The number of active listings are up 4.06% from last year during the same week.
 
New listings are up 6.14%.
 
Pendings are up this week by 79.32%.
 
Sold residential units are up 34.32% compared to the same week last year.

Source of information: Alamo Title

According to the article, statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that between April 2008 and April 2009, 3,400 jobs were added by the Austin region. So out of the 38 largest cities in America, Austin was the only one of those to have a job gain. What’s more is that this isn’t the first time Austin has outperformed those other 38 cities — this is the third month in a row that it’s happened.

The article points out that even though Austin’s increase is 0.4%, which really doesn’t sound like much, compared to other cities it’s excellent news. They point out that Portland is down almost 5% and Raleigh is down 3.3%.

So which Austin jobs are up? Stats show gains in retail, restaurant and hotel jobs. The unemployment rate is 5.8%. That’s one of the healthiest out there, though San Antonio’s rate is just 5.4%.

But Austin isn’t the only Texas city to make the list — San Antonio, Dallas and Houston also nabbed places in the top 10. At number two is San Antonio, with Houston at number four and Dallas at number seven. Like Austin, San Antonio ranks so highly because of affordable housing and job growth. So many Texas cities made it into the top 10 because of how strong the Texas’ economy is.

So what about the worst cities for the value? Those are: Los Angeles; Providence, Rhode Island; New Orleans; Philadelphia; and Cleveland.

Earlier this year, Forbes came out with a list of the best cities in which to buy real estate. Austin came in at number two on that list, just behind Houston. Looks like Austin is no stranger to Forbes‘ top 10 lists, and that’s no big surprise considering everything the city has to offer. Those who call Austin home know just how wonderful the city is.

The 2008 Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best Performing Cities Index has Austin at number four, showing that the Austin economy is strong. Just ahead of Austin on the list are Salt Lake City, Utah; Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina; and Provo-Orem, Utah. What’s worth noting is that last year The Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best Performing Cities Index ranked Austin number 20.

The Milken Institute is an independent economic think-tank dedicated to helping create a more efficient and democratic global economy. Established in 2000, The Greenstreet Real Estate Partners is an asset and investment management company.

With the Austin economy strong, the city is no doubt an ideal place to live. And those who live in Austin know that there’s much more to appreciate than the strong economy, like the thriving arts and music scene (including the two large annual festivals, Austin City Limits and South by Southwest), the many public parks and gardens, an average of 231 sunny days per year, and so much more.

Austin wasn’t the only Texas city on the list, though it did come in ahead of any other Texas city. At number seven was the McAllen-Edinburgh-Mission, with Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood ranked 13, San Antonio in the number 15 spot, Houston ranked 16 and Dallas came in at 23.

Volunteering, the practice of working for a community or the environment because you choose so and usually without payment, is one of the best ways to give back to a city, neighborhood, state or planet that gives you so much everyday.  Volunteering comes in many forms from building a house for a family looking for a new start and serving food at a shelter to donating your time and services for a charity to just spending some quality time with another person.

Volunteering is an Austin Pastime

Aside from all the activities that you will find in Austin, it seems that volunteering is quickly becoming one of the most popular.  According to an article in the Austin Business Journal, a report from the Corporation for National and Community Service shows that Austin is ranked fifth in most active U.S. cities in volunteerism.  The report states that 35 percent of Austinites donate their valuable time helping others.

Volunteering in Numbers

To put all of this into perspective, volunteers that call Austin home donate approximately 56.6 million hours of their time per year; which equates to an estimated $1.1 billion economic impact.

Now that’s a lot of Volunteering.

Volunteering Opportunities

If you are interested in joining the craze and volunteering in and around Austin, you won’t have to look very far to find a worthy cause.  You will find every area of interest that you can imagine for volunteering in Austin.  You can mentor a child, work towards keeping Austin’s parks and springs in tip-top shape, or build a home for an Austin family in need.  You can even volunteer your time and energy to “Keep Austin Weird.”

Volunteering to Help

Now if you are interested in first finding a home in Austin so that you can start giving back; we can help you there as well.  Give us a call at Home to Austin and we will help you find the right house in the right neighborhood.  Once you get settled in, get out there and start joining one of the favorite Austin pastimes … Volunteering!

Recent Grad? Looking for the perfect place to make your home now that you are on your own? Well if you just happened to see the “Best Cities for Recent College Grads” list on Forbes.com, then you already know that Austin, Texas grabbed the number three spot on that list. We were right behind our other favorite Texas cities, Houston and Dallas. We’re guessing that the Lone Star State is looking pretty good to a lot of people right now.

