Kids Eat Free In Austin Texas

FREE Food for the Kiddies

(All programs subject to change without notice. Call the restaurant in advance to verify the Kids Eat Free promotion requirements, including the hours available.)

SUNDAY

• Buster's Bee Cave BBQ - Free Turkey meal for kids 5 and under
• Cannoli Joe's - Kids under 4 eat free. Kids under 12 eat 1/2 Price
• Catfish Parlour - Kids 3 and under eat free after 4 PM
• China Chef - Free Buffet for kids under 5 11:30 am to 3 pm
• Tutto Gusto - Kids 12 and under eat for 1/2 price
• Zen Japanese Food - Kids 12 and under eat free all day
• Austin's Park Pflugerville - Kids under 40 inches eat free. All others only $5.95
• Souper Salad Restaurants - Kids ages 5-12 eat free all day
• Double Dave's Pizzaworks (Select locations in Austin) - Kids under 5 eat free all day

MONDAY

• Buster's Bee Cave BBQ - Free Turkey meal for kids 5 and under
• Cannoli Joe's - Kids under 4 eat free. Kids under 12 eat 1/2 Price
• Catfish Parlous - Kids 3 and under eat free after 4 PM
• China Chef - Free Buffet for kids under 5, 11 am to 2:30 pm
• El Rincon Mexican in Pflugerville - Kids under 12 eat free 6 pm to 9 pm. Clowns, face painting and video games
• Gatti Land in Round Rock - Moms eat free. Must have child age 3-14
• Tokyo Steakhouse in Round Rock - Free Chicken Nutteg meal for kids 10 and under 5 pm to 8 pm
• Tres Amigos - Kids 12 and under eat free all day
• Zu Zu Homemade Mexican - Kids under 10 eat free 6 pm to 9 pm
• Austin's Park in Pflugerville - Kids under 40 inches eat free. All others only $5.95
• Fajita Warehouse - Kids 10 and under eat free all day
• Hangtown Restaurant in West Lake Hills - Kids under 12 eat free after 5 pm
• Hi Way Cafe in Liberty Hill - Kids 8 and under eat free 4 pm to 9 pm
• Hill Country Pasta House - $1.99 Kids Menu 4:30 pm to close
• Jim's Restaurant - Kids 12 and under eat free 5 pm to 9 pm
• Johnny Fins - Kids 12 and under eat free 11 am to close
• Salsaritas Volente Plaza - Kids 12 and under eat free 3 pm to 8 pm
• Texadelphia - Kids under 12 eat free 4 pm to 8 pm. Must order from kids menu.
• Mama Fu's - Kids 12 and under eat free all day.
• Margaritas Restaurant - Kids 12 and under eat free 5 pm to close.
• Fish Daddy's in Pflugerville - Kids 12 and under eat free all day.
• Pok-E-Jos in Round Rock - Kids 12 and under eat free after 5 pm
• Spaghetti Warehouse - Kids 10 and under eat for 99 cents all day.
• Double Dave's Pizzaworks Select locations in Austin (call first) - Kids under 5 eat free all day.

