Tamara Berke has got it all together! Her project and personal dream is now realized with the opening of Tutor Time; her child care learning center that opened this month on 10321 Boulder Lane in the Canyon Creek community. I took pictures of her facility early on in the building phase and wanted to give you the scoop now that it has opened.
What a taseteful setting she has created for kids enrolled. Her soft green paint color with white stone trimmed building is nestled on a wonderful lot. The landscaping is well designed and there is plenty of parking included.
Wait until you see the covered patios and Backyard Park, complete with different areas for plenty of fun activities!
There are classrooms for all ages and notice the clean wood furniture for easy care and natural homey feel. There are playrooms for different ages.
The "Village" is created for the kids to play grocery and have fun sorting and counting money, a Post Office, a Theater and so much to keep them entertained and learning at the same time!
The classrooms are first class and so well created. On March 7, 2009 mark your calendar she is hosting an open house from 1-4pm! Don't forget to check out this great addition to our neighborhood! There will be lots of fun things: the Zoo Man will be in attendance and a tractor train for riding on and plenty of tours to show you and your family and friends around!
Congratulations Tamara on your opening!
If you need more information she has a wonderful staff to help you. Call 512-249-9191 or email Tamara at tamara@tutortimecanyoncreek.com
Did you know that animals like to congregate at a salt lick? This phenomenon is what sparked Hisako and her late husband Thurman Roberts to come up with the name "Salt Lick" for their BBQ restaurant in Driftwood, Texas. If you are ever in or around Austin you must take the 30-40 minutes it takes to drive out in the country to see this bright spot in Texas! This is a Willie Nelson type atmosphere that everyone must experience at least once in a lifetime (or many times as it is fun)!! Out in the middle of nowhere Texans flock from every direction to eat the finger lickin' good BBQ.
They have police to direct traffic in and out to help control the crowds. It's a dry county (can you believe that?) so you have to 
bring your own beer and wine (not exactly a m
artini place)!
There is always music with some form of a band crying a Texas song
My granddaughters are playing cowgirls and the oldest one could pass for a tall drink of water now!
The little one is sharing some music with her uncle! Life is good....sharing time making memories!
Our family likes to make at least a yearly treck for our BBQ fix to have fun and wear boots and think we are cowboys & cowgirls! It's a place for all ages and you don't have to sit still and mind your manners! Their ribs, sausage, brisket, potato salad, beans, coleslaw and warm bread is a treat probably better enjoyed only once a year (there are some that look like they have been back to the trough one too many times). Of course you have to lather the world famous secret recipe BBQ sauce over everything and top it off with pickled jalapenos, carrots and onions (which my son-in-law claims is his favorite part). Since it's a total pig out you have to try the peach and blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream!! We celebrated my husband Gene's birthday so we stuck a candle in the cobble to be festive!
Only in Texas in the wide open spaces could animals mosey in for some fun in the middle of nowhere!
Roll out the barrel....we had some fun!
Imagine life on Austin's Central Park! Last night I went with my friend Roxane Watson to see where the Zilker Park Residences are actually going to be built at a special event presenting this extraordinary complex. There will be 40 urban residences in three distinct buildings plus the Zilker Park Hotel, a small boutique nestled along 540 fee of land adjoining Zilker Park, Barton Creek and Town Lake Trail.
That's Roxanne next to the sign! Roxanne is a sassy Marketing Rep for Alamo Title ( who some say looks like Sela Ward ~ some also say Anne Hathaway); and is in the know about town! She actually got me introduced to Active Rain (along with my son John).
In order to get a better visual fo the views from the 2nd and 3rd floor Elizabeth Buchanan cranked up the aerial access lift and elevated us up to check things out!
That's Roxanne, I and Kevin Wilhelm from our office waiting for Elizabeth to get the show on the road (she was busy taking our picture).
From the third story you can look over at the park to one side and the hiking trail and Town Lake from the other side! How cool is that!! The buildings are limited to 5 stories (roughly as tall as the cypress trees that line the water). Go to http://www.lifeonthepark.com and check out what is offered in living on the edge of Zilker Park. This is truly an amazing thoughtfully designed project that is transforming "Old Austin" into the "So New Austin".
