Austin - Texas -- All Good

This aired last Friday evening on Katie Couric's news program! http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7224282n

&tag=mncol;lst;1

And then - there's another "top of the list" for TEXAS

Texas tops the list in U.S. for sixth straight year, followed by Colorado
and Florida

CHICAGO, Jan. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Everything's bigger in Texas -
including its appeal as a destination for residents in 2010, according to
Allied Van Lines' 43rd Annual Magnet States Report released today. For the sixth year in a row, Texas eclipsed every other state and took the
lead as the No. 1 magnet state in 2010 based on Allied's report, which
tracks U.S. migration patterns. Texas realized the highest net relocation gain (inbound moves minus outbound
moves performed by Allied Van Lines, one of the world's largest moving
companies) of 1,640, which is lower than the nearly 2,000 families it
attracted in 2009, but it far outpaced all other states. Colorado came in
second place, with net relocation gains of just over 400 and Florida, South
Carolina and Arizona rounded out the top five states with the largest net
relocation gains. "Today there are more Fortune 500 companies located in Texas than any other
state in the union," said Bill Dircks, president of Berger Transfer &
Storage, Inc. "With our branch locations in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San
Antonio, we've serviced a large number of relocations into the state this
past year. A healthy business climate, coupled with family-friendly cities,
makes Texas a very attractive place to work and live." "Allied Van Lines experienced modest growth in 2010, and the trends noted in
the Magnet States report are consistent with what we've seen when the
economy begins to emerge from a recessionary period," said Bill Lyon, Vice
President and General Manager, Allied Van Lines. "Relocation for employment
is the leading motivation for an individual to move." According to the Texas Comptroller's office, Texas' position compared to
other states remains strong in spite of national economic slowdowns. Thanks
to a diverse, strong economy, employment in Texas has weathered the storm
better than most other states. The Texas unemployment rate has been at or
below the national rate for 45 consecutive months and unlike most states,
Texas is currently adding jobs - up 172,800 jobs from October 2009 to
October 2010.

Texas logged just under 9,600 total shipments and ranked third behind
California (about 12,300 total shipments) and Florida (about 9,900 total
shipments). California secured its title once again as "most mobile state,"
with the highest volume of inbound and outbound shipments by international
mover Allied Van Lines. Keeping you informed, ready to help you with your real estate needs and
wishing you all the best, Anne

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

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RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com Search All Listings

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

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Texans - Funds Are Running Out On The Appliance Rebate Program

Since December 20, 2010, the Texas Appliance Mail-In Rebate Program has been accepting applications. Approximately $18.5 million was earmarked for the mail-in rebate program, which will remain open until the funds are depleted. 

So if your frig, washer/dryer, hot water heater, AC, heat pump and microwave are nearing replacement time – buy Energy Star Rated appliances and get your rebate. 

I thought a review of where the funds stand as of today - January 7, 2011 -- will be helpful for all those who are interested in participating in the appliance rebate program.  Here goes:

 Estimated Rebate Funds Remaining

$8,817,339

 Rebate Funds Already Approved

$521,445

 Estimated Rebate Funds
Awaiting Validation

$9,161,216

 Days Program Has
Been Open:

19

 Visit the web site (noted above) for all program details and claim your savings – up to $1,000 on central AC systems.  You can download an application and mail it in.  Be patient – it will take 6 to 8 weeks to receive the rebate. 

Has Austin, Texas Fallen from Grace?

Says who?

Well, so says the Harris Interactive Poll who conducted a poll for Forbes, recently asking more than 2,000 adults from across the US to name the coolest metropolitan areas to live. 

 The results put New York and Las Vegas in a tie for 1^st place with Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Orlando, San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington DC following – in descending order. 

No not one Texas cities made the hip list, but Texas dominates --  especially Austin -- all other lists from Kiplinger’s to Entrepreneur. This could explain why Katie Couric is traveling to Austin to find out just why Austin has made so many Top 10 list during the past year.

