It's tax season! Are you claiming a home buyer credit?

There’s some good news for those who purchased homes after Nov. 6 2009, taking advantage of the extended first-time homebuyer tax credit or the new “move up” tax credit: You can now file for the credit.

The IRS has released its new Form 5405, which is what is used to claim the credit. It took two months, however, for the agency to get the new form to the public, which left those who closed AFTER the deadline was extended unable to claim the credit.

You can download the new form at the IRS Website.

Reports say, however, to expect delays if you are filing for a home buyer tax credit. According to a CNNMoney.com report, it could be up to four months before you receive your credit.

Also keep in mind that as you get ready to file your 2009 federal return, if you are claiming the home buyer credit, you will have to file a paper return. The IRS e-file system cannot be used if you are claiming a home buyer tax credit.

Austin Texas music and nightlife

Writers at Travel and Leisure Magazine visited Austin recently and published their findings in the February 2010 issue of their magazine, just released and on newsstands now.  Living up to its advance billing, Austin provided the writers with an eclectic, varied and relaxed experience, while they stayed, dined, danced and imbibed at some of Austin’s most famous spots.

Read the full article here

Needless to say, this article is great for Austin’s travel-worthy reputation, and is sure to keep the visitors coming.  But it’s another great example of why so many people are relocating here!  Austin has a vibe all it’s own, and it only takes a short while (ie. five days or less) to catch it.

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3.Keep learning.  Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever, even ham radio. Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And the devil’s family name is Alzheimer’s.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.  Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it.  If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally used up and worn out, shouting ” ….wow….man, what a ride!”

 Hope you enjoy these…I sure do!

Wish I knew who said it first , but my memory seems to be failing me a bit!

A thought for today…

Years ago I heard a story of a dad named Paul who gave his young son a small chalkboard to practice writing on. One evening his son called out from the bedroom, “Dad, how do you spell best?”

Paul answered him. Moments later, the boy hollered, “How do you spell kid?”

Finally he asked, “How do you spell ever?”

When the boy showed him what he’d written on the chalkboard, Paul expected to see “I’m the best kid ever.” Instead, the boy beamed as Paul read the message: “You’re the best dad a kid can ever have.”

Paul recalled that it was one of the best days of his life. In fact, he had to buy his son another chalkboard because he wanted to save this message forever and hang it on his wall. It’s still there. Feeling appreciated is enormously important to adults as well as children. So much so that we often don’t think enough about what we’d most like to be appreciated for.

Being appreciated at work is a big deal. Who doesn’t want approval and respect from one’s boss and coworkers? Beyond the economic value of raises, promotions, and commendations, praise can be gratifying and motivating. That’s why good employers look for opportunities to acknowledge and thank employees for their contributions.

Yet as meaningful as work recognition is, if you could choose between winning your child’s “Best Mom/Dad a Kid Can Ever Have” award and being named “Best Employee,” which would you choose? The point is not to belittle the pursuit of approval in your business life but to remind you how much more meaningful it is to know you’re important to and appreciated by the people who love and need you the most.

Your most important job in life is to be worthy of that appreciation. Being the “best ever” mom or dad, husband or wife, or friend – it doesn’t get any better than that.

- Michael Josephson “Character Counts“

Great news for Austin:  The percentage of students enrolling in post-secondary education rose 15 percent for the Class of 2008, reaching 62 percent. 

In recent years, the Austin Chamber of Commerce, Business and Education Communities have focused their attention on increasing this percentage and this report, (Dec 2009) shows that much progress has been made. Our educated workforce is a primary reason why relocating companies select Austin over other cities. However, too much of that educated workforce is imported instead of home-grown. Cultivating more college-bound Austin graduates is great news for Austin’s continued future growth and success.

From the Chamber’s website: “Metro Austin has one of the best educated talent bases in the world. More than two-thirds of our population has some level of college education. Approximately 40% has at least a bachelor’s degree. Metro Austin, however, imports much of this skilled labor through enrollment at UT-Austin or through employment at many of our high-technology companies.”

For more information, see:

Chamber on Education: http://www.austin-chamber.org/TheChamber/AboutTheChamber/edu_initiatives.html

What a year it’s been in Austin, the Live Music Capital of the World, home of the University of Texas Longhorns and the wonderful Texas Hill Country.  We’re so thankful to live and work in one of the very best cities (and real estate markets) in North America.  And we’re not just saying that…the following publications all put Austin at-or-near the top of their lists in 2009, and we thought you might want to share the pride of our community!

