In previous decades, a warm, cozy home required dark colors and heavy materials. One can envision sitting in front of a roaring fire in a dark room filled with pillows and wood paneling. Contemporary homes are brighter, with clean lines and light colors and textures. The challenge is how to create an inviting, cozy space that everyone wants during the cooler months. Fortunately, it’s not necessary to choose between the claustrophobic styles of the past and warm inviting rooms.

The first tip is lighting. Soften the lighting and consider swapping cold, metal fixtures for ones using natural materials, such as willow or linen. Next, layer blankets throughout the home. Imagine the luxury of falling into a soft bed with layers of cozy white blankets and

Events This Week:

Tree Lighting and Santa’s Wonderland

Over 50,000 lights illuminate the largest Live Oak Tree in Cedar Park. Santa's Wonderland will open immediately following the tree lighting ceremony. The event includes music, a snow hill and play area, holiday inflatables, holiday rides, food vendors and photos with Santa (bring your own camera).(Source: Tree Lighting and Santa’s Wonderland)

When: Friday, December 2nd from 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Where: Heritage Oak Park, located at 875 Quest Pkwy, Cedar Park, TX

Old Town Christmas Festival

The best way to kick off the holiday season is by shopping, dancing, singing, playing, eating and meeting Santa at the Old Town Christmas Festival! Start your stocking stuffing and

For the past few years, people have been ruthlessly shedding the excess in their lives to squeeze into a home smaller than a walk-in closet. Well, move over tiny houses, millennials are trading their minimalist, cramped space for the expansive lifestyle of the barndominium.

A barndominium is a play on words originally used to describe a living space built inside a barn or auxiliary building primarily used to house on-site employees. Over time, it morphed to include guest suites or rental units over garages and now it incorporates a new design style. Barndominiums typically are mixed-use structures, including either a workshop, garage or other utility room.

Modern barndominiums use simple barn or industrial buildings and convert them to spacious

Events This Week:

Cedar Park Turkey Day 5 K

This is a Family Fun event close to your home and the right distance for you and your family to come out have a great time and make it home in time for Turkey (Source: Cedar Park Turkey Day 5K).

When: Thursday, November 24th

Where: 200 Gupton Way, Cedar Park, TX

The Annual Lighting of the Square 

Come experience the magic as we kick-off the holiday season with our annual Lighting of the Square (Source: The Annual Lighting of the Square).

When: Friday, November 25th at 5:30 p.m.

Where: 103 W 7th St, Georgetown, TX

56th Zilker Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony

The annual start of the Austin holiday season is led by the lighting of the 115 ft tall Zilker Holiday

November is Time for Gutters, Leaves, Lawns, & HVACs [[+]] Austin Area Real Estate Home Prices Stabilize, Inventory Inches Toward Balanced Market: Chuck Farr’s November 2022 “Talking Real Estate” ENewsletter

Hello again, homeowners, tenants, prospective buyers, and real-estate investors! In the news,the Austin Board of Realtors says that in October, “sales dollar volume fell by 24.6% to $1,346,229,031 as new listings declined 13.1% to 3,255 listings across the MSA. The median price increased by only 4.9% to $474,990—setting a median price record for the month of October. Pending listings dropped by 40.0% to 2,141 listings and available inventory increased by 2.2 months to 3.2 months of inventory. Homes spent an average of 47 days on market, up 26

6 DIY Home Projects That Could Kill Your Home Value

Weekend TV lineups are filled with Do-It-Yourself home improvement programs. One home inspector used to call the results “six-pack projects.” While not all DIY projects end in disaster, some projects can harm home sales because buyers see these “improvements” as changes they will need to make once they buy the house. If you are planning to sell soon, it’s important to realize that potential buyers may not be as impressed with your handiwork as you are.

6 DIY Projects that Can Kill Your Home Value

1. Garage Conversion – Homebuyers love extra square footage, but they don’t want it in the garage. Most buyers will plan to “unconvert” a game room back to space for their cars or storage.
2. New

Events This Week:

Leander Harvest Festival

Come out to Lakewood Park for a fun filled day of fall activities! This new community event boasts a 5K throughout the park, youth fishing tournament, craft market, food trucks, sculpture trail unveiling, and adult cornhole tournament! (Source: Leander Harvest Festival)

When: Saturday, November 20th from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Where: Lakewood Park, located at 2040 Artesian Springs, Leander, TX

Austin Shakespeare's Sense and Sensibility

Explore the clever Jane Austen by entering her comic and romantic world of Sense & Sensibility. This acclaimed adaptation is written by Joseph Hanreddy & J.R. Sullivan, who also wrote Austin Shakespeare’s most popular production, Jane

Short-Term vs Long-Term Rentals

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of excitement about owning a short-term rental as part of an investment portfolio. This marks a dramatic change from the traditional long-term rental model. As more travelers utilize vacation rentals instead of hotel chains for their trips, you may be wondering if owning a short-term rental may be the right situation for your needs.

Short-term rentals have caused a stir in many communities. Many full-time homeowners do not like having these properties in their neighborhood. Unruly vacationers often bring a party atmosphere to their quiet streets and some cities have banned them completely. In other areas, they are severely restricted in their use.

Another

Events This Week:

Veteran's Day

When: Friday, November 11th

Thank you Veteran’s! In honor of all who have served, check out these Veterans Day 2022 events in Austin – Parades, Live Music, and other celebrations near you!

Holiday Bazaar Arts and Crafts Show

When: Saturday, November 12th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Where: Clay Madsen Recreation Center, located at 1600 Gattis School Rd, Round Rock, TX

The Holiday Bazaar is an opportunity for local and surrounding city exhibitors and crafters to sell and display their unique, hand-crafted and creative merchandise. This event is hosted by the Clay Madsen Recreation Center, Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department. (Source: Holiday Bazaar Arts and Crafts Show)

5 Yard Design Fails Homeowners Make

Warmer weather is here, and homeowners are ready to get outdoors. Over the past decade, our yards have become an extension of our living space. But as spring fever takes over, avoid these mistakes that can derail the best of intentions and turn the yard into an epic failure.

5 Yard Design Fails Homeowners Make

1. Unrealistic Expectations – Expecting a picture-perfect yard at once can cause more damage than just disappointment. In a rush to get that lush look instantly, they do not allow for growth and plant too close together, ultimately strangling the plants and requiring replanting.

2. Using Indoor Items Outdoors – While it’s trendy to mimic indoor living outside, such as kitchens and living spaces,