Kyle, TX

Reference: Click here for a current listing of all of the homes for sale in Kyle and Buda texas by subdivison.

I was working with a client recently looking at homes largely in the Kyle and Buda Texas areas and I noticed that many of the homes we were looking at had lowered their prices and were vacant. I wondered how much of this was perhaps the seasonal slowing down of the market that we start seeing as we approach the holidays, versus a reaction to the current economic news.

While it may be a bit too early to see how people are reacting I pulled the current listings in Kyle and Buda and checked to see how many had lowered their prices in the past several days. Of the 326 active listings in Kyle and Buda, 60 lowered their prices during the last 14 days. That's a rate of 18.4%. I wondered how this compared to what was happening a couple of months ago.

So I went back to August 2008 time frame to see what the real estate activity numbers looked like for Kyle and Buda. If you looked at the numbers without considering the time of year, you may come to a conclusion there is an impact. But when I look at the numbers and see that we are almost into November I am thinking 'seasonal trend'.

The "Real Estate Hotsheet" below shows what was happening back in August. I found that of the 358 active listings at that time 56 lowered their price during a similar 2 week period for a rate 15.6%. So our current 18.4% is roughly 2.8% points higher.

If you look at the new listings for Kyle and Buda coming on we see that in August, there were 89 new listings added to the MLS, while now in October only 52 were added. The actual selling activity has begun to slow down as only 22 went pending during this time frame almost half of the number that went pending in the two week August window (42). However in each of these cases I think the numbers are still reflecting the "time of year real estate market trend" rather than a direct reaction to the economy. That is to say that sellers traditionally start thinking of taking houses off the market as we approach November and December as buyers seem to shift their focus to the holidays.

So during this time of year we see that the sellers and buyers still out there are usually fewer in number, but typically more motivated, as they typically HAVE to be buying or selling during this window.

So if you're in the market to buy or sell a home so far the Austin Real Estate market is fairing better than most. There are some deals out there for those of you looking for a deal. But for those of you wanting to sell, it is still possible to sell your home at a fair price as well. More than ever you need a good Realtor to help you price and stage your home so it shines above the rest. Call us at 512-449-6070 with any questions. We'd love to be your Realtor of choice.

Here are a few important links you may find useful as you consider your decision. These are links where you can see the real estate prices in Kyle, Buda as well as other Austin area communities. Follow any of the links below and of course call us at 512-449-6070 with any questions:

Kyle Tx real estate: or Kyle Tx Homes for Sale by Subdivision

Buda Tx real estate: or Buda Tx Homes for Sale by Subdivision

Austin Tx real estate: Austin Tx homes for Sale By Subdivision

You can learn Spanish!

www.meridianlanguage.com

As always, I am looking around the Kyle area for convenient things whatever they may be. I actually found Meridian Language a few months ago when I was looking for spanish classes. I have since finished 2 levels and absolutely love it!

About Meridian Language

5500 FM 2770, Suite 102, Kyle, TX 78640

Learn Spanish in small groups all year round. Meridian Language Academy (MLA) offers Spanish courses for 6 levels based on your aptitude and goals, and also Spanish courses for special purposes such as health, law, and business. The Spanish courses are offered in small groups, with maximum 8 students.

The school is small, personal and is located in Kyle Texas, one of the fastest growing areas close to South Austin, but also convenient to San Marcos. The staff of Meridian Language Academy consits of 5 teachers including the owner, all with university degrees, many of them multilingual and most are native Spanish speakers.

The Spanish programs at MLA were developed to achieve the maximum improvement of your Spanish language in the shortest possible time, and are based on teaching methods that avoid translating from your native language to Spanish. At Meridian Language you will always receive personal attention, because they keep the class size small. Therefore, they can attend the individual needs of every single student.

Their exclusive program takes only the best of several different methods and combines them to form a new, more effective approach. They strive to transform the classrooms into lively, interactive spaces providing the ideal elements for you to quickly attain your Spanish language goals. To do this, they mix a variety of tasks and activities: communicative, interactive, grammatical and cultural. They will truly immerse you in the Spanish language and Hispanic culture!

This entertaining program will make mastering Spanish vocabulary and grammar a pleasure. Instead of dry language lessons, which you possibly experienced in school, you'll read along with stories, all the while learning a new language!

For more info call 512-268-5949 or email manager@meridianlanguage.com or visit www.meridianlanguage.com

Hope to see you there!

"talk" to you later

I am always trying to find things that are in Kyle Texas or close to Kyle that would be helpful to people (affordable is also a plus).

My most recent find is Violin lessons in Plum Creek!

Seeking dedicated, disciplined, and enthusiastic violin students!!!

Since the age of four, music has been a focal point in Caroline Giles' life. A violinist for fifteen years, Mrs. Giles has extensive experience in individual and group instruction, music theory, violin technique and performance, group ensembles, and studio recording.

