Villa Muse Talks Officially End with City of Austin

You may remember reading a couple of months ago that the “Titanic-size” Villa Muse development project was in trouble and going under fast; a statement made by Villa Muse last week confirms the ship has sunk – at least in Austin.

After Austin City Council refused to release some 2,000 acres in East Travis County from its jurisdiction, it is now being reported that Bastrop, despite its efforts to keep the dealings hush-hush, is courting the film-based developers. Villa Muse says it is also considering several other cities, all in Texas, with hopes to break ground before the end of the year.

Though the $2.5 billion mixed use commercial and residential project promised to bring up to 110,000 jobs and growth in the film industry, City Council looked long-term at the plans and ultimately ruled that 40 years of freedom from city regulations and environmental protection rules was not a risk worth taking for the city of Austin.

It remains unclear as to what will happen with the option Villa Muse holds on the original land east of Austin in Manor. Other cities with strong possibilities include Kyle, Cedar Park, Leander, and other outlying areas.

Year-To-Date Sales Comparison Through April 2008

Having a Greener Home

With all the concern about the environment, it is no wonder that more and more people are interested in making their home more green. The list below will provide you with several small changes that will make a big impact.

Green Home: Tip One

One of the easiest ways to make your home more green is simply turning down your thermostat. By lowering your thermostat one degree in the winter and raising it one degree in the summer, you can reduce your energy costs by almost five percent.

Green Home: Tip Two

Appliances use the more energy than anything else in your home; unless, of course, you have Energy Star qualified appliances. These appliances answer to a higher standard of energy efficiency than non-Energy Star appliances. The qualification guidelines for these home appliances are set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Energy. Using these appliances will save you somewhere around $75 per year on your energy bill.

Green Home: Tip Three

At one point you will decide to pull up that wall-to-wall carpeting and want to put down some nice hardwood floors. If you choose to upgrade your home in this manner, make sure you use flooring that comes from rapidly renewable resources (i.e. bamboo) and is solid wood.

Green Home: Tip Four

You know that window in your house, the one that you can feel the nice Austin breeze blowing through it even if it is closed. That window represents wasted money and energy if you are running the air conditioning or if your heat is on. Going around and checking the seal around your windows and doors is a great way to help make your home a green home. Save money and conserve energy by caulking all cracks and leaks in your house.

Green Home: Tip Five

The final tip for making your home a green home is replacing your light bulbs. All of your light bulbs. Using just five compact fluorescent bulbs will reduce energy use by 75% and could save you up to $100 on your yearly electric bill. If you think that’s great, using compact fluorescent bulbs also helps in removing greenhouse gases from the air.

Austin Real Estate Statistics for April 2008

FORBES.COM ranks Austin as #3 in America's Recession-Proof City, even if our sales are still down, we are still in good shape.

In Central Austin, the residential sales are down 15% compared to last April (2007). In Lake Travis ISD, residential sales are down 13% compared to last April. Last year, June had the most sales at over 3,000 listings in both Austin and Lake Travis ISD (over 110). Let's be hopeful that more sales will happen this June.