Calling Texas Home

According to the Pew Research Center, more that three-quarters of adults born in Texas still live there making it the number one "sticky" state.

Other interesting facts show that Alaska only has a 28% retention of original residents.

Nevada attracts 86% of it's population from other states.

Only 19% of the population of New York are relocation.

And California which has a reputation for attracting people is 28th on the list of state that actually do.

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For Sale or Lease - Open House July 19, 2-4

COME MEET ME AND SEE THIS GREAT HOUSE. Sunday, July 19th. 2-4. If you live in the Austin area, I'd love to meet you and show you this awesome house I have listed for sale or lease.

Location, location, location. This is a great opportunity to live in one of the hottest & coolest areas is Austin in a new home - no rehabbing for you. Just move in and enjoy being walking distance to Central Market, 10 minutes to the medical center and 15 minutes to downtown Austin, Zilker Park and all the special events that take place. This is a new 3-story home with tons of upgrades: handscraped wood floors in living area, tile in baths, Silestone countertops throughout, stainless appliances, custom doors, crown molding, 6" baseboards, designer colors and fixtures, sprinkler system and more in a 1512 sq.ft. house with 2 master bedrooms - one on each floor. For sale at $369,999 and for lease at $1,999/mo.

Visit http://www.robinscottrealtor.com for a virtual tour.
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Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

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Shooting for the Moon - Placing the US Flag on the Moon

Planting the US Flag on the Moon - That's Some Real Estate!

It's the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon. Do you remember where you were? Many of you may not have been a conception but I remember that afternoon very clearly as the astronaut Neil Armstrong planted the United States flag firmly in the soil of the MOON.

I was sitting in my grandmothers den watching the event unfold on the evening news ( live TV had not been introduced at that time) and annoyed that my friend was late picking me up. It was the summer before my senior year in highschool and my parents had moved to Houston. I was angry that I would miss my senior year with the friends I had known all my life and asked to stay with my grandparents for the summer. That evening I had been invited to a slumber party and couldn't have cared less about the historic event unfolding on the TV and yet I remember it all very clearly.

Several years ago I was privileged to hear Neil Armstrong speak. It was at a Brian Buffini event in Las Vegas. Were you there? Five thousand REALTORS were. The entire event was a great experience and my first time to Las Vegas which was spectacular fun but I went just to hear Neil Armstrong. This time I was prepared to pay attention. Apparently he didn't do public speaking until that time when Brian Buffini convinced him to. He seemed an incredibly humble man for someone who was a space pioneer and it was well worth the trip to see him and hear him speak. Did you know that Apollo 11 went to the moon and back with a 65k computer! That's all!

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Protesting Property Taxes in Austin

As the Travis County Appraisal District (TCAD) started their process of appraising properties I published a Blog with their calendar information.
Austins Property Tax Calendar

Then I published a small Blog about protesting. I own properties in Travis and Williamson Counties so I plan to Blog about experiences protesting in both counties.
Protesting Your Property Taxes in Austin

Since property values have diminished over the year, I decided to protest. First the county sent me their evaluation on my property value with an opportunity to protest in writing which I did. After looking at the recent solds (the county determines what the property value was on December 31 of the year in question which in this case was 2008) I determined that the county had over appraised my property and I filed the form of written protest.

Then the county sent me a letter reducing my property value by a small amount along with information on 5 homes to which they were comparing. It seemed great that from my written protest they had reduced the value but I researched the homes that they were using as comparatives and found that 4 of the 5 where not true comparatives. As an example, one of the properties stated in their information that the house had $44,000 in remodeling upgrades and improvements of which my property had none. Therefore, I decided to attend the informal protest.

This morning I went to the informal protest and learned about the TCAD system. Some of the issues I encountered were as follows:

1. One of the comparatives they had provided was from January of '08. That is an entire year earlier. That was even before the market crash and should not have been considered a fair estimation of value. I was told TCAD could use sold homes from January 1 through February of the following year. Good to know when the market starts to go back up.

2. In Texas, the price you paid for your home is not public information so even TCAD doesn't have it unless you tell them - or someone else does. So, when I printed out my multiple listing system (MLS) sold sheets, I blacked out the house numbers. It seemed to me that it was the right thing to do to protect the other homeowners. After all, the MLS sheet provided all the information on a legitimate sheet from a computer generated system. The TCAD agent told me that they couldn't use the information without the house number. In other words, I had to provide the address to benefit from the information. I didn't have it, but the MLS sheet does have the legal description on the page so the agent was able to look up the house address.

3. The main reason I took the MLS sheets was because they contained pertinant information such as the house had $44,000 in upgrades so a true comparative would have been to reduce the sold price by $44,000. The agent told me that he couldn't make any adjustments in the system. What! How is that a fair comparison?

Next I'm going to the formal hearing. I'm determined to get those taxes reduced. I'll keep you posted. Please send your comments.

