2 Buy Sell Or Invest

By Ki Gray

 Austin, Texas, has always boasted a highly active populace, and is often listed among the nation’s healthiest and most active cities. Cycling plays a huge role in this fitness-focused city, with an abundance of resources available to cyclists of every age and experience level. The unique landscape and close proximity to the rolling Texas hill country make it uniquely suited to both mountain biking and road biking alike, and enthusiasts of both sports flock to the city as a result.

Road biking is an extremely popular sport in Austin. Hundreds of cyclists pedal their way through its surrounding areas, taking in the scenery and the challenging, rolling hills that run for miles upon miles. Highway 360, which runs in a semicircle west of the city, is one of the most popular routes for road bikers, with its picturesque views, wide shoulders and bike lanes, and seemingly endless rolling hills. Within the city itself, there are a wide variety of beautiful, challenging road ways and routes that are dotted daily with road bikers. Mount Bonnel, located in the southwest central Austin, is a popular destination for cyclists and hikers alike, with stunning views, winding roads and steep climbs.

South Austin’s Veloway is another haven for road bikers (a paved loop several miles long that’s off limit to cars and runners); it offers unobstructed, safe riding, making it an ideal place for beginners to practice and families with young children to ride safely. Hundreds of Austin cyclists flock to the Veloway each weekend, and it’s often used as a starting point for group rides, classes and other cycling events.

Mountain bikers don’t have to look far to find a wealth of great riding throughout the city and its surrounding areas. The Greenbelt, which runs right through the middle of south-central Austin, boasts extensive networks of trails in all degrees of difficulty, from highly technical, professional-grade trails to simpler dirt tracks, perfect for an evening joyride, or even a nice hike. On the north side of town, Walnut Creek Park is another excellent option for mountain bikers of all skill levels. Miles upon miles of wooded trails weave their way through the park, with a variety of routes and skill levels.

Less than an hour outside of Austin, you’ll find Muleshoe State Park, another mountain biker’s haven. Muleshoe is home to a beautiful seven-mile loop of rocky climbs, narrow switchbacks, and steep descents. The shaded landscape is visually stunning, with deer bounding through the trees and dramatic cliffs edging along the trails. Another out-of-town cycling option is Milton Reimer’s Ranch county park. Though less shaded than Muleshoe park, Reimer’s offers just as much technicality, with miles of single track, treacherous rock gardens, and beautiful views of Texas savannah.

Regardless of your experience level, time allotment or desired degree of difficulty, Austin, Texas, and its surrounding areas offer an endless range of options when it comes to cycling. It’s no wonder, then, that Austin is home to one of the nation’s largest and most active cycling communities. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful evening road ride or an epic mountain biking adventure, you don’t have to look far to find it in Austin.

Escapeso Real estate helps buyers and sellers looking for Austin real estate. They have a graphical search of the Austin MLS along with current information on mortgage interest rates.

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The Truth About The RealEstate Market
By h20mysticshadow

 There has been a lot of speculation lately about the Real Estate Market, rising foreclosure rates, interest rates, buyers market or sellers market, length of time a home sits for sale. But what does it really mean.

The Real Estate market fluctuates, always. It moves in tandem to the economy. So when the economy is moving along, jobs are plentiful and people are spending money, the cost of housing goes up. There are fewer homes for sale, and the seller has a definite advantage over the buyer as far as price and negotiations are concerned. Mortgage companies offer great incentives and life is good all around.

But as it often does, a downswing follows, those great incentives from the mortgage companies turn out to be really great for the mortgage company but not so great for a struggling family. The home that was bought when all was right with the world is suddenly a lodestone so heavy that it drags the owner toward foreclosure, and bankruptcy. Selling that same home becomes a nightmare, because often the price paid for it isnt anywhere near the price it will sell for now. Bank owned properties and foreclosures rates rise. Homes for sale sit on a market that is sluggish to non-existent. The job market falters, mortgage companies tighten the requirements for loans, and some close altogether. Food and gas prices rise. This sounds familiar, doesnt it?

Estimates are that the current downswing in the real estate market will last into the first quarter of 2010, as America trims the fat off our economy. But that has a lot of people wondering if it is a good time to buy property, or do they sit and wait it out. That greatly depends on your financial well-being; many of the high rollers are taking a wait and see attitude about the current market. And some risk takers are wagering everything in the hopes that they can wait out the economy and come out on top. Where does that leave the average person?

If you need to sell your property, by all means put it up for sale, my suggestions are talk to a few agents, get a realist vision of the current market in your area and price your home to sell in that market. Listen to your Agent, they are after all the authority in this instance. Keep your home clutter free, and be open to showings at a moments notice. Don,t price yourself out of the market, thinking that youll take a lower offer, because the offers probably wont come and the house will set for months on end. If you owe more that the current market will support, you will either have to bring money to the closing table or hold on to the property until you are able to break even that is your call, only you know your financial circumstances.

If you are buying, you are in for a treat. The market is flooded with options, prices are good. Look to your agent for advice on what is truly a good buy, and go for it. Please dont feel that just because the market is on your side you can take advantage of the sellers. First of all, Karma comes back to bite and bite hard, and secondly in your finagling will probably miss out on a tremendous deal. When you make an offer on a property, be realistic. Offering $20,000 to 30,000 less than asking price for a home that is price well to begin with is the equivalent of a smack in the face to the owner, and if they could take that much less, they would have probably priced it lower.

Buy, Sell, or wait it out, the choice is yours. Just remember Samuel Clemens a.k.a. Mark Twain once said Buy land, they arent making it any more!

Article by Ozfree Online Real Estate a weblog that publish real estate articles for free apartment finder and Victoria homes for sale listings in Australia.

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