The Great Migration - Going to Austin

Photo Albums!

2006-09-05T15:09:00.001-07:00

Check out more pictures from Anna's going away parties.

Check out pictures from Jess & Anna's road trip!

Anna's Going AWAY! Come wish her well ....

2006-07-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

***Blogger is having problems with photos right now, so sorry for the all text posts. I guess they're working on it...***

Howdy y'all! You're invited to our PIONEER PARTY :

BARBER HOME IN NEWCASTLE
1430 Kentucky Greens Way

Sunday July 30th

LUNCH AT 1 p.m.

916-663-3518

We know this is late notice but we'd like to invite you to our home this coming Sunday afternoon for lunch – and to wish Anna well as she heads out on a great adventure!

As you know, our family is in the process of relocating to Austin. Our home is up for sale and Michael & Sharon plan to put theirs on the market this fall. Paul & Jess will make the move when it works out best with Paul's nursing schooling.

Anna recently decided to quit managing at Black Angus because the hours were just too long and she was tired of missing out on all the holidays and family get-togethers. After a couple of weeks off to rest she began thinking about a new job. She decided that it didn't make much sense to start a new job here when it was possible she would be moving to Austin in the next several months.

So she has decided to be adventurous and head on out to Texas on her own! She is going to load up as much as she can in her car and this coming Tuesday she will hit the road, with Jess along for help and companionship. They will make it to Austin in three days and then will find Anna a small apartment close to the University. She'll then begin looking for a job. Jess will fly home the following week, after having a chance to get acquainted with the area. By the way, Michael and Sharon just returned from spending a week there and they loved it! You can check out their comments and pictures at http://michaelandsharon.blogspot.com.

All this seems kind of sudden, but Anna wanted to get settled before college starts so she can get a jump on a job before all the students arrive back.

The get-together here will start around 1 p.m. – we'll eat by 1:30 . Bring a swimsuit if you'd like to swim, and lawn chairs if you'd like. (We sold most of our outdoor stuff at our yard sale!).

Please let us know if you can come by this Friday – July 28th so we'll know how much food to prepare.

Hoping you all can make it!! We know Anna would love to see everyone…

Dave & Karen

Status Report: Austin or BUST!

2006-07-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

Well, we're home and readjusting to life in the California heat (ok, ok, Texas was hot too!) But we thought we'd give you an update on our trip.

Truthfully, it's by far more hot and miserable here right now. I think we hit a pretty good week out there, though. They're having more thunderstorms this week. That's what keeps it so green out there! The humidity was essentially not a factor for us, although that may change when we return in September.

All in all, we were very happy with our visit, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We hope ya'll have kept up with our blog.

We wanted to be sure to have an open mind, not force ourselves into any decision, just be relaxed and see how we felt. And we really had nothing but very positive feelings. There is enough about Austin that is so similar to Sacramento so as not to feel too far removed or displaced. But the differences make you appreciate it all the more. The location is spectacular, I can just really envision it being a wonderful place to raise a family - or retire! People in Texas are just plain nicer!

Here's a short list of the things we really liked:

Music is everywhere - even during the day, even at the airport
It is very green, no brown dusty fields. Many places almost feel coastal.
We are half hour from Lake Travis - one of the most gorgeous lakes in the country
We are one hour from Schlitterbahn - the #1 Water park in the country, with the #1 Water ride - the Master Blaster Rollercoaster/Waterslide (season pass for the kids anyone?)
The natural springs are abundant
There is never a lack of things to do - any day of the week, for any preference
The average temperature is 68 degrees, with 300 days of sunshine each year
They love dogs in Austin ;)
The river is gorgeous and provides lots to do - hiking, swimming, floating, tubing, fishing, restaurants, etc...

There is far more about the city life that is attractive as well. It seems to be a great place to start a business, it is clean and has a great handle on the homeless situation. Austin consistently ranks one of the best places to live, for many reasons.

Ok, you say, it seems the Sacramento area has a lot of similar things to offer. Why get up and move everything to TEXAS!!! We've wondered the same thing. We're in our comfort zone here. It's all we've known. We love our house, but can you imagine living in a home that has no mortgage?! And one we get to build custom!!! There's no comparison, especially at our age. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us.

So, here's the long and short of it: Sure, we may be giving up some creature comforts of California in order to pursue this dream (not sure if anyone has mentioned this was really Michael's idea in the first place!) but the payoff is beyond worth it. Sure, we could technically make it in California, but we would not be living the life we dream of.

Simply put, Michael and I want more. We want more time, more money, more freedom, more opportunities, more music, more ministry, more family, more enjoyment of life. And, based on our experiences last week, and all of our research, Austin gives us this opportunity.

For all the things we want to accomplish in our lives, we feel like California is just not the place to make it happen. We don't want to work so hard and so much just to scrape by. In a very simplified way - it seems silly to stay in California, for us anyway. And, I have a feeling more people will begin to see this, a lot more people, and soon.

M & S are in Austin!

