I went through Bear Branch State Park the other day with my children ... you can rope swing, mountain bike, walk your dog, rope swing, walk through the forest, mountain bike. catch frogs, fall in the creek (yes, my little princess fell in and it was SOOOOO funny ... I couldn't stop laughing ... her brother and I thought it was HILARIOUS to see a girl in a white "fluffy" skirt and a pink hairbow fall in the creek .. that is funny ..........................)

Walking, running, hiking, jogging, fishing, biking, or walking your dog ... the Woodlands is where you need to be.

One more fun activity, appropriate for all ages, will be going on in Seven Meadows for the next week weeks; it's the Summer Movie Series!

Escape the July heat every Monday, at 2.p.m, at the Central Park Residents (only) Club. Join your neighbors while watching classic Walt Disney films. OF course, there is no charge.

Following is the schedule:

• Monday, July 14th, The Aristocats, Rated G
• Monday, July 21st, The Rescuers, Rated G
• Monday, July 28th, The Little Mermaid, Rated G

Crossbridge United Methodist Church is graciously providing popcorn and water for the residents.

Don't you wish you lived in Seven Meadows?

This past week found me travelling through much of central Texas for business and pleasure. It was interesting to note the character of the different communities, when it came to materials used to construct their homes, and how they were decorated. However, stopping and talking to people was of the greatest interest to me.

On Sunday afternoon, you could find me outside of a church in Spicewood, which is just outside of Austin, sitting in the shade of a tree with my tea, speaking to an artist from Germany, who is now living in our fair state. I was admiring a cross that she had made from timber, copper, and driftwood, so we spoke about her work. We swapped birdhouse designs as the hummingbirds flew past.

Our conversation turned to life in different cities, with a focus on commuting. She was going to return home to pick up some pieces to deliver to Fredricksburg later. She was not looking forward to the drive under our Texas' sun, but it was one that she needed to make. She mentioned how travelling around was easier in Europe, where she did not need a car. Her vitriol was directed to the traffic jams of my city, Houston. She did not see how I could live with it. I mentioned that I heard a report the Judge Emmet was looking into reviving commuter rail in the region. Much of the infrastructure is here, but it is used for other purposes. She did not believe that Houston would go that route.

Upon coming back home, I find an e-mail informing me that my region is moving ahead with commuter rail. I guess that high fuel costs bring about unexpected benefits. At first, I thought that the plans would just be between Houston and Galveston, but I discovered that it will be much more than that. The plan has its critics, but mainly it seems that people are complaining that they are not included, rather than having rail come by them. Well, we are just in the first steps, and there does seem to be a desire to make such a system work, so I feel that eventually the rail will be more inclusive. I would like to see if this system will somehow tie into the light rail lines that are now being built to pull the city together.

We are still in the proposal period for this development, so your voice can be heard, if you wish to comment about the routes or plans. Follow this link to read them for your self.

If only they had a train to take me to a tree in the Hill Country for a peaceful Sunday afternoon, I would be ever so happy.

Your Houston Home Inspector,

Frank Schulte-Ladbeck

802 San Marcos Street, Austin, TX 78702 // (512) 472-8180 The French Legation Museum provides a uniquely historic experience. Both a historic site and a house museum, the story behind the establishment of the museum is fascinating, and helps to illuminate a way of life experienced by the residents of old Austin – before Texas was a state. Visiting the house and grounds, with its carefully chosen artifacts, brings the story to life. With many cultural events, educational programs, and supplementary information on their web site, the museum preserves and perpetuates a unique piece of Austin’s colorful heritage. The French Legation is located in central Austin just south of French Place.

The word "legation" originally referred to a diplomatic representative office just below the status of embassy. Sent by the French Legation of Washington D.C. in 1840, Monsieur Jean Pierre Isidore Dubois de Saligny intended to establish the French Legation of the fledgling Republic of Texas. Renting quarters on Pecan (now Sixth) Street at the corner of Guadalupe, de Saligny was appalled with Austin’s lack of urban sophistication, evidenced most egregiously by the pigs a local farmer allowed to run free in his yard. He determined to build a home and office worthy of a French diplomat.

