The Heart of Austin

Austin Events – December

December has begun with what is as much Winter as we typically see in a year—cold and wet. There is plenty to this holiday season in Austin.

UT Football is going into the post-season with a perfect record. UT will be facing a strong Nebraska team in the Big 12 Championship on their way to the National Championship in the Rose Bowl.

December 5th, UT v. Nebraska, 7pm. Kickoff in Arlington, Texas at Cowboys Stadium

The UT basketball team has started their season off. Check the website for upcoming games, there will be about 5 home games in December.

For more information, visit www.TexasSports.com.

On Friday, December 4th, the McDonald’s Lights of Love 5K will take place at the Mueller Development. The race is in support of the Ronald McDonald house. For more information, visit http://budurl.com/McDs5K.

 

Ballet Austin’s 47th production of The Nutcracker will take place at The Long Center. It is the longest running performance of The Nutcracker in Texas. The Austin Symphony accompanies the Ballet and depending on the night, you will see one of Austin’s local celebrities playing the role of Mother Ginger.

The Nutcracker will take place beginning December 5th – 23rd. For more information, visit http://www.balletaustin.org/atb/nutcracker.php.     

 December 11^th- 24^th, the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar is a great place to get a lot of your Christmas shopping done. Combination shopping venue and music festival this Austin tradition is over three decades old. For more information, visit http://www.armadillobazaar.com/.

 

Zilker Park Trail of Lights is one of the best family events of the season. It starts with the tree lighting on Sunday, December 6^th, at 6pm. The tree stands 155 feet tall and contains over 3,300 lights.

The next event is the Zilker Tree Holiday Fun Run that will take place Saturday, December 12^th, at 6:30pm through the trail of lights and Zilker Park.

The Trail of Lights will be closed with a grand finale on December 21st, 8:30 pm - Asleep at the Wheel & Friends Holiday Sing-a-Long.

For more information about the Zilker Park Trail of Lights, visit http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/tol/.  

  

The Annual Holiday Sing-Along and Downtown Stroll will begin at the steps of The Capitol on Saturday, December 5^th at 6pm. The event begins with a group sing-along featuring John Aielli. At 7pm the countdown to the tree lightning begins. Shops and restaurants will be open late for the event. For more information, visit http://downtownaustin.com/holidays/?rewrite=holidays&query=.

 
 

The last major event every year in Austin is First Night Austin. This takes place on New Year’s Eve in the streets of Downtown. The event is a family-friendly alternative to traditional celebrations is in its fifth year. For more information, visit http://www.firstnightaustin.org/.

What are you doing this month that we should know about?

Patrick Birdsong is a Realtor with West Austin Properties. He is a second generation Realtor with over 7 years of experience in the Austin Real Estate Market. He can be reached at (512) 345-1252 or via email at patrick@westaustin.com. Follow him on twitter: @patrickbirdsong

Considering selling your home this Winter? That’s a great Idea!

We’ve been talking to a lot of sellers lately that are in the mindset that it is better to wait for the spring market to list their homes. These sellers are correct in knowing that more homes are sold in the Spring than any other time of the year. Over 30% of homes sell in May, June and July.

The Fall and Winter can also be a great time to put your home on the market. For one, the competition for buyers is a lot lower. If you look at the chart below, you will notice that there are always more homes on the market in the Spring and less in the Fall leading into the Winter months. This unneeded competition in the Spring can end up hurting the value of your home.

Another upside to listing right now is that you will be dealing with serious and motivated buyers only. A look-loo will not waste your time looking during the Winter months. Buyer’s looking right now are typically have-to buyers. The majority of corporate relocations happen in January. This means they are more than likely looking to buy during November and December. And buyers have an extra incentive to buy right now that they won’t have in the Spring—the extended and expanded tax credit.

All first time home buyers will still receive up to an $8,000 tax credit when they purchase a home. Now, any buyer who has not bought a home in the last 5 years will receive a tax credit up to $6,500. This offer ends April 30^th, 2010. Remember, if you plan to take advantage of this offer, the purchase must be a primary residence.

Another great benefit to selling right now is that your home will be automatically staged. Having holiday decorations out always creates a sense warmth and welcome. Buying a home is definitely an emotional purchase—nothing evokes the feeling of home more than the holidays. Remember, HOME is the second most emotional word in the English language.

Speaking of home, many people travel during the Winter months visiting family and friends. If you are thinking of selling right now, but don’t want to have to worry about having your home on the market at the same time---we understand. We always work with sellers to block out dates they don’t want buyer’s coming through their home. We also help negotiate favorable moving timelines and possession dates in our contracts that won’t interfere with your holiday plans.

We hope you enjoy this holiday season and want you to know that we are here to help with all your real estate needs. Feel free to call or email us anytime.

We can be reached at (512) 345-1252 or via email at homes@westaustin.com. Follow us on twitter: @westaustinprop.

Austin Event Calendar - November

It is a crisp Monday morning, highly appropriate for the beginning of November. There is plenty to do in Austin this month, along with your traditional holiday events. 

UT Football is in high gear. Riding on a perfect season, the Horns are rounding the corner and in the home stretch of regular season action. Many fans are saying it feels like 2005 again, when UT had a perfect season in route to a National Championship in the Rose Bowl. Home games in November are as follows:

November 7^th, UT v. University of Central Florida, 11a.m. kickoff

November 21^st, UT v. Kansas, kickoff time is TBA

For more information, visit www.TexasSports.com.

On Sunday, November 8^th, The Run for the Water will take place in Downtown Austin. The race features a 10 mile run, 5K run and a 1K run for the kids. Every race participant that enters helps one person in the country of Burundi gain access to fresh drinking water for the rest of their life.

For more information, visit http://gazellefoundation.com/runforthewater2009/.

Veterans’ Day falls on Wednesday, November 11th this year. The Annual Travis County and City of Austin Veterans’ Day Parade will take place Wednesday morning on Congress Avenue. The parade will start at 9am and proceed from Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge up to the Texas State Capitol.

For more information, visit http://nov11.org/.

The City of Austin’s Green City Festival will take place Saturday, November 14^th from 10am – 3pm at City Hall. The event will be held to celebrate and learn more about Austin’s Environment. The Mayor will kickoff the event with a speech at 11am. There will be musical acts, presentations and tours throughout the day. 

For more information, visit www.greencityfest.org.

 

The 19^th Annual ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot will take place the morning of Thanksgiving, November 26^th. The race starts at 9:30am and begins at Waterloo Park. This is a great Austin tradition and a healthy way to start off Turkey Day! All proceeds raised during the race go to benefiting Caritas of Austin.   

For more information, visit www.thundercloud.com.   

The 21^st Annual Chuy's Children Giving to Children Parade will take place on Saturday, November 28^th in Downtown Austin. This parade is a fun way to give back to your community and share in some holiday fun. Supporting Operation Blue Santa, this parade give back to Austin by asking Austinite’s to bring toys for children who might not otherwise get presents at Christmas.  

For more information, visit http://www.chuysparade.com/.

If you feel like taking a quick trip down I-35, Wurstfest in New Braunfels started up over the weekend and will continue on until November 8^th.  This “Salute to Sausage” is in its 49^th year and features fun for all! Carnival rides, bands and plenty of food and drinks will keep you entertained and invoke your inner-German all day and all night!

For more information, visit www.wurstfest.com.  

What are you doing this month that we should know about?

Patrick Birdsong is a Realtor with West Austin Properties. He is a second generation Realtor with over 7 years of experience in the Austin Real Estate Market. He can be reached at (512) 345-1252 or via email at patrick@westaustin.com. Follow him on twitter: @patrickbirdsong