Finding Family Fun Things To Do in Tyler Texas

One thing that may be on the top of your list is finding outdoor family fun near your new home.  In some areas, it might be hard or impossible to find nearby parks; however, Tyler TX Parks and Recreation are a huge part of our family oriented atmosphere and community.

Buying Tyler Texas Real Estate

If you are thinking about buying a Tyler Texas home for sale, and you are wondering to locate all the fun stuff to entertain yourself and the kids, you have nothing to fear. Your new Tyler, TX community is home to the Tyler State Park, which offers picnicking, camping, boating (even motor boating), boat rentals, fishing, birding, hiking, mountain biking, lake swimming and nature study.  There is even a year round calendar of events that people of all ages and stages of life can enjoy.

Tyler Texas Things To Do

Along with Tyler State Park, there are also numerous nearby attractions, including:

• Martin Creek State Park
• Purtis Creek State Park
• Texas State Railroad
• Tyler Municipal Rose Garden
• Tyler Planetarium
• Brookshire World of Wildlife
• Carnegie History Center
• Kilgore Oil Museum
• Morton Salt Mines
• Tyler Zoo
• the Tyler Rose Festival, and the Tyler Azalea Trail Festival

Browse Tyler Homes For Sale

Whenever you feel ready to search the Tyler MLS home search, or wish to speak to an expert Tyler REALTOR, be sure to contact me, Steve Winston, your trusted Tyler real estate agent. Ask questions on anything and everything about Tyler; I am here to serve you. If you do happen to stump me with a question, you can trust  I will quickly find it for you.

It’s a terrific time of year to enjoy the Tyler outdoors! What Tyler activities do you enjoy most? Be sure to leave a comment and let everyone know!

Until next time,

Steve

Tyler Texas Area Information

If you are worried about what entertainment your family will enjoy after you relocate to Tyler Texas, you need not fear. One wonderful family entertainment venue is the Caldwell Zoo, located at 2203 Martin Luther King Blvd, Tyler Texas 75702.

The Zoo has a natural design to the animal exhibits and habitats, as well as numerous kid oriented events throughout the year. Parking is free and tickets range from $5 for children 3 to 12 and $8.50 for agents 13 to 54.

Enjoy a Family Day in Tyler Texas

The Caldwell Zoo features stroller, wagon and wheelchair rentals,  Cafe and picnic areas, so you can make a family day out of a trip to the zoo.

There are also many great programs and zoo camps for children ages 3 to 14, along with many free special Zoo day activities, scavenger hunts and educational programs. To learn more, you can call (903)593-0121 or email info@caldwellzoo.org.

Tyler Texas Homes For Sale

If you find yourself constantly commuting to Tyler to enjoy the wonderful entertainment, shopping, restaurants and more, then perhaps it is time to buy Tyler Texas real estate. To start browsing Tyler Texas homes for sale, or to learn more about the Tyler home buying process, simply contact me, Steve Winston, your expert Tyler Texas real estate agent.

Until next time,
Steve

Tyler Texas Family Fun

Many of us have families with members of all ages, so sometimes it is hard to find appropriate activities that everyone will enjoy.

In Tyler Texas though, you will not have to worry about how to entertain your 4 year old and 13 year old at the same time; simply take everyone to the Brookshire’s World of Wildlife Museum and Country Store.

Tyler Family Entertainment

Located on Old Jacksonville Hwy, Brookshire’s Museum offers an amazing adventure journeys through Africa and North America. There are more than 450 mammals, fish, and reptiles are on up close display in naturally designed native habitats.

The Country Store part of the museum takes you back to the 1920’s, with working demonstrations of old-time grocery stores, such as hand coffee grinders, scales, old cash registers, and old meat slicers. The store also stocks the same items you would have found in 1920’s Tyler Texas neighborhood stores, like rock candy, produce, cured meats, lard and shortening cans, coffees, soaps, and more.

Tyler Texas Information

Brookshire’s World of Wildlife Museum and Country Store also has a wonderful playground and shaded picnic area, letting you really make a wonderful day enjoying everything. The playground includes a 1926 McCormick Deering farm tractor and 1952 model La Rance fire truck, which are sure to be a hit with you AND your kids.

