Austin’s Identity Crisis for Downtown Austin Real Estate

I don’t know if you’ve noticed— it’s certainly hard to miss— but the landscape around Austin is changing. As is the skyline. As is the… well, the feel of the city. The flavor.

Some Austinites are not excited about the changes going on. The corporations moving in, the family-owned and operated businesses go down while the thirty-six story condos go up. People who have lived here all their lives (or even just more than ten years) say that this is a different city than the one they remember. Back when they might not even have called Austin a “city.”

There was a time when Motorola was just a type of phone people had, not a place where they worked. When video games were a thing people played, not designed. Where Dell was a thing from a song about a farmer, not a computer company. In short, there was a time when Austin was a big, friendly village where everyone seemed to know everyone.

Now, it’s hard to see the sky without noticing the foreboding skeleton of an incoming condominium projects or a crane in your periphery. Developers are buying up land and displacing local businesses in order to get the best spot downtown for a high rise that will dwarf all the others, that will sell for more money, that will be nicer and closer to all the downtown Austin attractions.

But what are those attractions?

There will always be a Congress Bridge, and so there will always be bats. But will people want to walk from the Sheraton to see them, then get a drink at the Coyote Ugly Saloon franchise? Will they want to eat at the Baby Acapulco’s? What will make the town special when Las Manitas is gone, when all the little businesses that got us to this point are gone, and the only choices for restaurants are in the lobbies of the newest hotels?

What will make Austin Austin? It’s a good question.

It’s easy to see that the city has lost some its appeal. Its uniqueness, its originality. Big business has a way of doing that. But is it so bad? Is it really true that there will be nothing left?

Those small, local places brought people here, it’s true. And they certainly gave Austin its flavor. But millions more people are here now. The city has grown by leaps and bounds. People still need places to live. And the more people there are, the more money is being spent. There is much to be thankful for when we think about this new “bigger” Austin. The Austin real estate market values go up. Many businesses prosper. The city has more money to improve infrastructure and city services like parks. Its hard to allow it to change some of what we love, and some of the changes I’m not happy with. But overall I think it will be okay.

The key is that the people are still here. The same people that made Austin the coolest city in the… well, in my opinion in the entire country —are still here. They’re still waving at you from their yard, still smiling at you on the street. The buildings aren’t the personality in the city —the people in them are. So let’s make sure those people don’t go anywhere, and we’re all gonna be just fine. Yes, we may have to part with a couple businesses and landmarks dear to our hearts, but as long as Austinites keep true to what we love about this city, we will retain the part of our identity that is the most important.

Email Marketing With E Newsletters For Real Estate Specialists

The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.   Peter Drucker

Email marketing is not just all about unsolicited emails with advertisements making outrageous claims about get rich quick real estate methods. Unfortunately the abundance of spam which inundates Internet users each day has caused many to formulate a negative opinion about email marketing but savvy real estate Internet marketers who understand how to market successfully enjoy an advantage over the competition by turning to e-newsletters to reach more potential real estate customers. This article will discuss a focus on real estate e-newsletters and how they can be used effectively as part of an real estate specialist’s email marketing campaign.

An e-newsletter is very similar to real estate newsletters which are printed and distributed via mail or other avenues. The most significant distance is the method of distribution. While traditional real estate newsletters are typically mailed to the recipients or distributed in person, real estate e-newsletters are distributed exclusively online. These real estate related e-newsletters may be either emailed in the body of an email message or may be included as a link in an email which directs the recipient to the website for the real estate related e-newsletter. In either case the recipient can read the real estate related e-newsletter while online and print it out or save it to their hard drive for future use.

The contents of an real estate related e-newsletter may vary somewhat drastically depending on the niche in a real estate business the e-newsletter is promoting, the purpose of the real estate related e-newsletter and even the personal preferences of the real estate business owner and the employees producing the real estate related e-newsletter. However, the general format for an real estate related e-newsletter is to include useful information in the form of full length feature articles, downloads of real estate related books or software or shorter pieces offering useful tips. The real estate specialist’s e-newsletter should also contain at least some subtle advertising for the real estate related products and services offered by the producer of the real estate specialist’s e-newsletter. These pieces of real estate related advertising should not be blatant and should allow readers of the real estate specialist’s e-newsletter to formulate their own opinions regarding the real estate related products or services.

The content of an e-newsletter should make up the bulk of the document. This may include full length feature real estate related articles which provide information for the readers. It may also include shorter pieces which may offer real estate related tips, review real estate products or offer advice to the reader. The key to providing high quality content in these real estate specialist’s e-newsletters is to have them written by a capable writer who is knowledgeable about the subject matter. The writer may have an understanding of the subject matter or may simply be able to research the subject and learn enough to write accurate and informative articles on the topic. In either case the distributor of the real estate specialist’s e-newsletter should carefully review the content for both quality and accuracy before publishing the e-newsletter.

