Living in Austin

Vacation Rentals in Austin – Good or Bad?

January 30, 2011

Last week I attended the VRBO “stakeholder’s meeting” held by the city of Austin. The meeting was the first in response to growing complaints from neighborhood groups and individuals about the burgeoning VRBO (Vacation Rental by Owner) business in Austin. There were over 100 attendees representing both sides of the debate, as well as some just there [...]

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The Best time to Plant a Tree in Austin

January 27, 2011

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now. ~Chinese Proverb I ran across this quote on Facebook about a week ago and it struck me how true this is! Especially now, in the cold of winter in Texas, it is time to plant your trees. All [...]

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Austin Job Growth 2011

January 7, 2011

Austin was recently featured on the CBS Evening News as the city with the strongest job growth in the U.S. This is somewhat of an “all sunshine” puff piece, but it nevertheless highlights some of the good things happening in Austin. Job growth drives real estate demand, so if this year keeps heading in the [...]

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Will recent low interest rates stunt future Austin move-up activity?

December 16, 2010

One of our buyers closed last month with a 3.87% interest rate. We saw many sub-4% loans the past several months, though rates have now climbed back above 4.6%. Let’s imagine hypothetical first time buyers with a toddler who closed this year with an interest rate below 4%. Fast forward 5 years to 2015 and [...]

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Do Group Homes Harm Austin Neighborhoods?

December 2, 2010

We have a listing that is a good candidate for a Group Home, and we’re marketing it as such. This has earned the ire of some of the individuals living in the University Hills neighborhood in NE Austin. Let’s have a look at an emailed received from one of the concerned neighbors: Do NOT advertise [...]

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The Weird Stuff People do to Their Austin Houses

November 15, 2010

I’ve been showing and previewing lots of homes in central Austin neighborhoods lately, and taking note of some of the horrendously dumb things people do to their house. Often, these are do-it-yourself remodel projects or (apparently) paid projects that fall into one of 2 main categories. Category 1: What in the world were you thinking? [...]

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If Politicians Had to Abide by the Realtor Code of Ethics

November 1, 2010

As we’re all bombarded for one last night on radio, TV and our mailboxes with the offensive and intellectually insulting ads produced by maggot politicians seeking our votes, I thought it would be interesting to see what the world would be like if these scumbags had to follow the same Standards of Practice and Code [...]

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I Was Reprimanded and Lectured by a Travis County Polling Worker

October 29, 2010

Sylvia and I stopped by Randalls in Westlake yesterday for early voting. Upon presenting my voter registration card to the lady who checks ID, she reprimanded me for having trimmed it to a size that fits into my wallet. The voter registration cards in Texas are the size of a standard postcard. This makes it [...]

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Which Demographic Can’t Wait to Leave Austin?

October 9, 2010

I’ve taken an informal poll of a certain group of long-time Austinites, and 4 out of 5 surveyed desperately want to leave Austin .. before September 2011. Who are these crazies? High school seniors who are born and raised in Austin. My own kid is one of them. Born at Brackenridge hospital, schooled for eight [...]

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Does the Austin Lifestyle Keep us all Feeling Younger?

October 3, 2010

Sylvia and I attended a friend’s birthday party last night at a local restaurant. We were among the oldest people there, but we blended in just fine. I met a college guy who just recently graduated McCallum High. Our friend is in his mid 30s and the crowd of guests ranged from young 20s to [...]

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