Ringing and Singing with Catherine Ulrey, Equestrian and Acreage Property Specialist.   January challenge ringing and singing in the rain hosted by Debbie Reynolds gave me the opportunity to reach out to Catherine Ulrey from Salem Oregon.   Catherine has been a Real Estate Broker since 1997 and currently works for Keller Williams Realty as an Associate Broker since 2008. Catherine mentioned 80% of her business is residential acreage properties. She launched her equestrian property website in 2009 catering to buyers and sellers understanding the unique wants and needs of homes with acreage.    Born and raised in Salem Oregon which is the capital and county seat of Marion County. She married her high school sweetheart and they raised their 21 year old daughter who no longer lives at home.... 01/31/2015

Ringing and Singing in the Rain with Jennifer Fivelsdal I had the opportunity today to ring and sing with a Jennifer Fivelsdal longtime Activerain Ambassador who I have been following several years. Jennifer Fivelsdal was kind enough to start following my blogs back in 2013 and leaving comments. She was one of the first members I can remember leaving comments on my blogs. Her profile picture with that captivating smile just invites you to like her knowing she has a heart of gold. She does…… Jennifer is originally from Jamaica but has been living in Mid-Hudson Valley over 30+ years. She worked in telecommunication industry prior to practicing real estate since 2002 in Red Hook a town in Dutchess County New York.  Red hook is located in the northwest part of Dutchess County in the Hudson ... 01/30/2015

Destination Bell Boulevard is the catchy slogan that brought hundreds of residents to meet at the Cedar Park Recreation Center tonight. City council promised an interactive workshop session and they delivered. Wireless keypad polling devices were passed out so that community members could anonymously provide instant input during the presentation. Very impressive!    Bell Boulevard is a main corridor connecting Leander and Cedar Park residents to Austin.  When the toll road, 183A, was completed, the hope was that Bell Boulevard would no longer be a main thoroughfare.  However, with high toll road costs and population growth exceeding forecasts for both Cedar Park & Leander, Bell Boulevard continues to be inundated with over 46,000 vehicles per day. The businesses in this corridor have be... 01/28/2015

CFPB (consumer financial protection bureau)   Consumers buying a home in Texas means taking out a mortgage loan in most cases. The Dodd-Frank Act requires consumers to understand the Truth in Lending Act and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act disclosures.   Beginning August 1st, 2015 Mortgage Lender, Title Companies and Real Estate Agents in Texas must follow the new CFPB closing disclosures. Unlike the HUD-1 statement it is similar but dumbed down.   Today at our office meeting I learned that buyers will now have to receive the closing documents disclosure three days prior to closing and they must sign off and send back before closing can take place. This is going to be meeting deadlines like we have never seen before. Even if they meet the three day deadline it all depends on days ... 01/27/2015

Least Expensive Way To Freshen Up Your Home When Selling   Homeowner looking for the least expensive way to freshen up their home when selling and giving it a makeover is to give their home interior and exterior a new coat of paint.   Keeping in mind Color Psychology, which is the study of color as a determinant of human behavior. Color is highly complex  and one which is open to the influence of a large number of factors.   Emotions are triggered by certain colors; learning the psychology behind color choices will help the homeowner determine which room gets what color.   Color on a Deeper Level Red – considered to be romantic and passionate Pink – warm, feminine and soothing energy Orange – overwhelming, statement to brighten up senses Yellow – optimism of happy emotions Green – sooth... 01/24/2015

Interested in 1-story Homes with 3-car garages in Buttercup Creek 78613? I am currently interviewing to list a home that fits this description. Please call me if you are interested in seeing this home before it is listed in the MLS. Read my blog on Buttercup Creek to find out more abou what it's like to live in this subdivision.   Laura Ivy Blessing blogs about the Austin, TX known and lesser known happenings with a splash of real estate savvy for today's buyers and sellers. Please call her today to consult and advise you through your next real estate transaction.   Blessing@KW.com   Stay tuned for more on 1-story Homes with 3-Car garages in Buttercup Creek 78613.     01/23/2015

What is it like living in Buttercup Creek Cedar Park, TX  78613? The first word I often hear from buyers that I bring to Buttercup Creek is "Beautiful."  The neighborhood is full of nature preserves and trails. Many of the homes back to greenbelts and are a walk away from a number of parks.   How far away from Downtown Austin is Buttercup Creek? Without traffic, driving to downtown may take about 30 minutes. During commuter times, expect 45 minutes to an hour. If your job is downtown, you may like to ride the Capital MetroRail. The closest station is about a 10 minute drive away. Another perk to living in Buttercup Creek is the access to toll roads to get around town quickly.   What kind of activities do Buttercup Creek residents enjoy? The Community Pool & Playground, Shopping at Lakel... 01/23/2015

