I love this guy: Fresh Roasted Coffee Delivered to Central Austin Homes

One of my happiest moments of each month is when this guy, "Robby", shows up at my house on his scooter with 2 pounds of freshly roasted French Roast coffee beans. Freshly roasted... as in "within hours"... and I have to say - this coffee tastes incredibly better than any of the coffee I have been bringing home from Whole Foods or Central Market since forever. Plus, 10% of all proceeds go to Hope House, an orphanage in northern Uganda

Give it a whirl. Pilot House Coffee

Austin Real Estate Update - All Good Signs

Yes, this is a random photo of a caged canary...but get it? Maybe the bird is thinking about moving to a new home...

According to Austin Board of Realtors, pending sales contracts on Austin homes in January 2009 are up by 11%. This is likely just a natural surge resulting from the virtual halt on business in November and December [thanks credit freeze]... still though, that's a compelling statistic that buyers are apparently out there, taking advantage of the "buyer's market".

Other good news, in January 2009, new listings on the Austin MLS are down 4%, keeping the inventory of residential real estate at a healthy level. (about 8500 homes, just shy of 6 months of inventory) Remember, 6 months of inventory is an equilibrium between a seller's/buyer's market.

What's selling? Homes priced at or below market...and selling surprisingly fast.

It's real estate. The market goes up. It goes down. It's a buyers' market. Don't be afraid. If you are selling: acknowledge that it's a buyers market and market accordingly. If you are buying: embrace the scene and enjoy.

Latest Austin Real Estate Market Statistics

Here are the latest stats on the Austin real estate market for the month of December 2008. Thanks to Alamo Title for compiling and sharing.

Units for Sale in Austin: (compared to December 2007)
New listings were down 12.84%.
Pendings were up 34.86%.
Solds decreased by 16.01%.

Average Austin Real Estate Prices:
The "New Listings" average list price is up 2.36% to 300,316. In December 2007 the average list price was $293,392.
Sold average sales prices decreased 5.66% to $238,867. For December 2007 it was $253,205.

Active Listings
We had 9,929 active listings during the same week in 2007. Today there is 10,097 active listings. That is 3.78% increase from last year. Total inventory for Austin area MLS is 5.77 months - still hovering at the equilibrium between buyer/seller market.

What's Selling in Austin

For the first part of 2008, sales volume here in Austin was on par with 2004 sales volume. This made sense given that 2005, 2006, and first half of 2007 were booming markets and of course our local market would reflect the national economic decline on some level. However, during the last few months, our 2008 sales volume has gone and slipped to below 2004 levels.

Source: Alamo Title

So now, you would think – there must be some great deals out there! Right? Well – the answer is sometimes. Even with the local slow down, quality houses that are priced and marketed right are selling very quickly here in Austin. On average, houses are selling for 95% of list price. My last listing sold in 10 days at 98% of list price. The biggest discounts are on new construction homes from builders or homes priced over $700K (which are NOT selling fast). So, if you find a house and you want to make an offer, definitely go low with your offer, but don’t expect gigantic discounts.

With that in mind, if you are thinking about listing your Austin home for sale this spring, in today’s market you must pull out all the stops. The MLS listing, a sign in the yard, and an open house are really only the beginning. To sell at the maximum price in minimum amount of time, you must make your home as competitive as possible. Do not overprice “just to see what you can get”. Choose an agent who implements progressive marketing strategies including blogging, Facebook, Craigslist, Zillow, Trulia, virtual home tours, and customized websites. I personally syndicate my listings on over 30 websites. Staging and presentation of the home are also more important than ever. Finally, your agent should be providing you with constant feedback as to what potential buyers are saying when they tour your home.

Below are some example SOLD properties from the month of December to give you an idea.

