Now we don't take this lightly since WomenCo. sounds pretty dang official and after reading the list to see who Austin was compared to, we have to agree.

Their rankings were based on "cities' growth rates, average salaries and costs of living," and they even factored in average commute time, which, according to experts, has a colossal impact on your overall happiness. The survey also used unemployment figures, and the rate that unemployment has actually increased since February 2008."

Austin topped the list with projected job growth and had one of the lowest changes in unemployment rate since the onset of the recession.

The city has enjoyed a recent explosion of high-tech entrepreneurism, and its two largest employers — the state government and the University of Texas — are expected to add a couple thousand jobs this year.

We are veterans when it comes to #1 reasons for moving to Austin but I stop short at using the word "recession proof."

I do want to thank WomenCo for coming up with this most informative list and verifying what many of us already know.

Austin Rocks!

And why do men come to Austin ..... 'cause the women are here.

The Mueller project is perfectly positioned to become an energetic new hub for central Austin. The transit-oriented design of this new community includes a broad range of homes plus places to shop, dine, jog, bike and play. When complete, Mueller will have more than 10,000 residents, 10,000 jobs and 140 acres of green space. It has been chosen as the site for the 2009 Austin Parade of Homes presented by the Home Builders Association (HBA) of greater Austin.

Mueller residents will enjoy a lifestyle full of choices that won't involve getting in their cars. Muellers parks, trails and open space weave through the community, establishing a native, local eco-system that will bring outdoor recreation and education options to the residents, employees and neighbors of this new eco-centric community.

In fact, some 20 percent of the neighborhood will be dedicated to parkland and open space, and every resident will live less than 600 feet away from a community green space.

The 711-acre Mueller site, vacated when Austin's airport relocated in 1999, is well on its way to becoming home to approximately 10,000 people, 10,000 permanent employees, and 10,000 construction jobs. Besides the 140 acres dedicated to public open space, there will be:

* 5 miles of new hike and bike paths.

* 4,600 single-family, condo or apartment homes.
(25 percent reserved for affordable housing.)

* A town center with cafes, shops, plazas and live/work spaces
(30 percent locally-owned businesses.)
- Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas (open)
- The University of Texas Medical Research Campus
- Austin Film Studios (open)
- Austin Children's Museum (opening soon)

This should become a community "gold standard" that will bring together the efforts of some visionary citizens with extensive goals towards housing and economic planning for Austin.

How many ways can a creative spin be put on this old marketing standby?

Low interest rates and available inventory might be a hard sell in 2009 unless we shift the point of sale. Here's a new approach, although tongue in cheek.

With an economic collapse looming on the horizon, more and more people will find it necessary to become self sufficient and resourceful when it comes to the protection of their assets. Day to day life trends will change and basic needs for survival will become paramount. Food and shelter will become integrated into a self-sufficient philosophy.

If food becomes scarce in a chaotic society, the self sufficient will begin to grow their own food. This will be necessary because corporate based food supplies will become less and less reliable. Wind farms and other cost effective sources of power will be the norm as Americans return to a long forgotten pioneer spirit.

The spin .... Buying a home with a little acreage is a necessity and makes more sense when compared to "close in living." Now the American Dream is all about self-sufficiency and survival.

So, invest in your future .... Go Country.

I have already begun my campaign for the search term "farm and ranch homes."

Good luck Realtors ... Happy Holidays!

Well for starters, you move there ... and you call the city your home.

That's the easy part ! Who wouldn't want to live in a city that boasts
300 days of yearly sunshine, sparkling lakes, "round the clock"
entertainment and a unique way of life that is described as "Austin Style."

No, my tribute had to draw parallels to the city's uniqueness. It had to be on
a scale much like the Ancients of Rome had done when they chronicled
their greatness by erecting the Seven Wonders of the World.

So here is my tribute ......

A satirical city glimpse called the Seven Wonders of Austin.

Not just a attitude piece, but a city showcase of some of the things that
promote the feeling you get by living here and being a part of the mystique.

There was a reason that Austin was chosen to be the capital of Texas, and
it remains to be the shining star of the Lone Star State.

Despite the recent doom and gloom real estate predictors, we still remain
one of the brightess spots in the national housing market.

How's your city doing? Post your tribute here.

He told me of a client who had contacted him with an all too familiar story. A seller, after what seemed a long seven month listing period, was not satisfied with the level of marketing success afforded him by his previous listing agent - even though they were considered to be a top local marketer.

Long story short, Stan took over the listing - made two simple changes - and sold it in 50 days. What were these simple yet powerful changes he made .......

Market Focus:
He looked at earlier efforts made and found them to be rather academic in nature. The home had been on numerous luxury tours, some open houses and ads placed in the newspaper. Unfortunately, all in vain, as the showings were minimal, and the seller never received an offer.

The flyer used was filled with redundant comparisons such as: excellent schools; convenient shopping, and all the other “me toos,” but failed to mention the homes most outstanding attribute. It was a unique feature that no other listing in the neighborhood could match, yet it was not made a prominent focus point in the overall marketing efforts.

