Residential offerings are a mix of traditional cottages, elegant golf-course homes and duplex townhomes. Single family homes start in the low $100s $300,000 and townhomes in the $90s. Neighbors are the hardworking folk this country is know for…firefighters, teachers, medical personnel, and government or civic employees. Plum Creek is committed to providing ‘life-cycle’ housing, allowing its residents to mature with the community.

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• Dell Children’s Medical Center to Benefit from Additional Gift
• Dell Children’s Medical Center Opens in Austin
• Community Spotlight: The Knoll at Trophy Club
• Mueller Austin Among Best Green Real Estate in U.S.
• Mueller Austin to Announce Parks April 19

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What’s this about?
In early 2007, Austin Mayor Will Wynn released the Climate Protection Plan with the goal of making Austin the “greenest” city in the country, [including] the “Proposed Point of Sale Ordinance”….The city’s proposal would require that homeowners upgrade their homes and obtain a “Certificate of Compliance” from the city before they’re able to sell it. We oppose this plan for several reasons:

• Affordability – This type of out-of-pocket expense will prevent many homeowners from having the option to sell their home, particularly if they need to sell due to a difficult financial situation. In addition, the cost will inevitably be passed on to homebuyers, making it even more difficult to afford a home in Austin. 

• Extended sales process – Arranging the additional inspections needed to obtain a Certificate of Compliance (not to mention actually making the upgrades to properties) would draw out the time required to sell homes substantially. Further, Austin doesn’t currently have enough home inspectors in our city to fill the anticipated demand, promising even further delays. 

• Mandates- Do we want to require a “license” for homeowners to sell? – As it’s proposed now, this ordinance would essentially require that homeowners apply to the city for a “license” to sell their home (i.e. Certificate of Compliance). Do we want to spend our city’s resources on this activity and add this complication to the real estate process? Austinites buy and sell more than 25,000 homes each year…

What’s the alternative?

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• Austin Mayor Will Wynn’s Energy Plan Raises Concerns
• Austin Mayor Will Wynn Plans to Adopt Clime Plan Today
• Austin City Council, Mayor Respond to ‘Climate Plan’ Outrage Today
• Dallas Apartment Association Against Citizenship Ordinance 2903
• No News is Bad News for East Austin homestead-preservation district

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For background, the Austin City Planning Commission reviewed changes to city design standards through a task force. The Residential Development Standards Task Force first met December 2007 and briefed Austin City Council in February.

Most guidelines are well-received, but one in particular may negatively impact Austin duplexes and infill lots, especially in East and Central Austin. (more…)

• Links for More Info on McMansions Development Regulations
• City of Austin Rethinks Building Height Restrictions
• Interim Development Regulations Site Launch
• Austin Board of REALTORS® Propose Alternative to Mayor Wynn’s ‘Point of Sale’ Ordinance
• Home Builders Predict ‘Homes Of The Future’

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The eco-friendly ‘unbuild’ has now become an option to the traditional ‘tear-down’ of Austin real estate. According to a Wallstreet Journal article, an unbuilt house can be carefully disassembled, piece by piece, and the parts used for a new house and/or donated for reuse elsewhere. Whatever is donated can be deducted from income tax.

‘Unbuilding’ an Austin home may be the right thing to do for many reasons, but saving time and money is not top of the list. It will take longer to ‘unbuild’, but at least a couple of weeks and may end up being more expensive in the long run, even after any tax deductions. But, other benefits are the reuse of materials such as beautiful aged brick from fireplaces, stone foundations, custom woodwork, decorative tile or antique fixtures and working appliances.

(more…)

• Commercial Real Estate Convention Held in Dallas
• Dell Children’s Medical Center Opens in Austin
• Green Building a Hot Topic in Austin Real Estate
• A&M Reports Fewer Texas Real Estate Agents
• Be Nice to Apple Employees in Austin

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Austin entrepreneur, Dylan Schleppe, has announced a partnership of his company, DriveBuy Technologies, with real estate industry leader, Top Producer Systems. The partnership will provide the seamless integration of real estate’s best sales and marketing software, Top Producer 8i, and the leading interactive mobile marketing software, DriveBuy Technologies.

DriveBuy, allows listing agents to provide a "Short Message Service" (SMS) text codes on property promotions and yard signage, making it easy for prospective buyers to receive detailed information about property on their mobile phone. The technology can be used in combination with toll free hotlines or in lieu of them.

With the addition of Top Producer 8i, the prospective buyers’ information is automatically entered into the agent’s contact database, making it easy for agents to follow-up.

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• Austin Entrepreneur’s Real Estate Tech Tool a Hit with Agents
• Web 2.0, Podcasting: The Next Generation of Real Estate
• Keller Williams Partners with Cyberhomes
• Does Generation Y Scare Your Agent?
• World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) Coming to Austin

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A Special Edition of Real Estate Radio!

