Stop, Look, and Live. Remember to hang up or talk hands free in school Zones in Texas! - 08/25/09 11:25 AM
 
 Stop, Look, and Live. Remember to hang up or talk hands free in school Zones in Texas!
Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year! This year brings some adjustments to the new driving laws that you may not have practiced during the summer months. Here are some reminders and some new laws that will affect the way you drive through school zones and to help parents prepare and what not to do while waiting to pick up or drop off your child.
Reminders and Current Laws in School Zones:
Stop for any flashing red lights on a school bus, no matter which direction you are headed. … (9 comments)

Good deeds do go unpunished, in fact they can be rewarded! - 08/20/09 11:30 AM
If you report good deeds the person doing the good deed can be rewarded. All you need to do is report them to the Samaritan Center for Counseling and Pastoral Care. This is an Austin non-profitorganization that rewards good Samaritans for doing good deeds. They are holding a contest for the next six weeks (through September 30th, 2009). The total prize package is worth about $5000 and prizes include:iMAC computer, iPhone, and various other Apple products. If you want to nominate a good Samaritan simply go to www.recognizegood.com. Finally good deeds DO go unpunished. Please reward those that make the world … (0 comments)

New seat-belt laws in Texas affect everyone that drives starting September 1st. - 08/20/09 10:50 AM
The state of Texas just passed stronger seat-belt laws to protect both drivers and passenger on our roads. Starting September 1st, 2009 the changes will be in effect. The bill that makes these changes is called House Bill 537 and was produced by Leo Berman a Republican from Tyler Texas.  These changes were put in place because according to the Texas Department of Transportation 183 people died and 4046 people were injured when riding in cars or trucks without wearing seatbelts in 2008. If you break this law the fine will be $25 or $50 if adults in the back seat … (2 comments)

Austin City Limits Festival (ACL) tickets sell out in record time this summer! - 08/20/09 10:28 AM
Living in Austin means you get front row seats to many music events. OK maybe not front row seats, but you get first crack at tickets to our local music events. For example Austin City Limits Festival is a very popular attraction that has attendees and bands from all over the world. This year tickets were sold out in record time.  Apparently this years music line up created such demand for tickets, they sold out faster than the last eight years. I am guessing scalpers will be selling some on CraigsList and EBay at inflated prices. The popularity of ACL is … (2 comments)

Market Statistics for Shady Hollow Estates for Summer 2009 - 08/19/09 12:12 PM
As your resident Shady Hollow Realtor I want to let buyers know how our local home market is doing. While the national economy may be down, locally things look great in the Austin home market. According to the Austin Chamber of Commerce there are still 1000 people a week moving into the Austin area. This number has not wavered much in the last eight years.Shady Hollow has long been a desirable Austin community because of the short 15 minute drive to downtown Austin and our large lots with mature trees. Shady Hollow proper has homes with between 1600-2700square feet on about a half … (5 comments)

Are you looking for fresh loaclly grown produce in and around Austin Texas? Look no further you have found the answers here! - 08/14/09 06:32 PM
Austin Area Farmers Markets are thriving and have some amazing heirloom veggies!

Austin Republic Square Park
Saturday, 8 am to noon (Spring/Summer)
9 am -1 pm (Oct. 31st - March 6th, 2010 )
4th and Guadalupe at Republic Square Park
www.austinfarmersmarket.org
 
Central Austin
Saturday 8:00am-1:00pm/ all Year
2910 South Congress Avenue
www.austinfarm.org/safm
Sunset Valley
Saturday, 9 am - 1 pm / Year round
2300 Jones Rd. - Toney Burger Ctr.
www.sunsetvalleyfarmersmarket.org
Buda
Saturday, 9 am - noon / May - Dec.
100 Main Street (Loop 4 - DT, across from the Post Office)
www.sanmarcosfarmersmarket.com
  
Kyle
1st Saturday of … (12 comments)

