Anne At Hookemhomes

Austin Home Prices Rise 6.5%

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 23:58:00 +0000

Did you know that approximately 151 people are moving into the Austin/Round
Rock area every day? I just picked up this tidbit of information recently as
I read about a new development moving forward in South Austin
.

Our little city is popular. Just recently Forbes published an article claiming Austin as the BEST BIG
city
for jobs. Funny, I have never thought of Austin as a big city, but if
Forbes says we are, I guess we are. Forbes's methodology was based on recent
growth trends, mid-term growth, long-term growth and the region's momentum.
The Apple hit on Austin was pretty sweet but I don't think it was JUST the
abatement incentives our City Council offered that sealed the deal -- I
think the talent that is associated with the TECH world helped and the Tech
cultures LOVE of the Austin Attitude which is young, smart, casual, musical,
athletic and yes, WEIRD. By the way, two Austin start ups hit Entrepreneur
's Brilliant List.

What does this have to do with Real Estate here? A bunch. Home prices rose
6.5%
from the same
time last year. The median price for Austin-area homes is $212,000, or 9%
more than the same month of the prior year. And for the 12th straight month
in a row, home sales have increased. Many of our newbie citizens are having a hard time finding a place to live
as inventory is below the demand in many areas. Some newcomers want to rent
but the rental availability is low and the rates are increasing. Apartment
occupancies are at 98%. Calls come in every day from renters, once
comfortable in their leases -- which are looking to move because their
landlord is raising their rent. Tenants are forced to move out further and
settle for less home or amenities. Many of those renters are now choosing to
purchase. Watch for growing pains - we're sure to have some but Austin remains a great
place to live, work and play, not to mention one heck of an investment. I am
ready to go to work for you and am available by phone (512) 917-5260, text
or email. Wishing you all the best,

Anne

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Anne Edwards Johnson

Realtor

512-917-5260 CELL

RE/MAX AUSTIN SKYLINE

4611 Bee Caves Rd., Ste. 200

Austin, Texas 78746

512-328-5151 Ext. 511

512-328-0404 Fax

anne@hookemhomes.com

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Why Austin, Tex., Is a Good Place for Small Businesses

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:47:00 +0000

Branded by M.P. Mueller

Why Austin, Tex., Is a Good Place for Small Businesses

Recently, Austin was ranked No. 1 in "small-business vitality" for the
second year in a row in a survey by the American City Business Journals.

Texas's capital city scored high points for its quality of life, business
environment and healthy residents. Last July, Kiplinger named Austin one of
the "10 Best Cities for the Next Decade." Yes, it's true that most of the
rest of Texas thinks of Austin as that place full of crazy liberals, but
we'll take that (we don't understand why they insist on starching their
jeans).

Keeping you informed, ready to help you with all of your real estate needs
and wishing you all the best, Anne

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

Follow me on

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HookemHomes.com

RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com Google

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

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Austin Housing Market Hits Bottom in 4Q 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Tue, 10 May 2011 23:23:00 +0000

This article confirms what I am personally experiencing in representing
buyers and sellers in Central Texas. This information is encouraging for
sellers and slightly painful for buyers.

Austin home prices expected to rise

Austin Business Journal - by Cody Lyon, Staff Writer
Date: Tuesday, May 10, 2011, 8:38am CDT Austin home prices are expected to begin recovering this year and grow by at
least 0.6 percent, according to an analysis from Fiserv Inc.

The Brookfield, Wis.-based financial services firm reported the average home
price in Austin falling 0.7 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter
last year. The Fiserv Case-Shiller home price indexes are based on data and
methodologies from Fiserv and Moody's Analytics.

According to the report released on Monday, Austin home prices have been
stable since reaching bottom in the fourth quarter 2010. Fiserv said it
expects the price to increase through 2012, albeit slowly, at a rate of
about 0.4 percent.

Meanwhile, the report projects the rest of the country won't stabilize until
the third quarter 2011. Before that happens, Fiserv expects another 3
percent drop in prices throughout the first half of this year. But, by the
end of 2012, the report said home prices even in some of the hardest hit
housing markets will level out.

Fiserv Chief Economist David Stiff said "the first step toward restoring
confidence in the housing markets is an improvement in consumer sentiment,
which we expect will increase slowly through 2011 due to stronger gains and
a falling unemployment rate."

Compared to pre-recession levels, the average national home price fell 23.6
percent from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the same period in 2010. Prices
in Austin increased 1.1 percent during that same period.

Keeping you informed, ready to help you with all of your real estate needs
and wishing you the best, Anne

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

Follow me on

LinkedIn Twitter

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HookemHomes.com

RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com Google

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

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Austin ranks high for, well, just about everything

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:32:00 +0000

There is so much news on Austin and Texas in general and it's all good.
Austin trends to the top on just about every top 10 list ranging from job
growth and real estate gains to most youthful. I thought you might be interested in a recent article highlighting all the
accolades.

