Austin Housing Market on FIRE!!!!!

The Austin housing market is red hot according to new numbers released by the Austin Board of Realtors Wednesday.
Januaury home sales are up 33 percent from last year and realtors say there is no reason those numbers will slow down anytime soon.

In January 1,402 houses sold in the Austin region, which includes Round Rock and San Marcos.
That's the highest number of homes sold in the month of January in the past six years. The median price is up too. It rose 10 percent to $197,900.
The Austin Board of Realtors says this means 2013 could truly be a seller's market.
The fastest growth right now is concentrated in the central, downtown and northwest areas of Austin.
"A particular property might have two, three, even four separate offers on it, and it's up to the seller at that point to decide which offer is the one that best gives results for them," said Leondard Guerrero from the Austin Board of Realtors.

According to the new report, homes spent just 71 days on the market. That's two weeks less than just one year ago.
The board is warning that the housing supply is drying up in the Austin area. Right now Austin has the lowest amount of inventory in the past decade.

Top 5 Ways to be Welcomed to Austin

If you’re moving or thinking of moving to Austin in the near future, Kathy Stafford is here to first welcome, then help. Here are the “Top 5 Things You Should Know When Moving To Austin:”

5. Find a Friend or Two or Three or…You Get The Point

Would you believe there are other ways of finding, making, and maintaining friends outside of Facebook in Austin? A good place to start would be to walk out your front door and say “hi” to the first person you see because with all of the southern hospitality just oozing out of people here in Texas, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn’t stop and say hi back – there, one friend found. But if you would like to add to that list, here are a few other suggestions:

Just meet up…dot com – Meetup.com is a great place to start. Figure out what you feel like doing today and there is probably a group for that. Wanna go standup paddle boarding in the evenings? There’s a group for that. Wanna meet up, drink beer, and talk about visual design for mobile apps? There’s a group for that. Or do you just feel like meeting new people and doing something different? There’s a group for that!


Volunteer – Find a cause after your own heart and you’re bound to meet someone new. Austin is a large city, but we are an even bigger community. A helping hand can be used in any area of interest you may have – people, animals, music, food, or just picking up trash for the parks to Keep Austin Beautiful – you will be appreciated, feel good about what you did to serve your new city, and meet some new peeps all in one day.

4. There Are Lots of Fun Things To Do With Your New Found Friends

Festivals, festivals, and more festivals – If you haven’t heard, Austin kind of likes music. And with the liking of the music, we like to celebrate it for days on end and we call those celebrations festivals. Just around the corner to kick off the fall is the 2012 Austin City Limits Music Festival – three days, hundreds of bands, thousands of people, countless amounts of fun to be had…and that’s just one celebration. Then wait six months, and here comes SXSW. If a sea of crowds isn’t your thing, map out the closest coffee shop from your new crib and chances are someone with a guitar will be belting some live tunes within the near future.
So there’s this thing called brunch – All the cool kids are doing it and so should you. No kidding, search “brunch in Austin” and you won’t go wrong. Start from the top of the page and make it your month’s goal to try a new one every weekend. We love food here in the ATX, but brunch has a special place in all our hearts.

The choices are endless – At any given moment, something fun is going on in Austin. A favorite place to start is the events page on Austin360.

3. Fitness is Not an Option – You’ve made some friends, you’ve had some food, now you need to go work it off!

Lady Bird Lake, formally known as “Town Lake,” is a must. For one, it’s smack dab in the middle of downtown with city and hill country views in one spot. If you’re a runner or cyclist you’ve got anywhere from 1.2 to 10.3 miles of trails to run. If you love the water, there’s kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing (but wouldn’t recommend eating), and more. There’s an off-the-leash section of dog-park for you and pooch to roam and mingle. Soccer, volleyball, disc golf, you name it, someone’s doing it.
We’re so fit we have a magazine – Austin Fit Magazine is a great reference for what is going on with the Austin outdoors – from yoga, to races, for beginners, to the elites don’t be afraid to break a sweat and get out there.
Just ask Krisstina – Founder and CEO of The GoodLife Team, Krisstina Wise, was nominated for the Fittest Entrepreneur Award earlier this year. Having a full-time life does not keep Krisstina from leading a fit life and believes that “health is a foundational element to true success.” Click here to read more on Krisstina Wise’s ideas of health, fitness, and being an entrepreneur.

2. You Should Rest…Your Head…We Mean Real Estate... How to find the perfect Austin home for you!

Step one – Ask, answer, repeat.

