green homes: Some homes have fun mailboxes, here are a few found in and around Austin Texas - 04/23/10 06:15 AM
As a Austin Realtor I see plenty of homes, some are more memorable than others. Even a mundane home can have a fun and frivolous mailbox. Here are a few of the more memorable mailboxes I have seen lately in and around Austin Texas. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed discovering them! If you have a unique mailbox or have a snapshot of one please feel free to add your own mailbox photo to the post. Happy mailbox hunting!
 
 


 

 


 
 
If you are in the … (13 comments)

green homes: New Hospitals in Lakeway to serve far west Travis county and Lake Travis area. - 06/20/09 06:42 AM
Lakeway is getting a new hospital!!
They just announced that the "Lakeway Regional Medical Center" will be built by a private development company called... what else  the "Lakeway Regional Medical Center Development, LLC". This will be a 54 acre project that is estimated to cost $250 million, and it will be 70-80% physician owned. The official ground-breaking was last month. The estimated completion of the project is 2011.
The development will also have retail stores, restaurants, day care facility, hotel, rehabilitation hospital and various medical offices. They plan to have 25 emergency beds, and 70-80 licensed beds. Their goal is … (2 comments)

green homes: Are you curious to see the results of the Austin Energy Audits?? - 06/18/09 07:42 AM
Recently I wrote a blog about the new Austin Energy Audits. This audit must be performed on all "re-sale" homes in Austin. The only exempt homes are those built in the last ten years, or homes that have participated in the Austin Energy Rebate Program for energy efficiency, and homes that are changing ownership due to death or divorce. See link for first blog:http://activerain.com/blogsview/1073781/looking-for-an-auditor-qualified-to-perform-you-city-of-austin-energy-audit-
Now that it has been two weeks since this new ordinance has gone into effect, you may ask what are the results? Austin Energy just released the first round of statistics for the Energy Audit. See below … (9 comments)

green homes: Energy conservation tips to save money around your home - 06/16/09 11:36 AM
Now that summer is upon us with the 100+ degree days smothering Austin in the oppressive heat, I thought it was a good time to share some tips to conserve energy. For most Texans the cost to cool and (briefly) heat our homes is the number one home expense after the mortgage. Personally I recall one bill for our home in Northwest Hills that shot up to $900 in one August heat wave. I immediately sought out ways to reduce that horrifying number.
1. Have your duct system checked out by a professional. Most duct-work has probably not been looked at since … (0 comments)

green homes: New South austin School Groundbreaking event! - 06/01/09 05:47 AM
Many Austinites living in south Austin have been waiting for the newest AISD schoolto break ground. The day is almost here! Tomorrow June 2,nd will be the groundbreaking event for the new Southwest Elementary School. The school will be located at 12200 Meridian Park Boulevard. This new school is the result of the 2004 Bond Program. The event will start at 6:30 pm on June 2nd. If you would like more details about the program or the school please visit their website: www.TheAppleAtWork.com. They are inviting members of the community to join in the fun. I hope that I will see you there.
… (1 comments)

green homes: Market Statistics in Barton Hills neighborhood of Austin Texas for May 2009. - 05/25/09 06:02 AM
I lived in Barton Hills for several years and loved the large lots and the short commute to downtown. Since most of it was developed in the 1950-1980's there are no Home Owners Associations fees or restrictions. As a Realtor it is one of my favorite neighborhoods to sell for the very same reasons.
Since there are new construction homes and condos taking the place of some of the original Barton Hills homes I am splitting these stats into 1950-1989 and a separate category of newer condo style homes built in the last ten years. I hope this makes the information … (2 comments)

green homes: Want to save 1/2 off Radient Barrier and save money on your energy bills! - 05/22/09 12:44 PM
Here is a great way to save some money this summer and every year. Efficient Attic Systemsin Austin is offering a great deal of 1/2 off radiant barrier and free insulation. When a radiant barrier is installed in your attic it stops about 75% of the suns radiant heat from coming into your attic. When you lower your attic temperature up to 35 degrees the barrier will reduce the amount of heat that would otherwise be transferred into your living space! 
EAS is also got other great deals:   No Money down,  12 Months No Payment, No interest Financing!!
EAS will come … (2 comments)

green homes: When is the best time to buy a home in Austin Texas? - 05/21/09 01:19 AM

