meeting in a couple of weeks.  The new question is how much .25 or now as low as .5? 

So mortage rates have a solid chance to get back into the 5's which is good news for the housing industry and first-time home buyer.  Don't watch the Headlines to close. There will be a market dip with some profit taking today and early Monday. But the view from here....we are headed in the right direction. 

• Aerate at least once a year to improve soil and reduce thatch build-up. Thatch is the perfect breeding ground for diseases and insects. Try to keep less than ½” of thatch. Aerating helps reduce soil compaction, assisting in a healthier root system.
• Properly diagnose disease problems.
• Check with your local nursery about other earth and people-friendly products that can help solve your turf problems.
• Pick up a Grow Green Lawn Problems or Lawn Care fact sheet at your local Austin nursery or home improvement center or find it on the Grow Green website at www.growgreen.org