Learn More About the Tyler Texas Area

Would you like to learn more? Request a Tyler Texas Real Estate Buyers Guide to learn about buying Tyler real estate and simply contact me, Steve Winston, for the answers to all your Tyler TX real estate questions.

Until next time,

Steve

I can never say it enough-I love living in the Tyler, Texas area. Not only are there amazing schools, loads of shopping and dining options that will have you wanting seconds, but there also magnificent Tyler golf courses, plus numerous year around entertainment activities for families of all ages and stages.

Tyler, TX – Home of Green Thumbs!

As a Tyler Texas real estate agent, I’m always conscious of our local weather and if you are relocating to Tyler TX from far away, you just might be wondering what is the Tyler, Texas weather like.

Because of the consistently mild weather, Tyler is a gardener’s paradise. If you possess a green thumb and love planting perennials, bulbs, along with fruits, vegetables and a local favorite, gorgeous azaleas, you’ll find Tyler has a nice extended growing season. You can count on spring flowers bursting in color starting in early March and continuing throughout the Summer months. Spring also provides us with plenty of opportunity for hit and miss rain showers, so it is always good to have that umbrella handy. You can bet I keep one handy for my Tyler real estate clients too.

Tyler, TX Isn’t Camelot – But It’s Close!

Tyler’s annual average rainfall is 43.1 inches. No, Tyler, TX isn’t what I would call a “Camelot”, but we do experience 245 days of sunny weather each year. Winters are pretty mild with the average lows in the upper 30’s and highs in the upper 50’s. Yes, it can get fairly warm in the summer with the average high topping out at low to mid 90’s and the lows in the evening averaging around 70.

Tyler Texas Area

Have you fallen in love with Tyler, TX? If so, why not share why you love living in our area by leaving a comment below.

Until next time,
Steve

P.S. If you would like to learn more about the area, things to do, or Tyler, TX real estate, never hesitate to ask me.

Have Fun in Tyler Texas

The Discover Science Place is a premier hands-on science museum for children of all ages, open form Monday through Saturday 9 am to 5 pm, and Sunday’s 1pm to 5 pm. There are three exhibit halls where kids are allowed to freely explore, create, invent and learn: Discovery Landing, Hometown, USA and Discovery Zone.

Tyler Texas Summer Camp

The Summer 2010 Day Camp Program at the Discovery Science Place is now registering for their June 7th through August 13th for children from ages 4 to 12. The Summer Camp will allow the children to engage in dynamic, age appropriate  hands-on activities.  Pre-K courses meet from 9 am to 12 noon, while K-6 courses meet from 9 am to 4 pm.  For More information you can call Discovery Science Place at 903-533-8011 ext. 33.

Tyler Texas Real Estate

If you are moving to the Tyler area, but are not sure of what neighborhoods best meet your needs and wants, then  simply contact me, Steve Winston, your expert Tyler Texas real estate agent.

Until next time,

Steve

Tyler Texas Family Entertainment

The Discovery Science Places offers entertainment, learning, and fun for the entire family. It is an affiliate of the American Science Technology Center and the Association of Children’s Museums and offers three exhibit halls: Discovery Landing, Hometown, USA and Discovery Zone. Families are free to invent, create, and explore-you will find kids of all ages are drawn here again and again.

Tyler Texas Information

The Discovery Science Place Museum is only $6.00/person, with children 2 and under being free. Seniors and Military get a 10% discount and family memberships pay for themselves in only a few visits. Hours are 9am -5pm Monday through Saturday and Sunday is 1pm-5pm. To learn more check out their website, call: (903) 533-8011, or visit: 308 N. Broadway Ave Tyler, Texas 75702.

Relocate To Tyler Texas

To start your move to wonderful Tyler Texas, take advantage of my customized Tyler TX Relocation Guide and browse through Tyler homes for sale. To learn more or have me search for specific home features for you, simply contact me, Steve Winston, your expert Tyler real estate agent.

