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        <title>Austin Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/tags/austin/</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>
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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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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/new-marriott-marquis-hotel-to-be-constructed-in-downtown-austin.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/new-marriott-marquis-hotel-to-be-constructed-in-downtown-austin.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>New Marriott Marquis Hotel to be Constructed in Downtown Austin</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Marriott Hotels and Resorts has announced its plans to open a new Marriott Marquis hotel, which will be part of Marriott Internationals signature Marriott Hotels &amp; Resorts brand, in the downtown Austin area. The new hotel, which is scheduled to break ground in mid-2012 after having faced some initial difficulties with getting off the ground, should be open sometime in 2015 if all goes as planned. Offering more than 110,000 square feet of meeting space along with 1,003 rooms, the hotel will offer ample living space while also creating hundreds of jobs in the area.

Owned and operated by White Lodging Services Corp., the Austin Marriott Marquis is projected to generate more than 545 full-time construction jobs over the course of its development. After it opens, the hotel is expected to employ 750 people.

In addition to bringing more jobs to the area, the new Austin Marriott Marquis will provide the citys visitors with an attractive lodging option. Conveniently located at Congress Avenue and Second Street, the hotel will be only two blocks away from the Austin Convention Center. The hotel itself will also offer numerous food and beverage venues as well as a 4,500-square-foot fitness center and 347 underground parking spaces.

According to reports, the new hotel initially hit some obstacles that threatened to postpone or even cancel the development. After city council members approved an initiative to waive $4.3 million in development fees in June, the hotel took one more step closer to becoming reality.
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            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:54:05 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-to-move-to-stage-2-water-restrictions-starting-september-6.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-to-move-to-stage-2-water-restrictions-starting-september-6.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>Austin to Move to Stage 2 Water Restrictions Starting September 6</title>
            <categories>austin-area-info</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Due to triple digit heat coupled with lack of rain, the city of Austin plans to move to Stage 2 water restrictions starting September 6. These new guidelines will make it even more difficult for residents who are trying to keep their lawns and other plant life alive.

Under the new guidelines, residents will only be able to water their lawns once per week and on designated days. While hand-watering will be allowed at any time, the use of sprinkler systems will only be allowed before 10:00 a.m. and after 7:00 p.m. Other restrictions included in State 2 are:

&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Vehicles can only be washed on designated days and must be washed before 10:00 a.m.&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;No washing of driveways, sidewalks, parking areas or other paved areas&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;No water is to be served at a restaurant unless it has been requested&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;No charity car washes&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;No outdoor fountains unless necessary to provide aeration for aquatic life&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;No automatic-fill valves with ponds or pools

Since the city gets its water through the Lower Colorado River Authority from Lakes Buchanan and Travis, Austin Water has been working closely with the authority since the beginning of the year in an effort to monitor lake levels. The LCRA reports that the lakes are currently only 47 percent full and are expected to be just 45 percent full by next week.&nbsp; Since there is no end to the drought in sight, officials cannot predict how long the restrictions will be in place. In fact, they acknowledge there is a possibility the restrictions will become stricter.

The city hasnt gone into Stage 2 restrictions since August 2009. Those who violate the new restrictions will receive a warning after the first violation. After the second offense, violators will receive a citation, with fines starting at $475. Starting on September 6, more crews will be out to monitor violations.
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            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:03:17 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-has-the-third-best-job-market-in-the-country.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-has-the-third-best-job-market-in-the-country.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>Austin Has the Third Best Job Market in the Country</title>
            <categories>cantera-news,austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
According to a recent report released by Forbes, Austin has the third best employment opportunities in the nation. The capital city earned this distinction for a multitude of reasons, with the primary reasons cited by the publication being:


The citys relatively low unemployment rate, which is currently sitting at about 7.0 percent

The relatively low job-seekers to employment openings ratio, which is currently at about 2.39 to 1


According to Forbes, there are many reasons why Austin has managed to maintain a low unemployment rate. Aside from being a state capital, Austin is also a major convention center. As such, Austin plays an integral role in the music industry. Other aspects that have helped the city thrive include the fact that a number of technology companies are based in the capital city combined with the fact that Austin is home to the University of Texas.

In addition to being a major hub for technology, Austin is also a leader in the green movement. Just this past October, for example, officials from the capital city announced that a new Eco-Merge Green Corporate Center will be coming to the city. This center will focus on producing new forms of technology. Officials have also reported that several international firms have plans to open up facilities in Austin. These include Toshiba and Taiwan Clean Energy.

Austins ranking on Forbes most recent list isnt the first time the capital city has found itself on a Forbes &ldquo;best of&rdquo; list. In fact, Forbes selected Austin as the number one city most likely to see an economic recovery, the second most innovative city, the eighth best city for businesses and careers and the tenth best city for young professionals. 