2006-07-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

We are here checkin' things out. Making sure this is a place we think we can live. This is our second attempt to get out here. Our first one was canceled due to a sick puppy. In a way we are glad that it is in the middle of the hot/humid season because we wanted to get a good taste of what we were in for.

So far - It's great.

We went out to Elgin yesterday and walked the property with the video camera. It is beautiful and quiet - actually silent. The land is covered in trees and super green. It makes parts of Auburn look bad. We took a bunch of picture and video.

Check em out.

Michael

Morning driving around downtown

2006-07-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

We spent the morning driving around downtown again, had breakfast and walked a bit. The weather is nice, not as hot as Sac, but humid - you get used to it very quickly.We're headed out to Elgin now ... we'll keep adding photos. :)

First Night in Austin

2006-07-11T23:55:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it safe and sound. My back did ok for the trip - it helped that we had 3 stops along the way. It's 1 am here - we decided to check out the town right away, mostly because we were hungry. Downtown is AWESOME!! It's Tuesday and there are all kinds of people and live music all over. It's fabulous. The air is definitely humid, but not unpleasant. It really feels like Hawaii. There was a nice cool breeze as we sat outside and had burgers. Much more pictures to come tomorrow, time to call it a night!

M & S House Plan

2006-06-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

Here's the plan we're most interested in. We'd take Bed #4 and extend it past the patio, making it the music room. The Fml Din becomes our new home office. Fun fun fun!

Arbor's Home Owner's Association

2006-05-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

We finally found a website that was set up by the HOA at The Arbors. I am glad to see that it is very active association with a lot going on.

http://www.arborsia.org/

By going back and reading all the minutes and past newsletters you can get an idea of what has been happening there.

Also, be sure to check out The Newcastle Garden Home website to see all the stats and pics of D&K's house.

Enjoy.

Home For Sale - Sellers are Motivated

2006-05-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Well we did it...after weeks of work our home is finally listed for sale. My sister-in-law Lorraine is in real estate and she entered our property in the MLS last night. I call her "Agent Lorraine, with a license to sell." It seems almost surreal, like moving in and out of parallel universes or an out of body experience. Maybe some consider Texas another universe and an out-of-your-mind experience. But, we're ready to go so we pray for a quick sell.

Michael and Sharon have helped us a lot by setting up a website for the house. You can get the particulars by going to www.NewcastleGardenHome.com. There's a link there to a gallery of pictures. We have shunned a lockbox or even open houses for now so we'll see what happens, focusing on internet advertising.

We did a crossword recently called "Realtor Speak." Some of the clues/answers were:

Natural gas available - Radon abounds
Impressive molding - Lots of rot
Park like setting - Industrial that is
Full basement - Mostly of water

Anyway it was cute and fun and a reminder of the wordsmithing that goes into property descriptions and ads - except our place, of course. But we hope the pictures give truly interested parties a very good idea of what it's like.

After all I'm interested in parties...see you in Austin...

Yard Sale Sale Sale

2006-04-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

Karen and I have been preparing for a yard sale for some time, just waiting on the weather to cooperate. To put it in perspective, the last yard sale we can remember was when we moved from Collette Way in North Highlands (where Anna was born) in the early 80's to Woodcreek Drive in Citrus Heights.

Driving into our subdivision last week we saw that the Portuguese Hall, a local historical landmark, was having their annual three day rummage sale. So we decided to get with it and have our sale at the same time to increase traffic. We used the directional sandwich boards that Michael made for Karen's 50th BD party, stapled a "Yard Sale" sign on them and placed one near the parking area for the Hall and the other at the end of our cul-de-sac.

We are happy to report that a good time was had by all. We sold all the large items that would be awkward to move and tons of other stuff from the house and garage. We raised about $600 that helped offset the expense of our travel to Austin last month. Jess was able to move a few items too.

People were very friendly and loved to talk. We got a lot of good feedback on our home and mixed reviews on Texas but mostly positive. I enjoyed showing the kids who came how some of the toys worked, including the Smurf Train (sorry it's gone!). I also gave a family a tour of the backyard as did Mom with another visitor. We are left with a pile for the Salvation Army and a loaded pickup for the dump dump dump.

We are now just a week or two away from bringing in some realtors to help us value the home. The creek flow is up to its summer level but it is still pretty cloudy as is the pond. This week is focused on staining the deck, weed eating and sprucing up the walkways.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work we go...

Staging to Sell

2006-04-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

Karen and I have been quite busy preparing our place inside and out for sale. We hope to be ready to list our home with Lorraine by late May. This week we power washed the road, driveway and front courtyard. This weekend inside we replaced all the closet rod hardware. Outside we cleaned the fountain, cleaned out all the french drains out front and replaced all nine outdoor lights with some nice fixtures we found at Lowes.

We are almost done inside and in the front yard. Next week we move out back to clean and stain the decks, and clean the patio. A big yard sale is just around the corner. What's in your wallet!?