Austin ranks high for, well, just about everything

Austin Business Journal - by Colin Pope

Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2011, 6:22pm CDT

Rarely does a week go by without Austin being listed at or near the top of a
"best of" list.

With so much positive PR for this city flying around, I thought it would be
helpful to wrangle it all together. So here goes.

* The biggie people still like to talk about came from Kiplinger's Personal
Finance in May 2010, which tagged Austin as the No.
1 best
city to live in for the next 10 years.

* Just last week, Austin placed third in a
"Youngest Cities" ranking, which was based on how youthful
residents feel, not their actual age.

* When it comes to social
networking, few cities beat Austin's prowess, Men's Health
magazine says.

* Austin is the second-best
place to find a job right now, according to number crunchers
at Ajilon Professional Staffing.

* In November, Austin was deemed to have the second-strongest job market
in the country by the Milken
Institute (behind only Killeen, Texas).

* That backs up another list in July 2010 that put Austin
among
the top job-generating cities.

* In May 2010, Austin was listed among the country
's
healthiest cities on two other lists.

* A CNN/Money study last year labeled
Austin as recession-proof.

* Austin was chosen as one
of the eight best places to live and work in the U.S. by
Business Review USA.

* Austinites
have the
ninth-best "quality of life," according to Portfolio.com study in May 2010.

* Austin (again) ranked No.
4 on a list of the biggest tax procrastinating cities. I'll go out on
a limb and put this one in the "positive" category because it illustrates
how laid back and cool this city is. We're much too busy this time of year
with rodeos, music festivals and perfect weather to be bogged down by tax
forms.

* Austin was ranked
the
third-best city to move to in the United States, according to a
RelocateAmerica.com report about a year ago.

* They were on to something, because earlier this year U-Haul said Austin
is one of the most-moved-to cities in the country.

* Austin was pi
cked
as the
nation's most progressive
and
proactive entrepreneurial center in a July article from Entrepreneur.com.

* PayScale Inc. just ranked Austin
second among cities considered an IT startup "Hot
Spot."

* Austin is the third-best
city
for young entrepreneurs, says Under 30 CEO.

* Entrepreneur magazine ranked
Austin a top creative center in July.

* If you're a college student, there are few places better than Austin,
according to a Huffington
Post ranking.

* Austin ranks as the nation's fifth-best
city
for new college graduates in the latest annual listing by Bloomberg
Businessweek.

* Austin was deemed by Men's Health to be America

's most sex-happy city.

* Austin was Yahoo Travel's third-best city for
singles last year. And
Vavoom.com put Austin as its second-best
city for dating behind Miami earlier this year.

* Austin did well on a Forbes list in June 2010 highlighting
the
best cities for young professionals.

* We have some of the cleanest
air
in the country, according to another list.

* Au stin is the best city
for Hispanics, according to
Popular Hispanics.

* While we're not really an industrial town, Austin is still one
of the country's top cities for manufacturing jobs, according
to Manufacturers' News Inc.

* In December, Forbes put Austin
at No. 12 on its first list of the best cities for shopping.

* We already have more restaurants per capita than most cities, but that
didn't stop Austin from being named recently as one
of the top 10 emerging restaurant markets in the
U.S.

* When it comes to live music, Austin is No. 3
in the U.S., according to
MSNBC.com.

* Austin is also one
of the safest cities of its size, another study said.

* Late last year, Austin
residents were ranked the 7th brainiest in the U.S. by
Daily Beast.

* And all that brainpower must make life easier, because Austin
is one
of the least-stressed cities in the U.S.

Keeping you informed, ready to help you with all of your real estate needs
and wishing you all the best,

Anne

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

Follow me on

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HookemHomes.com

RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com Google

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

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Confidence in value of homeownership persists through bust, survey shows

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:38:00 +0000

Confidence in value of homeownership persists through bust, survey shows

Commercial and multifamily mortgage originations grew 88% in the fourth quarter of 2010 when compared to 4Q 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:47:00 +0000

This article from Housing Wire quoting from the Mortgage Bankers Association Fourth Quarter Commercial Real Estate-Multifamily Finance Quarterly Report

· Commercial and multifamily mortgage originations grew 88% in the fourth quarter of 2010 when compared to 4Q 2009

· Loans for conduits for CMBS (commercial backed mortgage securities) saw a 60-fold increase compared to last year’s fourth quarter

· There was also a 170% increase in loans for life insurance companies, a 65 percent increase for Government Sponsored Enterprises (or GSEs – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac), and loans originated for commercial bank portfolios saw a decrease of 25 percent

· A 6,000 percent increase in origination for CMBS (not an April Fools joke). The MBA report said. "After being nearly dormant for the previous two-and-a-half years, more than $6 billion of CMBS was issued in the fourth quarter."

