I read an interesting article the other day describing how builders who once marketed themselves as eco-friendly and “green” are making it a point to leave those terms out of their advertising. The reason, they claim, is that even though it will same them more money in the long run, potential buyers are often hesitant in putting down extra money upfront to cover the costs of a more eco-friendly home. One local builder, Green Builders, was directly affected posting... Full Story

So this past weekend my husband and I ventured out in search of some delicious Mediterranean food and found an abundance of it at Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet located at 4301 William Cannon Dr.  

Located in what was formerly a Village Inn restaurant, Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet is a breath of fresh air for the Southwest Austin foodies looking to expand their cuisine horizons. There is an abundance of food to choose from, including many vegetarian items which is a high... Full Story

I’m sure many of you have heard by now that 30-year fixed mortgage rates have fallen to their lowest in 37 years. The national average rate hovers around 5.19% and locally sits a little lower at 5.15%.

What does this mean, you ask? Well, two things, it’s a great time to buy and it may be a great time to refinance depending on what rate you locked in at the time of the purchase of your current... Full Story

A 2008 crime report conducted by CQ Press in Washington DC recenty ranked Austin the safest of Texas’s biggest cities based on 2007 crime statistics. Overall our fabulous city ranked 199 in least amount of criminal activity in cities with populations over 75,000.

 To check out crime statistics in your particular area visit: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/police/crimeinformation.htm

Just read this and thought I’d share…

 Housing Predictor, which provides housing forecasts in 250 markets, has identified 10 markets where the regional economies are healthy and have strong potential for increasing prosperity.

These housing markets have bucked the national trend in 2008 and avoided the subprime crisis, the consultancy says.

Whatever the future holds for the housing market as a whole, Housing Predictor forecasts that these cities will continue to see steady, dependable growth.

A recent bizjournal report ranked Austin among the Top 10 growth centers in the nation.

The majority of the top ten fastest growing metropolitan areas began their growth in the ‘90s having continued to prosper, even weathering the latest economic storm. On average, the metro areas saw a growth of at least 13% in population from    2000 – 2007. The study focused on four main factors: population, private sector employment, per capita income and gross metropolitan... Full Story

Primacy Relocation, Worldwide ERC and Sperling’s BestPlaces recently came up with a list of cities popular for relocating singles and the Austin-Round Rock area ranked 33rd in the nation.

 The companies used criteria such as single population, male-to-female ratio, economy and quality-of-life to compare major cities to determin the rankings. 31.9% of Austinites are single which is relatively high compared to other major cities. The top five rankings for U.S. metropolitan areas went to Boston;... Full Story

Looking for something to do on the days leading up to Halloween and on Halloween itself???

 Below is list of events in and around Austin for you and your family to enjoy.

 October 27th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm Halloween Pumpkin Carving

Halloween  Pumpkin Carving and Halloween Carnival Pumpkin contest (bring your own carving tools), cstume contest, games, arts & crafts . All games are $.25. Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center, 512-472-7142

October 30th, 4:00 – 6:00... Full Story