Until next time,
Steve

One can’t miss event that fills the pages of the local Tyler, TX newspapers is The Tyler Texas Azalea Trail Festival and it’s quickly approaching. You can already see weekly photos showing the blooms that are starting to sprout! It’s just one more reason people relocate to Tyler! For those of you who recently bought Tyler Texas real estate or maybe you’re thinking of relocating to Tyler Texas, you are in for quite a treat. Every year spring is celebrated through amazing garden shows along the Tyler Azalea Trail and a huge fun family-friendly festival celebrates the magnificent gardens.

After walking and driving the trails through the breathtaking showcased neighborhoods and homes, the Azalea Trail Festival offers even more Tyler, TX entertainment and fun!

Tyler Azalea Fest Events

This spring, you can also enjoy the following events that take place as part of the Tyler Azalea Festival:

March 19, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Prestige Estates Azalea Trail Art Exhibit 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Tyler Area Council of Garden Clubs 4th Annual Flower Show 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Tyler Civic Theatre “The Chalk Garden” 7:30 pm

March 20, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Azalea Trail Arts & Crafts Fair 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Prestige Estates Azalea Trail Art Exhibit 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Bonner-Whitaker-McClendon House Historic Tours 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Tyler Area Council of Garden Clubs 4th Annual Flower Show 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
• Concert In The Park 7:00 pm
• Tyler Rotary Chili Cook-Off 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
• Tyler Civic Theatre “The Chalk Garden” 7:30 pm
• East Texas Symphony Orchestra Concert 7:30 pm

March 21, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Azalea Trail Arts & Crafts Fair 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Prestige Estates Azalea Trail Art Exhibit 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
• Tyler Civic Theatre “The Chalk Garden” 2:30 pm

March 22, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am

March 23, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am

March 24, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Tyler Civic Theatre “The Chalk Garden” 7:30 pm

March 25, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am

March 26, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Main Street Flower Market 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Historic Tyler on Tour Candlelight Party 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
• A Free Public Concert 7:30 pm
• Apache Belle Spring Show 7:30 pm
• Tyler Civic Theatre “The Chalk Garden” 7:30 pm

March 27, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Main Street Flower Market 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Day Tour of Historic Homes 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Central East Texas Orchid Society Orchid Show & Sale 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
• “Spirits of Oakwood” Walking Tour Through Historic Oakwood Cemetery 1:00 pm
• Apache Belle Spring Show 2:00 pm
• Apache Belle Spring Show 7:30 pm
• Tyler Civic Theatre “The Chalk Garden” 7:30 pm

March 28, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Central East Texas Orchid Society Orchid Show & Sale 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Day Tour of Historic Homes 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Tyler Civic Theatre “The Chalk Garden” 2:30 pm

March 29, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Roseland Plantation Annual Azalea & Spring Flower Trail Tea & Tours 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

March 30, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Roseland Plantation Annual Azalea & Spring Flower Trail Tea & Tours 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

March 31, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Roseland Plantation Annual Azalea & Spring Flower Trail Tea & Tours 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

April 1, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Roseland Plantation Annual Azalea & Spring Flower Trail Tea & Tours 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
• Big Ranch Round Up 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm

April 2, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Roseland Plantation Annual Azalea & Spring Flower Trail Tea & Tours 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

April 3, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Four Winds Renaissance Faire 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
• Rambling Roses 38th Anniversary Dance 7:00 pm

April 4, 2010

• Tyler State Park Dogwood Days Driving & Walking Tour 8:00 am
• Four Winds Renaissance Faire 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

The Tyler Texas Azalea Trails

The Azalea blooms will be the fullest right at the peak of the festival, which runs from March 19th to April 4, 2010.  To learn more, you can go here, contact Justin Turner at 903-592-1661, or you can simply contact me, Steve Winston, your expert Tyler Texas real estate agent. I am here to serve you, so feel free to ask me for information on everything and anything to do with the Tyler Texas area.

Send Your Tyler, TX Azalea Festival Photos!

Yes, email me, Steve Winston, your BEST Tyler Azalea Festival photographs and I’ll publish them on my Tyler, TX Photo Blog!

Have fun at the Festival!

Until next time,

Steve

P.S. Need Tyler Texas Homes For Sale Info?

When you are ready to buy Tyler Texas real estate, be sure to request my Tyler Home Buying Guide, as well as, my Tyler Relocation Guide.

