The Heart of Austin

Longhorn Baseball Team is Late Night Winner

Today, you can catch the best in college baseball as the University of Texas hosts the final day (let's hope!) of the Regional Tournament, the first stop on the "Road to Omaha" where teams vie for national honors in the College World Series. After a 25 inning game that lasted until 1:30 this morning, the Texas Longhorns prevailed over the Eagles of Boston College in a pitching standoff that treated the crowd to one of the best pitching and defensive performances in collegiate ball. Augie Garrido, the head coach for UT,called the pitching of reliever Austin Wood, the best and most courageous he had ever seen in over 40 years of coaching. It was an unbelievable outing for Woods who pitched 13 almost flawless innings in "relief" after Chance Ruffin pitched a great 7 innings. Austin Dicharry finished the game after 7 hours and 3 minutes, the longest game in NCAA history.

There were also some brilliant plays by Kevin Keyes who hit a two run homer and a double, Preston Clark who caught everything that even came close to 1st base and Brandon Belt who served as designated hitter just one day after leaving the first game of the series in an ambulance after getting hit in the head by an Army pitch.  The teamwork and team energy was splendid.

The stands were full of screaming Longhorn fans until the last out and the triumphant "Eyes of Texas" rang out in the night sky. Like a concert performance, each played their part; pitchers, players, coaches and the fans until the lights went out at Disch Faulk field.

You can catch the championship game tonight at 6:00 pm in Austin at the Disch. Come early, wear orange and cheer for a championship team, our Texas Longhorns!

Posted by Laura Duggan, West Austin Properties, May 31st, 2009.

New Austin Energy Ordinance Begins June 1st

   The City of Austin and Austin Energy Utility customers will be required beginning June 1st, 2009 to have a home energy audit performed by a certified energy auditor before they can close on the sale of their homes. This new ordinance, the City of Austin Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure Ordinance, applies to all homes 10 years old or older at the time of sale. Sellers have to have the audit done prior to closing even if the property was listed prior to June 1st.

Sellers who have had energy audits and made at least three energy efficiency improvements or who have received rebates totaling $500 or more through the current energy efficiency program offered by the City of Austin and Austin Energy in the last 10 years are exempt. Some other exemptions apply relating to estate properties, foreclosures and such.

The audit among other things will examine the insulation, duct work and air conditioning systems in the property. Deficiencies will be noted and recorded for disclosure to the buyer. The seller is not required to make repairs or remediate the property, only to disclose the report regarding the home's energy efficiency. The cost of the audit is approximately $400-500.

For more information about the new ordinance and to watch a licensed auditor explain the process, go to our website and click on the Austin Energy Audit button on the bottom left side. If you are thinking of selling your home, we can arrange the audit with a licensed auditor and supervise the process for you as part of our service.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 19th, by Laura Duggan, Broker/Owner of West Austin Properties. For more information about this topic or any real estate related topic, call us at 512.750.2425 or email homes@westaustin.com

Buying a Home Just Got Easier for First Time Home Buyers

First time home buyers, or those who have not owned a home in the past three years, can now receive a 10% of the purchase price credit up to $8000 toward the purchase of a home at closing as a down payment.  Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the US Housing and Urban Development made the announcement yesterday at the Real Estate Summit: Advancing the US Economy here in Washington, DC in conjunction with the National Association of Realtors May meetings. Several thousand Realtors and I applauded the move to stabilize and energize the housing market while providing an opportunity to homebuyers to realize the American dream of home ownership and all of the benefits it affords.

The Federal Housing Administration is going to permit its lenders to allow home buyers to use this credit as a down payment. Donovan said, "We all want to enable FHA consumers to access the home buyer tax credit funds when they close on their home loans so that the cash can be used as a down payment."   The president of the National Association of Realtors, Texan Charles McMillan, championed the role Realtors are playing in promoting stability in the housing market and the U.S. economy. A group of distinguished panelists discussed the housing market, the economy and the role of the federal government in the recovery and as well as its reponsibility to the taxpayer

With interest rates still hovering around 5% and this added incentive to purchase, there has never been a better time to purchase a home. While my daughter saw a 30% drop in her investment account a few months ago, she was able to sell her home this week and net over $12,000 in less than two years of homeownership. Not every market is going to return those kinds of results, but right now prices are low and it is a great time in any market to get into a home, not only for the enjoyability of owning a home, but the opportunity to build wealth through equity. Search for homes in the Austin area at our website, www.westaustin.com  We are happy to help you realize your dreams!

Posted by Laura Duggan, West Austin Properties, May 14th in Washington, D.C.