Beginning today through Sunday, August 17th, most clothing and footwear priced under $100 will be exempt from sales and use taxes. Below is a condensed list with what is included and not included during tax-free weekend…

 Exempt items:

• Baby clothes
• Backpacks for use by elementary and secondary students
• Belts with attached buckles
• Boots - cowboy, hiking
• Caps/hats - baseball, fishing, golf, knitted
• Coats and wraps
• Diapers - adult and baby
• Dresses
• Gloves (generally)
• Gym suits and uniforms
• Hooded shirts and hooded sweatshirts
• Hosiery
• Jackets
• Jeans
• Jerseys - baseball and football
• Jogging apparel
• Neckwear and ties
• Pajamas
• Pants and trousers
• Raincoats and ponchos
• Robes
• Shirts
• Shoes - sandals, slippers, sneakers, tennis, walking
• Socks (including athletic)
• Shorts
• Suits, slacks, and jackets
• Sweatshirts
• Sweat suits
• Sweaters
• Swimsuits
• Underclothes
• Work clothes and uniforms

Non-exempt items: 

 Happy Shopping!!!

2008 has seen a record number of foreclosures nationwide and Austin is not immune to this epidemic. Below are some tips to help those of you who may not be in the most secure position when it comes to your mortgage.

 1. Start by facing the problem head-on. Acknowledge the letters your mortgage company is sending you. If you address the problem early enough, you could help avoid the “f” word all together. Contact a credit and housing counselor to help you come up with a game plan.

 2. Contact the mortgage company. Sometimes the lender may reduce your interest rate, lower your monthly payment to make it more affordable for you, or agree to a repayment plan for any payments you’ve missed. The sooner you contact them, the better chance you’ll have of getting them to cooperate with you.

3. Understand what your mortgage rights are. You can usually find them in your original loan documents given to you at the time of purchasing your house. Also, look into what Texas’s foreclosure laws and time frame consists of. By educating yourself, you’ll be better prepared for what lies ahead.

4. Consider selling your house. Parts of Austin are still appreciating in value. Even if your house sits on the market for a few months more that you’d like, at least you’ll be selling it on your terms and not the bank’s. Another benefit could be that your lender likely will suspend foreclosure proceedings once your home is on the market, thus preserving your credit rating.

5. Look into “short sale” or “deed in lieu of foreclosure” options. In a short sale, the lender will take whatever you can get for the house and forgive the rest of the balance owed. A deed in lieu of foreclosure would entail you handing the deed to your home over to the lender voluntarily, in turn the lender would cancel out your remaining debt. This would be less damaging to your credit rating than having your home taken away from you in a foreclosure. Consult a lawyer before entering into either one of these scenarios.

6. Be wary of who you give your money to. Often times companies will approach you offering their services to help counsel you or get you out of your situation for a small fee when in all actuality it should cost you nothing.

7. Look for help from the professionals. The government has set up special departments to help those facing the threat of foreclosure. To get in touch with a credit and housing counselor you can contact a HUD approved counselor or the National Foundation for Credit Counseling for guidance.

8. Get your priorities in order. Getting your house sold should be number one. If the lender sees that you are doing everything in your power to stay out of foreclosure, they may be more inclined to help you.

9. If all else fails, consider filing for personal bankruptcy protection. Consider this the lesser of two evils. By filing for bankruptcy, your credit will still be damaged for a significant amount of time, but you’ll be debt-free and under Chapter 13 bankruptcy you may even be allowed to continue living in your home.

10. Keep a positive attitude. No matter how bad things can get, keeping a positive attitude will help you get through it! 

Information for this blog entry found on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25347180/page/2/

Swedish based home furnishings store IKEA lives up to its motto with its latest announcement to start carrying solar panels in some of its U.S. and European stores. The Swedish manufacturer plans to invest roughly $75 million in a handful of cleantech startups, focusing on the areas of solar energy, lighting, sustainable materials, energy efficiency, and water conservation. With 270 stores in 35 countries, the idea of “green living” , which has already become a standard in some cities, will hopefully reach a wider spectrum of homeowners. With Austin paving the way as one of the nation’s greenest cities, I wouldn’t be surprised if we started seeing solar panels for sale in our Round Rock IKEA.

Austin area home sales courtesy of Jane Anne Hawthorne of Fidelity National Title