Austin, TX

Are you Seriously Still on the Fence? All I Hear are Excuses excuses excuses...

11-20-09

Donna Harris, REALTOR® & ASP - Hill Country Austin Lakeway Homes

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Office: (512) 592-7127

Real Estate - Hill Country Lakeway Austin TX Homes for Sale are jumping off the MLS!! That means, houses are selling throughout the Austin TX area!!

Are you still on the fence? How could you possibly still be on the fence right now?

I mean, there is FREE money being handed out right and left, if you qualify.

Does $8000 not mean anything to you? How about a potential $6500? With money like that being handed to you, seriously, how could you be on the fence?

Here are two great blog posts that explain the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit along with the Move-Up buyer tax credit.

Now, after reading those two posts, and learning about how your Federal Government is going further into debt to give you FREE money upon buying a new home, could you please speak in English, slowly, and using small words, and tell me the reasons why you're not ready to buy?

I'm listening... uh, huh... go on...

All I'm hearing are excuses and not reasons... yep, another excuse...

Get off the fence, give me a call or shoot me an email, and if we can't get you into a new house before the New Year, let's get you into a new house before this FREE money is gone, which is April 30, 2010 (closed by June 30, 2010).

**Are You Packed Yet?**

Donna Harris, REALTOR®
RE/MAX Austin Skyline
www.DonnaHomes.com
Donna@DonnaHomes.com

Austin TX Real Estate and the surrounding areas of Lakeway, Bee Cave, West Lake Hills, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Spicewood, Circle-C, Steiner Ranch, and everywhere in between... Hill Country Austin TX Real Estate and beyond. Whether you're buying or selling an Austin home, I'll be with you every step of the way.

For real time Austin TX listings, click here.

** #1 Agent in my Office for all of 2008 **

Copyright© 2009 By Donna Harris, All Rights Reserved. You may re-blog with links back to this post.
* Are you Seriously Still on the Fence? Excuses excuses excuses... * was first published on donnahomesblog.com

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Austin Employment Steady

11-20-09

Anne Johnson-Cheverere

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Office: (512) 328-5151 x511

Mobile: (512) 917-5260

Austin unemployment rate is at 7.2% in October according to a recent article in the Austin Business Journal. The article goes on to state that the unemployment in the Austin area held steady in October at 7.2 percent, the same as in September but up from 4.6 in October 2008.
Texas’ unemployment rate is at 8.3 percent, slightly higher than the 8.2 percent recorded last month but nearly two full percentage points under the national average.
Overall, the Lone Star State added 41,700 jobs in October, making it a standout in a national economy where the unemployment rate is now at a seasonally adjusted rate of 10.2 percent.
“In October, the Texas job market regained some lost ground experienced over the past several months, although it is too soon to indicate a trend,” Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Tom Pauken said. “The Texas unemployment rate continued to edge upward as our state continues to feel the effects of the national economic downturn.”
Although there was some good news about job gains, “we remain concerned about the many Texans who still cannot find work,” said Ronny Congleton, TWC commissioner fepresenting labor.
Job gains in Texas were mostly in the professional and business services segment, as well as the education and health services segment, according to a Texas Workforce Commission report.
Texas saw 14,900 jobs added in just the education and health services segment during the month of October; 10,800 professional and business services jobs were added.
The leisure and hospitality sector added 2,600 jobs, while the trade, transportation and utilities segment recorded an increase of 2,500 positions.
The construction sector of the economy continued to lose jobs in October, bleeding 9,400 jobs last month.

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41 Waller: A Shining Example of East Side Gentrification

11-20-09

Garreth Wilcock Central East Austin Real Estate

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Office: (512) 694-8873

Mobile: (512) 694-8873

41Waller East of Downtown Austin: 41 Waller is a new condominium development near Downtown Austin just east of IH-35, representing just some of the incredible changes seen to the East Side of Austin in recent years. The location of 41 Waller is perfect for anyone who wants to be close to downtown without having to pay steep downtown prices. You will be biking distance to eats 'n treats such as Progress Coffee, Iron Works BBQ, Mongolian BBQ and PF Changs, just to scratch the surface. You will also be biking distance to 6th St, and not have to worry about catching a cab home! Being so close to so many Austin attractions will surely save you time and gas money!

You might find yourself asking, But what features does 41 Waller offer on the inside? Good question! Here are many of the features you can expect to find at 41 Waller:

Stackable washer and dryer connections
Bosch Energy Star stainless steel appliances
Pre-wired for a surround sound home audio system, which can be used for just the living room or the whole house!
Internet work station
Ultracraft cabinets with 6-way adjustable hinges and automatic drawer closers (Author's note: I have no idea how this works but it sounds pretty cool!)
Remote controlled ceiling fans
Granite counter tops
Energy Star Armana 14 SEER/12 EER heating/cooling system
Wet bath with rain shower head and traverline tiled walls with inlaid glass tile
Installed security system

These homes start pricing in the low $200k's. According to the website, many have sold and there are only three left at this time.

