Hey music lovers, ACL is coming soon to Zilker Park. This years event will be held on September 26, 27, 28, 2008. It is sponsored by: KUT, KLRU, KGSR, 101X, AMD, HEB, Dell, Sweet Leaf Tea, Austin Ventures, and News 8 Austin just to name a few.
The three day passes are already sold out. You may still purchase a single day pass for each of the three days for $80. per day. If you go the the ACL website you can click on special offers on hotels and rental cars. The ACL store has all kinds of gear from t-shirts, caps and posters. The T-shirts are all $20 except the kids sizes are $15. The commemorative poster is only $20, but it and have it shipped home, so it does not get lost or crushed during the festival.
This year there is a special contest for bands. It is called the Sound and the Jury, it is a web-based contest where the public can vote on who they want to see play at ACL. Presently there are several hundred bands competing to be in the top 100. The top 100 bands will compete again and the winners will get to play onstage for ACL. You can check out the bands and listen to a sample of their music at this link:
Austin City Limits is doing something groundbreaking once again! They are going green, with the assistance of Green Mountian Energy. The plan is for this event to be 'carbon neutral'. Attendees can even buy carbon offsets for $5 to help erase their carbon footprint. o to the ACL website for details on carbon offsets. Here are some of the details on ACL's going Green;
List of Allowed items for the ACL Festival:
Now the list you have all been waiting for... the Summer 2008 band list for Austin City Limits!!
Some of you may have heard that Texas has become wine country over the last twenty years or so. It seems like a new vineyard pops up every year or so. I am not sure if it is related to the number of California transplants or not. The point is Texans make some pretty wonderful wine. So I have compiled a list of vineyards in the central Texas region. Many of them offer vineyardtours, classes on wimes and wine tastings. Please make sure you check out each vineyards website to see the availability, dates and times of tours. If you participate in a wine tasting make sure you bring a beer lover so you have a designated driver! I have tried to be thorough, but I may have missed one or two. I have included websites and phone numbers when possible. Many of these vineyards supply our local grocery and liqueur stores in Austin, so it may not be necessary to go all the way to the vineyard to obtain these wines.
Cheers!
Betina
Becker Vineyards- www.beckervineyards.com- 830-622-2681
Chisholm Trail Winery- www.ChisholmTrailWinery.com -830-990-2675
Driftwood Vineyards- www.DriftwoodVineyards.com - 512-858-9667
Dry Comal Creek Vineyard- www.DryComalCreek.com - 830-885-4121
Flat Creek Estate- www.FlatCreekEstate.com - 512-267-6310
Lost Creek Vineyards- www.LostCreekVineyard.com -325-388-3753
Mandola Estate Winery- www.MandolaWines.com 512-858-1470
Stonehouse Vineyard- www.StoneHouseVineyard.com - 512-264-3630
Woodrose Winery- www.WoodroseWinery.com - 830-644-2539
Is the price of gas getting you down?
The high price of gas is hurting everyone except the oil companies. Currently prices are hovering around $4.00 per gallon around Texas. Nobody wants to stay home all summer. This is high drive time and the chance for most families to get out on vacation before school starts. When I was a child, that meant a road-trip! We drove everywhere: Florida, New Orleans, Kansas, New Mexico, Vermont, and Colorado to name a few. Those are precious memories for me. So in order to help you build some memories of your own here are a few tips to help you save gas. I hope these tips help you have an enjoyable summer and a fuller wallet!
1. Reduce your speed. Driving conservatively saves gas.
2. Fill up your tank in the early morning when its cooler. Heat causes expansion, so the volume of the gallon of gas you buy at high noon is not as much as the tank you buy it at 7:00am. It makes sense if you think about it. The gas companies measure a gallon of gas at the mean temperature of 70 degrees. In Texas I ask you, when is it ever 70 degrees in the summer?!?
3. When you fill up the tank, keep it full. The more surface of the gas that is exposed to air, the more quickly it will evaporate. Don't drive around with a half full tank, top it off!
4. Go online to search for the best price. There are several sites to help you find the best price in your town.
5. Make your trips count. Don't make special trips to go to the store or pick up dry-cleaning. Plan your outings so you can do multiple errands on the same trip.
6. When possible ride your bike or walk if its a short trip.
7. Buy a hybrid car or a more fuel efficient vehicle. Some dealers give you free gas for a year or a rebate for purchasing a new vehicle.