The drought in Austin brings unexpected visitor to Shady Hollow homes! - 08/14/09 12:32 PM
The Shady Hollow Home Owners Association has announced there have been reports of a few unwanted visitors in our south Austin neighborhood. Apparently this extreme drought is causing the area wildlife to look harder for water sources and food sources. So a few home-owners with doggie doors have found uninvited "guests" in their homes. A few people have found raccoons and possums creeping inside their homes through doggie doors to get food and water. It is best to secure these doors at night when these critters are out and about looking for food and water. Also there have been some reports … (9 comments)

Thanks for the Memories! Les Paul 1915 - 2009 - 08/14/09 10:55 AM
Today is a very sad day for music. He was a great man and changed music as we know it. I could not imagine my life without the soundtrack this creative man made possible. I was going to blog on this but you did such a fine job I can't top this!Betina
Via Laura Giannotta Keller Williams Atlantic (Keller Williams Atlantic Shore ):
I grew up in the 60's, and music is a huge part of my life.  First  it was the Stones with Keith Richards, then the Yarbirds and Cream, with Eric Clapton playing guitar and Led Zepplin, with Jimmy Page … (4 comments)

Chili cook-offs in Texas are a fun way to beat the heat with friends - 08/10/09 09:48 AM
The Hardeman's House of Hellfire Chili Cook-Off is rockin the house and raising money for the Blue Dog Rescue!
Allow me to start at the beginning. It all started at a campsite in a park far, far away on the Frio River. There were campers grilling dinner after a long day on the cool river. One of these campers had a huge steak marinated in some special sauce and it was sizzling away on the fire. There were several campers that brought their dogs to this weekend of outdoor fun and games. Apparently one of the dogs snatched this steak and … (10 comments)

Trail Bandits are destroying Barton Creek Greenbelt! - 08/09/09 11:16 AM
Barton Creek Greenbelt was created many years ago to provide Austinites with a multitude of trails to walk, hike and bike around Austin. Since the beginning there have been a few people cutting out rogue trails in the park at the southwest corner of HWY360 and South MOPAC. Right now there are about 65 miles of trails and about 63% of them are not legal or not created by the parks department. The Austin Parks and Recreation Department maintains all of the authorized trails in the Austin parks.
For many years they have tried to protect the unauthorized trails from use by roping off … (4 comments)

The Austin Moonlight Margarita Madness Run and Gala is August 6th, 2009! - 08/07/09 03:15 PM
The fifth annual Moonlight Margarita 5K Run and Gala is August 6th starting at eight o'clock. The 5-K Run and Gala will benefit the Trail Foundation. the races starting line is at Veterans Drive under Mopac/Loop One. There will be walk-up registration from 5:00-8:00pm for those that did not pre-register on-line.the course will follow Town Lake (AKA Lake Ladybird) to the east all the way to San Antonio Street and loop back past the Town Lake Animal Center and around to Veterans Drive. Once the 5-K race is complete the party starts at the grounds of the American Legion Hall just behind … (1 comments)

How can you prevent Historic Homes from being destroyed in Austin Texas? - 08/07/09 02:29 PM
 
 How can you prevent Historic Homes from being destroyed in Austin Texas? Step up and volunteer to help draft the proposal to create another Historic District in Austin Texas. At the moment the JHNA Historic Committees is asking for comments to draft the new proposal. Please consider volunteering and helping to determine the criteria for inclusion in the Local Historic District.
The first home on Austin's Judges Hill was built by Elijah Sterling Clark in 1851 by the corner of San Gabriel and 18th Street. Sadly it was demolished in 1966, because it was unprotected. The West Hill District has … (0 comments)

Austin Texas's Town Lake Animal Center saves dogs and cats by adoption every day! - 08/07/09 01:21 PM

The Town Lake Animal Center in Austin Texas saves dogs and cats every day. They are open for adoption Monday through Friday 11:30-7:00pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11:30-5:00pm. The facility is located at 1156 W. Cesar Chavez on the north side of Town Lake (AKA Lake Ladybird) and is just west of South Lamar Boulevard. They are dedicated to the humane treatment of animals and they are advocates of spaying and neutering pets and educating pet owners. The facility is operated by the City of Austin and Travis County. They provide care and shelter to over 22,000 animals every … (5 comments)