SOLD IN 9 DAYS – 99% OF LIST PRICE
1809 Rockmoor Ave: Original List price $549,950, Sold Price $545,000
Immaculately updated, unique property located in MLS area 1A within walking distance to Lake Austin. 2 bed/ 2bath, 2020 square feet, .25 acres; 9 days on market

SOLD IN 45 DAYS – 95% OF LIST PRICE
5915 Rickerhill: Original List Price $264,900, Sold Price $250,000
Cute little Circle C home with 4 bed/2 baths, 2091 square feet, .19 acres, 45 days on market

SOLD IN 9 DAYS – 97% OF LIST PRICE
700 Jessie Street: Original List Price $450,000, Sold price $438,500
Beautifully staged, fully updated with modern design located in MLS Area 7 (south Austin), 3 bed/2bath, 1370 square feet + bonus building, .21 acres; 9 days on market

SOLD IN ZERO DAYS – 91% OF LIST PRICE
1007 Arcadia: Original List price $175K, Sold Price $160K
Handyman special located in MLS area 2; 3 bed/ 1 bath, 1692 square feet, .17 acre lot

SOLD IN 742 DAYS – 75% OF LIST PRICE - $1 MILLION PRICE REDUCTION!
4708 Mirador: Original List price $4,495,000, Sold Price $3,400,000 (included $350K in non real estate items)
Custom built new construction located on 5 acres in MLS area W; 5 bed/ 5 baths/3 half baths, 8650 square feet

SOLD IN 15 DAYS – 83% OF LIST PRICE
800 E. 451/2 Street: Original List Price $299,000, Sold price $250,000
Cute 1939 bungalow with hardwood floors, original tile bathrooms, kitchen and detached 1 car garage located in north Hyde Park, 2 bed/1 bath, 1056 square feet, .18 acre lot

Giving Kids

Adults often pose the question "What is Santa Clause bringing you for Christmas?" to my very priveledged preschooler. She is quick to answer - spouting off a detailed list of many fantastic toys. It never crosses her mind that other children (and pets for that matter) are not blessed with the same loving, bountiful home life as she. While trying to instill compassion and giving in my daughter, I have been seeking out simple, easy ways around town where my daughter can give to others not quite as fortunate as herself. Here are a few ideas I came up with.

Donations to the Homeless Animals. Townlake Animal Shelter accepts lots of in-kind donations including food, toys, blankets, and towels. Since the baby doll blankets were really accumulating around my house anyway, we decided to take a tall stack of them down to the shelter. This was a double wammy act of kindness as it also teaches appreciation for her own dog who could also use additional love and kisses around here.

Pull Tabs for Ronald McDonald House. Let your Coc-a-cola and beer drinking go to a good cause this month (and every month) while your kids collect pull tabs for RMDH. RMDH provides housing for out of town families whose children are receiving medical treatment at local medical facilities. The pull tabs are recycled and proceeds go to RMDH in continuing their efforts. Pull tabs can be dropped off at the Ronald McDonald House in the new Mueller development - 1315 Barbara Jordan Blvd.

Good ol' Goodwill Donations. My little girl and I sort through toys and throw the ones she wants to give away into a box. Even when she struggles internally to let go of a particular toy, I see the compassion in her eyes as she reflects on the little girl or boy who needs it worse than her. We go drop them off at the Goodwill together. When you buy or donate to Goodwill you are contributing to Goodwill's mission of preparing individuals for job success.

If you think of any other ways kids can give of themselves, please feel free to send a comment.

Condo Projects that Look/Act Like Houses in Central Austin?

$325K Watson St. - near Crestview Station

Wondering about the large number of 2 unit detached condo projects in Central Austin. These are new construction properties that look like single family homes, but that are technically classified and sold as condominiums. This is happening quite a bit in Central Austin where land is becoming increasingly scarce and builders buy one full size lot, tear down the existing structure and put two, even bigger properties on the lot. The builder may subdivide the lot and classify the dwellings as single family homes, however, sometimes the lot size is too small to qualify the dwelling as a single family home. In addition, even if the lot is big enough to qualify as a single family home, the builder has to go through a public hearing to subdivide the property and may be met with adversity from neighbors and neighborhood associations in some of these older Austin neighborhoods. In this case, the builder may prefer to create a condo project, which is just a administrative legal process.

These properties can be wonderful: exquisitely designed, well constructed, close to downtown, well priced, etc. Overall, precisely what you are looking for in a new home. However, before you buy, there are a couple of things to know about these properties before you consider buying one.