8. Carpool with a friend or co-worker.
Good luck saving gas and I hope this helps each of you save some money!
Betina
You could join the celebration of Lyndon Baines Johnson's 100th birthday on August 27th. The late LBJ's birthday will be commemorated by some of the companies he founded. This event will be free to the public, the catch is you have to go to the LBJ Museum in Austin to join the fun. The party starts at 6:00pm on the lawn of the LBJ Library and Museum. They will be serving Rudy's BarBQ and ice cream. The beverage of choice will be Fresca. Apparently it was LBJ's favorite soda pop.
If you are up for a road trip, you could head to the LBJ National Historical Park in Johnson City. For the first time the "Texas White House" will be open to the public. The Texas White House is on the LBJ Ranch.
On a side note the museum will be debuting a new exhibit called "To the Moon: The American Space Program in the 1960s. This exhibit will run from August 27 through July 20th, which is coincidentally the 40th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing. Those of you old enough will remember LBJ was a huge proponent of the space program. He was instrumental in passing the legislation that created NASA over 50 years ago. This exhibit will have full size replicas of the Sputnik and Mercury capsule and the Freedom #7. So indulge your inner astronaut and come celebrate LBJ's birthday.
When I moved to Austin from Houston in 1988, I was awestruck by the natural beauty of Zilker Park. This park is truly Austin's jewel in the violet crown. It has everything; expansive views of downtown, large open green areas to play Frisbee or fly a kite, numerous trails to run with your dog or walk with your lover.
Thanks to Ladybird Johnson, there are huge towering Cypress trees along the banks of the lake. These gorgeous trees shade the plentiful trails and provide habitat for our local wildlife.Due to her foresight and planning we now have another asset to our landscape. So to honor Ladybird after her death last year the city of Austin unanimously voted to change Town Lake to Ladybird Lake. I think it is a fitting honor that she would have loved.
Allow me to share some photos of the park with you. I am not a professional photographer nor to I claim to be one. So bear with me if a few are little blurry. It is hard to focus when its 108 degrees outside. I hope you enjoy them and that they entice you to get out and take photographs of your own.
Happy Trails!
Betina
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Experienced in construction/sales of custom & waterfront homes on Lake Travis & Lake Austin as well as architecturally unique homes. Betina is your best bet in Travis county. www.BetinaForeman.com
As a fifth generation Native Texan, Betina will show you real Texas hospitality! With Betina as your Realtor, you'll benefit from her intimate knowledge of the region based on her over 20 years as an Austin resident. Betina's experience in both the commercial and high end custom residential construction and remodeling industries are also assets in your favor. There are not many Realtors who can read construction blueprints and understand architectural elements, but Betina can!
Different by design Testimonials "Betina listened to what I wanted and found the perfect home for me. She explained the process and made it easy for me as a first time home buyer. I will definitely use her when I move up to a larger home. The total experience was easy and she recommended a great lender that was also easy to work with." - Laura C. "In a world of "Walmart Realtors",Betina provides a Nordstrom's level of service." Bill S. "Betina was our agent when we placed our home in Austin on the market in 2008. Not only is Betina our Realtor, she is our friend. She was always very responsive to any questions or concerns that we had and phone calls or e-mails were always returned promptly in a friendly, helpful and professional manner. Betina was aggressive in deciding our listing price, keeping in mind not to overprice our home. Consequently, we sold our home very close to listing price in a very short period of time. She was there to assist with inspections and provided us with sound counsel on issues that came up during the process. All in all, we would recommend Betina to anyone selling their home. She went beyond what one might expect in an Realtor in a professional manner." Nancy & Mike B. "Betina asked lots of questions to help us narrow down exactly what we wanted and needed in our ideal home. Then she showed us several homes that were specifically selected to fit our needs in Zilker and Barton Hills. We love our new homeand will absolutely use Betina again should we eventually decide to sell. Betina is a great Buyers Agent and she will do whatever is necessary to help you find the right house." - David F. "I relocated after visiting Austintwice over the last ten years. I found Betina in an open house and she took the time to answer all my questions about the neighborhood. Over the next four months I met with several Austin real estate agents. None of them did what they said they would do, except Betina did. She sent me homes to look at every week and kept in touch with me for the four months it took to make the move. Having Betina as my Buyers Agent made my relocation to south Austin a smooth and simple process. While we drove around looking at homes, she told me some Austin history and trivia, so I feel more like a native instead of a newcomer." Susan W.
