It appears the rush is on. Todays release of the pending new home sales numbers appear to verify the success of the 1st time homebuyer tax credit. June's numbers were revised to a 9.1% month over month increase and July were 9.6% higher still. That makes July the largest increase since February 2005 and puts new home inventories at a 16 year low with just a 7.5 month supply. Couple this with NAR's report last week of a 7.2% increase in existing home sales and you start thinking maybe we've seen the bottom. A large portion of this activity is being driven by first time home buyers trying to get in before the Nov 30th deadline. Let's hope we don't fall off a cliff after that. to help avoid this we should all get behind HR 2801 which will not only extend the tax credit but expand it to all... 08/26/2009

We've all been telling our clients to hurry up and buy before the tax credit is gone, but is it really going away?  Not only may it be sticking around for awhile it might be greatly expanded.   Back in June Representative Howard Coble ( R ) of North Carolina submitted HR 2801 or as they prefer it to be called the "home ownership moves the economy " act or (home). HR 2801 would extend the tax credit program through January 1st 2011 in addition it would expand the existing credit to all home buyers not just those who haven't owned a primary residence in the past 3 years. It does have to be used for the purchase of a primary residence. If passed in its current configuration it would also increase the credit amount to $15,000.00. The current income restrictions would also be removed.   We'v... 08/25/2009

Hello Everyone,   As promised I'm back again this week with a new topic. This week I'd like to look into the last 100% financing option available to non veterans that I'm aware of. This loan comes from a somewhat unusual source, the U.S. Department of Agriculture.   First a little bit about myself, my name is Mark Clausen. I am a realtor/ loan originator with the Trident Realty Group of Stanberry & Associates working in the Southwest Austin/ Dripping Springs area. In my 20 plus years in real estate I have been an investor and builder/ developer in addition to the previously mentioned vocations. I am also a nationally certified negotiation expert. Enough about me.   No doubt your' first thought when hearing USDA loan is that it's for farms. This is not the case. There are a surprising nu... 08/25/2009

Hello All,   My name is Mark Clausen and I'm a realtor in Austin Tx. I have been in the real estate field in one aspect or another for about 20 years. I am an investor as well as a realtor and have owned my own development and construction companies. I consider myself a student of the industry and I am constantly trying to learn more. Over the past summer I have been doing a lot of open houses and speaking with perspective buyers I have discovered a common thread, most are under informed if not uninformed. My hope is to become a resource to help in curing this shortcoming. I plan to pick a topic each week and give you my input and answer any questions you may have. If I don't know the answer to your questions, I have the resources to get the answer. I hope you find this helpful.     Thi... 08/25/2009

Superb home nestled on the greenbelt at the end of the cul-de-sac within the upscale Emerald Heights section of the spectacular Highpointe Community! Simply divine living with upgrades galore. Wide open floor plan with soaring ceilings, a grand entrance 2 story foyer, huge gameroom, amazing media room and pass through fireplace. 3 covered & wrap around porches help make this hill country gem the King of Curb Appeal! Great gated community with a world class amenities center, 4 pool areas, & so much more! CHECK OUT :  www.LiveInHighpointe.com    Neighborhood: Highpointe Of Dripping Springs Type: Single Family Residential for Sale Parking/Garage: 3 Bedrooms: 5 Baths: 4 Square Feet: 4645.00 Year Built: 2006 School District: Dripping Springs Independent School District Great Curb Appeal: Wr... 08/21/2009

Video for Home in Dripping Springs Texas Visit our website to learn more about Dripping Springs real estate 07/14/2009

Price: $199,000 FIZBER.com ID 11646414 Single Family with 3 bed, 2.0 bath, in 17200 Deer Creek Skyview Dripping springs, TX, 78620 http://www.fizber.com/11646414/ 17200 Deer Creek Skyview - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Single Family Address: 17200 Deer Creek Skyview, Dripping springs, TX, 78620 Sq footage: 1459.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 2.0 Bedrooms: 3 Year built: 2008 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more Texas homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: Wonderful 2008 custom home in Deer Creek with high-end upgrades on a large corner lot with established trees under 200k! This home is 1459sqft. and has three bedrooms and two full baths. Great Open floor-plan with vaulted ceilings, recessed lighting, fireplace with limestone tile surround, b... 07/04/2009