De Saligny found himself at odds with the locals, both culturally and politically, and he was soon recalled from his post, leaving his servants behind in the building he had designed. A short time later, when the seat of the government was moved from Austin, the building was abandoned. When Texas was annexed as a state, the structure and its surrounding grounds were sold, eventually being purchased by John and Lydia Lee Robertson, who raised their eleven children in the house. When the last of those children died, in 1940, the property was placed under the custodianship of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, who have operated the site as the French Legation Museum since 1949.

Restoration of the property began in 1953, with an effort be faithful to the period in which it was built. Although only three pieces of furniture currently on view belonged to de Saligny, many pieces remain from the Robertson family's ownership of the home. Gardens and outdoor landscaping, although not authentic to the bare dirt yards of early Texas, provide a refreshing oasis of green in a busy city, and make this one of the premier locations for weddings and other formal functions.

The French Legation Museum is committed to education, providing guided tours in addition to having curriculum supplements for elementary and middle school teachers available on their web site. During the summer, the museum often hosts a history-based summer camp, allowing children to immerse themselves in 1880's Austin. They offer different cultural events as well, including a twice monthly tournament of the traditional French game petanque on the lawn, and evening concerts under their beautiful old oak trees. Their annual Bastille Day celebration features French music and food, and their association with the Alliance Française d'Austin helps perpetuate a unique piece of Central Texas heritage.

Ki looks with buyers interested in Austin Texas real estate. Buyers can search for homes online using a Austin Texas MLS search or read updates on the market on his blog covering Austin real estate.

Labor Day weekend in Austin this year promises every imaginable kind of activity, with something for everyone, young and old, in the works. Some choices for end of summer fun locally include Texas Longhorn events, the Austin Bat Fest, and a day of yoga, among other celebrations. If you’re a sports fan, the Texas Longhorns are playing a home game the Saturday before Labor Day, and the game will be held in Darrel K. Royal Memorial Stadium, as usual. The beginning of Longhorn football season in Austin is always a day filled with excitement and anticipation, and this year is no different from any other, so get out your burnt orange and white clothing and head to the U.T. campus for a day of competition and rivalry.

Another popular event is being organized for its fourth year this year, the 4th Annual Austin Bat Fest, which will be held on and around the Ann Richards Bridge Saturday and Sunday prior to Labor Day. This event promises various activities, musical performances, a diverse choice of food and drink, and many other family-oriented arts, crafts, educational displays, and other bat-related festivities. The estimated attendance for BatFest is about 40,000 spectators and participants, so come early to see and hear thirty different musical acts perform on two different stages and watch as over 1.5 million Mexican free tail bats soar over the clear waters of Lady Bird Lake and the Austin skyline. This event partially supports the bats and their colony under the downtown bridge and admittance is just $5.00, so come out and see what all is being offered at the 150 different booths which will be set up in the festival area, on the Congress Avenue Bridge, which was recently renamed to honor former Texas Governor Ann Richards. While there, you can sample the different cuisines or enjoy shopping among the numerous offerings of stained glass, pottery, art objects, photography, jewelry, fine art, and other eclectic goods being sold at the festival. The event will remain open until midnight Saturday night and ten p.m. Sunday night, so there will be plenty of time to shop and celebrate during this event.

Another sporting event being held over the Labor Day weekend in the Austin area is the 7th annual Labor Day Cup, which is a soccer tournament for children which serves as a kind of practice for the coming season, and this event is being sponsored by Nike this year and promises fun for all. The games are being played at fields throughout the Austin area and the tournament is being organized by the Lonestar Soccer Club. In addition to the soccer tournament, a tennis tournament is also being held over Labor Day weekend in the Austin area, and those interested in participating may sign up online for both the soccer tournament and the tennis tournament, which is affiliated with the U.S. Tennis Association.

