Texas has long been a leader in the renewable and sustainable energy sources for the entire country. They have made use of these resources in various projects and each year the projects become far more complicated and encompass far more of the state. As such the Texas legislature has enacted several incentive programs for the commercial sector if they are willing to go green with their energy sources and help salvage the environment of the state itself.

The first incentive is for the corporate sector. Texas has adopted a franchise tax, which is directly related to the corporate tax in most states. This tax is paid by all corporate bodies in the state. However, if the company agrees to solar energy devices to their buildings for the purpose of heating and cooling then the cost of said devices can be deducted from the franchise tax. Under the guidelines that companies may also deduct those devices for wind energy up to a certain amount.

Secondly Texas has a major property tax deduction for commercial owners with the green incentives plan. Austin Realtors can help their clients with such incentives by promoting green decisions when outfitting commercial real estate. Each company that chooses solar or wind power for their buildings may take a 100% tax exemption on the cost of the devices from their appraised property taxes. This exemption has no maximum attached which allows the companies to introduce otherwise expensive modifications to their buildings and still maintain the maximum exemption.

Those wishing to claim these deductions/exemptions should contact the State Energy Conservation office for the proper forms and regulations applying to said exemptions.

Source: dsireusa.org

Landscaping is a vital part of a home’s appearance. For hundreds of years people have sought to have the finest looking lawn with the right decorative appeal through landscaping. The same is true to this day but the new idea is that you can actually increase your home’s value by using the right landscaping materials. This all relates to the idea of the green remodeling and how green landscaping can bolster home value even in the slow home market.

The value of your Austin home can be increased by as much as 15% with green landscaping. This is due to the fact that you are using renewable and ecologically sound materials for the project as well as adding to the overall beauty of the home from the exterior view.

Planning out such a product means that you have a lot of thinking to do. The first idea is how well the design will use the rainfall. In certain parts of the country rainfall is a natural way of life, in others it is something that is rare. In both instances you need a landscaping design that makes the best use of the rainfall. Hard surfaces, such as path ways and so on, should have a sloped approach as well as crevices to allow the rain to reach the ground. This is working to increase the water table and maintain safe drinking water for all.

Furthermore, you should be concerned with the materials that you are choosing. Plan on finding and using the materials that have been recycled, containing no less than 60% post consumer waste along with other sustainable ingredients. Avoid use of older style products have been treated with chemicals. These chemicals will actually leak into the ground and add to the chemical poisoning of the ground water.

Source: seattle.gov

In response to a litigation originally filed in September 2005, the United States Department of Justice (USDoJ) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) have recently come to terms on an overwhelming agreement, to the approval of RE/MAX International.

For some time now, government officials have investigated the policies of NAR, and has found that NAR need not pay any fines or fees. The settlement and trial finds them not guilty of any such wrongdoings. Since “opt-out” is not the issue it once was, NAR policies will continue, remaining intact.

Even though this agreement is a step in the right direction, the results of this settlement will not likely be seen as a lucrative impact on the real estate market. The National Association of Realtor’s IDX  guidelines have never been confronted with defiance. The newly rewritten Virtual Office Website documents will seemingly be placed into effect, as a renewed permanent policy. The opposing Multiple Listing Services shall continue to remain closely associated with the works of professional real estate brokerages, especially those who pay to subscribe.

Opt-out, a brokerage policy, has been directly impacted by the evolution of the market place. The formerly instated policy allowed traditional brokerages to “opt-out” from their professional responsibilities, withholding their information from their competitors.

Years in the past, RE/MAX decided to provide potential customers with sought after home listings, right alongside that of their competitors. Recently as technology has been used to track consumer site clicks/visits, Remax.com has proven to be the most visited site amongst the national real estate corporations. This adds to the proven success of RE/Max.

You’ve found the perfect property. You’ve bid and won. You’ve turned to your lender, applied for a mortgage and been approved. All that’s left is the mortgage closing. With that one act, you will finally be able to call this house your home. But what exactly does a mortgage closing involve?

The closing process begins as soon as you’ve been approved for the loan. The lender transfers your account to the closing and funding department who then notifies the broker and closing attorney. At that point, a time is set up for you and all other parties to meet, sign the final documents and pay the closing costs. You should come to this appointment pen in hand, cashier’s check in pocket.

The documents you will have to review and possibly sign include the settlement statement, which is prepared by the closing agent, the truth-in-lending statement if there have been any changes made since you initially received this form in the application process, the mortgage note and the actual mortgage or deed of trust itself. There will be additional documents as well that detail penalties from the lender and penalties on a state and federal level should you violate the terms of the mortgage. All papers should be read carefully before being signed.

Then, break out the check. You will have closing costs, which may vary slightly depending on the lender and the terms of the loan. You should receive notification of what must be paid upon closing prior to the meeting. This will enable you to be prepared and ensure that all funds are available for use.