Tune to CBS in this Friday, Jan. 7, at 5:30 p.m. to see it for yourself.

Here is what Katie and the CBS news team have been reading recently. 

Earlier this month, Austin was deemed to have the second-strongest job market in the country by the Milken Institute (behind only Killeen).

That backs up another list in July that put Austin among the top job-generating cities.

Austin was picked as the No. 1 best city to live in for the next 10 years in a Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranking in May.

Also in May, Austin was listed among the country’s healthiest cities on two other lists.

The Austin area tied for first on a Forbes list of large metros where the recession is easing.

A CNN/Money study labeled Austin as recession-proof.

Austinites have the ninth-best “quality of life,” according to Portfolio.com study in May.

Austin was ranked the third-best city to move to in the United States, according to a RelocateAmerica.com report about seven months ago.

Austin was picked as the nation’s most progressive and proactive entrepreneurial center in a July article from Entrepreneur.com.
Austin is the third-best city for young entrepreneurs, says Under 30 CEO.
Entrepreneur magazine ranked Austin a top creative center in July.
Austin ranks as the nation’s fifth-best city for new college graduates in the latest annual listing by Bloomberg Businessweek.
Austin was deemed by Men’s Health to be America’s most sex-happy city.
Perhaps consequently, Austin was Yahoo Travel’s third-best city for singles earlier this year.
Austin did well on a Forbes list in June highlighting the best cities for young professionals.
We have some of the cleanest air in the country, according to another list.
Austin is the best city for Hispanics, according to Popular Hispanics.
When it comes to live music, Austin is No. 3 in the U.S., according to MSNBC.com.
And just weeks ago, Austin residents were ranked the 7th brainiest in the U.S. by Daily Beast.
So everybody living in Austin or considering calling Central Texas home – chill out.  Austin is in great form, despite begin ousted from the Harris Interactive’s top-desired cities list. But of course, I don’t have to tell my fellow citizens to chill. According to a list last month, Austin is one of the least-stressed cities in the U.S.

Just Thinking About The Happiest People And ......

I was thinking about starting the New Year by sharing some weighty information on Austin, Texas and where the economic indicators are pointing concerning the real estate market in Central Texas. 
After doing my home work and reading numerous reports, noting the sources and appropriate web addresses bookmarked, I came across a wonderful and short  video clip in my Early To Rise newsletter that caught my attention.  Like many others, I have read the words before and thought that's cool and something I should remember. 
For some reason this morning the video made me pause and think -- much like Mass this morning where I learned more about the 3 Magi's who were seeking to honor the Christ child. Really interesting by the way. 
I put my blog concerning economic condition, real estate and the mortgage industry aside(for today) and decided to share the video clip in hopes that many others will pause and reflect on the message " the happiest people in the world don't have the best of everything... they just make the best of everything".
Watch  here and Happy New Year! I love my coffee. 

Austin - Bulletproof? See Why

Vegas still flattened by downturn, but Austin may be bulletproof

Austin, Texas -- steady as she goes

By Martin Wolk, msnbc.com's business editor

Austin, Texas, has the nation's best-performing economy over the past two
years, while Las Vegas has the worst, according to a new study of 150 of the
world's biggest metropolitan areas.

The study of key cities in 53 countries found that many of the areas that
flew the highest in the long expansion of 1993 to 2007 fell the hardest in
the so-called Great Recession of 2008-09.

Dublin, Ireland; Madrid, Spain; the three Baltic capitals of Riga (Latvia)
Tallinn (Estonia) and Vilnius, (Lithuania); along with Las Vegas and
Riverside, Calif., moved from the top 30 spots before the recession to the
bottom 30 spots during the recession, according to Global Metro Monitor from
the Brookings Institution and London School of Economics.

Vegas was the nation's No. 1 economic performer in the 17 years before the
recession, trailed by Phoenix and Austin. Austin appears to hold the
distinction of being the American city least affected by the downturn,
ranking as No. 3 in economic performance before the recession, No. 3 during
the recession and No. 1 since.

