Austin Area Holiday Events List

Holiday Greetings!

It is the most wonderful and sometimes stressful time of year! With Thanksgiving just around the corner and Christmas coming soon, we want to make sure you enjoy all of the fun the holiday season in Austin has to offer. We live in a wonderful city with exciting community activities planned over the coming weeks. We hope you still partake in the fun and enjoy your holidays.

Junior League’s A Christmas Affair- November 17-20

The Palmer Events Center hosts the Junior League’s annual Christmas shopping weekend each year. Over 200 merchants will be present along with a tea room, breakfast with Santa, fashion shows, pajama breakfast, and gingerbread house building.

Tree Lighting at The Domain- November 19-20

Kick off the holidays with the tree lighting festival at The Domain shopping center. Tree lighting will take place at 6:45 on Saturday evening in front of Macy’s with holiday merriment throughout the weekend.

North Pole Flyer- November 27, December 4,11,17,18

Take a ride on the Hill Country Flyer (train) with Santa and Mrs. Claus. This 2 ½ hour train ride starts at $30 and departs from Cedar Park.

Main Street Bethlehem- December 2-4, 9-11 from 6 to 9 pm

Hosted by First Baptist Church of Burnet, go back in time and experience the ancient city of Bethlehem and the excitement of Christ’s birth. Admission is free and refreshments are served.

Christmas Sing-a-Long- December 13

A holiday tradition for more than twenty years, join the Austin Symphony and chorus at Riverbend Church for a fun filled evening of all the Christmas classics. This event is free, but tickets are required.

Armadillo Christmas Bazaar- December 14-24

If you are looking for a true Austin gift- a funky piece of art or handmade jewelry- the Armadillo Bazaar is for you! The iconic event includes live music and runs daily from 11-11 at Palmer Events Center.

In this season of thanksgiving and holiday joy, we are grateful for your friendship. If making a change in the new year is on your list, our team would enjoy the opportunity to discuss the market, your home and welcome your referrals!

Upgrades Inside, Great Location Outside

We have a new listing in northwest Austin- located at Duval and 183, this home couldn't be more convenient! The established neighborhood gives you large trees throughout and established landscaping.

Inside, the owner has done renovations throughout the home including stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and hard tile throughout.

The open floorplan in the main living space has big windows for all the sunlight peeking through the trees.

Contact Theresa Boisseau to view this home.

Two Living Rooms in Avery Ranch

We have a new listing in Avery Ranch- grab this house before it is gone!

The home is listed at $215,000 and features 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 living, 2 dining and a big open backyard with a covered porch!

Well maintained home with original owner. Never had smokers or pets, Covered front porch and large back covered patio which spans across the back of home. Full sprinklers, gutters and 2 year old roof.

Located in a golf course community with several pools, tennis courts, playgrounds and hike & bike trails. Walking distance to Exemplary rated Patsy Sommer Elementary in award winning RR school district.

Contact Relogroup Agent Gretchen Gullekson for more pictures or to see this new listing in person. Interested in Avery Ranch? We have another home for sale just blocks away from this one- click here to see more.

What is Buying Points and When Should I Do It?

Have you heard of people "buying points" at closing? Ever wondered what it all means? Watch this helpful video on buying points from lender, Michael Brandt to get the answers.

Have more home buying, closing or lending questions for us? Leave a comment and you just might see your answer next!

Fall Fun in Nearby Marble Falls

Have you been out to Sweet Berry Farms in Marble Falls? This is the BEST time of year to visit them.

The farm is set with fun fall activities- paint pumpkins, stuff scarecrows, corn maze, flower picking, barrel train rides, horse rides, face painting and even pumpkin ice cream and grilled corn.

Sweet Berry Farms is an easy drive from Austin in Marble Falls. If you go, be sure to shop Main Street and have pie at the famous Bluebonnet Cafe on 281.

Click here for a map of the area and the farm's website.

Two Great Storage Ideas

As real estate agents you can imagine we see a lot of homes and we are always helping our clients find homes with great storage space. It seems to be at the top of everyone's list of must haves.

We've added a board on our Pinterest page just for great storage ideas.

Here are a couple of our favorites.

What a great use of commonly wasted space! Either of these designs provide tons of extra storage and could easily be made after purchasing the home. A handyman could tackle this project in a weekend and you could get it filled in no time.

A functional laundry room is also at the top of many buyer's lists. With bright colored beautiful washing machines and dryers these days, the laundry room is becoming so much more than the extra space in the garage. The laundry basket system built into the cabinets would make the folding and putting away laundry process so much simpler and more organized. The pull out ironing board is a great addition to a functioning laundry room.

Follow us on Pinterest and we'll keep you up to date on the latest in home design, features, tips and the city we love, love and sell, Austin!

New Listing in Avery Ranch

We have an awesome new home for sale in the coveted Avery Ranch. The Parmer and 620 area where Avery Ranch is located is growing so quickly- new restaurants, doctor's offices, and gas stations are popping up each month. What a great place to live!

Isn't the kitchen divine? I love the upgraded tall cabinets, stainless steel appliances and the stunning back splash. Great details in this one!

The 2-story family room is just off the kitchen, perfect for entertaining. The Juliet balcony and catwalk are custom features you won't find in most homes. The upstairs also has an open loft for a game room or kids' playroom. The room also has a fireplace and 2 stories of windows.

The master retreat is grand! The bedroom and sitting area (perfect for a home gym) are separated by half-columns. What a great touch for the room.

To see this home in person, contact Gretchen!

