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Austin has an unlimited amount of wonderful sights to see and enjoy from landscape to various local businesses around the city! From shopping along historic South Congress to hiking up to the tippy top of Mount Bonnell, Austin is home to wonderful scenery and a quirky sense of pride. Check out our ultimate Bucket List for Austin Newbies, whether you’re just visiting or calling it home.

Observe bats under the Congress Bridge

Find out why Austin is known as “Bat City” when you go on a little tour beneath the Congress bridge. Bats are known to congregate and fly out into the sky in a spooky frenzy! Book a boat tour for this must-see Austin bucket list item.

Walk and shop around South Congress Avenue

South Congress Ave. stretches for miles and is known for a variety of local shops that make Austin famous for its quirkiness. Check out local boutique Aviator Nation street wear, the original Joe’s coffee, and Lucy in Disguise vintage and costume shop to name a few.Hours & LocationVisit website

Try Home Slice Pizza

If you’re ever craving NY-style pizza in Austin, you have to visit Home Slice Pizza. Check this bucket list item off by visiting the original location is right in the heart of South Congress.

Visit the Tau Ceti mural

Austin’s newest mural is already attracting photographers and ‘grammers alike. The colorful Tau Ceti mural stands tall on the corner of Brazos and 2^nd Street and is Austin’s tallest public artwork.

Visit the “I Love You So Much” mural at the original Jo’s Coffee

While strolling along South Congress Ave. you have to visit the original Jo’s Coffee for some coffee or their famous frosé. On your way out, a true christening of Austin lifestyle wouldn’t be complete without visit to the “I Love You So Much” mural!

Rent scooters or bikes in downtown

Scoot around downtown Austin with a little speed when you rent any one of the many bikes or scooters parked around the metro area. Whether you use Bird app, Lime, or Uber, you can find tons of transportation options!

Eat at Kerbey Lane Café

If you haven’t dined at Kerbey Lane Café have you really been to Austin? Satisfy this bucket list mealtime at Kerbey Lane’s famous breakfast joint known for their famous queso and tons of comfort food classics. Try any one of their locations for a solid meal!

Güero’s Taco Bar

As one of the oldest operating businesses in the heart of South Congress, Güero’s Taco Bar is a must for your Austin bucket list. With one of the best patios to enjoy dining outdoors, Güero’s offers delicious taco combo meals and tons more!

Paddleboard on Lady Bird Lake (Rowing Dock ATX for rentals)

Enjoy a true Texan summer when you paddleboard along Lady Bird Lake. If you should need a paddleboard, the rowing dock on the waterfront offers reasonable paddleboard rentals for hourly/daily use!

Swim at Barton Springs Pool

For your summertime bucket list, check out Barton Springs natural pool right off of Zilker Park for an enjoyable afternoon of sunbathing and swimming. Due to the pandemic peak hours of visitation may require a reservation. Check the website for more information!

Go to Zilker Park

Probably the best and most well-known park in Austin, Zilker Park is centrally located and expansive. As the annual host of Austin City Limits Festival, Zilker Park offers wide-open spaces for Frisbee, dog-friendly play, and outdoor sports!

Go to the original Chuy’s location on Barton Springs Road

For some giant burritos and classic margaritas, you’ll want to check out Chuy’s! This Austin staple has multiple locations, but the original is situated right along Barton Springs Road in the heart of downtown Austin.

Visit Austin Eastciders for a local selection of ciders

Right along Barton Springs Road you can also find Austin Eastciders restaurant location. Enjoy tons of pizza options, pub snacks, and their entire selection of locally brewed cider flavors.

Visit the Texas Capitol

Take in the sight of the majestic state capitol when you visit downtown the green grounds of the Texas State Capitol. You can also see beautiful views of the capitol building along South Congress.

Try out La Barbecue or Micklethwait Craft Meats BBQ

Austin is known for its barbecue and there are tons of options. Though the best barbecue for your bucket list has to be La Barbecue or Micklethwait Craft Meats. Fresh, juicy, and hot daily barbecue options await you!

Ride a bike along Lady Bird Lake Trail

Take in the waterfront of Lady Bird Lake when you take a stroll or bike the Lady Bird Lake Trail. Flat trail pathway make this bike ride make this an easy breezy afternoon out.

Hike Barton Creek Greenbelt

Take in the natural wonder of Austin by hiking one of the many greenbelts. The most expansive and well-known is the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Accessible through many points near downtown Austin, Barton Creek Greenbelt is a must for your nature bucket list!

Go to Pease Park Treehouse

Check out this new man made piece of natural artwork when you visit Austin. Pease Park Treehouse artistically mimics a seed pod you might see on the forest floor. Feel part of the woods when you walk around inside its 575 square foot space.