TUESDAY

• Black Eyed Pea - Kids eat free after 5 pm
• Berryhill Baja Grill - Kids eat free anytime
• Buster's Bee Cave BBQ - Free Turkey meal for kids 5 and under
• Cannoli Joe's - Kids under 4 eat free. Kids under 12 eat 1/2 price.
• Catfish Parlour - Kids 3 and under eat free after 4 pm
• Cattle Co. Steakhouse - Kids under 10 eat free 4 pm to close.
• China Chef - Free Buffet for kids under 5, 11 am to 2:30 pm
• El Rincon Mexican in Round Rock - Kids under 12 eat free 6 pm to 9 pm. Clowns, face painting and video games.
• Pluckers - Kids Free Wings 11 am to midnight. Adults 50 cent wings.
• Tokyo Steakhouse in Round Rock - Free Chicken Nugget meal for kids 10 and under 5 pm to 8 pm
• Austin's Park in Pflugerville - Kids under 40 inches eat free. All others only $5.95
• Fajita Warehouse - Kids 10 and under all day
• Fazoli's - Kids eat for 99 cents 5 pm to 8 pm
• Red Robin Gourmet Burgers - Kids under 12 eat free 3 pm to 9 pm
• Hi Way Cafe in Liberty Hill - Kids 8 and under eat free 4 pm to 9 pm
• Jim's Restaurant - Kids 12 and under eat free 5 pm to 9 pm
• Kerby Lane - Kids 12 and under eat free all day.
• Salt Lick 360 - Kids 12 and under eat free after 4 pm
• Texadelphia - Kids under 12 eat free 4 pm to 8 pm. Must order from kids menu.
• Sirloin Stockade in Round Rock - Kids ages 4-11 eat for $1.99 all day.
• Sombreros Mexican Restaurant in Georgetown - Kids 10 and under eat free all day.
• Mamitas Mexican Restaurant in Georgetown - Kids 12 and under eat free 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
• Margaritas Restaurant - Kids 12 and under eat free 5 pm to close
• Nuevo Leon Restaurant - Kids 10 and under eat free all day.
• Romes Pizza - Kids 9 and under eat free until 8 pm
• McAlister's Deli - Kids 12 and under eat free 5 pm to close
• Chick-Fil-A Austin, West Lake Hills and Georgetown - Free 4 pc kids meal after 5 pm. Select locations (call first)
• Denny's - Kids 12 and under eat free 4 pm to 10 pm
• La Salsa - Kids 12 and under eat free 4 pm to close
• Central Market - Kids 12 and under eat free 5 pm to 9 pm
• Double Dave's Pizzaworks - Kids under 5 eat free all day. Select locations in Austin (call first)

WEDNESDAY

• Buster's Bee Cave BBQ - Free Turkey meal for kids 5 and under
• Cannoli Joe's - Kids under 4 eat free. Kids under 12 eat 1/2 price.
• Catfish Parlour - Kids 3 and under eat free after 4 pm
• China Chef - Free Buffet for kids under 5, 11 am to 2:30 pm
• El Gran Tejano - Kids 12 and under eat free after 5 pm
• Tokyo Steakhouse in Round Rock - Free Chicken Nugget meal for kids 10 and under 5 pm to 8 pm
• Zen - Kids 12 and under eat free after 5 pm
• Zen Japanese Food Fast - Kids 12 and under eat free 5 pm to close
• Austin's Park in Pflugerville - Kids under 40 inches eat free. All others only $5.95
• Luby's - Kids 10 and under eat free after 4:30 pm
• Hi Way Cafe in Liberty Hill - Kids 8 and under eat free 4 pm to 9 pm
• Jim's Restaurant - Kids 12 and under eat free 5 pm to 9 pm
• Serranos - Kids 12 and under eat free all day
• Texadelphia - Kids under 12 eat free 4 pm to 8 pm. Must order from kids menu.
• Romes Pizza - Kids 9 and under eat free until 8 pm
• La Salsa - Kids 12 and under eat free 4 pm to close
• EZ's - Kids 12 and under eat free after 5 pm
• Double Dave's Pizzaworks Select locations in Austin (call first) - Kids under 5 eat free all day

THURSDAY

• Buster's Bee Cave BBQ - Free Turkey meal for kids 5 and under
• Cannoli Joe's - Kids under 4 eat free. Kids under 12 eat 1/2 price.
• Catfish Parlour - Kids 3 and under eat free after 4 pm
• Cattle Co. Steakhouse - Kids under 10 eat free 4 pm to close
• China Chef - Free Buffet for kids under 5, 11 am to 2:30 pm
• Tokyo Steakhouse in Round Rock - Free Chicken Nugget meal for kids 10 and under 5 pm to 8 pm
• Wings N More - Kids 12 and under eat for 1/2 price 4 pm to close
• Austin's Park in Pflugerville - Kids under 40 inches eat free. All others only $5.95
• Hi Way Cafe in Liberty Hill - Kids 8 and under eat free 4 pm to 9 pm
• La Salsa - Kids 12 and under eat free 4 pm to close
• Double Dave's Pizzaworks Select locations in Austin (call first) - Kids under 5 eat free all day

