About Travis County, TX

Austin is issuing the first electric vehicle rebates

01-02-08

Jeff Kessler, Broker, ABR,GRI 512.801.5666

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Mobile: (512) 801-5666

In April of 07 Austin Energy and the Central Texas Clean Cities started to offer a rebate to help customers who purchase all electric vehicles.

These include cars, bicycles and scooters. My friend took advantage of the program and saved about $100 bucks on a brand new scooter.

If you buy an all electric vehicle you get $250 bucks back and on a bike you get $50.

You can go to www.cityofaustin.org/cleancities to get an application and find out more.

Don't forget this is just one program there are so many more out there that can help you save a lot of money on that next new vehicle.

Have a great day.

Jeff Kessler

Remember if you would like a rebate on a new home in Texas see my website at http://www.rebateontexashomes.com for more info on how to get up to 5% cash back. Just another great rebate program.

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Wanna be a Movie Extra in Austin?

01-02-08

Ki Gray - Austin Real Estate

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So I get sick or writing about Austin real estate all the time. So I like to break up the monotony. So I'm only posting this in the goofing off club and some other groups.

Everywhere you look in Austin it seems there is filming going on. From huge blockbuster movies like The Alamo and Miss Congeniality to network television series like Friday Night Lights, Austin has become a favorite location for directors and producers nationwide to create some of our favorite movies and television shows. Studios have fallen in love with Austin because of our abundance of talented actors and crew as well as the price of doing business in our town which is substantially more affordable than much larger places such as New York or Los Angeles.

Every production requires and enormous amount of support from the local community and whether you are an experienced camera operator or have never stepped foot on a movie set, there are ways that anyone can be involved. Perhaps the easiest way to experience the bright lights and fast action of film production is to become an extra.

The shooting schedules of film projects vary greatly and may last from a couple of days to several weeks. You should begin by researching the calls for extras on the internet. Two great resources for current listings are on www.craigslist..com. While most extras are paid for their time on set, you will need to study the listings carefully to determine if the shoot coincides with your schedule and income demands.

After selecting the call for which you would like to apply, you should immediately send a headshot and a resume to the casting director as these positions tend to fill up rather quickly. You should not worry about having a ton of professional acting experience as most projects fill their speaking roles with actors who are represented by local agencies. In most cases, projects are looking for extras from a wide range of backgrounds to give them as diverse a casting pool as possible. You should also make sure that you are free of any work responsibilities on the day of the shoot. These days tend to be very long and your schedule should be completely free.

On larger film projects, you may be asked to attend an interview day. This step is often not required on projects with a shorter time commitment or shooting schedule. When you arrive you can expect to spend around fifteen minutes interviewing with the casting director. At this time, they may also want to take a few photos of you to include in their records.

Once you are selected for a role as an extra you should expect to act as you would in any professional working situation. Make sure that you show up a few minutes early and are prepared with any items or changes of clothes that your casting director may have asked you to bring along. You should be kind and gracious to everyone you meet and prepared to spend a large portion waiting around for your time to be called. You should never wander around the set or do anything that could interfere with the production. You should also not approach the actors with requests of autographs or photos. You are a working professional and should act accordingly.

Working as an extra may be one of the most rewarding adventures of your life. You will become a part of the great artistic community that makes Austin so unique and get to experience the inner workings of a film or television production. It’s a great experience and not as hard as you may think. So what are you waiting for? Here is your chance to be on the big screen.

Ki is a realtor in Austin that helps people search for Austin homes. He provides insight on the Austin market on his real estate blog. He also has a search on his Austin tx MLS search

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Wanna be a Movie Extra in Austin?

01-02-08

Ki Gray - Austin Real Estate

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Austin Home Buyers New Year’s Resolutions for 2008

01-02-08

Christopher Brooks Austin TX

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Office: (512) 744-4553

Mobile: (512) 825-3975

Now that the holidays are over, the Texas Longhorn Bowl game has been won, the champagne glasses are empty, and all the great holiday sales are coming to an end, its time to think about our New Year’s Resolutions. For most its joining Pure to get back in shape or maybe an initiative to get organized- or maybe, just trying to stick with your new resolutions longer than you did in 2007. To help, I created the Austin Home Buyer’s New Year’s Resolutions list for 2008 conveniently available below to help if you are thinking about buying a home this year in and around Austin.

1. Learn About the Austin Housing Market: What may be a surprise to you is that our market is quite different from many of the other ailing areas of the country. Even Neighborhoods are different. National media reports on the market as a whole not areas individually. Austin did not explode in appreciation like many of the states along the coasts the led to their bubble pops. Get the facts.

