PostHeaderIcon Austin Texas Real Estate Profiles: Cat Mountain

Cat Mountain, Texas is a gorgeous community along 2222, above the skyline of Austin. With stunning views and a high standard of living, Cat Mountain offers something for even the most discriminating home buyer. While keeping residents away from the hustle and congestion of an urban center, Cat Mountain offers all the amenities of a global urban center such as Austin.

If real estate is all about location, location, and location, Cat Mountain real estate is situated in a premiere area. Conveniently a few minutes drive from the 360 bridge, downtown Austin, the Arboretum, and Westlake, Cat Mountain offers the best recreation opportunities as well as easy access to Austin’s world-class dining and shopping. Of course, the proximity to Austin means that excellent employers are only a very short commute away. Houses in the community also offer stunning sunset views and gorgeous views of the nearby 360 bridge, Jester Estates, the Austin Country Club Golf Course, Lake Austin, Shepherd Mountain, and Mount Bonnell.

In terms of real estate, Cat Mountain also offers lovely homes built between the 1970s and the 1990s. Some new construction houses are also available in the region. Homebuyers in Cat Mountain can choose from new properties or mature homes. Many wonderful houses in the neighborhood start at $350 000. However, some distressed homes in Cat Mountain can be purchased for under $300 000.

If you are shopping for Cat Mountain properties, you will be pleasantly surprised to find how lovely houses in Cat Mountain are. Many properties boast landscaped lots, terraces, and decks, which are ideal for enjoying the breathtaking views that Cat Mountain offers. Much of Cat Mountain development has been high end, so you can expect the best of everything in your new property. Home sizes here range from 1700 to 6000 sqft., so that you can find the right home to suit your needs. Whether you want a huge home you can enjoy your golden years in or a warm property where you can raise a family, Cat Mountain real estate offers you the choices you deserve.

PostHeaderIcon Blue Mountains Australia: What to See and Do

If you were to simply open your eyes and find yourself in the Blue Mountains, NSW, you would never guess that you were only ninety minutes drive from the centre of Australia’s biggest city, Sydney. The Blue Mountains is one of Australia’s oldest rural holiday destinations and has not lost it’s popularity. It offers plenty for those looking for a romantic escape and for families wanting a healthy, active holiday.

Getting there: Getting to the Blue Mountains is easy. From Sydney head west following the signs for Parramatta. Then join the M4 (toll section near Sydney) and keep going on the M4 as far as the edge of the Blue Mountains in Lapstone. You can then follow the signs up to the main tourist areas such as Katoomba. An alternative is to catch the train from Central Railway station in Sydney CBD. There is around one train an hour and it takes roughly 90-120 minutes depending on which station you are going to. There are day trips from Sydney as well by coach which return to the city the same day but staying in one of the great Blue Mountains accommodation options for a few nights will allow you to truly appreciate the area.

What to do: If you come to the Blue Mountains there is plenty to do. Obviously you are going to want to take in the fantastic scenery so here are a few ideas.

Viewpoints: The Blue Mountains offers some stunning viewpoints. Some of the most well known include Echo Point in Katoomba offers an amazing view over the Three Sisters and through the Jamison Valley. Wentworth Falls also offer great views of both the falls and the valley.

Bushwalking: There are bushwalking trails throughout the Blue Mountains region and national park. Once you reach the Blue Mountains then head to one of the tourist information centres such as the one in Katoomba and request a bushwalking map marking the main trails. You can choose from short walks on manmade paths to long and adventurous hikes.

Scenic World: Located in the central Katoomba area, Scenic World is the most popular attraction in the region and offers a number of ways to enjoy the great views. Scenic World has a number of attractions including a cable car, a glass floored skyway which takes you across the valley and the world’s steepest railway. There is also a boardwalk around the rainforest at the bottom of the valley. It’s a great family attraction and a fun way to take in some of the views of the local area.

Eating Out: If you’re looking for some special places to eat, here are some suggestions.

Solitary, 90 Cliff Drive, Leura Falls, NSW.

