When you sell or purchase a home, you might hear the term “prorations” being used.  This is because some items may be prorated at the time of closing.  Since you might be hearing this term at the time of closing, it is a good idea to gain a better understanding of what it means.

What Does the Term “Prorations” Mean?

When you close on a home, certain items may be prorated.  This means certain items of monetary value may be divided between the seller and the buyer.  These most typically include items such as:

• Interest
• Insurance premiums
• Property taxes
• Rental Income

These items are not necessarily split equally.  Rather, a specific proportion is determined and these costs are shared in accordance with the proportion. 

Are you a nature lover?  If so, you will be thrilled by the numerous opportunities to explore nature that are available in the Austin area.  Whether you want to take a hike, go biking, of simply sit on a bench and get close to nature, you will certainly find great opportunities to commune with nature in the Austin area.  Here is a look at just a few of the great things for nature lovers to do in Austin.

• Watch the urban Mexican Freetail bat colony fly from beneath the Congress Avenue bridge at sunset – it is the largest colony of these bats in all of North America!
• Spend time at Zilker Park – which offers 351 acres of recreational opportunities.  Visit the Nature Center to learn more about Austin’s wildlife or take a walk

One area that the city of Austin has always excelled in is its health and medical offerings.  Therefore, a recent announcement from Austin Orthopedics and Sports Medicine is a fitting match with the health-conscious, athletic mentality of the residents of Austin.

According to a recent news release, the Austin Orthopedics and Sports Medicine facility has recently opened.  The building, which houses 4,200 square feet of office space, is located a Post Oak Center North Building 1, 2200 Park Bend Drive, which is located just across the street from the already existing North Austin Medical Center.

The new facility is run by Kalin D. Kelso, M.D., who is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon.  Here, patients can receive total management of their care and take

If you decide to visit Austin or if you plan to make Austin your city of residence, you will certainly want to know about all of your transportation options.  Since Austin is such a large city, you will be happy to learn that there are numerous transportation options available in the Austin area.

The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is located near Texas 71 East and U.S. 183 South.  Here, you can catch a plane to nearly almost any destination in the world.  There are also plenty of airline carriers available at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.  These include:

• Aeromexico
• American Airlines
• American West
• Continental Airlines
• Delta Air Lines

When purchasing a home in Texas, you will need to look into obtaining title insurance.  With this type of insurance, you form a contract with a title company as determined by the Texas Department of Insurance.  Before making your purchase, it is important to understand how title insurance works and the type of title insurance you will need.

The Owner’s Policy of Title Insurance

One form of title insurance you will need to obtain is the Owner’s Policy of Title Insurance.  This insurance is actually issued to you and provides you with protection against specific title risks.  Some of these risks include:

• Clerical Mistakes
• Defective Acknowledgement on Documents
• Delinquent Taxes
• Forgery
• Fraud
• Illegal

If city living is something you absolutely adore, you will be happy with all that the city of Austin has to offer.  Here is a look at some of the great cultural experiences and other fun that is available in Austin so you can have a good time no matter what day it is!

• Take a walk down Guadalupe Street, which is known as The Drag, and visit the many shops and interesting parlors
• Check out art at the Huntington Art Museum, which houses the Mari-Jmes Michener Collection of rare 20th century art
• Pay a visit to the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, which is home to more than 630,000 periodicals, maps, books, pamphlets and more
• Take a look at the Moonlight Towers lights, which are 165 feet

If you are a bird lover, you will be thrilled by the variety of birds flying in, through, and past the city of Austin.  In fact, two teams of birders recently took a census of birds in Mower County and they discovered that the area has quite a number of species to offer to bird enthusiasts.

During the census, which took place on May 10 between the hours of 5:00 am and 7:00 pm, the teams managed tally up 109 different species of birds.  The birds were observed in a variety of areas, as the team spanned an area that included the western marshes of Mower County all the way to Lake Louise State Park. 

Over the past 14 years, the average number of species observed in this same area came to 113.  Ever since 1993, a local chapter of the National Audubon

City Trying to Determine the Fate of a Historical Building

The city of Austin is simply brimming with history, which is the reason why one Austin home is receiving so much attention.  The Detrick-Hamilton House, which is located at 912 E. 11th Street, once belonged to a freed slave and is being considered as the location for an African American cultural and heritage facility.  Unfortunately, part of the house is in disrepair and authorities are not certain how they will handle creating the new center – will parts of it be demolished or can they somehow be saved?  That is the big question that needs to be answered.

A $1.5 million bond referendum for the facility was approved by voters in November.  At the time, the vision was to use the house as a sort

Although Austin recently received recognition for its use of solar power, the city still has some work to do when it comes to taking care of the environment.  According to a recent BizJournals.com article, the city is leaving a larger “carbon footprint” than ever before.

According to Wikipedia, a carbon footprint is defined as the “measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.”

While Austin has certainly taken some steps to try to reduce its footprint, the continual growth of the city has made it difficult to bring down the city’s total impact.  In fact, a study conducted by the Brookings Institution showed that the use of transportation and

Are you a history buff?  If so, Austin is a great place for you to visit or to live.  The streets are simply filled with wonderful historic buildings and sites.  The hardest part will be determining which of these historic sites you should visit first!

• Take a tour of the State Capitol building, which is both historically and architecturally significant
• Take a stroll down the historic 6th Street during the day
• Visit all of the twelve National Register Districts located in Austin and learn more about the city’s great Historical heritage
• Tour the University of Texas
• Visit the French Legations, which was built in 1841 and is the oldest building in Austin
• Take a guide tour