Q: How will I know when the right time to buy is?
A: You will feel it. Or your family will tell you! Timing the real estate market to find the single most perfect time is like timing the stock market. You’ll never really know the “perfect” time until it’s already happened. So listen to your instincts. Everyone knows when they’re ready for a change. Sometimes fear of the unknown or of the complexity of the real estate market hold people back. I train our agents to ask enough questions to get to the core of why a person is moving. If we can understand what role moving will play in creating your “GoodLife” then we can help you act on that instinctual feeling you have to move.
Q: How will I know where to look?
A: First, think about what part of town you enjoy spending time in. Is it central Austin? Out in one of the suburbs? One of the cities nearby? Then start online and see if there is any housing in your price range. One of our associates can then help you investigate the housing in the area and if it’s not affordable for you, slowly expand the circle from your favorite area until you hit the housing that fits into your budget.
Q: What else should I know about the Austin housing market?
A: You should know that the media is almost always 6 months behind the curve on their reporting of what’s happening in the market. You should know many parts of Austin are seller’s markets but not all areas. You should know interest rates are still low. You should know that even though more homes are on the market in the spring, there are still plenty of great choices and if you’re in the market now, you won’t be competing with as many buyers for those homes as you would in the spring. And you should know that our company loves navigating you through all of this as we work toward playing our part in building your great experience

Step two – Contact Me! 512-626-9559

1. Oh, You Want a Job Too? Sure! – Whatever type of businessperson you are, you’ll fit right in.

Big business– Public education, government, technology, health care, and higher education are just some of the big businesses Austin can claim on its resume. The Austin Chamber of Commerce is a good guide for names of employers and numbers of employees. According to the recent Comerica Regional Economic Update, our flourishing technology division is driving the growth of Austin’s local economy.
“After a dip in income growth in Q1 2012, Austin incomes rebounded in the second quarter, to a 4.5 percent annualized rate. As the Austin job market continues to expand, the metro area should see full year 2012 income growth bordering 5 percent, about 1 percent higher than the national forecast,” states Comerica.
After recording a 5.9 percent unemployment rate for the second quarter, Austin is expected to gradually decrease the rest of the year and into 2013 and 2014.
Not really in to “the man”? – Great, because Austin thrives on it’s small, local businesses. We wouldn’t be the city we are without them and we love to shop local. And not to brag, but we were named 2011’s No. 1 of “The 10 Hottest Spots to Start a Small Business” by the Fiscal Times.

The hottest new home trends!!!

The hottest new home trends: Experts reveal the 8 must-haves buyers are demanding

 

 

By Ralph Bivins

02.16.13 | 03:30 pm

LAS VEGAS — Whether it’s built-in cabinetry to accommodate your poodle or ultra-luxury wine cellars that would make Ernest Gallo jealous, you can always count on the International Builders Show to generate trendy ideas for the year ahead. Early this winter, more than 60,000 builders and suppliers migrated to Las Vegas for their annual convention, sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders.
CultureMap was there, trudging through the overwhelming acreage holding 900 exhibits on the floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center, touring various show homes and attending multiple seminars and press conferences. We sifted through it, listened to various experts, and came up with this list of top trends you can expect to see in home building frequently in the near future.
1. Scaling it down. Even when they can afford it, home buyers are telling architects and builders that the pursuit of massive square footage alone is not their goal. Buyers remember the recession. A house does not have to be huge to be high quality.
A judge in the NAHB’s Best of American Living Awards said new homes are reflecting the idea that “small is beautiful.”
2. Outdoor living. Home are getting more outdoor kitchens and patios are decorated with furniture that looks like it belongs indoors. The New American Home, the primary showcase home of the convention, had little separation between the kitchen and the swimming pool, just a few feet away.
When the home’s glass pocket doors were concealed, it was hard to tell where the outdoor space began.
3. White kitchen cabinets. “We are back to white,” says Anchorage, Alaska home designer Karen Kassik-Michelsohn. Dark, stained cabinets are on their way out, she says.
4. Pet provisions. If you are designing a custom home, you might as well bring your dog along to meet the architect.
“Pets are becoming an important part of the design process,” says St. Louis architect Barry Glantz. Look for more homes to have a dog bathing facility in the laundry room or built-in compartment in the bottom of a cabinet for a dog’s food bowl.

If you are designing a custom home, you might as well bring your dog along to meet the architect.

5. Carrara kitchen. Light colored Carrara marble is become a hot item in kitchens across the nation. Also huge: The mega-island, which is extra long and wide to provide space for cooking and socializing. By the way, Carrara is finding its way into baths, also.
6. Multi-generational living. Homes are being built to accommodate the homeowner’s children and parents — three generations. It’s part of a cultural shift.
We are changing from Leave it to Beaver to The Waltons says Glantz. Homes should have wider doorways to allow easy wheelchair access. Cottages for grandparents are popular, as are dual master suites. Showers should be built without curbs.
7. Elevators. The aging Baby Boomer population is realizing that climbing the stairs may not be easy in 20 or 30 years. Home elevators, starting at $20,000 or so, are becoming a more popular option.
Thinking ahead, other builders are lining up closets with the proper dimensions so they can be converted to an elevator shaft as the homeowners grow older, says architect Wayne Visbeen of Grand Rapids, Mich.
8. Fancy ceilings. It’s not just about flooring anymore. Barrel vault ceilings, coffers and beams are bringing design to ceilings. And the ceilings don’t have to be all white — overhead color is alright, too.
In 2013, people are looking up.

