Carlos’NCharlie’s Fireworks Extravaganza

Friday, July 3 - 5973 Hiline Road Austin, Texas 78734

http://www.cncaustin.com/index.html

Lakeway 4th of July Celebration

Saturday, July 4, 2009 - 8:30 am - City Park, Lakeway, TX

www.lakeway.org

Fourth of July all day event starting with a fanciful sponsored parade/floats that make their way down Lakeway Drive. Locals then head to the park for a picnic, games for kids, music and the announcement of the float award winners. The rest of the afternoon is usually filled with games, food, drinks and many more surprises. The day is rounded out with fireworks set to music at night.

The H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4th Concert & Fireworks

Saturday, July 4, 2009 - 8:30 pm - Auditorium Shores at The Long Center

http://www.austinsymphony.org/tickets/events

The Austin Symphony will be under the apt baton of ASO Music Director Peter Bay. The H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4th Concert and Fireworks will feature patriotic music and the ever-popular 1812 Overture–the latter punctuated by 75-millimeter Howitzer cannons, courtesy of Texas National Guard Salute Battery, and spectacular fireworks over Lady Bird Lake.

Cedar Park Fourth of July Celebration

Saturday, July 4, 2009 - 4:00 pm - Milburn Park, Cedar Park, TX

http://www.cedarparktx.us/cp/pr_events_fourth.aspx

Come celebrate with us and enjoy a dance with live music, food concessions, air castles, face painting, sack races, a washer tournament, art projects, and enjoy free watermelon sponsord by H-E-B. The fabulous day of celebration will end with a magnificent fireworks display sponsored by H-E-B. You may also cool off in Milburn Pool, which is opened from 1 - 8 pm; daily pool admission rates apply. 



Sertoma 4th of July in the Park

Saturday, July 4, 2009 - 11:00 am - San Gabriel Park, Georgetown, TX

www.georgetownsertoma.org/4thofjuly.htm

With more than 80 booths, a petting zoo, parade, live entertainment, train rides, fireworks and more (all located on the beautiful San Gabriel River) there’s only one place you should be this 4th of July.

Lago Vista Celebrates the 4th


Saturday, July 4, 2009 - 6:30 am - Bar K Park, Lago Vista, TX


www.lagovistajuly4.org

It is a time to remember those who have served to protect us all, to celebrate our freedom, and to enjoy each other’s company. It starts off with the Firecracker 5K Race and 1 Mile Fun Run. This is an opportunity to give your children the same type of memories you had of parades, barbecues, music, and paddling around in the local swimming hole.

Leander LibertyFest

Saturday, July 4, 2009 - 5:00 pm - Crystal Falls Golf Course, 3400 Crystal Falls Pkwy

www.leandertx.org

Join the residents of Leander celebrate our nation’s birthday at Leander LibertyFest.

July 4th Frontier Days Celebration

Saturday, July 4, 2009 - 10:00 am - Old Settler’s Park, Round Rock, TX

www.roundrocktexas.gov

A freedom walk, parade, jalapeno pepper contest, children’s games, Ballet Folklorico dancers, Sam Bass Shootout and fireworks are all part of the City of Round Rock’s July 4 Frontier Days Celebration 2008.

27th annual San Marcos Summerfest

Saturday, July 4, 2009 - 5:00 pm - San Marcos Plaza Park, 202 N. CM Allen Pkwy

www.summerfestsanmarcos.com

The City of San Marcos is hosting the most exciting community independence celebration at a new location this year. This FREE event will feature live entertainment, food booths, children’s activities, a patriotic program and a fireworks exhibition.

New Braunfels Annual 4th of July Parade and Patriotic Celebration

Saturday, July 4, 2009 7:30 pm - Landa Park, New Braunfels

www.nbtexas.org

A wonderful family tradition for many years in New Braunfels. Bring a picnic and enjoy the park, along with a special free concert and a spectacular fireworks display!

Taylor Jaycee’s 4th of July Firework Display and Fajita Cook Off

Saturday, July 4, 2009 - 10:00 am - Murphy Park on Lake Drive, Taylor, TX

www.taylorjaycees.org

Festival includes Carnival, Fajita Cook Off, Bicycle Parade, tennis tournament, and fireworks at dark.

Wimberley’s 64th Annual VFW/Pro Rodeo & PBR Bull Riding

July 4th Weekend - VFW’s rodeo grounds just north of town on Ranch Road 12

www.visitwimberley.com/rodeo/

Hill country tradition, the Annual Pro-Open VFW Rodeo and PBR Bull Riding has been held for more than 60 years on the first weekend in July at the VFW’s rodeo grounds just north of town on Ranch Road 12.
 Once the largest outdoor rodeo in the world, the event still ranks near the top. 
 The VFW Rodeo is sponsored by VFW Post 6441, Wimberley, Texas as a not-for-profit event benefiting the community, veterans and active duty servicemen and women. Producer/stock provider for the 2009 Rodeo is Bo Davis of Gonzales, Texas.

Information deemed reliable, but subject to change.

