Events This Week:

Shen Yun in Austin

China Before Communism-Shen Yun invites you to travel back to the magical world of ancient China. Experience a lost culture through the incredible art of classical Chinese dance, and see legends come to life. (Source: Shen Yun in Austin)

Where: The Long Center, located at 701 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX

When: January 6-8, 2023

Holiday Tree Recycling

Starting December 26, City of Austin curbside customers can recycle their trees at the curb. All Austinites can drop off of their trees for recycling at Zilker Park, even if they are not Austin Resource Recovery customers. (Source: Holiday Tree Recycling)

Where: Zilker Park, located at 2207 Lou Neff Rd, Austin, TX 78746

When: January 7-8,

Events This Week:

Ice Rink At The Long Center

Come ice skate under the lights with the best view of the city. (Source: Ice Rink at The Long Center)

Where: The Long Center, located at 701 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX

When: December 1st - January 1st

Armadillo Christmas Bazaar

The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar is back inside the Palmer Events Center with more fine art and more new artists than ever before! Join us as we celebrate nearly five decades of holiday shopping in Austin, TX. We are known for our curated collection of art, gifts and live music in a festive, family friendly, entertaining atmosphere. (Source: Armadillo Christmas Bazaar)

Where: Palmer Events Center, located at 900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX

When:

Events This Week:

6 Places to See Christmas Lights In Austin

Merry and Bright — From iconic displays such as the Trail of Lights and the 37th Street Lights, to Mozart’s Festive Patio or Nautical Light Show experience via boat, to the drive-thru experience at Peppermint Parkway, there are so many ways to see Christmas lights this season in Austin, and truly something for everyone. Check out the guide below, for 6 Places To See Christmas Lights in Austin.

7 Places to See Santa in Austin

Reserve your photo session with Santa, or better yet, enjoy story time with Mrs. Clause and a desert buffet with Santa — This Guide has you covered on places to see Santa in Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, and Cedar Park.

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

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

Summer is traditionally a busy time for buyers and sellers. This year has been no exception—and with lower interest rates, many homebuyers are finding the competitive environment challenging. With multiple buyers competing for properties, even terrific offers are often being outbid. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make your offer more attractive to the sellers and increase the chances of getting the property.

• Have Full Pre-Approval – A step beyond pre-qualification, a pre-approval involves submitting your full application to underwriting. Your lender will collect all your financial data and submit for review. This is stronger than a pre-qualification; a pre-approval requires the buyer to provide the proof of their ability to

The popularity of home improvement television shows has increased the number of home projects. Unfortunately, not everyone is capable of knocking down walls and retiling their kitchen on their own. If you’re one of these non-DIY-ers, you will need to find service professionals to help, but choosing the right person for the job is critical. Here are a few simple tips to help ensure you hire the best person for your project.

• Check References and Reviews – One of the easiest ways to verify the experience and professionalism of a contractor is to read online reviews. If someone has been in the business for a few years or longer, you should expect to find plenty of reviews to read on Yelp, Angie’s List, and other sites. Asking for local references is

If you love your neighborhood but need more space, you might consider an addition to your home. If expanding on the first floor is not an option, then adding a second floor might be an option. Unlike ground-level expansions, adding a second floor is more complicated—before you embark on this kind of project, there are some elements you should consider first.

• Cost – You already know that adding square footage will not be cheap, but adding a second story comes with additional costs. You will need to consult a structural engineer and plans should be drawn up by an architect. You’ll also need to add at least one staircase. You might need to relocate HVAC, ducting, and any other items housed in the current attic space.

• Construction – Living on

Housing was one of the strongest sectors of the economy for 2021, but rising interest rates and inflation are causing many to wonder if sales will continue as strong in 2022.

Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of REALTORS, believes the number of home sales will decline in 2022 but will still outpace pre-pandemic levels, based on continuing demand from homebuyers. More inventory is becoming available from home builders and from homeowners who will no longer receive loan forbearance and may decide to sell their homes instead. 

Goldman Sachs economists predict that home prices will climb another 16%, reports Houwzer.com. Yet, Corelogic has lowered its forecast from 2.2% to 1.9%, according to Fortune.com. Fannie Mae is

Your home’s marketing begins when your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network professional submits your listing to the local multiple listing service, or MLS. Brokers share their listings with other brokers in the MLS, making it the best chance of selling your home quickly and for the most money.

During the critical first two weeks of marketing, your listing agent will schedule your home on the MLS tour for other agents to see as well as contact their network to let them know your house is coming on the market. The MLS distributes data about your home on the MLS website, your broker’s website, other broker websites, and third-party sites such as Realtor.com.

Other data such as mapping, satellite image, neighborhood information, tax roll data,