Ski lift style people movers in Round Rock????

ROUND ROCK, Texas - The City of Round Rock is looking at an innovative way to relieve traffic congestion, by moving it from the street - to the air.
The City said in such a growing community, traffic is a real issue. Now they're getting creative, and what they're considering actually resembles a ski lift.

"If you can do it in high winds in the snow and mountains, then you can do it in this country," said Round Rock City Council Member John Moman.

It's an enclosed cab hundreds of feet in the air that could move as many as six people. The system could link for miles.
Round Rock Mayor Alan McGraw suggested this unique form of travel to the Round Rock City Council. At first, council members thought it was a joke

"Then he brought it up again and again and we realized this is really a pretty good idea, it's not just a joke," Moman said.

frog design studio in Austin will create the plan.

"They cruise at 15 mph in between stations and when they're in a station they slow down just below walking speed but they never stop," said frog principal designer Michael McDaniel. "The ball park is $12 million a mile or up, but when you take that compared to the current proposed light rail here in Austin estimates for that are a $100 million a mile."

This design isn't found anywhere else in the country. The company said the sky high ride will be more than just a way to get around, it will be an experience.

"You're not sitting there looking at other traffic, you're looking at the city," said frog designer Jared Ficklin. "So you can imagine coming down into something like the Dell Diamond, what an amazing experience that would be."

"It's kind of like Jetsons, except you have cables," said Moman.

People who live in Round Rock are ready to take a ride.

"I would immediately go and try it," said Tyler Gorrell.

"I definitely think it would help put a stamp on the town and the community," said Jeff Birdsell. "Give it a shot, why not?"

Predictability, efficiency and a fun ride; people agree that a ski-lift in Central Texas might actually make sense.
The City said, most likely, the aerial ride would take you from shopping centers to hotels, to downtown Round Rock, and could even connect to the Capital Metro bus system.

Birthday Perks....

A freeloader's guide to making the most of your birthday in Austin

 

Last year on my 29th birthday, I stopped in to rent some movies from Vulcan Video. The clerk informed me my rental was free because it was my birthday. 

Did she feel sorry for me because I was alone and renting not one but twomovies on my birthday? Did she think I could use that $3.99 to also grab a pint of Ben and Jerry’s to ease my loneliness? Perhaps. But it’s also Vulcan’s policy to give all of their customers a free rental on their big day. 

As I drove home, I realized my birthday has more to offer than just depressing self-analysis and Facebook posts from random acquaintances. I could be taking advantage of this day to get a bunch of free stuff!

So, gearing up for my 30th b-day, I put together a handy guide to enjoying what this city has to offer you on your most special day.

10 a.m.: It’s your birthday day, so you might as well gorge yourself. If you sign up for Tacos and Tequila’s Chilehead Club, you’ll get an email for a free Saturday brunch. The coupon is good for thirty days, so don’t sweat it if your birthday's not on a Saturday. Besides just delicious Mexican food, their brunch also includes unlimited mimosas, champagne and agua frescas. But, take it from me, you'll want to take it easy on the alcohol if you’re going to make the most out of your day. 

11 a.m.: Next, stop by Vulcan Video to claim your free rental. It’s best to pick a movie out early on in the day as you'll likely be too tired/drunk later to make good decisions. And you DON'T want to wake up the next day to find out you thoughtlessly wasted your free rental on Nic Cage's Season of the Witch.

1 p.m.: Get ready for another all-you-can-eat feast because you’re on your way to Cannoli Joe's! View it as “putting down a good base" before partying and you won’t feel so bad about the copious amounts of Italian food you are about to ingest. You will need to plan ahead by signing up for Cannoli Joe’s E-Club. They’ll email you a coupon for free lunch on your birthday. This buffet has multiple rooms of rich Italian courses, and each is painted to look like a neighborhood. Think of it as the culinary birthday vacation you always dreamed of and deserved.

2 p.m.: It’s time to relax and digest a bit. Go back to your place and watch that free movie and just enjoy the cool darkness. Falling asleep is optional. I recommend setting an alarm just in case.

4 p.m.: If you’re still feeling sleeping, head straight to Kick Butt Coffee. Fill out a form in the store prior to your birthday to join their VIP club. You’ll get a birthday card that entitles you to one free drink on your b-day. Now take that shot of espresso and keep moving, birthday girl!

6 p.m.: It’s still your day, so you can be as demanding as you want. Make your friends meet at Trudy’s for happy hour. Trudy’s offers a free Mexican Martini, draft beer, mixed drink or shot on your birthday. Be careful, those Mexican Martini’s are strong (they cut you off after two). You can also choose a free dessert if you are underage.

8 p.m.: It’s time for fun, so why not take in some comedy? Cap City Comedy Club will send you a postcard for eight free tickets to use during your birthday month if you fill out a comment card at a show. That’s right, you get to bring ten friends. No need to pick and choose one or two people to bring with you. Invite all your friends! (No one has more than ten friends, right?)