www.WestAustinMarketplace.com
www.WestAustinMarketplace.com
Posted at 04:11 PM in Austin Events, Austin People, Books, Business, Current Affairs, Entertainment, Family, Film, Food and Drink, Games, Music, Real Estate, Religion, Science, Sports, Television, Texas Events, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs, Women | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Right now,
Look at the charts below to see how different areas and
prices ranges around
Submitted
by
Posted at 07:56 AM in Austin Events, Austin People, Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Well, Austinites, it's that time of the year again....Eeyore's 47th Annual Birthday Party!! Don't worry this won't be a pity party, but a grand celebration! There will be live music in Pease Park from noon to seven this Saturday the 24th of April. Musical guests Graham Wilkinson and the Underground Township, Mystic Moot and Tavana will be there to jam out until the sun goes down. The party begins at 11AM so grab some hot or cold food (vegetarian included), and wash it down with a coke, juice, spring water or even a Texas beer!
Admission is free and all food/drink/activity proceeds will benefit non-profit groups in Austin. There will be games for children of all ages, as well as face painting and temporary tattoos. Musicians are also invited and encouraged to play their instruments. Come sing, eat, drink, play, and dance around the Maypoles at the party of the year! Costume contest is included with a chance to win some amazing prizes (gift certificates to Threadgills, Huts, and Frank and Angie's Pizzeria--YUM). Don't have a costume? Feel free to body-paint yourself and a friend and join in on the huge drum circle!
Also joining Eeyore with birthdays this month is West Austin Properties' own Laura Duggan and Austin country star Willie Nelson, both on April 30th! A grand happy birthday to you all! Let the celebration begin!
Submitted by Katy Duggan
West Austin Properties, REALTOR, Buyer's Agent
Contact me today to look at homes! 512-826-4316 or [email protected]
Posted at 03:33 PM in Austin Events, Austin People, Current Affairs, Entertainment, Family, Food and Drink, Games, Music, Real Estate, Texas Events, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: 47th annual, contest, costumes, Eeyore, Eeyore's Birthday Party, Frank and Angies Pizzeria, free admission, Graham Wilkinson and the Underground Township, homes, Huts Hamburgers, Katy Duggan, Laura Duggan, maypoles, Mystic Moot, Pease Park, prizes, Realtor, Saturday April 24th, Tavana, Threadgills, vegetarian food, West Austin Properties, Willie Nelson
Calling all pooches, big and small, we need YOU to bring the Guinness World Record for "Largest Dog Walk" back to Texas! How? Simply round all the pups you know and attend Austin's 12th Annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk this Saturday, April 17th, at 9 A.M. It will take over 10,272 dogs to beat Britain's record, but I think we can do it!
The 3 mile stroll starts at the 1st street bridge and takes you through beautiful downtown Austin. There will be plenty of dog watching and vendors en-route with amazing products and services for every dog to enjoy! Let's show the rest of the country and the world why Austin, Texas is ranked in the top five cities for pets!
All proceeds benefit Texas Hearing and Service Dogs. For more information and to register check out the service dogs website. Each dog is $30 when you register the day of and $25 if you register early. Don't miss out on the chance to be part of this World Record breaking event! Can't wait to see you there!
Based on rankings among six different top 5 lists published by “Forbes,” “Dog Fancy,” AAA, “Men’s Health,” DogFriendly.com, and the Humane Society of the United States, WebVet.com recommends the following five cities as America’s pet friendliest:
Posted at 03:47 PM in Austin Events, Austin People, Current Affairs, Entertainment, Family, Food and Drink, Games, Music, Real Estate, Sports, Texas Events, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: 12th Annual, 3 mile walk, April 17th 2010, Austin, dogs, downtown Austin, Guinness World Record, largest dog walk, Mighty Texas Dog Walk, pets, service dogs, Texas, Texas Hearing and Service Dogs
Fellow Austin race enthusiasts, join me and the rest of the West Austin Properties team for one of my personal favorite Austin traditions, the Statesman Capitol 10,000! This Sunday, April 11, is the 33rd anniversary of the largest 10K in Texas, and the fifth largest in the country. Whether you are a competitive runner or simply want to be a part of the action, grab your tennis shoes and join over 18,000 people to support Meals on Wheels and More in this 6.2-mile loop around Austin.
Entertaining to say the least, the eccentric participants of the Capitol 10K embody our city’s motto to “Keep Austin Weird.” H-E-B will be sponsoring a Mad Hatter station where you can create fun hats using a H-E-B bag as your canvas or feel free to transform yourself into a bag monster!
Late registration begins today so head on over to the North Austin Event Center (formerly the Crockett Center) located at 10601 North Lamar Blvd. to pick up your packet and register. Can't wait to see you there!
Following the Capitol 10K, join us for our open house at 1102 Heritage Way in Central Austin by O'Henry Middle School. The National Association of Realtors has designated this weekend as National Open House Weekend, and West Austin Properties is excited to participate by holding open a house not yet on the market! We suggest you stop by before it's gone!
This is also the last opportunity to take advantage of the $8,000 Federal Tax Credit. To qualify for the tax credit, the home must be under contract by April 30th and close before June 30th. Call us today at West Austin Properties to take advantage of these low rates, low prices, and stimulating government tax credit.