Both are full of important information to make your home buying journey smooth and easy. When you are ready to browse the Tyler TX MLS for your perfect dream home, simply contact me, your trusted Tyler TX REALTOR to take care of your dream.

Tyler Azalea Trail

There are two trails, the original Lindsey Trail and the newer Dobbs Trail. Both trails are named for the streets they start on, and the Dobbs Trail was added on as the Azalea Trail started to add more homes, streets and neighborhoods. You can find the current trail maps here:

http://www.tylerazaleatrail.com/docs/AzaleaTrailMap.pdf

and every year the trails change as more azalea district real estate and streets participate in the event.

Navigating the Tyler Azalea Trail

Though the Azalea Trail Festival is walkable, if you have children it is far easier to drive through parts, as the trails meander through some neighborhoods that don’t have side walks. It is easiest to walk the trail area between West 4th Street and West Dobbs Street  because the streets are wider and there are plenty of sidewalks.

For areas where you will want to walk the trails, you can find parking on any of the streets EXCEPT South Broadway Ave-which is also US 69. The two best places to park are at South College Avenue, between Lindsey Lane and Dobbs Street, right near Bergfeld Park and at Belmont Drive, between First and second Streets.

Tyler TX Azalea Trail History

The Tyler Azalea Trail area is not only a breathtaking display of gardens and blooms, but it is also historically significant. The first Azalea Trail gardens started in 1929, by local nurseryman Maurice Shamburger, who had boxcar loads of the colorful azalea plants brought from Georgia.

After Shamburger completed his garden, azalea gardens took off in the neighborhoods and each community promoted showcasing yards and gardens every spring.The springtime showcases started drawing people from nearby communities every spring, and eventually The Tyler Azalea Trail was born.

You will find Shamburger’s original garden still displayed in true radiance on the Azalea Trail today. Azalea gardens are now a staple and more and more homes and neighborhoods apply to become part of the trails. Some of the thick, towering azaleas in the older home gardens on the Azalea Trail date back to the 1930’s and are truly awe inspiring!

Tyler TX Real Estate

If you happen to be visiting the Tyler area, or a job move has you relocating to Tyler Texas, you will certainly have fun enjoying the great community atmosphere and fun everyone enjoys during the annual Tyler Azalea Trail festival! You can see photos here, and even enter the Tyler Convention and Visitors Bureau amateur photography contest-you could even win cash prizes!

The festival is a great opportunity to explore Tyler neighborhoods, tour Tyler homes for sale, and learn more about the wonderful communities and area. If you have any questions, want to learn more, or feel ready to start searching the Tyler TX MLS for your prefect dream home, then contact me, Steve Winston, your expert Tyler TX real estate agent.

Enjoy The Azalea Trails and be sure to check back here and share what aspect of The Azalea Trails was your favorite. Leave a comment and let the rest of us know what you liked best.

Until next time,
Steve

Understanding the Fiduciary Responsibilities Owed to YOU, the Tyler, TX Home Buyer and Home Seller!

Over the next few blog posts, you will come to know what you should expect from your Tyler, TX real estate agent (or any agent who transacts real estate in the state of Texas). These fiduciary duties include:

• Loyalty
• Obedience
• Disclosure
• Confidentiality
• Reasonable Care and Diligence
• Accounting

Loyalty Defined in the Tyler Real Estate Transaction

The noun loyalty is defined in these terms: faithfulness; devotion; constancy

The cornerstone of an agent’s duties to a client is that of loyalty! This fiduciary duty is owed to you, the principal. A principal is a legal term for a client and this duty obligates me as your Tyler, TX real estate agent to act at all times, solely in the best interests of you, my client, excluding all other interests, including that of the broker.

Example of a Breach of Loyalty

You might be interested to know that an example of breach of loyalty is when a real estate agent purchases a Tyler, TX property listed with his/her firm, and immediately resells it at a profit. Some might consider this conduct to be perfectly above board and even lawful by persons who act “at arms length“. Within the realm of a fiduciary “relationship”, it would be considered to a “wrongful act” in which the agent would have stolen an opportunity for profit that rightfully belongs to his/her principal.

