H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4th Concert & Fireworks

(Northeast Triangle of Zilker Park) Time: 8:30 pm

The Austin Symphony will be featuring patriotic music and the 1812 Overture complete with Howitzer cannons accompanied by a spectacular showcase of fireworks.

Cedar Park Fourth of July Celebration

(Milburn Park, Cedar Park, Texas) Time: 4:00 pm

Events include live music, games, various family activities and a large-scale fireworks display.

Fire in the Sky

(The Sportsplex at RR12, Dripping... Full Story

Despite what you may be hearing in the news the Austin real estate market is bucking the trend of declining home sales that are being seen in most of the nation’s cities and towns. The month of April brought in a 6% increase in single-family home sales and the median home price continues to remain very affordable compared to the rest of the nation. With summer being the most popular time to buy and sell... Full Story

It’s unanimous! The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board has approved $6.5 million worth of contracts for the new commuter rail set to up and running sometime next year. The 32 mile railway will run from Leander down to downtown Austin. Riders are expected to take advantage of the new railway system as early as fall 2008.

Congratulations are in order for three local area high schools.  Westlake High School, Westwood High School and LBJ High School all ranked among the top 100 high schools in the nation according to Newsweek Magazine. Westlake, located in the Eanes school district ranked 52nd, Westwood, located in the Round Rock school district ranked 77th and LBJ High School, located in the Austin school district ranked 95th.

 Rankings are determined by the number of graduating seniors who take and pass... Full Story

Below are 10 Earth-friendly ways to help save you a little bit of money:

1. Use efficient lighting – compact fluorescent lights use 70% less energy and last 10x longer than standard bulbs

2. Adjust your thermostat – Set it two degrees higher in the summer and two degrees lower in the winter, and watch your energy use and utility bills decrease

3. Reduce phantom load – 40% of all electricity used by home electronics... Full Story

Swedish based home furnishings store IKEA lives up to its motto with its latest announcement to start carrying solar panels in some of its U.S. and European stores. The Swedish manufacturer plans to invest roughly $75 million in a handful of cleantech startups, focusing on the areas of solar energy, lighting, sustainable materials, energy efficiency, and water conservation. With 270 stores in 35 countries, the idea of “green living” , which has already become a... Full Story

Beginning today through Sunday, August 17th, most clothing and footwear priced under $100 will be exempt from sales and use taxes. Below is a condensed list with what is included and not included during tax-free weekend…

 Exempt items:

• Baby clothes


• Backpacks for use by elementary and secondary students


• Belts with attached buckles


• Boots – cowboy, hiking


• Caps/hats – baseball, fishing, golf,... Full Story
  Categories : Miscellaneous

Sports magazine, Sporting News, recently ranked Austin 31st among the nation’s top sports cities in their latest list, a significant jump from last year’s ranking of 57th.

 Even though we have no professional sports teams, the Round Rock Express, Austin Toros and Austin Aztec help contribute to our gaining popularity as a sports city. This new ranking is also due in part to The University of Texas’s football team which has a 5-0 record this season.... Full Story

A recent bizjournal report ranked Austin among the Top 10 growth centers in the nation.

The majority of the top ten fastest growing metropolitan areas began their growth in the ‘90s having continued to prosper, even weathering the latest economic storm. On average, the metro areas saw a growth of at least 13% in population from    2000 – 2007. The study focused on four main factors: population, private sector employment, per capita income and gross metropolitan... Full Story

Some might consider this great news, others may think differently. Either way, the article below from the Austin Business Journal shows that our local economy is not suffering as bad as others: 

Austin was the nation’s second-fastest-growing metropolitan area between 2007 and 2008, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The population in the Austin-Round Rock area grew 3.8 percent to 1.65 million between July 2007 and July 2008. Among major U.S. metros, that... Full Story

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged about anything and the reason is I just recently returned from an amazing trip to Belize.The trip had been a few years in the making but my husband and I finally made the time to go and it was well worth it.

Belize is a great and easy country to travel to. It’s a two and a half hour flight from Houston, English... Full Story

With an annual job growth rate projected at 2.3% for this year and a ranking of the 5th fastest growing city in the nation, it comes as very good news that Austin is prospering in these hard times.It was interesting to note as I was reading the article on forbes.com that most of the cities that were ranked high on the list are home to major universities, or are heavily involved in the high- tech... Full Story

It’s that time of year again. Every spring the Travis County Tax Appraisal District conducts property tax appraisals for the current year’s taxable values.Here are a few things you might need to know when you receive your appraisal….

- Verify it’s for the correct property and make sure any exemption your elligible for is included. For example, homestead exemption or over 65, etc.

- If you think the property value is higher that what your... Full Story

I wasn’t going to attend this year’s parade of homes mainly due to time constraints, but it just so happened on the last day of the parade, I had some free time so Iventured north of the river to check out what all the hype was about and it was well worth it. Though there were only five homes on this year’s parade, each showcased numerous green features... Full Story

I’m a strong believer that the first time homebuyer tax credit and move up tax credit has impacted our market in a positive manner. Personally I have seen an increase in business and a good amount is due in part to the added incentives.

The article below is one I read that talks about employment and growth and how it has positively impacted the housing market.

Positive signs on employment and national economic growth should... Full Story

I probably shouldn’t have, but I took a few weeks off from blogging. Eeek! But I’m back and ready to conquer 2011.

My first post is kind of a fun one. Every so often I receive a copy of Realtor Magazine in my inbox. Normally it’s full of useful information for an agent, but from time to time the information is useful to the public.

The latest included information regarding HGTV’s newest show.

“Beginning Saturday,... Full Story

In honor of Earth Day, I am going to conserve energy and keep this post short and sweet. Looking for ways to do your part? Check out this USAtoday.com article and find a way to contribute to saving our planet that best suits your lifestyle:

Americans are going green this week in honor of Earth Day on Friday, April 22, and it couldn’t come at a more appropriate... Full Story

Let’s face it, it’s hot, like fry an egg on the sidewalk hot and it doesn’t look like it is going to cool down anytime soon. With the 100+ temperatures comes the urge to turn down the AC, use more water to keep our yards alive & keep ourselves cool and stay indoors more, all of which leads to higher utility bills.

A few months ago Austin Energy put out an insert in the Sunday... Full Story