July 2017

Summer is here and for many people that means vacation season. If you want peace of mind when you are away from home, some simple precautions can help you achieve that.

The first line of defense to protecting your home is a good door lock and deadbolt. Once you have them both, make sure you use them everytime. Now that your doors are locked, check your windows too. You may not use your windows often but check them anyways. It’s easy to open your windows and forget to lock them when you close them back because you get interrupted or are in a hurry. Locks are the most basic protection you have but they can’t work if you don’t use them.

Another really easy step to take to protect your home is to set up a couple lights on timers. This can be done really

This house is located in the heart of historic Bastrop and is packed with its original charm and nicely remodeled as well. Two bedrooms, two full bathrooms and 1,298 square feet make up this home. During its remodel, the original red oak and longleaf pine floors were discovered and have been refinished.

The remodel also included a complete update of the kitchen adding stainless steel appliances, an island, white cabinets and stainless steel fixtures. Meal prep and cleanup in this kitchen will be simple and quick with all the modern conveniences that were incorporated in the remodel.

The backyard includes a nice storage building and a covered back porch making it the perfect place to relax.

Possibly the best feature of this property is its

Skip Vegas and head to Smithville for the night for the Smithville Chamber’s Casino Night. This annual event is always a lot of fun and offers a variety of your favorite casino games including blackjack, roulette, craps, poker and slot machines.

In addition to the games, there will also be a buffet, door prizes and a silent auction. Plan to arrive at 6 for dinner then enjoy mingling, playing games and the auction until 10. Tickets are available in advance or at the door.

The silent auction has some great items including golf, restaurant gift certificates and a watch. This event helps support the Smithville Chamber's activities throughout the year. This annual event is always fun and will likely be waiting for next year once it’s over.

When:

Smithville, Texas is a small town about 45 miles east of Austin. Like many small towns, Smithville had little to offer its residents and visitors after dark just a few years ago. But in 2014, Steve Simmons decided to take action and change that. He purchased two downtown buildings and began to talk to city leaders about reviving this once booming town.

Fast forward three years and Smithville is being compared to Marfa and has a good variety of options to offer those in downtown. If you live in Smithville or nearby, you have likely witnessed this welcome transformation over the last few years and enjoy all of the options available close by.

If you would like to read more about the changes in Smithville and how they came about, this article shares

Welcome to 141 Tanglewood Drive in Elgin, TX. This ranch style four bedroom, 3 bathroom home is tucked away on a quiet street in Cedar Hills.  

This property includes low maintenance tile and hardwood floors throughout most of the property and updated bathrooms. There is an additional large room with separate double door entrance that would make a great office or fifth bedroom.

Enjoy the private fenced backyard with a fire pit and large patio. Entertaining will be a breeze in your quiet, flat backyard. A storage building is also located in the backyard.

Recent updates to the property include a newer roof, recently painted outside and inside as well as recently added sod and enhanced landscaping. The community features a lake and pool, which are

Head out to 1832 Tavern in historic downtown Bastrop to see Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage. This production opened in late June to a sold out crowd and has continued to entertain since then. This is the final weekend to spend an evening being entertained by the production of Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage. This show will shock and entertain with equal parts comedy and horror as you spend the evening with Big 8. Don’t miss your last chance to see this in Bastrop.

When: Thursday-Saturday, July 20-22, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: 1832 Tavern, 809 Main Street, Bastrop, TX

For more information about the Flaming Guns of the Purple Stage production, click here.  

The Janis Penick Team

RE/MAX Bastrop Area
Serving Bastrop, Cedar Creek and Smithville

You’ve signed the papers, received your key and walked into your new home for the first time, now it’s time to get settled. This may include remodeling or changing something about the home or just purchasing what you need to get settled in your home. These are some of the most common purchases people make once they become homeowners to help you plan your new budget.

Furniture

Maybe you need a couch or a kitchen table or much more. Don’t overwhelm yourself and your budget by trying to purchase everything you need right away. Start with the most critical items and then add to them as you have time and your budget allows.

Lawn Equipment

If you’re renting or you’ve moved from a small property to one with a lot of land, you’ll need a lawnmower. You

Welcome to 291 St Marys Road in Rosanky, TX. This property will not disappoint in any way with outstanding quality and land to surpass all of your expectations. The barndominium includes two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms.

This property has more than 51 acres and features four beautiful ponds, scattered oaks, mesquites and coastal Bermuda.  

From the outside, don’t miss the quality limestone constructed home with 1,500 square feet of space. It features stained concrete floors, a stone fireplace, knotty pine trim and ceilings, KitchenAid stainless steel appliances, gorgeous custom pecan cabinets, granite counters in the kitchen & bathrooms and a mesquite breakfast bar.

On the outside, a spacious porch wraps-around on three sides. The slab

Grab your sunglasses, bathing suit and your friends and head out to Elgin Memorial Park on Saturday, July 15 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for the Elgin Beach Party. There is lots of summer fun planned including contests, food and more.

Activities planned include a sandcastle contest, hula hoop contest, waterslides, snow cones, watermelon and lemonade. Saturday is forecasted to be super hot so plan to cool off at Elgin Beach Day.

When: Saturday, July 15 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.  

Where: Elgin Memorial Park, 310 N Main Street, Elgin, TX

For more information about the Elgin Beach Party, click here.   

Image courtesy of rpeast/pixabay.com

Summer is in full force, which likely means your electric bill will be at its peak for the next few cycles. Without resorting to candles and wood stoves to prepare your meals, there are some simple things you can do to decrease your energy use. These tips will allow you to save some money and conserve some of our natural resources as well.

• One of the simplest things you can do to reduce energy usage during the warm weather months is to change the temperature you keep your house set on.  No one wants to be hot inside their home but it is likely that you wouldn’t notice a few degrees’ difference. Turn the thermostat up at night when you are in bed or during the day if everyone is away from home. This can be easily accomplished if you have a