Ashley Messer Kyle Real Estate, Buda Real Estate

Just a quick note.....if you plan on taking Kohlers Crossing in Kyle Texas to get to or from work today, you may want to re-think your route.

The portion of Kholers Crossing at the FM1626 intersection going towards IH35 & Dry Hole Rd will be closed starting Thursday 8/28/08 due to construction being done on the railroad track.

There will be detour signs, so follow those. A quick and easy fix is to take a right on FM1626, going toward the HEB plus to get to the highway.

Depending on the rain I am not sure how long that portion of the road will be closed, but in the meantime I suggest taking another route.

"talk" to you soon

You heard it.......The City of Kyle is thinking about raising property taxes. This would be the first time in 11 years that the city has increased property taxes.

The city council is proposing an increase of 39.58% for the preceding tax year. In 2007 the average property taxes for a homeowner in Kyle was $350.12 (rate .2707) with an average taxable value of $129,338. With the proposed increase the homeowner would be looking at spending $499.80 per year on property taxes using the current average taxable value of $133,960.

Now if we decided to keep everything as is and using the current taxable value of $133,960, homeowners would be looking at spending $358.08 this year.

Below is an example of a 2007 tax breakdown of home in Kyle Texas

Keep in mind that Kyle Texas's 2007 tax rate is 2.3 (remember different areas may have additional taxing entities so that is an average). The proposed raise would put us closer to 2.4, which is right around the average tax rate of Austin Texas.

Before you get in a huff I suggest you attend one of the public hearings that will be held regarding the tax increase. See why Kyle thinks this would be a good option and better yet, when you're done listening...VOTE!!!

The hearings will be held as follows;

The first public hearing will be held on August 28th, 2008 at 6:30 pm at Kyle City Hall located at 100 W. Center St., Kyle, TX 78640

The second public hearing will be held on September 2, 2008 at 6:30 pm at the Kyle City Hall

"talk" to you soon

Being in real estate I work with a lot of out of state clients. It never fails that at some point throughout the conversation they will ask what it's like living in Texas. I find for a lot of people those old Texas stereo types still exist today. Does everyone in Texas drive a truck, does everyone where cowboy hats and live on a ranch, is everything really bigger in Texas? Now I may be exaggerating just a bit, but you would be surprised by some of the questions I get asked about living in Texas.

Well thinking along those lines brought me to my next Texas adventure. The top question always has to do with horses....do kids ride horses to school (yep...someone did ask that question), do you still see people riding horses around town; do most people in Texas ride horses....Etc.

Well if you haven't ridden a horse I will say it is not for everyone, but it is almost like a right of passage to become a real "Texan"....I mean you can't live in Texas without riding a horse at least once, right??

Anyway, moving right along, I decided I was going to take my daughter to experience her first real adventure on horseback. We are in Texas, so I really wasn't too concerned about being able to find a couple of places that offer guided rides, though I was very pleasantly surprised to find one so close to us. We went to Bear Creek Stables located right off FM 1626 in Buda Texas (technically in Manacha, where Brodie T's in to FM 1626). Not only was it less than 10 minutes away, but it also was voted as the favorite equestrian of 2008 by Austin Family Magazine. Bear Creek offers something for everyone; 1 hour guided rides, riding lessons, free horseback riding demonstrations, full care horse boarding, day camps, horse training, parties, BBQ's and even hays rides!

Now, I will say that this is probably not the least expensive thing you can find to do in the Kyle and Buda area, but as I said earlier....You can't consider yourself a real Texan if you haven't ridden a horse at least once! You might find once is enough for you J. (I must say I am still a bit sore..lol)

It cost $40 per person for a group of 2 and $35 per person for a group of 3 or more. That buys you a 1 hour guided ride. For those of you that will be first time riders, I would think that 1 hour will be plenty of time for you.

I went with my daughter (almost 8) and my younger sister (15) and we all had a great time. I wasconcerned once my daughter got up close to a real horse she may get nervous or even scared by how large they are, but that was not the case at all. With a little help she hopped right on and 2 minutes later she thought she was a pro! My sister even commented on how much she enjoyed it (for anyone who has a 15 year old, you might understand how seldom they like to admit they are having fun if friends are not involved)

So, in short, riding horses at Bear Creek Stables was a hit for everyone involved!

"Talk" to you soon

2008 school ratings are out and here is a peek at how HAYS CISD did this year.

A big WAY TO GO to Elm Grove Elementary which just achieved the highest rating possible, Exemplary!! Also kudos are in order for Barton Middle, Kyle Elementary and Buda Elementary for all moving up in their ratings to Recognized.

To give you an idea of how we have done in previous years look at the chart below

If you would like to check out all of the active homes for sale in HAYS CISD go to Austin Home Search. If you have any questions about Hays County Real Estate just give a yell.

"talk" to you soon