Market Strategy:
As we know, the key to good marketing is to promote that which cannot be easily matched by others. What was so compelling about this property that made it such a promotable commodity? Well, instead of sitting on the ordinary “subdivision” lot, it was sitting on an intoxicatingly beautiful five-acre lot.

So, the headline on the new ad just read: Tired of seeing expensive homes on tiny lots?

A conclusion was made that the prospective buyer would probably be from out of town because, at the time, people were moving here from California and Florida and grabbing up real estate like monkeys at a fig festival. We had to get the message to the right buyer.

Luxury Homes on the Internet:
As we now had the proper market focus, and we had identified the most likely buyer, we just had to go and find him - or more appropriately - he had to find us. Besides the usual MLS and agent web site listings, there was a need to more properly showcase this unique home to put it ahead of all the rest.

Stan, who brought the “Madison Avenue Selling Approach” to Austin, listed the property as described above, and allowed us to showcase the home on the Austin Real Estate Network.

He chose our network, not only because of its outstanding search engine positioning in the luxury home arena, but the exposure it provided to those people relocating to Austin. It proved to be the extra muscle needed to reach his customer.

As luck would have it, a buyer who was relocating from California to Austin found the home on our website, contacted Stan and bought the house. To quote Stan, “It worked to perfection.”

Remember, like we always say They will look until they find it, so make it easy for them.

Buyers and Sellers of real estate have similar buttons (other than the price point) and they need pushing too. Realtors are attempting to push those buttons.

A home that sells for at least $750,000 is considered to be a luxury home. This pricing range has always been an active one here in Austin because of the abundance of successful and affluent people that live here.

Realtors, who want to attract this demographic, must rely heavily on the Internet because they know this is the most likely search source medium used by this up-scale client. In fact, 80% of all real estate transactions begin with an Internet search.

Realtors use this medium because it gives them an arena in which to display, not only their market expertise, but a visual conception of the type of marketing efforts they put forth on their clients behalf.

Up-scale properties necessitate unique marketing. Waterfront homes, homes on golf courses, or ranch homes with large acreage, all require specialized knowledge.

So, besides the emotional buttons that can be pushed with an excellent Internet presentation, they have the opportunity to show how they have earned their special designation within this special home market and how their expertise can benefit the buyer/seller.

Realtors continually strive to position themselves and their clients in the “Top Page” position of the major search engines. These search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns can last for up to a year or more. Even then, some never achieve this very elusive status.

All is not lost, however, as superior positioning is available to them by utilizing a different approach.

Like well positioned billboards on major highways, real estate showplaces have already carved out these “Top Page” positions for luxury homes, golf homes, waterfront homes, as well as, farm and ranch properties on the major search engines.

Through exclusive showcase arrangements, Realtors are being offered a unique and proven “gateway channeling” format that can provide a simple way to gain exposure in these crowded arenas.

With the cost of search engine marketing (SEM) today, coupled with the time and effort to achieve a high profile on the Internet, this alternative strategy provides a good balance in the economies of scale and should be considered in any marketing program.

Remember, people will continually look for what they seek ….. until they find it.

Any successful marketing campaign has an obligation to push certain buttons. The audience has certain expectations, and to be successful, it must deliver on those expectations. But what about that 800 lb. Gorilla ? … more on that in a moment.

Lets start a marketing campaign by creating a Blog. Lets couple it with some creative search engine optimization techniques plus, initiate a pay per click program or wait - dare we resort to a viral marketing scheme.

While many may perceive these methods more as an art form rather than a science, the fact of the matter is, once you master them they can be used over and over. They are only economically viable if and when they can be compared to successful results. Learning how to implement these strategies successfully will take a lot of time and study, plus some very strategic planning.

Button #1 - Exploit the motivations and behavior of the audience.

Curiosity … yeah, thats the ticket. It works great on cats and it is still one of the strongest behavioral traits that entice people to be message receptive. However, when its done on the web, it is called link-baiting. Nevertheless, it is still an extremely powerful tool when used cleverly and it can be an effective form of “Guerrilla Marketing.

No, not a 800 lb. Gorilla, but …Ill get to that later …..

Button #2 Make use of existing communications networks used by targeted customers.

There is no shortage of these networks to utilize. In fact, there is an endless array of directories, top ten lists, blog-rolls, and social networks, etc. all waiting for the chance to list your blog. Most of these networks perform their respective functions well, and by doing so, continues to feed the ever-increasing appetites of the blog junkies.

Likewise, there is no shortage of blogs about Austin, especially when it comes to the subject of Real Estate.

But, that stands to reason because this is one of the coolest towns in America. A lot of smart people have found that out … and moved here. So this brings us to ...

Button #3 Successful campaigns offer something of value ….. for FREE !

So what did you get for free here?

(1) A couple of examples of various forms of marketing on the Internet.

(2) A glimpse of one of the coolest towns in American.

(3) And, you can Go Here for the answer to the Simian Teaser.