This was our 6th move in ten years and we can say that Ms Hester was the best agent we have dealt with. She is remarkable. We would recommend her without a doubt. She always goes that extra mile.
Posted by: clbseb on 1/23/11Click here to read more reviews!

Debbi is a Great Pumpkin Sponsor for the Lundy Elementary Fall Festival being held on Saturday, October 22nd

El Paso is No. 1 among 200 of the nation's largest cities for making the most progress in recent years in improving the quality of life, according to a new ranking done by Newsweek/Daily Beast.

It calls the top cities "America's Can-Do Capitals," and said these are cities that "still have it going on" even as economists fear a "double dip" recession.
El Paso scored 71.43 points out of a possible 100 in the ranking, which allotted 25 points in each of its four categories: sustainability, livability, transportation and infrastructure, and business development.

Can-Do Capitals
Cities that ranked the highest in four categories -- sustainability, livability, transportation/infrastructure, and business development --and each city's composite score in a Newsweek/Daily Beast ranking:
1. El Paso, 71.43
2. Oakland, 65.60
3. Riverside, Calif., 64.19
4. San Antonio, 61.64
5. Omaha, 61.39
6. Washington, D.C., 61.21
7. Raleigh, N.C., 61.04
8. Atlanta, 60.99
9. Buffalo, N.Y., 60.43
10. Austin, 59.43
10 (tie) Boston, 59.43
12. Philadelphia, 59.26
13. Dallas, 58.47
14. Fort Worth, 58.14
15. Portland, 58.09
16. Colorado Springs, Colo., 57.95
17. San Diego, 57.88
18. Detroit, 57.87
19. Indianapolis, 57.55
20. Milwaukee, 57.48
Source: Newsweek/Daily Beast
click here for the full article

El Paso snapshot
El Paso's economic performance in the second quarter:
• Economic output: up 0.6 percent.
• Employment: Up 0.3 percent.
• Unemployment rate: 10.9 percent
• Housing prices: Down 2.9 percent.
Click here for more
Source: Brookings Institution MetroMonitor.
 

The El Paso Symphony season will open its 81st season with Kenneth Raskin, the first of six conductors vying for the position of the new Music Director of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, on September 23 and 24, 2011, 7:30pm at the Plaza Theatre. click here for more

RAILROAD & TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM OF EL PASO

The Museum is dedicated to the history of transportation through time. The Transcontinental Railroad arrival in 1881, changed El Paso from an adobe village to a modern city. The centerpiece of the museum exhibits is a "National Treasure," the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad Locomotive, from the Transcontinental Railroad era, built in 1857. When El Paso became one of the great rail hubs of the West, business and industry brought all forms of culture to the city. Rapid growth led to the development of architecture and the spread of visual and performing arts. After eight rail lines converged on El Paso, a great American architect was commissioned to design a grand Union Passenger Station which opened in 1906. The famous Harvey House provided traveler services and gourmet food in the station until 1948. After restoration in 1981, the Union Station was placed on the National register of Historic Places. The 1882 mule cars led to streetcars in 1902. A series of lines brought streetcars to all areas of the city including suburban and interurban lines. The last streetcars, built in 1937 were streamlined "Art Deco" style. Those P C C type cars had become cultural icons when they were discontinued in 1974. One restored car is on view Downtown.
Museum exhibits feature fine art documentation in all media. Local, regional and national artists are represented in the exhibits and museum collections. Model railroad displays in several scales represent the historic railroads of our region. Museum programs include art classes for children and photography instruction for all ages. Working model steam engine demonstrations and interactive computer animation are part of the multimedia programs for youth. A variety of tours are available for all ages and schools. The Union Station is included in the standard school tour. Three guided Downtown walking tours and two self guided tours are offered to museum visitors. The Historic Transportation Walking Tour visits historic stage station sites, train stations, 1880s buildings and two museums. The Downtown - Architecture Tour covers the evolution of historic buildings from an art history and design perspective. The Downtown - Fine Art Tour considers sculpture, murals, and architectural decoration in public buildings and the public spaces of private buildings. Custom tours can be set up for a variety of cultural subjects and sites Downtown and the county. A team of historic reenactors, Railroad Men & Harvey Girls, present programs for schools and historic events throughout the region.

Museum Location: 400 W. San Antonio Avenue at Durango. Hours Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm, closed Mondays
For more information phone: (915) 422-3420, or Programs and Tours: (915) 256-4409

MUSEUM PROGRAM SCHEDULE

October 8 -10 AMTRAK TRAIN EXCURSION FOR ART & HISTORY OF SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO:
Amtrak to Deming, NM. Visit the City of Rocks, Historic Hurley and the General Store Art Gallery. Visit the Santa Rita
Mine, "worlds largest open-pit copper mine. Attend the exhibit opening of the Jim Ward one man show at the Deming
Art Center. The El Paso artist, Jim Ward features graphics of historic southwest culture including ranch life and
railroading. Visit the Deming Museum of History and a historic Southern Pacific steam locomotive. For more
information, details, and reservations, contact Steven Heetland at (915) 540-9660 or the museum at 256-4409.

