Buying a Home in Austin 7 Things to Love About Austin Texas

The Climate
Yes, Austin gets hot in the summer. It is Texas, after all. But there's usually a nice breeze blowing (especially near the lake), and there's not as much humidity as the coastal cities like Houston. The rest of the year is milder than many places in the country. Austin winters are moderate by most standards, with snow being a rarity.

The Culture
Austin has a rich culture that blends Mexican heritage, cowboy roots, state politicians, and a healthy dose of urban hip. Keep Austin Weird is the unofficial slogan, and you'll see it emblazoned on everything from bumper stickers to t-shirts. Austin takes great pride in being ? well, Austin.

The Outdoors
Like to go backpacking? Cycling? Canoeing? Water skiing? You can do all of that in a day around the Austin area. From the lakes to the trails, Austin has an outdoor scene that's hard to beat.

The Music
They don't call Austin The Live Music Capital of the World for nothing. The city boasts a vast array of musical venues offering everything from jazz to country to rock. Austin City Limits is filmed here, and there are musical festivals throughout the year.

The Bats
The Congress Avenue bridge in downtown Austin, Texas is home to North America's largest urban colony of Mexican free-tails bats. Experts estimate the colony includes some 1.5 million bats! The bats began immigrating en masse around 1980, and after a brief period of public fear, they've become another Austin institution. They even have their own statue right on Congress Avenue. People come from all around to see the bats pour out of the bridge at dusk.

The Housing Costs
There's a new program on HGTV called What You Get for the Money. It compares housing costs from different cities to show what you get for the money. Austin is regularly featured on the show, because housing dollars go a long way here (at the time of this writing). For information on new homes in Austin, see the note at the end of this article.

The Roads (Soon)
Massive highway projects are underway, so the traffic situation around Austin will soon improve dramatically. Austin's population exploded during the tech boom a few years back, declined a bit during the subsequent tech bust, and is once more on the rise. But while the population has grown considerably, the highway infrastructure has mostly remained static.

As a result, rush hour can be quite an ordeal if you're heading into the city. But not to worry. Austin currently has one of the largest highway expansion projects of any state in the country. It's a growing pain, but in the near future it will be behind us!

Shopping for a Home in Austin?
If you're thinking of buying a new home in Austin, Texas, take a look at Harrington Custom Homes. They've been building custom homes in Austin for over 15 years. Visit them online at http://www.harringtonhomes.com