Milago Downtown Austin Texas Condos

Downtown Austin Texas Condos are a great investment for people who like the downtown urban lifestyle. The Milago on Rainey Street is away from the hustle and bustle of the main downtown thoroughfares but near IH 35. On one side of the 240 Unit complex you can see Ladybird Lake in all its glory. The hike and bike trail is literrally just right out the door. The units on the other side of the building are less costly but without the great waterview. Out on a Milagro waterview balcony you don't even notice the buzz of IH 35. I took the Ladybird Lake & jogging trails photo above from an 11th floor balcony on a January day. January and February are Austin's coldest months but people were out jogging, bicycling and rowing on the lake & trails around it today. A freight elevator makes moving in easy. Nearby quick shopping is available at convenience stores or Royal Blue in the 2nd Street District. The pool and grill are located on the top, the fitness area is on the 2nd level. Current units are available in the Austin MLS for about just over $200,000. up to just over $600,000.

Excercising Your Dog

We have a rescued dog from the great organization Blue Dog Rescue. Keeton is a German Shepherd who, sadly, was left tied to a tree when his owners moved. Thankfully, he was found and cared for by Blue Dog Rescue, and even had some obedience training prior to his re-homing. He has lots of energy- way more than me. This can be frustrating for both animal and human owner. Caesar in the Dog Whisperer many times uses a treadmill or roller blades to excercise his dogs. These are great as well but here are a couple of alternative easy ways to excercise your dog.

The Stairs Run

One is running him up and down the stairs- not me, him. I stand in place and tell him what do do. Gosh, I sound bossy! LOL "Keeton, up" and I motion with my hand if I have to up the stairs. He gallops at a fast, high energy speed all the way to the top. Then I say, "Keeton, down!" and as fast as he went up he runs all the way down. I repeat this over and over until he wavers halfway up, tired of the game, and I have to remind him with more verbal cues and or hand gestures to finish and go "to the top". I know he is getting worn down then. Now I would not recommend this to someone who'd dog has hip or other movement problems or whose home has laminate or wood stairs. Ours stairs have carpet floor covering so the dog has good traction. I know this creates wear and tear on your stairs' carpet BUT on bad weather days, this may be an alternative means of releasing your dogs energy when you can't get out.

Biking With Your Dog

Another really great way to excercise your dog is biking with your dog. This way you get in on the act too and your dog gets a great cardio vascular workout. I use a leash that is long enough for me to loop around and fasten at my waist and still have enough slack to let the dog run by my side. You don't want it too long where the dog can get out in front of your bicycle, just enough so the dog is a comfortable distance to your side. I traveled with the leash around my waist so my hands were free to steer, switch gears, brake, etc. My dog is ALWAYS on the right so he is furthest from traffic and by the curb. Practice slowly. Once you and your dog get the hang of it, it is fun to let your dog run as fast as he wants on a safe, no traffic stretch. I like using a harness best so the dog does not experience discomfort around his neck if he pulls some. You cannot do this with a totally wild, untrained, huge dog. Your dog needs to have some obedience cues down already.

Turning With Your Dog: The hardest part of biking with your dog are the turns. You need to verbally cue your dog slightly in advance to make him aware that you are turning right, into him. Train him to match the verbal cue words "turn right" with the fact that he needs to turn right to be out of the way of the bike. Remember to warn your dog to "turn right, turn right" before you make a right hand turn towards your dog so he can move to the right out of the way of the bike.

Once I excercise Keeton, he becomes a "new" dog. I can then walk him after our bike ride and he looks and acts like a polished show animal, minding his p's and q's!

Need a home or ranch for you and your dog? Search here Would you like a hard copy of dog friendly places to go with your dog in the Austin, Texas Area?

Call me at (512) 785-5050

The Austin Real Estate Market

The national media is sometimes better not listened to at all! Based on sensationalism, they make it sound extremely dismal like nothing is happening at all in Real Estate ANYWHERE and that is simply not true. Our Real Estate market in the Austin Texas Metro Area IS a little soft but not DEAD. Real Estate is cyclical, always. We are always slower around Christmas and then we start the upward swing again afterwards, peaking in the Summer. There is more inventory now- more homes for sale. This makes prices go down a bit- not a seller's market. So, the market is indeed a little soft & a buyer's market, especially now, but not dead. Interest rates are fantastic- a great time to buy or re-finance. Builders are suffering and making great deals. Buyers need to be careful and be sure of all costs that are included before they sign on the dotted line. Sod, fencing, any upgrades- be sure they are in the deal. The existing new homes are the worst competition for resale homes. There are also a lot of bank foreclosures, HUD homes and short sales. These are usually in some degree of bad shape and the sellers usually will not do any repairs or negotiate much if at all. You are not dealing with humans in these cases but an entity- never too good for any negotiating or concessions.

I am grateful to be in Austin and not so many other areas of the country that are suffering tremendously. Call me to buy or sell your Texas home or ranch! (512) 785-5050