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        <title>Austin Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/2011-02/</link>
        <description>Austin Real Estate Blog - Cantera Real Estate - This multi-author blog covers the local Austin, Texas real estate market, housing trends, new developments, new MLS listings, Austin area news, and relocation info.</description>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-housing-market-continues-to-show-improvement.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-housing-market-continues-to-show-improvement.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>Austin Housing Market Continues to Show Improvement</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
According to a report released by Metrostudy, Austin home sales continue to rise. With mortgage rates remaining low, the study shows a supportive climate for continual improvement in the Austin housing market.Eldon Rude, who is the director of Metrostudy’s Austin market, indicated that prospective buyers should expect home prices to continue to rise in the Austin area. At the same time, the city is expected to continue to improve in the areas of housing starts, employment and the Housing Price Index, which is a measurement of residential home prices. From November 2011 to November 2012, Austin saw a significant increase in new jobs, with approximately 35,000 jobs added to the city. In its study of 40 housing markets throughout the United States, the Metrostudy report found that nearly 1,900,000 jobs were added on the national level. Housing starts also saw significant growth in Austin, with local housing starts increasing by 30 percent when comparing 2011 to 2012. In all, Austin saw approximately 8000 new single-family home starts in 2012. These figures are expected to increase this year. The study has also shown that consumer confidence has also grown in Austin. With consumer confidence being one of the most important variables in determining whether or not they purchase a home, growing consumer confidence will further help Austin’s housing market improve. For those who are interested in making an investment in Austin real estate, now is a good time to do it. Not only are mortgage rates still low, but rental rates in the Austin area continuing to increase.
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            <pubDate>Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:47:00 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/new-lake-travis-marina-to-open-in-early-spring.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/new-lake-travis-marina-to-open-in-early-spring.html</link>
            <author>davidbouthot@austin.rr.com (David Bouthot)</author>
            <title>New Lake Travis Marina to Open in Early Spring</title>
            <categories>austin-area-info</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
The new 111-acre Crosswater Yacht Club, which will be one of the newest marinas on Lake Travis, is expected to be complete sometime in April. Upon completion, the marina will accommodate 247 boat slips, with many of them featuring private docks.Currently under construction, the Crosswater Yacht Club will be found on the south shore of Lake Travis. The finished marina will feature a paved parking lot capable of accommodating 125 vehicles. With its keyed entry system, 14 foot tall lights and privacy fence, the parking lot will keep safety at a premium without disturbing nearby residents. The lot will also feature golf carts that boaters can use to transfer directly from the lot to their boat. The docks themselves will be wide enough to accommodate the carts, making it possible to transfer directly from the cart to the boat.With the marina located on deep waters and on a gradual slope, it is not expected to be affected by low lake levels. The marina will also feature a ship store and a fuel dock. While the marina will not be completed for a couple more months, 70 of its fuel dock spots have already been sold and marina officials do not expect it to take long to sell the remaining slips.
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            <pubDate>Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:01:00 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/city-of-bee-cave-continues-to-grow-around-highway-71.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/city-of-bee-cave-continues-to-grow-around-highway-71.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>City of Bee Cave Continues to Grow Around Highway 71</title>
            <categories>austin-area-info</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Just 15 years ago, there wasn’t much to be found on Highway 71, which cuts right through the middle of the City of Bee Cave. With a population of just 600 in the year 2000, Bee Cave didn’t have much need for more than the few restaurants and services that the highway had to offer. Today, the population of Bee Cave has increased to nearly 4,000 and Hwy. 71 has become one of the Hill Country’s primary corridors.With the growing number of businesses and services developing on Hwy. 71, both residents and business owners have benefited. Residents have a number of businesses to choose from, while business owners see high traffic counts as people move through the area. With plans to continue building homes in the Bee Cave area, business owners are likely to further increases in customer traffic. This will further benefit residents as it provides additional employment opportunities to the area. According to the City of Bee Cave’s zoning maps, the area has already seen significant business and residential growth along Hwy.71 in the area west of Bee Cave Parkway. The city is also rapidly zoning tracts of land for commercial, office, public and neighborhood use, with a great deal of consideration given to growing the area along Hwy. 71. To help encourage continued growth, a number of improvements have already been made to Hwy. 71. Given the location of the highway, some think it will ultimately become the main port into Lakeway as people look for an alternative to the traffic on RR 620. Still, despite the area’s growth and general support from its residents, not all development has been welcome. After all, many of Bee Cave’s residents moved to the area in order to get away from the sprawl of Austin. Therefore, care must be taken to develop the area while also managing to keep things the way they are. Residents spoke loud and clear when an auto dealer submitted a plan to build a car dealership off Hwy. 71 near Falconhead West. Residents objected due to the bothersome lighting, potential noise issues and safety concerns. The council denied the plan and a new plan has yet to be submitted.
