Archive for August, 2008

Georgetown’s home sales rise by 325%

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

Just goes to show how statistics can be manipulated to create sensational headlines. Today’s article title is true, but the 325% increase came this week over last week. Last week, you’ll remember, only 12 homes sold in the MLS areas of GTE and GTW. This week, 39 homes sold. This makes sense, since the end of the month is the busiest time for title companies. 14 of the 39 homes are in Sun City Texas. We also had 20 properties that went under contract this week. Of those properties with pending contracts, seven are priced at more than $300,000. MLS activity in Georgetown, TX for week ending August 31
I always pay particularly close attention to Old Town properties that come on the market. I’m working with buyers who are looking for investment properties that they can rent out, so if you know of someone with a small house in Old Town who is interested in selling, be sure to give them my name and number (512-876-6544). Of the 35 new listings this week, not one is in Old Town.
I’ll be hosting an open house at one of this week’s new listings, 30006 Oakland Hills in Berry Creek. (Rachel Logue of Moreland is the listing agent for this gorgeous home.) This is part of a community-wide open house, so there will be lots to see. Come on out this afternoon and say hello. I’ll be there from 2 - 5 p.m. Beautiful Berry Creek home in Georgetown, TX

Celebrate the Boys & Girls Club of Georgetown

Friday, August 29th, 2008

Boys and Girls Club of Georgetown celebration banquet
Ticket prices have not yet been set for the banquet, but they will probably be somewhere around $40 apiece ($320 for a table of eight). This is not a fundraising banquet. Rather, it’s a celebration of all that the Boys & Girls Club brings to Georgetown. Hope to see you there!

The Highway 29 looparound is now open

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

Highway 29 looparound opens in Georgetown

Are you ready for some football?

Sunday, August 24th, 2008

The ladies in our Graphics Department designed a lovely postcard for the Georgetown team at Moreland with this year’s Georgetown Eagles’ football schedule. I addressed all my postcards, and then decided to post one here for your benefit. Enjoy! Feel free to print it out and hang it on your refrigerator.

Georgetown Eagles' 2008 Football Schedule

This week in residential real estate in Georgetown, TX

Sunday, August 24th, 2008

During the past week, only twelve residential properties sold in the MLS areas of GTE and GTW, although it’s likely that not all sales have been entered into the database yet. The last time we saw as few sales during the same one-week period was in 2002. Is there a bright side? Well, I’m an optimist, and I truly believe that now is a great time to buy. It’s a buyer’s market. There are deals out there to be had, and I can help you find them. For example, there are a couple of adorable homes within walking distance of the square, fully remodeled to a high quality, on the market for right around $160,000. Or, in the same price range, there’s a home in Georgetown Village being sold by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Georgetown Village Elementary is one of two elementary schools in Georgetown which are rated as Exemplary. MLS activity in Georgetown, TX for week ending August 24
In the past six months, the average sales price for similar homes in Georgetown Village (four bedrooms, single story, etc) was $103.87 per square foot. The HUD home is being offered at just over $88 per square foot. Instant equity. It’s vacant and ready for move-in, although navigating the HUD sales process will take some time and finesse.
If you’ve been on the fence about buying, waiting out the market, I strongly suggest that you leap off that fence now. This is a great time to buy, and you may regret it if you miss this opportunity. Give me a call at 512-876-6544 if you’d like to explore the possibilities. I’m here to help!
Take the leap!

Rec Center offerings surprisingly broad

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

Earlier this week, while working a shift at the Visitors’ Center on the Square here in Georgetown, TX, I flipped through the new Fall brochure from the Parks and Recreation Department. The fitness offerings are fantastic, with everything from aerobics to Laughter Yoga. There are soccer leagues and kickball leagues and tennis lessons, and Georgetown even has a Skate Park now. Oh, and did you know we have two Disc Golf Courses?

But the Rec Center also offers a whole lot more than fitness. Some of the class offerings that surprised me:

  • Canine Good Citizenship Training Class
  • How to Use Oil Pastels
  • Kids in the Kitchen…Foreign Food
  • Beginner Argentine Tango
 Skate Park in Georgetown, TX

Registration is available online, although you will pay a small fee for this convenience. (Sorry, but that always boggles my mind. I would think that it would be more convenient for them, too, to have as many people as possible register online. I think the people who take up their time in person should have to pay a small inconvenience fee. But then, I’m an online kind of girl.)