In today's news we are bombarded with negative...negative reporting concerning drastic sliding home prices and mortgages unable to be obtained by consumers. There appears to be no rays of hope ahead! It's hard to understand because in Austin we have steady job growth, lower builder starts ( a whole other issue) but a bustling economy.
According to Alamo Title in the month of January our listing inventory is down 32.12% compared to January of 2008. Taking the week of 1/18-1/24/09 there are 10,311 active listings as compared to 10,219 during the same week in 2008. That is only a .90% increase. The new average list price is up 2.36% compared to December of 2007. In December 2007 the average list price was $293,393. In December 2008 the price increased to $300,316. In January 2009 the pending properties are up 47.44% !
In November of 2008 I began my "drip campaign" explaining to my sellers and buyers Austin is not like the rest of the country. In December 2008 I continued to "drip" as the Austin Business Journal came out with a report released from Residential Strategies Inc. with Mark Sprague and Austin business partner quoting: "Despite the national recession, Austin clearly has one of the strongest local economic engines of any place in the United States. The strength in job growth means that the housing downturn has been less severe in Austin than in most other parts of the country, and its endurance means that Austin will be one of the first housing markets to turn around".
We have good job growth (even with the lay offs) and many buyers have been pent up in apartments waiting for lower interest rates and falling prices. The lower interest rates are here but the falling prices are lateral in scope and now buyers want to make a deal!
In January I continued to "drip" when the Austin Business Journal reported "Austin ranks 10th in the U.S. in job creation." There are many reporters, agents and politicians still touting: the sky is falling and our prices are sliding. What is behind the faucet? Well priced homes and homes stage right!! They are getting offers and going under contract!
The Canyon Creek Swim Team located in the NW Austin community of Canyon Creek is ready to kick off another swim season! The swim team is open to any Canyon Creek resident who is 5 years or older as of January 2009.
What I like is their philosophy that the team will be recreational, educational and FUN!! This is a great neighborhood swim team that does not take itself too seriously! Registration for the upcoming season will be Saturday, March 28th @ the pool in Canyon Creek. Registration forms will be available at the pool in early March or download additional information and the forms @ http://www.canyoncreek.net
The 6 week session will run from June 3rd to July 11th. The team will provide two options for practice times. Evening practices will be on Mondays and Wednesdays and morning practices on Tuesday and Thursday. Coach Don Crowley will return for this upcoming season. This is his 8th year coaching the Cyclones! Don is a faculty member of the University of Texas, Department of Kinesiology and Health Education.
This program is run by volunteers with the exception of the coaches and they do an incredible job!
My son started swimming at a local community swim team. He was an avid swimmer growing up and participated on the Westwood swim team and Texas Aquatics at UT. He received a swimming scholarship to Clemson University and even now competes in marathons and has 2 Iron Man competitions under his belt. You never know where your children's talents lie and this is a wonderful opportunity for your child to develop swim team skills, strengthen their swimming endurance, learn basic water rescue and experience the feeling of achievement! It's great for parents to have their children involved in a physical activity that is nurturing self-discipline and keeping them busy during summer vacation.
Canyon Creek residents don't miss out on a great opportunity for your children to experience a wonderful community event......GO CYCLONES!!
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As a full-time NW Austin TX Realtor®, I provide an aggressive marketing strategy for listing your home that ignites action. I have systems in place & references for you to contact.
I was once a school teacher and still like the learning process. Only now I enjoy learning what dreams my clients have and what I can do to help them. I am a firm believer in asking the right questions. It is the only way to get answers that have helped me build an impressive business over the past 21 years and leave a trail of happy clients.
I often refer to myself as a business manager in the sale of a home. My perception of the role of a listing agent is managing the process and keeping all parties focused on the sale of the home.
Being super organized, I pride myself on being available and open to answering questions. With a high degree of professionalism, honesty and a penchant for working hard I've built a strong reputation and am known for having properties that sell. To me, it's simply a matter of doing the right thing, starting with pricing homes correctly! My results speak for themselves.
I am the kind of person who engenders trust, earns loyalty and endear myself to legions of clients by being myself. I have a bank of knowledge and experience to draw on with endless resources for my clients. I have systems in place for marketing and staging my listings but what makes my services different is I prepare my sellers for those offers and the process from that point on. All the marketing and internet presence isn't going to help if your sellers are not educated on what to expect when an offer comes in and a deal cannot be negotiated because of a lack of expectations.