Austin Is An Opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:48:00 +0000

I ran across an article on Yahoo News Where The Richest People Live by Vanessa Wong, who based her article on information from Andrew Schiller, founder and chief executive of NeighborhoodScout.com I really was not interested in where the richest people lived in this country but as I scanned the article I noticed Houston and Austin were mentioned. River Oaks in Houston holds the title for the most expensive homes in Texas and then he mentions little ole Austin, which holds many titles, but not for the most expensive homes. Schiller notes that Austin real estate could have those high price tags. This information combined with all the TITLES (Green, Young, Jobs, etc.) Austin does hold -- should continue to fuel the city’s growth.

Excerpts from the article:

“Size and style can determine much of a home's value, but other factors can weigh more heavily. Within a single city, the prices of similar homes can display huge differences depending on the area -- and even the street -- in which they are located. The two key drivers of value are access to work opportunities and access to amenities, says Andrew Schiller, founder and chief executive of NeighborhoodScout.com. A few streets' distance can make a difference in perceived proximity to school districts, recreational amenities, and transportation routes.”

“Exclusive communities migrate over the years as opportunities shift to new places. Beverly Hills did not develop until movie stars began moving there in the early 1900s, according to the city's website. While the most expensive place in Texas is currently the Afton Oaks-River Oaks section of Houston, whose median home value is about $1.7 million, Schiller predicts that prices in Austin will rise as government activity, job growth, and the University of Texas attract more home buyers to the area.”

“Neighborhoods near Austin and other emerging cities may not be expensive now, but the right combination of amenities and job opportunities might one day push them to the top of the price ladder.”

No April Fool's Joke - Huge Changes Coming in the Mortgage World

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 17:59:00 +0000

HUGE changes are coming this April 1^st in the mortgage industry! If you have been thinking about buying or refinancing a home, I suggest you do it sooner than later. We all know that when changes like this take effect, the consumer is the one that hurts the most, ACT NOW! We have ONE month to close your loan if we start now.

If you haven’t already, I recommend that you read this article (This is just ONE of the MANY changes coming up):

By Kenneth R. Harney

Fixed 30-year mortgage rates in the 5 percent range? Minimum down payments below 5 percent? Jumbo-size home loans for high-cost markets at regular interest rates? Kiss them good-bye - possibly sooner than you might guess.

Take a snapshot of today's mortgage market conditions and frame it, because it's highly likely you'll never see anything like these favorable combinations of rates and terms again. That's the inescapable conclusion emerging from the Obama administration's "white paper" on optional remedies for the two ailing giants of housing finance, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, along with events already underway in the national economy.

The administration's long-delayed housing report, released Feb. 11, drew a mix of catcalls and mild applause. Apartment developers praised the report's emphasis on expanding opportunities for people to rent their housing as opposed to the idea that home ownership is for everybody.

Big banks and their allies in Congress welcomed the prospect that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who together account for about 60 percent of the mortgage market but have cost taxpayers a net $150 billion in bailout money in the past three years, will be heading into oblivion.

Consumer and real estate industry groups lamented the phaseout of Fannie and Freddie, which supplied steady streams of mortgage money for decades despite their recent crashes.

The report offers not only options for Congress to consider in winding down the two companies but also recommendations on more immediate "transition" measures to achieve a smaller federal footprint in the mortgage market. Some of these transitional steps require no congressional approval and therefore are likely to affect borrowers and home buyers in the months ahead. Factor these changes into your timing for any loan application or purchase you're contemplating this year:

l Higher insurance fees on FHA mortgages - another quarter of a percentage point on annual premiums. That's vitally important to people with moderate incomes and assets, especially in the African American and Hispanic communities, where FHA loans are the dominant route to home ownership. The report also hints at a possible increase in minimum down payments for FHA, currently just 3.5 percent, but provides no specifics. Any change would require congressional approval.

l Significant reductions in maximum loan amounts later this year for FHA and conventional loans eligible for purchase by Fannie or Freddie, unless Congress votes to retain the current statutory $729,750 limit for high-cost areas before it expires Oct. 1. Loans above each local market's limit - whatever the reduced ceiling turns out to be - will be considered jumbos and come with higher interest rates from private lenders.

l Raising the fees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac charge lenders to guarantee pools of their mortgages for resale to bond investors. Lenders will automatically pass those on to borrowers as a cost of doing business. The report also calls for raising down-payment requirements at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to 10 percent.

l Retaining the controversial and costly add-on fees now charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that can increase the expense of obtaining even a moderate-size mortgage by thousands of dollars.

These add-ons now extend to applicants with FICO credit scores of 800 and above who are making substantial down payments. The white paper actually applauded the imposition of these fees, calling them one of several "first steps" on the path to weaning consumers off reliance on Fannie and Freddie for mortgage money.

The administration wants to not only wind down the two companies over the coming several years but also severely reduce the size of FHA's role, cutting its market share from about 30 percent to as low as 10 percent. Where will the buyers who depend upon FHA today for affordable financing turn when that sharp cut has been accomplished? That's not clear.