2. Become Friends Again with Your Credit Report: I know you are probably thinking about the all the gifts you charged increasing your debt but whether you think you know your credit or are afraid of it, you have to know where you stand if you have visions of home buying. I read a report that identity theft rose from 20 Mil in 2006 to 79 Mil in 2007. That and careless errors reported to the bureaus are becoming more and more common. Your free yearly credit reports from the big 3 is a great place to start to grab you finances by the reins.

3. Understand How Mortgage is Changing: Also understanding different loan options is important. While there are only a handful of 100% financing programs floating around, many of the other programs and underwriting criteria have changed. Alternatives like FHA loans may be an option to fit your financial profile. Also grants and special programs like down payment assistance can also help. How do you find out about these programs? The way consumers find out is through a Mortgage Consultant. The number one way to find a Mortgage Consultant is through their Realtor.

4. Search for the Best Home for Your Family’s Needs: Location, size of homes, school district, neighborhood amenities are all important. Analyze how long you intend to stay in your home or neighborhood, distance to jobs, and convenience for shopping. Don’t be afraid to drive the neighborhoods at night or even view a couple of homes on the market at different price ranges. It is one thing to see it online on the MLS and quite another to actually walk a home. You will learn a lot more when you see with your own eyes.

5. Stay Commited: These are steps leading up to a purchase. Even if you are buying your first home, moving up, or relocating every situation is different and requires patience especially during the contract phase. I do this for a living and no two transactions have ever been the same. The one thing that is constant is knowing how to deal with these situations.

So there you have it. Even if you only make it to the gym for two weeks or fail to organize your desk, sticking with these Home Buyer Resolutions can help you successfully buy a home in 2008.

For more in depth information on any of these areas, feel free to email me. And feel free to comment below.

Christopher

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Reclaiming my "rookie" enthusiasm...

11-14-07

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

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Office: (512) 796-7653

Mobile: (512) 796-7653
Secondary: (512) 796-7653

I have been working from home most days lately, which is a real blessing in my opinion. I could go to the office, but many days my work involves catching up on emails and perhaps a few phone calls (and blogging, too, of course). As a result, I often get my writing inspriration by watching or playing with my children or from some conversation with my wife.

Tonight, I noticed that my six-year old daughter was in the upstairs bathroom playing in the sink area, since I can see that room from the place where I typically blog. She was kind of quiet, so I went to see what she was doing. As I approached, she was energetically smearing lathered up soap all over the counter. She looked like a master artist, perhaps Pollock?

I asked her if she was planning to clean it up, and she said that she would. I then asked her about how her very first piano lesson went, since it was today. I have not seen a child that excited in awhile. She began energetically jumping up and down, and she yelled, "It was great, great, great! I loved it!"

My daughter's enthusiasm for the simple joy of soap suds and the absolute joy that she shared with me over the piano lesson inspired me to write this post.

I have been in real estate almost eleven years now, which seems hard to believe sometimes. At any rate, I realized that when I started, I used to get listings just from being hungry and excited about selling homes. I don't know when that stopped being the case, but I don't feel that fire in my belly nearly as often. Maybe this comes simply from being a veteran of this industry, but something tells me that I could do better.

I am not leaving it at that. This is just a starting point for me.

If you follow my blog, you know that I have a lot on my plate right now. Even with that in mind, I am planning to take a fresh look and a fresh approach to my business and my career starting today:

I am going to treat EVERY lead with care, even the ones that are not thrilling.
I am going to stop procrastinating when it comes to follow up with past clients.
I am going to seek that energy that I had in 1997, when I was geared up everyday and anxious to sell something to somebody.
Clients will sense this in me and they will look forward to working with me, and ONLY me.
I am planning to treat every day as important - I don't ever get one back. Once it is gone, it's gone.

Every day that we are here is important, and every day should be treated as such. I have a friend who is very sick right now, and if he can bear it out and make his life count, then I have nothing to complain about, and I should be squeezing the most from every single minute of this life.

I have my health, a beautiful wife, awesome kids, enough money to keep my head above water, my own business, freedom to choose how I spend my day, and the list goes on and on. I need to be jumping up and down! I am going to make it....playful.

This business is unique in so many ways, and I truly feel that this is where God wants me right now. I can look back and see jobs and experiences that I had as a younger man that ultimately all served to prepare me for this moment in time. I feel like my skills and my personality are perfect for real estate, and I am uniquely talented as a salesperson and as a broker, teacher, and manager. I am not bragging here - just evaluating. My real point is: I can do better with the gifts I have been given.

This may sound odd to you, but since I started blogging (about three months ago), I have been better able to express myself to my friends and clients. I was already okay in that department with my family, but writing is a kind of catharsis that allows me to organize my thoughts sometimes. Consequently, I have seen a benefit when dealing with issues of everyday life. I feel more centered, and I feel accepted. This may be a bit melodramatic, but I assure you that it's genuine. I plan to use this newfound gift of communication.

Where am I going with this? Check back with me sometime in the upcoming months. You might just find that I have become a new man.