Home Price comparison in Kyle Texas 2003-first half of 2008 Did you purchase real estate in Kyle in recent years?   Did you wonder how the prices of homes being sold today in Kyle compare to the prices of the last few years?  I know I have.  So I went into the Austin MLS system and pulled all of the homes sold in Kyle over the last five years and put it on the chart below.  Keep in mind this doesn't include all of the new construction.  If someone walked into the builders office and asked to have a home built, the data would not have been processed through the MLS system.  Even so this will give you an idea of what has been happening. Note the line I drew across the 80% mark.  In 2003 80% of all of the homes that sold in Kyle Texas were under $150,000.  Compare this to the first six mon... 08/30/2008

Most people know that if they are going to build a home they need a permit right?  But did you know if you intend to enlarge, change or even place a water heater in a home in Kyle you may need a city permit as well?  Well you better check before you begin. The city is clear that if you are doing electrical, plumbing and/or mechanical work in your home a permit is required.  So to be on the safe side, if you are planing to make any changes to your home be sure to check with the city of Kyle to see if the work requires a permit.  The plan examiners and building inspectors lead efforts to protect you, the citizens of Kyle Texas, by educating you and reducing the potential hazards of unsafe work.  If this doesn't convince you then think about when you are going to resell your home, be it in... 08/30/2008

Just a quick mention of the Code Red system that Kyle launched in April.   This system could save your life or the life of a loved one, so take a moment and make sure your contact info is correct.  The CodeRED Emergency Notification System is described at a "high volume - high speed Communication Service available for mass Emergency Notifications".  This state- of- the- art system is light years ahead of the old siren systems used for years to notify citizens that a tornado has been sighted.  The idea behind the system is that it will be able to deliver messages to Kyle Texas residents in the case of an emergency (or other public notifications).  Do you wonder how they got your phone number?  The Code Red System uses the phone numbers and addresses stored in the City's utility data base... 08/30/2008

I'm frequently asked about how to go about leasing a home.  Now I'll get this question from both sides of the table.  That is the person who owns the home, thinking about leasing it wants to know "what's the typical rent and how long will it take to find a renter".  While the person who interested in leasing a homewants to know what "they are going for".  The answer is...it depends on the neighborhood.  So I thought I'd do a series of blogs about some popular neighborhoods around the Austin Area, looking at them from a Lease Perspective.  I'll focus on the landlords perspective.  My goal will be to give you, as the prospective landlord, answers to the following 4 questions.  What is the current market is in a given neighborhood? (Not what it was last year.) How long will it take to find... 08/30/2008

Okay I'll admit it, I am getting excited about the changes coming to our little town of Kyle Texas and what it is going to do for the Kyle Texas Real Estate Market.  For the six plus years I've lived in Kyle I've had to allow time to drive somewhere whether that was to pick up groceries, get the kids school supplies, buy the girls some socks (which by the way disappear on a regular basis, or at least one of the socks disappears...what is it with that...well we'll leave that for another blog).  Anyway in a few short months that's all about to change.  By spring of next year...yep that's 2009, Kohls will be the first store in the new Kyle Crossing Center to open.  This center will be right across from the HEB Plus center.  It will be on the Southwest Corner of I35 and 1626.  Now I will ad... 08/29/2008

Just a quick note.....if you plan on taking Kohlers Crossing in Kyle Texas to get to or from work today, you may want to re-think your route.   The portion of Kholers Crossing at the FM1626 intersection going towards IH35 & Dry Hole Rd will be closed starting Thursday 8/28/08 due to construction being done on the railroad track. There will be detour signs, so follow those. A quick and easy fix is to take a right on FM1626, going toward the HEB plus to get to the highway. Depending on the rain I am not sure how long that portion of the road will be closed, but in the meantime I suggest taking another route. "talk" to you soon 08/29/2008

You heard it.......The City of Kyle is thinking about raising property taxes. This would be the first time in 11 years that the city has increased property taxes. The city council is proposing an increase of 39.58% for the preceding tax year. In 2007 the average property taxes for a homeowner in Kyle was $350.12 (rate .2707) with an average taxable value of $129,338. With the proposed increase the homeowner would be looking at spending $499.80 per year on property taxes using the current average taxable value of $133,960. Now if we decided to keep everything as is and using the current taxable value of $133,960, homeowners would be looking at spending $358.08 this year. Below is an example of a 2007 tax breakdown of home in Kyle Texas Keep in mind that Kyle Texas's 2007 tax rate is 2.3 ... 08/28/2008

