Austin Is The Place To Live- Shopping Showcase
January 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Shopping for real estate in Austin isn’t the only thing that’s hot here, Austin is famous for the amazingly diverse shopping options! Travel + Leisure magazine rated Austin the #4 best city for Vintage shopping- we suggest the SoCo district or the north and south ends of The Drag for the best vintage shopping. LA isnt’ where it’s happening, y’all!
Austin also ranks in the Top 25 for the following:
1. Antinque shopping- many of the suburbs offer amazing, hidden antique shops worth the weekend drive!
2. Shoe shopping- although it’s a chain store, I looove shopping for shoes at Nordstrom’s. For people who aren’t in their 20s and can’t wear 6″ wedge heels, Karavel shoes offers great comfort shoes that are actually in style.
3. Home design- there are endless home design stores in Austin and we love shopping, especially around the downtown Whole Foods area.
4. Luxury boutiques- you have to visit Davenport Village if you don’t want to show up at the party in the same dress she’s wearing!
5. Flea markets- I’ve heard they’re all over. Do you know of a good one? Let us know!
Austin is a place of diverse shopping meeting all of your needs ranging from a crazy hippie hat to a coture gown or even strange As Seen On TV items at the flea market. Where do you like to shop?
Photo credit: onefivedoor
Keep Warm, Austin Homes
January 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Even when buying a new home in Austin, most of us still fret at heating bills (”close the door kids, you’re letting out the warm air!”). Heating bills are an ageless worry. Want proof? How about this magazine ad from 1953:
Although Austin doesn’t have to have snow tires and we typically wear flip flops for 90% of the year, it can get down into the 30s and 20s (cold by any Texan standard). Even if we just built a custom home, there are things we can do to improve our heating and lower our bills.
Programmable Thermostat
If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, get one- they’re supposedly easy to install and can be inexpensively bought at Home Depot (sorry Lowes, I like orange). Program the temperature to be a little cooler at night to save a few dollars. But don’t forget to reprogram it to warm up around wake-up time so your toes don’t freeze!
Weather Stripping
If you can feel the wind under your front door, you need new weather stripping (which is another inexpensive fix). The door should create a seal and you should not have a wind tunnel effect in your foyer- you’re chunking money out the front door (and into the electric company’s hands!).
Caulking
Like doors, windows should not be a source of air escape. Most homes in Austin built in the last 15 years have double-paned windows (and for those that don’t- it is a great investment when do this year’s home upgrade project). No matter the quality of window, any window can be victim of bad or old caulking that can lead to air escape (or entry). Feel around the window edges to make sure the caulk isn’t cracked (or missing in some cases).
Raccoons in the Attic
While you may not have any animals in your attic or the crawl space between your ceiling and roof, you may have insulation problems which can be a massive wallet-killer. If you have had any sort of critter in your crawl space, they may have disrupted or even removed your insulation, so if your house isn’t warming up, take a peek above your ceiling to make sure the insulation is fine. Upgrading insulation is another great home upgrade project, especially in older homes.
Dryer Doom
Move the dryer from the wall to make sure the tube from the back of your dryer is properly attached to the hole leading outside that allows the heat from the dryer cycle out. I went an entire year once wondering why my laundry room was so cold- duh, the dryer exhaust vent was loose and there was a six inch hole in the wall, completely exposed.
Fireplaces
Honestly, we mostly have fireplaces in Austin for looks, but sometimes it’s pretty to have a fire, so we flip on the gas switch or throw in a log. Then, since we’re out of practice, we go to bed and forget to close the flue (and wake up to a chilly chilly living room). Brush up on your fireplace using skills, guys!
I could go on and on, but these are some of the biggies here in Austin that people from snow states or southern California may not think about. So now we’re all up to speed on being warm Austinites!
Austin Through a Photographer’s Lense
January 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Buying a home in Austin is more than just selecting what stone you want on the exterior of your home or about what type of backsplash you like in the kitchen. For those living here, we can all attest that Austin provides a higher quality of life than most places the collective population has experienced elsewhere. Living in Austin is about music, friends, landscape, wildlife, fitness, art and more. This is Austin through local photographer Julian Humphries’ eyes:
Chilling in Austin
Austin 360 Bridge
Below the 360 Bridge
Frost Tower Downtown
The University of Texas Stadium
The Pedernales River
The University of Texas Tower
Oakwood Cemetery
Austin Hill Country View
Green Mesquite BBQ
Beer Breweries
Betsey Johnson in The Domain
Austin Wildlife
Bull Creek
Live Music!
Julian Humphries’ love of Austin is evident in his art. Which image of his is YOUR favorite?
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Any use of Julian’s work from this site without permission will be punished- severely. We are very protective of our Austin artists and take theft very very seriously.
