For decades, bumper stickers have adorned cars all over central Austin, proudly proclaiming "78704 More Than just a Zip Code." The South Austin lifestyle originated there, but as Austin real estate prices rose, and fancy restaurants and shops re-energized South Congress, a migration of hip-ness began. Now, a new bumper sticker is gaining in popularity, reading "78745 the new 78704."
This is...
Do you love the beauty and color of flowers but cringe at the thought of the maintenance required for their upkeep? If your colorful blooms have a tendency to turn brown and crunchy from neglect in the hot Austin sun, there may be some flowers made just for you. Flora native or adapted to the Austin area thrive where others perish, resisting drought, pests and other hazards. Just choose your...
One of the most unique and celebrated attractions in Austin is a naturally occurring phenomenon and costs absolutely nothing to enjoy. The 1.5 million Mexican Free-tailed bats that live under the Congress Street Bridge from March to October emerge at dusk in a breathtaking display. This nightly (almost) occurrence can be viewed in a number of different ways, and is the kind of event that makes...
After several weeks of staying relatively flat mortgage interest rates jumped up this week. 30 Year mortgage went from 6.09 to 6.32. 15 Year Mortgage moved from 5.65 to 5.93. 5 Year rates went from 5.51 to 5.70. The only rate that was somewhat stable was 1 Year Arms which went up from 5.06 to 5.09. Two weeks ago we predicted that rates would increase over the summer and they seem to be...
With almost two decades under its belt, the Austin Hot Sauce Festival is a time-honored tradition featuring some of the most defining characteristics of life in Austin: hot sauce, hot weather, live music, great food and a fantastic way to give back to the community.
A major fundraiser for the Capital Area Food Bank, the festival boasts free admission, with a donation of three healthy,...
This is truly a museum for the casual and creative Austinite. With two locations and loads of interesting exhibits and programs, AMOA is a great cultural destination for students, adults, and even parents and caregivers of young children.
The downtown location is a sleek and modern space, while the Laguna Gloria campus, AMOA's original home, is housed within a 1916 Italiante villa. The...
Rates on 15 and 30 Year Fixed loans have been pretty stable the last month. In contrast mortgage rates on 5 and 1 year ARMs have been falling. 1 Year rates fell from 5.22 to 5.06 this week. This is the lowest 1 Year Arms have been since early March. Its a little weird considering banks are losing a lot of money on ARMs from people going into foreclosure when they reset.
One would think...
As the Austin real estate market expands in all directions, areas we used to think of as "way out there" are not only seeming closer, but are getting their own infrastructure. Maple Run in Southwest Austin is just one of those areas. Located south of William Cannon, north of Slaughter, west of Brodie and east of Mopac, this little oasis offers quiet streets, attractive and affordable housing,...
There are some home renovations that really should be left to a professional. Finding a good contractor that is trustworthy and dependable can sometimes be a challenge, but with some preparation it can be done.
Before accepting to work with a contractor, ask for a list of references. Ideally, the list will be fairly long, and not rigged towards a few happy customers. Call these...
One of the challenges we faced as new parents was what to do on those nights when you just need to go out and grab a quick bite no time to plan for a sitter or make reservations. Nothing in the fridge, too tired to slice and dice, or an all too common scenario in our household: Wait, I thought YOU were doing dinner tonight! When our child was a baby, this was fairly easy pop him in the car...
