Elena Garrett - PropShop1

09/23/2026

Checking for sharp carpet nails at the last builder walkthrough - builders do not love me for the fact that I make them spend time on those things, but hey, I don't work for the builder!

09/22/2026

09/17/2026

if you are looking to recycle some of them boxes, you are in the right place, Ruff Boy Bear said...

09/16/2026

another drive to Mabank, TX - hwy 175 has such peaceful, beautiful views. I m a restless soul, but i hope that some day, sone wonderful day, I will be able to drive there just for the beauty of it, not just for work.

09/13/2026

Unusual house: 12116 FM174, Bowie, TX 76230 - part 2 - the upstairs master bedroom and the gameroom

From the Bar to the Bedroom… the Long Way Up 😳

In Part 1, we explored the full bar inside this very unusual Bowie, Texas home.

But here is where the layout gets even more interesting.

To get from the bar to the main living side of the house, you either walk outside through the carport… or you climb a very steep staircase to the second floor, pass through the game room and other upstairs spaces, and eventually arrive at the primary bedroom.

So technically, you can leave the bedroom, walk through the game room, cross over the carport upstairs, and come downstairs directly into the bar.

And then there is the bedroom itself.

This may be one of the most atmospheric bedrooms I have ever toured. Between the wood construction, the cabin-like feel and those views, I can only imagine what this room looks like during a thunderstorm, snowfall, sunrise or sunset.

The tradeoffs? The primary bedroom is upstairs, and in my opinion, the closet space may feel more comfortable for one person than two—although everyone has a very different definition of “enough closet space.”

But the VIEW? Absolutely beautiful.

This entire property feels less like a traditional Texas house and more like somebody picked up a mountain cabin and dropped it outside Bowie.

If standard subdivision houses bore you and you have ever dreamed about owning a cabin-in-the-woods type of home without leaving Texas… this is definitely an interesting one.

📍 Bowie, Texas

Part 3 coming next.

09/13/2026

What in the world??? This Bowie, TX log cabin has a FULL Functioning BAR? 😳

I’ve been in real estate for years, and this may be one of the most unusual homes I’ve ever walked through.
When I first saw the photos of this Bowie, Texas property online, I honestly wondered if the interior had been virtually remodeled because the place looked more like a mountain lodge than a North Texas home.
Then I walked into THIS.

One entire side of the property contains what looks and functions like a real bar—not just a countertop with a sink. The layout, equipment areas, doors to the outside, and even a half bathroom inside the bar space make me think whoever designed it actually understood how a working bar should function.

And the layout gets even stranger.

The living quarters and the bar are on opposite sides of a central carport. To get from the house to the bar without simply walking across the carport, you can actually go UPSTAIRS, cross over the carport through the second-floor spaces, and then come back down into the bar.

I have seen a lot of houses.
I have never seen one quite like this.
📍 Bowie, Texas

And yes… there is a LOT more to this house than the bar.

09/06/2026

first impressions management during some open houses involves this....

I think a lot of people who imagine becoming Realtors picture themselves walking through beautiful houses, checking themselves out in giant bathroom mirrors, opening w**e cellars, standing beside swimming pools, and generally looking very polished.

And, sure, that happens sometimes.

But that is not most of my life.

Most of real estate is work people never see, and a lot of it is not glamorous at all. It is extremely ordinary, practical, down-to-earth work.

Today is a good example.

I’m holding an open house at one of my listings in Mabank. The sellers had to relocate, and some of their adult children are still staying in the house, so we are all doing the best we can to prepare and maintain the property with the owners no longer here.

Relocations are like that sometimes.

People leave before everything is perfectly wrapped up, and suddenly I’m the person still here locally trying to keep all the little pieces moving.

So today I got to the house around 5:00, started cleaning before the open house, and then basically kept cleaning throughout it.

Doors. Thresholds. Baseboards. Entry areas.

Especially the areas buyers see first.

Because one thing I know very well after years in real estate is that first impressions matter tremendously.

The first minute or two inside a house often matters much more than the last minute or two.

When buyers walk in, I’m trying to give them several little “wows” in those first few minutes:

“Wow, this living room is nice.”

“Wow, I love this space.”

“Wow, this feels bigger than I expected.”

Not:

“Wow, look at that dirty baseboard.”

So while I’m waiting for the next people to arrive, I’m literally on my hands and knees scrubbing doors and baseboards.

Some open houses I sit at the kitchen table and play with my phone between visitors.

Some days I walk through million-dollar houses and admire w**e cellars.

And some days I scrub door frames.

That’s probably a much more accurate picture of real estate.

A lot of the job happens quietly, between appointments, before anybody arrives, and after everybody leaves.

Just one l