Rain!

Hurray! It's raining!

Although the rain can occasionally be an inconvenience when you're trying to get around in Austin (heaven knows it doesn't do anything positive for traffic here), I am excited that's it's here mainly for two reasons: The Greenbelt and Lake Travis!

The rain does a great many wonderful things for us here in Austin, but every time the skies open up I can't help but think of all our lovely homes on Lake Travis and the Greenbelt, and all of the fun activities to do there.  

Recreation opportunities at the 8 mile Greenbelt, which forms a rough V shape Southbound West of Mopac and then turning North West just past 360, have been fairly dry in nature so far this year, to my chagrin.  I used to live in the Lost Creek neighborhood, and hiking and biking down to the water for a dip with my brother are among my favorite memories of living there.  

Also lining the Greenbelt are Westlake, Zilker, and Barton Hills neighborhoods.  This area is great because there are many homes for rent or sale in a wide range of prices, from apartments to mansions.  Homes in this area frequently feature great views and appeal to active types.  It's very convenient for hikers, bikers, swimmer, walkers, and relaxers to head down the trails to get some exercise or just plain hang out by or in the water with like-minded folks.  When the rains are more forthcoming, it's not uncommon to see a bunch of people chilling at Campbell's Hole with a beer, although this is not recommended because open-container laws still apply!

The neighborhoods around Lake Travis are similar.  Outdoorsy people are attracted to the area, as are boating enthusiasts and people who are looking for a great view, perhaps a bit more land, and are willing to make a little extra drive to get it.

I had the privilege of showing many grand luxury estates on Lake Travis and Lake Austin recently, and touring them made me very excited about summer boating season.  Home owners on Lake Austin don't have much to worry about because it's a constant-level lake, but Lake Travis is very dependent on our precipitation to stay in good shape.  The current level is 654 feet today, down from a full point of 681.  It's a little low, but not nearly so bad as the end of summer 2009 at 630 ft.  I still went out there quite a bit that summer, but it wasn't ideal.  Hopefully we have a few more rains like this coming up and we can all enjoy a nice boat ride on Lake Travis!

That's all for now.  Stay safe and dry, and if you're interested in living in any of these areas don't hesitate to give me a call!