Austin is One of Top Cities for Young Adults

In her article, Kiplinger.com's Caitlin Dewey names Austin in the top 10 list of cities for young adults. The article states that they began their research using the same criteria used for their Best Cities for the Next Decade and added criteria from there. They used things like percentage of people under 35, cost of living, rental costs, culture, nightlife, and time spent in traffic to narrow down the list.

The article states the reason for Austin making the list as, "Austin has the fourth-lowest jobless rate among cities with populations of one million or more. Living costs fall below the national norm. It doesn't hurt that this is the capital of Texas and home to eight colleges and universities, including the University of Texas. Austin's cultural scene is exceptional, with two giant music festivals each year, a vibrant nightlife, and eclectic, up-and-coming neighborhoods, There’s certainly more than enough here to keep a recent grad busy."

The cities that made the list are:
Austin, TX Lansing, MI
Charlotte, NC New York, NY
Chicago, IL Portland, OR
Houston, TX Salt Lake City, UT
Kansas City, MO Washington, DC

To read the whole article: Kiplinger_Top Ten Cities for Young Adults

VA Loans, Texas Vet Program - Are you curious?

Have you served in our armed forces? Don't know if you qualify for a VA loan? Think you can only use VA once? There is a lot of misinformation out there about VA. Don't let that misinformation keep you from getting a great deal on a loan.

Some benefits of VA Loans:
* 100% financing for loans up to $417,000
* assumable loans
* no mortgage insurance

Who qualifies for VA:
* anyone who has served active duty - not only active duty during war time
- there are many exceptions to time requirements, so never assume
you do not qualify
* unmarried widows of veterans
* those planning to owner-occupy the home they are purchasing

Have you heard of the Texas Vet program? Did you know you can buy land or a house in the city and even get a home improvement loan through the Texas Vet program? Did you know you could pay 0% interest while deployed?

Who is a Texas Vet?
* home of record is Texas
* has lived in Texas 12+ months
* active duty in Texas and has changed residency to Texas

I have just added a VA Loan Specialist to my team. If you are thinking about buying a house, and want to know more about VA, call us. We can help.
512-636-6882
Lisa@BestOfTexasRealEstate.com

The City of Austin will PAY YOU to Landscape

On July 1, 2010 Austin Water Conservation launched a Landscape Incentive program in an effort to encourage homeowners to convert water-needy, grassy areas into less thirsty native landscaping or permeable hardscapes. The rebate require homeowners to convert at least 500 square feet of grass must be converted and rebate amounts vary depending on whether or not the converted area is irrigated.

For more details: Landscape Conversion Incentive