Local ATX Living!: January 2010

Round Rock Ranch Home for Sale - Round Rock, TX 78664

I want to share some great details for a great Round Rock Ranch home for sale.  It was listed just a few weeks ago and has seen a lot of traffic.  What is so cool about this particular house is the location within the community.  Whether you are familiar with the area or not, Round Rock Ranch is a great community.  This particular homes sits on a cul-de-sac of sorts.  It's a beautiful corner lot, but the best part is it backs up to large acreage.  In fact, it is a summer camp right in the middle of Round Rock.  How cool is that ?!?  You can literally walk out you drive way and see horses grazing in an open pasture 50 yard aways!  I could not believe it the first time I saw it with my own eyes.

So as you can see, this home has some serious unique qualities.  The exterior is not the only stuff worth talking about.  This Round Rock Ranch home for sale has some great features inside, and the owners went the extra mile to make this house top notch.  They added beautiful hard wood floors all throughout the first floor including the living area, kitchen/dining, and downstairs bedroom.  Now, a great feature of this home is it has a downstairs bedroom and full bathroom, yet the master is upstairs.  One big "drawback" I hear from buyers when a home has the master up and no bedrooms downstairs.  If you have grandparents that like to visit, or may live with you, stairs can be tough.  The current owners just use it as a office, but it is more than enough space for a secondary bedroom.

As I mentioned, the master is upstair along with two other bedrooms (total of 4 bedrooms).  The home has a total of 3 full bathrooms including the master suite.  The master has a large walk in closet and the owners added additional space.  The master bath has double vanity, separate shower, garden tub, AND you can see the horses from here too!  This Round Rock Ranch home for sale is one of a handful that get this view.  The remaining two bedrooms are very nicely sized for secondary bedrooms.  The owners also installed an outdoor kitchen by the covered back patio.  It includes sink, grill, burners, and a small fridge.  This could possibly one of the greatest assests for beautiful spring and summer days.  I personally would LOVE to have this for myself!  You'll make all your friends jealous when they come over for a weekend barbeque.

I cannot over-emphasize that the location of his Round Rock Ranch home for sale is stellar.  Beyond its unique location within the neighborhood, the community in general gives great accessibility.  Being located near Gattis School Dr. and A. W. Grimes, you can hop onto IH-35, Hwy 79, or the 45 tollway.  It's a super easy commute to north and central Austin.  The schools in Round Rock are near the top in the whole country.  This particular home links with Gattis Elementary, Ridgeview Middle, and Stony Point High School.  What's not to love about living in one of the safest, fastest growing communities with some of the best schools available.  If you want to look at more pictures of this Round Rock Ranch home for sale, check out our virtual tour.

I encourage you to search more for more available homes in the area.  I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have about this great home or any others in the area! 

Will’s Weekly’s: An Assortment of Entertainment in Austin This Week – Jan. 19-24

I have a perfectly good reason for posting this a day late.  The (then) #1 Texas Longhorns took on conference rival #9 Kansas State Wildcats.  It was a close game and I was too nervous to concentrate on this week's post.  The Longhorns rallied in the second half, but fell short.  I congradulate the Wildcats for a great win - we'll see you in the Big 12 tournament!  Here are this week's selections:

Monday:  see above :(

Tuesday:  The Barfield Tyrant @ Continental Club (10:30 pm - $5)

Wednesday:  Blues Mafia @ Antone's

Thursday:  Nelo with Chris Hawkes @ Antone's (9 pm - $10)

Friday:  Perpetual Groove @ Stubb's BBQ (this is a real treat! - indoors - $12)

Saturday:  The Scabs @ Antone's (Show at 10 - $18-22)

Sunday:  Em Cravens Band @ One 2 One ($5 - Show at 8 pm)

Have fun out there and as always, be safe.  Make it a great week!

Will’s Weekly’s: An Assortment of Entertainment in Austin This Week – Jan. 11-17

This looks to be an awesome week for live music.  The funk is coming to Austin in a big, big way.  I hope many of you were able to take advantage of "Free Week".  The cold front has been keeping many folks at home(for good reason).  What's great is all these venues are indoors.  Great tunes will also help keep you warm on these chilly winter nights.  I'm not a fan of the cold weather, but I know I'll miss it a bit in about 6 months.  Without further adue...

Monday:  Bob Schneider @ Saxon Pub - 8:30 pm ($10 cover)

Tuesday:  Willie "Big Eye" Smith and Pinetop Perkins @ Antone's - 9 pm (Pinetop is 97 years old and still brings it... truly amazing showman!)