Recent Grads: Plenty of Reasons to Love Austin

Austin was ranked number three on the recent grad best cities for several reasons. According to the article, not only is the average starting salary in the upper $30’s, but we also have a labor force that tends to weather recessions well. This is in part to two of our largest employers the state government and the University of Texas. There also is a major tech presence in Austin with companies like Advanced Micro Devices, Dell, Intel and 3M having headquarters or major offices here. The last reason the article gives for why Austin ranked third is that the percentage of people in their 20’s that reside in Texas’ capital city is 26. So you aren’t going to feel like the youngest person in your neighborhood.

Recent Grads Won’t be Bored in Austin

Aside from the reasons listed in the Forbes article, we think that are plenty of other reasons that make Austin a great place to call home for recent grads.

There is all the music and nightlife. Austin has more music venues and watering holes just in their downtown area than most cities have in their entire city limits. There are also a ton of great parks and lakes in the middle of and throughout the city. Finally, you can’t beat the weather. Sure it gets hot for a few months during the summer, but with an average of 231 sunny days per year you definitely aren’t going to complain.

According to Forbes magazine, Austin is ranked #3 in recession proof cities; right behind San Antonio (#2) and Oklahoma City (#1). The reason for the high ranking is because of low unemployment and affordable housing costs. Unemployment in Austin, Texas is 3.6% percent down from 3.8% at this time last year and the median price of a home is still under $200,000 in most areas of Austin.

Recession Proof Austin is the Place to Buy

Austin was ranked by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the top places to buy a home. Reporter Danielle Babb based her decision on the fact that Austin and Round Rock have seen incredible job growth and stable home prices even though most of the country is in a downturn. She also cited that jobs are continuing to grow here, which is a strong factor for keeping prices stable and inventory low.

Other cities that were on the list were Mission Viejo, California, Palm Beach, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada. Palm Beach and Las Vegas were citied because of their number of foreclosure homes in 2007 making their market on the low cost end moving back up.

Recession Proof isn’t Only Reason Austin’s Great

Austin is a great city to live in with everything that is has to offer: live music venues, top notch festivals, hike and bike trails galore, rock-climbing, lake living, great shopping and great food. Within the city limits itself, you have several parks and lakes such as; Lady Bird Lake (also known as Town Lake), Lake Austin, Barton Springs Pool, Barton Creek Greenbelt, and Zilker Park.

Many celebrities and world-class athletes have made Austin their home because of the laid-back and welcoming atmosphere of the residents and because of the plethora of outdoors and athletic activities that this community supports with fervor.

Although the technology is probably years from reality, it would allow the fine residents of Austin to keep their choice for paper or plastic, and it would keep Austinites (and their sales tax revenue) shopping in Austin rather than shopping in the burbs for the choice, no offense to burbs intended.

When a home is resold, an energy-efficiency inspection will be required to ensure the home meets minimal green standards. The improvements must be completed and a certificate of compliance must be obtained prior to closing.

Mayor Wynn explained, “We’re not talking about requiring a comprehensive retrofit. What we’re looking at are the top four or five things with the lowest cost and highest return. Things like ceiling insulation, weather stripping, duct sealing, and solar screens.”

In older homes, improvements could add as much as $10K to the cost of the home. In addition, these requirements could significantly complicate and delay closing. Being green shouldn’t cost so much green!

Perhaps the Austin city council should reconsider the “green inspection” and enhance current incentive based programs such as Austin Energy’s and Austin WashWise Rebate Program.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo — aka RodeoHouston — is right around the corner, so it’s time to start planning! This annual celebration of agriculture, education, cowboy boots, the open range, and Western heritage in general will take place March 3rd through the 22nd at Houston’s Reliant Park, the home of the Houston Texans football team and just three hours from Austin and our beautiful Austin homes.

As usual, the Houston Livestock Show brings with it a star-studded cast of country music stars and entertainment luminaries. This year, the cast includes Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, John Legend, Martina McBride, John Fogerty, Toby Keith, Fergie and Brooks & Dunn. And yes, the Houston Livestock Show lineup is so dense with talent that we’re not listing everyone in the full RodeoHouston lineup!

Teen Dominates the Houston Livestock Show

Arguably, though, the true headliner of the 2008 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a one-girl, two-personality entity known to thousands of screaming teens as Hannah Montana. The singer/actress who plays Montana, Miley Cyrus, will be performing a split set at the Houston Livestock Show, half Montana songs and half her own. Last year, Cyrus opened for the Cheetah Girls, set records for fastest sellout, biggest crowd, and most frantic scalper activity. All for a half-hour-long Houston Livestock Show performance that suffered technical problems thanks to a faulty lug nut at Reliant Stadium.

The third-largest festival in North America, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a world-renowned phenomenon that brings some 1,800,000 attendees, 1,800 foreign visitors, and almost $345 million to Houston. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is also the world’s largest livestock show and a charity that has historically sent more than $200 million to scholarships, research, youth programs, and young participants.

Living in Austin exposes you to a wealth of great diversions and attractions like the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. If you don’t already live in Austin, why don’t you search for an Austin home at our easy-to-use website?