We had to travel to a remote part of Utah for this image.  It was taken along the trail to Zebra and Tunnel slot canyons,  down the Hole In The Rock Road a bit from Escalante, Utah.  If you're not familiar with the Hole In The Rock expedition you may want to read the story.  If you like the photo you are welcome to save a copy for your desktop or device wallpaper.
Hope you have a fantastic month!
​John

Those are some of my wife's students posing with their awards at DECA International.  And the lovely redhead snapping their photo is Kimberly!  She has been a DECA Advisor for years and many of her students have competed successfully at ICDC.
If you have a high school student interested in entrepreneurship and business, please have them ask about the DECA chapter at their school.  It is a great step toward a rewarding career.
https://www.deca.org/
https://sites.google.com/leanderisd.org/businessandmarketing/deca?authuser=0
#CPProud

Bell Boulevard (also known as 183 through Cedar Park) is likely in for some big changes!
The City of Cedar Park is looking to redevelop the area into a pedestrian-friendly live / shop / work complex similar to The Domain.
If you know the funky intersection of 183 and Buttercup Creek with the little frontage road and old path of 183 then you know the general area.  The project looks really nice.
​http://destinationbellblvd.cedarparktexas.gov/

A house went under contract today 6 days after the listing photos were drastically improved.
The original set of photos were poorly lit and not level - probably taken with a phone.  
The first listing expired without selling.  
Then it re-listed with new images that looked much better and it sold in 6 days!
That got my attention.  Then I noticed the agent was the same for both listings and the first was only about 3 weeks.
I'm guessing the seller wanted the house on the market before it was ready and the agent complied.  But when the house and better photos were ready, she made a smart move by expiring the first listing and starting over.  Even though the days on the market showed the full 3+ weeks time, the new photos made the listing catch buyers' eyes who likely passed over it the first time.
Lesson 1 - photos matter - a lot.
Lesson 2 - change the photos enough and it can be like starting over.
Lesson 3 - still a better idea to have everything 100% ready on the day of the launch.

Kimberly in one of the narrow canyons we visited in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Have a wonderful New Year!
This month's image was taken in the La Sal Mountains near Moab, UT.  It wasn't actually January.  Not even winter - expect at that elevation.  But I think it looks like January.
As always, if you'd like to use this as a screen saver or wallpaper  you are welcome to do so.
Feel free to download the full size image by clicking the link below.  Or save the image above.
Happy New Year!
​John

Might we see a little snow in Central Texas this Christmas season?
Of course it is possible.  To be sure, you may need to make some travel plans.
I hope you have a wonderful Holiday season!
Thank you,
John
ps - Some folks have not been able to download a large enough copy of the image by simply clicking the photo.  So here is a link to download the 11mb jpg file.  Feel free to use as your wallpaper image this month.

I get this question a lot every Fall.

A quick glance shows something near half as many homes sell as are active each month.  There is some variance.  May beats September, for example.  Ignore November as it only shows half a month of sales.  I ran this Nov 15th.  Look at December - about 2/3 ratio.
​Bottom line - there is never a bad month for real estate in the Austin area.

Thankfulness is powerful.  We even have a holiday about it.

It makes you happier to count your blessings.  Focus on the positive.  And happier, positive people tend to get more of what they want.

A business coach of mine repeated frequently, "The universe will not give you more until you take care of what you have."

Zig Ziglar thought of the word Gratitude as a contraction of Great + Attitude = Gratitude

Paul's letters in the bible repeat gratitude many times.  The idea isn't new.  I'll even suggest if one is searching for a meaning for their life, being thankful for what one has makes a great start.

Thanks for reading this!

​John  

Thanks to Lauren W for allowing me to share her beautiful image of Aspen, CO as this month's calendar!  Makes me want to go next Fall...
I hope you have a great month filled with thanks.  Gratitude is important.  There is a saying that God will not trust us with more until we have gratitude for what we already have.  (If you know the source, please post it in the comments.)  I think it is fitting to have a season of thanks as we approach the time of year that many of us set goals for the next year.
I am thankful for you!
​John