Live your best Austin life: 4 things you should do in February

Bob Schneider & The Moon Light Orchestra

2/14/20- ACL Live

Bob Schneider & The Moonlight Orchestra. This is one of my favorite shows of the year. If you have never been, you must go. Spend a romantic evening with BOB SCHNEIDER & THE MOONLIGHT ORCHESTRA featuring THE TOSCA STRINGS with special guests LEX LAND and IAN FLANIGAN

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Austin Marathon & Half Marathon

2/16/2020 Downtown

One of the country's premier races attracts nearly 20,000 participants from around the world. Events surrounding the marathon include a 5K, live music, finish line festival, and the beer garden.

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2/22/20 Austin Modern Home Tour Various Locations

The Austin Modern Home Tour celebrates 13 years of collaborative exchange between architects, developers, designers, and real estate professionals. Participating homes on the tour will open their doors for viewing throughout the day, then enjoy food, beverages, and additional homes at the post-event soiree.

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2/9-3/8 ZachTheatre

A Night with Janis Joplin is packed with enduring hits like “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Mercedes Benz,” and “Summertime,” plus hit songs by icons Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Etta James, and more. It’s sure to take a little piece of your heart!

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Yes, You should buy now: The 2020 Austin real estate report

Predicting the 2020 Real Estate market is not easy; by analyzing the data trends based on several factors, we can get pretty accurate estimations.

Housing Market Trends 2020

Most analysts agree that the Austin Real Estate market should see a continuation of the momentum which has been building for the past ten years. The foundation for this momentum is strong with Austin's unprecedented growth, higher household incomes, and overall high consumer confidence. Additionally, Millennials are entering the housing market than ever. The Austin market is seeing a record number of potential homebuyers.

In 2019, Austin's median home price increased by 5.3% to $395,000 compared to the previous year. During the same period, sales rose by 1.8% to 9,572 homes, and sales dollar volume grew 6.9% to $4,678,400,967. In December, the median home price increased 8% year over year to $405,093, and sales increased 8.9% year over year to 738 home sales. Austin's monthly housing inventory decreased in December from 0.5 months to 0.9 months of inventory. Austin's unprecedented population growth during the past decade has profoundly impacted the real estate market. Compared to 2010, home sales in 2019 increased by 84%," Romeo Manzanilla, 2020 ABoR president said. "That type of exponential growth has put enormous pressure on the market, raising the median home price" As we look forward to this year, the market is not showing signs of slowing down anytime soon."

Housing Stocks

More and more investors realize the value of adding Austin real estate to their portfolios. To diversify their investments, investors are also turning to REITs(Real Estate Investment Trusts) REITs provide stability as well as liquidity, making them very popular for most investors. Historically, REITs consisted of commercial properties, but lately, we are seeing many funds are adding smaller homes to their portfolios.

Big Picture for Buyers

Yes, Austin is continuing the trend of record-high demand while Austin home inventory is at a record low, but this shouldn't stop you from buying. The Austin homebuyers can still find an excellent selection of homes in cool neighborhoods from which to choose.

Keep Austin Healthy: Viva Day Spa

“People in Austin want to look good, feel good, be good, and do good,” says Laurie Aroch, one of the founders of Viva Day Spa, along with Shannon Mouser and Maya Aroch. Before opening their first spa location in Austin, it was clear that they wouldn’t just be selling amazing massages and facials. Rather, they hoped to create a spa experience that was inviting, nurturing and unpretentious — with an uncompromising level of treatment quality. They also wanted to create a culture of caring that starts with supporting and nurturing their staff who, in turn, take care of their clients.

Viva Day Spa broke all the rules when they started their business in June 2005. Not only are they best friends, but Laurie and Maya are sisters. They also came from very different backgrounds: Shannon was a massage therapist. Laurie was a pharmacist, and Maya was a materials engineer.

Laurie and Shannon met in Austin in 1994, shortly after they moved from New York and Houston respectively. They became fast friends and began dreaming of opening a business together, along with Laurie’s sister, Maya. At that time, the spa scene in Austin was virtually non-existent which made for a rich opportunity. The perfect combination of idealism, passion, and chutzpah (with a touch of naivete) led them to take the leap into entrepreneurship. From logo design to painting interiors to unwavering encouragement and support support, friends and family also helped them bootstrap the opening of Viva Day Spa on 35th in 2005 on a $60,000 budget. Within 6 months, the spa generated its first profit — a whopping $19!

Since then, Viva Day Spa has grown to three locations and is widely recognized as one of the top spa destinations in Austin. With the opening of their second location at the Domain Northside shopping district in 2016, the Viva owners expanded their treatment offerings to include a curated menu of non-invasive med spa treatments. Their vision was to bring together the best of the spa and med spa worlds: nationally recognized medical aesthetics talent and expertise and the beautiful, relaxing spa experience Austin has known and loved for the past 14 years. Expansions at both their Viva Domain Northside and downtown Viva Lamar locations are a further commitment to that vision. At Viva, Austinites can receive the best massage, facial and nail care — along with med spa treatments like Botox, body contouring, laser hair removal, microneedling, skin tightening, and more — all under the same roof.

Maya, Shannan, Shannon and Laurie

When Shannan Riemer of Riemer Residential sat down with Maya, Shannon, and Laurie, it was immediately evident that the culture of caring they’ve crafted alongside their 140 employees is felt by everyone who walks through their doors — including us. They are as warm, friendly, genuine, and open as the uniquely Austin business they’ve built. With the holidays upon us, Viva Day Spa is the perfect place to pick up a gift certificate for a loved one, or simply indulge in some self-care everyone needs this time of year. When you do,tell them Riemer Residential sent you for a 10% discount on any spa or med spa services any Monday-Thursday at any Viva Day Spa location.

Author: Amanda Messbauer