Mrs. Giles was awarded the Floyd Cramer Strings Scholarship, the Elsie Artz Memorial Scholarship, and the Lamar Alexander Scholarship while completing her undergraduate degree at East Tennessee State University. She most recently completed her Master of Social Work degree from ETSU in May 2006. Mrs. Giles continues to teach violin from her home studio and enjoys sharing her love of music and talent of teaching the violin to students of all ages beginning through advanced.

Violin lessons are available beginning September 2008 for the Fall Semester at Mrs. Giles' home studio in Plum Creek. Please contact Mrs. Giles at (423) 737-7293 or carolinesparksgiles@gmail.com for lesson information, times and schedules.

"talk" to you soon

What is it with all of the homes for lease in Kyle?

When I first moved to Kyle Texas six years ago you never saw a FOR LEASE sign in the neighborhoods. Then a couple of years ago it seemed that you couldn't go down a street without seeing one. You can see in the numbers below that this trend seems to have leveled off.

The two major factors I saw causing the investors to come to Austin Texas in droves were 1) The California housing price boom and 2) The popularity of books and tapes about real estate investing such as "Rich Dad Poor Dad" and the Carlton Sheets tape series on purchasing a home with zero down.

Regarding the California home price boom a few years back, many Californians made so much money on the sale of their homes that they headed to places like Texas to cash in on what they considered to be an area that had not yet been hit by the price boom. Investors were buying homes left and right I heard of stories in which a single investor purchased 10 homes in a neighborhood! Their goal was to purchase homes in neighborhoods that were primarily owner occupied.

With regards to purchasing homes with zero down programs. Lenders were much more willing to lend money a few years ago than they are today. In addition some potential buyers were disappointed to learn that while some books touted that you can purchase a home with zero money from your pocketbook and walk away with a check in your hand, failed to mention that this is illegal in the state of Texas. (That's not to say there weren't deals to be made just as there are today...for those that have the money. If you do...call us!)

Anyway back to the leases in Kyle Texas. Because the prices of single family homes in Kyle were lower compared to a comparable home in Austin, Kyle got more than its' share of investors. You can see on the chart that we saw a huge spike in the number of leased homes between 2004 and 2005. This was when the California investors were heading our way.

The good news is that you can see in the estimate for this year, (I took the current leased YTD and doubled it to estimate the total years leases), we are continuing to see a leveling off. Again you can attribute this to the California Sales Market. Many of the leases in the last couple of years are actually lease renewals, that is one tenant moves out another moves in, rather than a lot more homes going to an investor. Actually with the markets taking a dip in areas such as California, Las Vegas and Phoenix (the states most of my investors came from), some of the investors found their cash assets were no longer what they were and with the Texas taxes and home management fees, they decided not to hang on to their properties. Many are selling them, or, unfortunately many are walking away. In the upcoming Travis County foreclosures auction scheduled for August 5th, 52 properties up for auction are owned by out-of-state residents. Some of these will likely go back into the hands of a owner occupant. So like everything else in the world around us, real estate goes in cycles and things seem to work themselves out. You just have to hang in there long enough to see it.

How much does it cost to Rent a home in Kyle? Or conversely how much rent can I expect to get if I wanted to rent out a home in Kyle?

For a few years because there were so many homes on the market the lease prices were kept low. Tenants had a lot of options out there to lease and therefore if a landlord didn't want the home to sit vacant he/she would be very competitive in the pricing. However there are less on the market now (only 22 active in all of Kyle) and you can see on the chart below that we are starting to see the prices drift up a bit. I would expect when the Hospital, Target plus and other future businesses start opening we'll see an increased demand for the rentals which in turn will in turn cause prices to go up as well. (The 2008 average lease price is the average lease price for all homes that went under contract from January 2008 to mid year.)

If you would like to check out all of the active homes for sale in Kyle go to Austin Home Search. Or if you have any questions about Kyle Real Estate, Buda Real Estate or Austin Area Real Estate just give a yell. Call us today at 512-449-6070 or email us at Info@Adkor.net and let us help you with your area Austin Real Estate needs. Find out why Adkor Realty is truly...A Different Kind Of Realty!

I enjoy eating as much as probably anyone I know...when I think back on vacations even from years ago I can likely tell you what I ate. Well that being said, one of my favorite restaurants in the entire Austin area happens to be in our little town of Kyle...honestly it's in Kyle...it's called Bordeaux. It happens to be one of my daughter Alayna's (she's 24) favorite restaurants as well. So I decided to take Alayna out to dinner last night. When I am here to say that we had a fabulous dinner.