FRIDAY

• Buster's Bee Cave BBQ - Free Turkey meal for kids 5 and under
• Cannoli Joe's - Kids under 4 eat free. Kids under 12 eat 1/2 price
• Catfish Parlour - Kids 3 and under eat free after 4 pm
• China Chef - Free Buffet for kids under 5, 11 am to 4 pm
• Tokyo Steakhouse in Round Rock - Free Chicken Nugget Meal for kids 10 and under 5 pm to 8 pm
• Austin's Park in Pflugerville - Kids under 40 inches eat free. All others only $5.95
• Double Dave's Pizzaworks Select locations in Austin (call first) - Kids under 5 eat free all day

SATURDAY

• Buster's Bee Cave BBQ - Turkey meal for kids 5 and under
• Cannoli Joe's - Kids under 4 eat free. Kids under 12 eat 1/2 price
• Catfish Parlour - Kids 3 and under eat free after 4 pm
• China Chef - Free Buffet for kids under 5, 11 am to 3 pm
• Cozzoli's Pizza - 1/2 price for kids under 12
• Iron Cactus - Kids 12 and under eat free all day
• Austin's Park in Pflugerville - Kids under 40 inches eat free. All others only $5.95
• Luby's - Kids 10 and under eat free all day
• Texas Land and Cattle - Kids eat free 11 am to 4 pm. Must order from kids menu.
• Denny's - Kids 12 and under eat free 4 pm to 10 pm
• Double Dave's Pizzaworks Select locations in Austin (call first) - Kids under 5 eat free all day

Austin Walk & Bike Real Estate Tours!

Upcoming tours: Friday, Sept. 12, 2008 and Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008

http://www.texaschrissy.com/biketours.htm

Austin City-Wide Garage Sale

The City-Wide Garage Sale is this weekend!

Saturday, September 6th 10am-5pm
Sunday, September 7th 11am-5pm

Austin Palmer Events Center

900 Barton Springs Rd

Austin,TX 78704

Visit http://www.cwgs.com/ to get your $1 off admission.

Directions:
From IH-35 take the Riverside Dr Exit, Head West
to Barton Springs Rd, go left. Palmer will be on your right.

Free Parking (Through January 2009)
Paid for by City-Wide Garage Sale

The Early Shopper Pass
Saturday Morning between 8:30a-10a
we sell early shopper passes for $10 each.
They allow you exclusive early access to the
show before the General Admission Hours.
(no discounts, coupons or passes for Early Shopper)
Regular Admission - $5 ($4 w/coupon)

House Hunting at the Lake

Pictures from house hunting in the Lake Travis area on Saturday.

TOILET REPLACEMENT PROGRAM

Toilet Replacement Program

The Toilet Replacement Program can help replace up to three toilets per household with new, efficient toilets. To qualify, you must receive your water from the City of Austin or an eligible MUD.

Visit this website to download the Free Toilet Program application:

www.cityofaustin.org/watercon/sftoilet.htm or call (512) 974-2199

This website details how to receive FREE toilets or get rebates for approved models and rebates for installation of toilets.

Le Garage Sale

Don't miss this! Le Garage Sale

At LE GARAGE SALE, Austin's hottest fashion boutiques merge for marked down merchandise in a weekend shopping event made for cool shoppers and hot deals. Esperience ooh-la-la worthy discounts -- fifty percent or more off of retail from 50 stores offering the latest in men's, women's, children's and home fashion.

Visit Le Garage Sale Website: http://www.legaragesale.net/

September 6-7, 2008

Palmer Events Center

Saturday: 11am - 6pm

Sunday: 11am - 5pm

Admission: $10/person

2-day pass available: $15/person

CASH ONLY

. admission good all day for that day only

. no change rooms available

. large parcel storage available

more info at http://www.legaragesale.net/

Attention Warrior Band Fans!