Cedar Park is ready for growth in 2015! For a city that has already grown by more than 400% in a decade it is hard to envision even more growth. With the city's proximity to Austin, excellent schools and easy freeway access... growth is inevitable. Did you know that Movoto named Cedar Park as the fifth most desirable suburb in the country? Not just in Texas... in the country!   So what type of growth is Cedar Park looking at in 2015? How about new restaurants and more retail to start. The City Council has approved rezoning of several development sites to incorporate their vision of mixed use; offices, housing and restaurant space. On the 28th I will be attending a city meeting discussing plans to recreate Bell Road.  In addition, many plans are beginning to unfold for the Parmer Lane de... 01/22/2015

Austin-area real estate marked its fourth straight year of annual home sale increases. Austin-area single family home sales volume for the month of December sets annual volume sales for 2014 according to the Austin Board of REALTORS®. Austin area single family home sales for December 2014 increased by 14% compared to home sales during December 2013 with 2,283 home sold in the month of December 2014. According to the Austin Board of REALTORS® there were a total of 27,768 homes sold in 2014 giving a 2% increase from 2013.   The Austin-area single family median priced homes increased by 8% over 2013 $242,500. The median price in December 2014 was 246,530 increased 10% higher than December 2013.   Austin-area inventory levels remained low despite an eighteen month trend of monthly decreases... 01/22/2015

Cedar Park residents enjoy numerous parks in the hill country, just north of Austin.  In addition to city parks, each community has a few neighborhood parks, or private HOA parks.  One park stands above them all though in Cedar Park... and that is Elizabeth M. Milburn Community Park. Located on Cypress Creek Road, a few blocks East of Anderson Mill, you will find this gem. 1901 Sun Chase Blvd.  With over 42 acres of land it is easy to see why this park is the center of outdoor venues for locals.  Large oak trees provide plenty of shade, as well as plenty of tree climbing opportunities.  Ramada's, basketball, baseball, soccer, BMX track, sand volleyball and top of the line play structures.   How about a community garden?  I am always surprised at how many homeowners I meet in Cedar Park ... 01/22/2015

Austin TX Activerain Winter Meetup 2015 brought out eleven "Austinites" Meeting Friends who share the same interest in our local communities  helps distinguishing ourselves meeting people with similar interest and January 21st, 2015 was one of those days. We see these familiar faces blogging in the RAIN each day about real estate related experiences and successes, however never crossing paths until we have an Activerain meetup. While we caught up on family and personal related topics we also discussed future laws that will go in affect in August with the HUD-1 statements, road construction, markets, and future growth of Austin.   Meet Our Austin TX Winter Meetup 2015 ActiveRain Members        Jason Crouch,  Le Green Schubert,  Sherry Scales,  Laurie Engle                Robin Scott,    ... 01/21/2015

REALTORS® - Happy About New Improved Supra e-Key Lock boxes   Supra eKey Lock boxes offer more room for multiple keys, gate codes, offering Listing Agents to pick their own CBS codes and longer battery life. The new and improved lockboxes feature Bluetooth and Infrared Technology. Throughout March, ABoR (Austin Board Of REALTORS ) will be swapping old lockboxes for these new iBox lockboxes. March 2 - 13.   eKEYs The eKEY works directly with the SupraWEB app, which you can download from Google Play (Androids) or the App Store (iPhones). With the new iBox BT lockboxes, you will no longer be required to purchase a FOB to use as your eKEY – everything will work directly through your SupraWEB smartphone app, via Bluetooth.  There are pricing changes to the ActiveKEYs and eKEYs. Click here to... 01/19/2015

Home Buying Process | First Time Home Buyers | Seasoned Home Buyers Bob Ratliff, REALTOR® will help you with the following steps and more when buying a home in Austin, & Northwest Austin-areas. Bob will save you time and money by researching properties based on your criteria, helping you secure the best mortgage rates through preferred Lenders, counseling you on the offer amount and terms most favorable to you, and negotiating on your behalf. Buyer’s Wants and Needs I suggest before you start looking, make a list of what you want. Then assign each item a priority. Some areas to consider are: ·   Location: How close do you want to be to your job, shopping, the kid’s schools, or entertainment? ·   Type of home: A single-family house typically provides the most space and gives you fewer re... 01/18/2015

