Sunday, November 11, 2012
Bee Cave parkway Nears Completion
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Why many people are looking for energy savings in the wrong places!
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Are You Looking for Energy Savings in All the Wrong Places?
Ack! Our energy costs are going up because too many of us are making the wrong judgment calls about how to save energy. Here’s why we’re having a disconnect. Read
Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2012 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Friday, April 22, 2011
Lake Travis Community asked to "Get Their Green On" April 30th, 2011
REsolve Group, LLC, a real estate and design/build firm in Lakeway, invites the Lake Travis community to “Get their Green On” at our first annual Earth Day Event! Please join us as we celebrate EARTH DAY 2011 by bringing your old electronics for recycle on Saturday, April 30th from 8:00am – 12:00pm to the Emmaus Catholic Parish front parking lot.
It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1. Go through your house, garage, and office and load your car with any old electronics.
2. Bring them to the Emmaus Catholic Parish parking lot.
3. Pop your trunk - you won't even have to get out of your car!
*Recycled items are reused or disassembled and their parts reused. Items are never taken to a landfill.
We would also like to invite all youth to participate in this event! Be there to support our community by transporting electronics from residents' cars to our Earth Day moving truck. We will provide food and drinks following the event for those that RSVP with REsolve Group. Invite your friends and come join us!
Recycling items include: Items we cannot accept:
-Computers -Refrigerators
-Radios -Air conditioners
-Telephones -Dehumidifiers
-DVD players -Washer/Dryers
-CD players -Other large appliances
-VCRs
-Tape players
-Speakers
-Turn tables
-Monitors
-Modems
-Video game consoles
We hope to see you there!
David Heckler Margaret Heckler
Broker / REALTOR Graduate Architect
Registered Architect Project Manager
Reg. Interior Designer Marketing Director Margaret Hecklermargaret@REsolveGrp.com
REsolve Group, LLCwww.REsolveGrp.com
512.777.1714www.REsolveGrp.com
For more information about recycling in the Lake Travis area go to
http://www.lakewayrecycling.com
Monday, March 28, 2011
Travis County Property Tax Meetings
Schedule-all locations meet from 6:30 to 8:00
Tuesday March 29th at Lakeway Activity Center (105 Cross Creek)
Tuesday April 5th at Laura Bush Community Library (9411 Bee Cave Road)
Thursday April 7th at Jonestown Community Library(18649 FM 1431, Suite 10A)
www.traviscountytax.org
(512) 854-9473
Nelda Wells Spears Main Office: 5501 Airport Blvd
Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector Austin, TX 78751-1410
& Voter Registrar
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tina Morton
March 22, 2011 (512) 854-9706
tina.morton@co.travis.tx.us
PROPERTY TAXES HAVE YOU FEELING
CONFUSED? WORRIED? NERVOUS?
You’re not alone!
Who? Patrick Brown, Travis County Chief Appraiser and
Nelda Wells Spears, Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector
What? Property Tax Town Hall Meetings
Why? Looking for answers to questions about your property taxes, home valuation or the appraisal protest process? Need to know more about the types of exemptions available to property owners?
Maybe you’re a new homeowner with questions about what to expect throughout the year. Or maybe you’re a long time resident with questions about exemptions for older or disabled homeowners. Presenters plan to discuss how the property valuation and protest process works, how to file for exemptions and deferrals and what important deadlines all property owners should know. Most importantly, they plan to answer any questions you may have for them!
These events are free and open to the public.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Original developer reclaims Spanish Oaks out of foreclosure
"David Armbrust, Porter's attorney, said Thursday that the re-emergence of a significant project like Spanish Oaks is "a great signal our economy is turning around."
Original developer reclaims Spanish Oaks out of foreclosure
Thursday, December 23, 2010
New Marina approved for Lakeway
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
New ban on short-term leases in Rollingwood.
Owners are angry about the city's vote to take away their right to rent their homes out for fewer than 30 days - citing constitutional rights to do what they wish with their property and also the need for extra income during the recession.
However, the city of Rollingwood, which is doggedly determined to remain its' own entity despite it's being nestled right next to Austin's Zilker park, sees the ban as a way to limit residents to home owners and more permanent residents as opposed to turning the village into a temporary resort town for those more interested in what Austin has to offer.
