South Austin Real Estate Blog

This week I came home to a blaze of color. Every year this tree turns to a fountain of Chocolate or thats what my mind sees when I look at it.

Here in south central Texas we don't get as much color as folks east of us, but we get some and this is an example that reminds me every year of fall has moved into Texas. Now I am not a photographer, and this is my new camera that I don't really know how to use yet so just imagine the granduer of this photo is reality.

The tree is one of those awesome old old oak trees that Austin Tx is famous for, although I don't know which type of oak tree it is... the tree that is still green is a Live Oak and will turn and drop its leaves about March. By then the brown-reddish tree will be sprouting new growth ... we get to have Green Trees almost all year here.

In person the tree looks like it was dipped in chocolate sauce. Its definitely Yummy!

Austin Texas is a GREEN CITY, and Mayor Will Wynn would like Austin to be the Leading Green City in the Nation, or the World. Mayor Wynn has been instrumental in proposing energy efficiency in our daily lives and our homes, with all that in mind here is the latest on whats happening in Austin Texas.

After a long battle the Energy Efficiency Retrofit Task Force has conceded on the Point of Sale resolution that could have cost homeowners up to 1% of the sale price of their home to retrofit the home to energy standards.

I applaud the Austin Board of Realtors in their conscious fight to bring this to the public and get something so vague and potentially costly defeated, a resolution that could have snarled and tangled real estate closing to an untold mess and delay.

Instead we now have a new Resolution, Chapter 6-7 has been added to the CITY CODE, this affects all single family, multi family and commercial dwellings that are less than 10 years old. This report is focused on Single Family Residential home sales.

As I understand it, and more understanding will come as it becomes closer to enforcement time, here is the gist of it...

A Residential Energy Audit MUST be provided to a prospective purchaser before the time of sale and the person performing the audit must provide a copy of the energy audit to the director at the City not later than 30 days after the audit is complete.

The Energy Audit must: be conducted by a person certified as a building performance analyst or equivalent by an agency approved by the Director.. AND use the audit and disclosure forms prescribed by the rule under Section 6-7-3.

At this point, a homeowner is not required to update anything, only to provide a copy of the audit to any prospective buyer, much like a sellers disclosure. The Audit is good for 10 years.

The Audit will show potential energy costs and savings if upgrades to systems are made. The buyer then may perform any or all upgrades to the house after closing for energy savings.

This Resolution will take effect June 1, 2009 so anyone contemplating selling their home needs to plan on having an Energy Audit done on their home before putting the residence on the market. While the cost of said Audit is not determined at this time the expected cost is about $300.

At first glance that sounds good for all. Lets hope it is good for homeowners and buyers alike and use this tool to every ones benefit while upgrading our homes to more energy efficiency and money savings improvements.

The Resolution can be read in its entirety at the website of the City of Austin, City Council minutes for Nov 6, 2008.

Yesterday morning I heard about this on the news and 2 of my colleagues and I went over during our lunchtime, donated our $$ and rolled up our sleeves, YES it really was drive thru. Now how convienent was that? So easy I couldnt believe it and I also got a BUGS BUNNY BANDAID!

All shots are free-suggested donation is $10.. Here are the upcoming dates.

Drive-thru Clinic - Givens Recreation Center
Wednesday, October 29
3811 E. 12th St
7:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Drive-thru Clinic-Travis County Expo Center
Wednesday, November 5
7311 Decker Lane
7:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Walk-in Clinic - South Austin Neighborhood Center
Saturday, November 8
2508 Durwood Street
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Walk-in Clinic - Fire Station #5
Tuesday, November 11
1201 Webberville Road
9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Walk-in Clinic - Fire Station #24
Tuesday, November 11
5811 Nuckols Crossing Road
9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Walk-in Clinic - St. James Episcopal Church
Wednesday, November 12
1941 Webberville Road
11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Walk-in Clinic - Toney Burger Center
Thursday, November 13
3200 Jones Road
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Walk-in Clinic-Northwest Recreation Center
Saturday, November 15
2913 Northland Dive
10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Montopolis Recreation Center
Wednesday, November 19
1200 Montopolis Drive
11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Flu Shot Information for the public is available by calling 2-1-1, 3-1-1, 972-5520 or by visiting our website at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/health/

There is an unusual amount of activity in early voting all over the country this year. This election has so much energy in it and not many people are "sitting it out", it seems everyone has an opinion and the best way to voice that opinion is to vote.

Most of Austin, Tx is in Travis County and I found this information this morning that I thought was timely and of interest so I thought I would pass it along.

From the KVUE, TV News report "We've shattered [the] 2004 record for the entire early voting period," said Dana DeBeauvoir, Travis County clerk". Two mega sites -- one on Airport Boulevard and one on the southeast corner of Highway 71 and Westgate Boulevard. Both are designed to handle 100 voters at a time, and starting Wednesday, they will be open until 9 at night.

If you haven't voted "EARLY" you do still have time, as for me, I live in HAYS County and I will be visiting the BelTerra Clubhouse for my early voting today, Oct 30,2008 THURSDAY, 10:00AM-8:00PM at 801 Belterra Drive.

So get out and VOTE for the candidates of your choice!!!

I just heard on the local morning news over at KEYE-TV, that the mega tech company GOOGLE is having an OPEN HOUSE Today. They are showing up at the Scarborough Building and are employing 100 engineers and support staff.

Welcome GOOGLE to "Silicon Hills". A tag that Austin Texas has earned over the years with many silicon chip makers moving here, AMD, MOTOROLA, SAMSUNG, INTEL, and many I don't know but who help to make up our local economy.

Austin has a growing economy because of its diverse and varied industries and jobs. We have a large music (Austin City Limits) and entertainment sector, (Last week I was driving thru the Onion Creek Golf Community and another film company was setting up shop) the computer fields to include dot.commers, medical fields with the New Dell Childrens Hospital and more.

Plus we have great Universities to supply educated and eager students from Saint Edwards, University of Texas@ Austin, Hutson Tillison and an arms reach away to Southwestern or Texas A & M University in College Station.

While our weather can get very hot in the summer months we have mild and temperate winters with great springs (and you should see the wildflowers, THANK YOU LADYBIRD for your influence) and our falls though not ablaze of color like New England we have enough color to know its October.

So, WELCOME GOOGLE and enjoy your stay... I know you will bring great folks to us and be another asset to our economy.

If you need to purchase a home in Austin Texas, I would like to help you. Call me, Gail Tassey 512-217-9482, you will find me at Keller Williams Realty in Southwest Austin, just a hop and skip from downtown.