The recovery of the past two years, extremely modest in the United States
and Europe, has been felt more strongly in other parts of the world.

Of the top 30 ranked metros in the most recent period, 29 were located
outside the United States and Europe, according to the report. At the top of
the heap is Istanbul, Turkey, a city that straddles Europe and Asia. China
and India alone accounted for 10 of the top 30 cities.

Among U.S. cities, Virginia Beach, Va., Washington, D.C., and Dallas appear
to be well on the road to recovery along with Austin. Pittsburgh,
Indianapolis, and Atlanta join Las Vegas at the bottom of the heap.

The report underscores the sluggish nature of the global recovery: About
half the 150 cities studied, especially in the United States and Europe,
continue to lose ground in either income or employment.

Click
here for a summary of the findings by region or you
can get the full, 52-page
report.

(Full Article Link Below)
http://lifeinc.todayshow.com/_news/2010/11/30/5554679-vegas-still-flattened-
by-downturn-but-austin-may-be-bulletproof

Keeping you informed, wanting to help you with your real estate needs and
wishing you all the best, Anne ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

Follow me on

LinkedIn Twitter

Facebook
HookemHomes.com

RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com SEARCH ALL LISTINGS REMAX.COM

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

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October 2010 MLS Data Texas Cities

October 2010 MLS data for many Texas cities (current as of Nov. 29, 2010)
Sales

Change from
Last Year

Median
Price

Change from
Last Year

Months'
Inventory

Amarillo

216

down 19%

$125,500

up 1%

6.8

Austin

1,331

down 32%

$195,000

up 9%

6.5

Corpus Christi

238

down 25%

$134,200

down 1%

10.5

Dallas

2,928

down 29%

$156,000

up 2%

7.1

El Paso

416

down 23%

$134,400

up 3%

7

Fort Worth

541

down 36%

$115,400

up 2%

7.3

Harlingen

59

down 24%

$81,700

down 8%

27.4

Houston

4,072

down 25%

$148,900

up 1%

7.9

Lubbock

185

down 26%

$114,100

down 1%

7.4

Odessa

71

down 19%

$113,000

down 13%

4.3

San Angelo

90

down 18%

$109,200

down 8%

6.4

San Antonio

1,311

down 25%

$148,700

up 7%

8.1

Temple-Belton

105

down 29%

$119,200

no change

7.8

Tyler

202

down 26%

$136,000

no change

13.5

Wichita Falls

113

down 4%

$100,700

up 1%

8.1

Texas

14,404

down 26%

$145,100

up 2%

7.8

Keeping you informed and wishing you all the best, Anne

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor(r)

512-917-5260 Cell 512-328-5151 Office 512-328-0404 Fax

Follow me on

LinkedIn Twitter

Facebook
HookemHomes.com

RE/MAX Austin Skyline 4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78746 annejohnson@austin.rr.com anne@HookemHomes.com SEARCH ALL LISTINGS REMAX.COM

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember
me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or
selling residential and investment real estate.

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Vote For Kelly Anne

The web site crashed – the instructions are now to submit an email which Kelly Anne’s name – and that’s your vote.  Here is the email address.

info@elluminize.com

Thanks to all,

Anne

 

ANNE JOHNSON-CHEVERERE

Realtor®

512-917-5260 Cell

512-328-5151 Office

512-328-0404 Fax

 

Follow me on

LinkedIn 

Twitter

Facebook

HookemHomes.com

 

RE/MAX Austin Skyline

4611 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 200

Austin, Texas 78746

 

annejohnson@austin.rr.com 

anne@HookemHomes.com

 

SEARCH ALL LISTINGS

REMAX.COM

The finest compliment I can ever receive is your referral. Please remember me when your friends, family, and co-workers are thinking about buying or selling residential and investment real estate.

Posted via email from annejohnson's posterous