Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)

There are a couple of restaurants in the La Frontera shopping area in Round Rock that I felt compelled to write about, for drastically different reasons. One of them has consistently provided superior service, and the other one....well, let's just say that we haven't returned in a long time after a truly bad experience there.

Schlotzsky's Deli specializes in sandwiches, and my kids also really enjoy their individual pizzas. This has become a mainstay for us after church, since it is a bit less crowded than some of the other "sit down" restaurants on Sunday. During the week, I enjoy meeting with my agents there sometimes, or with clients or friends. They offer free wifi, which is a nice bonus.

Although I am not close friends with the managers there, they do know me now, and two of them always make an effort to greet me when I show up, and they are VERY good with the kids, too. Not long ago, they brought out a free platter of cookies and handed them out while we were dining. Good service? No - GREAT service!

Schlotzsky's is also exceptionally clean, including their restrooms. The employees are constantly moving around cleaning, and they appear to be happy and well-managed. Basically, I have yet to have had a bad experience there, after probably 30+ visits to this establishment.

Meanwhile, in the place right next door....

Applebee's has a salad that my wife and I both really enjoy, and on occasion we used to take the kids there UNTIL...

We showed up one evening, and we were greeted by the hostess, who seemed confused that we had five people in our party (me, my wife, and our three children).

As a side note, I have noticed that restaurants have very limited table sizes in general. Typically, they have:

• Table for two
• Table for four
• Family Reunion Size (seats up to 12)

Why is this exactly?

At any rate, sorry for my digression. After the hostess realized that we needed the gigantic corner booth, she proceeded to seat us without bothering to clean underneath the table. THIS WAS A RED FLAG. I wasn't too worried about it, since we would probably make it even more messy with three kids.

We requested a high chair for the baby, and waited while she went to retrieve it for us. My wife put the baby in the chair, then began to buckle her in. It was at this point that things went further awry. The high chair and straps were absolutely filthy. They didn't have another one available, so we asked to speak to the manager, who took a good while to get to our table. My wife explained that the high chair was really dirty, and she said (verbatim):

"They get detailed every night."

Every night? I used to manage a restaurant for several years, and I required these to be cleaned after every USE. Do you realize how often they are used through the course of one busy day?

My wife, with extreme calm, said to the manager, "I want you to just touch this strap," as she held it up for the manager to get a closer look.

"No."

WOW! I couldn't help myself at that point.

I blurted out, "You have just proven our point. You aren't even willing to touch it, but you want us to put our child in there?"

We stayed and ate for some reason (sans high chair), and the food was actually decent. Later, before we left, my wife took our older daughter to the restroom. Now, to fully appreciate this part of the story, you must understand that I don't have kids that are obsessive-compulsive or even generally all that worried about cleanliness. My daughter, who was barely six at the time, complained that the restroom was dirty. MY daughter! My child who would probably be cool using a truckstop bathroom. My wife said that it looked as though the faucets and mirror had not been cleaned in about six months. There was buildup there that would/could have been easily rectified with a cursory cleaning, but someone had been sadly remiss there. Gross!

So, needless to say, we will continue our loyal patronage of Schlotzsky's and we will continue to be silently repulsed by the thought of returning to Applebee's, or at least the one in Round Rock.

To reiterate, do go here:

Schlotzsky's Deli 2700-B Parker Dr., Round Rock, TX 78681

Do NOT go here:

Applebee's 2700 Parker Rd, Round Rock, TX 78681

I did some research on private golf courses in the general Austin area, and I honestly had no idea how many courses there were around here, not to mention driving ranges. There are over 60 courses total in this area (both private and public included), which means that there is one golf course serving every 23,000 people (including children). Not too shabby.

I haven't had the opportunity to play any of these particular courses, probably because I am not really a spectacular golfer, so I haven't felt compelled to purchase a private club membership. However, there are MANY great options available in and around the area, as you can see below.

This is as complete a list as I could compile, and I intend to edit this to include any that I come across that I may have missed. Please feel free to contact me at 512-796-7653 (cell) with any questions you may have.

Austin Country Club - 4408 Long Champ Drive, Austin - 512-328-0090

http://www.austincountryclub.com/

Located along the shores of beautiful Lake Austin near the famous landmark 360 Pennybacker Bridge, this course is among the most exclusive in the Austin, Texas area. It was actually founded in 1899 by golf legend Harvey Penick, who was an Austin resident for many years. Two of his more well-known pupils were Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw. Membership at the Austin Country Club is by invitation only.

Austin Golf Club - 25400 Highway 71, Spicewood - 512-264-9787

Designed by Ben Crenshaw, this course is located about 40 minutes west of Austin in the hill country. I found this review online: "Rolling hills, some oak and not a lot of water. The concept is natural, the course follows the natural assets of the area and there's only a single hole where water could even come into play."

