Alan In Austin: February 2008

It could Be as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Email: roundrockhomes@gmail.com for your Free Guide to Austin Living.

2.  Browse the Best Neighborhoods Austin Has To Offer.  http://austintexashomes.com/

3.  Get all the background information you need on my blog: http://activerain.com/alanmaz 

MARKET NEWS

Volume Decreases, Prices Increase

The final reports for the end of December '07 are in...Single Family home sales in Austin ended 8% lower in volume than 2006, but the median price of a home jumped 6% over last year. The following article sheds some interesting light on this...abor.com

The Looming Boom

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas is expecting a population increase of 10 million people between 2005 and 2030. Currently most of Texas' population resides within the Texas Triangle (located roughly just north of Dallas, just west of San Antonio, and just East of Houston) in urban areas, and the Census Bureau projects that most of our growth will likewise occur in this triangle, although rural areas will grow significantly, too.

Along with this population growth comes plenty of job growth. Texas is expected to add another 4.5 to 5.8 million jobs. This growth will be due in part to Texas' employment-friendly characteristics, like our ample supply of low-cost, non-union labor, continued importance of the energy industry, low business operating cost, and affordable housing.

Housing growth is expected to be one of the biggest growth stimulants for Texas. So far, Texas homes have remained affordable to home buyers, as compared to states like California and Florida. In mid 2007 the median price of  a home in was $151,000 and in California it was $589,000. The median family income in Texas was 152% of what was required to qualify for the median home in our state.

What does this mean to you? While the media claims we are on the verge of a major financial collapse, projections show that, at least over the next 20 years, Texas is still the place to be.

For the full article by  the Texas A&M Real Estate Center go to :

http://recenter.tamu.edu/pdf/1841.pdf

Rents are up in Austin

If you're a landlord in Austin, you are sitting pretty right now.  Rent rates are up $100+ over two years ago, and the occupancy rate is up to 96.6% from 94.4%.

This change is due in part to the tightening of the lending industry, which has hurt first time home buyers the most.  The job growth in our city has also boosted the rental market.

One article in the Austin American Statesman predicts that the rents will rise 5-6% this year.  So, if you're an investor looking for a property to buy, this is a great time. Apartment Rents on the Rise

I read a post yesterday that inspired this post. The post actually talked about how we deal with failure but it got me thinking a great deal about what we view as Success. As I write this post, I am celebrating a week away with my wife in Mexico. Don't worry this is my first and probably only post on vacation. It is in the evening and we are sipping coffee and watching TV. Better yet, I have her permission.

The measure of success for many all too often is MONEY!  Society seems to pay homage to dollar signs. A person is considered extremely successful if they have been able to acquire millions of those dollars. Here is a story I shared in brief as a comment to the afore-mentioned blog. It sums up how I feel about measuring success.

My wife and I are here in Mexico in a beautiful ground floor condo right on the beach. Just outside our sliding glass door is the Caribbean Ocean. We are here celebrating 25 years of success together as a couple. We left three wonderful children at home so we could be together. So far we have had a wonderful time.

Yesterday, we took a trip down the Rivera and made a stop at a beautiful resort location to spend most of our day. As the sun was starting to set we left to head back to our Condo in a town about 40 miles away.  As we drove out of the exit, we spotted a local. By his uniform you could tell he worked in the restaurant. He was waiting for a bus. The bus is not always on time and sometime does not show up at all. We invited him to ride with us. He was very grateful. He looked to be in his late 40's or early 50's. You could tell he was very tired. He had not been in the car long when he fell fast asleep. So did my wife. It was about 48 miles to his home and it took us about 16 miles out of our way to drop him off, but honestly it has been one of the highlights of our vacation.

 He awoke as we neared his home and was so very grateful for the ride. He has probably rarely been home that early. Both Michele and I felt we had succeeded. We felt like very successful people and we were not a penny richer. The measure of success to me is how much value I add not how much value I get.

Life is way to short to spend it angry. I get upset just like anyone else from time to time. Often, I look back later and realize it was foolish to be so upset over something so small.

It is important for me and for you not to MAJOR on the MINORS. The little things, like being cut off in traffic or having to stand in line or waiting an extra 4 minutes for our drink at Starbucks rather than the usual 30 to 45 seconds. Why bust a vessel over something so small.

SAVE THE RAGE! If you must get angry try focusing it on Government Waste of our taxes, Political correct police, people who are trying to steal from you, abuse your children emotionally.

LIFE IS SHORT. Best not to harbor your anger too long. I want people at my funeral even though I will not be there. I want them to have nice things to say about me and it occurs to me that there is still time for me to have an effect on their speeches.

So, today I choose not to be angry at anyone, to be quick to forgive and avoid being critical. See you at my funeral.

JANE AND HER SISTER SALLY WANTED TO GO ON VACATION. MOM AND DAD PROMISED THEM A GREAT VACATION IN AUSTIN TEXAS. SEE JANE GO TO AUSTIN, SEE SALLY GO TO AUSTIN. THEY ARE HAVING FUN, FUN, FUN!

