Homeowners insurance has been a hot topic in recent years.  The Third Court of Appeals in Austin has now determined that a 2003 provision regarding homeowners insurance was unconstitutional.  The provision, which was part of the 2003 reform law, required the insurance rates of homeowners to be reduced. 

Known as Senate Bill 14, the law had actually required a 12% rate reduction to be implemented by 12 different companies.  One of these companies was State Farm Lloyds, which happens to be the largest insurer in the state. 

The law was initially passed out of concern regarding skyrocketing insurance rates, which resulted when State Farm and other companies found a loophole in the existing laws that allowed them to avoid having their rates regulated. 

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The city of Austin is progressive in a number of ways and, when it comes to being environmentally friendly, the city is definitely ahead of the back.  In fact, just this past Tuesday, Austin was recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of the top 25 solar cities in the nation.

There are signs of the solar energy throughout the great city of Austin.  In fact, if you take a look a the Austin Convention Center, you will notice that it is literally covered in solar panels.  As such, it is considered to be one of the most technology advanced convention centers in the United States.  The convention center, as well as a number of homes in Austin that utilize solar power, are major reasons for the city’s special recognition. 

Austin received this

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Austin has long been known for its forward thinking and its diversity as well as for its bustling music scene.  Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the city is now holding a Jewish music festival, which is being called Jewsapalooza.

The festival, which was held last weekend, was the first ever music festival of its kind to be held in Austin.  According to KXAN Austin News, the festival featured a variety of different musical genres that are based on Jewish heritage.  Genres included American folk music, jazz, rock, soul, and klezmer and the concerts took place at the Dell Jewish Community Campus on the JCC Community Hall Stage.

In addition to showcasing the Jewish heritage through music, the festival also served as a benefit for Paul and Annie

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According to an article in the Austin Business Journal, Austin was ranked among the top 10 cities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. The cities included on the list were ranked according to the strength of their economies, the cost of living in the area, the job availability, and the number of activities for residents to enjoy.  By looking at all of these factors, the company chose the best places for people to work, live, and play.

Within the top 10 list, Austin was ranked number six.  The top five cities, in order, were Houston (Texas), Raleigh (North Carolina), Omaha (Nebraska), Boise (Idaho), and Colorado Springs (Colorado).

In order to develop the list, Kiplinger paired up with the research director of the think tank called Martin Prosperity…

The entire nation has been struggling with rising gas prices and that includes Austin.  Thankfully the gas prices in Austin are a little lower than in other parts of the nation.  (According to a recent report, the National average recently jumped to $3.96 per gallon while the average gallon of gas in Austin was $3.83.)  Still, prices are much higher than they were just a year ago and that can be a factor when deciding on a home to purchase.

We have been seeing lots of new condos and townhomes being developed in the Central Austin area, and numerous high rise condo towers are being constructed in the downtown core.  The downtown residential development is a trend that has been in place for several years now, but rising fuel costs just give buyers one more…

Despite all of the talk of a recession and a troubled economy, you would have a difficult time seeing signs of trouble if you were to visit Austin.  In fact, Austin has somehow managed to go against the norm and has been finding ways to prosper while much of the nation struggles with the current state of the economy.

One area that continues to boom in the city of Austin is employment.  In fact, when compared to national averages, Austin and the state of Texas are both outperforming the majority of the country.  According to recent reports, the total number of nonfarm employment rose by 2.6% in Texas when comparing April 2007 to April 2008.  Overall, the United States has only seen a 0.3% raise during that same period of time.  In addition, the seasonally…

Do you drink bottled water?  If so, you probably choose to drink bottled water so you can avoid the chemicals and pollution that still manage to make their way into city water.  If you live in Austin, Texas, however, this is not a concern.  According to Forbes.com, Austin has some of the cleanest tap water of any city in the United States.  In fact, Forbes.com lists it in second place in terms of cleanliness, with Des Moines, Iowa taking the first place spot and Sioux Falls, SD taking third.

A number of factors were considered when determining the cleanliness of the water in Austin.  For example, the researchers looked at the bacteria level of the water as well as its cloudiness and the amount of lead and haloacetic acid the water contained.  The…

If you are looking for reasons to consider moving to the Austin area, you won’t have to look very far.  In fact, the city has received a number of awards and recognition throughout the years for a wide variety of reasons.

Finding a Job in Austin

One of Austin’s strengths is the availability of jobs in the area.  In fact, the Forbes website recognized Austin as the third best place to get a job in 2008.  This is partially due to the fact that it is a great city for new businesses to start up operation.  This was demonstrated in 2007 when MoodysEconomy.com named the city the best place for business in the United States.  In 2006, Expansion Magazine also named the Best Place to Live for Future Business Locations and Entrepreneur.com listed it as the 9th

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New study dispels myths about local condo market

By Shonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Most downtown condo dwellers are young people.

Many downtown dwellers work downtown.

Many people buying downtown condos are investors from outside of Austin.

Wrong, wrong and wrong, according to a survey of Austin's downtown condo market to be released today.

The Downtown Austin Alliance, an organization of downtown property and business owners, commissioned the study by Charles Heimsath, president of Capitol Market Research, an Austin-based real estate consulting firm.

Heimsath said the group sought to dispel some myths about the local condo market.

Heimsath will present his findings to the group's Economic

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For the first time Texans can vote online for a new license plate design.

From Monday, February 4, until the following Monday, February 11, Texans can vote for one of four new license plate designs or to keep the current general-issue plate.

All of the plates feature the state name on the top and “The Lone Star State” on the bottom.  The plate designs were created by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

“We’re excited that the internet makes it possible for Texans to help choose the next general-issue license plate,” said Rebecca Davio, director of Vehicle Titles and Registration, the TxDOT division that oversees the manufacturing of the state’s license plates.

Even if Texans choose to keep the current plate design, they will see

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