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As an Austin real estate agent, my focus in on helping people.  When working with buyers, I don't try to sell a home.  What I do is work to understand their needs and find homes that will work best for them.  I also like to educate people about different parts of the Austin area, schools, commute times, etc.

A little about me...  Growing up in a military family, I have lived in many parts of this great country.  From Texas to New Hampshire to Michigan to Alaska - I've seen a lot of wonderful places.   Central Texas is one of the best and most unique places I have seen.  I came to the Austin area in 1987, spending most of that time in the Lake Travis area.  

My education includes a B.S. from Trinity University in San Antonio in 1982, many Kinko's advanced trainings including several Owner/Business Management Programs at USC and several University of California at Santa Barbara Business Management Programs. 

Prior to going into real estate full-time, I was a substitute teacher.  I subbed in all of the Lake Travis ISD schools for four years, working in every grade from K through 12.  My main focus was middle school and I worked most often in band and special education classes. 

Prior to substitute teaching and real estate I was a Branch Manager, Regional Operations Manager and Founding Shareholder with Kinko's.  Branches and regions I was responsible for won numerous awards for customer service, sales growth, mystery shops and quality control.  Just before I left Kinko's I was recognized for exemplary sales and profit growth and outstanding customer service in the branch I owned and managed.  This earned my team a place in the Kinko's Chairperson's Club, ranking in the top 20 of all Kinko's branches in 1998.

I used to jump out of airplanes (for fun) and skied a lot as a kid.  I still love to ski and have been skiing in Alaska, California, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, New Hampshire and Switzerland.  I still have a sense of adventure, but don't give in to it as much as when I was younger.  I devote more time to family, friends and the community these days.

Helping people is what I do.  It is what I do as a REALTOR^® and it is why I volunteer.  I don't approach being a REALTOR^® as selling anything to anyone.  What I like to do is listen to my clients.  I want to know your needs, your desires and your dreams for your next home.  The next step is helping find the home that fits as many of your criteria as possible.  This may sound a bit simplistic, but that is what helping you is all about.  To see what satisfied clients have said about me, take a look at some testimonials.

Affiliations & Community Involvement:

Member of Lakeway-Lake Travis Rotary Club since 2003.

Lakeway-Lake Travis Rotary Club Vice President and Board of Directors 2004/2005 and 2009/2010

Rotary District 5870 EarlyAct FirstKnight Committee Chair 2010/2011

Lake Travis Middle School Campus Advisory Team 2009/2010 school year

Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce Unsung Hero Award 2008

Lake Travis High School Interact Club Advisor 2004 to present

Lake Travis Middle School Interact Club Advisor 2009 to present

American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Lake Travis 2006, 2007 and 2009 Event Chair

Lakeway Elementary PTO volunteer 1999-2007

Lake Travis Middle School Mentor 2003 & 2004

Keller Williams Eagle Award winner 2005

Lakeway Walkers Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Volunteer 2002-2007

Lake Travis Community Library Land Acquisition Committee

Keller Williams Community Service Committee Chair 2005-2006

Keller Williams Lake Travis Market Center Agent Leadership Council Member 2006

Lake Travis Middle School Campus Advisory Team 2009/2010

Member Austin Board of REALTORS®
 
Member Texas Association of REALTORS®

Member National Association of REALTORS®

Call me at 512-293-2422.  I'm here to help!

I earned the rank of Eagle Scout while in Alaska.

I slept overnight in a winter shelter in our Scout troop made when the temperature dropped to minus 44 degrees F.

My older brother and I drove 10,000 miles the summer of 1974 going from Alaska to Washington state, to Idaho, to California, to Oklahoma, to Ohio and a few other places and then to our final destination in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

In 1976 I was the second seat, third chair in the All New England Band French horn section.

In the hall of my high school in Portsmouth, NH, I shook hands with Ronald Regan.

Skydiving was one of my passions some time ago.  I earned my SCR in Coolidge, Arizona in 1980.

I jumped out of a hot air balloon from 10,200 feet (with a parachute...) at around 2:00AM near Fairbanks, Alaska one June morning in 1977.

I am a former business partner of Paul Orfalea, the founder of Kinko's.

While in Alaska I completed two marathons.

My dad, my older brother and I climbed Longs Peak in Colorado.

By the age of 12 I had been in every state in the U.S. except for Hawaii.

I was the Lake Travis Keller Williams Eagle Award winner in 2006.

In 2002, I helped a group raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  Through my connections from a past business relationship, I managed to get two billboards donated to promote the event's special guest, Major Applewhite.  Below is a photo showing Major, my daughter and me.

When I was 16, there was something I could do a lot better than I can now...

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© Sam Chapman