Go to the 360 Bridge Lookout

Observe the history of Austin infrastructure when you visit the Pennybacker Bridge. This steel arch bridge offers scenic views for cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians crossing the bridge.

Go to Mount Bonnell

Take in the views of downtown Austin and Lady Bird Lake from high up when you visit Mount Bonnell. This hike is free and accessible to anyone and you can find plenty of parking nearby!

UNation | Hailey Way | March 7, 2022

Filed under: Austin Events, Where to Go by Olga Gilmore

With straightforward silhouettes, textural fabrics and endless opportunities to evolve, contemporary rooms distill the design world’s most comfortable and popular trends into a livable look that constantly changes while remaining eternally chic.

What Is Contemporary Style?

Contemporary interiors are style chameleons: with streamlined silhouettes, neutral foundation pieces and careful attention to editing, they’re able to adapt on the fly to incorporate emerging trends in the design world through accessories. Modern style (a movement that dates back to the 1930s) zeroes in on a monochromatic palette and the near-total absence of decoration; contemporary style (which emerged nearly half a century later), on the other hand, uses simplicity as an opportunity for play. Contemporary spaces can embrace what feels right right now — and that versatility and spontaneity is where the fun comes in. Here’s how to pull it all together.

Contemporary Style Is Uncluttered

Spaces like this sumptuous guest suite exemplify the sort of minimalism that would delight Marie Kondo devotees: Though it feels unquestionably rich, thanks to jewel-toned bolster pillows, an oversized upholstered headboard that runs the full length of a wall and a pair of textural sheepskin throws, accessories are limited to a few elemental pieces. Natural light (and a mounted television) are the walls’ only adornments, and the bank of dressers and the floating vanity in the bathroom feature no hardware. Rooms like this one — designed to cultivate calm and serenity — are ideal spots to deploy contemporary style.

Contemporary Spaces Use Track Lighting

In this sleek urban condominium, ultra-functional lighting is anything but an afterthought: selected to evoke the feel of a studio (and to complement the arching floor lamp in the corner of the room), this unobtrusive, focused illumination makes the most of the space’s high ceiling to offer uninterrupted views of the city. Contemporary lighting design highlights statement pieces like the room’s aqueous, oversized abstract painting and the pair of organic sculptures on the gleaming occasional table beside the sofa.

Contemporary Rooms Have Organic Accents

As in modern interiors, there’s high contrast between broad expanses of marble tile and warm grey cabinetry in this contemporary kitchen. Organic touches like the casual arrangement of flowering branches in a vase on the island, a quirky pedestal bowl of “fruit” and a wood chopping block all soften those lines.

Contemporary Style Favors Open Floor Plans

Kitchen and dining rooms, entertaining areas and lounging spaces flow together seamlessly in contemporary homes. In most cases, those open floors will be uncarpeted and show off the bare, clean wood, tile or vinyl; area rugs can add color and help to define “rooms” with subtle visual cues. In this breezy contemporary living space, a pale rug beneath the dining table differentiates it from the fireside conversation spot (and the geometric rug) in the center of the room.

Contemporary Spaces Lack Drapes

Just as floor coverings are typically limited to area rugs, contemporary window treatments are minimal — that is, if they’re present at all. In this dramatic contemporary living room, unadorned windows allow dramatic shadows to cut across the pair of silver-framed black-and-white photographs on the wall. Similarly, the ample, pale hairpin-leg coffee table and stylishly mismatched sectional gain “patterns” from the window hardware. The large, spiky succulent by the window is a characteristic contemporary accent, as are the candlesticks on the table; though ornate pieces aren’t typically congruent with contemporary style’s simplicity, their bold color creates a playful focal point in the otherwise neutral room.

Contemporary Textiles Are Textural

This blend of contemporary and Mediterranean influences demonstrates how nimbly contemporary interiors can pickpocket the best elements of other styles. Contemporary spaces feature dramatic, oversized plants like the handsome olive tree displayed here, touchable textiles like the deep-sea velvets on this generous sectional, plush area rugs like the Berber piece centering the room here and large-scale geometric features like the mirror, firewood caddy and window.

HGTV | By: Lauren Oster

Filed under: Home Fun, Real Estate News by Olga Gilmore

Our living rooms are places we retreat to after a long day — a place to relax and unwind in, watch t.v. and maybe eat dinner. So it makes sense we want them to feel as special and comfy as possible.

However, if, like many of us, you’re on a budget, you’ll want to know where to put your hard-earned cash and where to be thrifty. Here are some suggestions:

Spend on: Quality Sofas

For most of us, a sofa is our key living room purchase and not worth scrimping on, the experts say.