The Austin-area real estate trends continued to break records in home sales 2013-2014 Demand for Austin-area homes remains strong. Date Sales Dollar Average Median Total Months Volume Price Price Listings Inventory 2013-Jan 1,566 402,135,669 256,800 199,200 5,548 2.6 Feb 1,795 468,527,290 261,000 206,800 5,752 2.6 Mar 2,384 661,274,904 277,400 217,100 5,848 2.6 Apr 2,692 820,141,712 304,700 227,300 6,121 2.7 May 3,182 944,924,177 297,000 228,100 6,424 2.8 Jun 2,970 880,058,970 296,300 234,100 6,724 2.9 Jul 3,376 993,168,216 294,200 227,900 6,721 2.8 Aug 3,318 931,481,472 280,700 218,800 6,706 2.7 Sep 2,544 725,959,392 285,400 224,000 6,569 2.6 Oct 2,350 648,747,783 276,100 218,300 6,114 2.4 Nov 2,045 594,534,652 290,700 217,900 5,668 2.2 Dec 2,214 647,915,760 292,600 226,600 5,047 2 201... 01/17/2015

Ringing and Singing in the RAIN finds somewhat of a newbie who joined in 2014 publishing his first blog post October 15th, 2014. One reason I wanted to contact Brian was when I read one of his many neighborhood market reports with a very detailed video which impressed me to know more of this young professional. It turns out video producing is Marks Forte, with over 400+ videos on YouTube and other sites. Mark mentioned he has even made videos of preparing sushi, a step by step. Mark Baker was born and raised in South Florida, after graduating high school he entered the United States Marine Corps where he served four distinguished years earning two meritorious promotions and the Navy Achievement medal. After a honorable discharge from the service Mark attended Florida Atlantic University... 01/16/2015

It's Foodie Friday!  Oh boy, we have some amazing food choices here in the Austin area.   My favorite type of food is mexican.  I grew up with neighbors who made the best home made tortillas and breakfast burrito's you could dream of.  They spoiled me for sure.  I am very picky about my mexican food.   Cedar Park is a fast growing community and restaurants are popping up over night.  We have In-N-Out, Pieology, and my new favorite quick bite to eat -  Verts Kebap.  If you haven't been to Verts yet, you must run.  Locally owned and growing like weeds, I suspect you will see Vertskebap across the country in no time.   Blue Corn Harvest Bar & Grill though, is hands down, my favorite place to eat at in Cedar Park.  Their fresh, local, farm to market food is delicous. Even their beer on draf... 01/16/2015

Wordless Wednesday Kitchen Inspirations                                                                                    Traditional Kitchen by Cupertino General Contractors                                      Traditional Kitchen by Other Metro Kitchen & Bath Fixtures                                                       Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery             Traditional Kitchen by Oakland Architects & Building Designers Lorin Hill, Architect             Traditional Kitchen by San Francisco Architects & Building Designers Gast Architects                 Wordless Wednesday Kitchen Inspirations has been brought to you by                                               Bob Ratliff, REALTOR® (512) 587-5689                                  (all photos and captions are courtes... 01/13/2015

What TAR, NAR, and the federal government are doing about the non-producing entities that are suing real estate brokerages.    Reports show some of the companies being sued are RE/MAX, Keller Williams, and Centry 21.    According to Inman more than a dozen real estate Brokerages have been sued for patent infringements from a company that does not maintain a website or offers any products or service but holds patent on a real estate disclosure reporting method.   A patent troll, also called a patent assertion entity (PAE), is a person or company who enforces patent rights against accused infringers in an attempt to collect licensing fees, but does not manufacture products or supply services based upon the patents in question, thus engaging in economic rent-seeking.   Watch this three-min... 01/12/2015

Homeowners having a systematic plan for keeping track of important papers can save hours of anxious searching.  One never knows when they might need old documents from closing real estate, receipts for home repairs, new appliances warranty information, or personal records. Here is a few easy ways to Organize Files: Legal Documents. Keeping copy of your driver’s license, your birth certificate and other important items such as wills, power of attorney documents, automobile titles, life insurance policy and medical records.    Real Estate documents. Include your HUD-1 closing statement or title to your home, any Lender/Mortgage contracts, Tax Certificates, Survey, Warranties and any Home Improvements or Repairs. When you sell your home in the future you will need to produce some of these ... 01/12/2015

Austin TX 11th most Populous City in the USA, 4th in the state of Texas Did you know that Austin Texas is the 11th most populous city the USA and 4th in state of Texas. Austin TX was one of the first settlements on the Colorado River banks known as Waterloo in 1837, but was settled originally in 1930 by Anglo-Americans who arrived in Central Texas;  officially charted in 1939 Waterloo had been named Austin TX and become the Capital of the Republic of Texas. According to locals the city was named after the “father of Texas” Stephen F Austin. Austin being the Capital of Texas has always been known for its state politics.  The Texas State Capitol was drawn up in 1881 and constructed from 1882-1888. The corner stone was laid March 2, 1985 and the State Capitol was opened to the public April... 01/11/2015