Central Austin office remodeling is finally underway!

After several months of delay in securing the necessary building permits from the City of Austin, construction is finally underway on the new Central Austin office location for Fine Austin Living, REALTORS.  In less than two short years, notwithstanding a sluggish economy, Fine Austin Living is bringing its signature level of service to commercial and residential property buyers and sellers to Central Austin!

Currently, the company’s primary location is in Westlake Hills,  and features an open-concept working environment accentuated by a rotating display of fine art from Central Texas artists.  The new location, coincidentally a renovation of a former art gallery and studio, will offer a variety of dedicated and shared workspaces, furnishings custom-built for the professionally-designed space, gallery-style art displays and state-of-the-art technology to support the growing team of real estate professionals and their clients.

Broker/Owner Todd Smith adds “our new location in Central Austin is ideally situated to serve the needs of homeowners and prospective homebuyers in the Allandale, Brentwood, Rosedale, University Heights and Mueller communities, along with other areas of Central Austin. We will also offer commercial representation services, as well as home-leasing and apartment locating services.  As members of the Austin Independent Business Alliance, we look forward to opening our office and serving the local community in 2012 and beyond with a new caliber of real estate consulting services.”

The company’s original business plan is ahead of schedule, and Smith hopes to secure a location for an additional office to open sometime in late 2012.

Click Link to RSVP via Facebook

Fine Austin Living, in association with the Belvedere Homeowners Association, is proud to present an appreciation event on September 10th to raise funds for the Lake Travis Firefighters Association. To be held the night before the 10th Anniversary of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, in which so many brave first responders lost their lives, we honor the men and women who work tirelessly and unselfishly to protect our homes and community.

The LTFA was instrumental, along with multiple other firefighting teams, in knocking back the flames that swept through the community and neighboring properties last month, protecting every structure in the area from damage.  Despite their heroic efforts, two firefighters were injured in the blaze.

All proceeds for the event will be directed to the LTFA Benevolent Fund, which helps to address uncovered personal or family medical expenses in the event of an injury or loss of life by a member of the LTFA.

Please join us at the Belvedere Amenity Center from 7-10pm on Saturday September 10th, located on Hamilton Pool Road 4 miles west of Hwy 71 in Bee Cave, for this worthwhile opportunity to express our gratitude for those who unselfishly serve our community.

Donations will be graciously accepted via cash at the door, via check (payable to Lake Travis Firefighters Association) or by credit card via the PayPal link below.

For more information contact Karen Shultz at kzelina@yahoo.com or Todd Smith at 512-402-9800 or visit us online at www.FineAustinGIVING.com or at www.BelvedereAustin.com.

Many people looking to buy Austin real estate choose Shady Hollow, a family friendly community.  Shady Hollow is zoned for the Austin Independent School District, a school district known for its excellence in education.  Baranoff Elementary School, Bailey Middle School, and Bowie High School are the schools attended by children in Shady Hollow, all desirable schools and a leading factor in what drives homeowners to buy Austin real estate in Shady Hollow.

Recently spotlighted in an article in the Statesman, Shady Hollow is clearly a desirable Austin location where community matters, and homes have what home owners are looking for, size, mature tree growth, and attractive neighborhood layouts.  Location is a key element to buying real estate, whether in Austin Texas or anywhere else in the nation.  For families looking to buy an Austin property, Shady Hollow is an area of note because it has what families are looking for, a solid community, excellent schools, and ample recreation.

Contact us today to learn more about buying Austin real estate.  An experienced Austin REALTOR® can be an invaluable resource when determining which neighborhood will best suit your family’s needs.

Contact the Fine Austin Living Team today for up to date information about Austin Texas real estate as well as free access to the Austin Texas MLS and all properties currently for sale in the Austin area.

Vote for Props 1-2-3. Support Eanes ISD

I have never voted for a bond before in my life, and I normally don’t get too involved in politics. I wasn’t going to vote for the EANES ISD school bonds either, but I changed my mind after I started looking into the issues and gained a better understanding of the school board make up and how school finance works. Our school board is NOT comprised of career politicians. It’s comprised community members and leaders just like you and me. One of those leaders is Board Member Robert Durkee and I think he’s got it right when it comes to the bonds. Please take a second to read the attached opinion piece he recently wrote for the Westlake Picayune. This will clear up most concerns you may have. I hope you will join me in voting FOR each of the three bond propositions. Early voting started Monday and the General Election is Tuesday November 2nd.

Hyde Park is an Austin Texas neighborhood that dates back to the late 1800s.  Founded in 1891, the neighborhood was designed with its own streetcar line and an artificial lake, making it commutable for those working downtown and offering a lifestyle that Texans were looking for in a suburb.  The original homes that were built in Hyde Park were opulent and designed for the affluent Austin community.  As time went on the vision of Hyde Park changed and was marketed to the average citizen. 

Over the years Hyde Park has grown to be one of the most populated neighborhoods in Austin, complete with its own association and its own newspaper.  The Pecan Press is put out monthly by the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association and hand-delivered to each residence.  Each issue of the Pecan Press updates residents with happenings in the area, minutes from the HPNA meetings, any issues that affect the neighborhood and advertising from local businesses.

Hyde Park represents one of the first true suburbs of Austin.  If you would like to learn more about this Austin Texas neighborhood or any other neighborhood please contact me today.  Austin is a city rich with history, offering a diverse population and unique neighborhoods.

