I was convinced my active lifestyle and (semi) healthy eating habits were contributing to my staying young. Turns out, I forgot one major factor- living in Austin. Yup, According to RealAge, Austin is ranked the #8 city for keeping you young. The employment rate of the city helps keep the stress among the lowest in the nation with the second-best optimism rate. If you think you are enjoying life now, try getting out and experiencing the many activities Austin has to offer. No matter your age, there is something for everyone.
Austin was the nation’s second-fastest-growing metropolitan area between 2007 and 2008, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The population in the Austin-Round Rock area grew 3.8 percent to 1.65 million between July 2007 and July 2008. Among major U.S. metros, that growth rate was second only to Raleigh-Cary, N.C., which experienced a 4.3 percent population uptick during the 12-month period.
This urban home, which is surrounded by a mature canopy trees and perched on the bluff directly above the corner of SoLa & Barton Springs, truly has it all: walkability; urban-chic aesthetic; & functional design
With the booming demand for energy efficient, green, sustainable housing; efforts are underway to comprehensively “green the MLS”. Although most professionals and consumers would agree that the MLS is not adequate for buyers who demand such specific features (especially with single family re-sale property) or sellers who wish to differentiate or realize improvement value, the current MLS does maintain many parameters that can focus your search. The example below illustrates a few MLS database fields with specific green parameters highlighted. The entire list is available here, Austin, TX – MLS Green Inputs.
We live in challenging times. Unemployment remains high, and the U.S. lead in technology and science is slipping as many foreign countries gain ground. But some U.S. cities, though slowed by the Great Recession, still thrive by lifting good old American innovation to new levels. And that will help put more Americans back to work and keep our international edge.
In Kiplinger’s latest search for top cities, we focused on places that specialize in out-of-the-box thinking. “New ideas generate new businesses,” says Kevin Stolarick, our numbers guru, who this year evaluated U.S. cities for growth and growth potential. Stolarick is research director at the Martin Prosperity Institute, a think tank that studies economic prosperity. “In the places where innovation works, it really works,” he says.
Next time you’re shopping for a new property, keep the following factors regarding location in mind.
Centrality
What part of a city you choose to live in will drastically affect how much you pay for your home. Land is a finite commodity, so cities that are highly developed and are bound from large amounts of additional growth tend to have higher prices than cities that have too much room to expand. When sprawling cities experience a population exodus, it’s the outlying areas that tend to suffer the most severe declines in property value.
Neighborhood
Neighborhoods tend to be a matter of personal choice. However, a truly great neighborhood will have a few key factors: accessibility, appearance and amenities. Your neighborhood may also dictate the size of the lot on which your house is built.
Regarding accessibility, you should look for a neighborhood that is situated near your city’s major routes and that has more than one point of entry. Commuting to and from work is a big part of many people’s day, so a house with easy access will be more desirable than one that is tucked away and can only be accessed by one route.
The appearance of the neighborhood is also important. Large trees, landscaping and nearby green or community spaces tend to be desirable. You can also judge the popularity of the neighborhood based on how long homes in that area tend to stay on the market; if turnover is quick, you’re not the only one who thinks this is a desirable place to live.
A great neighborhood should also include important amenities such as grocery stores, shops and restaurants. Most people like to frequent places that are convenient – if you need to drive a great distance to get to anything, this is likely to make your house less attractive. The distance from and quality of local schools also play a huge role.
Development
It’s not just present amenities that matter, but future ones as well. Plans for schools, hospitals, public transportation or other public infrastructure can dramatically improve property values in the area. Commercial development can also improve property value. When you’re shopping for a home, try to find out whether any new public, commercial or residential developments are planned and consider how these additions might affect the desirability of the surrounding areas.
Lot Location
The next thing you need to consider is where the house is actually located. In this instance, there are a few things you should watch out for.
For example, if your home is on a busy road, you will probably get it for a lower price, but it will also be more difficult to sell down the road. The same may hold true for houses that stand next to or back onto commercial property, such as a grocery store or gas station, or houses on streets that get an unusual amount of parking traffic and parked cars, such as those near large churches or community centers. This is why a large number of such homes are rentals.
The House Doesn’t Matter
Suppose that you have narrowed your choices to two homes that stand side by side in a great neighborhood. One needs repairs and updates, but has a huge lot. The other is in tip-top shape but sits on a lot half the size. The prices of the two homes are similar. Which do you choose? This is one aspect of house hunting that surprises a lot of people (except for maybe real estate investors). In most cases, the beat up house is the better investment.
Why? Your house is a depreciating asset. The lot, on the other hand, will maintain its value (or likely appreciate) relative to the house. If you bulldozed both houses, the larger lot would sell for more. So, if you can, choose a bigger, better shaped or better situated lot over a nicer house. A less attractive house can always be updated, added on to or replaced altogether while the lot can’t be changed.
Here’s some good news for the struggling US housing market: Thanks to the European debt crisis, mortgage rates are at historic lows.
The current average rate for a 30 year fixed loan is 4.87 percent, according to Bankrate.com. That’s the lowest rate for the 30 years since Bankrate started keeping track 25 years ago.
Even jumbo loan rates-loans for more than $417,000-have fallen. The 30-year fixed jumbo loan is at an average rate of 4.5 percent, down from nearly 6 percent at this time last year.
“It’s the best time in our generation to buy,” says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s. “It may be the best time in any generation. Mortgage rates are so low and with homes prices down and lots of inventory, you couldn’t pick a better time to buy or re-finance.”
Offered at $550,000, this home sits on a huge lot (~.3 acres) with mature trees in Hyde Park Area. The main house has 3 bedrooms 2 baths and a 2 Car Garage. The 2nd house has 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 1 car carport with 47th street frontage. Windows everywhere provide great natural light. Solid hardwood floors and A white picket fence round out the cozy detail. The central location provides walkable restaurants, shops & the UT bus line.
Those ubiquitous white-and-blue Smart cars in the City of Austin’s nascent car-sharing program have spent a lot more time parked than rolling around Central Austin, based on statistics from the first three months of this year.
general public, officials said Tuesday, soon will get a chance to get behind the wheel of the tiny two-seat cars.
The 125 cars in the stable provided for city employee use by car2go, a Daimler AG subsidiary, have been “leased” about 118 times each weekday since Jan. 1, meaning that on average, each car has been taken out once a day. The average time of usage has been about 71 minutes. The city, under a pilot program that began in November, does not actually pay Daimler when its workers use the cars on municipal business, so the statistics do not reflect what usage might be if there were money involved.
