WANTED: Buyers who want to live in a spectacular home at Lake Pointe for $319,900

This post is only for serious buyers who want their children to go to school at Lake Travis ISD without having to pay the high taxes and expensive homes.


ADDRESS: Emerald Falls Dr., Austin


This home is situated on a spectacular setting in the heart of Lake Pointe, surrounded by lush landscaping, close to the exemplary Lake Pointe Elementary, community pool, and playground.  Once a model home, this home offers 4 bedrooms (4th BR or office/study), 3 full baths, 2 dining, 2 fireplaces and a 2 car garage. Step into the inviting 2 story foyer with luxurious hardwood floors. The open and bright kitchen features an island, abundance of cabinet space and a reverse osmosis water system. Home looks out to the fully fenced backyard with a large deck great for entertaining and a covered hot tub. The large master bedroom has a fireplace and access to the rear upstairs balcony. Close to the new Hill Country Galleria and only minutes from Capital of Texas Highway. Call me at (512)736-SELL for a showing today.

Hidden community by Steiner Ranch

Shhh, don't read this out too loud. Not too many have heard of this hidden community near Steiner Ranch, called Montview Acres. Just North of the Mansfield Dam before the Steiner Ranch entrance on Quinlan Park road, is Low Water Crossing which leads to Montview Acres. On Montview Dr. lies 11 brand new custom built homes many of which are built by Laurel Haven Homes and Hausman Homes. What is amazing about these new homes is that the finish out on most of these homes include tile, travertine, granite, stainless steel appliances, luxury master baths, elegant lighting, the list goes on and on. The average home site is on a 1/2 acre with hill country views! Most homes have 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, between 2,500-3,000 sq. ft. and priced in the $400,000's and is in the Steiner Ranch schools! The property tax rate is 2.586% still lower than a home bought inside the Steiner Ranch community. There are no amenities unlike Steiner Ranch which also means there is no HOA.

Looking at 2007 built homes in the Steiner Ranch community a 2,000-3,000 sq. ft. home, with granite and stainless steel appliances, in the $440,000, you get a townhouse and pay 3.2% property tax rate and a monthly $268 HOA. So you do the math, which one would you rather buy?

Fed cuts interest rates .5%

Let me repeat it. The Federal Reserve Board has announced on 9/18/2007 that they have cut the short term interest rate .5% or the current rate which is 4.75%. This is the government's way of fixing the current housing problems and economy. It is too soon to tell how this will affect the current Austin real estate market but I sure hope that it will bring out confidence to the public, hence, bringing out the motivated buyers. Come on out buyers and come to my Open House this weekend!

Silly or creative marketing?

A real estate agent must be creative to capture any audience. One should always think outside the box after all, why would I spend tons of money on advertising if it will look like another agent's marketing ad? This postcard was aimed to capture a buyer who is looking to buy a home and perhaps a potential buyer for a listing. But the fact is, the silliness of this ad reflects my personality and creativity. Silly or creative, I thought I'd post one of my marketing postcards on my blog. After all, who says I can't be BOTH silly and creative?

Hiking at Barton Creek

My family enjoys hiking when time permits. Now it is time to take Wilson, our new dog, on his first hiking trip. What better place to take him but Barton Creek? The first time we went on this hike was two years ago and we discovered this great swimming area for the kids. This time, we are well equipped with our bathing suits on hand. We took the short route to the swimming hole, a good 30 minute hike surrounded by lush vegetation, a site of cliff walls and waist high weeds. Finally, we walked down to the creek and spent a good 2 hours enjoying the warm water. With all the rain we have been getting, some areas of the creek were chest high. Speaking of rain, it will be a wet day again today.

Lake Travis ISD August Statistics

The numbers are out and this time around, alot better than last month. Residential sales in Lake Travis ISD is only down 6% compared to sales last August. The average sales price of homes sold in the Lake South MLS area are $425,942.

In the entire Austin, MLS, sales have dropped 17% in comparison to August 2006's residential sales.

SOURCE: Austin Board of Realtors as of 9/8/2007

July Central Texas Market News

According to the recent MLS report by the Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR), Central Texas market for existing single family homes remains healthy.

• Number of homes sold in July 2007 only fell 2 percent from July 2006.
• The median price increased 7 percent from last July to a record sales price of $190,000.
• Average days on market for homes are 55 days, down 7 percent from July 2006.
• Active listings has increased by 13 percent from July 2006 while new listings fell by 2 percent.
• Townhouse and condominium sales rose 17 percent from one year ago.
• The median price for townhouses and condominiums rose 36 percent from one year ago.

Lake Travis ISD makes Honor Roll

The Lake Travis View has reported that two Lake Travis ISD schools, namely, Lakeway Elementary and Lake Travis High School are among 385 public schools that have earned a spot on the Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) Honor Roll. Apparently, TBEC Honor Rolls is a prestigious award for sustained academic excellence in Texas. To obtain this award, a school must have demonstrated three years of consistent, high performance in all subjects compared to other Texas schools that are of similar student population.

In the 2006-2007 school year, Lakeway Elementary and Lake Travis High School earned Exemplary Ratings. Kudos to our Lakeway Elementary and Lake Travis High School staff, teachers and students! In behalf of Lake Travis ISD parents, thank you!

Austin in the Top 10 Lists

Austin, can you handle being in the top ten in several categories? Here are just a few reasons why people are relocating to our awesome city.

Top 10 Best Cities in 2006 reported by CNN Money.com
#2 Austin with a population of 690,300.

Top 10 Fitness Walking Cities in 2007 reported by About.com
#2 Austin

Reported by National Geographic Adventure's September 2007 issue, Top Cities
#3 Austin

Hottest Colleges in 2007 for Saving America's Schools reported by Newsweek
University of Texas - Austin

Austin Business Journal reports that according to AARP magazine for retirement-friendly community
#1 Austin

Cooking Light's Best Cities
#1 Austin

View another author's list where Austin ranks in the Top of the Charts for several other categories.