Are you looking to shop at local homegrown Austin businesses? Avoid the big box headache. - 08/06/09 01:12 PM
Since I love everything Austin, I wanted to share some local business with you. These companies are born and bred south Austin and will treat you right. All of these establishments go the extra mile when it comes to customer service and being a valued part of our community. With the influx of new residents, we have seen a wave of big box stores open in the last decade. Please shop local when you are in Austin Texas. Our hip 78704 neighborhood is defined by our unique culture and our diverse community. We have everything from solar panel manufacturing and sales … (3 comments)

Whole Foods whole story or the little guy that grew to be the biggest player in the natural foods business. - 08/06/09 11:54 AM
Whole Foods whole story or how a little guy made a name in the natural foods business. Many of you know that John Mackie and Renee Hardy (owners of The Safer Way Grocery) and Craig Weller and Mark Skiles of the Clarksville Natural Grocery got together and started Whole Foods in Austin Texas in 1980. The first location was on Lamar at 11th Street and had a Martin Brothers Cafe inside the store. In fact my first job in Austin was making smoothies at Martin Brothers in this very store! The big flood in Austin in 1991 covered Lamar Street and flooded the Whole Foods … (2 comments)

Looking for local dog friendly establishments in Austin?? I have several right here for you & your best friend. - 08/05/09 10:34 AM
Looking for local dog friendly establishments in Austin? or some other town? I have several right here for you & your best friend. Here are a few websites that can help you to become patrons of local eateries, hotels and businesses that are dog friendly. Since I am in Austin, I am listing our local organizations first.
www.AustinSPCA.com- The local Humane Society Pet Adoption Centersaves the areas homeless and lost dogs and cats. They work to educate the community regarding being a responsible pet ownership. they also work to help people to reduce overpopulation of unwanted pets. There are two locations: Town Lake … (5 comments)

Looking for a great Happy Hour in Austin TX? Here are my favorites! - 08/05/09 08:55 AM
Finding a great happy hour location is one way Austinites beat the summer heat. What better way to escape the oppressive heat than to slide into an air-conditioned establishment and have a frosty cold drink. If you like the heat there are a few places that offer an outdoor patio.
Saba Blue Water Grill-on 4th street across from Charlies. They have happy hour 4-7 with half price appetizer's and Mojitos for only $4. and Saba Martini's for $5! Their appetizer's are spectacular!
Cork & Company- on Congress next to Manuel's. Happy Hour is from 3-7 and you can have some amazing … (5 comments)

Homebuyers quick glossary of terms that are important to know - 08/03/09 12:45 PM
I work primarily as a Buyers Agent in Austin Texas. Through the years I have had numerous people ask about the terms used in real estate. Therefor I have compiled a list of the most common terms used in real estate. It is my hope that you find this list of real estate glossary helpful.
ARM/ Adjustable Rate Mortgage- This is a loan that has an interest rate that adjusts or changes periodically following the current index. Generally they don't jump more than 2% a year, however they can change significantly from the start date. So you should use caution before using … (7 comments)

Open House today from 1-4 at 3405 Split Rock Trail in sought after Shady Hollow (Austin TX) - 08/02/09 09:13 AM
This Sunday from 1-4 there will be an open house in Austin's sought after neighborhood called Shady Hollow. This neighborhood is comprised of homes on larger than average lots of .40 acre and larger. The homes tend to be one story with the occasional two story home. The neighborhood began in the mid 1970's. Shady Hollow has a wonderful community center and a pool. Shady Hollow also has a comptetive swim team called the Shady Hollow Stingrays. The neighborhood is close to plentiful shopping and dining options. Since Shady Hollow is surrounded by Austin, but outside the Austin City Limits there are no … (4 comments)

 

Find TX real estate agents and Austin real estate on ActiveRain.