I wasn’t going to attend this year’s parade of homes mainly due to time constraints, but it just so happened on the last day of the parade, I had some free time so Iventured north of the river to check out what all the hype was about and it was well worth it. Though there were only five homes on this year’s parade, each showcased numerous green features making it an all day event.

The Muskin Company, Durrett Interests LLC, Streetman Homes and Cool River Custom Homes all built beautiful homes showcased in the Parade of Homes. My personal favorite was the Bill Taute home with it’s open floorplan and multiple outdoor living areas. Streetman Homes, which also has more affordable homes in the Mueller development featured a three-story home complete with elevator and a hydraulic breakfast table in the kitchen area.

Cool River Custom Homes won the coveted People’s Choice Award, but all of the homes were winners because of their careful attention to green living.

It’s that time of year again. Every spring the Travis County Tax Appraisal District conducts property tax appraisals for the current year’s taxable values.Here are a few things you might need to know when you receive your appraisal….

- Verify it’s for the correct property and make sure any exemption your elligible for is included. For example, homestead exemption or over 65, etc.

- If you think the property value is higher that what your neighborhood market indicates, you have the option of protesting and asking the appraisal district to lower it.

Think you’d like to file a protest? Make sure it’s in writing. There is an official form, but you don’t have to use it. If you want to protest, you must do it by May 31st or no later than 30 days after the date of the Notice of Appraised Value document, whichever comes later. If you don’t file before one of these two dates, you lose your right to protest. Make sure to provide plenty of information to support your case. Ultimately the Appraisal District Board has the power to order the Appraisal District to make changes.

For more information you can contact your local appraisal district.

Good luck!

I can’t believe we have to wait five more months, but I think it will be well worth it! Rumors were swirling that Pearl Jam, Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews Band and Beastie Boys were front-runners for the headlining band but now it’s been confirmed that all four are playing!For a complete list of the lineup Click Here.Rock on!

With an annual job growth rate projected at 2.3% for this year and a ranking of the 5th fastest growing city in the nation, it comes as very good news that Austin is prospering in these hard times.It was interesting to note as I was reading the article on forbes.com that most of the cities that were ranked high on the list are home to major universities, or are heavily involved in the high- tech or medical industries. Austin is known for all three!Some of Austin’s biggest employers include the University of Texas at Austin, Seton Healthcare Network, The City of Austin and Dell, Inc. 

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged about anything and the reason is I just recently returned from an amazing trip to Belize.The trip had been a few years in the making but my husband and I finally made the time to go and it was well worth it.

Belize is a great and easy country to travel to. It’s a two and a half hour flight from Houston, English is the primary language and the conversion rate is pretty straight forward, $1 U.S. = $2 Belizean.We divided our trip in two spending half our time in the jungle exploring Mayan ruins and half our time snorkeling the Belize Barrier Reef, the second largest in the world.

Tikal, the Mayan Ruin located in Guatemala was certainly a site to see. The massive ruins span over a vast amount of jungle and are accessible to climb and explore. The highlight of that trip was seeing none other than world acclaimed physicist, Stephen Hawking. Our entire tour group was left speechless. Apparently he visits often, but we felt so lucky to have even caught a glimpse of him. My nephew would argue that the highlight was when my husband stepped in monkey poo but that’s neither here nor there.The Lamanai Ruins located on the bank of the Belize River was truly awesome! I highly recommend traveling by boat to get there. You are exposed to all kinds of wildlife. I even got to feed a banana to a spider monkey! Go with a guide. They are so great at explaining the history of the ruins and are more knowledgeable than any book could ever be.

To begin the second leg of our trip we hopped on a plane to the coast starting off in Placencia then over to Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. We found out once we got to Placencia that had we come two weeks later we would have had the opportunity to swim with whale sharks. What an amazing experience that would have been! (Now it just gives us another reason to go back!)

The cayes are a great jumping off point for snorkeling or diving some of the best places in the world including the Blue Hole. On our trips we swam amongst sharks, rays, sea turtles, eels and tons and tons of different fish. Dolphins kept our boat company as we bounced across the waves of the Caribbean. What a sight that was! 

Overall we had a blast. We got the best of both worlds, trekking through the jungle and relaxing on the beach. The people are friendly, the ocean is warm and the memories are priceless.

Some might consider this great news, others may think differently. Either way, the article below from the Austin Business Journal shows that our local economy is not suffering as bad as others: 

Austin was the nation’s second-fastest-growing metropolitan area between 2007 and 2008, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The population in the Austin-Round Rock area grew 3.8 percent to 1.65 million between July 2007 and July 2008. Among major U.S. metros, that growth rate was second only to Raleigh-Cary, N.C., which experienced a 4.3 percent population uptick during the 12-month period.

Large metro areas — those with 2008 populations of 1 million or more — were home to nine of the 10 fastest-growing counties. Texas had the largest number of counties on the 100 fastest-growing counties list with a total of 19. The Lone Star State was also home to 10 counties among the 25 with the highest numerical gains.

Four metro areas–including two in Texas–increased their populations by more than 100,000 people between 2007 to 2008: Dallas-Fort Worth (147,000), Houston (130,000), Phoenix (116,000) and Atlanta (115,000). 