Upon meeting myself and my husband, Gene, (both Coldwell Banker United agents) you will immediately find us warm and inviting and exhibiting a "Get it done attitude." We believe in "giving back" to our NW Austin community and contribute to projects in the Round Rock School District. We have been recognized as "Business Partner of the Year" several years for our efforts at Canyon Creek Elementary. The community sponsored activities are also high on our list for contributions.
With Mr. I.T. and his E-signature management, no matter where YOU are, we are just a click away! 
Dorie & Gene Dillard, CRS GRI ABR
Coldwell Banker United, Realtors
9442 N. Capital of TX Hwy
Arboretum Plaza One, Ste. 600
Austin, TX 78759
512.346.1799
EXPERIENCE
1990-Present.. Independent Real Estate Professionals
Certified Residential Relocation Specialists (CRRS)
Certified Residential Sales Specialists (CRS)
Accredited Buyer Representatives (ABR)
Top 1% of All Agents: 1991 through 2010
Coldwell Banker United Eagle Award - 2010
Coldwell Banker International Presidents Elite "Team" - 2002-2010
Coldwell Banker International Presidents Elite - 2000-2010
Coldwell Banker International Presidents Circle - 2003,2004,2006,2009,2010
Coldwell Banker International Top Selling Team - 2007-2010
Business Partners of the Year for Canyon Creek Elementary 2006-2011
EDUCATION
Graduates of REBAC/ABR
Graduates of Residential Sales Council - CRS
Graduates of Real Estate Institute - GRI
Graduates of Floyd Wickman Master Sales Academy
International President's Elite & Chairman's Circle Members
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Member of Austin Board of Realtors
Member of Austin Multiple Listing Service
Member of National Association of Realtors
Member of Onsite Advisory Board - Canyon Creek Elementary
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Family presence in Austin for over 60 years
We have five grandchildren who bring us much happiness
We love to travel to foreign countries
We enjoy working together on a daily basis
SERVICES PROVIDED
SELLERS
My business is based on many repeat clients and my reputation in the communities I 
service. I work hard to make seamless transactions and am known for having properties that are priced right and show well but most importantly...sell!
Prospective sellers, if you are thinking about making a move in the near future and want to partner with the Realtor® who knows NW Austin please contact me to provide you with a free market analysis of your home.
I live, work and play in NW Austin. I have systems in place and references for you to contact...I'm a good listener and would be honored to schedule time to see if we are a good match. I can be reached at 512-346-1799 or dillard@reloaustin.com. Don't forget to investigate my website at www.dillardreloaustin.com.
I specialize in the NW Austin master planned community of Canyon Creek.
Visit our interactive website we provide for the community at: www.canyoncreeknews.com
There's more to see, visit me on...
THE HISTORY OF CANYON CREEK
In the late 1980's the Blanton Company started development of the NW Asutin community called Canyon Creek (zip code 78726) located off Hwy 620 about halfway between Hwy 2222 and Anderson Mill Rd. This area had been a hunting and ranch area but Perry Blanton envisioned a master planned community with parks and hike and bike trails.
The neighborhood expanded rapidly during the 1990's because of its proximity to Lake Travis, Lake Austin, major roads and highways, employers, shopping and its 
falling into the acclaimed Round Rock ISD school boundaries. With the continued expansion into the 2000's a few sections of Canyon Creek found itself crossing into the highly respected Leander ISD boundaries.
By 2005 Canyon Creek was built out with approximately 1300 homes. In 2011 David Weekley started construction of 53 homes in a gated community. Boulder Lane is a loop and crosses Hwy 620 in two spots. It winds its way through the picturesque, upper middle class neighborhood of single family homes ranging from $200,000 to $550,000.
A good deal of the neighborhood is surrounded by the Balcones Canyonland Preserve. The Canyon Creek Elementary School was constructed in the late 1990's 
and was elevated to exemplary status in its first year. There are two parks located within Canyon Creek ~ Trailhead Park and Canyon Creek Park. Ownership of Trailhead park was transferred to the City of Austin upon dissolution of the Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District #1 in February, 2010.
The City Council of Austin has Canyon Creek listed on its website as one of Austin's "Green" neighborhoods as the result of Canyon Creek participating in the "Green Challenge" in 2009.
