Summer in Austin, Texas

Well as you all know it is summer in Austin, Texas and it is really about to start feeling like it too. This week we will start getting into triple digit temperatures. So what does that mean? Well, it means that it is time to seek shade and cool off. Remember that hydration is very important in this kind of weather and shouldn’t be taken lightly. So next time you pick up that cup of coffee, tea or soda remember to have some water too. If you are ever out and start to feel dizzy or realize that you are not sweating, while we think that is a good thing, it is actually a way your body is warning you that you are dehydrated, grab a seat in the shade, take off your shoes, get some water and even a nuun if you have one. I love nuun they are like a pill form of Gatorade without all the sugar, you just pop one in  a bottle of water and it can help you hydrate faster than water alone. 

Summers in Texas also means Summer fun! We all think about hitting our favorite swimming holes and watermarks, but did you think about a Segway tour? Probably not, it doesn’t sound like as much fun in the sun. Well, our guides are experienced and know this city very well and know how to find the shade. We also offer a 2 hour Early Bird Special for those of you who want to go on tour before the heat sets in for the day. You can book any of our Segway Tours online here or by calling 512-495-9250. If you want to go in the late afternoon we offer a Bat City Bridge Tour at 6:30 pm when the weather is cooling down again. Check out all of our Segway Tours here.

Well, now matter how you choose to spend summer in Texas I hope it is a fun one and you do at least one Segway tour, even if you’re a local you will learn something new and have a great time.

 

Affordable housing is a reality!

Have you ever wanted to own a home of your own? Sure we all do, but with the housing market turning again and prices going back up it can be rather costly. We just purchased our first home and it was a long and daunting process. The qualifications and paperwork needed were overwhelming. The home buying process has changed over the last few years and if you don’t have your downpayment in your savings account before you start the process you better have a rich family member who is willing to give, yes I said give not lend, you the money needed for the downpayment and closing cost. Now we live in the real world and although our economy is seeming to get stronger again, it has been a long time since it has been good and money for most of us is tight still. But, what if I told you that you can own a brand-new, custom built 30 year home for under 60k, would you believe me? Ok, stop laughing, I’m not typing this from the mental institution I promise. It is true and I’ll tell you how, no scam, no catch, just reality.

You’re still here, good. So let me tell you all about the small home movement. We live in a time of overindulgence and excess, but where does that get us? The answer to that is simple…. debt! The American dream used to be to get married, have a couple of children, own a home, own a car and have a job that could provide us with the afforementioned things. Our grandparents did it, some of our parents did it, but somewhere along the line our path twisted now we make payments on cars that are overpriced and as soon as they are paid off we are ready to trade them in, we work jobs that we may not be happy with and sometimes we have to work two jobs just to make the payment on a huge house that we hardly spend time in because we have to work that second job to make the mortgage payment, home owners insurance and property tax payments. While I cannot change the auto industry and the fact that they just don’t make cars like they used to, I can give you an option to buy a brand-new home and have it paid off a lot sooner than a traditional loan and even smaller payments each month. Still interested? I would like to invite you to explore the small home movement that is sweeping the nation.

So when most people think “small home” they think RV or mobile home, well thats just not true anymore. Small homes are being built and sold everyday that are classified as 30 year homes, that is the average life of a traditional real estate loan, and being paid off in far less time. These homes can be “mobile” or you can put them on the ground, but I promise once you’re inside they won’t feel like a RV or mobile home. They are roomy, spacious, with full sized appliances, some even have stairs leading to a loft.

These houses make  great houses for first time home buyers, small families, guests houses and can even be converted into offices! The possibilities are endless!

I would like to invite you to check them out, you can go to www.buyasmallhouse.com and find out more or if you want to step inside and understand what it really fells like to be in a small house come over to 60 East Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701 and take a tour with us.

I hope to see you all very soon and explore with you the dream of owning a home without the 30 years of debt!

 

Happy Texas Independence Day!

Hello to all you proud Texans, transplants and those who have spent any time here. I myself am not a native Texas, I was born in Virginia but was brought here by my native Texas mother at a very young age, so I like to say I wasn’t born here but got here as fast as I could. Throughout my life I have had the opportunity to move and only once did I leave and that was for a whole three months and then I ran back home to Texas! My daughter however I am very proud to say is a Native Texan born and raised in the Lone Star State! 

Today marks the 178th anniversary of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence, which happened on March 2, 1836. This important document was signed by 59 people, who were settlers in Mexican Texas officially broke from Mexico and created the Republic of Texas.

This is a day that Texans are very proud of it wasn’t until later that Texas became a part of the United States and over the years there has been talk about breaking from the US and becoming our own entity again. If it will ever happen we shall just have to wait to see. Either way I love Texas and don’t want to leave! I have always loved working for a company who give the best historic Segway tours of downtown Austin, Texas, where I can give wonderful information about not only Austin but all of Texas as well! 

What about you? Are you a native Texan, transplant or have you visited or thinking of coming here? Leave us a comment and let us know. 

Happy International World Peace Day!

Happy International World Peace Day!

Today is International Peace Day. This is a day created and sponsored by the United Nations, it is a day for us to seek peace and the end of war. Every year on September 21st hundreds of countries around the world gather with the common goal of ending violence and war. Wouldn’t it be nice if one day we succeeded in the spread of peace throughout the world. A chance for us to keep our loved ones home with us and to know that when we traveled the world it would be a safer place.

Well Mr. Lennon I too am a dreamer and “Imagine” with you. Please remember today to make a little bit of peace around you. Instead of looking down at someone share a smile – Peace begins with a smile -Mother Teresa. Instead of yelling at the car in front of you, take a deep breath and send some positive energies out into the world. If we all do our part we can make a change.

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. – Maya Angelou

Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding. = Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mayflower Day

I’m sure we have all heard the saying “April showers bring Mayflowers”, but did you know that September 16th is Mayflower Day? The Mayflower set sail on September 16, 1620, carrying 102 men, women and children from Plymouth, England. They set out for the New World to seek religious freedom in an environment where they could continue using their native language, culture and customs. It took them 66 days to complete their voyage to a settlement in Virginia to which they had an agreement to settle at. They arrived at Plymouth Rock on December 21, 1621. This is why on September 16th every year we have Mayflower Day to commemorate those early and brave settlers, who were the very first immigrants and helped pave the way for the millions more to come, in search of freedom, dreams and promises the “New World” holds. 

For more information on the mayflower visit http://mayflowerhistory.com

 

A few years ago I also watched a series on PBS that was very interesting call Colonial House. This was a historical reenactment reality show depicting the daily life and struggles that people of that era would have encountered coming to the new world.

 

For more information on the series and project visit http://www.pbs.org/wnet/colonialhouse/index.html