Check out everything the Rec Center has to offer, and next time you run into someone from the Parks and Recreation Department, thank them for enriching the lives of the people in this town. Anyone who claims there’s nothing to do hasn’t looked very hard.

What’s on the market right now in Georgetown, TX?

Sunday, August 17th, 2008

There are currently 696 homes for sale in the MLS areas of GTE and GTW. 166 of these homes are in Georgetown East, and the other 530 are in Georgetown West. (For the purposes of this report, I did not include homes that are in Active Contingent status, but only those homes that are Active without any contract in contingent status.)
Comparison of active properties in GTE and GTW
The figures in this table are all averages, other than the median list price. As you can see, the median list price in GTW is more than $100,000 higher than the median list price in GTE, and the homes have spent about ten days longer on the market so far. The chart below shows how prices compare in the two areas.
Price comparison of active properties in GTE and GTW

This week in residential real estate in Georgetown, TX

Sunday, August 17th, 2008

MLS activity in Georgetown, TX for week ending August 17 21 home sales closed this past week in MLS areas GTE and GTW. Last year, 28 homes sold during the same period. On the other hand, the sum of last year’s sales during this one-week period was about $5.1 million, whereas this year’s sales totaled about $5.2 million. Last year’s median home price (again, for this one-week period only) was $155,000. This year’s was $179,000.

A lot with a lot just got more

Saturday, August 16th, 2008

One of my current listings is an incredible lot in Escalera Ranch, just west of town on Leander Road. Escalera Ranch is fantastic. The subdivision is designed so that driving through it feels like meandering along a country road. With 2-5 acre lots, the houses aren’t stacked on top of each other, and the developer left many, many trees. In fact, when you first drive in, the road is split with a long copse of trees between the lanes, so it really feels like you’re driving down a single country lane. (Except without any gravel spitting back up at you, as I remember from my childhood.) This particular lot, 104 Covington Cove, is the best lot on the market out there, in my opinion. From the street, you won’t see why it’s so special. But get out of your car and explore a little, and you’ll see what I mean. Don’t worry, it’ll be easy to explore. The lot has been partially cleared for buyers’ convenience.
Toward the back of the lot, there’s a wet weather creek. Not only does this just plain look cool, but it should mean that drainage won’t be a problem on the lot. Water has someplace to go, and that’s a good thing.
Building setback requirements for Escalera Ranch in Georgetown, TX Now here’s where the “more” comes in. When my clients purchased the lot, they’d been told that the space beyond the wet weather creek was too small for a structure because of the building set-back requirements. (Escalera has restrictions in place to keep the natural, drive-in-the-country feel, so you never have to worry about the subdivision losing its charm and feeling of privacy. For 25 feet from the sides and back of each lot, a conservation easement means that homeowners must leave the land in its completely natural state. Structures must be at least 125 feet from the street, 75 feet from the back of the lot, and 50 feet from each side. Exceptions may be made for lots with difficult topography for building, but that shouldn’t be an issue at 104 Covington Cove.)
My client now feels there might be space back there to put a casita. Imagine if you built your house on the main part of the lot, and then a picturesque bridge over the wet weather creek could lead your guests to the guest house. My client even mentioned that one could build a workshop at ground level with guest quarters above, so that guests could also enjoy the magnificent Hill Country views. Let your imagination go to work.
To help maintain property values, builders must be approved before construction can start on your lot. Although there is a list of approved builders, prospective buyers are welcome to submit other builders’ names for approval. Let me know if you’d like a copy of the neighborhood restrictions.
Is this the perfect site for your dream home? Only one way to tell for sure. Go have a look. From I-35, go west approximately 5.6 miles on Leander Road (aka FM 2243). Turn right on Escalera Parkway. Turn left on VP Ranch Road, and then left again on Marcos. When Marcos veers to the right, it becomes Covington Cove. The lot is on your right. If you call me, I’d be happy to drive you out there to show you where the survey stakes are. You can reach me at 512-876-6544.

Georgetown’s push for alternative energy

Friday, August 15th, 2008

The City of Georgetown has announced that they will give citizens a credit on their bill for any energy generated by privately owned solar panels or wind turbines at the citizen’s residence. Although Georgetown doesn’t provide a rebate at this time for citizens who buy solar panels, the federal government is currently offers a tax credit for qualified solar water heaters or photovoltaic systems. This is a hefty tax credit - 30%, up to a maximum of $2,000. The system must be put into service before December 31 of this year, so if you’re thinking of putting in solar panels, now is the time to move. Georgetown TX offers energy credit for solar power

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