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On the eastern edge of the Edward’s plateau lies one of Austin’s greatest treasures: the Barton Creek Greenbelt. After millions of years, the runoff of rainwater carved a canyon into the plateau, and created one of Austin’s treasures.

The most popular of Austin’s greenbelts, the Barton Creek greenbelt is just shy of 8 miles long, and covers 809 acres. The greenbelt runs from Zilker Park downtown, to the rocky entrance of Camp Craft Road, just off of the Capital of Texas Highway, with several entrance points in between. Austinites looking for outdoor activities head to the greenbelt every day of the year. The Barton Hills neighborhood is close to the barton creek. And a little farther away the homes in Clarksville offer proximity to Barton Creek and the…

One of Austin's oldest and most loved neighborhoods in Austin is Hyde Park. Located in Central Austin just north of The University of Texas, Hyde Park is over 100 years old. Founded in 1891 by the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Land and Town Company, the neighborhood was designed and marketed as a lush and spacious suburb that included its own streetcar line and an artificial lake. Today, Hyde Park is one of the most densely populated areas in the city. Noted for it's beautiful tree lined streets and its unique and diverse population, the neighborhood is marked within the boundaries of 51st and 38th Streets to the north and sound, and Red River and Duval to the east and west. The neighborhood has its own monthly newsletter, The Pecan Press, which is delivered…

MSN posted an article today showing real estate agents are likely to suffer job losses in 2008.  The article also discussed other professions that are related to real estate which also should see job losses but realtors figured prominently in the article.  The industries and professions that were predicted to see the heaviest job losses in 2008 were

Bankers
Lenders
Realtors
Construction Companies
Home Retail Companies
Materials Manufactures

In the second tier were

Residential Title Companies
Mortgage Brokers
Insurance Carriers (focused on mortgage or home insurance)
Brokers at Investment Banks
Brokers at Securities Brokerages
Home-Improvement Stores
Furniture Retailers
Architects
Engineers

On the positive side healthcare professionals…

Austin has long been a home for friendly folk- friendly to each other, friendly to animals, and friendly to the environment. What used to be considered as only the concerns of hippies and the bohemian sect, environmentalism is now at the forefront of commercial and residential design, and "green" businesses are popping up nationwide. Austin, however, was the first city in the United States to establish a local green-building program, laying out environmentally friendly and sustainable guidelines for home builders and its interested citizens back in 1991.

Since the Austin real estate market is known nationwide as the leader of these green building methods, the National Association of Home Builders chose the city as its hub to launch an industry-wide…

Austin is a great place for families. All year round the city is full of events that cater to its citizens young and old. One of the most popular destinations is First Thursdays on South Congress Avenue where once a month the shops stay open late and the entire street becomes a pedestrian friendly party that the whole family can enjoy. The South Congress Area (or SoCo as it is now called) has long had a reputation for its eclectic shops, art galleries, and restaurants. On First Thursday, everything stays open until 10pm on South Congress between Riverside Drive and Ben White Boulevard.

For those with kids in tow, you may want to make your first stop the Big Top Candy Shop. They carry a wide selection of vintage candy that you’ll remember from when you…

The vast majority of true rock and roll and blues artists have grown up and lived on the poor side of town. Today, the same rings true, as many of Austin’s local musicians can be found just east of IH-35, where the streets are a little tougher and the rent a little easier to pay. It makes sense that several live music venues are found on Red River Street, where downtown Austin and East Austin converge, just one block west of the interstate.

Though live music clubs can be found sprinkled around town, Red River hosts eight of them within a few block stretch. The music genres vary slightly on Red River with Rock, and its offshoots, as the primary focus. As opposed to the dueling piano players or slew of cover bands normally found on 6th street, the bands…

High upon the bluffs overlooking Pease park, sits one of Austin’s exclusive, and somewhat overlooked, neighborhood, Pemberton Heights. The Austin Development Company created Pemberton Heights in the late 1920s, and lured potential buyers by offering “fancy $3500-$4000 cottages” as well as “$150,000 mansions.” Their brochure touted, “over five miles of paved and shaded streets and sidewalks.”

Today, Pemberton Heights is filled with sizable homes that are a wide variety of styles, from mid-sized brick bungalows to revivalist Tudor mansions. As opposed to many older neighborhoods in the central Austin real estate market, most of the original homes built in the 30s and 40s are still standing, with little sign of complete house demolition. It seems these…

Many residents of Austin would agree that downtown is the best place to live. At least, 5,900 people would. That’s the number of people who call downtown Austin home. The unique neighborhood boasts a variety of living options from single family homes to spacious lofts, to more typical rental apartments. There is something for every lifestyle. Downtown Austin attracts residents for many reasons. The size of the community is small enough not to overwhelm, yet large enough to provide a true city atmosphere. The welcoming, if slightly eclectic feel of the neighborhood invites everyone to explore. Getting around the downtown area is easy if you understand the street system. The East-West streets run numerically from 19th (Martin Luther King Jr.… Read Full Post