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Hey everyone, I hope that the new year is treating you and yours well. Here's to a prosperous and exciting 2009! Best Wishes, Joe Austin Real Estate | Austin Texas Real Estate Read Full Post

It used to be that remodeling a kitchen was expensive and if you wanted to go green, you thought it would cost more. The true is that going green in the kitchen is more affordable than not going green. Now, you can afford a green kitchen on a tight remodeling budget. The three things to consider when going green in the kitchen are whether the product is a regional product, the emissions and the materials. For those who want to remodel a kitchen and use all recycled materials, there is a way t... Read Full Post

You’ve got a house or an apartment or a cottage in your backyard practically begging for a renter. You’ve already got the sign in a window “Space for Rent,” and you’ve listed the place with a real estate agent. People are knocking on your door, ready to sign. But before you hand over the keys, or even the pen, make sure you do your homework. If you don’t, if you simply pick the first candidate without much thought, you could very easily find yourself in a giant mess. You could ren... Read Full Post

According to a report made by the National Association of Realtors said Friday existing home sales fell again this month. When comparing the monthly totals between April 2007 and 2008 the average price for existing home sales fell 8%. This makes the second largest decline in price, in current recorded history. Current predictions indicate the decline is not over, which will leave single-family homes on the market for long periods of time. Again reemphasizing this is a buyers market. Currently... Read Full Post

How do you keep the economy growing? How do you create a community or city that continues to thrive, bursting at the seams begging for more room, more people, more opportunity? You keep the markets moving. You encourage people to buy and sell. You find ways to make those actions more feasible. You help the citizens of that specific area. You don’t deter them. You don’t place a mountain of paperwork, technicalities and fees in front of them. It’s common sense, but apparently, common sens... Read Full Post

I was interested to see how the US fared in comparison to other nations in terms of our eco-friendliness in building when I came across this press release. It's from a UK production builder that has achieved the highest rating of the country's green building code with one of it's new homes. I'm not exactly sure how the US and UK levels align or compare (and would welcome more information from someone who does know how they compare), but the other interesting thing I learned was that the new h... Read Full Post

Ok. Well maybe it's not carnage, but I lost two trees in my yard. My neighbor lost two trees, that fell into and crushed my fence. I also got a picture of a piece of hail that bounced off my car and landed in the garage where I was watching the storm from. Check these out. Many of our neighbors fared much worse so I guess it wasn't that bad, but man it felt like my house was going to take off like the one in Wizard of Oz. Joe Check out Joe's Walsh Ranch Homes for Sale in Round Rock Texas. Joe... Read Full Post

I wanted to help get the word out about this so I'm posting the email I got from TREPAC. I already sent emails to the city council. I encourage all Austin homeowners and agents to do the same if you have not already. You can check out the site at http://www.keepaustinaffordable.com If you are in another part of the country, send me a note or comment if you've had a similar ordinance and can give me some data on how it affected your market. Joe ------------------- Dear Austin Realtor Keep Aust... Read Full Post

Eighteen years ago, Dr. Donald G. Mack of Shreveport, LA, proposed a raffle to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The prize: a house. The idea seemed a bit far fetched, but the hospital board members were willing to give it a try and tentatively agreed to it. When it was a success, they continued with the raffle the next year and the year after that, garnering more and more attention with each drawing, until today when the raffle has stretched beyond citywide to nationwi... Read Full Post

When the Apprentice first began and Donald Trump weeded through a handful of entrepreneurs in an attempt to find one who could serve his company well, you watched knowing that in a competition of realtors, you would undoubtedly win. You have skill, experience and know-how. You have a drive that compels you to sell. Papers are signed more often on your desk than on any other realtor’s in the office. You are the best, and you would love to prove it. Well, here’s your chance. The Coldwell Ba... Read Full Post