A free day of Yoga is being held again this year on Labor Day too, as it has been since 1999, and this event is the perfect opportunity to learn the different styles of yoga as well as become familiar with different teachers and studios, at an inviting price: free! The classes are being held at studios across town, and some individual studios are offering food and drinks after the classes as well, and participants are invited to stay, relax and enjoy the day.

Many water-related parties are also on tap, and one of these events is the Splash Days event which celebrates the gay community and includes an “adult swim” party with D.J.s and a dance. Some of the related activities will be held at a downtown hotel and a schedule is available online for this event too.

There are many other smaller events being held, and many celebrations on and around Lake Travis as well as Lake Austin, with cookouts being planned in local parks and other facilities. However, it is important to remember that motorized water c rafts are prohibited on some area lakes during the holiday, and the waters of Lake Travis are very low this year, so boaters are being advised to use caution when boating in area lakes at this time. There are many other choices of activities in the Austin area, and since the Labor Day weekend marks the end of the lazy days of summer and a return to school for the kids, use your time wisely and enjoy the day relaxing, celebrating, and having fun, since you won’t get another chance until next year!

Ki is a real estate broker in Austin. His maintains a site focused on Austin real estate which provides a graphical search of the Austin MLS. In addition he provides market updates on his Austin real estate blog.

Charming pockets of single family homes are studded throughout this hidden gem of a neighborhood, and although certain parts of the area are given over to apartment complexes, duplexes and fourplexes, this is an overlooked area with enormous potential. Bounded by I35 to the west, Ben White to the south, Riverside to the north, and Montopolis to the east, this rising star offers a wide range of restaurants, a big park with loads of amenities, an ACC campus, and the promise of an area on the way up.

Both Burleson and Parker streets, two of the main north-south arteries between Oltorf and Ben White/Riverside, have many smaller streets branching off, and these streets hold mature trees, a wide array of single family homes, and a feeling of being in a secret oasis. Prices are still extremely reasonable here, and there is easy access to central Austin, as well as Ben White and I35. Following Oltorf east past Pleasant Valley, the homes are newer, with manicured lawns and a more suburban feel.

Both Oltorf and Riverside offer an abundance of restaurants, from Vietnamese at Hai Ky, Indonesian at Java Noodles, Middle Eastern at Jerusalem, Italian at Aljohn’s, or the many great Mexican places in the area, including La Tapatia, Taqueria Vallarta, El Regio, and many more. Rapidly becoming the cultural center of the area is Café Ventana, an expansive coffee shop with a wide range of offerings and a large area for relaxing, meeting, or working on your computer.

Mabel Davis District Park, recently reopened after major renovations, provides a wonderful outdoor sanctuary in this urban setting. Close to 50 acres, including 30 acres of open green space, provide room for sports, picnics, and other activities. The park also has a basketball court, an olympic-size swimming pool, a great playscape, and a good sized picnic area with shade. To the great delight of teen aged boys, the first skate park in Austin was opened here in 2005, featuring a skate bowl, streetscape elements and lawn for nervous parents to observe.

Also on the horizon is the Roy Guerrero Colorado River Park, in the northeast corner of the area. Work is schedule to begin on this undeveloped tract, and the master plan includes trails, a large playscape, and as much acreage as Zilker Park, providing lots of open space. Also located in the neighborhood are the Riverside Golf Course, and the Krieg Field Softball complex.

This area provides both an urban feel, with the shopping, restaurants and businesses located on Riverside and Oltorf, and an idyllic, quiet, residential feel, with winding streets and hills tucked away from the hustle and bustle. With businesses looking more and more to Southeast Austin for development opportunities, this area is on the verge of becoming one of the hot-spots in town.

Escapeso Austin real estate operates in Austin Texas. Their website has information for buyers interested in Austin about Austin homes and Austin neighborhoods.

Shell Oil Company plans to close its 70-year-old Bellaire Technology Center on Bellaire Blvd in the inner-loop which will open up a prime piece of real estate.