Open House Prep Secrets

Getting ready to open your home up to prospective buyers and their agents? It takes more than fresh baked cookies and a quick vacuum to make your house ready.

Click here for tips on making your home shine during your open house.

Top Dollar on Home Improvement

Wondering which home improvement projects will generate top dollar when you sell your home?

Click here to get advice from an expert on the 5 projects that will generate the best return.

North Austin Bungalow

Don't you just love the look of a quaint bungalow?

If so, this home can be yours for less than $150K!

Click here for more details, photos and contact Relogroup agent Chris Ott to see this home in person.

Spacious One Story in Cedar Park

We have a new listing in the Silver Oaks subdivision in Cedar Park- you are going to love this house!

It is immaculate and spacious. You'll think you bought a brand new home, but without the wait of building.

This one story home features 3 bedrooms and an office in a well designed floorplan.

For more details, click here or contact Relogroup agent Chris Ott to schedule a showing.

Energy Savings (for Real)

Looking for ways to cut your energy bill? Scared of the electric bill this month with the record heat in central Texas? Wondering if the new energy saving appliances will ever pay for themselves?

Click here for a practical article on cutting costs from Consumer Reports and Yahoo Finance.

Cost of Commuting Calculator

Have you ever thought about how much it costs you to be a commuter? How much time and how much gas money is wasted while you sit in traffic? Homes in the outlying areas of Austin often cost less than central locations, but will you lose that savings in gas and car maintenance?

Cost of Commuting is a simple calculator to see how much commuting is costing you.

Check it out and decide if living central is a smarter choice.

September Austin Events

September is a great month to be in Austin. Two of our most popular festival happen this month and whether you are new to Austin, planning a trip, or a native Austinite, you don't want to miss the local music and arts showcased this month.

ACL- September 16-18, 2011

ACL stands for Austin City Limits, a popular music show filmed live in Austin. The festival is celebrating it's 10th year this month and will draw over 125 bands and over 70,000 fans from around the world. Single day tickets are still available.

 Pecan Street Festival- September 24-25, 2011

Pecan Street is the original name given to 6th Street, located in downtown Austin. While 6th Street is most often known for it's bars and live music venues, during the weekend of the Pecan Street festival it features painting, sculpture, woodwork, candles, jewelry cowboy hats, home decor, games and much more. Festival admission is free and attended by more than 300,000 people.

For a list of many more Austin events, click here.

Overpricing

One of the most important decisions you will make when listing your home is what price to list it at. Having an experienced realtor can help you make that decision by doing their research and looking at area homes that have recently sold or are currently listed.

Over pricing your home can be just as costly as selling it for too little. Click here to read more about the potential problems with listing your house at the wrong price.

When you are ready to list, call a Relogroup Agent and allow us to work with you to price your home just right.

Central Texas Country Clubs

If you are thinking about relocating to the Austin area and a membership in an area country club is important to you, we have a full list of area clubs. With Austin's sunny skies and mild temperatures, you can almost play golf year round!

Click here for the full listing of area clubs, amenities, and membership requirements.

Fall Gardening Tips

Does your yard look awful? Worried it will be brown, crunchy and dead all fall and into winter? Have no fear, our fall gardening guide is here!

Tailored to the Austin area, learn what to plant over the next few months, what to prune and what to pull!

Click here for the PDF guide.

For Sale By Owner CEO Hire an Agent

Former FSBO CEO sells home the traditional way

Founder and former CEO of ForSalebyOwner.com, Colby Sambrotto listed his 2,000 square foot New York condominium on his own through online classified ads and FSBO sites, but after six months, he opted to hire New York broker Jesse Buckler who immediately advised a price change as the listing was not attracting the right buyer.

After giving up on the DIY route, Sambrotto’s decision to hire a broker led to attracting multiple offers, closing for $150,000 over the original asking price. The Wall Street Journal reports the listing sold for $2.15 million including a 6% commission.

Click here to read more from Agent Genius

In this market, you can't rely on the limited marketing of not hiring an agent or the home buying process without a professional advocate. Allow Relogroup to represent you and sell your home just like the For Sale By Owner CEO did.

Veterans Park in Cedar Park

If you are a resident of northwest Austin, Cedar Park or Leander, and haven't visited Veterans Memorial Park, you are missing out! Pack up the kids and go now!

The park is only a few years old and is such a gift to the residents of the area. The kids area is large, very shallow, surrounded by life guards, and has activities for kids age toddler to pre-teen.

The excitement in all the kids when the orange bucket dumps water is contagious. It also provides a cool relief for parents standing in the knee deep water.

Older kids can enjoy the water slide and platform that drops you into a 12 foot pool.

This Leander resident sure did enjoy Veterans Memorial Park.

The pool is open from 1 PM - 8 PM Monday through Saturday and from 1 PM - 6 PM on Sundays. Admission is just $5 for adults and less for children. Family memberships are available.

Click here for a map to Veterans Memorial Park. See you there!

Annual Tax Holiday and School Supply Lists

Texas shoppers get a break from state and local sales taxes this coming weekend- August 19-21, the state's annual tax holiday.

As in previous years, the law exempts most clothing and footwear priced under $100 from sales and use taxes which could save shoppers about $8 on every $100 they spend. In 2009, the legislature passed HB1801, so that Texas families also get a sales tax break on most school supplies. For more details including a list of supplies included, click here.

Not sure what your kids need come August 23rd? Click here for a list of necessary supplies for each of our area schools. Don’t forget, when purchased August 19-21, many of these will be tax free.