Balcones Country Club - 8600 Balcones Club Drive, Austin - 512-258-1621

http://www.balconescountryclub.com/

Located just minutes north of the Arboretum shopping area, this established course first opened as a nine-hole course in the late 1950's. In the early 1970's, they added an additional nine holes.

Barton Creek Country Club - 8212 Barton Club Drive, Austin - 512-329-4000

http://www.bartoncreek.com/

Although I haven't played this course personally, I have had a number of clients who have stayed at this lavish resort in west Austin and they have raved about the golf there. There are actually three full courses available through Barton Creek, and a fourth course in the Spicewood area. They offer a full range of golf options, including the Chuck Cook Golf Academy. Mr. Cook was named one of the Top Ten Golf Teachers by Golf Digest.

Berry Creek Country Club - 30500 Berry Creek Drive, Georgetown - 512-930-4615

http://www.berrycreekcc.com/

Located on the north side of Georgetown, near I-35 and 195, this championship golf course was founded in 1986.

Cimarron Hills Country Club - 102 West Morrow Street, Suite 103, Georgetown - 512-763-1800

http://www.cimarronhills.com/

This Jack Nicklaus signature golf course is located between Liberty Hill and Georgetown off of Highway 29. It is surrounded by beautiful homes, and the course itself winds through live oak and laurel trees in the rolling hills.

Flintrock Falls Golf Course - 401 Jack Nicklaus Drive - Lakeway - 512-263-6091

http://www.flintrockfalls.com/

There is only one place in Texas with back-to-back Nicklaus courses, and this is it. Flintrock Falls and the Hills of Lakeway are both Nicklaus-designed courses. For serious golfers, this is a terrific place to consider buying a home!

Great Hills Country Club - 512-345-5995

http://www.greathillscc.org/

Designed by two PGA legends, Great Hills offers many challenges to golfers of all levels. Situated on one of the highest points in the hill country nestled near the Arboretum shopping area, Great Hills includes tree-lined fairways, natural hills, elevation variances, creeks, ponds and manicured greens.

Lakeway Golf Courses - 1 World of Tennis - Lakeway - 512-261-7200

http://www.thehillscc.com/

There are three separate courses available through the Hills of Lakeway Country Club, including the main Hills course, Yaupon, and Live Oak. The Hills of Lakeway golf course is Nicklaus-designed. These courses are located near Lake Travis about 30 minutes west of downtown Austin.

Onion Creek Club - 2510 Onion Creek Parkway - Austin - 512-282-2150

http://www.onioncreekclub.com/

Located in far south Austin, not too far from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, this course first opened in the early 1970's and was the original host for the "Legends of Golf", which later became the Champions Tour. It has gently rolling fairways lined with huge shade trees that line the banks of Onion Creek.

River Place Country Club - 4207 River Place Blvd - Austin - 512-346-6784

http://www.riverplaceclub.com

Located in the gorgeous hills of west Austin, this course was designed by Tom Kite in order to take advantage of the dramatic terrain. I have used photos of this course and the views there as an example of some of Austin's most beautiful scenery with my clients over the years.

Spanish Oaks - 13443 Highway 71 West - Austin - 877-554-4628

http://www.spanishoaks.com

This is one of the most exclusive (and expensive) memberships in the Austin area. Spanning two hillsides just across from the recently-opened Hill Country Galleria Shopping Center, this incredible terrain offers a premier golfing experience. Initial trips require a caddy, as there are no signs marking the tees. This course was named one of the best private courses in the country.

Twin Creeks Country Club - 3201 Twin Creeks Club Drive - 512-331-5900

http://www.twincreekscountryclub.com/

Designed by Masters Champion Fred Couples, this course in Cedar Park opened a few years ago. The course itself features rambling creeks, oak trees, hills and canyons.

University of Texas Golf Club - 2200 University Club Drive - Austin - 512-266-6464

http://www.utgolfclub.com

This prestigious course is located within the upscale Steiner Ranch community near both Lake Travis and Lake Austin. Development teams worked for many years to find a permanent home for UT's golf teams to practice, and this was the solution, opening in late 2003.

If you are considering relocating to the Austin area or investing in real estate here, please feel free to give me a call anytime on my cell phone at 512-796-7653. You can also email me at jason@austintexashomes.com. I have 11 years of full-time real estate sales experience in Austin, and I would love the opportunity to help.

Our Austin real estate website is located at http://www.austintexashomes.com/. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

This past week brought yet another national article promoting Austin, Texas as a city with a vibrant and growing economy.