The white paper makes an oblique reference to a major issue bubbling on the back burner that could also push rates up: Regulators are debating what should and shouldn't be a "qualified residential mortgage" under the terms of last year's financial reform legislation. Loans that are not "qualified," in terms of down payment size and other criteria, will require extra investments by lenders when they pool them into bonds. That could raise rates for non qualified mortgages by as much as three percentage points.

Among the proposals: Make 20 percent to 30 percent down payments the minimum to meet the "qualified" test.

The worst-case scenario: If you only have enough money for a small down payment, you'll be charged significantly higher rates.

Bottom line: Get ready to pay more for mortgages, no matter what ultimately happens to Fannie and Freddie.

Texas economic growth moderate so far in 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 21:11:00 +0000

Texas economic growth moderate so far in 2011

Austin Business Journal - by Barrett Goldsmith, Houston Business Journal
Date: Thursday, March 3, 2011, 9:15am CST

of 2011, fueled by continued strength in the energy sector that led to an
uptick in demand for staffing services, according to the latest Federal
Reserve Bank of Dallas Beige Book report.

The report, released March 2, said the manufacturing and non-financial
services sectors mostly saw gains, and that the commercial real estate
market improved slightly. However, the housing market remained sluggish, and
severe weather dampened a retail sector that was otherwise flat or slightly
improved.

The labor picture was slightly brighter. Some companies in accounting,
sales, legal services and energy services said they would expand their
payrolls in 2011. Wage pressures were minimal, with the exception of some
high-skilled positions.

As for the energy sector, the Dallas Fed said drilling activity remains
strong and that it has shifted away from natural gas and toward oil-directed
drilling. But it said unconventional shale plays are the dominant factor
driving U.S. activity. The rig count in the Gulf of Mexico edged up slightly
during the reporting period.

Intermodal transportation companies, which ship goods and materials via
multiple methods, reported declined cargo volumes thanks to weaker
international demand. Small-parcel shipments grew, as did railroad shipments
and container trade volume.

The commercial real estate sector sees an overall recovery beginning, but
the report said that recovery was still "fragile."

Anne

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

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RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com Google

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

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APARTMENT OCCUPANCY, RENTS UP IN JANUARY

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:49:00 +0000

If you are an owner/investor - this is great news. If you are a renter -
not so good. APARTMENT OCCUPANCY, RENTS UP IN JANUARY

CARROLLTON (ALN Apartment Data) - Apartment occupancy and rents were up in
January throughout the Texas markets covered by ALN Apartment Data.

Here is how eight Texas cities fared overall in January, according to ALN.

Occupancy,
January 2011

Change from
January 2010

Effective Rent,
January 2011

Change from
January 2010

Austin

93.6%

up 5.1%

$838

up 6.5%
Dallas

90.4%

up 4.2%

$773

up 2.5%

Fort Worth

89.2%

up 3.6%

$675

up 2.2%

Houston

87.3%

up 2.9%

$747

up 0.3%

San Antonio

90.5%

up 3.4%

$704

up 2.7%

Lubbock

92.8%

up 3.1%

$623

up 2.2%

Amarillo

91.7%

up 3%

$596

up 1.4%

Abilene

92.8%

up 2.1%

$588

up 1.3%

Corpus Christi

91.6%

up 3%

$696

up 3.1%

Anne

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

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HookemHomes.com

RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com Google

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

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Austin home sales up 14% in Jan.

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:02:00 +0000

Austin home sales up 14% in Jan.

Austin Business Journal
Date: Monday, February 21, 2011, 11:34am CST

A total 975 homes sold in the Austin area last month, or about 14 percent
more than in than January 2010, according to Multiple Listing Service data
released on Monday.

The Austin Board of Realtors said single family homes also sold for a higher
average price - about $190,000, up 6 percent from last year. Properties
spent an average 93 days on the market, 11 percent longer than January 2010.

At the same time, new listings were down 14 percent in January this year
compared with 2010. Active listings were down 5 percent. "The latest figures show that we are seeing the economic recovery continue
in Austin," Judith Bundschuh, chairwoman of the Austin Board of Realtors
trade group.

The shift is a welcomed change for Austin, where single-family
home sales were down 5 percent 2010.

"Demand and prices are strong, but they should expect to be patient to
achieve full value. Buyers should know that fewer listings combined with
increased demand could mean they will encounter more competition for
properties."

The report is in line with national trends. The National
Association of Realtors reported last month its
Pending Home Sales Index, which measures signed purchase contracts but not
closed sales, rose 2 percent nationwide. In the South, the region that
includes Texas, pending home sales jumped 11.5 percent in December.

Keeping you informed, ready to take care of all your real estate needs and
wishing you the best, Anne

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

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RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com Search All Listings

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

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Austin Area Small Business Owners - Help is Here.

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:58:00 +0000

The Small Business Development Program, developed by the City of Austin is in full swing and provides assistance and business solutions to emerging small business.

The office is centrally located at One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road and as the name implies the organization is available to counsel and advice all in-area small business owners to strengthen capability and survivability, especially during these challenging times.