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            <pubDate>Fri, 08 Feb 2013 10:28:00 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/eanes-school-district-to-issue-ipads-to-every-student.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/eanes-school-district-to-issue-ipads-to-every-student.html</link>
            <author>kim@canterarealestate.com (Crystal Guthrie)</author>
            <title>Eanes School District to Issue iPads to Every Student</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
The Eanes school district has announced plans to issue iPads to each of its students from kindergarten through 12th grade, making it one of the first in the state to take advantage of the changes made by the Texas legislature two years ago.Prior to an important change in legislation, issuing technology such as iPads or laptops would have been difficult for any school district. Thanks to changes that now allow Texas schools to purchase digital learning materials with textbook money, however, Texas schools can now afford to provide students with advanced technology options. Still, each school is required to purchase its own technology. Therefore, the Eanes school board will be investing $1.2 million of its money to purchase iPad 2s for each of its students.Despite the hefty price tag, school board President Kal Kallison believes the cost will be worthwhile. Not only will it help students familiarize themselves with technology, but the board believes it will change the educational dynamic of the classroom while also making the classroom more student-driven. To achieve these goals, however, teachers will need to undergo the training necessary to learn how to integrate the new technology into their classrooms. Students will also undergo training to learn how to use the devices, which are Wi-Fi only. To ensure students are using the iPads appropriately, the Internet connection at the schools will feature filters to block out inappropriate content. The Eanes school district has been slowly introducing the new technology to its students rather than giving them to all students all at once. The high school students have already received their iPads and the district says the transition has been successful so far. According to Superintendent Nola Welman, the students seem to realize that the iPad is a tool meant to assist with learning, just like a textbook or a pencil. She also noted that the students seem very comfortable with the new technology. Each of the district’s 2,700 students are expected to receive their iPads by the end of April.
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            <pubDate>Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:53:00 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-named-the-fastest-growing-city-in-the-us.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-named-the-fastest-growing-city-in-the-us.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>Austin Named the Fastest Growing City in the US</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Forbes has named Austin the fastest growing city in the country. After analyzing 100 of the largest U.S. metropolitan statistical areas for its list of “America’s 20 Fastest Growing Cities,” Forbes placed Austin at the top of the list for the third year in a row.In creating its list, Forbes used data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other resources to examine six metrics. These included 2012 population growth, 2013 estimated population growth, job growth, unemployment, Gross Metro Product and the median salary of college-educated workers living in the area. According to Forbes, Austin’s low unemployment, healthy job market and business-friendly regulations all contributed to its number one spot on the list. In general, Texas has enjoyed a significant amount of growth, with more than 427,000 people moving to the state between August 2011 and July 2012. As such, Houston took the number two spot and Dallas took the third spot. Still, Austin had the overall best figures when examining all six statistical areas. These include• Population growth rate for 2012: 2.8 percent• Estimated population growth rate for 2013: 2.7 percent• Job growth rate: 3.1 percent• Unemployment rate: 4.9 percent• Gross Metro Product: 6.3 percent• Median salary of college-educated workers who are living locally: $63,200According to the report, Austin’s economy and employment rates get a boost thanks to the number of Silicon Hills startups and corporations, such as Dell Inc. and Whole Foods Market Inc. The city’s economy is further fueled by the University of Texas at Austin, which has an enrollment of approximately 51,000 students.
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            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 12:57:00 -0600</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/west-lake-hills-and-rollingwood-get-projects-underway-in-2013.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/west-lake-hills-and-rollingwood-get-projects-underway-in-2013.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>West Lake Hills and Rollingwood Get Projects Underway in 2013</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
While West Lake Hills and Rollingwood have been engaged in some major projects, the work has been well organized and developed with the help of mayors and city councils who volunteer their time to the two small cities.  Among the projects that have been underway in 2013 include replacement of the outdated water lines and the addition of a continuous center turn lane on Bee Caves Road. The West Lake Hills City Council is also working on installing a camera system to assist with wildfire prevention. The camera system will likely be located on a radio communications tower at the top of Mount Larsen. Meanwhile, the Rollingwood City Council is also working on a five-year agreement for single-stream recycling and waste disposal.
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            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:39:00 -0600</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/just-listed-luxury-home-in-flintrock-golf-community.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/just-listed-luxury-home-in-flintrock-golf-community.html</link>
            <author>davidbouthot@austin.rr.com (David Bouthot)</author>
            <title>Just Listed - Luxury Home in Flintrock Golf Community </title>
            <categories>new-listings</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Stunning Flintrock Gem&hellip;.Outdoor living at its best!&nbsp; Dramatic entrance, awesome pool, hill country views, meticulously kept, plus way too many features to list here. Fantastic location; Lake Travis ISD, best golf community in the Lakeway area, new hospital just minutes away and Hill Country Galleria within 5 minutes. Over $150K in upgrades since purchased, perfect for entertaining or to raise your family.


