Forbes Magazine just ranked Austin the #3 most “recession proof” city in the nation.

The findings were based on the housing market, which continues to stay stable , the unemployment rate, which is estimated to be around 3.6%,  and growth in agriculture, energy and manufacturing. San Antonio, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Houston also made the list.

 In addition to this honor, Austin was also ranked as one of the top 10 of the nation’s “greenest” retirement destinations by U.S. News and World. Factors considered were the number of urban parks and wilderness preserves. Zilker Park in particular was recognized for its mix of recreational and natural settings.

If you’re not living here already, what are you waiting for!

http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/?SecID=278&ArID=207646

What a great way to save a bit of money! Below is a guide with some of the restaurants offering free meals to kids. For a complete list, contact me and I’ll send one your way!

Sunday:

Cannoli Joe’s (Austin) - Kids under 4 eat free & kids under 12 eat for half price

Outback (Austin, San Marcos, and Round Rock) - Free breakfast for kids 12 and under

Zen Japanese Food (Austin) - Kids 12 and under eat free all day

Austin’s Park (Pflugerville) - Kids under 40″ eat free, all others only $5.95

Monday:

Catfish Parlour (Austin) - Kids 3 and under eat free after 4:00 pm

China Chef (Austin & Bastrop) - Free buffet for kids under 5 from 11:00 am - 2:30 pm

Gatti Land (Round Rock) - Moms eat free, must have child age 3 - 14

Tres Amigos (Austin) - Kids 12 and under eat free all day

Tuesday:

Berryhill Baja Grill (Austin) - Kids eat free anytime

El Rincon Mexican (Round Rock) - kids under 12 eat free 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Kerby Lane (Austin) - Kids 12 and under eat free all day

Salt Lick 360 (Austin) - Kids 12 and under eat free after 4:00 pm

Wednesday:

Estancia Churrascaria (Sunset Valley) - Kids under 6 eat free all day

Serranos (Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park) - Kids 12 and under eat free all day

La Salsa (Austin and Westlake Hills) - Kids 12 and under eat free 4:00 pm - close

EZ’s (Austin) - Kids 12 and under eat free after 5:00 pm

Thursday:

El Charro (Johnson City) - $1 off kids menu for kids 10 and under

Tokyo Steakhouse (Round Rock) - free chicken nugget meal for kids 10 and under, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Hi Way Cafe (Liberty Hill) - Kids 8 and under eat free 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Double Dave’s Pizzaworks ( Select locations in Austin, call first) - Kids under 5 eat free all day

Friday:

Buster’s Bee Cave BBQ (Austin) - Free turkey meal for kids 5 and under

China Chef (Austin & Bastrop) - Free buffet for kids under 5, 11:00 am - 2:30 pm

Saturday:

Cozzoli’s Pizza (Austin) - Half price for kids under 12

Iron Cactus (Austin) - Kids 12 and under eat free all day

Texas Land and Cattle (Austin) - Kids eat free 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, must order from kids menu

Denny’s (Austin) - Kids 12 and under eat free, 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm

*All programs, details and prices subject to change without notice. Please call the restaurant in advance to verify the Kids Eat Free promotion requirements, including hours available.

Special thanks to Gracy Title for providing the information 

The only city to make the list of the top ten fastest growing U.S. metro areas is Austin, TX. The city ranked fifth with a population increase of 4.3% in 2007 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 65,880 people moved into the Round Rock-Austin area last year alone.

Statewide, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston and San Antonio all saw significant increase in their population growth. The Census Bureau also reports that eight of the fastest-growing metro areas were located in the southern part of the country.

According to an article just released by the Associated Press, after six months of less than stellar numbers in the housing market, sales posted in February were on the rise.  According to the National Association of Realtors, home sales rose 2.9% in the month of February contradicting forecaster’s earlier predictions. This pleasant surprise has led many to believe that the market is stabilizing and overall things aren’t as bad as the seem in the real estate market.

By region of the country, sales surged by 11.3 percent in the Northeast and were up 2.5 percent in the Midwest and 2.1 percent in the South. The only region of the country to see a decline in the sales was the West, where they dropped by 1.1 percent.

 On a more local level, the median sales price of homes in Central Texas increased by 2%, but single-family home sales were on the decline according to the Austin Board of Realtors. With the warmer weather and busy season of the real estate industry set to begin, those numbers are expected to rise in the upcoming months.

It’s that time of year again! Below is a brief overview & general schedule of events for the festival. I’ve also included the link to the official SXSW website. Make sure to keep your eyes and ears open for the free shows. I hear there are some great bands playing!

Music: March 12th - 16th

The SXSW Music and Media Conference showcases hundreds of musical acts from around the globe on over fifty stages in downtown Austin. By day, conference registrants do business in the SXSW Trade Show at the Austin Convention Center and partake in a full agenda of informative, provocative panel discussions featuring hundreds of guest speakers of international stature.