In addition to providing solid information to business owners, the organization has a referral program to direct individuals to the resources they need to problem solve and grow in to our market. Their technical assistance arm– BizAid Program , a one-on-one coaching program of BCL of Texas, a nonprofit group, is a great resource for the small business owner needing specific skills in areas from marketing to taxes. Classes are required for this program and are offered every Tuesday from 9 A.M. to 10:30 A.M.

The also offer special events:

March 8th

The 7 Most Important Secrets of Small Business Success

March 9th

Keep Your Eye on the Ball: Make Your Cash Flow Work for You

My hat is off to the City of Austin for providing help where big help is needed – the small business owner.

Expect Home Designs To Change

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:26:00 +0000

The home of the future doesn’t include Jetson-style hovercrafts or robotic maids — yet — but there are some key changes worth looking for if you’re a builder.

Based on responses to a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), here are some ways in which builders can expect homes to change by as early as 2015:

Single-family homes will get smaller (74 percent of respondents said).
Homes will have more “green” features (68 percent).
Homes will have more technology features (29 percent).
Homes will have more universal access features (20 percent).
Homes will have more outdoor living features, such as kitchens and fireplaces (10 percent).
The average home size will be roughly 2,150 sf.
Living rooms will merge with other spaces in the home (52 percent), vanish to save on square footage (30 percent), or become a parlor/retreat/library or music room (13 percent).
If the living room doesn’t vanish, it will likely decrease in size (76 percent).
Also downsizing are the entry foyer (66 percent) and dining room (63 percent).
Features “very likely” to be included in a new home in 2015 include a kitchen-living room combo (“great room”), walk-in closet in master bedroom, laundry room and two-car garage.
“Unlikely” features include three or more bathrooms, mudroom, unheated porch, dining room, skylights, three-car garage, four or more bedrooms, media room and two master bedroom suites.
Home buyers are “somewhat likely” to want universal design features such as step-less entries, three-foot-wide doorways and four-foot-wide hallways, step-less showers that have seating, non-slip floor surfaces and grab bars in bathrooms.
People seem likely to lavish more attention on the kitchen, ensuring that room will retain its status as the home’s social center. Survey respondents said they are “very likely” to want double sinks, recessed lighting, table space for eating and breakfast bars. They’re “somewhat likely” to want a central island, walk-in pantry, recycling center and desk/computer area.

I see the same trends in home buying.

Austin - Texas -- All Good

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:23:00 +0000

This aired last Friday evening on Katie Couric's news program! http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7224282n

&tag=mncol;lst;1

And then - there's another "top of the list" for TEXAS

Texas tops the list in U.S. for sixth straight year, followed by Colorado
and Florida

CHICAGO, Jan. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Everything's bigger in Texas -
including its appeal as a destination for residents in 2010, according to
Allied Van Lines' 43rd Annual Magnet States Report released today. For the sixth year in a row, Texas eclipsed every other state and took the
lead as the No. 1 magnet state in 2010 based on Allied's report, which
tracks U.S. migration patterns. Texas realized the highest net relocation gain (inbound moves minus outbound
moves performed by Allied Van Lines, one of the world's largest moving
companies) of 1,640, which is lower than the nearly 2,000 families it
attracted in 2009, but it far outpaced all other states. Colorado came in
second place, with net relocation gains of just over 400 and Florida, South
Carolina and Arizona rounded out the top five states with the largest net
relocation gains. "Today there are more Fortune 500 companies located in Texas than any other
state in the union," said Bill Dircks, president of Berger Transfer &
Storage, Inc. "With our branch locations in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San
Antonio, we've serviced a large number of relocations into the state this
past year. A healthy business climate, coupled with family-friendly cities,
makes Texas a very attractive place to work and live." "Allied Van Lines experienced modest growth in 2010, and the trends noted in
the Magnet States report are consistent with what we've seen when the
economy begins to emerge from a recessionary period," said Bill Lyon, Vice
President and General Manager, Allied Van Lines. "Relocation for employment
is the leading motivation for an individual to move." According to the Texas Comptroller's office, Texas' position compared to
other states remains strong in spite of national economic slowdowns. Thanks
to a diverse, strong economy, employment in Texas has weathered the storm
better than most other states. The Texas unemployment rate has been at or
below the national rate for 45 consecutive months and unlike most states,
Texas is currently adding jobs - up 172,800 jobs from October 2009 to
October 2010.

Texas logged just under 9,600 total shipments and ranked third behind
California (about 12,300 total shipments) and Florida (about 9,900 total
shipments). California secured its title once again as "most mobile state,"
with the highest volume of inbound and outbound shipments by international
mover Allied Van Lines. Keeping you informed, ready to help you with your real estate needs and
wishing you all the best, Anne

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

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RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com Search All Listings

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

At Tue Jan 11 09:23:18 2011 the scanner said:
Could not parse Outlook Rich Text attachment

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Texans - Funds Are Running Out On The Appliance Rebate Program

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 21:28:00 +0000

Since December 20, 2010, the Texas Appliance Mail-In Rebate Program has been accepting applications. Approximately $18.5 million was earmarked for the mail-in rebate program, which will remain open until the funds are depleted.

