AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) – The Williamson County Commissioners Court has approved the county’s plan to purchase 1,011 acres between Leander and Liberty Hill.
The Hill Country ranchland on CR 282 at the south fork of the San Gabriel River will be used mostly for recreational purposes. The county will buy it for about $10.6 million from San Gabriel River Ranch Ltd.
Adkins & Associates Inc. represented the seller, while Sheets & Crossfield PC represented the county.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
A guide to where Kids Eat Free
Here is another great resource available through Independence Title - many of the locations where Kids Eat Free and on what days!!
http://www.independencetitle.com/austin/images/stories/toolbox/kidseatfree.pdf
http://www.independencetitle.com/austin/images/stories/toolbox/kidseatfree.pdf
2008 LHISD School Ratings released
Recently, the School Ratings and District Information was released. Thanks to Independence Title for putting together this great table showing all the stats for Liberty Hill ISD. Independence Title also has the information for all the other local School Districts. It can be viewed at their website which I have provided below. If you have never looked at their website, they have have so many resources available. They have information available about local schools, hike and bike trails, the Express Baseball schedule, plus so much more. If you are looking for a great resource for local information, check out their website. Chances are - you will find what you are looking for there!
http://www.independencetitle.com/austin/images/stories/toolbox/schoolratingsaustin.pdf
To access all the other great items that are available through Independence Title, just visit their website at http://www.independencetitle.com/austin/ and choose the Customer Toolbox link on the left.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Sales for the week of August 7/27/08
Man on Man, have things been selling in Williamson County! For the week of August 27th alone, 170 homes in Williamson County were sold. And that is not the final number - sales are still being calculated and the number is bound to rise!
If you or anyone you know is interested in selling their home or property, please ask them to give Shin Oak Realty a call. We have been consistently selling the Central Texas Area and specifically the Liberty Hill area for well over 10 years! It takes a motivated and knowledgeable Realtor to get your home or property sold in this market - and we are the Realtors to do it!
P.S. The finest compliment we can receive is the referral of your friends, family and business associates.
If you or anyone you know is interested in selling their home or property, please ask them to give Shin Oak Realty a call. We have been consistently selling the Central Texas Area and specifically the Liberty Hill area for well over 10 years! It takes a motivated and knowledgeable Realtor to get your home or property sold in this market - and we are the Realtors to do it!
P.S. The finest compliment we can receive is the referral of your friends, family and business associates.
Friday, August 8, 2008
US 183 North Public Hearing Scheduled
On Tuesday, August 19, 2008, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), in cooperation with Williamson County, will conduct a public hearing to discuss plans to improve US Highway 183 between SH 29 and 183A in northern Williamson County. The proposed project would involve upgrading the current four-lane undivided roadway to a four-lane divided roadway including replacing the existing San Gabriel River Bridge with two new bridge structures. The public hearing will be held at the Liberty Hill High School Cafeteria, 13125 West SH 29, Liberty Hill, starting at 6 p.m.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
FOUR TEXAS CITIES NAMED BEST FOR HOMEBUYING
NEW YORK (Forbes) – Texas dominated Forbes magazine’s list of Ten Best Cities to Buy a Home, nabbing four spots.
Houston ranked first, Austin second, San Antonio fifth and Dallas sixth.
Rounding out the list were Atlanta (tenth), Jacksonville, Fla. (ninth), San Francisco (eighth), Charlotte, NC (seventh), Philadelphia (fourth) and St. Louis (third).
Forbes examined the country's 40 largest metropolitan areas, culling vacancy and home price information from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Association of Realtors.
Houston ranked first, Austin second, San Antonio fifth and Dallas sixth.
Rounding out the list were Atlanta (tenth), Jacksonville, Fla. (ninth), San Francisco (eighth), Charlotte, NC (seventh), Philadelphia (fourth) and St. Louis (third).
Forbes examined the country's 40 largest metropolitan areas, culling vacancy and home price information from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Association of Realtors.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008
I received this email from a Lender, that we know and trust, who asked us to pass it along.
July 30, 2008
Dear MBA Member,
This morning President Bush signed into law The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 into law.
Considering the current state of the real estate market, I can say with 100% confidence that this is indeed the most significant piece of housing-related legislation that we have seen in more than a generation. While there is no cure-all to solving the nation's housing problems, this bill will serve as the foundation for responsible solutions in the future.
While this bill did not enjoy an easy road to passage, it is gratifying to see that many of the provisions that MBA tirelessly lobbied for are part of this landmark housing bill. FHA modernization and GSE oversight reform have been long standing goals of MBA and these provisions are reflected prominently in the new bill. In fact, MBA testified before Congress thirty times in 2007 and 2008 on issues related to this bill.
