22
July 2011
RL
www.myRealtyLine.com
austin
TM
Putting a Face on Real Estate since 1995
Texas Lone Star CRS Chapter
Putting a Face on Real Estate since 1995.™
Director ‘s Column By Kay DaSilva • 2011 Director
WCAoR President Victorial Reviel visits with Michelle Jones of Realty Austin about her new REALTOR safety app for iPhone and Android called Real Alert. The two caught up at the WCAoR June Luncheon on REALTOR Safety.
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Sandra Titus of Highland Lakes Real Estate congratulates Ann Carson and Jay Southworth, both of Independence Title, on the opening of the company’s Lago Vista location.
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I
Tips on Selling Quality of Life in Austin, Texas
am so blessed to be able to boast that I am a native Austinite. I was born at Seton hospital and raised a University of Texas Longhorn. I truly love Austin and therefore, truly love to sell Austin. One of the best parts of my career is getting to introduce people our beautiful city and help them as they relocate to my hometown. One of my favorite real estate experiences was when I was working with a company to relocate their employees to Austin. The president of the company told me there was one key guy he absolutely had to have here. My challenge was that the key employee’s wife was a “California girl” and was very opposed to the move. Early in their first trip to look at homes, I took them out to Johnny Finn’s (the floating restaurant on Lake Travis) for lunch. She fell in love with the area lakes. Long story short, she fell in love with Austin. They accepted the job and made the move. A few years later, he moved back to California but she stayed here. It seems that once anyone experiences Austin, they want to live here. In fact, Austin ranks high in almost every top ten list for desirable places to live. We boast top ranking in such diverse categories as “Best Place for
Business and Careers” and “Live Music Capital of the World” to “Best City for Relocating Families” and “Best Cities for Singles.” Austin has earned a reputation as one of the best places to live in the nation. Some of the reasons quoted by the Austin Chamber of Commerce are: • Affordable and diverse neighborhoods, from urban lofts to hill country estates • A great climate made for outdoor enjoyment and recreation nearly year round • Many professional and amateur sports venues and events • More fine restaurants and clubs per capita than any other U.S. city • A lush environment highlighted by parks, lakes and trails • A creative culture that supports the arts, music and the theater • Year-round festivals and celebrations for people of all ages • Some of the nation’s highest rated public school districts Austin is home to a wonderfully diverse, educated and friendly population so most of us ask ourselves, “what’s not to love, besides the summertime heat?” RL
Superior Service ~ Backed by Local Top Producers ~ You’ve Come To Rely On. Starkey Mortgage (WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP) is an independently owned correspondent mortgage bank specializing in conventional and government home loans. In-house processing, underwriting and funding
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allow us to simplify and expedite the approval process.
Luckiest REALTOR of the year Melanie Kennemann of Keller Williams Realty claims her big prize. She was the big winner of the Mercedez-Benz and trip to Germany in the ABoR Foundation 2011 Raffle.
Janet Widmer
Loan Officer / NMLSR # 232054 512-619-9050 jwidmer@starkeymtg.com 807 Las Cimas Parkway Suite 150 Austin, Texas 78746 www.StarkeyMortgage.com WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP NMLSR #2146. This is not a guarantee of financing. All borrowers must meet certain underwriting guidelines and credit criteria. Rules and Regulations may apply.
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Stephanie Powell of Champion School of Real Estate, Joe Stewart of Joe Stewart REALTORS and Debra Waldman of the Texas Association of REALTORS get together to help celebrate the NAHREP’s 10th Anniversary.