Clients often ask me "when is the best time to buy a house?" I tell them it depends on a number of factors:
1. Have you spoken to a lender and are you prequalified?
2. Do you have time to actually go look at homes?
3. Are you ready to commit to finding the right home with your Realtor?
4. Are you tired of paying another persons mortgage and helping a stranger build wealth?
5. Are you ready to build your own wealth and receive a tax break?
If you answered yes to those questions, then now is the right … (3 comments)

green homes: Where do you go to find a City of Austin Energy Audit Inspector? - 05/12/09 02:40 PM
The city of Austin has recently passed the ordinance to require all home sellers to have an "energy audit" prior to selling the home. This ordinance will be required on all homes sold as of June 1st, 2009. They tried to start this back in January 2009, but at that point there were only five licensed auditors. So they set the date back to June 1st, so they had a chance to train more auditors.
There are a few homes that are exempt from this audit: 1. New homes constructed within the last ten years, 2. Homes that have had a … (2 comments)

green homes: First time home buyers want to know when is it the best time to buy a home? I say now, interest rates are at historic lows and inventory is high! - 05/09/09 02:28 AM


Clients often ask me "when is the best time to buy a house?" I tell them it depends on a number of factors:
1. Are you prequalified?
2. Do you have time available to actually go look at homes? 
3. Are you ready to commit to your Realtor?
4. Are you tired of paying another persons mortgage and helping a stranger build wealth?
5. Are you ready to build your own wealth and receive a tax break?
6. Are you  ready to take advantage of historic record setting low interest rates under 5%?
If you answered yes to those questions, then now … (4 comments)

green homes: Its Summer time and the living is easy, if you choose the right Summer Camp in Austin. - 05/04/09 04:46 AM
Summer time in Texas can't be beat. We have a multitude of things to do and places to go. To make your summer time planning as easy as possible I have compiled a list of Summer Camps in the Austin area. Hopefully this will give over-worked parents a break. Here are a few of my personal favorite Austin summer camps.
Mad Scientist Camp- www.MadScience.org/austin  Phone (512) 892-1143 
They offer 8 separate camp sessions for ages 6-12. The themes include: Science Expolration, Moving with Science, Rockin Rockets, Red Hot Robots, Wings and Things, Secret Agent Lab, and Spy Academy. The cost for … (0 comments)

green homes: What to expect when you start looking for a new home - 05/01/09 03:31 AM
What to expect when you start looking for a new home
In order to make this easy for "first time home buyers" I have broken the process down. You have already accomplished the first step, selecting a "Buyers Agent"; the key is finding someone that you can communicate with, that is knowledgeable about the area. As your agent I will help you through the process of finding the "right home" and buying that home.
The first round of Forms you need to sign
The Texas Real Estate Commission requires that Realtors give potential Buyers several forms. These forms help define each … (0 comments)

green homes: Shady Hollow roads and local MUD and annexation news - 04/01/09 09:13 AM
Recently I had a visit with John Roop the Shady Hollow Home Owners Association Manager. I went for a quick visit as I had questions about the new water main covers installed on my street. I noticed the shiny covers had "City of Austin" stamped on them. I am a mile and a half south of the Austin City Limits, so I was concerned. The old cover was just a plain slab of metal. So I got nervous that maybe Austin was taking over the Shady Hollow M.U.D. in preparation to annex Shady Hollow. 
I have lived through my town being annexed and fighting … (2 comments)