Legend: Rank | Category | Publication, Date

#1 – Best Bargain City in the USA – Forbes Magazine, 5/09

#1 – Top 10 Performers of the USA’s 200 Largest Metro Areas – MilkenInstitute.org, 11/09

#1 – Best Cities in the USA for Recession Recovery – Forbes, 6/09

#1 – Best Cities for Advancing Your Career – Shine (Yahoo.com), 5/09

#1 – Best Cities for a Fresh Start – Relocation.com, 5/09

#1 – Best Big Cities for Jobs – Forbes, 4/09

#2 – Best Cities for Working Moms – Forbes, 8/09

#2 – Healthiest Housing Markets in the USA – BuilderOnline.com, 2/09

#2 – Top 10 Cities Where Americans are Relocating – Forbes Magazine, 3/09

#3 – Best Cities for High-Paying Jobs – Forbes, 7/09

#3 – Top 10 Best Places to Live in the USA – US News & World Report, 6/09

#4 – Top 10 Cities for Most Job Postings per Capita – USNews.com, 7/09

#5 – Fastest Growing U.S. Metro Area – Bizjournal.com, 5/09

#5 – Top North American Cities of the Future – FDI Magazine, 5/09

#7 – Best Technology Centers in the USA – Bizjournal.com 5/09

#8 – Top 10 Best Cities of 2009 – Kiplinger.com, 7/09

#8 – Best Places for Business and Careers – Forbes Magazine, 3/09

#9 – American Fitness index Rankings – ACSM.org,  5/09

#10 – Best Cities in the USA for MovieMakers – MovieMaker.com, 2/09

#11 – Best Cities in the U.S. for the Outdoors – Forbes, 5/09

#14 – America’s Strongest Housing Markets – Forbes, 1/09

#14 – Coolest North American Cities – MSNTravel.com, 2/09

If you would like us to send you a PDF of all of the 2009 rankings of these lists, just let us know!

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good, if you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can’t dance well.  Just get up and dance.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons… Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull.  Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Merry Christmas to one and all, and Best Wishes for a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow! That was pretty much what everyone in Austin was talking about the past few days, in anticipation of today’s rare weather pattern which was to bring several inches of snow to the Austin, Texas area and surrounding counties.

Even local weather casters and the front page of the Austin American Statesman reported an expected 2 – 4 inches of accumulation, which on Thursday sent hoarders to the grocery stores, shoppers to the clothing stores for warm articles, and commuters to the gas lines to fill up their tanks.

Several after-school activities were cancelled by local school districts…as early as Wednesday, and the Lake Travis School District sent it’s students home at midday … quite coincidental since their LT Cavaliers were playing in a state football playoff game this evening down in San Marcos!

Even some social activities and holiday gatherings were suspended in advance, to avoid “weather delays” and/or for “safety reasons.”

When it started falling from the sky, around 11am, workers rushed out of their office buildings to open their mouths to the sky and catch a rare snowflake on their tongue. The flurries lasted about 45 minutes or so, and then most workers returned inside to their wrarm and cozy offices. But some chose to take the afternoon off and not “get stuck in the snow!”

Ahh…this is Austin, people!  Snow?  What’s that?  If we get snow at all, it rarely sticks to the ground, and hardly EVER accumulates.  Shudders…and here I thought we had so many folks relocating to Austin from the Northeast…don’t they know how to drive in snow?

Ho Ho Ho…Happy Holidays!

Fine Living in Austin (or anywhere, for that matter) often requires a command of the English language. Instead of using terms like “Whatchamacallit” or “Thingamajig”, being able to identify these everyday objects might just come in handy if you’re trying to impress that special someone in your life.

For example … did you know that a BOBECHE is a collar on a candle that catches wax drips?

Try to see how many of these you can correctly identify:

1.       AGLET

a.       A bill on a baseball cap

b.      A fold of cartilage outside the ear

c.       The sheath at the end of a shoelace

2.       BESOM

a.       The second horn of a rhinoceros

b.      A broom made of twigs

c.       A coal miner’s headlamp

3.       CROTCHET

a.       A nutcracker

b.      A dust ball

c.       A quarter note in music

4.       TITTLE

a.       A bell on a bicycle

b.      The dot over the letter “I”

c.       A gap between front teeth

5.       CLAQUE

a.       People paid to applaud a show

b.      A group of ducks

c.       A windmill blade

6.       ZILLS

a.       Cat’s whiskers

b.      Holes in Swiss cheese

c.       Dancer’s finger cymbals

7.       GNOMON

a.       The shadow-casting part of a sundial

b.      A pencil stub

c.       A wisdom tooth

8.       ROWEL

a.       The wheel on a cowboy’s spur

b.      A ring left by a wet glass

c.       A curve banister

9.       SAMARA

a.       Headscarf worn by Muslim women

b.      Tile in a mosaic

c.       Winged fruit of certain trees

10.   ULLAGE

a.       A radiator’s air valve

b.      Unfilled space in a wine bottle

c.       The uneaten portion of a meal

Think you guessed them all correctly?

Answers below.

DON’T PEEK UNLESS YOU’RE FINISHED GUESSING!

ANSWERS

1.       C

2.       B

3.       C

4.       B

5.       A

6.       C

7.       A

8.       A

9.       C

10.   B

Come and discover the beautiful world of native wildflowers at the ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center.  This popular Austin attraction displays native varieties of Central Texas Hill Country plants in a beautiful natural setting.  The mission of the garden   is to conserve native wildflowers, plants and landscape.   The Plant Conservation Program at the center strives to protect rare and endangered flora that is part of the Texas heritage.

Browse through their collection of 23,00 native plant images and ask resident horticulturalists your toughest questions. In 2006, the Center became an Organized Research Unit of the University of Texas at Austin.

Founded by the former first Lady and actress Helena Hayes, the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center is a true treasure in the heart of Austin, Texas.

Let our agents find the perfect Austin house, condo or townhome for you.