Archive for March, 2009

New store on the square sells Indian leather and turquoise

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

After a long day of sitting on my butt yesterday (working…writing is a sedentary activity), I took a walk with my husband and our dog. One of the nice things about living in Old Town Georgetown is that you can walk to the square and do a little window shopping. We stopped off at Dos Salsas Mexican restaurant to place an order, and then made a loop around the square while our food was being prepared.

On 8th Street, about in the middle of the block, there’s a new store: Tribal Impressions. The window display reminded me of a lot of the stores in the town were I grew up, Hayward, Wisconsin; it was chock-full of Native American gifts. Gorgeous leather Minnetonka moccasins, Indian sculptures, silver jewelry made with turquoise and bone accents. Very attractive. They also sell terrific belt buckles, T-shirts, and even southwestern cell phone cases.

You can take a photo tour of their store on their website. Or better yet, just head to the square and see for yourself.

February home sales in Georgetown, TX

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

Forty-four homes sold in MLS areas GTE and GTW in the month of February. That’s down ever-so-slightly from January (see my January home sales report). I’d say it’s really pretty flat, especially when you consider that January had three more days than February. But it’s a bad flat, a lowest-of-the-decade flat.
Historically speaking, homes in this area sell for approximately 97% of the list price at the time of sale (not necessarily the original list price). In February, homes sold for an average of 94% of the list price at the time of sale. Sellers are being forced to realize that if they truly want or need to sell their home, they’re going to have to give buyers a deal. At some point, it becomes financially unfeasible for sellers to cut their prices anymore. I’ll argue that this is the time for sellers to remove their home from the market, rather than simply letting it languish and add to the inventory. If your house isn’t selling for the price you need now, try again in a year or two. That sounds like I’m oversimplifying, but honestly, it doesn’t matter how much you need to make if buyers simply aren’t willing to pay that amount. We need to lower the number of homes on the market to jump-start our recovery. The best way to do this is for the homes to sell, but if sellers can’t lower their prices to the point where their homes will sell, they need to admit defeat for now and try again another day. (This is all just my general market opinion, not specific advice for any individual.)
There are currently 648 homes active on the market, up from the 617 I reported in January. The homes that sold in February sold after an average of 104 days. The 648 homes that are active right now have spent an average of 121 days on the market. 29 of these homes have been active on the market for more than a year. (One surprised me at first. 1800 square feet on more than 9 acres with an ag exemption, priced at $285,000. It’s been on the market 600+ days. The listing has no pictures of the inside of the house. Surely after 600 days, the owners could’ve found time to clean the house and make it presentable enough for pictures! The vast majority of buyers start their search online. They’re not even going to want to look at a house in person if they don’t like what they see on the internet.)
I met a lady Saturday at the Bark Park in Georgetown who is trying to sell her home in Sun City Texas. I sympathized with her because she’s competing with new construction out there, homes that are essentially identical to hers, but with some fantastic buyer incentives that most individual homeowners simply can’t match. There are 174 Sun City homes active in the MLS right now, which have been on the market an average of 129 days. 19 of February’s sales were in Sun City, and they sold for an average of just under $108 per square foot. The homes that are active are listed at an average of $120 per square foot.

Sport Clips in Georgetown Texas supports the Boys and Girls Club

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

The Boys & Girls Club of Georgetown is in the midst of a capital campaign. They provide a much-needed service to the community, giving kids a positive, healthy place to spend the hours they’re not in school. If you’re interested in making a donation to the Boys & Girls Club, please feel free to call me at 512-876-6544, and I’ll hook you up.

One way to make a donation is by going to the Sport Clips location in the Rivery Town Center (in front of the Wal-Mart.) Sport Clips will make a donation for every haircut they give to someone who brings in one of the coupons below. (Click on the picture for a printer-friendly version.) Sport Clips is a chain of hair salons for men, which is headquartered right here in Georgetown. Please spread the word!

Sport Clips of Georgetown donates to local Boys & Girls Club

San Gabriel Park and Parkview Estates

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

On Monday, I had about twenty minutes between appointments, and I decided to spend my time writing at San Gabriel Park. (I’m a freelance writer, and I was working on an article for the Monument Cafe’s monthly newsletter.) I wasn’t alone. It was lunchtime, and just about every picnic table was occupied. I found a free seat and began to write under the dappled light of the huge oak trees. A squirrel distracted me from my work. I watched him race across the grass, just a couple of feet away from me, and meet up with a little squirrel buddy in a pool of sunlight.
We’re so lucky to have a great parks system here in Georgetown, TX. Particularly lucky are those people who live in beautiful Parkview Estates, just across the street from San Gabriel Park. I think if I lived there, I would walk my dog every day along the river. (The river is looking particularly beautiful right now after last week’s rain.)
Georgetown TX home for sale: 109 Pecan Vista
My friend and favorite Realtor Sheila Evans has a listing in Parkview Estates, pictured above. What I love best about this peaceful neighborhood(besides the proximity to the park) are the wide, curved streets on gently sloping hills, and the incredible established shade trees throughout the neighborhood. This brick house is especially nice. Over 2,000 square feet for just $188,777. It’s got something for everyone… a three-car garage, a backyard playground (and the wonderful Georgetown playscape within walking distance), and a lovely fireplace. backyard playground
If you’d like to tour this delightful home and see other houses in the neighborhood, call Sheila at 512-876-5216. Tell her you saw the house on HometownGeorgetown.com, and she’ll give you a free high-five.