Once all transactions have been completed, the closing attorney has the lender examine all documents one final time and then takes it to the country recorder’s office to be recorded. From that moment you have a mortgage . . . and a home.

As the push for mixed-use communities becomes more prevalent in Austin Texas and across the United States, various commercial vendors are seeing the wisdom in anchoring such communities.  More often than not these developments include condominiums townhomes or single-family homes within a small area, working alongside various forms of retail and entertainment. The value of anchoring a mall in the past is being far out done by anchoring a mixed-use community.  These communities create a steady customer base for any business located within them.

Companies such as Dillards, IKEA, and Starbucks have found significant success in the short time Atlanta's Atlantic Station has been open.  The residents of mixed-use communities move there for the convenience and therefore such stores profit. As is reflected by the country's largest mixed-use community, the company's are seeing a regular clientele, as well as attract visiting customers.  Austin Texas realtors are seeing a growth in mixed use communities as well. One reason for this is the tourist attraction such communities become. In some cases such as the IKEA store in Atlanta, the stores themselves attract tourist.

Additionally positive for stores into mixed-use communities, is the success level seen in the community residents.  Condos alone will begin in hundred thousand dollar range, however they very quickly go up from there.  Again you're referring to the Atlantic Station example, most condominiums have been sold for 300,000 or more. Knowing this and realizing that the condominiums are only one part of the purchase available to residents, the commercial interests involved the successful steady clients.  This equals in virtually endless stream of income. 

The positive impact created by commercial interests involved in the eco-friendly mixed-use developments increases their profit and decreases a negative impact on the environment.

You want a job. No, you need a job. In today’s economy with the rising price of gas, food and, well, everything, there’s no question that you must be employed. But when you sign online, there don’t seem to be as many possibilities as there once were. Your usual sites are startlingly vacant. You think it must be your imagination. That there is no way the number of employment vacancies have disappeared on the Web. But is it? Are you simply imagining a decline?

Unfortunately, no. The number of online employment vacancies listed dropped by 11.2 percent when comparing June 2008 to June 2007.  There were a mere 3,800,600 vacancies - almost exactly as many as there were in May 2008. And that’s no good, because that marks the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year decreases. Job advertising is down, which means job openings are down. To get a job you are going to need a leg up.

Fortunately, you have one.

You live in Austin, the city with the greatest increase in job vacancies. Only nine cities in the country could boast over the year gains. Aside from Austin, they included Milwaukee, San Jose, Denver and San Francisco. This means that you are one of the lucky ones. You have a better chance, but it’s still not a great one. To truly get out there and get the job, you’ll have to be impressive. Look in the right fields, build your resume and be willing to learn. There are other avenues of employment. Then get your job and contact your Austin real estate specialist and buy your new home!

Happy Hunting.

Imagine waking up in the morning showering and dressing for work, and then instead of driving your car through rush-hour you simply walk across the street.  Perhaps after work you want to go see a movie see across street again only this time you turn the corner to the movie theater.  As you walk out of the theater you realize you forgot to pick up milk, so you walk to the store and get the milk and go home. Does this sound like one convenient fantasy?  Increasingly this convenience is becoming reality.  Across the country new zoning laws are being designed to accommodate mixed-use developments, buildings and areas intended for the specific purpose.

In times past zoning boards would stick to some form of a separatist city lay out. This means that there would be one area of the city designed to host the office complexes, not merely by the residential neighborhoods. The industry, storage and other perceived as dirty, were tucked away on some dark alley in the far end of town, while the entertainment industry was showcased in downtown. This separation is a very clean appearance to a lay out, however it is not the most convenient.  Over the years this has led to people moving closer to work, and finally other methods of minimizing a commute.  Eventually this idea evolved into the mixed-use development locations that we see going up around the country today.

The mixed-use development communities have created the ability to live work and play in one area.  People are able to wake up, walk to work, go out to eat, and run errands without ever leaving their neighborhood.   The ability to function on this level is at a small area is something incredibly appealing.  The draw has brought people to locations not previously perceived as desirable.  Some even find these areas suitable for raising families.

Some of these communities are specifically designed for foot traffic.  This means simply there are no cars driving the mixed-use community except on primary roads with in the neighborhood.  There is often parking in a specified parking deck or beneath the actual development. This strict regulation of vehicle traffic and foot traffic allows further convenience and safety of the residents of the mixed-use development. This also facilitates the guidelines during special events within the communities.  Which permits residents and visitors alike the safety and security afforded the walkers within this development.

The additional convenience is knowing that living in a mixed-use community creates an eco-friendly relationship with the earth.

You have got a Austin Texas house or an apartment or a cottage in your backyard practically begging for a renter. You’ve already got the sign in a window Space for Rent, and you’ve listed the place with a real estate agent. People are knocking on your door, ready to sign. But before you hand over the keys, or even the pen, make sure you do your homework. If you don’t, if you simply pick the first candidate without much thought, you could very easily find yourself in a giant mess.