So if your frig, washer/dryer, hot water heater, AC, heat pump and microwave are nearing replacement time – buy Energy Star Rated appliances and get your rebate.

I thought a review of where the funds stand as of today - January 7, 2011 -- will be helpful for all those who are interested in participating in the appliance rebate program. Here goes:

Estimated Rebate Funds Remaining

$8,817,339

Rebate Funds Already Approved

$521,445

Estimated Rebate Funds
Awaiting Validation

$9,161,216

Days Program Has
Been Open:

Visit the web site (noted above) for all program details and claim your savings – up to $1,000 on central AC systems. You can download an application and mail it in. Be patient – it will take 6 to 8 weeks to receive the rebate.

Has Austin, Texas Fallen from Grace?

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:16:00 +0000

Says who?

Well, so says the Harris Interactive Poll who conducted a poll for Forbes, recently asking more than 2,000 adults from across the US to name the coolest metropolitan areas to live.

The results put New York and Las Vegas in a tie for 1^st place with Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Orlando, San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington DC following – in descending order.

No not one Texas cities made the hip list, but Texas dominates -- especially Austin -- all other lists from Kiplinger’s to Entrepreneur. This could explain why Katie Couric is traveling to Austin to find out just why Austin has made so many Top 10 list during the past year.

Tune to CBS in this Friday, Jan. 7, at 5:30 p.m. to see it for yourself.

Here is what Katie and the CBS news team have been reading recently.

Earlier this month, Austin was deemed to have the second-strongest job market in the country by the Milken Institute (behind only Killeen).

That backs up another list in July that put Austin among the top job-generating cities.

Austin was picked as the No. 1 best city to live in for the next 10 years in a Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranking in May.

Also in May, Austin was listed among the country’s healthiest cities on two other lists.

The Austin area tied for first on a Forbes list of large metros where the recession is easing.

A CNN/Money study labeled Austin as recession-proof.

Austinites have the ninth-best “quality of life,” according to Portfolio.com study in May.

Austin was ranked the third-best city to move to in the United States, according to a RelocateAmerica.com report about seven months ago.

Austin was picked as the nation’s most progressive and proactive entrepreneurial center in a July article from Entrepreneur.com.
Austin is the third-best city for young entrepreneurs, says Under 30 CEO.
Entrepreneur magazine ranked Austin a top creative center in July.
Austin ranks as the nation’s fifth-best city for new college graduates in the latest annual listing by Bloomberg Businessweek.
Austin was deemed by Men’s Health to be America’s most sex-happy city.
Perhaps consequently, Austin was Yahoo Travel’s third-best city for singles earlier this year.
Austin did well on a Forbes list in June highlighting the best cities for young professionals.
We have some of the cleanest air in the country, according to another list.
Austin is the best city for Hispanics, according to Popular Hispanics.
When it comes to live music, Austin is No. 3 in the U.S., according to MSNBC.com.
And just weeks ago, Austin residents were ranked the 7th brainiest in the U.S. by Daily Beast.
So everybody living in Austin or considering calling Central Texas home – chill out. Austin is in great form, despite begin ousted from the Harris Interactive’s top-desired cities list. But of course, I don’t have to tell my fellow citizens to chill. According to a list last month, Austin is one of the least-stressed cities in the U.S.

Just Thinking About The Happiest People And ......

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 21:10:00 +0000

I was thinking about starting the New Year by sharing some weighty information on Austin, Texas and where the economic indicators are pointing concerning the real estate market in Central Texas.
After doing my home work and reading numerous reports, noting the sources and appropriate web addresses bookmarked, I came across a wonderful and short video clip in my Early To Rise newsletter that caught my attention. Like many others, I have read the words before and thought that's cool and something I should remember.
For some reason this morning the video made me pause and think -- much like Mass this morning where I learned more about the 3 Magi's who were seeking to honor the Christ child. Really interesting by the way.
I put my blog concerning economic condition, real estate and the mortgage industry aside(for today) and decided to share the video clip in hopes that many others will pause and reflect on the message " the happiest people in the world don't have the best of everything... they just make the best of everything".
Watch here and Happy New Year! I love my coffee.

Austin - Bulletproof? See Why

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:31:00 +0000

Vegas still flattened by downturn, but Austin may be bulletproof

Austin, Texas -- steady as she goes

By Martin Wolk, msnbc.com's business editor

Austin, Texas, has the nation's best-performing economy over the past two
years, while Las Vegas has the worst, according to a new study of 150 of the
world's biggest metropolitan areas.

The study of key cities in 53 countries found that many of the areas that
flew the highest in the long expansion of 1993 to 2007 fell the hardest in
the so-called Great Recession of 2008-09.

