Archive for March, 2012
Lake Travis Water Level Continues to Rise
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Lake Travis is 40.3 feet below the full pool of 681.00 feet.
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Good things come to those who wait.” Well we’ve all waited for a long time and Austin custom homes are finally getting the rain they need for their yards to become lush and GREEN! More importantly, not that your perfectly manicured lawn isn’t important to us, Lake Travis is now up 14ft since January 24th! Austin has received 5.38” of rain so far in March bring the total rainfall for the year to 13.12”. That’s nearly twice the average amount rainfall we see by this point this year.
If we continue to get monthly rain total like we had in March, the Lake will be filled back to capacity by June 30th. In the storm system that came through last week, the Lake rose 7ft in only four days. All we need are six more storms like that to come through and the Lake will be ready to go by summertime. On average May and June have the most rainfall. Back in 2007, between March 26th and April 1st, Lake Travis rose an astounding 12ft. Also, 2007 was the last time the lake rose 14ft within the first three months of the year. Hopefully this year’s trend continues to be reminiscent of 2007. Frankly, we are tired of seeing “Sometimes Island”. We think that the lake will fill up by June 30th, but maybe we’re looking at the glass half full.
More jobs means more homes.
If you’ve kept up with your Austin luxury home builder’s blog posts recently, you can see a reoccurring theme. We are very interested in the local economy. We believe it is important to monitor your local economy just as much as you do the national economy because the different areas in the United States can sometimes be too diverse to generalize into one group. When you look at the national economy as an average of all the different metros, both high and low outliers have a much bigger impact on the average, especially when there are more low outliers than high. However, it’s never a bad thing for your local economy to be one of those high outliers, like Austin.
The Austin American Statesman came out with an article a few days ago, discussing Austin’s job growth. Over the past eight years, Austin has set the pace among the 50 largest metro areas in the nation in job growth. Since 2004, Austin has added 140,200 jobs representing a 21.3 percent increase, significantly larger than the second place Houston area which has only had 15.7 percent job growth, mainly due to the rise in the energy sector. That does not even include the 3,600 jobs Apple Inc. will bring as they set to expand to Austin.
Lakeway Regional Medical Center
After breaking ground in July of 2009, Lakeway Regional Medical Center will be open for services on April 16th. The 250,000 square-foot facility is anticipated to service more than 100,000 people in an area that extends from FM 2222 and Steiner Ranch, through Lakeway, down to Dripping Springs, and out to Spicewood. That also covers a majority of the locations in which your Austin custom home builder has built homes. The medical center will have a heliport so, if necessary, services could extend to the north shores of Lake Travis, too.
LRMC will be host to 106 Licensed Beds in private rooms, 6 Operating Rooms, 2 Endoscopy Rooms, 2 Pain Management Rooms, 8 Urgent Care Rooms, 3 Trauma & 12 ED Treatment Rooms, 6 Labor Delivery Recovery Rooms, 2 Delivery Dooms/C-Section, 73 Med Surg Private Patient Rooms, 11 Bed Neonatal Critical Care Unit, 18 Bed Critical Care Unit, and 3 Cardiac Cath Suites. In addition, LRMC will serve as a Level II Trauma Center, one of only two in the Austin area.
LRMC is expected to employ about 250 when it opens with about 110 of them being doctors. At the end of its first six month, it could employ 500 people, and 1,000 by the end of its first year.
If you will be working at the medical center and are looking for luxury custom homes in the area, Sterling Custom Homes has your immediate solution. We currently have a home for sale and ready for move-in. It’s conveniently located minutes from LRMC in Flintrock Falls at 111 Escavera Cove.
Austin Restaurant Week 2012!
As you are well aware, Austin is quite the eclectic city. From the beautiful architecture of the custom homes in Austin, to the art houses, live music, and tech industry, Austin’s got a little taste of everything. Although the growth of the interactive, film, and music industries might be top-of-mind (thanks SXSW!), I’m going to remind you of the large food and beverage industry that Austin has to offer. And what better way to highlight this industry than two weeks dedicated to Austin’s Culinary Arts.
Austin Restaurant Week will take place and at wide variety of Austin restaurants March 26th-28th and April 1st-4th. A complete list of participating restaurants can be found on Austin Restaurant Week’s website. Each restaurant is encouraged to have their chefs prepare lunch, dinner, and brunch menu options. The lunch menus will feature two- courses and will range in price from $11 to $16. Three-course pri-fixe dinners will be in the $26-$36 price range. Brunch items will be $16.
Spring is in the air.
As the days become warmer and longer, you can tell that spring is right around the corner. While the tradition of Spring Cleaning is widespread in our culture, one that’s not so widespread is spring home maintenance. Just as you prepare your custom homes in Austin for the colder months, you must also prepare them for the warmer months, too. The brutality of the winter can have adverse effects on your home. The following list will guide you through getting your home ready for the spring and summertime.
Change Batteries in Detectors
Clean Gutters and Downspouts — Make sure downspouts drain away from the foundation and are clear of debris.
Inspect Your Roof — From the ground, examine your roof with a pair of binoculars to see if there’s any visible damage. Parts that are cracked, buckled or loose should be replaced.