Time Wasters :)

Time wasters of the day. Thankfully they are not more than 3 minutes in total.

· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqVlukSIQUo&feature=player_embedded

· http://cuteoverload.com/2009/11/29/aaand-repeat/

Yes, there is actually a site called ‘cuteoverload.com’. lol.

Courtesy of
Sumina Bhatti
aka Ms. Organization
The Organized Realtor ®

CapMetro resumes MetroRail testing

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Capital Metro has resumed testing itsMetroRail trains, and trains are back up and running between 3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

CapMetro had stopped operations the week of Thanksgiving after an insurance question came up during contract negotiations with the rail contractor, Veolia.

The light rail is supposed to be up and running sometime early next year.

Downtown Austin condos dwindling

• David Scott

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Appearances can be deceiving.

Just 408 condos remain available for sale in Downtown Austin. Because of tight financing, no new projects are likely to go up for another four or five years.

The number of residents living downtown has doubled in the past decade to 8,000 people, but that growth will be slowing down.

Financing is the biggest hurdle. John McClellan of Supreme Lending said a developer would have to pony up enough money to choke a horse to secure a loan.

"There's not a lot of banks willing to loan money right now," said McClellan. "You may have to put up 50, 60, 70 percent, and on a $200 million project that's a lot of money."

Over the past five years, 60,000 new homes have been built in the greater Austin area. In this decade, some 2,000 condos and 2,000 apartments have been built downtown, but Goodwin Partners realtor Kevin Bown it will be awhile before anything new goes up.

"The most optimistic folks think maybe late next year there could be some construction financing, and then it takes two and a half years to break ground and build one of these," said Bown. "So we know on the early side it will be four years before we can bring any extra supply into downtown and we only have 408 units to last that four years."

The good news is a downtown condo owner now may see their value appreciate as the supply dwindles. But that owner would have to find a prospective buyer who could secure their own financing, and that might be tight.

Dirty Dog Digest

website twitter facebook < /td> click on words above to learn more about us and join our community! Dirty Dog Digest Christmas 2009 A quick note of THANKS from Blair & Alesha (photo by Nicole Mlakar Photography-check out her awesome pics!) Well, 2009 can be summed up in one word: WHEW. It has been a crazy year: we moved our original location from Lamar to Guadalupe, opened our 4th shop on Mesa Drive and are about to open 5th shop downtown. Only one of these things was actually on our "to do" list for this year, but we just had to roll with it. We personally want to thank each and every one of your for your support, encouragement and most of all PATIENCE during all of these changes. We're hoping for a less-eventful 2010 and hope to see you all soon! xoxo, Blair and Alesha
The place, the myth, the legend: AUSTIN URBAN VET CENTER Yup. We've been talking about it for awhile now, but our downtown location inside the AUVC at the corner of 5th Street and Rio Grande will be finally opening DECEMBER 14TH! We're so excited about this space and bringing our services to the residents of all the new lofts downtown. We'll begin taking grooming appointments on DECEMBER 17TH (they will, too, for daycare and boarding) but being the holidays, spaces will fill up fast. Hope you'll stop in and say hi! click on picture above to find out more info p.s. if you know me, Blair, personally, you know I'm pretty superstitious. These dates are dependent on everything going smoothly with construction, etc. so our FINGERS ARE CROSSED. Feel free to call with any questions! 12 Days of Christmas with the Driskill Hotel! As winner of Animal Fair magazine's most "pet friendly hotel," the Driskill doesn't forget about your special family member during the holidays. On Sunday December 13th from 1-3pm this fundraising event for Austin Dog Rescue is presented in conjunction with Lofty Dog. Activities include a Green Carpet Dog Walk fashion show, photos with Santa, Blessing of the Pets and special goodies for all. Austin Dog Rescue will have several foster dogs on site, all in need of a home for the holidays. For the masters, a cash bar on our famous Sixth Street balcony features Salty Dogs, Pink Poodles, Poinsetters, Greyhounds and other appropriately named cocktails. Rules of Entry Holiday Hours Monday DEC 21ST--all shops open 10-6 (even ones usually closed on Mondays) Tues-Wed DEC 22-23rd-regular hours Thurs DEC 24th-all shops close early at 4pm FRIDAY-SAT DEC 25-26TH- all shops closed Saturday DEC 27TH-resume regular hours Thursday DEC 31ST-all shops close early at 4pm Friday JAN 1ST-all shops closed Saturday JAN 2ND-resume regular hours Baby, it's cold outside! Even with their "coats", our pets get chilly, too! After "Blizzard Watch 2009", these tips will help your pet stay comfortable and safe during our winter months! There are also specific dangers during these months that we need to stay mindful of: Cold Weather Tips For Your Pets Holiday Specific Safety Tips A couple of notes about baths during the cold months: 1) The hot, steamy baths that humans love during these months can be detrimental to your pup. It can dry out their skin causing severe itching (no real "lotion" for dogs yet!) and they can overheat much more quickly than we do. We keep our water at a safe temperature for your "furbabies" :) 2) During the cold months, you'll want to make sure your dog is fully dry before letting them outside so that they don't get chilled--especially older dogs, short-haired dogs and puppies. Remember: we have unlimited towels and dryers to help you achieve this! Enjoy these pictures of some of our friends stayin' warm! Hank looking lovely in blue. Sister Gracie is being camera shy! (if you want to learn to make your pup a snuggly sweater, check out The Knitting Nest. You can meet Hank and Gracie in person, too!) Some of their cousins from "across the pond". That's right, these pups live in the UK. Wally ROCKIN' his green sweater. Yes, he has multiple colors :) Look at that smile! Dax is very proud of his duds. Duke and Dora sittin' pretty with Santa! TJ looking SHARP and showing off his hairy chest :) Really? Do I need to say anything? Meet Crystal and Curly. Come ON!
10% off full-service grooming $2 off self-serve grooming Offer expires: DECEMBER 17TH, 2009 Click here for online appointments In an effort to "go green" you no longer need to print out this coupon. Just tell them when you check out than you "got the newsletter coupon" and they'll apply your discount! Please notice the expiration date, we cannot make exceptions to this date :)