This restaurant enjoys some of the best views you could hope to find in the Blue Mountains and does not things slip when it comes to the food. Solitary was created back in 2000 by husband and wife team Georgia Shepherd and John Cross the restaurant serves fantastic Modern Australian and European influenced food in a fine dining atmosphere. The restaurant has won many awards including Two Chefs hats in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2007 and ranked as one of the Lonely Planet top 5 places to eat out in Australia in 2004.

Darley’s Restaurant at Lilianfels, Echo Point, Lilianfels Avenue, Katoomba.

Located in the historic and luxurious Lilianfels Hotel, Darley’s restaurant has a long reputation for excellent food and service. They have been awarded Two Chefs hats in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2009, one of only a small number to achieve such a high accolade. The restaurant specialises in excellent country cooking that fits the location and makes use of high quality local produce and an excellent wine list. This is obviously somewhere for a special occasion and is not cheap. Expect to pay close to $80 per person for two courses or around $100 for three courses with wine being extra. If you can’t make your mind up from the menu you can sample a number of interesting course with the degustation menu served with matching wines. Whey to stay: Blue Mountains accommodation comes in the form of cosy cottages and homely bed and breakfasts perfect for a romantic getaway. From budget to total luxury there is something for everyone. Some of the most popular

When to go: Typically you will find the Blue Mountains will be a few degrees cooler than Sydney year round. The accommodation is well geared up for the cooler months and you will find many of the cottages will have a fireplace to make things nice and cosy. You should find it a little cooler than Sydney in the summer although on the hottest days it may make a long walk feel like hot work.

PostHeaderIcon Winter Park Mountain Homes

Winter Park is “The Mountain Bike Capital of the USA”. Winter Park real estate and development company, Coyote Creek is only 90 minutes outside Denver. Though, primarily a ski town, Winter Park is becoming a four-season town. The desire for mountain homes is making Winter Park a popular place to live, driving the Winter Park real estate market.

Winter Park is located in Grand County, Colorado. It lies at 9100 feet. The area is surrounded by the Arapaho National Forest and three beautiful Wilderness areas. Close by, the Rocky Mountain National Park offers 265,727 acres of natural land and wildlife habitat for public enjoyment. In the Fraser Valley are three different ecological zones offering fantastic views and surroundings for Winter Park mountain homes.

David Moffat founded Winter Park as a workers camp during construction of the Moffat Tunnel while building the transcontinental railroad from Denver to the Pacific. Winter Park began as two small settlements, Old Town and Hideaway Park. The Fraser Valley in which Winter Park is located has a rich heritage of Ute Indians, logging, pioneers, mining, ranching and the railroad.

Winter Park offers the best powder skiing in the nation. Cold and long winters at high altitude are perfect conditions for winter recreation. Average annual sunny days is 250, average snowfall is 231 inches, the average high is 54 degrees, average low is 12.

Tourism drives the Winter Park economy. Retail and service businesses are the major employers. In addition, the Winter Park real estate market is vibrant because so many are seeking mountain homes.

Work in the town is very seasonal. Winter park enjoys low unemployment rates. The average median household income is $44,000, much higher than the national median of 41, 994 (2000 census).

Winter Park is a small town of 662 people with 129 families. Seasonal work fluctuates the population, as well as, second-home owners vacationing in their mountain homes.

Located in the Arapahoe National Forest, moose, elk, deer, porcupines, bear and mountain lions make their home in the mountain region.

3000 acres of skiing landscape offer terrain parks, groomers, bumps, steeps and deeps. In 2006, snow fall was an ideal 365 inches. There are other popular sports – cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing.

In the summer with 250 sunny days a year there is mountain biking, fishing, hiking, camping, backpacking and river rafting. There is also a full cultural life with concerts and festivals; the Alpine Art Affair takes place in July.

Smart buyers are taking advantage of opportunities in Winter Park real estate. Booming business and proximity to Denver are increasing the potential for Winter Park real estate, at the same time it is still affordable. As the area has grown, affordable housing needs have to. In Winter Park, 80% of homes are owned by second home owners wanting mountain homes.

The median value of owner occupied housing units is $334, 400; median asking price $541,000. Winter Park real estate ranges from $120, 000 to $2,500,000.