Gray Realty’s Stone earns brokers license
Contributed 
Personnel with Gray Realty recently announced that partner Steve Stone has achieved his broker’s license and will now support Preston Gray as an associate broker in the firm. “He is an honest man and a family man and strengthens our team immeasurably,” commented Managing Broker Preston Gray.
Of the many designations in the real estate industry, that of broker is the one most recognized by the public. It signifies that the agent has acquired the minimum of two years sales experience and completed an additional 780 hours of education required by the state to become a broker – enabling them to sell real estate without supervision.
A native of the Panhandle, Stone moved to Bandera in 1991, in part because his wife had longed to return to “God’s Country” since attending college at West Texas State in Canyon. Stone admits the Texas Hill Country offers “some of the most beautiful land in Texas.”
His previous career involved traveling throughout the country as a loss control engineer servicing Fortune 1000 companies such as Wal-Mart, Valero, Intel and Houston Power & Light. A part of his previous career, Stone helped write national fire codes. After moving to Bandera, he decided that real estate provided the best fit for his experience and talents.
Since coming to Gray Realty as agent-office manager five years ago, Stone has been instrumental in brightening the firm’s logo, enlarging its signs, increasing advertising and incorporating extensive Internet marketing. As Stone noted, “We have established ourselves as one of the dominant firms in Bandera County.”
Remaining optimistic that Bandera will not fall victim to overbuilding and commercialization, he said, “Our growth will be self limiting due to availability of water and fuel prices.”
In addition, he recommends that subdivisions utilize larger lots and have restrictions for well-built homes with a strong emphasis on going green.
Stone would like city and county leaders to continue promoting tourism as a tool to draw people to the local communities. “Once here, after falling in love with the scenery and lifestyle, families will choose to relocate and aid us in maintaining that lifestyle through healthy growth,” he said. “Bandera also has a good school system with active community support, which is important to relocating families.”
According to Stone, because of its eccentricity and diversity, Bandera has always had its own housing cycle. He does not believe that will change regardless of the recent financial downturn. He feels that retirees moving to the area – in addition to continuing sale of small and medium-sized ranches – will provide a stable housing market and sound investments for the future.
“In the rest of the nation, Bandera is probably most like Riudoso,” he said. But Steve and Irene Stone don’t plan to leave anytime soon for the distant blue mountains of New Mexico. They find the rolling green hills and crystal clear rivers of Bandera suit them just fine.