Garreth Wilcock is a Realtor in Downtown and East Austin. Search Austin homes for sale at his website.

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Something you don't see everyday in Austin; a dinosaur skeleton on the street.

11-20-09

Betina Foreman-Serving Lake Travis area and the greater Austin area!

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Office: (512) 771-6318

Mobile: (512) 771-6318

OK maybe this qualifies for a Freaky Friday post. While in the car on 4th Street in Austin I saw a dinosaur skeleton on wheels being propelled down the street by a five guys on bikes inside the skeleton. If you look closely you can just make them out inside the ribcage. You had to see it to believe it. Regrettably I was not faster with the camera, so it does not show the entire skeleton. There are several art studios in the area and I can only assume it must be a work in progress.

If you are in the market for an Austin area home and are not presently working with a Realtor, please call me. I would be happy to help you through the process of buying or selling a home. I specialize in Relocation and I make the process easy to navigate. I look forward to the opportunity to earn your business.

Betina Foreman, Realtor

Keller Williams Real Estate 1801 S. MOPAC, Suite 100 Austin, Texas 78746 512-771-6318 BetinaForemanRealtor@yahoo.com www.CentralTexasGreenHomes.com

Member: Austin Board of Realtors, National Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, ActiveRain.com-RainMaker, Trulia-Top Realtor Voices, and Zillow-Neighborhood Pros.

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Tips to properly winterize your Austin home

11-20-09

Betina Foreman-Serving Lake Travis area and the greater Austin area!

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Office: (512) 771-6318

Mobile: (512) 771-6318

Here are some energy saving tips to help homeowners to save more money this winter.

Heating

Heating a home takes two to three times more energy than cooling a home, so the work you do could add up to savings during the winter months.

· Install plug outlet covers on any unused outlet. About 20 percent of the air that escapes your home escapes through outlet openings.

· If you have a fireplace, install a glass fire screen to keep heated air from escaping through your chimney.

· Insulate indoor water pipes in unheated spaces.

· Inspect insulation to make sure it's not blocking ducts or vents. Blown-in insulation can settle over time and may need to be fluffed up or just more layers of insulation to increase your R-Value.

· Set your thermostat at 68 degrees. For every degree you raise the temperature, you add 3 to 5 percent to your electric bill.

· If your home uses a heat pump, raise the thermostat setting two degrees at a time when adjusting the temperature. This will avoid running the compressor and supplemental heat at the same time.

· Air can enter and escape your home through cracks and gaps around windows, doors, and other areas. Effective caulking can help prevent this heat loss.

· Caulk when the temperature is over 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If the weather is too cold, the caulk may not adhere.

· Caulking should be used only on joints that don't open or close, such as the seam between a window frame and a wall.

· Although most caulk lasts at least 25 years, settling makes it necessary to check your home for cracks in the caulk every few years.

Lighting

· Turn off lights when leaving a room for a short time.

· Keep the dust off lampshades and light bulbs. It can reduce lighting levels as much as 50%.

· Change your bulbs to fluorescent. Fluorescent light bulbs use 70% less electricity than regular light bulbs, give off five times more light, emit 90% less heat and last 10 times longer.

Water Heater

· Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120º.

· During daily use, turn off running water when you're not using it (i.e. soaping hands, brushing teeth).

· Wrapping your water heater with an insulation blanket can reduce its energy use by 10% to 15%.

Refrigerators and Freezers

· Set the temperature between 36o and 38o.

· Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator rather than on a counter-top. Not only is it safer, but the frozen items will help cool the refrigerator as they defrost and help reduce its running time.

· Freezers work better fully loaded, but remember to leave enough room for air to circulate.

· Make sure your refrigerator and freezer doors seal properly.

Cooking

· Microwave ovens use up to 70% less energy, cook food up to 75% faster, and produce much less heat than an electric or gas oven.

· Using covers on pots will bring liquids to a boil more quickly and allow continued cooking at lower temperatures, reducing energy use and heat in your kitchen.

Other Appliances

· Wash/dry full loads of clothes and use cold water as often as possible.

· Never put lamps, TV sets and other heat-generating gadgets beneath a wall-mounted thermostat. Rising heat from these appliances may trigger your conditioning system to overwork.

Keller Williams Real Estate 1801 S. MOPAC, Suite 100 Austin, Texas 78746 512-771-6318 BetinaForemanRealtor@yahoo.com www.CentralTexasGreenHomes.com

Member: Austin Board of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, National Association of Realtors, ActiveRain-RainMaker, Trulia-Top Realtor Voices, Zillow-Neighborhood Pros.

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