  Hello Readers, It seems like every road you turn down these days you find a home for sale. So what makes your home on the market better than the one down the street...your Realtor. With modern day technology today's buyer has almost unlimited access to housing information.However, in today's uncertain economy, buyers rely more heavily on theskills of a top professional agent. According to the 2008 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, thethree things today's home shoppers want MOST from their real estate agent are -  · Help finding the right home to purchase · Help with the price negotiations • Help negotiating the terms of the sale Top Realtors know that advertising their professional skills has never been more vital. According to a recent Research Stud... 07/01/2009

Hill Country Living at It's Best! Don't Miss This Opportunity to Tour the Finest Homes in Dripping Springs, with Exemplary Schools, on Superb Acreage lots. Dos Lagos is Located Just 4 Miles West of Ranch Road 12 on Hwy 290 West, Take a Left into the Majestic Gates of Dos Lagos. These homes are highly efficent "Green Built" and the lots are superb!  Call  The Steele Action Team at (512) 636-2746 for More Details or for a personal tour. For this blog & many more click here: Dos Lagos Community Wide Open House!!! 07/01/2009

This Sunday June 7th from 1pm - 3pm Sunset Canyon will be holding a Parade of Homes with some great properties in a gorgeous hill country setting! One of the many homes featured at this event is this stunning property on 201 N Canyonwood.  Don't miss your opportunity to see this custom beauty built by one of the area's best builders Haymond Homes. Exceptional floor plan that features travertine floors and granite counter tops. Amazing wood work everywhere...cedar plank ceilings, custom cabinets and doors.  Plush 2 acre lot with a wet weather pond. This stunning estate also has a gorgeous tiled outdoor living with stunning views.  Look no further this is it! Gorgeous Hill Country Views!!! Looking for more pictures?  Just click here: http://www.FloorPlanHost.com/201canyonwood For addition... 06/05/2009

May 14th was a special day in Dripping Springs Texas! Keller Williams Realtors teamed up for the annual “Get Red” day. This year the focus was to clean up Dripping Springs, trash was collected through out the town including Ranch Road 12. Founders Park, Mercer Street, and downtown Dripping Springs. Keller Williams Realtor Jeremy Frost had this to say ” It’s always great to give back to the community. Dripping Springs is a beautiful place and we want to keep it that way”! Keller Williams gave back through out the Austin Area as well with several hundred agents teaming up to revamp The Sunshine Camp for kids near Zilker Park. The annual Keller Willams “Get Red” day was a huge sucess and plans have already begun for next year! For this blog & many more click here : Dripping Springs Realtor... 05/27/2009

Hello Readers, Here is a great article I ran across in the Austin Business Journal that addresses the growth in Dripping Springs particularly the new HEB coming to town... Home Depot has been in Dripping Springs for more than a year and now a second major retailer, HEB, will join the small-town club. A development district long planned, but only partly built out, will finally see one of its largest components move forward soon. In 2006, the city of Dripping Springs, about 25 miles southwest of Austin, approved a plan for a 55-acre shopping center that planned to include retailers H.E. Butt Grocery Co. and The Home Depot. The center is near the intersection of RR 12 and U.S. 290, close to the center of Dripping Springs. While the Home Depot and smaller pad sites progressed soon after the... 05/11/2009

If you haven't attended the Dripping Springs' Founder Day Festival... mark your calendars for a fun filled weekend! With the combination of good food, a BBQ cook-off, live music, dancing, a Hill Country wine tasting event, beer, a carnival, a Tiger 5k Run/Walk for DSHS, a washer-pitching tournament, plus over a hundred arts & crafts booths, it's a good time for the whole family!Per tradition, the parade will begin at 6:30 pm on Mercer Street in Dripping Springs. Visit FoundersDayFestival.com for more details and look forward to seeing you! For this blog and many more click Drippings Springs' 22nd Annual Founders Day Festival 17th - 19th 2009 04/03/2009

The Steele Action Team of Keller Willams Realty  was honored by the Austin Buissness Journal as one of the top teams in the entire Austin Texas area. For the last 8 years The Steele Action Team has been the #1 real estate group in Dripping Springs Texas and is on pace to make it 9 years in a row!!! The team has over 30+ years experience and can help people from the smallest of land lot deals to the most luxurious of estates. If you or someone you know is looking to buy or sell real estate in the Dripping Springs area, there is no better call you can make! Call Jeremy K. Frost of the Steele Action Team today! 512-636-2746 or Jeremy@AustinHomeandLand.com For this blog & many more just click here : Dripping Springs Texas - Award Winning Realtors 04/01/2009