October 15. CONCORDIA CEMETERY WALK THROUGH HISTORY:
Presentations by historic reenactors on the life and times of Harvey Girls, the engineer of the first Southern Pacific
train to arrive in El Paso in 1881; and the conductor of the first Santa Fe train to enter El Paso in 1881. For information
charges or directions contact the website: www. concordiacemetery.org or phone (915) 581-7920 / 591-2326.

October 22. DOWNTOWN WALKING TOUR OF HISTORIC TRANSPORTATION SITES: 10:30am - 1:30 pm
Meet in front of the El Paso Museum of History before 10:30. Walk two miles with a lunch stop at 11:30.
Visit two train stations, two museums, historic stage station sites and 1880s architecture. Cost: donation of $5 per
adult, children free. For more information or to schedule a special tour, phone: (915) 256-4409

November 1. LECTURE & BOOK SIGNING BY STEPHEN FRIED, Author of: Appetite for America, How Visionary Businessman, Fred
Harvey built a Railroad Hospitality Empire that Civilized the Wild West. Award winning author, Freid will discuss the
railroad culture that changed the limiting role of women and allowed them to work at "men's jobs." from waiter to
architect. The discussion will describe how the Santa Fe Railroad promoted Native American and Mexican American
culture. Books will be available for him to sign after the talk. Cost: $5, $2 students and military. 7 pm at the Hyatt
Place Hotel, across I-10 from Bassett Place. For more information phone the museum at (9125) 256-4409.

November 12. DOWNTOWN WALKING TOUR OF HISTORIC TRANSPORTATION SITES: 10:30 am - 1:30 pm
Meet in front of the El Paso Museum of history before 10:30. Walk two miles with a lunch stop at 11:30. visit two
train stations, two museums, historic stage station sites and 1880s architecture. Cost: donation of $5 per
adult, children free. For more information or to schedule a special tour, phone (915) 256-4409.

January 15. COMMEMORATION OF THE FIRST TEXAS & PACIFIC TRAIN ARRIVAL IN EL PASO, IN 1882.
Film and discussion of the Transcontinental Railroad System and the Boracho Incident. Auditorium of the Main Library
Downtown, at 1:30 pm. Free admission
 

l Paso Celebrates fashion's Night Out

Fashio-followers around the world rejoice: Fashion's Night Out is back again on Thursday, September 8!  This international party will rock fashion capitals big and small...click here for more.

Museum School FALL 2011

CLASSES FOR ADULTS
$47 for members or $59 for Non-Members,
15 Years and Older, unless otherwise noted.
Recommended supplies will be discussed by instructors on first class day. click here for more.

Bradley Fuhrman was introduced as the first pediatrician-in-chief for the El Paso Children's Hospital at University Medical Center today.
Fuhrman is a professor of pediatrics and anesthesiology in New York.
He will also take over as chair of pediatrics at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine.
The El Paso Children's Hospital is expected to open next door to University Medical Center and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine.
It will be the first private non-profit children's hospital in the area. click here for full article

How to Cut Cooling Costs in a Heat Wave
These eight tips will help keep your electric bill under control.
By Cameron Huddleston, Kiplinger.com
It is hot outside. Too hot to even go to the pool because the water's so warm that it doesn't cool you down. So what do you do if you live in a part of the nation taking a beating from this heat wave? You retreat indoors and crank up the AC. Then you gasp when you see the electric bill and start looking for possessions to pawn to pay it.
Keeping cool doesn't have to bankrupt you, though. Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the association of shareholder-owned electric companies, offers these eight simple, no-cost tips to help you keep your electric bill under control this summer:
 
Set the thermostat at 78 degrees or higher when you're home. That's where I keep my thermostat set, and I feel comfortable at home all day -- even when the heat index outside is in the triple digits. When no one is home, turn up the thermostat to 85 degrees. You'll save 1% to 2% on cooling costs for each degree you raise your thermostat, according to EEI. And be sure to clean your air filter every 30 days to keep your air-conditioning system working efficiently.

Close the curtains or shades on any south- or west-facing windows to save 2% to 4% on cooling costs.

Turn on ceiling and table fans then raise the thermostat setting about four degrees -- you'll still feel cool. Make sure ceiling fans are turning counterclockwise and use them only when you're in the room.

Shut doors to unused rooms and close any air supply vents inside them to reduce cooling costs up to 3%.

Cook with the microwave instead of a regular oven to reduce cooking costs up to 90%. If you can stand the heat outside, cook on a grill to lower cooking costs even more.

Install compact fluorescent lights. You'll reduce lighting costs per fixture by about 66%, according to EEI. Be sure to turn off lights that aren't being used and, if possible, dim ones that are being used.