Betina Foreman is a member of the #1 real estate office in Austin. Betina Foreman and Keller Williams Real Estate take a different approach to real estate, one that is built on personal touches, win-win deals and positive results. Betina utilizes the latest technologies, market research and business strategies to exceed your expectations. More importantly, she listens! And that means she find solutions that are tailored just to you. Betina Foreman won the Keller Williams Bronze Medal in 2008 for sales.
How we can help
Thanks for starting your real estate searchwith Betina. Our website: www.BetinaForeman.com is loaded with information that you'll find helpful whether you are looking to buy or to sell a home or waterfront property in the Austin area. Click on the Local Links to see what is happening in and around Austin. If you need a home inspector, mortgage lender, home stager, or interior decorator you will find several listed here. Please note that we do not receive any form of payment from the vendors on this list. The companies and individuals listed are there because they are honest professionals that do an exceptional job. They all consistently go the extra mile for a client.
Betina has several years of experience running a busy construction office. After several years spent working for a large commercial builder named DPR Construction, Inc. (which is based in Redwood City California) she moved into very high end custom/ luxury homes when she joined Vintage Fine Homes in Lakeway. The average "Vintage" home was typically waterfront and well over 6000SF and was priced between $4 million and $16 million dollars. While at Vintage she did everything in the office from; personally assisting clients and principals, to updating the specification books, maintaining the accounts payable and receivable, working on contracts, maintaining blueprint archives, scheduling contractors and ordering permits from the city.
If you are an experienced Realtor or new agent or an individual considering getting into the real estate industry please read this. I want to give you the insight into why Keller Williams agents are so successful. We live and work with some core values that show why we are the number one real estate office in Austin Texas. Our mission is based on this acronym, WI4C2TS. This stands for:
Since joining Keller Williams as a Realtor, Betina has been an effective team member. For the last two and a half years Betina has been on the Keller Williams Culture Committee and personally welcomes the new Realtors/team members to the Keller Williams Southwest Market Center. She also is available to assist Realtors with information about Launch and the extensive continuing education that is available at the SWMC and about Keller Williams culture in general. Betina has worked on several Keller Williams Southwest Market Center fund-raising events to benefit JAMS and KW Cares; two entities that raise money for the community and Keller Williams agents that have medical needs and other pressing needs. For several years Betina has volunteered in the Austin community with several other agencies: Central Texas Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Blue Dog Rescue, Austin Parks Foundation and Brown Santa.
WIN/WIN or no deal (each deal must be fair and equitable for both sides)
INTEGRITY- Do the right thing
COMMITMENT- In all things
COMMUNICATION- Seek first to understand
CREATIVITY- Ideas before results
CUSTOMERS- Always come first
TEAMWORK- Together everyone achieves more
TRUST- Starts with honesty
SUCCESS- Results through people
If you are considering starting your real estate career or if you are looking for a new Broker, please call me. It does not matter where you are located. I have connections to every Keller Williams real estate office in the country. As a member of the Keller Williams Culture Committee I can help you find your way around. You may ask, Why do I do this? The answer is simple. Just take a look at our WI4C2TS to find the answer. More experienced agents helped me when I started and I simply want to pay it forward. Call me if you want more information on joining the Keller Williams family. You will be glad you did!
Austin Realtor selling homes and land in the following neighborhoods: Central Austin, Lake Travis, Lake Pointe, Lakeway, Circle C, Shady Hollow, Southland Oaks, Sendera, Barton Hills, Zilker, Bouldin, Travis Heights, SoCo, 10N&10S, Northwest Hills, Great Hills, Hyde Park, Tarrytown, Brykerwoods, Tarrytown, Rollingwood, West Lake Hills, Oak Hill, Cedar Park, Leander, Lago Vista, Jonestown, Driftwood, Dripping Springs, and Mountain City. Of course we can assist you with a sale or purchase in any neighborhood, these are simply areas where we conduct more business.
If you wish to search for a home in the Austin area please follow this link to my site: www.BetinaForeman.com. Thank you for dropping by today!
We love working with clients looking for a special or architecturally unique homes. We have working knowledge of green building and energy star appliances and energy efficient designated homes. There are several green builders in the Austin area that we work with on a regular basis.
Your best bet in Texas real estate is to call Betina!
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