Q: Will You Help Lay Wreaths for Vets This Year?

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Wreath for Vets event.

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It’s a special time of year, with Veterans Day and Thanksgiving this month and Christmas just around the bend. Despite the strain and strangeness of 2020, there are still so many blessings to go around, and we here at the Shine Team have an upcoming project that we wanted to share with you. We support many charities, local foundations, schools, and community initiatives, but our favorite is Wreaths for Vets, which is put on by the Friends of Central Texas Veterans Cemetery. I was fortunate enough to found that association back in 2006 when we discovered a need for compassionate, patriotic members of the community to lay wreaths at as many gravesites in the cemetery as possible; no veteran’s sacrifices should ever go unrecognized. We started at 394 gravesites, and we’re now at 11,000. Our purpose is to always honor and remember our veterans, fallen soldiers, and their family members, and to teach our young people to do the same.

Help us lay wreaths on gravesites as a way to offer profound thanks to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 28, for this year’s Wreath for Vets event, where we will lay over 11,000 wreaths. We invite you to join us because, as you can imagine, a memorial of this magnitude will take a lot of volunteers. Below is the updated timeline for the entire wreath-laying process this year (pending changes due to the current pandemic): Saturday, November 21: 1000 - Wreath Prep at Killeen Special Events Center on WS Young Saturday, November 28: 0730 - Escort departs Killeen Special Events Center with wreath trucks 0745 - Captain’s update 0800 - Wreath trucks arrive 0815 - Wreath download begins 1000 - Informal ceremony 1020 (approximately) - UTC volunteers lay wreaths 1200 (approximately) - Clean up cemetery KISD and Texas A&M Central Texas have provided bus service to the cemetery, so we welcome you, your family, and your friends to park at A&M and utilize this transportation. The police have asked that you do not park on the highway for this event, as doing so is extremely dangerous. Please wear your mask and social distance as much as possible; we’re very fortunate that the state of Texas is still allowing us to do this event, so we want to do our part by adhering to all the current rules and regulations regarding public safety. For the wreath preparation on November 21, please bring a folding table to use as a workspace if you have one to spare, as we will be in need of extras. Preparation could be as quick as 90 minutes or as long as three hours—it all depends on how many ready and willing volunteers show up. We’ll be prepping the wreaths and loading them into the trailers for delivery on that Saturday after Thanksgiving. We can promise you one thing: This event is far from sad. You’ll be deeply moved and filled with a sense of pride and hope when you see thousands of people coming together to express a gratitude deeper than words. In the past, some folks have asked how they can support this event and The Friends of Central Texas Veterans Cemetery financially. We do need your financial support, especially this year, with COVID slowing down donations a bit. Please visit www.wreathsforvets.org to make a donation and find more information. We truly hope you come out on Saturday, November 28, to help us lay wreaths on gravesites as a way to offer profound thanks to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Of course, if you have any questions about this event, please just give us a call or send an email. We’d love to help you. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Q: Why Is Now a Great Time to Buy?

Mortgage rates are low, which is great news for buyers in our market.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in many ways, including how we view real estate. Many people are looking to buy different types of homes right now—perhaps they need more bedrooms, or a larger yard, or a room they can convert into a home office. In any case, the definition of ‘dream home’ has changed. The good news is that our Central Texas real estate market is doing very well. Our cost of living is low, as are interest rates. In fact, rates are so low that we’d all be well-advised to start buying rental properties along with our regular homes. To talk more about mortgage rates and their impact on the market, I’ve invited Cyd West of First Community Mortgage to join me in today’s video. Feel free to watch our discussion in its entirety in the video above or use these timestamps to skip around to various sections at your leisure: 2:10—Nearly any borrower can secure a rate between 2% and 3% 3:03—In addition to buying, now is a great time to make financial changes to your loan 3:22—How long does it take to close on a loan right now? 3:48—Can First Community Mortgage process loans in all states? 5:02—Why now is too good of an opportunity to pass up 6:04—Wrapping things up If you’d like to know more about our Central Texas real estate market or you’re thinking of buying or selling soon, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m here to help.

How Closings Work During COVID-19

Due to COVID-19, closing procedures may be different right now.

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Like many of you, I look forward to getting a haircut, eating out, seeing friends, and getting my kids back into school when this health crisis abates. Though we’re not quite there yet, we want you to know that our offices remain open, staffed, and ready to assist you with all your real estate needs. We continue to list, show, sell, and close properties for our clients. Today I’m discussing how closing procedures happen during this unusual time.

Most title companies are only allowing the signers to enter their buildings.

When you reach the closing stage and are ready to sign the closing documents, the process right now is generally the same, but some of the procedures may be different due to social distancing guidelines. Most title companies are only allowing the signers to enter their buildings, meaning we real estate agents can’t attend closings with our clients. We hope this changes soon, as we enjoy being there to help celebrate your closing, but until then, we’re only a phone call away should you need us. Some title companies are utilizing other methods and taking all safety precautions such as gloves, plexiglass dividers on the closing tables, extended distancing between the closer and signer, and sanitization between closings. Other options may be possible due to a client’s circumstances, such as a mobile notary to meet the client or online notaries for certain documents. Regardless of the method of closing, you will need a valid, government-issued picture ID, and if you owe $1,500 or more at closing, you need to have the funds presented via cashier’s check, or you can wire the funds to the title company. If you have any further questions about closings or real estate in general, please feel free to contact us via phone or email. We would love to help you.

Your First Quarter Real Estate Market Update

Although the pandemic has caused things to slow down in our real estate market, there are still plenty of properties being bought and sold. Here are the latest numbers.

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Today we have a real estate market report for the first quarter of 2020. Like you, our lives have been inundated by the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic and the resulting business and school closures, as well as the stay-at-home order. Our hearts go out to all who have been impacted and we pray that our leaders and families make it through this crisis with as little long-term stress as possible. Even though it’s a hazardous time out there, we’re taking every precaution to ensure our agents can continue to serve while remaining safe. They’re using gloves, masks, and antibacterial wipes at every turn.

Our agents are using gloves, masks, and antibacterial wipes at every turn.

Based on what I’m hearing from around the nation, our local market is doing surprisingly well. So far, we’ve closed 96 homes and have another 64 pending, for a total of 160 homes sold this year. In the broader local market, the supply has remained constant and demand has remained strong. How’s your market doing right now? It all depends on your price, location, and condition. To get a better idea, take a look one of the following reports, which has city-specific information about how each area of the market is doing. Copperas Cove Temple, Belton Harker Heights Killeen We’re going to continue to monitor all developments to ensure that we can help you with anything you need during this time. If you have any other questions or would like us to walk you through the data for your neck of the woods, don't hesitate to reach out via phone or email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Community Spotlight: Let’s Eat Texas

Whether you’re in the mood for some delicious food or you want to know how to make it, Let’s Cook Texas and Let’s Eat Texas are both places that you need to check out.

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For our very first post of 2020, we’re here at one of my latest and greatest food finds. I heard about this place initially in the newspaper, and I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share it with you as well. Josie is a chef and cooking instructor who came to Killeen from Alaska and has renovated an old downtown facility into Let’s Eat Texas and Let’s Cook Texas. Josie needed some sunshine in her life and decided to move from Alaska, where she owned a cooking school and a bed and breakfast. She loves the community and what she has built here. The before and after pictures of the restaurant and cooking school are incredible! In addition to having some delicious, fresh, homemade food, they also host private groups and solo cooking events. They’re a lot of fun as well. To learn more about Let’s Eat Texas and Let’s Cook Texas, give them a call at 254 768-0106 or check them out online. If you have any real estate questions for me, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.