Sherry's Austin TX Real Estate Blog: January 2009

Cedar Park is north of Austin, and you if thought Lakeline Mall was in Austin…you would be wrong. It is actually in Cedar Park. Cedar Park is growing fast and furious!

In our search for something new and different, we gave the newly opened “Garlick Joe’s” a try. I ordered it as “Take Out” for this visit. We were not disappointed! My husband ordered the Meat Lovers Pizza, and was totally surprised. Said it was one of the best he has had in the Austin area! I ordered the Lasagna, and it was fabulous! I love Italian food, and you would be surprised how hard it is to find good Italian food in the Austin area. (They tend to be a little more Tex-Mex flavored here).

I had ordered the Wedge Salad, but it was too much meat for me. Meats were served on the salad just like they went on sandwich or pizza, so be prepared to chop if you prefer that way. We ended up splitting it for supper with left over pizza. Meatiest pizza I’ve seen!

Garlick Joes is located at The Commons at Buttercup Creek, off of 183 North (Bell St. in Cedar Park), and Buttercup Creek Blvd. It is a Sport Bar flavored set-up, so you won’t miss the game!

Search for Cedar Park Real Estate at www.Luxury-Homes-in-Austin.com

I used to quilt years ago. I still like to sew, I just don’t really have the patience for full hand sewn quilts anymore. However, I got my mother-in-law, Linda, started a few years back. She loves it and is doing so well at it! She has won several ribbons, and we all look forward to seeing what she is working on for her next project and what she has done for the holidays and hope we are a recipient of something.

This year, Linda gave us a quilt! It is a hand quilted Victorian Star pattern in the colors we have chosen to decorate our home in. It came complete with a bag for storage, an appraisal, and it was valued at $1495.00. And to top it off…Linda won a ribbon on it, and she included photos of it being made! It is something we will definitely treasure for years!

In celebration of Elvis’s birthday, we go to Chuy’s each and every year. Actually if they don’t see us at least once a week, the waitress said they would call.

Of course the husband always gets the Elvis Fried Chicken. That is a chicken breast flatted out, dipped in crushed Lay’s potato chips, deep fried, and served with green chili sauce and cheddar cheese. That is served with (in my opinion) the best refried beans on this planet and green chili rice. He usually orders it with some queso in addition and some flour tortillas on the side. The tortillas are made right in the restaurant, and you can watch them being made. They are the best!

I have tried everything on the menu, and you can’t go wrong with anything. My favorite is the shrimp taco’s, on the wheat tortillas. They have a Jalepeno Ranch dressing that we swear….well we call it “Crack Jalepeno Ranch”. You just want a quart of it with a straw!

On Elvis’s birthday, Elvis usually makes at least one appearance at each store, and usually 2 visits. They have Elvis/Chuy t-shirts for sale along with some freebie give aways. Don’t forget to check out the regular Chuy’s t-shirts too!

Get there before the Twinkies are gone!

Thank you…Thank you very much…

Search for homes with a Chuy's near by go to: www.Luxury-Homes-In-Austin.com

With its beautiful trees, numerous amenities and ideal setting, Forest Creek makes a great place to call home.

Forest Creek is a great community to raise your family. Situated in Round Rock, west of County Road 122 and a few miles east of Interstate 35, Forest Creek is bounded by Gattis School Road to the south. U.S. 79 is north of the community by just a few minutes.

This upscale community is close enough to Round Rock to be convenient, yet far enough away to maintain its own identity. Dell Computer and a host of high-tech employers are close by. A big part of Forest Creek's identity can be found in the Forest Creek Golf Club. The par 72, 7,147-yard golf course is the centerpiece of the community. The course has been "nationally recognized as one of the finest public golf courses in Texas." For the avid golfer, there are a total of three public courses within seven miles of the community.

Another feature that the community has is the on-site school, Forest Creek Elementary, which maintains an exemplary rating. Along with the golf course, the elementary school is a big draw for newcomers. The school undoubtedly plays a major role in the abundance of families with young children. Ridgeview Middle School and Stoney Point High School are the other nearby schools that serve Forest Creek.

As Round Rock has grown, it has brought recreation and shopping options to the residents of Forest Creek. In fact the area surrounding Forest Creek is a shopper's paradise. The La Frontera shopping center is within shouting distance and offers numerous places to have a meal and spend a few bucks. In addition to shopping and dining, Round Rock is home to the minor-league baseball team, the Round Rock Express, at the nearby Dell Diamond.

To search for homes in the Round Rock or Austin area visit:  www.Luxury-Homes-in-Austin.com

River Place on Lake Austin is one of the city's most naturally beautiful master-planned communities. The boundaries of this waterfront/country club community include FM 2222 to the north, the Balcones Canyon Lands Preserve to the west and Westminster/Glen Lake to the east. You can get there by heading west on FM 2222 and taking a left into the main entrance on River Place Boulevard.

It is just a twenty-minute drive from downtown Austin, River Place appeals to both urban dwellers and nature lovers alike. Of the 1,440 acres owned by the homeowners association, half is dedicated to preserved land never to be developed. The natural beauty of the unspoiled land, swimming and boating, fishing, a marina with private slips for non-waterfront residents, rare preserve home sites situated along the hills overlooking Lake Austin, a park with youth soccer fields, tennis courts, fifty acres of nature trails and a fishing pond, close proximity to River Place Country Club featuring Tom Kite Golf Course, nearby shopping, and an active neighborhood association make River Place an estate community that seems to have it all.

River Place is comprised of 1,200 to 1,350 single-family homes. Prices run from around $330,000 to well over $1,000,000 with mandatory membership to the homeowners association, River Place Residential Community Association, Inc. The community includes a diverse group of active people who are drawn to the wide spread of price ranges and home and lot sizes that River Place offers.

In addition to the residential aspect of the community, River Place includes an office park. River Place Pointe, a business/technology office campus, takes up 48 of the 1,440 acres and houses seven buildings right next door to River Place Country Club.

The development is in the Leander Independent School District so children attend either Laura Bush or Steiner Ranch Elementary Schools, Cedar Park Middle School or Cedar Park High School.