The evolution of Canyon Creek into a premiere NW Austin community has been accomplished because of its strong neighborhood involvement. If you're thinking of moving to NW Austin, Canyon Creek should be at the top of your list! I live, work and play in Canyon Creek and would be happy to get you acquainted with the community. If you're thinking of selling, I have systems in place and a strong 
reputation for marketing properties that sell. Whether buying or selling, I'd be honored to schedule an appointment with you.
If you're looking for a community where neighbors are friends, streets are safe and the nights are quiet...you have found home!
Please visit the interactive website we provide for this prestigious master planned community at www.canyoncreeknews.com.
"Best Agent and team with whom I have worked...Bar none!" Mike & Margaret Krenek
"Dorie's level of service, commitment and expertise is unmatched. Even though she had many clients she was working with all the time, we always felt like we were her only clients." Holly & Jim Malcolm
"We really loved working with Dorie. She was so helpful and really went above and beyond. We would recommend her without hesitation!" Lara & Conner Cupit
"Dorie was fantastic and so professional. She made the entire process so easy. We will highly recommend her to all our friends and family." Kristi and Russ Ray
"Dorie is the Best!" We could not have sold our home in 2 1/2 weeks if we hadn't followed her direction. She was amazing and a joy to work with. Carole and Winston Bumpus
"I had an absolutely great experience when selling my house in Canyon Creek after selecting Dorie Dillard as my realtor. Dorie went above and beyond the normal job functions of a real-estate agent. After deciding to put my house on the market, I faced an extra challenge of how to coordinate repairs remotely from where I currently reside-California. Dorie made excellent recommendations on what needed to be done to get my house market ready, and efficiently organized and coordinated all of the repairs. During all of our conversations, I was always impressed with Dorie's professionalism, and detailed knowledge of the Austin Real Estate Market. Dorie quickly got the house ready in time for the Spring Market, developed a really nice Virtual Tour viewable from the internet, and sold my house after 1 day on the market! If I ever had to buy or sell another house in Austin, I would use Dorie every time, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to all my friends that are still in Austin." Sharrone Smith
"It was a pleasure to work with Dorie Dillard on the recent sale of our home. From the minute we first placed a call to her office, Dorie and Gene were consistently on time, professional, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Within 24 hours Dorie was at our house ready and well prepared to help us with any questions we had in regards to putting our house on the market. Dorie and Gene went above and beyond working long, dedicated hours to get our house on the internet and on the market. We had an attractive and informative brochure on our house and they put together a fabulous book to market our home. Dorie and the Dillard team were always accessible. They answered all of our questions and responded to any concerns we had in a very timely manner. We are very pleased to say our house was on the market for a very short time. It was priced aggressively and appropriately for our neighborhood. We were more than pleased with the entire transaction. We could not have asked for a better sales experience. We owe a great big thank you to Dorie & Gene." Diana Yates
"Choosing to do business with Dorie Dillard and Coldwell Banker was a great business decision for us. She was professional and courteous from the very start, and offered many services above and beyond what we had ever expected. Selling a home is a very stressful time in anyone's life, and Dorie continually went out of her way to help us with whatever we needed. Dorie followed up with every single realtor who showed our home, and passed along the feedback to us. Everything was first class! Our fliers were beautiful and our box was never empty. Their website was very informative and provided many more photos of the house than most other realtors use. Dorie provided a notebook with information about the community and surrounding area for buyers to look through. We would highly recommend Dorie Dillard to anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the Austin area. Her expertise and professionalism can't be beat!" Traci & Chase Holland
"Thank you, Dorie, for taking the time today to send us the thoughtful message that the property was no longer ours. It was your usual brand of kindness that led you to make such a call to us. We appreciate all you have done for us during the past few months. I could have said "several months" but few conveys the right message. We are very fortunate indeed that the house sold as quickly as it did, considering all the odds against it because of the financial situation we are in as a state and nation. We will always remember with fondness our associations with you when we bought with your help and when we sold with the same professional manner both times. You have been a pillar of patience with us as we fretted so much about the possibility the place would never sell. You taught us well that houses always sell and sell ours did. Bless you and yours. How we treasure having had you in our lives." Most sincerely yours, Don and Joanne Ferguson.
