Sam Chapman

There was an article in the Houston Chronicle recently that talked about how many people moved to Texas between July, 2007 and July 1, 2008. As you can see on the chart to the left, Texas lead the nation in terms of the number of people moving here.

The article also talks about where people are coming from. Many are leaving economically depressed states like Florida and Michigan. I wouldn't be surprised if some who are leaving Florida are just sick of the hurricane risk and high homeowners insurance premiums thanks to hurricanes.

People also came to Texas because during the time period discussed in the article because of the state's economy. Texas had jobs and was creating more. That has slowed and will probably slow more as the national economy affects Texas more. Lower energy prices will also cause a drop in job growth.

People have been moiving to Austin, TX for many reasons. Jobs have brought people here. With the hills, lakes, golf and warm winters, Austin is also a great second home market. Others have been retiring here.

Read the article here.

The Austin area isn't well known for a change of seasons, but this fall was spectacular. One thing we are really not known for is fall color when the leaves turn. However, the dry summer and cool nights have made for some amazing leaf color for here.

This is a home in The Village of The Hills, which is west of Austin by Lakeway, with three silver maples showing some excellent color.

This is a red oak with a brilliant blue sky behind it. A cool front came in the day I shot this and it blessed us with very dry and clear air.

This shot is pretty fun. It shows purplish-red leaves on a Bradford Pear tree with a bunch of prickly pear cactus below the tree.

This is in the neighborhood of Apache Shores and shows a few oaks scattered among the cedars.

This shows a couple of cedar trees and red oaks with some live oaks in the background. The latter don't lose their leaves in the fall, but in the spring. Another clarification - the cedar trees are actually junipers, but people here call them cedars.

Did you ever wonder why tree leaves turn colors in the fall? I did some research on that after taking these photos. Tree leaves have pigments of varying colors, but the chlorophyll used in photosynthesis, which is green, masks the pigments during the summer. When the days become shorter in the fall, trees use this as a signal that winter is on the way. The leaves lose the chlorophyll because there will not be enough daylight for photosynthesis in the coming months. The green goes away and the color comes out. Some trees have leaves turn red because glucose is trapped in the leaves. On bright, sunny days, one of the pigments (the one that creates the red and purple shades) rushes into the leaves to snag the glucose. The more of that pigment in the leaves, the brighter the color. The color tends to be brighter when weather conditions offer cool, but not freezing, nights and clear days. That is exactly what Austin saw this fall.

If you have lived in Austin for a while and have never been to the top of Mt. Bonnell, you really need to go. If you visit this great city and want to see an amazing sight, you should also go. Mt. Bonnell isn't the highest place in Austin, but it is close. Take a look at the following photos - they might motivate you to walk up the 70 or so steps from the parking area to the top.

Looking south.

The view to the north-northwest.

Telephoto shot looking north-northwest.

Amazing Lake Austin homes below.

Getting to Mt. Bonnell is simple. Click here for a map.

If you have been on a boat on Lake Travis and cruised by the town of Briarcliff, you know how challenging it can be to get to the water from a waterfront house. Some Lake Travis properties are gently sloping to the water and others are not. As you will see below, pictures really do tell the story.

As you can see, people get pretty creative when installing stairs to the water. Some homes will have a straight drop to the lake and will have stairs bolted to the cliff. Some will be a combination and others will go over a series of boulders. These stairs will have sections of removable rails so when the water rises the rails can be removed so the docks and boats don't hit them. As the water drops, the rails are installed again.

If you have any questions about Lake Travis waterfront homes, please call me at 512-293-2422.

Anyone who knows Central Texas knows the Highland Lakes. The most popular and closest to Austin is Lake Travis. I recently created a few new neighborhood listing pages for my website. The feature Vineyard Bay on Lake Travis and Marble Falls and Horseshoe Bay. Not all properties are on the water, but these are great areas. Take a look below:

Vineyard Bay Homes

Marble Falls Homes

Horseshoe Bay Homes

Vineyard Bay is a gated subdivision on Lake Travis. Marble Falls is on Lake Marble Falls and is west of Austin around 45 or so minutes. Horseshoe Bay is just west of Marble Falls on Lake Lyndon Baines Johnson (Lake LBJ). The latter two have more vacation properties than Vineyard Bay.