Film: March 7th - 15th

The SXSW Film Conference and Festival emphasizes all aspects of the art and business of independent filmmaking. The festival has gained international acclaim for the quality of its programming with a special focus on emerging talents who benefit from having their films in the company of the cinematic greats whose work is regularly presented.

Interactive: March 7th - 11th

The SXSW Interactive Festival celebrates the creativity and passion behind the coolest new media technologies. In addition to panel sessions that cover everything from web design to bootstrapping to social networks, attendees make new business connections at the tree-day Trade Show & Exhibition. The newest element of the event is ScreenBurn, which adds specific gaming industry programming as well as a two-day Arcade to the mix.

Schedule of Events:

Friday, March 7th: Film & Interactive Registration: 10am - 8pm

Film Opening Party - Film Festival

Saturday, March 8th: Film & Interactive Registration: 9am - 8pm

- Film Panels & Festival

- Interactive & ScreenBurn Panels

- ScreenBurn Arcade

- Interactive Opening Party

Sunday, March 9th: Film & Interactive Registration: 9:30am - 6pm

- iF! Exhibition

- Film Panels & Festival

- ScreenBurn Arcade
- Interactive & ScreenBurn Panels

- Interactive Web Awards

Monday, March 10th: Film & Interactive Registration: 9:30am - 6pm

- iF! Exhibition

- Film Panels & Festival

- Interactive & ScreenBurn Panels

Tuesday, March 11th: Film, Interactive, & Music Registration: 10am - 8pm

- iF! Exhibition

- Film Panels & Festival

- Interactive & ScreenBurn Panels

- Film Awards & Closing Party

- Interactive Closing Party

- Music Conference, Festival & Trade Show

Wednesday, March 12th: Music Registration: 10am - midnight

- Golf Tournament

- Music Panels, Trade Show, Festival

- Music Welcome Dinner

- Film Festival

- Austin Music Awards

Thursday, March 13th: Music Registration: 9am - 10pm

- Music Panels, Trade Show & Festival

- Film Festival

- Flatstock Poster Artist Show

Friday, March 14th: Music Registration: 10am - 9pm

- Music Panels, Trade Show & Festival

- Film Festival

- Flatstock Poster Artist Show

Saturday, March 15th: Music Registration: 11am - 4pm

- Music Panels, Trade Show & Festival

- Film Festival

- Flatstock Poster Artist Show

Sunday, March 16th:

- Softball Tournament & Barbecue

- Music Festival

For a complete list of shows visit: www.sxsw.com

The Austin City Council gave their final approval on the 270-unit condo project with construction slated to begin within the next 30 days.

Located on Barton Springs Rd. within a stone’s throw of Zilker Park and Restaurant Row, Barton Place offers the ultimate Austin lifestyle.

Prices start in the high $200,000s with presales already under way.

Interested? Contact me and I’ll send you any information you need!

Ray Perryman, a Texas economist who owns the Perryman Group,  recently released his latest analysis on the housing market in Austin, especially the downtown area. With 6,000 residents already calling downtown home and another 4,000 residential units under construction, Perryman estimates the population in the downtown area to double within the next few years. He attributes the surge to rising energy costs and traffic, making downtown living much more desirable.

The majority of the buyers are young professionals coming to the area with healthy, high paying jobs in expanding fields, such as technology. Other buyers are those purchasing the condos as second homes or corporate housing. Even if less than 1% of the population were to purchase a home downtown, they would still fill up all of the available units and those under construction.

With an estimated 40,000 people moving to Austin each year, Perryman estimates the Austin real estate market to fair well amongst the dooming markets across the rest of the U.S.

Located one mile south of downtown, the first phase of the 2020 Congress condos is slated for completion this summer with the second phase estimated to be finished in the fall. The project, featuring 103 units ranging from studios to two-bedroom condos, are some of the most affordable in the downtown area. Prices start at $96,000 for a studio and go up to $190,000 for the two-bedroom condos. Amenities include granite countertops, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances and an exercise facility.

According to housingpredictor.com, Austin is ranked 10th overall for having the highest appreciation of real estate values for 2008. According to the site, ” the top 25 with the highest forecast appreciation have the greatest probability of reaching their forecast of the more than 250 local housing markets Housing Predictor forecasts. In 2007 Housing Predictor’s forecasts were 86% correct within a 1 to 2% margin.” It’s estimated that there will be a 4.8% increase in sales for the upcoming year.

 To check out how other cities around the U.S. ranked, visit their site:

http://www.housingpredictor.com/top2008.html

Forbes.com just came out with their top ten lists and Austin ranks #1 fastest growing large metro area in the nation. Key factors contributing to this honor include the ever-growing high-tech industry with large key players Apple, Dell and IBM all calling Austin home. The University of Texas, the music industry and now the film industry also all play a hand in the city’s growth.

 Austin’s expected to grow 15% by the year 2012. Its projected total GMP growth for 2007-2012 is 32.05%.