Help us to support our fantastic drum line this Thursday in the KEYE Marching Band Challenge!
Here's how it works.

Westwood High School drum line will be performing during the half-time of the Minnesota vs. Dallas football game this Thursday, August 28th at 7:00 PM. After half-time go to www.keyetv.com and click on the CBS-42 Marching Band Challenge icon and vote for Westwood!!! Voting starts immediately after the Dallas half-time. You may vote once every 30 minutes per URL address as many times as you would like, so get as many people as you can to vote! Voting ends Sunday, August 31st at noon. The winner of this round will be announced on Tuesday night, during the Keye-42 10pm News and will qualify Westwood High School for the finals, so get out the votes.

Westwood High school gets $500 for participating, and another $500 if they win the preliminary round! Vote as much as you can.

A Friday Night Stroll at the Domain

Friday night we were out celebrating the closing on my clients new home. Coffee at the Starbucks in the Domain is a great place to top off the evening, and so we did. Live bands play near the fountain, and long after the shops close, people walk about the strip. The picture here is a guy we came upon that was walking his pet pig. Everyone was interested and the owner was nice to stop and entertain all of us by showing us the great tricks his piggy could do.

Austin City-Wide Garage Sale This Weekend!

Antiques, Collectibles, & Vintage Market.

Austin City-Wide Garage Sale --
This Weekend!

TIME:
Saturday, June 21st 10am-5pm
Sunday, June 22nd 11am-5pm

Go to www.cwgs.com to
sign up and receive a $1 off coupon.

LOCATION: Austin Palmer Events Center
900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin,TX 78704
From IH-35 take the Riverside Dr Exit, Head West
to Barton Springs Rd, go left. Palmer will be on your right.

Free Parking (until March 2009)
Paid for by City-Wide Garage Sale

Regular Admission - $5 ($4 w/coupon)

2008 Austin Show Schedule
June 21-22
July 19-20
August 16-17
September 6-7
October 18-19
November 29-30

Cedar Park, Texas

In June we closed on a great home in the lovely Buttercup Creek community of Cedar Park, Texas. Cedar Park was chosen by Family Circle Magazine as one of the Top 10 Cities To Raise A Family. The home that my clients bought is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,323 sq. feet with a bright and open floorplan and a large private backyard. Just around the corner, on Twin Oaks Trail, is the Buttercup Creek Park which consists of 3.55 acres, playground, picnic tables, park benches, barbecue pits, lighted tennis courts, and a swimming pool and restrooms. This community does NOT have an HOA and the park/pool is managed by the City of Cedar Park. For a schedule of the 2008 summer fees, click this link:

Swimming Pool Fees & Hours

Prices are incredible in the Cedar Park area. The home we closed on was just 136,000.00 for a 1980 home that was in GREAT shape. Neighbors are friendly, tollway 183A is just around the corner, shopping galore, and the new Cedar Park Entertainment Center, a 47,500 Sq. Foot facility, has just broken ground. Also in the works is the new Cedar Park Regional Medical Center, right next to the huge shopping area just built at the corner of the 183A Tollway and FM 1431.

This shopping center, at the corner of the 183A Tollway and FM 1431, includes a brand new Super Target, Starbucks Coffee, Cinemark Cedar Park Movies with 12 screens and all new STADIUM SEATING! There are many other shops and restaurants open now on this corner and lots more on the way. I live in NW Austin and this Cedar Park Movies is my favorite theatre to go to now. Using the 183A Tollway from Spicewood Springs/McNeil, we can be there in less than 10 minutes!

CURRENT HOMES ON THE MARKET IN SOUTH CEDAR PARK: WOW! There are currently 468 homes on the market in the south Cedar Park area. They range in asking price of $74,900K up to $5,000,000.00. (YES - 5 million dollars!!) The oldest home was built in 1946 and the newest - you guessed it, 2008. The smallest home is 720 sq. feet and the largest is 9,082 square feet! In Cedar Park, there is truely a home for every personality. If you are considering a move to the Austin area, Cedar Park is definately worth checking out.