Could Lakeway be next? Visit my website for more information about home sales in Austin and the Lake Travis area.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
LT Grad Erickson plays record setting All-Star game
For more information about the Lake Travis area, visit my website.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Village of the Hills to Hold public meeting
For more information about the Lakeway area, please visit my website.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
It's not too late!
To learn more about the Lake Travis area visit my website.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Austin, Texas -- One of the best cities for the outdoors
Best Cities For The Outdoors
From Forbes.com
San Franciscans are known to brag about their exceptional quality of life--especially when it comes to the outdoors. As it turns out, they're not exaggerating.
The bayside city enjoys sunshine for two-thirds of the year, and the balmy summers turn to mild winters. But it's not just pleasant weather that makes San Francisco so ideal for its active residents. The city has set aside 18% of its land for parks and spent $268 per resident on parks-related projects in the fiscal year 2007.
Those reasons combined are why San Francisco ranks as the best city for the outdoors for the second consecutive year. In general, Californians are a lucky bunch: San Diego, San Jose and Sacramento all ranked in the top 10, while Los Angeles tied for 11th with Austin, Texas.
Cities that topped the list offer residents a mix of outdoor activities, including community gardening, access to urban forests and miles of hiking trails. Though few of the measures change drastically from year to year, the recession may have a long-term impact on these rankings since many cities have been forced to cut back their parks budgets significantly. Both Phoenix, which fell from fifth place last year to eighth place this year, and Philadelphia (which remained 29th), have eliminated positions or services. Even San Francisco has made similar tough choices.
Behind the Numbers
To determine which of the 40 largest cities are best for the outdoors, Forbes used research from the nonprofit organization Trust for Public Land, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Trust for Public Land provided data on spending and park land, which it collected from city municipalities.
Data on the weather were collected from historic averages maintained by NOAA. Forbes looked at air quality in each city's county seat between 2000 and 2007 and averaged the number of unhealthy days during that time. Some cities have different averages than last year since the threshold for ozone pollution was lowered in 2008. Click here for the complete methodology.
The aforementioned top cities--which are joined by Virginia Beach, Va., Jacksonville, Fla., and Seattle Wash.--performed well in the categories measured: parks spending, percentage of park land, recreation facilities, air quality, sunshine, snowfall, precipitation and temperature extremes.
While San Francisco took the top spot for the second straight year, Detroit, Mich., fell to the bottom of the list once again. Among the 40 cities ranked, Columbus, Ohio, (No. 39), Milwaukee (No. 37) and Indianapolis (No. 38) also performed as poorly as last year.
Park Perks
San Francisco may be well known for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area--its 75,500-acre crown jewel--but the city doesn't rely solely on that flagship park to meet the needs of its outdoorsy residents. It maintains more than 230 parks, in addition to hundreds of athletic facilities, including tennis courts, baseball diamonds, golf courses and swimming pools. Residents also have access to more than 40 community gardens.
The Tampa, Fla., parks department refers to the city's 7.8 million trees as an urban forest. Just northeast of the city, residents can escape to the 16,000-acre Wilderness Park and explore 60 miles of trails through wetlands. The city, which ranked fifth this year, also operates standard recreation facilities and provides river access for canoing and other water sports.
In Phoenix, the scorching heat doesn't stop residents from enjoying the outdoors. There are six public golf courses, four skateboard parks and even a "horse lover's" park for equestrians. Several hiking, biking and riding trails pass through desert preserves. New voter-approved funding for expansion of these parks is one of the only bright spots in a bleak forecast for Phoenix's budget.
David Urbinato, a spokesman for the parks department, says the city has slashed $24.5 million from the 2009-2010 parks budget in response to dramatically reduced construction and sales taxes. That reduction is in addition to a 12.2% cut during the prior fiscal year. Urbinato says such cuts will translate into less routine maintenance; while a broken sprinkler, for example, might have taken less than 24 hours to fix, it will now take two days.
Money Matters
San Francisco, despite topping the list, isn't immune to tough times either. The city's parks department had to cut $8.8 million from its budget to adjust for declining tax revenue. Among its cost-cutting measures are plans to eliminate several management and administrative positions.