green homes: My favorite SXSW 2009 event: Leonard Cohen tribute show at Waterloo Records - 03/21/09 06:28 AM
This year South by Southwest has a stellar line up of bands. In fact there is no way to see everybody you want to see each year. There are simply too many locations and too many bands. The bands come from all over the world for this event. There are even pop-up events in peoples homes. A friend of mine had such an event at their home in the Zilker neighborhood. His original band hales from LA and is called Buddi Brown, while they did not play, his new band did. They played a set at 3:30 yesterday and there were several … (0 comments)

green homes: NewFlower Farmers Market, Seriously good for you food at silly prices - 02/27/09 05:15 AM
For several months I have been hearing about the newest grocery store to open in south Austin. My husband is in the natural food business, so I hear about new organic products light years before they hit the shelves. The new kid in town is the New Flower Farmers Market. The founder of New Flower Farmers Market is Mike Gilliland, he was an owner of Wild Oats Natural Food Stores before they were purchased by their biggest competitor last year.
 I am excited about the grand opening of the New Flower Farmers Market. It is on the corner of William Cannon and Manchaca. This … (5 comments)

green homes: Local Austin Texas Trivia Part VI - 01/27/09 08:06 AM
Our local neighborhood Tarrytown mentioned in the New York Times. Yes, its true. A few years ago a Houston woman named Jeanne Daniels inherited the neighborhood shopping center in the middle of Tarrytown. Now Ms. Daniels is a vegetarian, so she did not want any of the tenants to sell meat or leather. So sadly the lease was not renewed for the Holiday House. The Holiday House made the greatest hamburger and was the local coffee hangout long before Starbucks. The new tenant in Holiday House's spot was the totally "vegetarian Nu-Age Cafe" which bit the dust after less than a … (6 comments)

green homes: Angie's List is giving Realtors a gift this holiday season!! - 12/07/08 07:55 AM
If you have not heard of www.Angie'sList.com, brother you are missing out! This is a great website to find a contractor o to work on your home. What makes this site different than any other is the contractors have to be nominated by customers to be listed. You heard that right, contractors get on the list because satisfied clients nominate them to be included. The contractors are graded on a variety of factors: punctuality, price, quality of work, time to project completion on time or not. When a contractor really goes above and beyond some customers nominate them for a "Page … (4 comments)

green homes: Do you want to save money and energy today?! - 12/02/08 01:48 PM
Do you want to start saving money today? Call MTH GreenHomes to receive a comprehensive energy audit so they can help you achieve a more green and efficient home. They can show you how to improve your quality of life and save money and energy. MTH GreenHomes will test a number of things on your home with a Comprehensive Energy Audit.
1.Electrical Appliance Energy Usage
2.Gas Inspection
3.Infra-red Thermography "State of the Art Technology"
4.Door Blower Test- Place a vacuum on the house and check for total air leakage.
5. Evaluate natural radiant barriers such as trees and various vegetation.
6. … (5 comments)

green homes: Quick Delivery/Inventory homes from KB Homes in Austin area - 11/24/08 01:30 AM
My associate at KB Homes just sent me a list of quick delivery homes in several neighborhoods in and around Austin. There are three homes in Circle C under $300K!! Please take a look and if any of these homes appeal to you, please give me a call and I will send you more details on the homes and take you to go see the homes in person.  Remember the Seller pays for my service as a Buyers Agent. So having a Realtor help you with your home purchase still costs you zero. Call me if you want to buy a new … (1 comments)

green homes: Austin is earning the title "The Emerald City" one house at a time. - 11/12/08 02:11 PM
Details of the proposed Austin Energy AuditIn an attempt to rename Austin the "Emerald City" because of our clean and green lifestyle recently Mayor Will Wynn proposed a new law. This law would force all home sellers to make "necessary repairs to correct energy inadequacies" to make their homes more energy efficient.  The proposal was pretty controversial and many people had signs in their yards "Motivate don't Mandate!".  We would rather see people rewarded for good behavior, than punished for not having the money to make the newly required improvements. This proposal might have even prevented some homeowners from selling their homes, as … (11 comments)