The city of Georgetown, Texas is a growing suburb of Austin and is a part of what makes this entire Hill Country such a desirable place to live. US News and World Report cited the warm climate and the great outdoors as one of the reasons why Austin is in the top 10 for 2009. Live music and the arts, as well as a strong technology center also has helped Austin remain diverse and unique among the big cities of America. Check out the full report below:Best Places to Live 2009
Every hard-working person dreams of the day of their retirement, when they can sit back, relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor throughout the remainder of their days. Ideally, people rediscover the passions they were too busy to pursue and fill the void that the lack of work suddenly leaves in their lives. This could mean moving to a region of the country or world that helps retirees experience their ideal retirement. Many retirees are discovering their retirement dreams are coming true in the wine country of Central Texas.
During these pressing times, it may be more difficult than before to find a location where an affordable housing market and low cost of living will allow you to pursue fine pleasures such as wine. A recent U.S. News and Reports article has named Georgetown, Texas as one of the 10 greatest places to retire for wine lovers, an affordable and beautiful place to spend the remainder of your days. Here is a look at some wineries in the greater Georgetown area, in the beautiful Hill Country of Central Texas.The Georgetown Winery is located in Historical Downtown Georgetown and is only a short drive from Austin and all of Central Texas. They offer a wide palate of award-winning wines and an experienced wine staff on-hand that can guide you through the entire process of making your own personal batch of wine. They are open for your wine-loving needs Tuesday through Thursday, 11 AM to 6 PM and Friday and Saturday 11 AM through 9 PM. The Winery is also available after hours for private events and offer a large selection of wine gifts.
Another winery in Georgetown, Texas is Vino 100. Vino 100 is a Georgetown winery that offers its consumers new ways of buying wine. Every wine has a “Wine Barometer™”, which is a tag that indicates its flavor and body, simply an easier way to buy. The entire store is laid out according to the Wine Barometer™ system, so customers can easily find the wines that suite their tastes and budgets. They also offer a variety of events, including Senior Appreciation Day every Wednesday, and all levels of wine education classes taught by certified wine specialists.
The Vineyard at Florence, just outside of Georgetown, offers a truly unique experience through the first residential winery in the state of Texas. You can have a premier property built by one of the winery’s preferred builders, offering a magnificent home site with a tremendous view of the vineyard. Amenities include a private tennis court, pool and pasture areas for horses. The wine tasting villa, Villa Firenze, overlooks the vineyard and polo field for a stylistic and graceful experience for any resident or visitor to the tasting room. The tasting villa also hosts a series of ongoing educational programs, cultural exhibits and performing arts events. The Villa Firenze is also available for private weddings, special events and private parties. You don’t have to be a resident to enjoy the fruits of Villa Firenze.
It’s easy to see why the city of Georgetown, Texas was voted as one of the premier places to retire for wine lovers. Along with all of retired life’s amenities, Georgetown offers a thriving variety of wineries; from the affordable to the lavish, all are affordable for any wine lover’s retirement fund.
To all you residents out there who live in Berry Creek, you now have a community forum! I just created a Facebook page for neighbors to interact, network, conduct business and get the inside scoop on Berry Creek real estate!
Here's a cute home in my neighborhood that has 4 bedrooms and has just been reduced to $169,000. The architecture has the same characteristics of those downtown historic homes like big front porches, large dormer windows and siding/stone exterior. However, you don't have to worry about updating the plumbing or leveling the foundation because, unlike those old historic homes, this one is built in 2004. I like these homes in Georgetown Village because it combines the best of both worlds: Old home look without the old home maintenance.
Ok, I know what you're thinking..."A festival that's named after a flower?" But, what a beautiful flower it is:
(Photo was taken by Lucas Adams) Every year, the city of Georgetown Texas celebrates the introduction of the Spring season and along with it, all of the beautiful flowers of the Hill Country landscape. Georgetown, just happens to be the Red Poppy Capital of Texas. If you love flowers, that's a good thing. If you only like flowers because you can give them to your wife when she's mad at you, it's still a good thing.
The Red Poppy Festival has something for everyone: Lots of live music and performances; food (time to get your Kettle Corn!); a car show (for you non-flower enthusiasts); and ofcourse a parade. This festival definitely has the kiddos in mind with lots of free entertainment being offered from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. There will also be many local artists and crafts that will be showcased in the Red Poppy Marketplace. If local art really appeals to you, check out the Williamson Couty Art Guild. They have a Framers Gallery that starts the 1st Friday of every month and for the month of May, my friend Jason St. Peter will have his photography showcased. Get a sneak preview of his gallery by clicking here!
Ok, let's talk food and the discounts you can get. Thanks to Marcy H. for providing this information: Several Georgetown Restaurants will be offering dining specials to help kick off the Friday Night Concert. Be on the lookout for the following Red Poppy Plates: Applebee’s: 2 Can Dine for $20 (Includes 1 Appetizer and 2 Entrees. Selection is limited.) Chick-fil-A: 1 Free Red Poppy Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake to all customers who ask. Offer is limited to only 1 per customer. County Seat Cafe: $19.99 Prime Rib Dinner Dia Thai Cuisine: $15 Basil Seafood Combo Plate, $9 Dia Thai Wrap Plate, $9 Pad Woon Sen Plate Georgetown Bar-B-Que: $7 Two Meat (sliced meat only) Plate Georgetown Winery: $3.00 Glass of Red Poppy Passion Wine, $5.00 Margaritas Monument Cafe: $15.95 Seafood Platter, $19.99 New York Strip Steak Nonna’s Cucina: $9 Nolan Ryan Half Pound Burger with Fries Pit BBQ: $7.99 Half BBQ Chicken Dinner with Drink Smokey Mo’s: $8.75 Sandwich with Two Sides and a Large Drink Tony and Luigi’s Italian Mediterranean Restaurant: All Entrees are Buy One, Get One for Half Price Fore more information, check out the website for the Red Poppy Festival. Ok, now for those of you who really just want to see the Red Poppy's don't worry, I won't let you down. Here's a map downtown where you can catch them:
I'll be doing a listing appointment for this home in Gabriels Overlook today. In order to prepare for it, I'm going to be viewing 4-5 other homes in the $450,000-$525,000 price range.