WhiteFence.com

If you are in the process of moving and having to schedule all the new connections and installations for things like phone, electricity, television, high-speed internet, etc. - here is a GREAT tool for managing all of this from one place:
www.WhiteFence.com

You can compare prices and schedule all of your hook-ups by logging in and entering your address. Comparision shop, select the service plan, choose connection date, and you will receive a confirmation.

You can also subscribe to local newspapers and order magazine subscriptions.
This is a great time-saving tool!

Spring Fiesta in Georgetown, Texas

Enjoy an evening of Food, Fun and Friends at Walnut Springs in Georgetown, Texas.
The Spring Fiesta on Thursday, May 22, 2008 from 5:30 - 8:30 pm celebrates the grand opening of Georgetown's newest community of One Acre lots and Hill Country Views featuring some of the area's finest custom homes by local builders.

• Food, Fun and Drinks
• Drawings for Several Fabulous Prizes
• Special Previews of new Model Homes
• Get to know Custom builders there to answer any questions.

Walnut Springs is conveniently located in West Georgetown near Lake Georgetown and the new Parmer Lane Extension.

There are currently 8 custom homes that I know of for sale in this new community.

Directions:

I35N to Georgetown TX

West on Williams Drive

Left on C.R. 3405

Left into Walnut Springs Subdivision.

Happy Mother's Day!

Each spring we get to watch a new bird family take up residence in our little sunflower birdhouse that hangs just outside our kitchen window. It's fun to watch the mama bird go back & forth bringing nesting materials into the house. Then this month we saw 4 or 5 tiny mouths waiting for mama to return with their food. Friday they all left the nest. I keep peeking in hoping they will return - they never do.

Zilker Park Nature Walk

The Zilker Park trails around the lake and the Barton Springs pool are a couple of my favorite spots in Austin. On this day, I gave myself the day off work and headed for a nice peaceful walk. Here is a little slideshow from my perfectly wonderful afternoon:

AREA NW - Northwest Austin

Last month I chased around finding Leases. I know a lot of you are leasing rather than buying a new home in the hopes that home prices will drop. Be very careful about that decision - if the interest rate goes UP, this will affect your payment more than a drop in the price of the home would. Consider the big picture, if you are financing you home over a 30 year period. Here is an example:
Let's say today the home you want to buy is 200K and the current interest rate is 5.5% for a 30 year loan. You monthly payment (Principal & Interest) would be $1,135.58. Now, suppose you wait until next year, you are sure prices are going to drop because you read all the bad news about the housing market in areas like Michigan and Florida. Suppose the price of the house has indeed dropped by $20K down to $180,000. That sounds like a nice chunk of money you saved by waiting a year, your dream home has dropped $20,000.00 in price. BUT, what if the interest rate for 30 year loan has gone up "just a bit" to 6.5%. NOW, your monthly house payment is $1,137.72 - you are actually going to pay more per month for 30 years!

200K financed for 30 years at 5.5% = $1,135.58 per month
180K financed for 30 years at 6.5% = $1,137.72 per month

Now is still a GREAT time to buy a home. There are some wonderful homes on the market in the Austin area and interest rates are still good.

OK - back to my leasing for those of you needing to lease in the near future.
Northwest Austin is a wonderful place to live, I know first hand, I've lived it for 15 years. We have great schools (my kids have gone all the way through, Spicewood Elementary, Canyon Vista Middle, Westwood High School), easy access to major roads, shopping, dining, parks, etc.

Last month I found a great home for some clients. The good leases on the market in area NW go really QUICK! Some of the homes had multiple applications being run on them so it is best to have all the paper-work and applications ready to go BEFORE you start looking. Not everyone looking to lease has a perfect credit score, it helps if you detail any problems that are going to turn up on your credit check. Attach a letter to your application explaining past history that was a problem. Credit application fees are NOT refundable and they will cost you average 30-50 dollars per applicant. Each person on the lease will be required to pay this fee and have a credit check run against them. Property management companies all operate differently. It is in your best interest to have a Realtor help you with the lease process. You do not pay for this service, the Realtor gets paid through the landlord when you lease the property.