In addition, several of the provisions that MBA and its members found troublesome are not included in the bill, most noticeably the bankruptcy cramdown reform provision. MBA launched an extensive communications and advocacy campaign, over several months, affirming the industry's opposition to the bankruptcy reform proposal. Our Chairman-Elect, David Kittle, also provided testimony before Congress on several occasions regarding bankruptcy. In the end, the bankruptcy provision was deleted from the bill, despite heavy lobbying efforts from various consumer groups who supported it.
Among the bill's provisions are several that MBA feels are vastly important to our member companies as we look to secure the future of our industry:
FHA Modernization: Authorizes a $25 million appropriation to improve technology, processes, program performance, eliminate fraud and provide appropriate staffing. Effective January 1, 2009, it also increases the FHA loan limit to the lesser of 115 percent of the local median home price or $625,500 with a floor for lower priced markets of $271,000, establishes a 12-month stay on FHA's proposal for risk-based premiums, sets the down payment requirement at 3.5 percent and prohibits seller-funded down payment assistance (both direct or through a third party).
GSE Oversight Reform: Creates a new regulator (five-year term, appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate) with oversight authority similar bank regulators, establishes a new affordable housing fund and capital magnet fund to be funded by a 4.2 basis point fee on all new loans, significantly changes the affordable housing goals and raises the conforming loan limit to the higher of $417,000 or 115% of the local median home price, not to exceed $625,500 (effective January 1, 2009).
FHA Rescue: Creates a voluntary program for lenders to write down the loan balance in exchange for an FHA guaranteed loan not to exceed 90 percent of the newly appraised value of the home. The lender would pay a 3 percent FHA loan origination fee. To qualify, the borrower must have a debt-to-income ratio above 31 percent on the original loan. The program is capped at $300 billion.
Tax Incentives: Creates a $7,500 refundable tax credit for first-time home buyers, expands the volume cap for the low income housing tax credit, allows for tax-exempt treatment of bonds guaranteed by the Federal Home Loan Banks and exempts the low income housing tax credit from the alternative minimum tax." Affordable Rental Housing: Encourages the development of affordable housing by harmonizing multifamily FHA mortgage insurance programs with the low income housing tax credit. Allowing these two programs to work together will result in more effective uses of both programs.
GSE Backstop: Authorizes the Treasury Secretary to temporarily increase the GSEs' line of credit and to, if necessary, buy equity in the GSEs in order to provide confidence to credit markets. Also provides a role for Treasury and the Federal Reserve in GSE oversight to ensure safety and soundness.
TILA Reform: Requires TILA disclosures to be delivered seven days prior to loan closing, requires that disclosures include examples of how payments would change based on rate adjustments in addition to disclosing the maximum possible payment under the loan terms and mandates that the consumer receive early disclosures before paying anything more than a nominal fee that covers the cost of a credit report.
Empowering States: Raises the cap by $11 billion on tax-free bonds that state housing finance agencies may use to help at-risk homeowners by refinancing troubled loans and appropriates $4 billion for states to purchase and renovate abandoned and foreclosed properties.
Licensing: Encourages state officials to create a national licensing system for residential loan originators, allows HUD to create its own national licensing system if the states fail, establishes minimum qualifications for all loan originators and requires federal regulators to create a registry for banks and thrift employees who originate loans.
I am proud to say that MBA was instrumental in shaping this bill into a law that will benefit the majority of American homeowners and help to stabilize the nation's housing market. Our hard work has clearly positioned MBA as the leading organization and strongest voice in the real estate finance arena.
As we usher in a new President and a new Congress in January, MBA will continue to work with both the executive and legislative branches to ensure that the housing market continues on the path to full recovery. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 is certainly a step in the right direction and I believe it will lead to renewed consumer confidence in the nation's housing market as well as the overall economy.
MBA staff will be working to facilitate extensive discussions between industry players, the relevant federal departments and the federal and state financial regulators in order to address the challenges and questions that will surely arise during implementation of the different programs under this new law.
Sincerely,
Kieran P. Quinn, CMBChairman
If you have difficulties reading this HTML email, please go to http://events.mortgagebankers.org/email/64144.html.
July 30, 2008
Dear MBA Member,
This morning President Bush signed into law The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 into law.
Considering the current state of the real estate market, I can say with 100% confidence that this is indeed the most significant piece of housing-related legislation that we have seen in more than a generation. While there is no cure-all to solving the nation's housing problems, this bill will serve as the foundation for responsible solutions in the future.
