The Eyes of Texas are Upon You

In the world of real estate, the nation has its eyes cast deep in the heart of Texas where the capital shines, big and bright. Another article from Kiplinger.com lists Austin as a high contending city for young adults to call home. With the statistics, who wouldn't want to come on in, sit down and stay awhile?

*Metro Population: 1,705,075
*Cost-of-living index: 97 (average is 100)
*Average annual wage: $41,380 (as of 2007)
*Unemployment rate: 6.9% (fourth lowest jobless rate among cities with pop. of 1M or more)
*Percentage of Gen Y residents: 30%
*Top employers: Austin School District, Dell, city and federal government, IBM, Seton Healthcare Network, St. David's Healthcare Partnership, University of Texas at Austin

Also listed were:
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, IL
Houston, TX
Kansas City, MO
Lasing, MI
New York, NY
Portland, OR
Salt Lake City, UT
Washington, D.C.

For more information about buying/selling or information about specific Austin areas, contact one of our agents today!

*All statistics from 10 Great Cities For Young Adults by Caitlin Dewey for Kiplinger.com, July 27, 2010

'We NEVER Stop Moving'

Online, offline and everywhere in-between, you can access millions of listings in thousands of plances with leading tools, applications and some of the best local real estate professionals available.... all because "We Never Stop Moving"
Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC

Energy Saving Tips

Those of us fortunate enough to call ourselves Austinities know that with the impending summer comes more than we like to pay energy bills. In the light of keeping Austin Green, here are some tips to help keep your costs down so you can put your money to better summer time use... like tubing!

Cooling

• Fans blowing directly on you can make temperatures around you feel up to 4 degrees cooler.
• Set thermostat at 78 degrees or higher when the house is occupied and at 85 degrees when vacant.
• Keep debris, high grass and other obstacles away from your air conditioner's condenser so that airflow to the unit is not blocked.
• Clean your AC condenser/evaporator coils at the beginning of the season.
• Clean or replace filters at least once a month.
• Caulk and weather-strip around your windows and doors.
• Shade your outdoor AC unit.
• Plant trees to shade your south- and west-facing windows.

Insulation

• Find holes and patches in your house where air can invade and fill it up with plastics or weather strips so that your cooling system will not be overworked.
• Remember to keep all doors as well as windows closed at all times.

Lighting

• Turn off lights when leaving a room.
• Keep the dust off lampshades and light bulbs. It can reduce lighting levels as much as 50%.
• Change your bulbs to fluorescent. Fluorescent light bulbs use 70% less electricity than regular light bulbs, give off five times more light, emit 90% less heat and last 10 times longer.
  

Other Appliances

• Wash/dry full loads of clothes and use cold water as much as possible.
• Never put lamps, TV sets and other heat-generating gadget beneath a wall-mounted thermostat. Rising heat from these appliances may trigger your conditioning system to overwork
  

COMMON CENT$

WHAT IS MY HOME WORTH?

Your home's value depends on many factors, including its style and size, amenities, condition and location. The value of your real estate investment can be affected by market conditions, interest rates, supply and demand and the overall strength of the economy.

Coldwell Banker United, REALTORS® Westlake sales associates are the local market experts who keep apprised of changes in the housing market and can provide a fair estimate of your home's worth.

For a FREE market analysis on your home, click here to get in touch with an agent!

"We NEVER Stop Moving."

Why NOT Austin?!

A vibrant city in the heart of Texas, Austin has something for everyone. Where else can you find high rises and "mountainous" terrain? Can you think of any other place you can get yourself a latte and the friendly barista throws in a treat for "Fido?" What about a high end shopping spree with a hike in a Greenbelt immediately afterwards? We have music, we have art, we have science and technology. We have a can do, will do attitude that doesn't stop there... we like to "Keep Austin Weird" with our deeply diverse cultures, attitudes and backgrounds. I like to say that Austin has an open door policy; which makes it no coincidence that our economic vitality and livability are high on the charts making Austin not only a great city to call home, but also a great place to start a business or find a job... An article in Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, July 2010, Austin tops the charts of the best cities for the next ten years. Austin "is a hotbed for small business -- and music." This is no big surprise for us Austinites... we have been living the cool life for years now.