South Padre Island Job Fair

Tropical Smoothie Café® Grand Opening

Tropical Smoothie Café will be hosting a Grand Opening Celebration for its newest restaurant in South Padre Island on Tues., Jan. 31, 2017 The Grand Opening Celebration will offer fun for the whole family, and an opportunity to enjoy Tropical Smoothie Café’s freshly-made smoothies, flatbreads, wraps, salads, and more. The event will include free smoothies for a year for the first 50 guests*, giveaways, product tastings, and 99-cent smoothies** all day starting on Tues., Jan. 31st at 7:00 am. There will also be an official ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:30 am.

222 1/2 Washington Laguna Heights, TX 78578

This is a great starter home located in Laguna Heights which is a short 10 minute drive to South Padre Island. $125,000 More Information

Five reasons to include a home warranty with your home’s sale

When you put your home on the market, you’ll clean and de-clutter, and you’ll probably stage it with newer furniture and on-trend décor. But have you considered including a home warranty? It’s not always at the top of every seller’s list, but it can be a huge benefit to you. Here’s why: It reassures your buyer A home warranty gives buyers comfort—if something goes wrong with the systems and appliances of the home, they’re protected. It gives you peace of mind Having your air conditioning break while your home is on the market is one of the many unpleasant scenarios that can happen. Many home warranty companies include sellers’ coverage when a home warranty is included as part of the sale. Sellers’ or listing coverage is usually free, and will help you repair or replace systems or appliances that break down while the home is on the market. Such coverage is less comprehensive than a regular plan, so check what’s covered and what isn’t. Your home may sell faster A study done by the Service Contract Industry Council in 2014 found that homes with a home warranty as part of the sale spent 11 fewer days on the market than homes without a home warranty. If you want to sell your home fast, a home warranty can help. Your home could bring a higher price That same study found that listings with a home warranty sold for $2,300 more on average than homes without a warranty. Getting more money for the sale of your home is excellent, but it’s even more alluring when you look at the return on investment. It provides a higher return on investment than many repairs Most home warranties cost less than $600. Even if your sales price increase by only half the $2,300 average seen by properties with home warranties, you’re still way ahead. Compare that to the return seen by sellers who replace their front doors, buy a new garage door, or make similar upgrades and you’ll see that a home warranty usually brings a good return on investment. What benefits have you seen from including a home warranty with the sale of a home? Whitney Bennett is the SEO specialist for Landmark Home Warranty, which provides affordable and comprehensive home warranties in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Utah.

The 22nd Annual W.O.W.E. Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! The 22nd Annual W.O.W.E. Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo January 24-28, 2017 at the South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center Featuring Special Events and Programs Each Day: Tue – Lower RGV Environment Wed – Fishing in the Gulf & Bay Thu – Native Plants, Butterflies and Dragonflies Fri – Birds, Shore Birds & Migrations Sat – Family Day Fri & Sat – Jonathan Wood’s Raptor Project THERE’S NOTHING LIKE IT IN SOUTH TEXAS IN THE WINTER! For Program Info visit spibirding.com or call 956-761-6801.

Shuttle Service On The Bayside Drive

Sundays starting January 15, 2017 Departs Visitor Center at 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:00 & 2:00 – SUNDAYS ONLY Visitors wishing to access the Bayside Drive and spend time doing photography, birding or walking may take the FREE shuttle. The shuttle service is not a tour, and is intended as transportation to the key areas of Pelican Lake, Plover Point Observation Deck, Redhead Ridge Overlook, Moranco Blanco Trail and the Aplomado Falcon Prairie. Visitors may get off the bus at the stops and stay until another bus comes by. Complete schedules available at the visitor center.

Best Of South Texas Wildlife

145 Oleander Drive Laguna Vista, TX 78578

LUXURY! VIEWS! WATERFRONT! NEW CONSTRUCTION! Enjoy fireworks, nature, fishing and watersports from your private 90’ waterfront, 1/3 acre lot with breathtaking views of Laguna Madre and South Padre Island. Designed 3BDRM, 3 Bath, but currently used as dual master suites. 3.5 car garage. Fabulous deal on QUALITY, WELL BUILT, Commercial and LEED Designed, TDI Windstorm Certified, Tempered, hurricane impact resistant windows. Chef kitchen, stainless appliances, quartz, gas cooking/ grilling/ fireplace. Low operating costs w/tankless water heater, softener, LED lights, shaded NE facing patio. Gated community with pool/gym/meeting rooms. 2 minutes to golf course, 15 minutes to island. Construction specs list upon request. Cost to build–over $600K More Information

Why you should consider selling a home you haven’t even bought

You’ll consider several criteria when purchasing your first home, but have you thought about how easy it will be to sell later? Things like location, features, and nearby amenities—the same criteria you’ll consider—can affect a property’s resale value. You like it, but will they? If it’s your first home, you may only plan to stay in it for a few years. And while you may be willing to buy a house that, for example, is located on a busy street or close to railroad tracks, ask yourself, “Will future buyers feel the same way?” Keep the next buyers in mind Once the home is yours, think about how to improve or maintain the home to appeal to future buyers. This can include things like upgrading bathroom or kitchen fixtures, improving the landscaping, or using paint colors that have broad appeal. Ask an expert If you have questions about whether a property will be easy or hard to sell in the future, talk to a Texas REALTOR®. He or she can offer advice about purchasing a home you love that will also appeal to the most buyers when you’re ready to move.