1. Mandatory COA: Even though there are just 2 units, there will have to be a COA, which is a legal entity. The COA should have a budget that pays for common grounds liability insurance and tax preparation, at minimum. Be sure that the money you are paying to the COA goes to something of value. As one of the owners, you will be an officer in the COA and have 50% voting rights. If you and your neighbor do not agree on something 100%, then nothing happens. Either everyone agrees or disagrees.

2. Perceived Market Value: Most home buyers are searching for "houses" to buy and therefore, there is a lower perceived value in a condo vs. a single family home. This may be a problem when you go to resell your property. It will actually be listed as a "condo" in the MLS and may not even pop up in potential home buyers' searches.

3. Condo Financing: The underwriting requirements for financing a condominium is changing and financing is getting tougher to obtain as time goes on. Some federally backed loan programs will not finance a condo project that is not at least 50% owner occupied. If your neighboring condo is owned by an investor, it may be difficult for you to find a buyer who can buy your condo with conventional financing when you go to resell.

Some additional condo projects in Central Austin:

$399K Alegria St. - Crestview Area

$325K 2nd St - East Austin

$275K Stacy Ln - 78704

Alyson Fox @ Kick Pleat Tonight

This evening from 5 - 7 pm I am heading over with two girlfriends to a special Alyson Fox event at lovable neighborhood boutique - Kick Pleat on 12th and Lamar,near Clarkesville. On sale will be limited edition Alyson Fox prints from $50 - $75. Oh -- and Kick Pleat will be on sale! 15% off of everything.

Alyson Fox, multi-talented Austin artist...with a seemingly endless capability to create marvelously chic "stuff" including: illustrations, textiles, photographs, and clothes...will have on sale this evening a collection of prints, ideal for framing for yourself or for gifts.

Last Day for East Austin Studio Tour

I was fortunate enough to get out and visit several of the studios on the East Austin Studio Tour yesterday afternoon. Today is the last day, but if you get the chance...here are the studios I visited and loved the most. If you have never done the East Austin Studio Tour... you really, really should take advantage of this opportunity to visit with artists directly and snap up some amazing works of arts at surprisingly affordable prices.

#2 Karen Saenz - Amazing oil paintings of dreamlike scenes that make you feel like you are really there. http://www.karensaenz.com/

#16 Fisterra Studio - Painter Jennifer Chenoweth and sculptor Todd Campbell merge art, architecture, function, and nature throughout their 101 year old studio/home. This was by far my favorite! http://www.fisterrastudio.com/ I just read on their site that Jennifer Chenoweth will also help you choose paint colors for your home... need to give her a call but, sadly, I know my home still won't look nearly as cool and fabulous as hers.

#30 Dog House Studios - A collective studio including work from 3 truly inspiring, provoking painters Karen Maness, Jennifer Balkan , Pablo Taboada.

#4 Bright Studio - lots of affordable yummy things for the home in this studio featuring the works of Brenna Byerlotzer, Heather Parrish and Anna Swanson. Brenna and Anna form textile design company Margret Helene. Heather utilizes just about everything she can in her art. Her works include but are not limited to: large woodblock prints, sculpture, and drawings.

Rare Modern Rehab Opportunity in Tarrytown

Just happened upon this little diamond in the rough...wasting away in Tarrytown with [apparently] no one to love it. Has been on the market 150 days.

Built in 1961, this modern home sits on a massive .28 acre lot, just 2 blocks from Lake Austin. It's boasts 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, and $3395 square feet. Needs a complete makeover, but the bones and raw design of the home, indicative of the era, are in good shape and hard to find in such condition. Great light. Great layout.

Seller says "bring all offers"....

Race for the Cure This Weekend

I am looking forward to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this weekend. If you haven't already registered, you can register here. I am participating in the UNTIMED 5K. Starting line is on 1st street, just north of Riverside... bright and early Sunday morning at 8 AM (8:15 for UNTIMED). Don't forget about daylight savings... yuck.

Oh...and there is actually an option for "Sleep In for the Cure". ...You can donate $50.00 and get a t-shirt that says you slept in... I see no shame in that. !!

East Austin - Rated Top 15 by Businessweek.com

Businessweek.com names East Austin as one of the top 15 “up and coming” neighborhoods to buy into now, while it’s still cheap.