Knowing the Duties of Loyalty for a Seller’s Agent and a Buyer’s Agent

1. As your “seller’s agent”, I must do everything possible to gain an advantage for you, the Tyler, TX home seller. This means securing the absolute highest fair market value for your Tyler property as possible.
2. If you are represented as a principal buyer, your Tyler, TX real estate agent must do everything possible to gain an advantage for you, the home buyer. Meaning, I will do all that I can to help you buy your property at the lowest price possible.

Your Turn to Ask the Questions?

These real estate terms and laws of agency can be a little confusing. What questions do you have as it relates to the fiduciary duties owned to you as a Tyler, TX home buyer and seller?

Stay tuned to the next post in this series on the fiduciary term “Obedience“.

Steve

Better Site for Tyler Home Buyers

Brad Carroll-CEO of Dakno Real Estate Marketing

Brad, what’s your take on current web site designs for Real Estate Agents? Steve, the days of lean cookie-cutter real estate web sites are over. Consumers make instant decisions about a website the moment the homepage loads. If the site doesn’t reach out and engage the visitor immediately, the consumer will click the back button to filter through the rest of the search results in order to find the resource that speaks to their needs. Of course, the overwhelming majority of consumers want to search for homes. Specifically, in your market, they want to search for homes for sale in Tyler, TX. That’s why we have predetermined Tyler, TX search queries based on price,front and center, on your homepage. It’s all about making it super easy to access the information a Tyler, TX home buyer wants to find.

Bobby Carroll – Vice President of Marketing

What tips can you give a Realtor or business owner to engage and connect with others? Steve, you know me! I’m all about listening, and using social media tools to engage and show incredible value to my target audience. Anyone seeking to move their business forward should be making the most of online networks like:

• Facebook personal profiles
• Facebook Fan pages
• Twitter
• YouTube
• and to a lesser degree, Flickr and LinkedIn

People in Tyler are using these networks and it’s incumbent upon Tyler, TX real estate pros like yourself to be engaged. The reality is, people in your area are talking about real estate. The question is, are Tyler, TX Real Estate agents listening and engaged in the conversation. These tools also help agents guard their reputation by serving as listening devices. It’s also about using social media sites to connect with like minded people. The old saying is still true… people like to do business with people like themselves. That means if you enjoy horseback riding, I suggest you get involved with other people who are passionate about riding horses. And you will find these people online talking all about horses. Want to build your sphere of influence? Use social media tools to extend your reach! That way, when a consumer is ready to engage in the home buying process, the real estate agent will be “top of mind” with that consumer because of that online relationship.

How important is a real estate website to the Tyler, Texas Home Buyer searching for a home? While a few traditional forms of real estate marketing still work, the most preferred tool for a home buyer is a real estate website or a blog. If home buyers are just starting their Tyler home search, the primary mission is to use an online property search tool to see what properties are available based on their search criteria. The second most popular tool for a Tyler, Texas buyer is market data. Often, real estate blogs (like this portal) are used to share market stats about a hyper-local market. One other integral piece of information buyers seek is local area information. We place a great deal of emphasis on an agent like yourself providing hyper-local information. Specifically, Tyler, TX neighborhood information. Why? Because Tyler home buyers are buying more than bricks, sticks and mortar on a piece of dirt. They want to know about the amenities of a neighborhood:

1. the local schools
2. the businesses nearby
3. does the neighborhood offer a pool, tennis courts, a golf course – we’re talking lifestyle!
4. another key ingredient for neighborhood information is a searchable map to determine how far the homeowner has to drive to their job/office

If your real estate website will answer these questions, that Tyler home buyer will come back to your website over and over again. That’s our goal for your Tyler, TX real estate website. To be THE trusted real estate resource for Tyler, TX home buyers!

My Tyler Texas Real Estate Blog

These two guys keep my site and Blog above the competition. They made my Tyler,TX Photo Blog caveman easy. I also want to give special recognition to Leslie Vegter, Marketing Director at Dakno, for her expertise. The next learning curve I have is Posterous. It’s all about learning and making connections with home buyers in Tyler.

Searching for a Tyler Home

I’m always trying to improve my real estate web site for Tyler TX. It’s all about making it super easy for you to search for a Tyler home. How can I make it better?

See you next time,

Steve