Dianne Bartlett's Lakeway Lake Travis Real Estate Blog

Round Rock Texas Cat Hollow Home for Sale.  New listing in Cat Hollow on the market priced less than what you have been seeing lately!  Many updates on this home include gleaming dark wood floors plus shining slate tile.  Recent carpet, paint, roof and garage doors add to the updated feel of this home.

You'll appreciate the floor plan with over 2500 square feet of living space.  A huge kitchen with a pass-through bar opens up to a friendly family room with a gas log fireplace and soaring ceilings.  The master bedroom is downstairs with a private bath, double vanity, separate shower and garden tub.

Upstairs is a generous game room plus 3 large bedrooms.  You'll love the spacious, floored, attic storage.  This popular floor plan is sure to meet your needs.

The home is located in coveted Cat Hollow, and children in this neighborhood attend award-winning Round Rock schools.  Older students go to McNeil High School - home of the Mavericks.  Cat Hollow also has a wonderful neighborhood park with a swimming pool, playground, tennis courts, basketball courts and walking trails.

For more information on this listing, click here.

To see what your home may be worth, click here.

Christmas at 410 Calico Bush Lane in Round Rock, Texas!  Celebrate the holidays early with a great Christmas present to yourself.  410 Calico Bush Lane in Round Rock is a true "Black Friday" bargain.  It's priced below market value PLUS you may qualify for a government tax credit of up to $8000.  Wow!  On sale with a rebate - what could be better than that?

Here's what.  We have super-sized the back yard to add to your purchase value.  This home sits on over 3/4 acres just off the tollway in Round Rock.  You get country living close in for an easy commute to any job location.  You'll be living at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac with your own park-like back yard where you can do what you want.  The home is one story with a pleasant side-entry garage and a double gate to your expansive back yard playing field.  It even includes a shaded, covered porch for your enjoyment.

You'll love the white stone exterior and inviting entry.  This is a popular open floor plan with a generous living area and light and bright kitchen.  The master bedroom is located on its own private hallway.  On the opposite side of the house, you'll find the two, spacious, secondary bedrooms.  Plus, you get a nice-sized, private office off the entry hallway.

Extras include good appliances and cabinetry.  You'll appreciate the generous indoor utility room and the epoxy floor in the garage.  There is a water softener already installed.  Good-sized, walk-in closets will store all your holiday shopping treasures.  Do you like designer paint colors?  The walls are already ready for your fashionable decor at 410 Calico Bush Lane in Round Rock, Texas!

What's the catch?  We've priced it over $20,000 below market so that you can choose your own flooring for the kitchen and do a little yard work.  Yes, the kitchen flooring needs to be replaced, and you will need to trim the hedges.  Since we don't have "curb appeal" and need to do a little fix-up, you could be the beneficiary of this awesome opportunity to own MORE for LESS in Round Rock, Texas.

Austin Area Home Buyers Get Second Chance at Tax Credit.  The home buyer tax credit has been extended through April 30, 2010.  Home buyers may find a home and sign a purchase contract by April 30th in order to qualify.  Closing may take place as late as July 1st, 2010.

The original $8000 tax credit applies to first-time home buyers and buyers who have not owned a primary residence the previous 3 years.  The new bill adds a $6500 tax credit for current homeowners purchasing a new principal residence who have used the home being sold as a principal residence for five consecutive years within the last eight.

Wow!  So, what does this all mean?  Anyone can buy a primary residence and get money back from the government!  Remember 10 years ago in Austin when buyers could ask for a $8000 "decorating allowance" from the seller at closing?  Buyers walked away from closing with money in their pocket back then, and with the tax credit, they can do the same thing again.  What buyer couldn't use an extra $6500-8000 when they purchase a home?  The money could be used for decorating, landscaping, updating or simply to help out on the monthly payments.

What is another reason to buy RIGHT NOW?  Interest rates are low, low, low!  Did you know that a 1 % increase in interest rates could cost a home buyer over $45,000 in extra payments over the life of a $200,000 home loan?  Interest rate increases also cause home buyers to lose a chance to buy in a higher price range because they may no longer qualify for the home that they want.

The home buyer tax credit won't last forever nor will low interest rates.  With over 8500 homes to choose from, Austin area home buyers are lucky to have a second chance to buy.

Click here to search for a home now.

Welcome Rains Flood into Lake Travis Texas!  Hurricane Rick is hovering over Central Texas right now and has brought the area several inches of rain.  The heavy rain has fallen over two important watersheds that flow into Lake Travis.  The Pedernales (pronounced Purdanaless for you non-Texans) River rose 15 feet which brings welcome relief to a drought-stricken area.  This river flows directly into Lake Travis.  The Colorado River also received its fair share of rainfall.  The Colorado River creates the Highland Lakes chain, of which Lake Travis is one of the down stream links.

Flood gates are open on the upstream lakes due to area flooding, and that water is now flowing into a very thirsty Lake Travis.  The lake level yesterday was 632 feet above sea level, and the lake is predicted to rise one foot per hour throughout today.  One news station reported a 12 feet rise by midnight tonight.  The other news station said that LCRA (the authority that controls the floodgates) has not finished its calculations on predicted lake levels but is saying a one foot per hour rise will continue throughout the day.  The rain continues to fall over the Hill Country as of 6:30 am this morning.

Lake Travis has plenty of capacity for this flood because the lake level is nearly 50 feet below full pool level.  Lake area residents and businesses welcome any rise on the lake and would love to see 50 feet of water come on down!

See Lake Travis homes on the market by clicking here.

Ted Jones, Leading Economist, Predicts:  Austin is Normal!  This is big news, since we all thought Austin is Weird!  Today, Ted Jones presented to my office (Ted Jones has presented to Congress - but did they listen - NO).  I'm listening, Ted.  I'm glad to know that home sales have increased, and if you aren't buying now, you'll be paying more next year.

Why will you pay more?  Interest rates will GO UP - maybe as much as 1%, which is the equivalent of paying 20% more for a home.  Ouch!  Why not buy now at an interest rate of 5%?  Even if interest rates don't go up, the average sales price in Austin is on the rise!

Why is Austin faring so well?  We have two GREAT economic stabilizers here:  THE University and THE State Capital.  According to Ted, these 2 intities never cut spending.  And, we have a third influencer:  Austin is a beautiful place to live!  Investors LOVE Austin because home prices go UP.  (That's what they are doing right now.)

You still have time to buy.  Ted says Austin is experiencing a normal market.  We were a bit below normal the past two years but the recent increase in home sales has returned us to a normal market.  The jobless rate in Austin is 25% less than the rest of the country, and Austin has grown jobs at double the national rate for the past 10 years.  This makes Austin a SAFE place to put your investment dollars.

Find out how much home you can buy by clicking here.

Start your home or investment search by clicking here.