The Bellaire Technology Center land is made up of three different parcels located on Bellaire between Stella Link and Buffalo Speedway. They plan to be marketed for redevelopment once Shell demolishes the structures on the site and prepares it for sale, which could be as late as 2012.

Shell owns 5.5 acres of the 9.7-acre Bellaire site, and leases the rest from the Perrin White family a Houston real estate investor. Even with two separate owners, the three parcels are expected to be jointly marketed for redevelopment once the land is cleared, according to Jeri Ballard, director of corporate real estate for Shell.

Shell started operating at the site in the late 1930s, and over the years constructed eight buildings with a total of 315,000 square feet of space. The campus is across the street from a residential neighborhood, and is not far from the Texas Medical Center. The future use will be dictated by the City of Southside Place, which, unlike Houston, has zoning regulations.

City leaders will have a keen interest in future development as they seek to regain economic losses from Shell's departure. The municipality will experience a dip in property tax revenue after the relocation, and businesses will no longer have access to 650 Shell employees who shop and eat in the area.

The campus and surrounding area has been designated for a variety of uses, including office and professional, research and development, special services and medium-density residential.

The fate of St. Joseph was questioned in June when HPA closed its River Oaks Hospital, which had two campuses in southwest Houston. This closure left pratitioners and employees shocked and scrambling for new facilties to continue serving the public. See my previous blog entry for that story.

HPA who operated the two campuses, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court Wednesday. HPA purchased the hospitals from Tenet Healthcare and rebranded them under the River Oaks name. They are the former Twelve Oaks and Sharpstown General hospitals. HPA bought the River Oaks hospitals four years ago in conjunction with a group of physician investors who have lost their investments.

According to the bankruptcy petition, River Oaks notes it has more than 1,000 creditors that it owes between $100 million and $500 million. The hospital said it has between $50 million and $100 million in assets, but notes it does not expect to have funds available to pay unsecured debtors once administrative and other expenses are paid.

Court records list Medical Properties Trust, which owns the River Oaks hospital buildings and land, as an unsecured creditor, but doesn't list the amount owed. HPA paid $125 million for St. Joseph in 2006.

Now the historic St. Joseph hospital in downtown is for sale. Hospital Partners of America has retained Merrill Lynch to shop it around, after purchasing it only 2 years ago. HPA is suffering from liquidity problems and is trying to sell all of its hospitals, but a spokesperson said St. Joseph Medical Center is financially healthy.

UBS Wealth Management and Thomas Properties Group Inc. have created a joint venture to acquire a new office building in Houston, considered to be a strategic markets for more acquisitions. The partnership will allow the two firms to jointly purchase Class A office properties.

UBS Wealth Management is contributing $250 million to the venture. Thomas Properties will contribute 15 percent of the equity needed for each acquisition.

"We expect the current investment and credit markets environment to produce opportunities to acquire high-quality assets in strategic target markets at attractive risk-adjusted returns," said John Sischo, executive vice president of Los Angeles-based Thomas Properties, in a prepared statement.

Los Angeles-based Thomas Properties currently owns more than 3.8 million square feet of office space in Houston, including CityWestPlace; 2500 CityWest; Brookhollow I, II and III; and San Felipe Plaza.

I read a story in the newspaper about a homeowner who hired Novastar Energy to install solar panels for her home here in the San Antonio area. Now she is not only using the solar energy for her own home, she is also selling back solar energy.

Another green method of generating energy for homes is geothermal pumps, great for use in neighborhoods that have restrictive remodeling rules.

By installing green and environmentally friendly products, homeowners can realize true savings in energy costs. Most people can't afford to spend several thousand dollars for the solar array or geothermal pumps but there are less expensive ways to save money with green techniques, including passive building methods.

Some green features being built into homes include aluminum radiant barrier roof decking to keep the attic cooler, blown-in insulation to keep air from coming in and out of the home, low-flow water appliances, tankless water heaters, dual flush toilets, and double-paned windows. A lawn with areas covered in mulch and plants such as perennials helps keep water bills down.