Dublin, Ireland; Madrid, Spain; the three Baltic capitals of Riga (Latvia)
Tallinn (Estonia) and Vilnius, (Lithuania); along with Las Vegas and
Riverside, Calif., moved from the top 30 spots before the recession to the
bottom 30 spots during the recession, according to Global Metro Monitor from
the Brookings Institution and London School of Economics.

Vegas was the nation's No. 1 economic performer in the 17 years before the
recession, trailed by Phoenix and Austin. Austin appears to hold the
distinction of being the American city least affected by the downturn,
ranking as No. 3 in economic performance before the recession, No. 3 during
the recession and No. 1 since.

The recovery of the past two years, extremely modest in the United States
and Europe, has been felt more strongly in other parts of the world.

Of the top 30 ranked metros in the most recent period, 29 were located
outside the United States and Europe, according to the report. At the top of
the heap is Istanbul, Turkey, a city that straddles Europe and Asia. China
and India alone accounted for 10 of the top 30 cities.

Among U.S. cities, Virginia Beach, Va., Washington, D.C., and Dallas appear
to be well on the road to recovery along with Austin. Pittsburgh,
Indianapolis, and Atlanta join Las Vegas at the bottom of the heap.

The report underscores the sluggish nature of the global recovery: About
half the 150 cities studied, especially in the United States and Europe,
continue to lose ground in either income or employment.

Click
here for a summary of the findings by region or you
can get the full, 52-page
report.

(Full Article Link Below)
http://lifeinc.todayshow.com/_news/2010/11/30/5554679-vegas-still-flattened-
by-downturn-but-austin-may-be-bulletproof

Keeping you informed, wanting to help you with your real estate needs and
wishing you all the best, Anne ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

Follow me on

LinkedIn Twitter

Facebook
HookemHomes.com

RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com SEARCH ALL LISTINGS REMAX.COM

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

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October 2010 MLS Data Texas Cities

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:20:00 +0000

October 2010 MLS data for many Texas cities (current as of Nov. 29, 2010)
Sales

Change from
Last Year

Median
Price

Change from
Last Year

Months'
Inventory

Amarillo

216

down 19%

$125,500

up 1%

6.8

Austin

1,331

down 32%

$195,000

up 9%

6.5

Corpus Christi

238

down 25%

$134,200

down 1%

10.5

Dallas

2,928

down 29%

$156,000

up 2%

7.1

El Paso

416

down 23%

$134,400

up 3%

Fort Worth

541

down 36%

$115,400

up 2%

7.3

Harlingen

down 24%

$81,700

down 8%

27.4

Houston

4,072

down 25%

$148,900

up 1%

7.9

Lubbock

185

down 26%

$114,100

down 1%

7.4

Odessa

down 19%

$113,000

down 13%

4.3

San Angelo

down 18%

$109,200

down 8%

6.4

San Antonio

1,311

down 25%

$148,700

up 7%

8.1

Temple-Belton

105

down 29%

$119,200

no change

7.8

Tyler

202

down 26%

$136,000

no change

13.5

Wichita Falls

113

down 4%

$100,700

up 1%

8.1

Texas

14,404

down 26%

$145,100

up 2%

7.8

Keeping you informed and wishing you all the best, Anne

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

Follow me on

LinkedIn Twitter

Facebook
HookemHomes.com

RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com SEARCH ALL LISTINGS REMAX.COM

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

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Vote For Kelly Anne

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:41:00 +0000

The web site crashed – the instructions are now to submit an email which Kelly Anne’s name – and that’s your vote. Here is the email address.

info@elluminize.com

Thanks to all,

Anne

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor®

512-917-5260 Cell

512-328-5151 Office

512-328-0404 Fax

Follow me on

Twitter

Facebook

HookemHomes.com

RE/MAX Austin Skyline

4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200

Austin, Texas 78746

annejohnson@austin.rr.com

anne@HookemHomes.com

SEARCH ALL LISTINGS

REMAX.COM

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or selling residential and investment real estate.

Posted via email from annejohnson's posterous

Vote for my kiddo, Kelly Anne

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:25:00 +0000

Kiddo, Kelly Anne Johnson decided to compete in a spokes model contest for
Elluminize

Please vote for her - daily. http://elluminize.com/vote/wp-content/plugins/wp-photocontest/view.php?post_
id=37
&order=chrono&p=2

Thank you, Anne

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

Follow me on

LinkedIn Twitter

Facebook
HookemHomes.com

RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com SEARCH ALL LISTINGS REMAX.COM

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

Posted via email from annejohnson's posterous

The Downtown Austin Condo Market - Steady

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 22:24:00 +0000

Shonda Novak of the Austin American-Statesman recently provided an in-depth look at the downtown condo market. Here are some highlights and excerpts from her article.

Despite coming to market during the worst national recession in decades, the newest projects have managed to hold their own.

“The market in the past 12 months is far stronger than what we experienced in the previous year,” said David Ward, executive vice president for Atlanta-based Post Properties Inc., which developed the Four Seasons Residences with Ardent Residential. “The fear that was prevalent during the depth of the downturn has been replaced by confidence.”