According to Businessweek.com, the hot places to buy in today’s soft real estate market are “urban areas in transition”. i.e. the Soho and Venice Beaches of 10 years ago. The easiest way to find these areas is to follow the artists. Artists “often set the stage for redevelopment, and home buyers who follow their lead can sometimes get in while real estate prices are affordable. Over time, the abandoned warehouses artists occupy become gorgeous lofts and studios, and gritty neighborhoods transform into trendy communities with an edge. That's when the investors, developers, and wealthy buyers arrive, pushing up rents and displacing the artists who are then forced to set out for the next undesirable neighborhood. It's a cycle that has repeated itself for decades, in cities across the nation.”

In Austin, the artist community has honed in on East Austin and the result is a thriving real estate market ideal for early adopters and investors. Many artist collectives like the Pump Project and the East Austin Studio Tour set down roots here a couple years back and with them came the arrival of trendy coffee shops, restaurants, and boutiques…all of which continue to grow in number in East Austin. If you haven’t spent time in East Austin recently, take a trip and visit Manor Road, E. 11th Street, and E. 6th Street where you will find lively, urban, modern communities of young Austinites living and loving their little secret slice of Austin.

The “hottest” zip codes are 78722 and 78702, although don’t overlook 78723 which also has prime, close-in properties for a great price. Within East Austin, there are tiny micro-neighborhoods, each exuding its own quirky personality, including the Holly Street District, the French Legation, the East End, Swede Hill, East 6th, French Place, Cherrywood, and Delwood.

Click here for full story at Businessweek.com.

Here are just a few of the current deals to be had in East Austin... Contact me for more info (email address at bottom of this page!).

$230,000 - NEW on market this week; 1950s home in original condition on large .19 acre lot in well established neighborhood of Shceiffer place. Walking distance to Patterson Park, Mueller, and Manor Road. Screaming for a make-over - the home has original wood floors, easy cosmetic fixes, central heat/air, giant oak tree in back yard. Lot next door is empty...no neighbors! 3 bed / 2 bath / 1357 sf.

$239,000 - Updated 1940s house and garage apartment on ENORMOUS .42 acre lot! Walking distance to Manor Road and bus line. 3 bed / 2bath / 1930 sf.

$244,900 - Delwood 1949 bungalow on large .21 acre treed lot...adjacent to Mueller development. Designer interior...oodles of mid-century charm and style. 2 bed / 1 bath / 1028 sf.

Thursday is 99 cent day at SAVERS

If you are a little bit thrifty and you subscribe to the idea of reusing and conserving in this age of mass consumerism --- then you gotta go to Savers. Savers is the department store of thrift stores, two locations in Austin (Burnet & North Loop, South Lamar & Hwy 70). Thursdays is the best day to go when they designate one color of tag throughout the store as 99 cents. ...and you can walk out of there with some seriously great finds like brand new tennis shoes for the kids, a television, or some groovy boots for yourself. Plus, shopping at Savers teaches our kids to reuse and conserve...which is the best message of all.

DinoLand Adventures

Do not be afraid. This T-Rex is not real. It was opening weekend of "DinoLand" at Zilker Botanical Gardens this weekend...and we went with the kiddos and some friends (who also had kiddos). I have to say, I really wouldn't recommend going to this exhibit if you DIDN'T have kiddos. There were kiddos and babies everywhere.

The dinos are nestled among the gardens and peak out every now and then. No dramatic effects...just life size dinosaurs. There was a pretty cool "DinoMan" show in the rose garden that was entertaining, but a little too advanced for our tots who are still preschool age. If you have grade school age kids, I would definitely try and make that. Overall, a nice way to spend a few hours in the Botanical Gardens with your fam...especially since it's almost entirely shaded.

Note on the parking situation: We were quite fearful about parking and therefore we took the bus...but in the end...the parking wasn't bad at all...and the bus was pretty annoying...so I would recommend you drive and park. Two large parking lots are dedicated to the event.

Stand Up Paddle Surfing

Apparently this is the new thing, stand up paddle surfing... or SUP-ing. (or more like "old thing resurfacing and is now all the rage" I guess)

The sport is suppose to be a ton of fun as well as an amazing strength building exercise for core body muscles ...and Austin's Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) is an excellent place to partake in the growing trend. I am trying to find a place in Austin to rent a board and take lessons - but haven't had any luck yet. Leave a comment if you know of a place or someone!