Wash and dry full loads of clothes and dishes to save 2% to 4% on energy costs because you'll be washing fewer times than if you ran your appliances to wash several smaller loads. You'll also save by using cold water rather than warm or hot.

Check out your power company's Web site because all electric companies offer money-saving tips, and many have energy-saving programs and incentives, including free online energy audits, rebates for purchasing high-efficiency appliances and low-interest loans to help purchase high-efficiency appliances.
Reprinted with permission. All Contents ©2011 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. www.kiplinger.com
 

An Apple Store for El Paso!
The word is El Paso will get an Apple Store, one of those coveted indicators that a city has finally made it. It means your town has edge and someone out there knows it. Apple wouldn’t confirm the move and neither would the city’s Office of Planning and Economic Development. But El Paso Inc. has been told that Apple plans to open its first store in West Texas at Cielo Vista Mall, probably in the next few months.
click here to download .PDF of story.

The new Zuill Bailey CD is now available! It is sublime!

Zuill Bailey records Brahms cello and piano works with Awadagin Pratt for Telarc International
Source: theclassicalreview.com

Zuill Bailey records Brahms cello and piano works with Awadagin Pratt for Telarc International Cellist Zuill Bailey and pianist Awadagin Pratt have recorded an all-Brahms program for Telarc International. The recording is the first time the two Americans have recorded together despite regularly performing in concert with each other since 1998. The disc includes the Sonatas in E minor, Op. 38, and in F major, Op. 99; a transcription for cello of Sonatensatz, and transcriptions of seven songs, inc...  click here for more

Top 10 real estate markets by share of new-home sales
by Inman_News

Source: CoreLogic.

Will Mortgage Rates Rise in August 2011?
Every week it seems mortgage rates inch down - but is the ride nearing the end?
One of the main reasons why mortgage rates have been so low is due to the Quantitative Easing II program. This is where the Federal Reserve Bank of New York purchases U.S. Treasury debt each business day. This massive program will end at the end of June and has kept the demand for U.S. treasuries higher than it would normally be and as a result has kept all interest rates lower than normal. So what will happen to demand for treasuries once the largest single buyer of our debt leaves the market?
U.S. banks have also been a very large purchaser of treasuries but some of Wall Street's biggest banks are preparing to cut their use of U.S. treasuries in August as a precaution against any turbulence that could follow if warring Republicans and Democrats fail to increase the U.S. debt ceiling, a senior bank chief said.
One strategy, which bank executives only agreed to discuss without attribution due to the political sensitivities related to discussing Treasury debt, is to have more cash on hand to put up as collateral against derivatives and other transactions, decreasing the financial system's reliance on treasuries.
"We're planning to lower our reliance on the use of treasuries in early August and have more cash on hand as a contingency measure," said a U.S. bank chief.
Investors worldwide own large amounts of the $9.7 trillion of debt that has been sold by the US government as part of their portfolios. But nearly 40 per cent of the existing U.S. Treasury debt - about $4 trillion - is used to back deals in the repurchase, futures and swaps markets, say JPMorgan Chase estimates.
It is this key role that treasuries play as collateral for the wider financial system where turmoil could follow any missed payment resulting from the debt ceiling fight. The top quality and liquidity of Treasury debt means it can be used to back transactions relatively cheaply, with banks or clearing houses only requiring a small "haircut" or discount on the value of the debt to reflect credit risks.
Without the Federal Reserve buying treasuries and with banks curbing their purchases as well - it could lead to higher rates. With that said, ARMS are not a bad word. Today's ARMS are very attractive , especially considering the low fully indexed rates.

On May 25, 2011 the new “Immigration Law” of Mexico was duly published in the Official Gazette of the Federation. This new law will abrogate the current “General Law of  Immigration” once the “Regulations of the Immigration Law” become effective click here to view memo

UTEP President's Summary Report
On April 29, 2011, the President’s first Summit for
Advisory Boards was attended by more than 100 advisory
board members representing our seven colleges, schools,
and divisions, as well as the University’s Development
Board and the Centennial Campaign leadership. click here to view full report

Perfect Staging at 4705 Excalibur! Listed at $499,998 in Camelot!!    Home Staging Tip of the Quarter
Barb Schwarz, the Creator of Home Staging®, the ASP® Designation, and CEO of stagedhomes.com and The International Association of Home Staging Professionals®, IAHSP.com shares her tips on how to Stage® a home to help your client's homes sell faster and/or for more money.
click here for full article

El Paso Woman's Career As An actress Blossoming!
view Kathryn Smith-McGlynn's interview on NBC:
Most people who want to become actors hit the road and head to Hollywood. But an actress who moved from New York to El Paso a few years ago says she's managed to make her career take off right here in the Sun City. This -- while being a wife and taking care of her three year old son.
click here for article and video