Call David Bouthot at 512-300-0008 to schedule a private showing. 


&nbsp;

 

 

 


Call David Bouthot at 512-300-0008 to schedule a private showing. 
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            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:45:19 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/study-finds-austin-is-the-fourth-least-stressed-large-city-in-the-country.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/study-finds-austin-is-the-fourth-least-stressed-large-city-in-the-country.html</link>
            <author>brink@canterarealestate.com (James Brinkman)</author>
            <title>Study Finds Austin is the Fourth Least Stressed Large City in the Country</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
A recent study released by Portfolio.com found that Austin residents are the fourth least stressed out of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the country. According to the researchers, Austin residents enjoy a low level of stress primarily due to the relatively low unemployment rates coupled with the good health of the citys residents.

When determining the overall level of stress within each city, the researchers considered a number of different factors. These included:

&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Crime rates&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Environmental factors&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Health risks&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Living standards&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Local unemployment rates&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Personal financial data

On the other end of the spectrum, the researchers found that Detroit residents were the most stressed. This was largely due to the citys significant unemployment rate of 14.3 percent combined with its poverty rate of 9.9 percent. The city also has low levels of sunshine combined with high robbery and murder rates.

The complete list of the top ten most stressed cities includes:

&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Detroit, Michigan&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Los Angeles, California&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Cleveland, Ohio&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Riverside, California&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St. Louis, Missouri&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;New York City, New York&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;New Orleans, Louisiana&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Chicago, Illinois&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Birmingham, Alabama&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

The complete top ten list of the most relaxed cities in the United States included:

&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Salt Lake City, Utah&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Virginia Beach-Norfolk, Virginia&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Raleigh, North Carolina&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Austin, Texas&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Oklahoma City, Oklahoma&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Denver, Colorado&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;San Antonio, Texas&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kansas City, Missouri&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Phoenix, Arizona

Salt Lake City gained the top spot largely due to the good health of its residents, the easy commutes, the relatively high employment rates and the low crime levels.

&nbsp;
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            <pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:20:22 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/lake-travis-view-lot-in-ranchland-hills.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/lake-travis-view-lot-in-ranchland-hills.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>Lake Travis View Lot in Ranchland Hills</title>
            <categories>new-listings</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
This vacant lot has panoramic views of Lake Travis.  The lot is just over 1 acre, and is mostly flat which provides a terrific build site.  The property has nice trees and backs to a small creek.  Asking $149,900  Call 512-344-6000 for more information.


 








Call 512-344-6000 for more information. 


 
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            <pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/texas-ranked-number-1-on-list-of-states-with-the-best-business-climate.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/texas-ranked-number-1-on-list-of-states-with-the-best-business-climate.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>Texas Ranked Number 1 on List of States with the Best Business Climate</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
According to Site Selection magazine, the state of Texas currently has the best business climate in the country. In being placed in the number one spot, Texas effectively ousted North Carolina from the position, which it has held for the past 10 years.

Atlas Van Lines annual study of corporate relocations in 2010, Texas saw more than 7,200 inbound relocations compared to just 5,300 outbound relocations. In all, 58 percent of inbound corporate relocations went to Texas. Furthermore, more than 40 percent of the new jobs created in the United States since June 2009 were created in Texas.

Despite these impressive figures, Site Selection analyzed a number of different factors in order to determine its 2011 rankings. Half of the total score was based on objective, data-driven information, while the other half was based on input provided by corporate real estate executives. The executives surveyed for the study placed Texas at the top due to the states lack of red tape, the amount of cooperation that takes place between the government and businesses, workforce availability, the lack of state income tax and the financial assistance that is available. Factors taken into consideration for the objective portion of the score included the following:

&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Governors Cup ranking, which is a tally of new and expanded facilities from the previous year that is determined by Site Selection each year&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Total projects per million population&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Placement in the Competitiveness Ranking, which Site Selection determines each year.&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Qualified New Plants projects to date within the given year&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;2011 business tax climate as determined by the Tax Foundation

The states included in the top 25 list of states with the best business climate were:&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Texas&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Georgia&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;North Carolina&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Virginia&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;South Carolina&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Indiana&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Louisiana&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Tennessee&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Ohio&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Florida&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Pennsylvania&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Alabama&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Oklahoma&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Utah&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Michigan&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kansas&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mississippi&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Colorado&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kentucky&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;California&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Illinois&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;New York&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Iowa&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Maryland&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Nevada&nbsp;If the state of Texas continues down the path that it has already started, it is likely to continue to hold onto the number one position for some time. Not only has the state seen significant economic progress in its four major metropolitan areas of Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, but it is also actively putting plans in place to help foster its booming business climate.
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            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:53:58 -0600</pubDate>
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