At the Four Seasons, 77 of the 148 units are sold or under contract, the developers said. The count at the other projects: 70 of the 178 units at the Austonian; 158 of 247 at Spring; and 84 of the 159 at the W, where the first buyers will be able to move in within a few months.

At the Four Seasons, where prices range from $400,000 to $4 million, Ward said pricing “has been very stable.” The Austonian has even raised prices on some units.

In general, sales activity “has been surprisingly good, given the very high price point of this latest wave of condominium construction,” said Charles Heimsath, a local real estate consultant for many downtown developers. Heimsath noted that the average asking price among the four projects is just over $1 million.

Aside from a recovering economy, the developers of the new projects have two other things in their favor.

One is that most of the projects targeted very affluent buyers. Heimsath said a fairly high percentage of buyers in the four new projects paid cash for their units, which are second or third homes for some.

Another is the absence of new competition. As lenders turned off the spigot for new construction during the downturn, several proposed projects have been postponed or shelved.

When construction started on Spring that year, Zuniga said, “we thought we would be 70 percent sold at completion.” But she said those expectations were adjusted when the recession hit in 2008, and the project ended up with about 35 to 40 percent of its units spoken for.

“We are currently selling at a much faster pace than we thought we would be in 2008,” Zuniga said. “We just hit the 60 percent sold mark, and the pace of sales continues to increase. \u2026 We are making five to 10 new sales every month, and we expect to see this number increase as the economy continues to improve and consumer fear continues to lessen.”

To see the complete article on the Austin American-Statesman website, click here.

Sales Tax on Homes?

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:10:00 +0000

This from an expert CPA! Robert Ellis

That is not exactly correct, but it is closer to the truth than comfort allows.

Since Obama’s health care bill passed, it has been circulating around the web that a 3.8% sales tax on home sales was included in the legislation. But I could never find anything in the literature, so I basically discounted it.

However, it turns out where there is smoke there is fire. There is such a tax. Right now the tax is supposedly limited to high income taxpayers. But when was the last time Congress wasted a great tax on a limited part of the population? Never? (As an example, even retired people must pay tax on their social security.)

Besides, even if you aren’t “high income” according to the government definition, you can still be caught up in this tax. All you have to do to be subject to this tax is sell your house for $250,000. You pay 6% commission then you pay 3.8% tax. 10% total is $25,000. In today’s market, that could spell the difference between being right side up and upside down.

Plus, the tax is broader than just on home sales, it includes all investments you may have.

To be fair, there is some dispute over the reach of this legislation, but I personally no longer trust the MSM to report the truth. A government in search of money can do what they want, unfortunately.

Read it on Snopes. http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/realestate.asp

Save Money With a DING

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:15:00 +0000

I learned several years ago -- from my then college girls -- how to save on airline tickets, specifically Southwest Airlines. They taught me to set up a DING on the Southwest web site by entering some basic information such as name, email address and areas of the country that I travel to frequently. Two of my girls live in Tempe, AZ so that is where I wanted to go and they love coming home to Texas for the holidays. They also taught me that I should only book Southwest tickets on Tuesday, a day they post their cheapest fares.

Now each Tuesday of the week, I get my DING from Southwest promoting "Click and Save". The best prices are INTERNET ONLY bookings. That works.

Several months ago I booked a trip to Phoenix to see my girls and celebrate my youngest daughter's up-coming 21st Birthday. Since booking the flight, I continue to get my Tuesday morning DING and each Tuesday I go in and check to see if the fares to Phoenix lowered any. To my amazement better deals popped up this past Tuesday and I found a way to get credit on the tickets I previously purchased. Really cool because I can use the credit for the kiddos to fly home during the holidays.

This is money saving information all my family, friends and followers need to know. Feel free to contact me on a quick tutorial on how to capture the credit by using your confirmation number. Really easy but does require some instruction.

I can't wait to see my girls.


		Welcome! Thank you for signing up for Click 'n Save. You're on your way to becoming a Southwest-savvy traveler. Each week, we will send the best deals Southwest has to offer, and you will be one of the first to know about them! Missed the last 48-hour sale? With Click 'n Save, you will never miss another deal in your inbox! So, sit back and wait for the deals to start arriving! Click 'n Save e-mails are sent every Tuesday and occasionally on weekends.
For All Things Travel, We've Got You Covered...

Off-Menu Burgers, Austin Style

noreply@blogger.com (Anne The Realtor) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:13:00 +0000

This is an off-beat hamburger joint in East Austin -- Your Mom's Burger Bar! I love good, even mediocre hamburgers, but this place sounds too good to be true. I do believe I will try some of their creations at home, but I will have to invite some -- not so traditional buddies as taster testers.

Your Mom's Burger Bar

Located at 1701 East Cesar Chavez Unit B. on the corner of Chalmers Ave. and East Cesar Chavez in Austin, TX. Watch for me at lunch.