Click here to visit the website for the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association.

Contact Todd Smith today for up to date information about Austin Texas real estate as well as free access to the Austin Texas MLS and all properties currently for sale in the Austin area.

Round Rock Texas is a great place for families, so great in fact that it was named by Family Circle magazine as a top town for families.  What makes this Austin Texas suburb so great for families?  It has miles of trails, great schools, affordable homes and a low crime rate to name a few key ingredients.

Round Rock is affectionately known as the sports capital of Texas, providing ample playing fields for soccer and baseball, miles of hiking and biking trails, a number of tennis courts and ample open space.  The town of Round Rock also has a huge heart, with many individuals and businesses taking part in the Partners in Education foundation which raises a great deal of money for local education. Located 20 miles from Austin Texas, Round Rock is a family friendly town, offering a healthy and safe lifestyle, as discovered by the magazine’s investigators.

Contact me today to learn more about Round Rock and the real estate opportunities that exist there.

Click here to read Family Circle’s report on Round Rock Texas.

Contact Todd Smith today for up to date information about Austin Texas real estate as well as free access to the Austin Texas MLS and all properties currently for sale in the Austin area.

Leander Texas has recently received Hollywood attention.  A movie titled “Dadgum, Texas” chose Leander as a location for some of its scenes, thanks to the Texas Film Commission program “Film Friendly Texas”.  The “Film Friendly Texas” program is helping to make smaller Texas communities prepared for issues that may arise during the filming of movies, television programs or commercials.

There is no better exposure or advertising than that offered by Hollywood and the choice to use Leander as a film location was great PR for the city that lies five miles north of Austin Texas.  The film will be released sometime next year and will surely be a draw to Leander’s residents as well as to those from all around the Austin Texas area.

Contact Todd Smith today for up to date information about Austin Texas real estate as well as free access to the Austin Texas MLS and all properties currently for sale in the Austin area.

Brodie Springs is an upscale residential community that boasts 114 home sites.  The neighborhood features natural, timeless materials like stone, stucco and wood.

There are many different floorplans and designs to choose from.  The quality homes that you find here in Brodie Springs are built by Taylor Morrison Homes and Grand haven Homes. Home enjoy a long list of high quality finishes.

Choose from one and two-story homes, 3-6 bedrooms, 2 or 3 car garages,and square footage living space that ranges from 2,650 to more than 3,850 feet of living space.

Brodie Springs offers easy access to great shopping, a variety of restaurants, entertainment, recreation and many everyday services.  There are also many open space and green belt areas within the community and nearby residents can enjoy Grey Rock golf course, Plum Creek golf course, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the Veloway, a track for rollerblading and biking.

Use the Fine Austin Living Featured Property Search to find more homes in Austin, Texas.

According to the Austin Business Journal, Austin Texas was  listed among the country’s healthiest cities on two rankings released last week and Monday.

The Texas capital city fell one spot to No. 10 fittest city on the American College of Sports Medicine‘s American Fitness Index. The ranking, which analyzes statistics from the U.S.’s 50 most populous cities, said Washington D.C. was again the most healthy, taking 73.5 points out of a possible 100. Boston, Mass. took the No. 2 spot, followed by St. Paul, Minn.; Seattle, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Denver, Colo.; Sacramento, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif.; and Hartford, Conn.

The report factors in preventive health behaviors, chronic disease levels, access to health care and community resources and policies that support physical activity. The D.C. area was cited for having a relatively low smoking rate, higher-than-average population eating recommended daily serving of fruits and vegetables and lower-than-average rates of obesity, asthma, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The report said education levels were a large factor in top health-rated cities. Areas with high ratios of high school or higher education graduates were more likely to be physically active and have access to care through health insurance.

Texas’ other large metros were all ranked among the worst 10 largest metros for health. Dallas fell five spots to No. 40, taking 39.5 points out of 100. Houston was No. 42 with 37.6 points and San Antonio was No. 43 with 36.9 points.

Austin was also ranked the 10th fittest last week by Shape Magazine. The publication attributed the ranking to the city’s large number of parks, 220, and its young, highly active community. Low chronic disease rates were also considered along with famous health advocates, such as champion cyclist and Austin resident Lance Armstrong and Whole Foods Markets Inc. headquartered in Austin.

Austin Texas named best city in the USA for the next decade

The May 25th edition of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine named Austin THE BEST city for the next decade, due to its forward-thinking culture, entrepreneurial climate, can-do spirit and lively arts and entertainment scene creating a vibrant, energized community.

According to the editors, “Austin is arguably the the country’s best crucible for small business, offering a dozen community programs that form a neural network of business brainpower to help entrepreneurs. Now overlay that net with a dozen venture-capital funds and 20 or so business associations, plus incubators, educational opportunities and networking events. Mix all these elements in what many call a classless society, where hippie communalism coexists with no-nonsense capitalism, and you’ve got a breeding ground for start-ups.

Don’t discount the fun factor: In the self-proclaimed live-music capital of the world, music and business creativity riff off one another. The city’s famous South by Southwest festival, where concerts, independent film screenings and emerging technology overlap, is a prime example.”

Placing first on the magazine’s list of the Top Ten cities, Austin beat out such venerable favorites as Seattle, Washington DC, Boulder, and Salt Lake City, which rounded out the top five.