Robin Scott, BROKER. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. Amelia Bullock Realtors. 512.589.7988.

Making Buyer's Happy - Finding that Dream Home

One of the things that make my job so fulfilling is when I help a seller sell their home and a buyer find something they want.

As an Accredited Buyer's Representative in the Austin area, I relocate a lot of people and recently I had the pleasure of helping Shirley find a new home. When we first started the process, Shirley was living in corporate housing having unexpectedly been offered a job that required her immediate relocation. She wasn't sure whether to lease an apartment for 6 months or buy something. She wanted to move quickly.
Corporate housing was very temporary.

One of the things I really pride myself on is the ability to identify what the buyer wants and needs. Usually a buyer will tell you what they want but after the first outing at which time we look at several homes, I find it easier to really pinpoint what will make the buyer happy.

The first time out with Shirley, I observed her reactions to homes and their features. I listened carefully to her comments and the second time we looked at property, I nailed it. She found 3 she was interested in and one she loved. She settled on a spec home built by Highland Homes. It was ready to go and everything she was looking for - close to work, one-story, an office and very upgraded. Over the phone I negotiated for them to replace the carpet in the dining and living rooms with hard wood and of course the price came down considerably. She should be moving in a couple of weeks.

Robin Scott, Broker. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. Amelia Bullock Realtors. 512.589.7988.

Search for homes through Austin MLS
Find your home's value
Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

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Anniversary of Trip to France

One year ago, we took a trip to France to participate in many celebrations commemorating an incident where two airmen (my husbands uncle James Scott and Gerand Allen, crashed into each other over the small village of Connerre in 1945 during WWII. After listening to the eyewitness accounts it sounded as though Scott was fired upon and injured or killed causing him to send his plane straight up clipping Allens plane. They were flying air missions to prevent the Natzis from transporting men and artillery to Normany. Scott was killed but Allen parachuted out and was rescued b the terrified villagers who helped him get to the French Resistance unit hidden in the woods until the American soldiers came through. The village of Connerre wanted to thank the families of these two brave men for helping to save them from the Natzis. It was a fantastic experience and among all the friends we made were the sister and son of Allen who it turns out live only 30 minutes away.

We got together for an anniversary party and here we are: Doug, John, Katherine, Me and Elle.

Robin Scott, Broker. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. Amelia Bullock Realtors. 512.589.7988.

If you are from Texas, you can appreciate the beauty of the desolate landscape. It's all about the big sky. Texas is so large it is very diverse. From the coast on the Gulf of Mexico to the mountains along the Rio Grande River on the Mexican boarder, the sky is always big.
This photo was taken at what we call "the farm" even though no one has farmed it for over 60 years. My husband is the 4th generation to own this land and we lease it to a rancher who runs cattle on it sometimes. We used to spend time fishing and picnicking on it but it's very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter.
My husbands great grandfather owned this land and divided it up among all his children. The others sold theirs but John Pike kept his and tried to farm the rocky soil. There are great stories of Indians, Jesse James and oil speculators. They never found any oil. My mother-in-law was born on "the farm." The house was moved to town in the 50"s so the only buildings are the old barn and the new barn. The new barn is about 100 years old.
This is a picture of my husband and youngest daughter. We are all very proud of our ownership of this land. You know what they say - Land, they aren't making any more of it.

Robin Scott, Broker. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. Amelia Bullock Realtors. 512.589.7988.

Austin Area Demographics

The demographer for the City of Austin, Ryan Robinson, has complied a list of the top 10 demographic trends:

1. No demographic group comprises more than 50% of the Austin population.

2. There is a decline in the percentage of families with children living in the urban core of Austin.

3. The African-American population of Austin is declining and is expected to continue to decline.

4. The steadily growing population of Hispanics could outgrown the Anglo populationin Austin in the next 25 years.

5. The Asian population has experienced significant growth in the Austin area.

6. African-American Austinites are moving into the suburbs as well as throughout the greater Austin area.

7. The Hispanic population continues to congregate in the southern east side of Austin.

8. There is more disparity between the affluent and less-than-affluent in Austin.

9. Indigent health care is a growing problem in Central Texas.

10. Urban sprawl is a continuing trend in the Austin area.

Other interesting facts include:
The unemployment rate in Austin has dropped with new jobs being created in the government, education & health services and leisure & hospitality industries.

Robin Scott, Broker. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. Amelia Bullock Realtors. 512.589.7988.

Search for homes through Austin MLS
Find your home's value
Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

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Texas is a Great Place to Live

Watch this video from Youtube and pay particular attention to why Austin is a great place to live.

Thinking of relocating to Austin? Call me. I want to be your REALTOR.

Robin Scott, Broker. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. Amelia Bullock Realtors. 512.589.7988.

YOUTUBE VIDEO ABOUT THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC16-4fh-Qc