2008 school ratings are out and here is a peek at how HAYS CISD did this year.   A big WAY TO GO to Elm Grove Elementary which just achieved the highest rating possible, Exemplary!! Also kudos are in order for Barton Middle, Kyle Elementary and Buda Elementary for all moving up in their ratings to Recognized. To give you an idea of how we have done in previous years look at the chart below   If you would like to check out all of the active homes for sale in HAYS CISD go to Austin Home Search.  If you have any questions about Hays County Real Estate just give a yell.   "talk" to you soon   08/27/2008

Do You like Living in Kyle Texas? As an Austin Area Realtor I frequently work with out of town clients.  I cover the entire Austin/San Marcos metroplex area so I can be in the car with clients for hours...Invariably somewhere in the conversation they will always ask "Where do you live?"  I respond, "l live in Kyle".  The next question, "Do you like living in Kyle?"  As I began to answer the question recently, keep in mind I've been answering it for the last five+ years I have been a realtor, something different happened.   I found for the first time in the six years that I've lived in Kyle Texas, I could honestly answer... "Yes...I do like living in Kyle."  I can tell you that I had what Oprah would call an "Ah Ha" moment.  I was finally considering Kyle Texas as my home. For the last s... 08/25/2008

When I have clients that would like to buy in Kyle, but when they describe their home they say; We don't want a 'new' home.  We want a larger lot.  We want trees.  My mind automatically goes to a community such as Meadow Woods.  Meadow Woods is a small neigbhorhood just off Highway 2770 near Barton Middle School and Hays High School.  Meadow Woods is in the Hays Consolidated School District and are assigned to Negley Elmentary, Barton Middle School and Hays High School. The homes in the original section were started in the early 1980s, many/most were built by Scott Felder.  There are some in the neighborhood that were built in the early to mid-nineties.  The smallest lots are typically close to a half acre so you have a bit more elbow room than some of the other Kyle neighborhoods.  The... 08/24/2008

Kyle Texas, though small, has numerous communities to choose from.  One such community is Hometown Kyle.  Hometown Kyle is just a mile or two West of I35 (Exit number 213), past Downtown Kyle.  You need to take a jog right at the stop sign to stay on Highway 150.  The community will be on your left.  Hometown Kyle has easy access to I35 which makes it convenient for anyone needing to drive into Austin. (Some say one of the advantages of living on the West side of I35 is that you can head north to Austin using Highway 2770 which extends up to Buda and catch I35 there, or head to Mopac using 1626 without having to deal with the bottlenecks that currently exist getting on I35 at exits # 213,-217.)  Or if you having the urge to go shopping, you can easily head south to the Tangier/Premier O... 08/24/2008

Anyone who has been reading the news lately can see that the number of Single Family Home Foreclosures are growing around the country.  Kyle Texas is no exception.  Though we have not been hit as hard as other parts of the country we have seen a rise in the number of Kyle Single Family Homes going into foreclosures.  To give you an idea, I created the chart below which compares the number of foreclosures running through the multiple listing system 2004 to today. Keep in mind this chart does not reflect the Kyle foreclosures that take place on the Hays County Courthouse steps the first Tuesday of every month.  But the figures will still give you an idea of the trend.  You can see on the chart that Kyle Texas is not exempt from the foreclosure woes seen in the rest of the country.  The nu... 08/22/2008

Someone asked me recently what I liked about living in Plum Creek.  Even after they left I thought about it a bit more.  I decided that part of what I like about living in Plum Creek is that it reminds me of a simpler time.  Sometimes driving into the neighborhood, I'll smile to myself as I see the picket fences and the blooming crepe myrtles, the "gazing balls" in some landscaping, wind chimes that twinkle on some of the porches and other items that are a throw back to my grandmother's house growing up.   I don't always stop to think about the feeling, I just know I relax a bit as I drive down the street.  Maybe everyone feels that in their neighborhoods, I don't know.  But the other night I was flipping channels and came across the movie "The Wizard of Oz".   The movie was almost over... 08/22/2008