Here is a current snapshot of the available leases for HOUSES in Northwest Austin.
20 Homes For Lease
Prices range from $1095 to $2,600 per month
Some of the neighborhoods available are Canyon Creek, Hunters Chase, Spicewood At Bullcreek, Milwood, and Village At Anderson Mill. These are all great neighborhoods to live in.

If you need help finding just the right neighboorhood and home give me a call: 512 422 8545 or toll free 800 591 1165.

NOTE: Austin American-Statesman article today says Interest rates may be cut this week to 5%. This would be the lowest since 2004.

Crystal Falls - Cedar Park, Texas

Sunday we did some house-hunting in the Grand Mesa neighborhood of Crystal Falls. There is a long list of great builders here but this day we zoomed in on the Perry Homes.

First, a little information about Crystal Falls & Cedar Park. Cedar Park used to be considered "way out in the boonies". Not so anymore. With the new tollway 183A, you can shoot straight up 183 from North Austin and be at the Crystal Falls entrance in 10 minutes. AND, this year the Capital Metro Rail is on schedule to provide customers with service between Leander and Downtown Austin. These sleek new trains will take you to work in comfort and style, providing you with high-back seats, bicycle and overhead racks, and Wi-Fi connections. The estimated travel time from Leander to Downtown Austin is approximately just 50 minutes! The entire area is booming with new shopping, theatres, restaurants, schools, on and on.....
Aside from all this, the main attraction to Crystal Falls is the panoromic views and hill country terrain. This is a Master Planned community with 4 neighborhoods and more under development. The "Grand Mesa" neighborhood is so far the grandest. The home sites here range from 1-7 acres and homes are set on hills, ridges, golf course, and within secluded canyons. Lots range from $60's to $200's and homes from $300's to over a million. If you like wide-open spaces, incredible views, and unique streetscape, come to Crystal Falls.

The Perry Homes: We started out in their beautifully furnished and decorated one-story model home. The kitchen with its HUGE granite countertop island was a hit for my client. We then checked out the other 3 homes that are available in their current inventory. Two houses on Goodnight Trail and one on Lajitas. All three homes have had MAJOR price reductions. The largest of the three is on Goodnight Trail and is 5,756 sq. feet. The price was just reduced from $749,900 down to $699,900. For the finish out and square footage in this home, this price is incredible. The home is also on a golf course homesite with Hill Country views. The 2nd home is on Goodnight Trail across the street, and is 5,352 sq. feet, reduced from $649,000 to $599,900. This one has a beautiful 1.25 acre yard and a detached FOUR-car garage. The 3rd house is on Lajitas, 5,219 sq. feet reduced from $739,900 to $699,900 - total luxury here, inside and out! Must SEE.

These are just 3 homes within the Grand Mesa at Crystal Falls community. Checking the listings today for the entire community which includes Grand Mesa, The Fairways, The Highlands, The Boulders, and The Woods, there are 69 homes for sale. They range in price from $155,000 in The Woods up to $985,000 in Grand Mesa. Looking for a Texas-sized home? Currently, the largest home for sale in Grand Mesa is $5,756 Sq. Feet, built in 2007, 1.5 acres, listed for $699,900.

I love showing homes in this beautiful hill country community! Yoo-hoo - calling all clients looking for large homes on estate-sized lots.........