We are expecting between 500-600 people from our community. The event will feature food, wine and music entertainment. Dripping Springs Chamber will host the ribbon cutting. Three levels of sponsorships are available.  Please call us if you are interested in advertising your business during this event at 512-829-2042. Keller Williams is one of the world's largest real estate companies and sponsorship will offer your company tremendous exposure and recognition. For this blog & many more just click here : Keller Williams Realty - Dripping Springs Office Grand Opening March 26 5pm - 7pm 03/05/2009

I am sure by now you have  cranked up the heat, stoked the fireplace or turned on the furnace. Of course you want your home to be ready for the winter season. Which brings we to the question...is your lawn ready for the winter? Here are a few helpful hints that will keep your lawn looking great this winter season.                                December is a prime time for lawn fertilizing; if you have problems with moss, choose a fertilizer that includes moss control. Help grass keep its health over the winter: Don't walk on it if it's frozen. Precipitation will take care of the moisture needs of most plants, but do check those that might be missing out on moisture because they're located under eaves or evergreens; they may die if they get too parched. To keep carrots, parsley, leeks, ... 02/09/2009

Sunset Canyon is a wonderful subdivision in Dripping Springs, Texas.  I live in Sunset Canyon and LOVE IT!     Here are just a few of MANY reasons why it is a wonderful place to live and raise a family: 1. - Homes in Sunset Canyon have lovely canyon and/or panoramic hill country views.  2. - Most homes are on at least 2+ acres and have a lot of privacy. 3. - Sunset Canyon is ONLY 15 minutes from AUSTIN and an hour away from SAN ANTONIO. 4 - Sunset Canyon is located in the HIGHLY acclaimed Dripping Springs School District .  5 - Sunset Canyon has many fun family events. Please call me to find out more about our area.  I would love the opportunity to direct you to all the great real estate deals in my neighborhood as well as the best deals and views of Dripping Springs, Texas.  The Texas ... 02/09/2009

1.  What is the supply of unsold homes in my neighborhood? 2.  How fast are homes selling in my neighborhood ? 3. How do the actual selling prices compare to listing prices? 4. How do these trends effect my homes worth? 5. Knowing these answers...what do I do?  (hint...hire a neighborhood Realtor) To take a peak at the market in Dripping Springs, Texas, check out this FREE market snapshot: Top 5 Things Sellers Must Know   I KNOW what your home is worth.  Do you?  Please call Jeremy K. Froist, Keller Williams Realty at 512-636-2746..."your neighborhood specialist".   Please visit our website for great DEALS in our area.  For this blog & many more click here : Top 5 Things Sellers Must Know About the Real Estate Market in Dripping Springs, Texas! 02/09/2009

Market Analysis Report for Dripping Springs Texas.  This report contains data on all Dripping Springs Homes sold through mls over the past 6 months.   Property Type: Residential   Status: Sold   Number of Properties: 74     Beds   Baths   SqFt   Listing Price   LP/SqFt   Selling Price   SP/SqFt   SP/LP   SP/OLP   DOM   High   5   5   6,620   $1,100,000   $295.38   $1,150,000   $308.81   104.6%   133.3%   346   Low   2   1   855   $99,900   $60.55   $82,500   $50   74.5%   9.2%   1   Average   4   3   2,572   $348,935   $135.75   $332,291   $129.43   95.18%   90.27%   101   Median   4   2   2,404   $315,000   $132.37   $299,950   $127   96.55%   92.85%   83       Search Criteria   Status   S   Property Type   HOUSE   City   Dripping Springs   Sold/Lease Date   6 months back   Report time... 02/02/2009

 Saddletree Ranch is my choice as a place to live. We settled here for many reasons like location, schools, reasonableness of restrictions, & amenities. I found myself coming home last evening when at the entrance I saw the sign/notice that our board was meeting that evening. I decided to attend the meeting since I had not done so in some time. Having been a board member, including a couple years as President, I know what work goes into this process. To our home owners I say, be asured we have a thoughtful board that took the time to deliberate each issue before them. It's obvious that they want to maintain a balance that keeps our neighborhood standards high and our home values strong. I hope that one of the reasons you settled in Saddletree Ranch was the reasonable restrictions and un... 01/29/2009