Now if you live in Buda, San Marcos, Austin or any other community around the area, I understand that the opening of a drugstore is no big thing.  However, if you live in Kyle, I'm here to tell you it is a big thing.  So now you have more of a reason to go downtown Kyle.  Along with the Kyle Chamber of Commerce, Kyle Administration, the Kyle Police Department, and of course the Court House, you can also stop at places like Railroad BBQ, Bordeaux, Texas Pie Company, Country Deli etc and now you stop at the CVS Drugstore.  I am telling you that it is sooo convenient.  To be able to run to a drug store, park near the door (no offence to HEB Plus as I love that store, but you gotta admit if you are just running in for an emergency item like aspirin or feminine products, cause lets face it w... 08/22/2008

Recently I heard of an organization known as BNI.  For those of you who haven't heard about BNI, don't feel alone.  BNI stands for Business Networking International.  I only heard about it recently through a colleague.  He actually gave me the book "The World's Best Known Marketing Secret" so I could learn more about the organization and its'.  The book emphasizes the value of networking in all facets of life.   As I read the book I realized that my natural tendency of being shy was holding me back both socially and professionally.  I was the type that when I went to any group event I tended to find one person that I already knew and stick to them like glue rather than take the opportunity to get to know others and let them get to know me.  So the first thing I did was go to BNI website... 08/22/2008

    Nothing like a good old fashioned Market Days to give you a feel for a community.  Farmer's Markets, Market Days...they both can evoke the small town feel.  Kyle's Market Days might not be as large as some neighboring ones it's in our backyard.    The Kyle Market Days takes place right on Front Street between the new Kyle City Hall and the Historic Train Depot on the First Saturday of the Month - April through November, 9:00am - 2:00pm.   I went for the first time this summer and spent a good hour or two checking out the local vendors.   Now, while the vendors may change from month to month, some of my favorites included the magnetic healing jewelry (they can make some custom order on-the-spot or you could select from some of the existing pieces), the family name stones (you can ord... 08/20/2008

An alligator was sighted a few weeks ago in Kyle,....an alligator in Kyle Texas...not Florida...Kyle TEXAS...can you believe it?    Though born and raised in the Midwest, I lived in Florida for several years before moving to Texas.  In the time I lived there I could not get used to the fact that people would water ski in lakes where they knew alligators would be.  Call me a wimp but the entire time I lived in Florida I was afraid of sharks and alligators.  So when I heard that an alligator was sighted in Kyle, I about had a kniption fit (might be a Midwest term).      But it's true...there was a confirmed sighting of a 3 foot alligator in the drainage ditch in Plum Creek TEXAS! (Yikes I live in Plum Creek!)  An off duty Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden tried to catch it but the alli... 08/07/2008

For many people in my generation, (Hint: I had a crush on both Bobby Sherman and David Cassidy growing up.  Different times of course as I was not a floozy.), watching the Olympics was a huge deal.  Maybe it's because we didn't have the massive amount of choices on television that we have today, but back in the day even my mom, who never watched TV, would sit down with us kids and watch the events.  Somehow during those events we felt...well... patriotic.  We were cheering for our country to do well.  I can remember the athletes over the years competing and when they won, I remember feeling a part of their joy.  Names like; Mark Spitz (and the poster with, was it five gold medals around his neck?), Bruce Jenner, the miracle of the ice hockey team winning gold, tiny Olga Corbett flying o... 08/07/2008

Have you ever wondered what the Real Estate prices are in Plum Creek today compare to say, five years ago?  Wonder no more.  While this data only reflects the sales that flow through the Austin multiple listing system, it still gives us a quick trend.  I don't know about you, but as a resident of Plum Creek, I'm sure glad to see the trend moving up.  I'm sure if we factored in all of the new Legacy homes being built that start at over $225k, the change would be even more impressive.    So be assured if you purchased in recent years your investment is a sound.  And what with the new shopping coming in, the new theater and the new Seton hospital in Kyle coming soon, we are sure to see continued increases.  Which is good news for the sellers, but not so good news for those folks waiting to... 08/05/2008

One of my favorite Austin Area restaurants happens to be in the little town of Kyle...no kidding...the restaurant is in Kyle, 30 minutes or so from downtown Austin and the food is wonderful.  The name of this gem you may ask...Bordeaux.       Bordeaux is on center street in our sleepy little community of Kyle.  I will confess that I am a real estate expert not a food expert so someone reading this may not believe me when I say that the food is wonderful.  (I mean let's face it, one of my favorite restaurants back home in Indiana is White Castles...yep those little hamburgers many call Sliders.  I can't go back to Indiana without stopping in for five of the little burgers and a few to take with me on the road.)  So I'm not offended if you're not jumping in the car and heading our way.  G... 08/05/2008