Williamson County “Top 10 Best Districts for the Buck”
January 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Williamson County Schools Rank Highly
Forbes magazine studied school districts by county in every single county in America. Not only did Williamson county stand outin Texas, it was among the Top 10 Best in the Nation! Williamson county comprises of Cedar Park, Leander, Round Rock and Georgetown, all suburbs just north of the Austin metropolitan area where Forbes has affirmed what we already know- the education system here is unparalleled and is a great deal for the money.
According to Forbes:
With property taxes rising across the country, we took a look at per-pupil spending in public schools and weighed it against student performance–college entrance exam scores (SAT or ACT, depending on which is more common in the state), exam participation rates and graduation rates.
For those who don’t live here yet, Texas is a property tax state which is how our schools are funded (well, we also have the lotto, but that’s another article for another day). While tax rates vary, Williamson county enjoys a relatively low tax rate and is growing rapidly. There are new homes being built every day ranging from DR Horton’s garden homes to custom golf course mansions in Williamson county. That means that whether you’re buying your first home or you’re upgrading to a new home, the school districts are a bargain, even stacked up against every county in the nation!
photo: Rob Gonyea
Austin Real Estate is the Best Bargain in America
January 8, 2008 | Leave a Comment
According to Business Week, Austin real estate is the best bargain in America. Who does this matter to?
Austinites
Good news Austinites- Austin’s real estate values have consistently beaten the doom and gloom national forecasts. Our diverse job market, our progressive economic development devision and our endless natural attractions create a desireable location for those relocating. Many people that relocate from Austin move to another part of Austin, so our city retains a massive portion of our residents.
Investors
National investors have been eyeballing Austin for years and those who have not yet seen the benefit of what a bargain real estate is here are flocking. Once upon a time, I hated the idea of California money funnelling into Austin, but with the tightening in the lending industry, the people who no longer qualify to buy a home still deserve to rent a beautiful property (sidenote: do-it-yourself investors smell the deals here and pump money in without any sort of plan, but with guidance, those same investors will very nicely cushion their long term results).
Job Seekers
Austin continues to have impressive job growth and when people face the choice between a snowy climate, an astronomically priced housing market or (say it with me now) Austin, the choice is easy. Natural beauty, great deals, steady value increases and unparalleled social life make the choice for most transfers.
So, if you live here already or plan on moving, real estate here is an awesome value- congrats, Austin!
photo credit: onefivedoor on flickr
Austin Is The Place To Live- Public Spaces
January 4, 2008 | 2 Comments
What makes Austin Travel & Leisure Magazine’s 4th best city for public parks and spaces? Hmmm… let’s see… Zilker Park, Town Lake jogging trails, The Veloway, Lake Travis, Lake Austin (aka Lady Bird Lake), Barton Springs, Krause Springs, Blue Hole, 6th Street, Barton Creek Greenbelt trails, Bull Creek, endless museums (Blanton, Texas History, etc), The Drag, Fiesta Gardens, Republic Square and more! Austin is full of cool places to go that are public, free, fun AND gorgeous!
Who else made the cut?
1. Portland
2. Minneapolis/ St. Paul
3. Chicago
4. Austin
5. San Francisco
6. Seattle
7. Denver
8. Washington, D.C.
9. San Diego
10. Boston
See the full list HERE!
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Other ways Austin is the most awesome city in the world:
The PEOPLE!
Hot Vacation Spot
Underground Arts Scene
Cleanliness
Peace & Quiet
FOOD!
Night Life
Affordability***
Environmental Awareness
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photo credit: onefivedoor
Austin Is The Place To Live- People Showcase
January 3, 2008 | 1 Comment
Anyone can tell you all about landmarks, shopping and subdivisions that make their city great, but how many cities can brag about being recognized for the population? How attractive, fun and intelligent they are? Oh, that’s right- AUSTIN can! Travel & Leisure Magazine rated America’s cities for their various attributes and here’s how we rank nationally:
| Athletic/active | Number 4 in America | |
| Attractive | Number 4 in America | |
| Diverse | Number 12 in America | |
| Friendly | Number 5 in America | |
| Fun | Number 2 in America | |
| Intelligent | Number 7 in America | |
| People (Overall) | Number 2 in America | |
| Stylish | Number 8 in America | |
| Worldly | Number 9 in America |
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Austinites are stylish (ranging from vintage wear to modern SoCo designs), worldly (frequent travelers who shop at Oakville Grocery), and don’t forget attractive (don’t act like that’s not important to you!). The national consensus is that Austinites are cool!
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Other ways Austin is the most awesome city in the world:
Hot Vacation Spot
Underground Arts Scene
Cleanliness
Peace & Quiet
FOOD!
Night Life
Affordability***
Environmental Awareness
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