There are many choices here in Central Texas for Independence Day celebrations and fireworks displays.
My colleague Tracy Blair at Gracy Title sent this list of 10 area celebrations to me so I want to share the love for the red, white and blue with you.
If you need any inspiration for what to eat on the Fourth, make sure and check out my recipe favorites here at the Home Style Austin Blog. Don’t miss the Avocado and Bacon Potato Salad recipe, which is a friends and family favorite!
You can also check out our Holidazed Pinterest Board with inspiration for the upcoming red, white and blue festivities!
Have a safe and happy Fourth of July (and weekend)!
~ Joe Paul Reider
Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
Austin Then ~ An old photo from Home Style Austin archives taken from the top of UT’s Tower shortly after it was completed in 1937.
Austin Now ~ From home to drone – a pretty aerial view of the dramatic change in Austin’s skyline in about 80 years, visually speaking to Austin’s amazing growth.
Boomtown, Texas
It should come as no surprise that the Austin area housing market is on fire with supply sorely struggling to keep up with demand. With 110-150 new peoplemoving to the region per day – an average of over 40,000 people each year – in 2 years the Austin metro area is projected to top 2 million strong.
With the recent KVUE.com news release that Travis County property appraisals increased 15%, I’ve been fielding questions from my clients with concerns about rising taxes and what it means to their bottom line.
While most folks want their homes to appreciate in value, this can also impact their property taxes. Many area home owners are confronting sticker shock with recent property appraisal increases that can easily equate to thousands of dollars. Williamson County residents – your appraisal assessment has risen an average of 10%.
A Challenging Question
Did you know it’s your right to protest your property taxes?
Before you challenge your county, do your due diligence and double check the tax appraiser’s assessment. Check the facts and details about your home such as size, age and condition. Compare it to other homes in your neighborhood to determine its value position on the scale with others. One way you can do this is to research online appraisal information for homes around you. Tax appraisals are made available online – Travis County residents can find theirs here and Williamson County residents here.
Another way to “save” on your expenses is to make sure you’ve filed your homestead exemption, which is a big component of tax savings! If you’ve filed a Homestead exemption, the appraisal district can not increase your assessed or taxable value more than 10% of the taxable value from the prior year.
While I read the deadline for filing property tax protests in Williamson County is June 1st (online forms are here) and in Travis County it’s June 2nd (online forms are here) I noticed the county websites suggest having your protest form postmarked by May 31st.
I hope this information is helpful!
~ Joe Paul Reider
Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
Kaboom! – Click On The Image For A Bigger View
You can also check out our Holidazed Pinterest Board with inspiration for the upcoming red, white and blue festivities!
Home Style Austin 