Another reason Austin is Awesome!

http://www.bringbannerback.com/

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=220303725030&index=1

Thanks Sumina for this interesting link!

http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf

Things to Avoid before Buying A Home

Many new homebuyers make the mistake of rushing out to buy things to fill their home with as soon as the seller accepts their purchase offer and the lender pre-approves their loan. But there are still a few major hurdles to overcome before the keys are handed out. Here are some things to avoid during the home buying process to assure your transaction goes as smoothly as possible:

• Don't make an expensive purchase. It may be tempting to order that new sofa for your soon-to-be living room, but its best to avoid making major purchases like furniture, cars, appliances, electronic equipment, jewelry, or vacations until after the closing. Financing that furniture with a store credit card or even one of your own credit cards could jeopardize your credit worthiness during the time it means the most. Using cash to purchase big items can also create a problem because many banks take into consideration your cash reserve when approving your mortgage.
• Don't get a new job. Lenders like to see a consistent job history. Generally, changing jobs will not affect your ability to qualify for a mortgage loan - especially if you are going to be making more money. But for some people, getting a new job during the loan approval process could raise some concern and affect your application.
• Don't switch banks or move money around. As your lender reviews your loan package, you will likely be asked to provide bank statements for the last two or three months on your checking accounts, savings accounts, money market funds and other liquid assets. To eliminate potential fraud, most loans require a thorough paper trail to document the source of all funds. Changing banks or transferring money to another account - even if it’s just to consolidate funds - could make it difficult for the lender to document your funds.
• Don't give a good faith deposit directly to the seller in a FSBO purchase. As a rule, your good faith deposit belongs to you, not to the seller, until the deal closes. Your FSBO seller may not know that your good faith funds should be applied to your expenses at closing. Get an attorney or other neutral party who can hold the deposit or put it in a trust account until you close on the home. Your purchase contract should dictate to whom the funds go should the transaction fall through.
• Don't disregard your lenders requirements. You may have been pre-approved for the loan but your work with the lender is far from over. In order to process your loan, you need to meet certain requirements. Your lender will need copies of your bank statements, W2s and other paperwork. It is up to you to get it to him or her as soon as possible. Failure to submit certain qualifying documents could cause you to lose your loan and the financing you need to buy your home.