Catherine Nagel, executive director of the City Parks Alliance, a nonprofit organization that counts parks administrators among its members, says that the stimulus package did not include funding for urban parks. Nagel called the omission "short-sighted", referring to research--some of it conducted by the Trust for Public Land--demonstrating that urban parks can contribute significant economic value in the form of jobs, tourism and increased property values.
In Philadelphia, officials expect to maintain the parks department's core services despite slashing at least $7 million from the fiscal year 2010 budget. Residents are likely to notice a difference, however.
Susan Slawson, the city's recreation commissioner, says the city will reduce seasonal staff and eliminate vacant positions. The biggest loss, she says, is the closing of 27 of the city's 73 pools.
"Our goal is to do the best we can," she says, "even though we're facing some very difficult times."
In the meantime, city dwellers might want to take advantage of the outdoors while local governments can still afford to foot the bill.
For more information about moving to Austin, Texas, visit my website.
Monday, July 20, 2009
How To Fight Your Property Taxes! I did it and so can you...
I arrived 15 minutes early and entered the Appraisal District building on the opposite side of Austin from where I live. I walked up the stairs to check in by the sign that says “check in here”. I asked the receptionist if my hearing will be on time and I she giggled as she listened to a question that I am sure she hears a hundred times a day, which implies the answer, “No.” As I am sitting in one of the plastic chairs in a hall I feel like I am waiting to go into the principal’s office-and wonder why I did not prepare more.
There are 9 rooms where the appraisal review board panels convene. Some rooms are as big as a doctor’s exam room and others are twice the size. I watch a cute couple, probably 90 years old, go into a room. I wonder again if I could have prepared more. I hear laughing from the room and think, “OK, maybe laughter will help me.”
There is a break room on the floor where you can pay for a soda or water or even a snack. Note to self: bring enough provisions for 2 hours next time, do not skip lunch to be early. More laughter, “OK, maybe I CAN do this.”
A police office walks down the hall – opens a door and asks if the panel members are OK, then I think maybe the panel has a button that they can push if they feel they are in trouble. I take out my soothing lavender stick and rub it on my wrists…calming down.
A man is walking down the hall asking people how they prepared and the man next to me said he didn’t. His house is on the market for less than the assessed value so he thinks it’s a slam dunk. I think, and I hope, too, as I am in the same situation.
Another man walks up the stairs, sees more than 20 people in the hall and says “Oh Man”-I think “I’ve been here 40 minutes already.”
The happy couple comes out; they are playing the name game as they leave. I wonder-should you dress up or down in this situation. I see men in suits and men in shorts. Women are definitely the minority. Will the panel now talk about the couple’s property or do they make that determination while all together in the room? They leave the door open, and I doubt they will talk about it, so on to the next tax payer. I hope it’s me…nope, but this woman looks well organized. Another panel calls a name from down the hall “Ok,” I think, “Maybe we are in the groove, the lunch break paid off.” Oh shoot, now I get a hot flash; go buy another pop from the lunch room.
Soon my mind is floating with thoughts such as “Should I tell them I a realtor? Would that make a difference? Would he help or hurt?” Zap! Back to reality, my name is called. As I enter I am instructed to sit in front a computer monitor. The panel is to my left and the appraiser is to my right. They introduce themselves and I am sworn in. I begin my testimony with a presentation of my listing agreement, CMA, my MLS sheet and sold data. I had made 4 copies and handed it out to all. My tax assessed value was $50,000 more than what I have it on the market for. Also it has not yet sold at that price and I discuss the reasons why it probably will not sell for this price because of upgrades that need to be made to compete in the market. The panel and appraiser flipped though the paper and looked at photos I provided. They asked if I am finished presenting and let me know I will have a chance to comment after the appraiser comments. I mentioned that I am a Realtor and it seems it did not matter.
The appraiser brought up a default grid of properties that have sold that closely match my property. The grid looks much like the appraiser’s grid of comparable properties when you buy a house. The base price is shown and then adjustments are made for differences in the properties. He states that my data is not accurate because the sold data needs to be for the time period of 1/1/08 to 2/2/09 as this is the time that my home was assessed in. “It have been nice to have known that in advance,” I think… “I don’t think that was in the packet of information I received.” Then up pops homes that I have not researched so I am fumbling around now. I ask where the grid takes into account the extras, like pool, golf course, etc. I see that line and move across the grid to see what types of adjustments were made. The data does show about a $40,000 price decrease, close to what I have it on the market for, so I am feeling a bit better.
