Happy Memorial Day to all, espcially the veterans who have bravely served our country on the front lines of freedom and to the families of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. On a lighter note today is the man who is building medieval castle in the Ozarks. Not only he is building it, but he is building it with only the tools available in the 13th century. Here is the full story from the Wall Street Journal. We don't have a lot of castles in the Austin area, but here is the list of houses on the market that … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2010
Susan Fambrough Named Principal of Steiner Ranch Elementary
Leander ISD announced that Susan Fambrough has been hired as principal of Steiner Ranch Elementary School. She currently serves as principal of North Elementary School in the Breckenridge ISD (located about 100 miles west of Ft. Worth). She started teaching in 1995 in the Dallas area. In 1998, she came to the Austin area to teach in the Pflugerville ISD, eventually becoming the public relations coordinator, assistant principal, then served as an acting principal. Prior to being the principal at North, she was a … [Read more...]
Act Fast – Price Cut on Every House in the MLS
Imagine if every house in the MLS had a price reduction at the same time. Would that give you an incentive to buy one? What if I told you that the price cuts wouldn't last and would soon be back to their original price - would that get you motivated? Well, with an unexpected drop in mortgage rates, it is as if every house for sale in Austin, Texas just had a price cut. As recently as a few weeks ago, the general consensus was that interest rates were going to steadily rise this year, getting up to the 6% range. … [Read more...]
April 2010 Housing Stats
The April housing statistics were released today (the national numbers are provided by the National Association of Realtors while the Texas numbers are from The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University). Nationally, the numbers show a 7.6% increase in the number of homes sold compared to March 2010. On a year-over-year basis, the number of homes sold in April 2010 increased by 22.8% over April 2010. Obviously, the end of the buyer tax credits on April 30th contributed heavily to the increase in sales. 49% … [Read more...]
Randalls Is Coming to Steiner Ranch
(To see a video on this project, read a more recent post on this subject at http://www.RealEstateInAustin.com/Blog/Quinlan-Crossings-Overview-Video-Randalls-at-Steiner-Ranch) The long-rumored addition of Randalls to Steiner Ranch was formally announced this week. Safeway (which own's Randalls) disclosed that they are purchasing 61 acres at the southwest corner of Quinlan Park Road and Highway 620 (this is the side closest to the Mansfield Dam at the main Steiner entrance). Construction is scheduled to start in … [Read more...]
Time Is Running Out to Protest Your Tax Assessment
The property tax assessment protest season is in full swing. Last week I hosted two workshops on how to lower your appraisals. I provided data on over 60 properties to folks who attended and the early results are starting to come in - and things are positive for homeowners. First of all, the wait times at the Travis Central Appraisal District have been minimal, if at all. Now, today is the last day for walk-in, informal appointments so if you haven't gone by now, you'll need to file your protest notice in order to … [Read more...]
Meet Joe Ciccarelli, New Four Points Middle School Principal
Four Points Middle School is holding a meet-and-greet on Tuesday, May 18 at 6:30, for incoming students and their parents. Joe Ciccarelli, the principal, and the members of his staff who have been hired so far will be on hand to meet everyone. The event will be held in the school cafeteria and light refreshments will be provided. Four Points Middle School is located at 9700 McNeil Drive in Austin. RSVPs to fpms@leanderisd.org are appreciated. To view the homes currently for sale that will be within the Four … [Read more...]
Neighborhood Home Sale Prices for April
I've just updated the Neighborhood Home Sale Data for April. If you would like to view information on sold homes, this is the place to do so. Addresses, sold prices, bedrooms, bathrooms, size, and more are available free of charge. Summary data is available, too. I currently track over 80 neighborhoods in Austin and Cedar Park with more being added each month. To take a look at the information, visit www.RealEstateInAustin.com/Neighborhood-Sales-Data. And don't forget to attend one of my property tax … [Read more...]
Property Tax Assessment Protest Workshops
It's that time of year again! Residents of both Travis and Williamson counties should have received their 2010 property assessment letters by now. If you think that your assessment is too high, plan to attend one of two property tax protest workshops next week. I'll review the procedures for the informal and formal protest process. Everyone who attends will receive the comparable sale information needed to make a protest. Tuesday, May 11 at 7:00pm at the River Place Country Club Thursday, May 13 at 7:00pm at … [Read more...]