FIRST THEY GO TO THE CAPITOL BUILDING. DAD BROUGHT HIS LAPTOP BECAUSE YOU GET FREE WIFI DOWN TOWN.

THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN! THE NEXT DAY THEY TOOK A TOUR OF AUSTIN ON THE DUCK BOAT!

 THE BOAT MAN LET SALLY DRIVE. WE HAD LUNCH AT A PLACE CALLED FLIP HAPPY CREPES. THE FOOD WAS GREAT! THEY SERVE FOOD FROM A TRAILER AND PEOPLE LINE UP ALL DAY TO HAVE A TASTE.

AUSTIN IS A FUN PLACE. THIS IS A MAP OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

THAT NIGHT WE WENT ON A BOAT CRUISE AT LAKE TRAVIS. SALLY SAID AUSTIN IS BEAUTIFUL.

I love watching Will Ferrel in action. Just looking at him makes me laugh. His Movies are great comedy. Saturday night live has not been the same without him. If you did not see his movie "Stranger than Fiction" you should rent it. Although we see him in this movie in an unfamiliar role as a more serious than funny man. He does an outstanding job.

Will made it to Austin Texas. Could it be time for you to take a look?

Actor/comedian Will Ferrell was in Austin Saturday for a stop on a press tour of the movie "Semi-Pro," starring Ferrell, Woody Harrelson and Andre Benjamin. See Thursday's Diversions for details.

What can you buy in Austin for under $400,000,00? Here is a great listing in Avery ranch in North Austin. The location is a much sought after one that puts you in great proximity of the University and downtown. Great golf course and wonderful master planned community.

TALK ABOUT POLITICS AND CAMPS WILL DIVIDE. The right move right the Left move left and is there a middle?

 It is certainly populated. It is difficult to imagine there could be a middle ground when the subject is not Republican or Democrat but rather Conservative or Liberal.

The republican party does not have a monopoly on conservatism nor does the Democrats party have a monopoly on Liberalism. Both parties have broad appeal for a variety of reasons.

Conservative and Liberal are for the most part on extreme opposites. In order to find a common middle it would be necessary to be somewhat indifferent to some very dividing issues.

 I am not encouraged by those who want to lead from the middle. It would inspire me more if that leader had deep uncompromising convictions and values. This election may pit a middle leader against a liberal.

If that is the case, will it make it more difficult for you to go to the Polls this November?

     Got cha! Good title isn't it. In our home we use the term "train wreck" to describe the kids rooms or the game room or at times the kitchen. We usually follow up the usage of the term of some hard work to improve the situation or clean the room.

My wife and I have been very busy lately and so Our bedroom has been a bit neglected (which is not normal, my wife is a clean freak).

My son entered the room the other day as we were getting ready to run out the door. He just shook his head and said: "What a train wreck,"

I had to laugh at the irony of the boy who never makes his bed or picks up his clothes or is able to find two clean socks because he discards them when he gets home from school all over the house, standing in my room shaking his head. Ha.

Okay, now for a practical and funny look at some of our human train wrecks...

 -preferring talent over integrity of character

 -Buying a big dog, 3 cats and a bird and moving into a condo with no yard.

 -Putting a screen door on a submarine. Don't laugh it keeps the fish out.

 -lending family money and being mad when we do not get it back

 -Doing things the same way and expecting the results to be different.

 You probably have some of your own. Include them in your comments. Have fun.

The growth in the Austin Texas area is not just population there is a great deal of Job creation. Check out this recent Article:

Magazine: Texas No. 1 in economic development

Austin Business Journal

Texas is getting top economic development honors from a publication that informs and tracts corporate relocations.

Based on a state-by-state survey of economic development deals over the last 12 months, Business Facilities magazine named Texas--with a total of $15.4 billion in investment and 9,335 jobs to be created from new projects--its State of the Year for 2007.

States were asked to submit information on their five largest economic development projects by both job creation and total investment over the last year. Twenty-six states completed surveys and Texas was far and away the leader, according to Business Facilities.

The five projects Texas entered for expansion were Rackspace Managed Hosting with 5,000 jobs; Fidelity Investments, with 1,535 jobs; Maxim Integrated Products, with 1,000 jobs; Fluor Corp. (NYSE: FLR), with 1,000 jobs; and Dimensional Fund Advisors, with 800 jobs.

The top five Texas projects by investment were Motiva Enterprises, with $7 billion; NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE: NRG), with $5.4 billion; Eastman Chemical Co. (NYSE: EMN), with $1.6 billion; Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT), with $985 million; and CitiCorp, with $450 million.

Looking for a great job or a new place to locate your business check out Austin Texas.

Learn more:  or email me at: roundrockhomes@gmail.com

ROUND ROCK TEXAS REAL ESTATE.

The market in Round Rock is still a very hot market place. This City is currently at 95000 in population and is projected to top 250000 in the next five years. This is a great investment market as well as a great place to live. Want to learn more about Round Rock? Check out my blog.

Alan Kirkpatrick, Realtor

Austin Texas Homes LLC.

fax 512-514-1926

office 512-709-3336

roundrockhomes@gmail.com

http://alanmaz.actris.mlxchange.com/