Forbes magazine has named Austin the "Fastest Growing Large Metro Area" in the United States, predicting growth of 32% GMP (Gross Metropolitan Product) over the next five years. Additionally, the article states that Austin's population is expected to increase by nearly 15% by 2012, according to Moody's Economy.com forecasts.

To read the entire article, please click here.

This is exciting news for all of us in the Austin real estate market. Clearly, Austin is poised for another boom of sorts over the next several years. Speaking as one who has been selling homes in this area for over 11 years, I can only say that many of the current media coverage reminds me of how things felt just before Austin's market had a hot streak in the late 1990's. Back then, I remember my business partner made the remark that one "only had to have enough strength to get the sign into the yard to sell a home."

While I would still categorize the market as a buyer's market, it does seem to be shifting more in favor of sellers locally. If a home is priced correctly and in good shape, it will sell very briskly in Austin.

Business 2.0 Magazine ranked Austin as #4 a few months ago on its list of the "Hottest Markets for Job Growth" in the country, stating that "Austin is the rare tech hub that still seems poised for double-digit growth, thanks to a vibrant semiconductor sector. Indeed, Samsung is pouring $4 billion into a local chip fab." They estimated that job growth figures for Austin will be approximately 24.7% from 2007-2015.

So, I am certainly happy to be selling in this market, and I look forward to what the next few years hold.

If you are considering relocating to Austin or finding an investment property here, I would love the opportunity to be of assistance. You can reach me anytime via phone at 512-796-7653 or email at jason@austintexashomes.com. Feel free to contact me with any questions. You can also visit my. other website at www.austintexashomes.com. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Last week, "Entrepreneur Magazine" released its latest list of Best Places to Buy a House. Not surprisingly, the Austin metro area placed at the top of the list this time around. In the article, columnist Danielle Babb (who also co-authored a book on finding foreclosures with my friend Bill Nazur) states,

Round Rock and Austin have seen incredible job growth and very stable home prices despite the downturn nationwide. Jobs continue to grow here--a factor for keeping inventory low and prices stable.

Clearly, this is something that I have been preaching to our clients and potential clients for many months, but the pervasive media saturation focused on the national downturn makes our job an uphill climb.

Round Rock is located due north of Austin, and Dell's corporate headquarters is located there. Dell has been responsible for some large-scale growth in this suburb, especially throughout the 90's. In 1990, Round Rock's population was a mere 30,000 or so. It has more than tripled in size since then, with over 93,000 calling Round Rock home today.

Austin has added close to 100,000 to its population since 2000, growing from approximately 650,000 to 740,000 within Austin proper. The Austin metro area now tops 1.5 million.

Other locations that made the "best" list were Mission Viejo, California, Palm Beach, Florida, and Las Vegas. Her is a link to the article if you are interested in checking it out:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/money/personalfinance/article189454.html

If you are considering relocating to the Austin area or investing in real estate here, please feel free to give me a call anytime on my cell phone at 512-796-7653. You can also email me at jason@austintexashomes.com. I have 11 years of full-time real estate sales experience in Austin, and I would love the opportunity to help.

Our Austin real estate website is located at www.austintexashomes.com. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Forest Creek is a lovely master-planned golf course community located in east Round Rock, just minutes from Dell Computer. Having played the course a number of times with my friends, I can attest to both its beauty and its difficulty. Granted, I am not really a stellar golfer, but it is among the more challenging courses in this part of town.

Currently listed resale homes in Forest Creek range from about $200,000 all the way up to the mid-$500's.

Currently, there are 44 new and resale homes available on the MLS in Forest Creek, with an average asking price of $335,105. The average square footage for these homes is 3,311, for an average price per square foot of $100.10.

Presently, there are 5 homes under contract in the subdivision, with an average listing price of $267,097, and an average square footage of 2,897, yielding an average price per square foot of $92.20.

Over the past quarter (September through December 2007), there were 29 sales closed within Forest Creek. The average listing price was $280,236 and the average sales price was $271,450 (96.9% of asking). The average size was 2868 s.f., which put the average price per square foot at $95.79 with the average days on market running at 67 days (slightly less than the overall Austin market).

In other immediate area news:

Located a couple of minutes away, at the intersection of the two main area toll roads (45 and 130), Stone Hill Town Center is slated to open within a few months, and it promises over 1,000,000 square feet of shopping and entertainment. Home Depot, Best Buy, Chili's, several retail clothing stores, a large Cinemark theater, and a fitness center are among the anticipated tenants.

If you are considering selling your home in Forest Creek (or anywhere in the general Austin area), please feel free to give me a call. I would love the opportunity to help you get it sold quickly. You can visit my primary website at www.austintexashomes.com. You can also reach me anytime on my cell phone at 512-796-7653 or via email at jason@austintexashomes.com. Thanks for checking out this brief analysis!