Next the appraiser brought up an equity grid. This is not based on sales, but shows your property’s taxes compared to the properties’ taxes near you. Then I noticed on the form that the line that shows the price for mine and my neighbors’ lots had a discrepancy. While our lot size was similar the price for my lot was much higher. The panel soon discovers that our home has been assessed based on a lake view scale which we do not have. I got $25,000 taken off the value there. Yippee!
I also note that the square footage has not been adjusted and last year we sent an appraisal report that showed that we had less sq footage than what the tax man had assessed. The home had been added onto and the square footage that the permits said was simply not accurate. It sounded from the conversation amongst the panel that normally any amount under 10% would not change in the tax records, but upon further review of the correspondence among the district and I it was stated it would be changed. So my square footage was adjusted and in total my assessed value was reduced $106,024! From my calculations I will be saving $200 a month! I am pretty happy at this point. I said my good byes and will be looking for my letter in the mail stating what transpired in our meeting.
In conclusion, here is my advice if you are ever in this situation: bring provisions and a book and plan to stay for at least 2 hours. Your goal is to provide evidence of market value so consider researching and bringing all of the items on the list that they suggest in the packet they will send ahead of time. The biggest thing to remember is to bring comparative research for the time period of 1/1/08 to 2/2/09 (if you are going in this year) and to check the data for your property to see if there are any quick fixes like incorrect square footage or land adjustments that are incorrect.
For more information about real estate in Texas visit my website.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Foreclosure listings fall to 5-month low in Central Texas
Postings remain higher than in '08, but drop is welcome, analysts say.
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFFFriday, July 17, 2009
Residential foreclosures for the Aug. 4 auction are at a five-month low in Central Texas, reflecting a trend in other parts of Texas, according to data from Foreclosure Listing Service Inc.
On Thursday, experts cautioned against reading too much into a single month's data, but they said the drop was a welcome break after a steady upward march this year.
"The tide may have changed," said George Roddy Sr., president of Foreclosure Listing Service, who said the figures offer hope that foreclosures postings may have reached a peak.
In Travis, Williamson, Hays and Bastrop counties, 1,072 properties were posted for the August auction, down 27 percent from 1,464 in July.
Postings still were 45 percent higher than they were a year ago. But that is the second-smallest year-over-year percentage increase this year, after a 24 percent jump in February.
In the Dallas area, foreclosures fell below 5,000 for the first time since March, according to Foreclosure Listing Service.
In Bexar County, postings also were at their lowest level since March, according to Real Estate Foreclosures Inc. in San Antonio.
"This looks like a breather or a relative lull in foreclosures that could go on several months," said Greg Stanley, president of Real Estate Foreclosures. "These posting totals are still at a very high level, and talk of being out of the woods is silly, but this is still a nice respite."
View the original article here.
For more information about the Austin, Texas real estate market visit my website.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
100% financing for home purchases available through USDA Rural Development - Moberly, MO - Moberly Monitor-Index
For more information about which Austin areas qualify, contact Cyndi.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Central Texas home sales showing signs of a pickup
Central Texas’ new-home builders started nearly 35 percent fewer homes in the second quarter than a year earlier and closed 36 percent fewer sales, new figures show.
However, there are signs the market may be picking up from earlier this year, because builders started 1,861 new homes in the second quarter, up nearly 53 percent from the first three months of 2009, according Residential Strategies Inc., which tracks the housing market.
“The second-quarter period historically marks a time of increased start activity, based on increased buyer traffic and sales during the spring selling season,” said Mark Sprague, the Austin partner with Residential Strategies. “Homebuilders had very few backlog orders to fulfill during the first quarter and no need to begin any speculative construction, but buyer traffic and sales have increased, marking the need for additional starts during the second quarter.”
For the 12 months ending in June, builders closed 8,978 sales, down 32 percent from the 12 months that ended in June 2008.
From The Austin American Statesman
For more information about Real Estate Trends in the Austin area visit my website.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Welcome!
My Experience Will Move You!