Dave & Karen Prelim Home Plan

2006-04-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone - Here is the front elevation and floor plan of the house that we are interested in building.

Some Hot Links

2006-04-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

Michael and I are planning a mini-vacation to Austin, May 3-9. I've been browsing the web to find cool stuff to do downtown while we're there (trust me, there is no shortage of awesome stuff going on).

Here are some helpful links:

Austin Area Maps - Great printable maps
AustinTexas.org - Home page for the "Live Music Capital of the World!" Be sure to check out all the links.
The Austin Chronicle - Daily guide to all that's happening. I had fun searching by date, seriously, there is something fun to do every single day of the week!

Did you know the Barber family is sort of into music? Does living in Austin make sense or what?

We also booked tickets to the Austin City Limits Festival, September 15-17. WANNA COME? I can get 3-day passes for $90 each. This is the most fantastic concert extravaganza ever. Over 100 bands will play, can't wait!!

[Check out the lineup from last year]

Hot on Austin

2006-04-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

Check this video out. It is a 14 minute promo on the City of Austin.

The Barbers got this from their agent. Worth watching!

American Design Solutions - Our Local Designer

2006-04-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

(a.k.a. Uncle Doug!)

American Design Solutions (A.D.S.) is the “SOLUTION” to your home design success.

Our experience ranges from common out buildings and remodels to Custom Airplane Hanger/Home combos.

We are unique in that we provide a complete service for permit ready construction documents including structural engineering and energy compliance analysis. Visit us at www.amerdesignsolutions.com.

Barber Family Horns

2006-04-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

The Kennedy's got nothing on this Austin bound Fam.

Lots For Sale

2006-04-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Folks,

As requested, three documents that contain all the remaining lots for sale.

Plot Map
Price List
Resale Lots XLS

One list is for sale directly from the developer. These probably have the best pricing options and almost no closing costs. The second list is for resale by private parties. The final document is a plat map showing lot#'s. The plat map and listings also indicate whether the lot you might be interested in is in phase/section 1 or phase 2. Phase 1 lots allow a home with a minimum sf of 1600 for a one story and 2000 for a two story. Phase 2 lots require a minimum of 1800 sf for a one story and 2200 sf for a two story home.

Highway 95 shown at the two entrances to the subdivision is a two lane highway that connects Elgin (Hwy 290) and Bastrop (Hwy 71). We were told that the traffic there averages 10 vehicles per minute. We think horses might be allowed on lot's 98-137, 210, 211, 212, 241-271 (larger lots) but we didn't see any horses yet. Our family purchased lots 155,156,157,158 & 209.

Please forward this information to those in your circle that expressed an interest. We would be more than happy to try and answer your general questions. But if you have really specific or legal inquiries, those should be addressed directly to Becky Bivins bbivins@sellstatetexas.com our realtor. Pictures are still available on Michael & Sharon's gallery in the Austin folder. I also have a set of CC&Rs if you get really serious about a purchase. General info is still available by navigating the developer's website - http://www.sabineres.com/. acreage communities, the Arbors.

The obvious advantage here is the relatively low cost of land. The biggest disadvantage are high property taxes that can be re-appraised each year currently capped at 10% per year. But offset by the fact that there is no state income tax for those with gainful employment. Just for your consideration, below I have listed our search criteria that lead us to Austin then to this subdivision.

Ability to keep family and friends close together;
Affordable housing costs,
Improve quality of life/reduce debt,
Good weather - no snow,
Good job prospects,
Reasonable commute to job centers,
Potential for extended family and friends to follow in subsequent years,
As much land as possible, maximize privacy with little noise,
Good source of reliable water, no wells if possible,
Close to cultural activities,
Be good stewards of God's resources,
Conducive to raising children.
No time limit on build out,
Small landscape requirements,
Small HOA costs ($330 yr)
Good tree cover,
No flood plain,
Some common area features but nothing expensive,
Better air quality.

Some remaining issues are,

How to mitigate property tax burden,
Finding good employment,
Heat & Humidity.
Property appreciation seems to lag national averages.

We are trying to be helpful and to share what we have learned. But our enthusiasm does not mean that there won't be problems come up or issues that we are not aware of. We spent about a month looking all over the Southwest and arrived here in the general Austin area. This area has allergens different than we are accustomed to as well as new pests and critters to be aware of. Needless to say, we hope that if you feel led to make an investment in this area that you do so because you believe it is the best thing for your family and that you do so with your eyes wide open.

Having said all that, admittedly it's kind of fun to think of a neighborhood full of family and friends with kids, grand kids and cousins growing up together. We may be on the tip of something that could influence others for some time to come.

Please keep us posted.

Love,

Dave & Karen

Plots

2006-04-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

Here Are the plots we have so far in Elgin, Tx

Download Google Earth Bookmark!

The Great Migration

2006-04-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to The Great Migration - Going to Austin! We'll post pictures and information about our journey. We hope you enjoy - and even more, hope you join us!

Please visit our gallery for a collection of photos taken so far. Much more to come!