According to builderonline.com, the Austin housing market ranks second in the healthiest housing markets in the nation for 2009. While most markets are seeing drastic declines in unemployment, the Austin job market actually added 17,400 new jobs last year. That’s a 2.3% increase! While the average price of a home in Austin is slightly higher than most major cities in Texas at $188,600, it still sits below the national average which further adds to the appeal for those looking to relocate.Below is a complete list of the top fifteen healthiest markets:

1. Houston, TX
2. Austin, TX
3. Ft Worth, TX
4. San Antonio, TX
5. Dallas, TX
6. Raleigh, NC
7. Seattle, WA
8. Indianapolis, IN
9. Fayetteville, AR
10. Washington DC
11. Nashville, TN
12. Denver, CO
13. Charlotte, NC
14. Wilmington, NC
15. Myrtle Beach, SC

President Barack Obama has made if official by signing the stimulus bill which includes a bit of relief for first time homebuyers. I recently visited the Federal Housing Tax Credit website and found some great information that I thought I’d share. Here are the basics:

• The tax credit is for first-time home buyers only.
• The tax credit does not have to be repaid.
• The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
• The credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.
• Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit.

If you still have questions on what some of these points entail, the website also has a FAQ section. I’ve gone ahead and posted some of the questions and answers and included the link if you’d like to read them all. If you weren’t sure if now is the time to buy, hopefully this will help you with your decision and you’ll be calling me to look at property

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who is eligible to claim the tax credit?

First-time home buyers purchasing any kind of home—new or resale—are eligible for the tax credit. To qualify for the tax credit, a home purchase must occur on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009. For the purposes of the tax credit, the purchase date is the date when closing occurs and the title to the property transfers to the home owner.

What is the definition of a first-time home buyer?

The law defines “first-time home buyer” as a buyer who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase. For married taxpayers, the law tests the homeownership history of both the home buyer and his/her spouse. For example, if you have not owned a home in the past three years but your spouse has owned a principal residence, neither you nor your spouse qualifies for the first-time home buyer tax credit. However, unmarried joint purchasers may allocate the credit amount to any buyer who qualifies as a first-time buyer, such as may occur if a parent jointly purchases a home with a son or daughter. Ownership of a vacation home or rental property not used as a principal residence does not disqualify a buyer as a first-time home buyer.

Can you give me an example of how the partial tax credit is determined?

Just as an example, assume that a married couple has a modified adjusted gross income of $160,000. The applicable phaseout to qualify for the tax credit is $150,000, and the couple is $10,000 over this amount. Dividing $10,000 by $20,000 yields 0.5. When you subtract 0.5 from 1.0, the result is 0.5. To determine the amount of the partial first-time home buyer tax credit that is available to this couple, multiply $8,000 by 0.5. The result is $4,000.

Here’s another example: assume that an individual home buyer has a modified adjusted gross income of $88,000. The buyer’s income exceeds $75,000 by $13,000. Dividing $13,000 by $20,000 yields 0.65. When you subtract 0.65 from 1.0, the result is 0.35. Multiplying $8,000 by 0.35 shows that the buyer is eligible for a partial tax credit of $2,800.

Please remember that these examples are intended to provide a general idea of how the tax credit might be applied in different circumstances. You should always consult your tax advisor for information relating to your specific circumstances.

How do I claim the tax credit? Do I need to complete a form or application?

Participating in the tax credit program is easy. You claim the tax credit on your federal income tax return. Specifically, home buyers should complete IRS Form 5405 to determine their tax credit amount, and then claim this amount on Line 69 of their 1040 income tax return. No other applications or forms are required, and no pre-approval is necessary. However, you will want to be sure that you qualify for the credit under the income limits and first-time home buyer tests.

For more frequently asked questions click here.

 This weekend my husband and I ventured to a new establishment, Fion Wine Pub in Steiner Ranch, for a birthday dinner. This place is really interesting. While it started out as a beer and wine retail store, they have recently added a bistro-style dining area complete with an open chef’s kitchen and eclectic decor. The store boasts a HUGE selection of beer and wine, 500 different beers from around the world (some of them housed in an actual beer cave) and hundreds of bottles of wine. Prices are pretty reasonable and anything you purchase can be purchased for immediate consumption with dinner.

While I can’t comment on the meat-filled dishes, we did order fresh Texas jalapenos stuffed with pork, chorizo, and queso and beer-battered mushrooms with a crispy panko breading both of which were a big hit with our fellow patrons. For dinner I ordered a sandwich consisting of grilled tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant with mozzarella and basil on crusty rosemary bread with sweet potato fries. The rosemary bread was some of the softest I’d eaten and everything blended together nicely, so nicely that I didn’t have to ask for a to go box like I am known to do:)

The 16oz. cast-iron skillet-seared beef tenderloin with sauteed spinach & oven-roasted Yukon gold potato hash and fried chicken served with mashed potatoes, collard greens, and spicy slaw were some of the biggest dishes I’ve seen. So big in fact it took a couple of guys just to finish it!

 This place is great if you want to enjoy a quiet meal while with family or a group of friends.

Check it out, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

 http://www.fionwinepub.com