Pioneer Crossing Austin, Texas

Last week I found a great house for 3 clients that were looking to lease. If you are looking to live in Northeast Austin, Pioneer Crossing is a great community to check out. Pioneer Crossing is off Dessau Road, just south of Parmer (Parmer east of I35). The major employment in this area is Dell, Samsung, Applied Materials, and the Walnut Creek Business Park. The home that these clients leased was built in 2006 and looked like a brand spankin new home, with a nice private backyard. It also had a cute front porch and 2,282 sq. feet (2 story). What a find at $1295 per month - and on a cul-de-sac to boot! I was pretty impressed with the neighborhood and amenity centers so I searched the Multiple Listing Service to see what else is going on in there. Here's the scoop as of today:

For sale: There are 34 listings that range in price from $155,700K to $249,900K. The square footage is from 1,360 to 3,300 and they were all built between 2004 and 2007. Of the newest ones (9 of them built in 2007), the largest is a Morrison Home with 2,877 Sq. ft for $249,900. and is ready to move into! It also backs to a greenbelt. This is really a plus because so many of these communities have the homes right on top of each other (fish-bowl living - not for me!) And the interest rates are perfect now, our mortgage update today said 15 year loans were under 5 percent! Another good one is a Newmark Home just being completed - it is a Bungalow style and there are only 6 of this style remaining in Pioneer Crossing. Priced at $167,990 for 1,360 Sq. Ft.

On the older side - if you consider 2004 old, a 2,757 sq. ft. resale is selling for $164,800. It's listed as being "for sale" but also appears to be available for lease.

For Lease: There are just 12 homes available today for lease and range in monthly rent from $1,050. per month for 1,775 sq. ft to $1,850 for 2,900 sq. ft.
This lease for $1,850 is actually the same address that I mentioned above for sale (the Morrison Home for $249,900. on the greenbelt).

Whether you are looking to lease or buy, Pioneer Crossing is worth checking out. Did I mention - I'm available to help you?!

PS - My hotsheet for the day tells me there were 119 new listings put on the market in Austin today. There were 126 price changes, 66 homes SOLD, and 105 homes PENDING.

The music of Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova

This entry doesn't really have anything to do with Austin, Texas, other than the fact that I watched the movie in Austin Texas last night. The movie is titled "Once" and the actor/actress musicians are Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Both the movie and the music are AWESOME - listen to these 2 clips, then rent the movie. You'll then want to track down every other song written and performed by Glen & Marketa. There are many other clips on YouTube.

Vineyard Bay Mansions on Lake Travis

Now that the holidays are over, my clients are house-hunting again. I'm going to start sharing with you some of the communities that we visit. Maybe one of our outings will be of interest to you.

Today we looked at 3 homes in Vineyard Bay which is a very exclusive, private subdivision on Lake Travis. The homes are mansions on estate sized private, and scenic lots. This community is just off Highway 620 between the Mansfield Dam and Lakeway. The drive out of Northwest Austin to Vineyard Bay only took about 15 minutes today (a Sunday afternoon). There are currently just 5 active for sale homes in Vineyard Bay and I don't see that there are any solds in the past 30 days. Of these 5, they range in price from $725,000.00 low end with 3,752 Square Ft. up to $4,500,000.00 high end with 8,567 Square Ft. The 3 homes we looked at were absolutely gorgeous with great views and huge private yards. One of these homes had the LARGEST island in the kitchen that I've ever seen. It also had a fabulous out-door kitchen, large deck, and nice open rooms through-out. The house was screaming for a party to be held. Loved it!

A little more info about this community: It has a private marina. In fact, most of the homes we looked at included a boat slip in this private Marina. The community is small enough and the access into the Marina is within the gate - you could walk right down to your boat from your home. Other amenities include: Tennis Courts, Sport Court, Play Scape, Heliport, Pools, Spa, Jogging trails, Cabana, & a Conference center.

The schools are: Elementary Lake Travis, Middle School Hudson Bend, and High School Lake Travis. The HOA is $2700.00 annually which breaks down to $225.00 per month, not bad when you consider the expense of housing a boat.

There are also currently 2 active lots listed for sale in Vineyard Bay. One is listed at $775,000 and the other for $1,100,000.00.

Today was a wonderful warm, sunny day in Austin, Texas and a great day for house-hunting! What a joy after the cold, rainy days last week. I was beginning to feel like I was living in Warren, Ohio again - aghhhhhhhhhhh!