These days, one would think that this price range is difficult to sell in. However, there is just over 12 months of inventory in this neighborhood and when I narrow it down to this price range, it comes out to about the same. The neighborhood has homes from the high $200's to the mid $500's.
If you're looking for a riverfront lot in this neighborhood, check out my listing here
Landscaped by nature! Enjoy peaceful mornings and quiet evenings either sitting on the wide front porch looking over a meticulous lawn or the oversized covered patio and multi-level deck. Both areas expand leisure activities to the outdoors.
The beautifully wooded grounds provide shady comfort and you will love the river of rocks the current homeowners have created. Serenity is the mood as you enter this gracious home. Candle light dinners can be yours in uncrowded comfort in the spacious formal dining. Lots of wall space for your hutches too!
At your service! Come home to prepare meals quickly and efficiently in this functionally designed kitchen. Oak cabinets,island cooktop and ample countertops make for a nice work triangle.Breakfast bar provides a place for an impromptu snack or buffet service. Centrally located family room boasts the warmth of a brick corner fireplace.
Open to the kitchen and breakfast area this home is perfect for the cook who does not want to be separated from family and guests. Breakfast area also looks out into the private backyard Comfort and coziness characterize the Owner's suite, generous enough for a king size canopy bed! Crown molding, a bay window and serenity imbue the bedroom for a cat nap or an evening of rest. Double vanities promote harmony in this Queen style bath large enough for 2 to begin the day. There are his and hers walk-in closets on either side of the garden tub. A separate shower has good size seat! Generous size secondary bedrooms are on the other side of the home - one has a window seat! The 4th bedroom is set up as a study with built-in bookcases on both sides of an arched window. 2 closets provide storage. French doors open to the family room.
Stroll to the end of the cul-de-sac for a view of beautiful Lake Georgetown! This home is just minutes from an entrance to the lake, schools, and shopping. ~ Nancy Knight, Lone Star Properties
For the longest time, I've been wanting to add a map to my webpage. Here's something I've been working on:
View Larger Map
I want to be able to give my website visitors a good idea of the different neighborhoods in Georgetown. I'll add price ranges and pictures in the future. What else do you think I should add? Any suggestions or comments would be much appreciated!
This is the primo market for refinancing: I finally closed on my refinance that I was working on for the past 45 days!
I went from 6.375% to 5%, eliminated $99/mo of PMI and am now saving $300/month. I was able to appraise my home high enough to give me 20% of equity, thus eliminating my PMI. The refi cost me about $3500 so I'm estimating I should make that up within the year. After that, it's $300/month of savings! It's hard work to do anything in this lending climate, but the hassle could be worth it!
Ready for your shave?
Definitely run the numbers and see if it's worth it. If you're only going to be staying in your home for another 2-3 years, then it might not be. By the time you realize your savings, you would be out of the home! However, a simple way to know for sure would be to use an online amortization calculator, punch in your interest rate and home loan and compare it with today's going interest rate. Divide the cost of the refi (could be $3000-$4000) with your savings and that's the number of months it will take to make up the cost.
I'm ready, now who do I call?
I used Tracey Day (512-966-7246) with Home Source Mortgage in Georgetown, Texas and he worked like a dog to get all of my paperwork done. Because of my investment properties, I had a debt to income in the low 50% range and so he had to be real creative with justifying it financially! Usually, the banks scrutinize anything over a 46% debt to income ratio. So if you need some help in this area, Tracey Day has been worked over with my file and should be very experienced with just about anything now:) If you are curious about how your home will do during the appraisal process, he can connect you with some appraisers to give an opinion of your home's value. I used Pat Carey with the Georgetown Appraisal Group (512-750-8480).
So tell me about your experience....were you able to shave your budget through a recent refinance? Anybody out there beat $300/month? I'd love to hear your story! Want the latest updates on Georgetown Texas Real Estate, news and latest developments? Sign up for the blog by clicking the link below:
My partner in the business, Nancy Knight, is really good at developing relationships with builders in Georgetown, Texas. Together, we offer a great marketing package to builders who want maximum exposure on their homes through creative marketing ideas and a strong Internet presence.
Now you have an opportunity to check out our marketing first hand: A $750,000 home has been recently completed by Steve Gray of Blazer Custom Homes. It has a grand entryway that will knock your socks off! This open house event will take place on two weekends, 10/26 and also 11/2 from 2-5PM. $750,000 can buy a lot of home in this part of the country, come check it out and enjoy the refreshments!
Here's a postcard of the event: Tuscany Postcard You could probably tell your boss that you're in Italy, take a picture of yourself in front of the home and he'll believe you...just make sure he has a sense of humor, ok?
You can search all the custom homes available in Georgetown, TX at this link: Custom Homes in Georgetown Texas Want the latest updates on Georgetown Texas homes for sale, real estate news and latest developments? Sign up for the blog by clicking the link below and don't forget to comment on my blog, I love reader interaction!
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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