The Heart of Austin

Join Us At www.WestAustinMarketplace.com!

Thank you so much for reading our blog at HeartofAustin.com! The West Austin Properties Team loves sharing information with you, and we will continue to share events, real estate news, stories and more at our new site www.WestAustinMarketplace.com. This new site will feature video blogs, as well as our traditional written blogs, enabling us to better inform you of what is going on in and around Austin, Texas! We can't wait to see you there and encourage you to leave comments and questions!

www.WestAustinMarketplace.com

Eeyore's Birthday Party turns "Oh, bother" into "Oh, boy!"

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday tooo youuu, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to EEYORE!! Happy Birthday TO YOU!

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]

Live Life Wide Open in Belterra--Open House Sunday 1-4

Rarely do I see a home that grabs my heart strings, but this "Pottery Barn" cute home in Belterra did just that. See it for yourself, Sunday 1-4 when we will have 260 Lexington Drive open for you to view. Located on a very private lot on the greenbelt, this home is perfect for those who want to take advantage of the $8000 tax credit and get a head turning home at the same time.  Priced at $225,000 it is so affordable and one of the best buys in Belterra. 

Belterra, in the rolling hills just southwest of Austin, is one of the most captivating communities in the Austin area. With a theme of "Live Life Wide Open", Belterra sports miles of hiking trails, four small parks outfitted with picnic tables and playscapes, two inviting pools with water features, baskeball courts, softball fields, and a gym for those who want to stay fit. Residents can also enjoy all kinds of great country music at Nutty Brown Cafe nearby where the outdoor ampitheater hosts some of the industry's hottest shows. This neighborhood defines the carefree lifestyle.

When it comes to schools, Dripping Springs ISD has some of the best in the area. Rooster Springs Elementary is located right in the middle of Belterra and has already drawn praise and accolades for student achievement even though it is only a few years old. With an Exemplary rating, it is home to Belterra's young scientists, scholars, poets and leaders.

Stop by this Sunday, April 18th, see this cute house and say hello! www.260Lexington.com for more information.  Take 290 West to Belterra. Take a right on Lexington and the house is on the right.  You will love seeing all of the magnificent bluebonnets and other wildflowers punctuating the landscape all over the community.

Submitted by Laura Duggan, West Austin Properties, 512-750-2425 or [email protected].

The Mighty Texas Dog Walk is Mightier Than Ever!

     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!  

TOP 5 PET FRIENDLIEST CITIES

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:

1. Portland, Ore. (listed four times; ranked No. 2 twice)
2. Seattle, Wash. (listed three times; ranked No. 2 once)
3. Albuquerque, N.M. (listed three times; ranked No. 3 twice)
4. Austin, Texas (listed three times; ranked No. 3 once)
5. TIE: San Francisco and San Diego, Calif. (each listed twice; each ranked No. 1 once

Race Around Austin at the Capitol 10K

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] 

   

Brookside at Wells Branch: Affordable and Fun

One of the best kept secrets in the Austin housing market is a little area of white stone homes built by Newmark Homes just about 10 years ago called Brookside at Wells Branch. Very affordable and located between Mopac and IH 35, this little subdivision is just north of Wells Branch Parkway. Turn north on Wellsport when you see the sign for the public library just a few blocks away. The homes in this newer section of Wells Branch were some of the first in the city to be built with "green" in mind.

Residents enjoy miles of hiking trails and bike paths, a wonderful neighborhood park with swimming pool, play ground, tennis courts, community center, an old pioneer cabin and fishing at Mill's Pond. The homeowners celebrate the holidays with a Fourth of July Parade, Valentine Covered Dish Supper, story time at the library and Fishing Day at the Pond. It is a great place to enjoy time with the family or meet the neighbors. My daughter lived in a darling little house there for several years and thoroughly enjoyed living in the neighborhood where she could walk her little dog Tilly and enjoy the park with her roommate. This year, they are planning a St. Patrick's Day Parade.

We currently have one of these wonderful homes listed for sale, the only one in the neighborhood. It is located in the back of a culdesac at 14512 Regent's Walk. The home is listed for $199,900 and features 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2 living areas and a formal dining room.  The recently updated kitchen has silestone counters and lots of cabinet space, a breakfast bar and sleek appliances. Open to the family room, the kitchen and breakfast room overlook a perfectly sized backyard for those who want to enjoy a low maintenance life style. Buyers still have just over a month and a half to take advantage of the $8000 tax credit for new home buyers, and this home qualifies for the program.

For more information on this neighborhood, the real estate market in Austin or to find out what your home is worth, call Patrick Birdsong or Laura Duggan. We are ready to help at www.westaustin.com  

Slip and Slide into Fall

Has it gotten hotter over the years since we were kids or is it just my imagination?  Yesterday, I was driving to an appointment in yet another 104 degree day. I looked down the street that I was passing to see 4 moms sitting in lawn chairs, sipping drinks out of pastel colored plastic glasses while a flock of children lined up for their turn to race down the "slip and slide"  and a few more jump through a twirling sprinkler. My heart jumped with delight.