Wednesday:  Funk Dirty @ Red Eyed Fly (12 pm)

Thursday:  Rebirth Brass Band @ Ace's Lounge (a New Orleans institution through and through)

Friday:  Papa Mali @ Lambert's (upstairs at 9:30 pm, $10 - well worth it; fantastic guitar player)

Saturday:  Papa Grows Funk @ Momo's (doors at 8 pm, $12 adv/$15 door - an New Orleans gem)

Sunday:  Mike Flanigin Trio @ Continental Club (10 pm, no cover)

Go have fun out there and stay warm!

Photo Credit:  http://www.mossstreetgallery.com/Algiers%20Brass%20Band1.jpg

Turtle Creek: Affordable New Homes in Round Rock, TX

I got a first hand look at a great community in Round Rock yesterday.  I held an open house in Turtle Creek, an affordable new homes in Round Rock, TX.  All the homes have been built in the last year or two.  With only a few homes still available, the builder of the community is preparing to begin the second phase.  With the dramatic cut backs in new home starts over the last two years across the country, it shows that Turtle Creek really is a growing community of affordable new homes in Round Rock.  

The neighborhood has a great feel to it.  All the houses have detached two car garages in the back of the home (garage door opener included).  The garages are accessed by several back alleys.  It allows the builder to maximize the curb appeal of the houses.  Several have front porches and there is a lot of unqiue styles, so every home does not look the same.  Of the remaining homes available, they range from 1300-1500 square feet.  These affordable new homes in Round Rock all feature 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 full baths (including a master suite).  While the floorplans differ slightly in the layout, they all feature a spacious living area, full kitchen with brand new appliances and comfortable dining off the kitchen.  Each home has a small backyard with a white picket-like fence.  It really makes for clean, consistent look throughout the community. 

There are several benefits for buying affordable new homes in Round Rock.  While the resale market is strong in the area, new construction from a reputable builder- especially for first time buyers - gives a sense of assurance that cannot be over looked.  These homes are built to the highest standard with top notch materials.*  They are built to be energy efficient with all new appliances.  Efficient appliances can really help to save money over the years.  While "green" living has become much more popular over the last decade, saving money on utility costs tends to be put on the backburner when buying a home. 

The early part of the year is also a great time to buy one of these affordable new homes in Round Rock.  During the winter, construction costs are usually lower than the busier spring and summer.  The builders have done a great job pricing these homes.  Starting in the $130's, these homes fall well within the FHA loan limits (only require 3.5% down payment).  The builder also offers an option to roll in closing cost (this is subject to approval, of course).  On top of the great price is the $8000 tax credit for first time buyers.  The tax credit has been extended, but all homes must be under contract by the end of April.  Why wait until the deadline?  It's much better to beat the rush!

Turtle benefits from being in a fantastic location.  It has great access to Hwy 79, IH-45 tollway, and IH-35.  You can be in downtown Austin in 15-20 minutes no problem.  There are many great nearby business and restrauants, espically the Round Rock outlet mall, La Frontera, HEB, Starbucks, and much more.  The outlet mall has every store imaginable.  Round Rock is the fast growing city in the U.S.  It has one of the top school districts in the country, and it's been voted one of the safest cities many years in a row.  With all these great area amenities, who wouldn't want to live in one of these affordable new homes in Round Rock??? Turtle Creek also happens to be the lowest cost new community in the area.

For more information about this area, please feel free to email me.  You can visit our website to learn about the Round Rock area! 

*It is always suggested to perform a full inspection by a licensed inspector prior to purchasing a home - new or resale.  An experienced Realtor® can help explain the home buying process in great detail.

Will’s Weekly’s: An Assortment of Entertainment in Austin This Week – Jan. 4-10

Happy New Year everybody!  I am really pumped for 2010!  I can already tell that is going to be an amazing year!  I'm not a psychic but I just have that feeling in my gut.  While we all settle in after the holidays and make our list of resolutions, it's never to early to feed your guilty pleasure for live music!  Forget about all those things you "forgot" to do in 2009.  You have to keep moving forward!  Here are this week's selections:

Monday:  Dale Watson @ Continental Club - 10 pm (if you missed his Christmas show, go see him tonight!)

Tueday:  DEADMAN @ Saxon Pub - 10 pm ($5 cover - great deal)

Wednesday:  James McMurtry @ Continental Club - Midnight (it's a later show but always worth missing some extra sleep)

Thursday:  You can't go see live music tonight as the Texas LONGHORNS will be WINNING the BCS National Championship - HOOK 'EM!!! 

Friday:  Jesse Woods @ Stubb's Indoor - 9 pm (FREE show - Jesse is great, come check it out!)

Saturday: Topaz & Mudphonic and Soulhat @ Antone's - 9 pm (CD release party for Soulhat)

Sunday:   Lincoln Durham and Resentments @ Saxon Pub - LD @ 6 pm; Resentments @ 7:30 pm

Make it a great first week of the year!