Thanks to Mike Baird on flickr.com for the pic. Note, the pic was unfortunately not taken on Lady Bird Lake... I couldn't find a good pic of someone SUPing on LBL. If you have one, send it to me!

Rad Skateboards ... from Austin with Love

I am not a skater or skateboarder by any stretch of the imagination...but I do have soft spot for sports whose athletes regularly use words like "stoked" "rad" and "totally cool". I also have a pension for Vans footwear.

I stumbled upon this new skateboard company here in Austin called Roger Skateboards. The boards are designed and developed by Michael Sieben (super cool artist/illustrator, skateboarder) and his buddy Stacy Lowery (former pro-skateboarder). Apparently the two share not only a passion for skating, but also a wicked, satirical sense of humor, communicated through their eye-catching graphics. Check out their website for more from this dynamic duo...it's very entertaining.

Look for their boards at No Comply, 812 W. 12th Street (12th & Lamar).

The Low Down on Austin Schools by Neighborhood

As a realtor, I get asked a lot which neighborhoods have the best public schools in Austin. As a parent of a preschooler here in Austin, I am currently struggling myself with the private school vs. public school dilemma as I live in an area with not so great public schools. It's amazing to me that there are a lot of neighborhoods in Austin where you can buy a million dollar home, but only have a lowly academically acceptable elementary school to send your children to! I love Central Austin and wouldn't move to out to the burbs for anything in the world, but that $600 per month I am likely going to shell out for private school for the next 8 years in order to avoid sending my child to the local elementary school is going to be painful.

So if you are looking for a neighborhood with good public schools in central Austin, here are the neighborhoods I would recommend buying in from the beginning:

BEST BETS - good public schools elementary through high school...
-Zilker

- Barton Hills

- Bryker Woods
- Rosedale
- Northwest Hills

- Highland Park
- Tarrytown

- Anywhere in Westlake -- Eanes School District...where every school is exemplary

SOME PRETTY GOOD OPTIONS

- Crestview

- French Place

- Hyde Park (amazing LEE elementary but not so great middle school...KEALING)

- Clarksville

- Downtown Austin (PEASE elementary is apparently pretty neat with small class sizes)

...also to note, in Delwood, which is a quickly gentrifying East Side neighborhood, the public elementary school, Blanton Elementary, just received an exemplary rating from Texas Education Association for 2007. That neighborhood has great homes for the money and is extremely centrally located. Unfortunately, that neighborhood also has terrible middle school and high schools so don't plan on staying forever.

PLAN ON PRIVATE SCHOOL (at least I would)

- East Austin - 78702 zip code

- Travis Heights

That being said, I am sure there are parents of school age students who live in these neighborhoods and who might disagree with my opinion. Please leave a comment as I am eager to learn more.

All Texas public school TEA ratings can be found here.

Thanks to woodleywonderworks on flickr.com for the pic.

The "Human Race" ... Here in Austin

I just signed myself and hubby up for the Nike Human Race to be held here in downtown Austin on August 31st. Austin is one of 25 cities to host the first ever "global" 10K where over 1 million runners will be running to benefit global charities including Livestrong, the UN Refugee Agency, and WWF (environmental preservation). Other cities that are hosting the event include Paris, Los Angeles, New York, London, Quito, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Warsaw, Singapore ... I love that Austin is on this list of world cities! Following the race is a concert by Ben Harper ... open ONLY to race participants. ! It costs $35 to register. Click here to register for the race.

Pick provided by Patrick Dentler on flickr.

Single Stream Recyling for Austin

GREAT GREAT NEWS. The little blue bins will soon be a thing of the past as "single stream" recycling is on its way to all of us here in Austin. Instead of sorting our paper and recyclable items into the current little blue bins (which never seem to hold enough and are always overflowing...), we will now all have 90 gallon recycling carts. The service officially begins on October 6th and the city is passing out the carts during the month of October. Recycling will be collected on your normal trash day, every other week. This is great news for those of you who don't currently recycle because it all seems so complicated -- it doesn't get much easier than this! Details on the new service found here.

I wonder how the city will recycle all of those little blue bins?

I wonder if City of Houston will ever get a city-wide recycling program?