Distributors of real estate specialist’s e-newsletters should also consider including real estate related graphical elements into their e-newsletters. This may include real estate product pictures or any other relevant graphics which provide meaning to the text of the real estate specialist’s e-newsletter. A graphic designer can assist you with this endeavor by helping you to create graphics, crop them appropriately and place them in a prime location on the layout of the e-newsletter.

Finally, distributors of real estate related e-newsletters should carefully consider their audience before using email for marketing purposes. The primary consideration should be whether or not the target audience is likely to be receptive to marketing in the form of emails or an e-newsletter. If they are likely to respond to this type of marketing it is worthwhile to pursue an email marketing campaign. However, care should be taken to ensure the emails sent to the target audience are designed specifically to appeal to these potential customers. This type of specialization should include the type of language used in the copy, the layout of the email or e-newsletter and the graphics used in the email or e-newsletter. Additionally, the copy should be filed with information which will be useful to the recipients.

Another factor to consider is to whom to send the emails. Sending these emails to a large group of recipients who have not requested information from you and have no interest in your real estate related products and services is a waste of time. It is a better idea to ask customers and potential customers if they are interested in receiving more information and having them join an email distribution list if they wish to receive more information. Sending your emails to this distribution list ensures the majority of recipients will have an interest in your products or services and are not likely to automatically delete your emails as spam.

Property Tax Implications Of Purchasing San Diego Real Estate

Below is general discussion of various factors impacting property taxes in San Diego, California. The reader should consult their tax advisor for definitive guidance about property tax issues and not rely soley on the informaton below.

Property tax rates are capped in California due to the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978 (“Prop 13″). Prop 13 was a ballot measure approved by the voters of California to limit property tax increases. The legislation also mandated that any future increases in property tax rates have the support of two-thirds of the Legislature for approval. This provision dramatically limited the ability of the legislature to increase taxes.

The property tax rate in California is 1% of the assessed value of real estate, plus any bonds, fees and special charges. Properties can only be reassessed when there is a change in ownership or when new construction is completed. Unless one of these reassessment conditions exists, Prop 13 allows for annual increases of up to 2% of a property’s value.

The passage of Prop 13 dramatically limited the legislatures ability to increase taxes. Despite this, municipalities desired a mechanism to subsidize the building of infrastructure for new developments, so in 1982, the Capital Facilities Act was passed. The act is better known by its legislative authors, Senator Henry Mello and Assemblyman Mike Roos (i.e. Mell-Roos Assessment).

According to the San Diego County Assessor, “Mello-Roos districts are established by local governments at the request of a developer to finance specific public facilities and services such as schools, roads and libraries. Mello-Roos districts were authorized by state law in 1982. This law allows any public agency to establish a Mello-Roos district, which then can issue the necessary tax-exempt bonds and impose fees to pay off these bonds.” Communities or districts that impose a Mello-Roos fee are distributed throughout the County but are most common is large new subdivisions.

In addition to the 1% tax rate allowed by Prop 13, Mello-Roos fees are a separate charge on the property tax bill. The duration of Mello-Roos fees are linked to the amount of time needed to pay off the bond, which is typically 20-25 years. Mello-Roos fees range from 4 to over 00 annually, and the average fee for San Diego communities was ,488 in 2006.

To get a general idea about the amount of property taxes you would owe annually on a property, multiply the purchase price of the property by 1.2%. For example, if you purchased a 0,000 home, your annual tax due would be around ,800, plus special assessments (if applicable), and Mello-Roos fees (if applicable).

Consumers should be aware that tax rates for a particular area can increase as news bonds are added or decrease if bonds are paid off. In addition, Special Asssessments (if any) for new infrastructure can also impact tax rates.

When considering the purchase of real estate, single-family homes, condominiums or townhomes in San Diego (particularly in newer communities), propspective buyers should find out if the property has Mello-Ross or other Special Assessment fees, how long these fees will continue, and if the fees increase annually.

Over 1 million tax bills are sent out every year in San Diego County by the County Tax Collector. The tax period in San Diego covers the period from July 1st to June 30th. The amount owed is based on the assessed value of the property as of January 1st. The tax bill is mailed out in September or early October, and is due in two equal installments; first payment is due December 10th and the second payment is due April 10th. State law does not allow for extensions to pay the tax bill and late payments are subject to a penalty of 18% APR. For those wishing to pay by credit card, the Discover Card is the only option at this time.

For more information about property tax issues in San Diego or to obtain a definative answer to your property tax questions, contact the San Diego County Assessor or your tax professional.