A well-made sofa will last for years and can be recovered when you get bored of it. Cheap furniture is a false economy as you’ll be replacing it more often than not.

Also, don’t forget that a sofa’s main purpose is comfort – no one wants to sit on an uncomfortable sofa. More expensive sofas often have jointed hardwood frames, built to withstand heavy loads. Cheaper sofas may have plastic or softer pine frames. Pricier sofas will also have coil springs or serpentine (zig-zag) springs, for that “sitting on air” feeling.

It really isn’t worth saving money if a too small, too big or awkwardly shaped sofa ruins those cozy evenings spent curled up.

Save on: A Chic Coffee Table

Coffee tables are a staple piece of furniture in any living room, but definitely a place where you can save money. Cheaper tables or good replicas can be styled well with books, plants or other personal items.

Spend on: Beautiful Flooring

Flooring has one of the biggest impacts on your living room’s look, so it’s worth investing in getting it right. Flooring is often a big expense, and can be a big area to cover, plus it can be inconvenient moving furniture, so you don’t want to be changing flooring frequently.

Whether you go for a classic hardwood floor or carpet, choose flooring that is good quality, easy to clean and will stand the test of time.

If you have original hardwood floors, the same rules apply: spend on having them sanded, repaired and refinished by a professional, if you can afford it, for a finish you truly love.

Save on: Rugs

Once good rugs were investment buys that cost a fortune — and anything other than pure wool was regarded as synthetic and nasty.

Today, it’s far easier to find stylish designs that look more expensive than they are. With a little searching, you can find amazing, cheap rugs that come in a variety of sizes.

Spend on: Quality Lighting

Quality lighting is well worth investing in especially if you have high ceilings.

Lights are real standout features in a living room. If lighting looks expensive, it makes you feel the other items in the room are as well.

Spend money on the basics as well as the fixtures — ask an electrician to build in wall lights to avoid trailing wires. And plan a living room design that creates soft pools of light for a more relaxing evening ambience

.Save on: Cushions and Throws

Cushions and throws swiftly turn a plain room into a stylish, comfy retreat, but you don’t need to spend a fortune nowadays.

Plus keeping it budget friendly means you can things often and as you need, say if you’re feeling a different color for different seasons.

Spend on: Statement Piece

Living rooms are where we relax, but they’re also the places where we typically express our personality. Spend on something you love rather than wasting money on something you can easily replace. Buy an investment piece that has longevity. A unique piece can add color and stop things from feeling bland.

Save on: Eye-Catching Art

You don’t need to break the bank buying pricey limited editions or original paintings. You can find abstract prints online that don’t cost as much and once framed — look great.

Houzz | Cheryl Freedman | 2/19/22

Filed under: Home Improvement, Home Tips by Olga Gilmore

If you love modern architecture you are going to be so excited to hear that the Austin Modern Homes Tour is back. It will be held on Saturday, February 19th from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tickets run $40 for general admission and $15 for kids 10-17.

For more information and to purchase tickets check out the link below:

2022 Austin Modern Home Tour

Filed under: Austin Events, Real Estate News by Olga Gilmore

As you set out on your homebuying journey, you likely have a plan in place, and you’re working on saving for your purchase. But do you know how much you actually need for your down payment?

If you think you have to put 20% down, you may have set your goal based on a common misconception. Freddie Mac says:

“The most damaging down payment myth—since it stops the homebuying process before it can start—is the belief that 20% is necessary.”

Unless specified by your loan type or lender, it’s typically not required to put 20% down. According to the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median down payment hasn’t been over 20% since 2005. It may sound surprising, but today, that number is only 13%. And it’s even lower for first-time homebuyers, whose median down payment is only 7% (see graph below):

What Does This Mean for You?

While a down payment of 20% or more does have benefits, the typical buyer is putting far less down. That’s good news for you because it means you could be closer to your homebuying dream than you realize.

If you’re interested in learning more about low down payment options, there are several places to go. There are programs for qualified buyers with down payments as low as 3.5%. There are also options like VA loans and USDA loans with no down payment requirements for qualified applicants.

To understand your options, you need to do your homework. If you’re interested in learning more about down payment assistance programs, information is available through sites like downpaymentresource.com. Be sure to also work with a real estate advisor from the start to learn what you may qualify for in the homebuying process.

Your Edge…

Remember: a 20% down payment isn’t always required. If you want to purchase a home this year, give us a call to start the conversation we can point you in the right direction to explore your down payment options.

Keeping Current Matters | January 3, 2022

Filed under: Real Estate News by Olga Gilmore