"18 days from list to close and couldn't ask for a better experience...You did a fantastic job in getting the traffic and right buyers in. Thanks a million!" Subo Guha & Bonnie Murphy
"Congratulations, Dorie, on the successful sale and closing of Roxane's property. By convincing Roxane to reduce the price early in the process, you were able to generate a quick sale, even in a slow market. Your knowledge and professionalism were appreciated throughout this process. We hope we will have an opportunity to work with you again in the future." Star One Relocation
"Dorie Dillard was an exceptional agent. She worked hard to assess the property correctly and recommend the needed renovations to make the property marketable. She is well connected so that getting the help I needed to make the changes was a breeze. With her expertise and providential timing, we were able to sell our house quickly and at a great price in a down market. She is a rare mix of warm and personable combined with direct and professional. I found she was almost always available when I needed her. Please express my appreciation to her for a job well done!"
"I am writing to recommend Dorie Dillard to anyone who is thinking of selling or buying a home in the northwest neighborhoods of Austin, Texas, especially Canyon Creek. My husband, Tom & I have just experienced listing a home for sale with Dorie, and we had an offer on our house just two days after the listing! Tom and I lived in Austin for over 21 years, including over 12 years in Canyon Creek. Like many interested neighbors, we attended nearby open house events and read flyers for homes selling in the neighborhood. The name "Dillard" was always a presence in many of the homes which sold quickly, looked so lovely, and helped mantain the Canyon Creek neighborhood as a desirable one, even when the national housing market declined in the late 2008-2010 recession. I also noticed that the name "Dillard" was often referenced for supporting the community elementary school, the neighborhood parties and events in Trailhead Park, and on the very helpful neighborhood housing market summary updates that we received in the mail. In early fall of 2009, when my husband I decided to relocate to be closer to family in our retirement years, we knew who we wanted our realtor to be! When we came back from visiting with family in Colorado in September, we called Dorie Dillard to consult with us for what we expected to be a year-long, leisurely look for just the right place to move and then to get our home ready to be put on the Austin market. Even though we told her that we were going to take our time, she came over to advise us on how to update and get our home ready to sell. Imagine our surprise and Dories, too, when an opportunity to buy a great home in a Colorado neighborhood that we loved presented itself to us in January 2010, and things began to really accelerate fast! She met with us and discussed a marketing plan that would ensure the house looked great, target the right potential buyers, and get the house listed to meet the excellent Texas spring market. We agreed on an appropriate price point for the house, met with the home stager that Dorie sent to our home, and worked hard to accomplish all of the valuable advice of both experts in their field! Three weeks after we signed our contract with Dorie, the house was listed and an open house was scheduled for 4 days after the listing. Two days after the listing, even before the open house, we had an offer on our house and closed within 6 weeks of the listing! Needless to say, we were thrilled! All of the planning and work paid off so well, and our decision to use an experienced, professional realtor, Dorie Dillard, was the key to our accomplishment! Her organization, marketing and communication skills gave us the successful sale we were looking for, and we highly recommend Dorie to anyone ready to sell a home." Billie and Tom Flippen
" Thank you for seling our home in Asutin so quickly and in a very professional manner. We are so happy that we chose you as our realtor to sell our home and very pleased with the entire transaction. We feel that because of your experience, contacts and respect in the Real Estate community, our home was sold successfully and quickly in this difficult economy. Loren and I would happily recommend you to anyone wanting to sell their home in the Austin area. Thank you for all that you did for us." Loren and Diane Harper
"Gary and I have worked with a fair share of Realtors over the years - Dorie outshines them all. While Gary was in Georgia working and finding a home for us, I was left with the task of selling our Canyon Creek house in Austin. Dorie made the process easy. We knew she was 100% committted to selling our house from day one. Not only was she friendly and responsive, but she also had a huge network of professionals for any service need that might arise. We used several of her professionals and each one met Dorie's same high standards. I bombarded Dorie with a multitude of questions, not only about selling our house, but also regarding our pending purchase in Georgia. Dorie was always available at a moment's notice to answer every question with care and understanding. We couldn't be mroe pleased with the level of service and commitment Dorie and her team showed throughout the process. We HIGHLY recommend her to anyone in need of a qualified Realtor. She delivers above and beyond!!" Cindy and Gary Kissell
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