That slick, yellow "slip and slide" was my favorite way to cool off on a hot summer scorcher when we were too young to make it to Reed Park pool on our own.  Ellen and I used to invite all of the neighborhood kids over to take their turn speeding down the wet, yellow lane spraying water all over each other.  Daddy would hook the hose up to it and the cold faucet water would flood the surface. Each of us would get a head start by running across the yard to build our momentum and causing our bodies to jet down the runway until we hit the grass at the end. It was a blast! 

I have often wondered what happen to this great summer indulgence. Until yesterday, I hadn't seen one in years.  I'm sure that our slip and slide and the great "water wiggle" got dumped as our childhoods gave way to adolescence. Life was so much simpler then. The things that were the most fun cost nothing. Yes, it was probably as hot then as it is now, but no one noticed. Our parents sat in lawn chairs in our front yard sipping cool drinks out of pastel colored tumblers while we had the time of our lives sliping and sliding and squealing with each pass down the slide. No need to worry about the Austin water police.

Enjoy these last few weeks of summer in Austin with your families. We are so blessed to share these special times together. Simple and fun, and school is just around the corner.

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.

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.

10 Things I Love About April in Austin

 You are no April fool if you want to spend April in Austin. There are an abundance of festivals, food and wine events, outdoor gardening symposiums and, of course, more music!

1.  The weather is just about perfect and the bluebonnets, our state flower, paint hillsides and roadways blue along with a bouquet of other Texas native wildflowers. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has their Spring Plant Sale and Gardening Festival along with workshops about growing native plants and conservation, a sculpture event and Earth Day activities. April 11-12

2.  Austinities love their dogs and a challenge of any kind! Dog walking is at its best with the Mighty Texas Dog Walk, a fundraiser where dog owners compete for the Guinness World Record for most dogs walked.  Dogs of all shapes and sizes, along with their owners, compete to raise money for service dogs in the Austin area. Walk til your dogs bark for a good cause!  April 11

3.  Easter in Austin is always special from the sunrise service at St. Luke's on the Lake at Lake Travis to the flowering of the cross at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Tarrytown. When we were little girls we took Daddy's finest flowers to the service and stuck them in the appropriate sized holes on the wooden crosses. After service, the crosses were placed on the Church grounds to herald He had risen! Did I mention that my grandparents were founding members of Good Shepherd?  April 12th

4.  Music festivals celebrate Spring all over the area. Take in the Old Settler's Music Festival on any of the four days that you can camp out and enjoy bluegrass, roots and American bands out by the Salt Lick in Driftwood.  If reggae is more your thing, chekc out the Austin Reggae Festival on the shores of Lady Bird Lake and help raise 12 tons of food for the Capital Area Food Bank. The Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival features events showcasing 100 restaurants and 60 wineries in their four day festival, a traditional passage to Spring. April 16-19th

5.  The Umlauf Gardens are some of the prettiest in Austin and celebrate the sculpture of Charles Umlauf in a natural setting close to Zilker Park.  Enjoy it all while strolling through the gardens sipping a glass of wine and enjoying tasty noches and music at the annual fundraiser, the Umlauf Garden Party.  April 23 

6.  Poetry is a staple in Austin, from the international poetry slams to private poetry readings;  Austinites are poets.  The Austin International Poetry Festival is the largest nonjuried poetry festival in the world!  For four days, in many venues, you can hear poetry of all kinds from locals and international participants alike. It will amaze you!  April 23-26

7.  Barton Springs Pool comes alive with visitors sunbathing on the hillside and dipping into the spring-fed waters of Austin's most famous swimming hole. Kids chase pigeons and ride the train around Zilker Park and everyone loves to worship the sun as spring melts into summer! Every day in April

8.  One of the funniest events in April is the Dragon Boat Festival and Race. Yes, it is nutty because Austinites build their 40 foot watercraft, decorate them like dragoss and race them on Lady Bird Lake's Festival Beach. Others get into the act too! It is not to be missed!  April 25th

9.  Take in the works of over 200 professional artists selected from applicants from all over the country as they showcase their art at Art City Austin. There is always lots of local music, food and fun. Bring your sunscreen!  April 25th

10.  April is birthday month!  Yes, Willie Nelson, Eeyore and I all share the same birthday on April 30th. This year Willie and I will be celebrating privately, but everyone can attend Eeyore's birthday at the Austin traditional party in Pease Park. Come dressed for the party in costume and celebrate Eeyore's 46th! April 25th

The Austin housing market is heating up and all things real estate seem to be seasonally normal. As always, if you know someone who wants to buy or sell a home, please let me know! Referrals are the heart of our business.

Submitted by Laura Duggan, West Austin Properties, Austin, Texas on April 9, 2009. Visit our website at www.westaustin.com to find your next home!