Austin Area Info

With its laid-back personality, rich culture and trendy lifestyle, Austin presents many reasons to call it home. In fact, the city has so much to offer that it has been awarded numerous titles and has made it to the top of many lists ranking quality of life and the many different variables that make a place a good place to live. To that end, here is a look at the top 5 reasons why Austin is a great place to live.

Reason #1: Employment Opportunities

Historically, Austin has enjoyed an unemployment rate that is significantly lower than national rates and even the rest of the state. In 2010, the Capital City was ranked first in terms of job growth and wages have grown faster in Austin than in any other part of the state. In fact, the city boasted the

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When selling your home, it is important to familiarize yourself with the Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) ordinance. Put into effect by the City of Austin on June 1, 2009, the ordinance requires home sellers to obtain an ECAD audit and to disclose the results of the audit to potential buyers if certain conditions apply.

In accordance with the ECAD ordinance, you must provide audit results to potential buyers if your home is ten years old or older, if it is within Austin City Limits and if it is serviced by Austin Energy. If your home meets all of these conditions, you are required to provide the information to potential buyers no more than three days before the end of the option period. If there is no option period in the sales contract,

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The new 111-acre Crosswater Yacht Club, which will be one of the newest marinas on Lake Travis, is expected to be complete sometime in April. Upon completion, the marina will accommodate 247 boat slips, with many of them featuring private docks.

Currently under construction, the Crosswater Yacht Club will be found on the south shore of Lake Travis. The finished marina will feature a paved parking lot capable of accommodating 125 vehicles. With its keyed entry system, 14 foot tall lights and privacy fence, the parking lot will keep safety at a premium without disturbing nearby residents. The lot will also feature golf carts that boaters can use to transfer directly from the lot to their boat. The docks themselves will be wide enough to accommodate the

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Just 15 years ago, there wasn’t much to be found on Highway 71, which cuts right through the middle of the City of Bee Cave. With a population of just 600 in the year 2000, Bee Cave didn’t have much need for more than the few restaurants and services that the highway had to offer. Today, the population of Bee Cave has increased to nearly 4,000 and Hwy. 71 has become one of the Hill Country’s primary corridors.

With the growing number of businesses and services developing on Hwy. 71, both residents and business owners have benefited. Residents have a number of businesses to choose from, while business owners see high traffic counts as people move through the area. With plans to continue building homes in the Bee Cave area, business owners are likely to

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David Winans is real estate broker in Dallas, Texas who coined the term "Texaplex" to describe the region encompassing Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston. David has released a new video highlighting all of the great economic news coming from the Texaplex region.

 

The TexaPlex Project

David Winans & Associates

 

While the U.S. Grand Prix was originally set to take place in Austin, Texas in June of next year, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has made the decision to move the event to November 18, 2012. While the decision has faced some criticism, organizers of the event have reportedly responded positively to the change. In fact, Tavo Hellmund, who is the chairman of the U.S. Grand Prix, the decision to push back the date is a “positive sign” that Formula One officials want the event to be an “over-the-top success.”

As Hellmund points out, Ecclestone must consider a number of different factors when setting up the calendar, including the interests of the teams and their promoters. By putting the race near the end of the schedule, Hellmund believes his track will

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Due to triple digit heat coupled with lack of rain, the city of Austin plans to move to Stage 2 water restrictions starting September 6. These new guidelines will make it even more difficult for residents who are trying to keep their lawns and other plant life alive.

Under the new guidelines, residents will only be able to water their lawns once per week and on designated days. While hand-watering will be allowed at any time, the use of sprinkler systems will only be allowed before 10:00 a.m. and after 7:00 p.m. Other restrictions included in State 2 are:

•    Vehicles can only be washed on designated days and must be washed before 10:00 a.m.
•    No washing of driveways, sidewalks, parking areas or other paved areas
•    No water is to be served at a

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After years of hard work to bring Formula One to Austin and months spent developing the plan for the track and its facilities, the project received final approval in January. As expected, the final plan will involve far more than just a 3.4 mile track. In addition to the numerous attractions that will be included within the $250 million facility, project developers will also be building a private substation for Austin Energy as part of the plan.

With all of the county and city permits properly in place, construction can no w begin on the project. Already, soil testing has reportedly been started and the equipment is in place to get the project started. With a required completion date of mid-2012, there is no time to spare in getting the projected

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The highly anticipated Austonian and Four Seasons Residences Austin condos are finally ready to open their doors to their new residents. After being under construction for the past two years, the high-profile condos are already having a major impact on the Austin skyline and are sure to be the start of a trend that will transform the downtown skyline for years to come.

The 32-story Four Seasons opened its doors to the first residents in June. With 435,000 square feet of luxury space featuring 148 condos, the new building is located right next to the Four Seasons hotel on 98 San Jacinto Boulevard. The 32nd floor, which is home to an amenities deck, features a sundeck, a pool, a party room, a fitness center, a resident library and a catering kitchen.

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According to a report released by RelocateAmerica.com, Austin is the third best city to relocate to in the United States. Austin residents have known this for quite sometime, which is part of why the city and the surrounding area has been growing so rapidly over the last several years. Still, it is good to know that the capital city of Austin is receiving recognition for all that it has to offer to those who are looking for a great city to move to.

Of course, this isn't the first time Austin has been recognized as a great place to live or as a great place to move to. In fact, the city took the number two position in the "America's Top 100 Places to Live for 2010" report. This particular report, on which Huntsville, Alabama took the number one position,…