LIVE with David McMillan Saturday from 1-3 pm on TALK RADIO 1370AM…

You will not want to miss this special edition of Real Estate Radio Saturday from 1 to 3 on 1370AM.  We will get both sides of the controversial Austin City Council proposal calling for every home in Austin to pass an energy compliance inspection before it can be sold.

Attendees: Mayor Will Wynn along with Brewster McCracken and Mike Martinez of the city council, candidate Randi Shade and Socar Chatmon-Thomas from the Austin Board of REALTORS.

Live streaming audio on www.talk1370.com.

• Wal-Mart’s Northcross plans stir opposition
• Will Light Rail Solve Downtown Austin Transit Woes?
• Mayor Will Wynn Urges Austin Voters to Approve $567M Bond Package
• Austin Mayor Will Wynn’s Energy Plan Raises Concerns
• City Council Meeting Schedule for Mid-December

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Located south of the Colorado River and tucked between Interstate 35 and South Congress Avenue and in the 78704 zip code, Travis Heights is a desirable address among professionals who are looking for a quiet neighborhood close to downtown.

Development of Travis Heights started in the late 1880s. It was an ideal place for a "country mansion" away from downtown. At that time, the only way across to cross the Colorado River was by ferry, making the Travis Heights location extremely desirable. However, few mansions were ever built.

In the 1920s, real estate developer, Travis Heights, built smaller homes with carriage houses and detached garages, which today have been turned into much desired apartments. There is an ongoing battle between developers and residents who wish to preserver the integrity of the neighborhood. Many of the older homes have been torn down in recent years for ‘McMansions, which are usually bigger than the older 1920s homes.  

Reasons To Buy Travis Heights Real Estate (more…)

• Zilker Neighborhood Association Blesses Barton Place Condos
• Developer plans 510-home subdivision near Lago Vista
• Killeen TX Real Estate Goldrush Is On
• Downtown high-rises will soar even higher
• South Congress Lofts on the Way

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 Texas State Senator Kirk Watson and Austin City CouncilMember Brewster McCracken have led the charge to change how we commute to within Central Austin.

After struggling with congestion from our population growth, Mayor Will Wynn charged various groups, community leaders, transit experts and other residents to come up plans for a final vote in November.

Roma Design Group was hired as a consultant to the city to evaluate the dire situation and make a proposal. Roma’s final solution: place 14 miles of light rail line through Central Austin.

Top concerns for Central Austin light rail were:

(more…)

• Austin Mayor Will Wynn’s Energy Plan Raises Concerns
• Streetcar and Rail Plans Underway in Austin
• Austin and Leander to Get $90M MetroRail in 2008
• CapMetro Building Transit Station in South Austin
• Austin Board of REALTORS® Propose Alternative to Mayor Wynn’s ‘Point of Sale’ Ordinance

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Today’s Spotlight focuses on the proposed condominium project, Towering Towers II, which is being developed by Baulsy Bros Builders LLC, based in Miami. The proposed 100-story towers will become the tallest in the state and include 2,361 units.

Towering Towers II, will include a number of ‘Green’ features, including no-flush” toilets that will pipe residents’ waste products directly into a holding tank below the building which can then be recycled and used as fertilizer by the Austin Parks Department. Each unit will have solar-powered coffee makers and reusable canvas grocery shopping bags inscribed with “Keep Austin Weird.”

As innovative and environmentally friendly as these buildings will be, two concerns arise.

The first is the demolition of our historic State Capital and the second is whether downtown Austin need yet another condominium project.

(more…)

• East Riverside Project Biggest Redevelopment Project in Austin
• Downtown high-rises will soar even higher
• Austin Business Journal Reports New Town Lake Condos
• Two more Congress towers proposed
• Downtown Austin Apartments, Condos Are HOT

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I receive questions each week from real estate agents, small business owners and other professionals about mobile marketing tools and where they can find more information.

Mobile software is used on mobile devices such as the iPhone, BlackBerry, PDAs, and/or other cell phones and handheld devices. Some are specifically for real estate while others have more general applications.

This article lists the the top mobile real estate or business tools that stand out in today’s marketplace.

Top Mobile Real Estate Tools for Home Buyers

Home buyers typically want to search for listings information from their phone. Besides listing information, some mobile sites and software provides also provide local real estate information and chat. A few top home buyer tools:

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• Top 5 REALTOR Magazine Tools That You Don’t Know About
• Real Estate Marketing Goes Mobile
• Mobile Technology to Change How We Communicate Real Estate
• Three Reasons Why Austin is Among Top U.S. Real Estate For Empty Nesters, Boomers
• Top 10 Ways Find the Best Off-Market Deals in Your Area

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