Georgetown Texas Home and Garden Show

Friday, March 13th, 2009

The tenth annual Home and Garden Show will take place tomorrow, March 14, in the Show Barn at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown, Texas from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. According to Community Impact, Williamson County Master Gardeners will be on hand with over 1,000 plants on sale for $5.00 each.
I also happen to know that Russell Glass, a local glass company here in Georgetown, TX will be there to promote their Shadewise sunrooms and patios. Take a look at the Russell Glass photo gallery to see examples of their work. They do a lot of work at Sun City Texas, as well as all around the Austin area. Lady gardening in Georgetown Texas

Stay up to date on Williams Drive construction in Georgetown, TX

Friday, March 6th, 2009

The city is doing everything it can to communicate with residents about matters important to us. Williams Drive has long been in need of updating, with Sun City Texas and the other communities out that way adding massive numbers of commuters to the narrow road. Now you can easily keep up on what’s happening on Williams Drive. Go to www.georgetown.org and click on “Williams Drive Construction Updates.”

Williams Drive construction updates in Georgetown, TX

Spotlight on a local non-profit

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

The people of Georgetown are known for their warm, generous hearts. What I find even more impressive than this generosity is the community’s ingenuity. So many of our local charities are grassroots organizations, started by a few people who saw a need and set out to fill it. Foundations for Success Ministries is one such organization. It was started by two women in very different places in their lives; a pastor visiting jail and one of the inmates. While talking about the difficulties that female prisoners face when trying to launch a new life and to stay out of trouble, the women decided to start FFSM to help others through this difficult transition. FFSM is currently looking for donations of daily devotionals and is launching a “Sponsor a Bible” program. See their website for more details.

Will home values rise in Central Texas?

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Community Impact just released a very interesting article with predictions on the Central Texas real estate market in the next couple of years. In the article, they quote local economist Angelos Angelou (best name ever!), who says that the current slowdown in home building could mean that we’ll face a housing shortage in 2011. He says that our local population continues to grow, even in these tough economic times, and builders aren’t keeping up with that growth.

It’s an interesting take on what we’ve been seeing, which is a surplus of inventory on the market and many new homes sitting vacant for far too long. But it makes sense when you look at the numbers thrown out by Angelou. He says our ideal number of housing starts is 11,000 per year. For a while there, builders were building at a pace of 18,000 per year, which is why we have a surplus now. But as that surplus is absorbed by the influx of new residents, the current pace of 6,000 per year will cause a shortage in the future. And one result of a housing shortage… increased property values. Except that so far, we haven’t really seen a decline in sales prices, so I do think in the short-term, prices have to come down a bit to tempt a buyer into making that commitment.

I’m all for an increase in property values, but I hope the increase is slow and steady. We don’t want to see the same sort of bubble that caused property values to skyrocket in California, Florida, and other states that were hit hard when the bubble burst.

Jimmy Jacobs goes back to basics at Shady Oaks Estates

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

The first time I came to Georgetown, back in January of 2002, I fell in love with a bathroom. I had stopped by a real estate office - Moreland Properties - and got directions to some neighborhoods where my husband and I might want to live. I drove out to Woodland Park, went into the Jimmy Jacobs model home, and fell in love with the master bath.
Luxurious master bath from Jacobs Custom Homes
I mean, look at that bathroom. How could you not love it? In the end, my husband and I decided to live in Old Town, but we took our master bath inspiration from Jacobs Custom Homes. And in my time in real estate, my impression of a Jacobs Home has just gotten better and better. This company has a well-earned reputation for building beautiful homes that stand the test of time.
Jimmy Jacobs custom home at Shady Oaks Estates My friend Sherri Ewoldt is a salesperson at Shady Oaks Estates, out on highway 195 just past Sun City Texas, and she told me recently that Jacobs Homes has a “return to basics” philosophy in today’s economy. They’re offering beautiful, heavily treed custom home lots for as little as $55,000, and significant savings on several floor plans.
They have floor plans starting at 2200 square feet. The picture above is the Milan model, which has a fantastic outdoor kitchen and a separate casita/guest house. Shady Oaks is in Jarrell ISD, so it’s perfect for parents who want their kids in a smaller, more personal school district. The low tax rate is very appealing, too, at just 1.8 percent. (For those of you reading from out of state, yes, 1.8% is low in this part of Texas.)
Eleven homes have sold in Shady Oaks over the past year through the MLS. These homes sold for an average of $133.90 per square foot. They’re each on about an acre. The least expensive per square foot, at $105 and change, is also the oldest, having been built in 1998. The homes ranged from 2500 square feet up to over 3800 square feet, so the smaller floor plans offered by Jacobs Homes is a new direction for the neighborhood.
If you’re looking for country quiet without a feeling of isolation, Shady Oaks could be the home for you. Shady Oaks is not an age-restricted community, but its proximity to Sun City could make it an ideal home for empty nesters who want to play the Sun City public golf courses but who don’t want to live in Sun City itself. In fact, you can reach Shady Oaks from Sun City without ever venturing onto a major road.
You can see the fully furnished model home at Shady Oaks, open Sundays and Mondays noon to 6 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Say hi to Sherri for me when you stop by! Or if you want to see the resale homes that are available, give me a call at 512-876-6544 or email me at jenel@hometowngeorgetown.com and I’ll set something up.

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