In respect to this most recent list, Washington, D.C. took the number one position. This is largely due to the fact that the nations capital currently has the lowest unemployment rate and has approximately one advertised job for every job seeker. On the other end of the spectrum, Las Vegas was ranked as having the worst job market. With an unemployment rate of 14.3%, Las Vegas is a long way from the 6% unemployment rate currently enjoyed in D.C.
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            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Feb 2011 12:08:52 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-named-one-of-the-best-places-for-young-professionals-to-live.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-named-one-of-the-best-places-for-young-professionals-to-live.html</link>
            <author>crystal@canterarealestate.com (Crystal Guthrie)</author>
            <title>Austin Named One of the Best Places for Young Professionals to Live</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ For those living in the city of Austin, it has never been a secret that the capital city is a great place for young professionals to live. Thanks to a recent list published by Forbes, however, Austinites now have the confirmation they need to prove that Austin is a great place for young professionals to call home. In fact, there are many cities throughout the Lone State that are considered to be ideal locations for young professionals, with Austin taking the number ten position, while Houston grabbed the number one position and Dallas came in number six.In order to develop its list, Forbes only considered those cities with more than 1 million. Furthermore, the publication focused only on those cities that were included on Moody's Economy. Come list of cities predicted to experience job growth over the next year. In order to better determine where recent college graduates were the most likely to start a high-powered career, the publication also considered the average wage, unemployment rate, public company presence and affordability of the area. To get a better idea of where young professionals have already been choosing to live, the publication also counted the number of class of 2000 graduates from several prestigious schools who had chosen to live in the city.Those colleges included in the study were:*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Duke University*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Harvard University*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Northwestern University*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Princeton University*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Rice University*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Stanford UniversityWhile Houston grabbed top honors because of its &quot;business-friendly environment and abundance of oil money,&quot; largely because it is home to 14 of the largest oil companies in the country, Austin made the list thanks to its low, 6.9% unemployment rate as well as its strong company presence.The full top ten list includes:*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Houston, Texas*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Washington, D.C.*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;New York City, New York*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Boston, Massachusetts*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Dallas, Texas*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Seattle, Washington*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Denver, Colorado*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Atlanta, Georgia*&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Austin, Texas ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:46:10 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-ranked-one-of-the-top-ten-cities-offering-a-high-quality-of-life.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-ranked-one-of-the-top-ten-cities-offering-a-high-quality-of-life.html</link>
            <author>crystal@canterarealestate.com (Crystal Guthrie)</author>
            <title>Austin Ranked One of the Top Ten Cities Offering a High Quality of Life</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
According to a study recently published by Portfolio.com, Austin is one of the top ten cities in terms of the quality of life it offers to its residents. In fact, in a study that took a closer look at 67 metropolitan areas in the United States, Austin was ranked as the 9th best city in the country.

In order to develop this list, 20 different statistical categories were considered. The highest scores were given to those areas with the most well-rounded markets, including those that offered a moderate cost of living, a high-powered educational system, solid housing stocks and healthy economies. Austin scored in many of the indicators that were considered, except for the one that focused on people living in the same area for longer than one year. 

Areas in which Austin scored high included its strong population growth, which has grown by 32% since 2000, and the relatively high number of people who walk to work, at 7.1%. The capital city also took the highest position when it came to the number of job opportunities available for young adults, while Houston took the number five position, Dallas ranked seventh and San Antonio came in at fourteen.&nbsp; Overall, Dallas took the 29th position on the final quality of life list, while Houston came in at 47 and San Antonio ranked 53rd.

On the other end of the spectrum, Bakersfield took the last spot in six of the twenty different categories that were studied. In addition to having the highest poverty level of any of the markets included in the study, it also has the lowest concentration of professional and management jobs and the weakest inventory of large houses. Bakersfield also had the smallest percentage within all three of the educational categories that were considered, including the number of adults with high school diplomas, with bachelors degrees and with advanced degrees. Other metro areas included in the bottom five were New Orleans, Louisiana; Memphis, Tennessee; and Riverside-San Bernardino, California.
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            <pubDate>Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:18:07 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-ranked-number-1-most-livable-city-in-the-country.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-ranked-number-1-most-livable-city-in-the-country.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>Austin Ranked Number 1 Most Livable City in the Country</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
According to a list recently released by Kiplingers Personal Finance, Austin was selected as the number one best city to live in for the next ten years. A number of factors were taken into consideration when developing this list, though the primary focus was placed on those cities that were considered to have the most positive business climates combined with the most unique &ldquo;livability&rdquo; appeal. According to the report, the capital city is &ldquo;arguably the countrys best crucible for small business&rdquo; the report goes on to say that &ldquo;Austin has spawned many companies with unique twists that have gone nationwide.&rdquo;

The great success of many businesses with their roots in Austin isnt the only reason Austin took the number one position, however, as the magazine went on to list the capital citys numerous music venues, parks and lakes as well as its innovative thinking and job-creation tendencies as other reasons for being the most livable city in the country.

&ldquo;Creativity in music, arts and culture, plus neighborhoods and recreational facilities that rank high for &lsquo;coolness, attract like-minded professionals who go on to cultivate a regions business scene,&rdquo; said Robert Frick, who is Senior Editor of Kiplinger.