We decided to start with the special Appetizer Of The Day. It was a Caprizi salad with tomato, mozzarella, pesto, basil and a type of thick vinagerette reduction, (can't remember how they described it but it sounded good). We lived in Venezuela for several years where we were introduced to this simple salad and we always enjoy it . We also ordered the Stuffed Mushrooms and Alayna ordered a cup of the potato-bacon soup.

We had a tough time deciding on our main course. Alayna was deciding between the meat choices while I was looking at the seafood options. The special of the day was a scallop dish that sounded really good but I kept coming back to the Mahi Mahi and Tuna Steak.

When the waitress came over (and I am so sorry I forgot her name as she was helpful and attentive), I asked her which of the two she recommended and in a heart beat she said the Tuna. She backed up and immediately began raving about the Mahi Mahi as well, but you could tell she really liked the Tuna. That did it for me and I closed the menu. Alayna decided on The Pepper Crusted New York Strip. So with that decision made we sat back to wait.

Now before I tell you what I thought of the food I need to explain that I don't have sophisticated taste buds, I am an expert in real estate not in food. I love watching the Food Network but that's about the extent of my technical knowledge. I just love to eat. While I'm confessing things I probably should also admit upfront that a "must do" any time I go back to Indiana to visit family, is to make a stop at White Castles... Yep some people call them "sliders" 'cause those li'l burgers are so greasy...but I love them. Love, love, love them! It may be all of the memories associated with eating them growing up...but anyway... back to the present. As I was saying...

We didn't have to wait long before the appetizers were served. They looked great and I immediately set to work and cut a bite of the Caprizi salad. Like I said, Caprizi salad was a staple in Venezuela so I knew it would be good....but this caprizi salad...well it took caprizi salad to a whole new level...it was one of those times that I took a bite and immediately told Alayna to take a bite as well...(not sure what she was doing in organizing her plate but I couldn't wait for her to try it so I could share the enjoyment). I was not disappointed in her reaction, like me, she took a bite and in a nano second her eyes lit up. She agreed...it was wonderful.

We also had the stuffed mushrooms and the potato-bacon soup, which were both great too, but there was something about that salad....wish they'd put that on the menu as a regular item 'cause I for one would order every time I went it was that good.

We could have easily finished the appetizers and called it a day (especially considering that they also served a loaf of wonderful warm bread) but we wanted to save plenty of room for what we knew was coming. So we reluctantly pushed what was left of the salad and mushrooms aside. (The waitress was kind enough to box them up so we could take them home. I don't know about everyone else, but my daughters and I love taking doggy bags home. Probably not something the 'rich and famous' do, but I for one love my leftovers.)

And boy are we glad we left room for the main course. When the plates came out they looked scrumptious. New York Strip and Tuna Steak... Two distinct meals and both oooooooh so good. My mouth is watering again just thinking about it.

The servings were very generous proportions, way more than we could eat, especially since we ate appetizers as well, and the main dish came with a choice of side dishes. We both opted for the garlic-parmesan mashed potatoes. (Which we always get when we go there.) Once again the waitress was kind enough to box our leftovers for us to enjoy at another time.

For dessert we went with the Creme Brulee and the Ricotta Cheesecake with Blueberry glaze. They also did not disappoint but admittedly we were still on a high from the rest of the meal so didn't give them the attention they deserve.

So I am here to say if you haven't gone to Bordeaux you have got to try it. If you have, you know what I mean and for those of us that live in the Buda, Kyle and San Marcos areas we are soooo lucky to have such a great restaurant in our own back yard. So be sure to go back again (and in my case again, and again, and again.) And if you are lucky enough to live close by, they have a take out menu. If you ever want to serve a romantic dinner for your mate, this is a perfect option if you don't/can't cook. Bordeaux will cook it for you and you can plate it with some flowers, wine and you're all set.

To the particulars....Bordeaux is located at 108 Center Street in Downtown Kyle. It's really easy to find. If you are on IH35 you just take the Kyle Highway 150 Exit East (Exit number 213), go over the railroad tracks and Bordeaux will be on the right just before the Courthouse Building. The restaurant opens Tuesdays through Saturdays at 5pm.

I wouldn't recommend taking kids as it's a small quiet restaurant and likely you and your kids wouldn't be comfortable as they'd have to keep their voices down etc. Also there is no 'kids menu' and it's not a 'cheap' family place. Our meal with the three appetizers, two main courses, two deserts, drink and a glass of wine ran $100 before tip. Considering for us we had literally three more meals out of our leftovers we totally felt it was worth it.

An added bonus for me was that I found it was really nice, relaxing (and unusual) to have a quiet one-on-one conversation with one of my daughters (versus going out with all four of them at once). We enjoyed it so much that we're planning our next outing. So see ya then!

In the meantime, have a great one!

Celeste

PS...Writing the blog made me so hungry think I'm going to check out my leftovers from last night!