You could rent to someone with bogus credentials, someone with abominable credit, a serial evictee, or a mysterious family of 12. So start by checking references. You should get employee references as well references from where they previously lived in or around Austin. Talking to other landlords is a good thing. In fact, it’s a must. If the applicant passes the reference check and you think you’re ready to sign, wait a moment and buy insurance. A tenant can get into any number of sticky situations that, without proper coverage, will haunt you rather than him. Protect yourself. And while you’re at it, hire a good Austin property manager, someone who can take care of the details when you can’t - someone who is paid to deal with stress.

When that’s all settled, focus on the agreement. Your best bet is a standard lease. If you’re unsure at this point, hire an Austin Texas realtor to assist you with your rental. Make sure the paperwork involves ground rules as far as pets, number of occupants and other stipulations. Take into consideration anything environmental that may affect the tenant - lead paint, for example - warn the tenant about these things and provide him with information on how to stay safe. Finally, get a security deposit and make sure that check goes through before the tenant moves in. If it doesn’t, he does not step through the door, and you save yourself months of rental aggravation.

Renting can be profitable, but only if you work to make it so.

There are numerous reasons why purchasing an Austin investment property is a smart thing to do and why it’s also not a bad idea to do so now. The real estate industry is, nationally, in a downswing. Assuming you plan on holding on to the property for a few years (or at least a few months), that swing will start to turn. Eventually, Austin real estate will be a booming market once again, and when it is, your investment will have paid off in spades. The trembling economy - high food prices, high oil prices, low pay - is giving buyers the upper hand, meaning you could potentially secure the deal of a lifetime.

But should you? You are a new homeowner. You’ve just invested a great deal of money into the home you’ll be living in. Is another property a wise move to make?

That depends on your situation. If investing in Austin will cost you every last penny, then absolutely do not become a novice a real estate investor. You need to be able to deal with some depreciation. A zero bank account doesn’t allow for that. Moreover, if you don’t have money, you probably don’t have the time. An investment requires time to care for what you purchase or at least oversee its upkeep; there is no point in purchasing it if you can’t devote both, as you need them - time and money - to intelligently and safely invest.

If you have them, as well as a drive to keep with a project until it reaches its full potential, then investing may be a smart move for you. But make sure it stays that way. You can’t enter investment the same way you would gas pumping. Know the ins and outs of the Austin Texas market, and your checking/savings account. Know what you can afford to lose, and how much you are willing to spend. Think about the project from every angle possible, and then, once you know all the details, go for it. Start your career as an investor, and watch your fortunes grow.

Austin is a great town for dog lovers since there are so many attractions and events that are completely dog-friendly. Your four legged friend doesn’t need to feel left out in this town. As long as you follow proper dog etiquette, your pooch will be welcome at any of these restaurants, parks or hotels.

What is proper dog etiquette? It’s taking care of your dog and its needs so that it can behave while out in public. For example, you should keep your dog on a leash at all times unless you are at a leash free facility. If your dog is aggressive, you may want to leave it at home until you have time to work on some basic obedience skills. Always keep your dog and the ground around it clean by being armed with poop clean up bags and a hand towel if your dog likes to drool. Don’t allow your dog to eat the food of others and if you’re going to be out for a while, bring a travel food and water dish. By being a responsible pet owner, you can keep Austin safe for dogs and people alike.

Now that those ground rules are established, here are the best places to enjoy Austin Texas realtor with your dog.

Restaurants: There are over three dozen restaurants in the city that allow dogs to either come in the restaurant or sit with you on the patio. These are two of the most popular chains.

Austin Java –

There are five different locations for this popular coffee and food spot, and all are dog friendly as long as your dog is on a leash. The original is at 12 & Lamar. There are also locations at Barton Springs Road, West 2nd Street (nearly City Hall), Victory Drive (near Victory Medical Center) and one location at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport.

Freebirds World Burritos –

Choose from four different locations to eat a stuffed burrito and chill out with your canine companion. The Hancock store is at 1000 E. 41st street. The Brodie Oaks location is at 4032 Lamar Suite and the Tech Ridge location is at 1100 Center Ridge Drive. Finally, there is a location at South Congress avenue.

Off-leash Parks: Letting your dog run free is normally a no-no in the city of Austin, except in these special areas. Overall, there are twelve different parks and free runs where dogs can legally be off leash. For more information about Lakeway Realtor.

* The soccer field area of Zilker Park.

* Red Bud Isle

* Onion Creek District Park

* Auditorium Shores from South First to Bouldin Avenue

* Surplus airport property between Old Manor Road, Manor Road, Lovell Drive and the airport fence.

* Northeast District Park between Crystal Brook Drive, the railroad right of way and Decker Lake Road.

* Walnut Creek District Park between Cedar Bend Drive, Walnut Creek and the east and west park fences.

* Emma Long Metro Park between City Park Drive, the west park boundary fences, Turkey Creek and the top ridge of the bluff line.

With these locations, and several others, you’ll be able to enjoy Austin with your dog.