The full top ten list includes:

&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Austin, Texas&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Seattle, Washington&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Washington, D.C.&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Boulder, Colorado&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Salt Lake City, Utah&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Rochester, Minnesota&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Des Moines, Iowa&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Burlington, Vermont&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;West Hartford, Connecticut&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Topeka, Kansas

This isnt the only recent honor that Austin has earned in terms of being a great place to live and to have a business. In fact, Forbes.com also recently listed the capital city as the second &ldquo;most innovative&rdquo; city in the country, while the American College of Sports Medicine listed it as the tenth most fit city in the country and Portfolio.com listed it as having the ninth best quality of life. 
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            <pubDate>Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:13:53 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-projected-to-rebound-from-recession-at-the-start-of-2011.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-projected-to-rebound-from-recession-at-the-start-of-2011.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>Austin Projected to Rebound from Recession at the Start of 2011</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the data collected by Moody's Economy.com, home prices in the Austin area should stop falling by the final quarter of this year. Furthermore, according to a Fiserv Inc. report that was released earlier this month, the prices of homes in the Central Texas area are likely to start increasing by the first quarter of 2011 and will likely reach their pre-recession levels by 2016.Although the analysts predict that home prices will have fallen a total of 4.8% by the time the downward spiral reaches its projected bottom at the end of the year, it has still been a far shorter fall when compared to the national average. In fact, the city did quite well when compared to the 374 markets that were included in the report. Those markets that saw the greatest drop, such as Florida, California, Nevada and Arizona, are in far worse shape in terms of bouncing back from the recession. In fact, the report doesn't expect these markets to regain their peak levels until 2025 or later.&quot;The picture is not uniformly grim,&quot; said Fiserve Chief Economist David Stiff in an Austin Biz Journals article. &quot;In fact, our analysis projects that some markets are poised for a relatively fast recovery, including some areas that never experienced large declines in prices. Markets that could see prices come back within the next few years include Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Columbia, South Carolina and several metro areas in Texas, Washington and upstate New York.&quot;For those who are trying to sell a home in the Austin area, this is certainly good news. For those who are interested in making a purchase, however, there is not much time to spare, as waiting too much longer could result in paying significantly more for a home in the Austin area. ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 31 May 2010 17:58:20 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-recognized-as-one-of-the-countrys-best-places-to-relocate-to.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-recognized-as-one-of-the-countrys-best-places-to-relocate-to.html</link>
            <author>brink@canterarealestate.com (James Brinkman)</author>
            <title>Austin Recognized as One of the Country's Best Places to Relocate To</title>
            <categories>austin-area-info</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ According to a report released by RelocateAmerica.com, Austin is the third best city to relocate to in the United States. Austin residents have known this for quite sometime, which is part of why the city and the surrounding area has been growing so rapidly over the last several years. Still, it is good to know that the capital city of Austin is receiving recognition for all that it has to offer to those who are looking for a great city to move to.Of course, this isn't the first time Austin has been recognized as a great place to live or as a great place to move to. In fact, the city took the number two position in the &quot;America's Top 100 Places to Live for 2010&quot; report. This particular report, on which Huntsville, Alabama took the number one position, focused primarily on the recession and which areas are most likely to enjoy a quick recovery. On the RelocateAmerica.com survey, Austin took third behind Huntsville, Alabama and Washington D.C. as the best overall places to move to. This particular list was compiled based on the nominations of RelocateAmerica.com users as well as the Websites editorial team. When analyzing reviews and interviewing residents, the company took a number of specific factors into consideration as well. These included:&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Economic data&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Environmental data&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Education data&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Crime data&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Employment data&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Housing dataIn a separate study, Austin was also recognized as the fifth most &quot;earth-friendly&quot; locations in the United States. The top four locations, in order from first through fourth, included Portland, Oregon; Boston, Massachusetts; Madison, Wisconsin; and Boulder. Colorado. Considering all that the city does to provide an eco-friendly environment for its residents coupled with the high level of green-consciousness the city's residents are known to have, this also does not come as much of a surprise for those who live in the Austin area. ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:26:27 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/clarksville-home-in-the-downtown-area-only-415k.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/clarksville-home-in-the-downtown-area-only-415k.html</link>
            <author>crystal@canterarealestate.com (Crystal Guthrie)</author>
            <title>Clarksville Home in the Downtown Area - Only $415k!</title>
            <categories>new-listings</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
1716 10th Street, 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1,278 sqft

REDUCED $84,000!!!! Clarksville has the best of both worlds: It's a quaint, quiet Austin neighborhood with unique homes, diverse residents, and plenty of history, but it's in the center of the city and only a stone's throw from downtown's many attractions. This Clarksville home has a very large lot. Updated Electric 2005, Updated HVAC 2005, Wrap Around Deck off the front porch, large deck off back. Recently replaced carpet, and fresh paint. This home is ready for move in!

Call Crystal Guthrie at 512-422-3452 for a viewing appointment! 



 

 

 

Call Crystal Guthrie at 512-422-3452 for a viewing appointment! 

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            <pubDate>Sat, 10 Apr 2010 20:46:19 -0500</pubDate>
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