While this bill did not enjoy an easy road to passage, it is gratifying to see that many of the provisions that MBA tirelessly lobbied for are part of this landmark housing bill. FHA modernization and GSE oversight reform have been long standing goals of MBA and these provisions are reflected prominently in the new bill. In fact, MBA testified before Congress thirty times in 2007 and 2008 on issues related to this bill.
In addition, several of the provisions that MBA and its members found troublesome are not included in the bill, most noticeably the bankruptcy cramdown reform provision. MBA launched an extensive communications and advocacy campaign, over several months, affirming the industry's opposition to the bankruptcy reform proposal. Our Chairman-Elect, David Kittle, also provided testimony before Congress on several occasions regarding bankruptcy. In the end, the bankruptcy provision was deleted from the bill, despite heavy lobbying efforts from various consumer groups who supported it.
Among the bill's provisions are several that MBA feels are vastly important to our member companies as we look to secure the future of our industry:
FHA Modernization: Authorizes a $25 million appropriation to improve technology, processes, program performance, eliminate fraud and provide appropriate staffing. Effective January 1, 2009, it also increases the FHA loan limit to the lesser of 115 percent of the local median home price or $625,500 with a floor for lower priced markets of $271,000, establishes a 12-month stay on FHA's proposal for risk-based premiums, sets the down payment requirement at 3.5 percent and prohibits seller-funded down payment assistance (both direct or through a third party).
GSE Oversight Reform: Creates a new regulator (five-year term, appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate) with oversight authority similar bank regulators, establishes a new affordable housing fund and capital magnet fund to be funded by a 4.2 basis point fee on all new loans, significantly changes the affordable housing goals and raises the conforming loan limit to the higher of $417,000 or 115% of the local median home price, not to exceed $625,500 (effective January 1, 2009).
FHA Rescue: Creates a voluntary program for lenders to write down the loan balance in exchange for an FHA guaranteed loan not to exceed 90 percent of the newly appraised value of the home. The lender would pay a 3 percent FHA loan origination fee. To qualify, the borrower must have a debt-to-income ratio above 31 percent on the original loan. The program is capped at $300 billion.
Tax Incentives: Creates a $7,500 refundable tax credit for first-time home buyers, expands the volume cap for the low income housing tax credit, allows for tax-exempt treatment of bonds guaranteed by the Federal Home Loan Banks and exempts the low income housing tax credit from the alternative minimum tax." Affordable Rental Housing: Encourages the development of affordable housing by harmonizing multifamily FHA mortgage insurance programs with the low income housing tax credit. Allowing these two programs to work together will result in more effective uses of both programs.
GSE Backstop: Authorizes the Treasury Secretary to temporarily increase the GSEs' line of credit and to, if necessary, buy equity in the GSEs in order to provide confidence to credit markets. Also provides a role for Treasury and the Federal Reserve in GSE oversight to ensure safety and soundness.
TILA Reform: Requires TILA disclosures to be delivered seven days prior to loan closing, requires that disclosures include examples of how payments would change based on rate adjustments in addition to disclosing the maximum possible payment under the loan terms and mandates that the consumer receive early disclosures before paying anything more than a nominal fee that covers the cost of a credit report.
Empowering States: Raises the cap by $11 billion on tax-free bonds that state housing finance agencies may use to help at-risk homeowners by refinancing troubled loans and appropriates $4 billion for states to purchase and renovate abandoned and foreclosed properties.
Licensing: Encourages state officials to create a national licensing system for residential loan originators, allows HUD to create its own national licensing system if the states fail, establishes minimum qualifications for all loan originators and requires federal regulators to create a registry for banks and thrift employees who originate loans.
I am proud to say that MBA was instrumental in shaping this bill into a law that will benefit the majority of American homeowners and help to stabilize the nation's housing market. Our hard work has clearly positioned MBA as the leading organization and strongest voice in the real estate finance arena.
As we usher in a new President and a new Congress in January, MBA will continue to work with both the executive and legislative branches to ensure that the housing market continues on the path to full recovery. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 is certainly a step in the right direction and I believe it will lead to renewed consumer confidence in the nation's housing market as well as the overall economy.
MBA staff will be working to facilitate extensive discussions between industry players, the relevant federal departments and the federal and state financial regulators in order to address the challenges and questions that will surely arise during implementation of the different programs under this new law.
Sincerely,
Kieran P. Quinn, CMBChairman
If you have difficulties reading this HTML email, please go to http://events.mortgagebankers.org/email/64144.html.
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