Submitted by Katy Duggan, Buyer Specialist
West Austin Properties
512-826-4316 or [email protected]
Posted at 12:21 PM in Austin Events, Austin People, Current Affairs, Entertainment, Family, Games, Music, Real Estate, Sports, Texas Events | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: $8, 000, 000 tax credit, 10K, Austin, Austin events, Buyer Specialist, Cap10K, Capitol 10, Capitol 10K, house, Katy Duggan, Meals on Wheels and More, Race, runner, Texas, tradition, West Austin Properties
Once again Austin is at the top of the list. This time Austin hails as the most popular spot in the country for young people to live. What draws the young and talented to our vibrant city? Take a look and see.
CNN reports on the reasons Austin attracts top talent.
Posted at 04:28 PM in Austin Events, Austin People, Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Ausitn, city, college graduates, Laura Duggan, lifestyle, move, Patrick Birdsong, real estate, Texas, West Austin Properties, work, young people
Austin's economy is still cooking because of all of the diversity we have in our market. Check out this 2 minute CNN video that shows why we are still hot when others are not!
If you have always wanted to live where there is lots of life, action and character, Austin is your destination. Everyone does their part to Keep Austin Weird, the city's slogo.
Posted at 09:30 AM in Austin Events, Austin People, Business, Current Affairs, Real Estate | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Austin, CNN, economy, real estate
· Sales by Price Band, and
· Sales by Region
The following chart provides detail of how well each region of
Austin and surrounding city is selling for the month of December and during the
year. The North Central Austin region has the least amount of houses for
sale and they are on average selling faster than other areas.
These charts and
nine additional charts on the Austin market are available in the following link:
West Austin Properties can provide you with a more specific analysis for either your home or your buying price range, by combining the Sales Band and Sales by Region information. Contact [email protected] (512-750.2425) or [email protected] (512- 585.1571).
Posted at 10:18 AM in Business, Current Affairs, Real Estate | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
While sales in many areas of the country are slow and prices have dropped significantly, the Austin real estate market continues to be a relatively balanced market with an average of 5 months of inventory in price ranges below $400,000. This segment of the market represented 87% of the home sales last month. Homes priced over $400,000 saw a significant increase in the absorption rate.
Several key factors are contributing to these numbers. The up to $8000 tax credit that the government is giving to first time homebuyers (or buyers that have not owned a home for the past 3 years) has driven sales in the $100,000-300,000 price range significantly. This buyer credit ends November 31, 2009, so buyers have been racing to get these homes contracted and closed before that deadline.
Also, interest rates still remain at a very appealing rate between 5 and 6% for buyers with good credit. In many cases, Austin tenants are finding that they can own a home and pay at or below what they were paying in rent, and receive a deduction for mortgage interest as an added bonus. Why pay rent when you can buy? With sellers contributing to closing costs, a buyer can still purchase a home with very little downpayment and enjoy all of the privileges of home ownership.
Homes priced above $400,000 may require borrowers to find a non-conforming loan for financing. Loan amounts that exceed $417,000 require borrowers to meet different underwriting standards and buyers usually pay higher interest rates. New appraisal guidelines are increasing the challenge to get these homes sold. Appraisers must substantiate value with three comparable sales in the area in the last 90 days. Unique properties or those that have unique intangible features, such as a killer view, are finding the process difficult and sometimes unsatisfactory when the appraiser can't find comparables and then loans are denied due to their inability to meet underwriting guidelines with the lender.
If you are selling a home in the price range above $400,000, you may need to consider offering to finance the property or carry a 2nd mortgage to get your home sold.
The next few months should remain a great time to purchase a home in Austin, Texas. If you know someone who is renting, and could own a home, please refer them to us. There has never been a better time to buy real estate.
Laura Duggan, West Austin Properties, 512-345-1252, [email protected]
Posted at 12:49 PM in Austin People, Business, Current Affairs, Real Estate | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (1)
Tax valuations are up in the Austin area even though homeowners feel that their home values have dropped. Many Austin homeowners have called us over the past few weeks to get market statistics for the purpose of protesting their tax evaluations. We have all of the current market data for every neighborhood in Austin and are happy to assist homeowners by pulling a report of the sold information for any time period. We can also provide detailed information about each sold property so that you are prepared to compare your property with the sold data and identify points of difference in the protest hearing, something you likely will be asked to do.
However, if you want to keep track of the home values in your neighborhood in real time, we have a proprietary tool that we call Market Snapshot that will provide you with information about homes for sale and those that have sold in you neighborhood. To subscribe to the data, go to our website at www.WestAustin.com and click on the Market Snapshot icon. You can set the parameters of the snapshot to include homes in your particular neighborhood and designate how often you would like to receive the report. It comes automatically into your inbox complete with photos of each home.
Staying on top of home values and being prepared is your best defense when valuation time rolls around. The service is free and easy to subscribe and unsubscribe should your interest change.
Posted by Laura Duggan, West Austin Properties, on June 8, 2009. For detailed information about any homes in the Austin area or to learn about our other marketing tools, contact us at [email protected]
Posted at 03:41 PM in Austin People, Business, Current Affairs, Real Estate | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)