Marble Falls’ fall calendar used to have a gap between LakeFest in early summer and the Walkway of Lights in December, and Oktoberfest is what’s filled it in. It’s one of the newer additions to the town’s event lineup, but it’s already become a genuine local favorite. Here’s what it is and what it’s like […]
Your Guide to Fort Croghan Day
Most of Burnet’s festivals are about what the town is now — Fort Croghan Day is about what it was before it was a town at all. It’s one of the few events on the Highland Lakes calendar built around real, on-site history rather than a modern tradition, and it’s worth understanding on its own […]
What Home Improvements Add Resale Value in Austin?
Thinking about a pre‑sale remodel? I’ve seen homeowners pour thousands into projects that barely move the needle on price. Below I break down the upgrades that actually lift resale value, the pitfalls to avoid, and how to decide if a project is worth the spend. Table of Contents Which Home Improvements Usually Add the Most […]
How Much House Can I Actually Afford? A Straight‑Forward Guide
Want to know the real price tag you can handle without stretching yourself thin? I’ll walk you through the exact calculations, the hidden costs, and the usable steps you need to take right now. Table of Contents What You Can Afford Is More Than a Lender’s Maximum How Income, Debts, and Monthly Expenses Shape Your […]
How to the Mortgage Preapproval Process in 4 Simple Steps
Most homebuyers think a mortgage pre‑approval is just one form, but the data shows it’s a 13‑step journey that can stall if you miss a document or slip on credit. I’ll walk you through the four moves that get you a solid pre‑approval letter and keep you on track for buying in Austin. Table of […]
Your Guide to the Kingsland House of Arts & Crafts Fall Show
AquaBoom gets all the attention when people talk about Kingsland, but the town has a quieter cultural side too, and the Kingsland House of Arts and Crafts is where it lives. Its fall show is a small, honest example of what a lake town looks like when it isn’t the Fourth of July. TLDR (Too […]
How to Remove PMI: A Step‑by‑Step Guide
Paying PMI feels like throwing money away. The good news is it’s not forever. Below is the exact process I use with my clients to drop private mortgage insurance and keep more cash in their pocket. Table of Contents Step 1: Confirm Whether You Have PMI or FHA Mortgage Insurance Step 2: Calculate Your Current […]
Living in Marble Falls, TX: Small-Town Walkability Meets Real Hill Country Lake Access
A version of this question comes up almost every time I’m working with someone new to the Highland Lakes: they’ve had lunch downtown, maybe walked out to the water at Lakeside Park, and they want to know if the town holds up once you’re not just visiting for the day. Marble Falls is the town […]
How to Sell My House Fast in Austin, TX: Your Real Options
I get some version of this call a couple times a month. Someone needs to sell fast, maybe a job is pulling them out of state, maybe there’s a life change nobody plans for, and they want to know what “fast” actually looks like in Austin right now. So let’s talk about it straight, the […]
Your Guide to Fall Festivals in Llano County
Llano isn’t a town I work as often as Burnet, Marble Falls, or Kingsland, but it sits right along the Llano River just west of the Highland Lakes, and its fall calendar is genuinely worth knowing about if you’re looking anywhere on that side of the region. Here are the four traditions that make up […]
Living in Sunrise Beach Village, TX: Life in Lake LBJ’s Oldest No-Short-Term-Rental Town
I get asked about Sunrise Beach Village more than almost anywhere else on Lake LBJ, usually by people who’ve already ruled out Horseshoe Bay on price and want to know if there’s anywhere left on this lake that still feels like an actual small town instead of a subdivision with a lake view bolted on. […]
How to Buy Austin Condos for Sale
Finding the right condo in Austin can feel like a puzzle, especially when listings range from a few thousand dollars to half‑a‑million. I’ll walk you through the exact steps I use with my clients so you can move from searching to signing with confidence. Table of Contents Step 1: Define Your Austin Condo Budget and […]
Your Guide to Llano Hunters Appreciation Day
Llano calls itself the Deer Capital of Texas, and Hunters Appreciation Day is the one event that proves the town actually means it. If you’re weighing property anywhere near Llano, this is worth understanding before you assume November is a quiet month there. TLDR (Too Long; Didn’t Read): Your Guide to Llano Hunters Appreciation Day […]
Your Guide to MayFest in Marble Falls
Marble Falls is the town most of the Highland Lakes orbits around, and MayFest is a good reminder that it’s still a real town center, not just a shopping strip between lake towns. Here’s what it is, what happens, and what it means if you end up living close enough to walk to it. Mayfest […]
Living in Sherwood Shores, TX: Lake LBJ Access from a 1962 Ranch Subdivision
I get a version of the same conversation a few times a year with buyers who’ve spent a weekend out on Lake LBJ and don’t want to go home. They’ve usually already priced out Horseshoe Bay, or they’ve looked at the newer construction further down the shoreline and balked at what it costs to get […]
Your Guide to Taste Highland Lakes
Kingsland’s calendar has AquaBoom for the Fourth of July and a quiet local arts scene the rest of the year, but Taste Highland Lakes is the newer addition that’s given the town a genuine food-and-wine event of its own, separate from the lake entirely. Taste Highland Lakes is put together by the Kingsland/Lake LBJ Chamber […]
How to Handle Multiple Offers in Austin
When several offers arrive for your Austin home, the highest price isn’t always the strongest deal. I look at the full contract, the buyer’s ability to close, and the risk hidden in each term before recommending a response. Texas rules also shape the process. Set a deadline, tell buyers that multiple offers exist, compare every […]
Marble Falls TX Gated Communities: A Local Guide to Your Real Options (2026)
A Marble Falls broker’s real guide to gated communities: acreage subdivisions, equestrian, golf, and waterfront options, HOA dues, and what a gate actually buys you.
How to Invest in Real Estate With Little Money
Want to get into real estate but think you need a fortune? You don’t. Here’s a step‑by‑step guide that lets you start with a modest stash and grow from there. Table of Contents Step 1: Set a Realistic Investment Budget and Goal Step 2: Choose a Real Estate Strategy That Fits Your Capital Step 3: […]
Your Guide to Main Street Market Day & the Starving Artist Show in Marble Falls
Marble Falls’ Main Street already carries a car show, an Oktoberfest, and most of the town’s Christmas season. Market Day and the Starving Artist Show add a recurring, lower-key layer underneath all of that — the kind of event that happens often enough to become part of the town’s normal rhythm rather than a once-a-year […]
How to Screen Tenants in Texas: A Step‑by‑Step Guide
Getting the right tenant can make or break your rental business. One slip, like missing the required 7‑day decision notice, can turn a clean process into a costly lawsuit. Below is a step‑by‑step guide that walks you through every legal requirement, from setting criteria to notifying the applicant. Table of Contents Step 1: Set Written […]
Your Guide to the Burnet BBQ Cook-off & Music Fest
Burnet’s food-and-music calendar isn’t limited to Oktoberfest. The Burnet BBQ Cook-off & Music Fest is its own separate weekend, built for serious competition barbecue rather than a beer garden and an art walk. Here’s what sets it apart. The Burnet BBQ Cook-off & Music Fest is built around IBCA-sanctioned competition barbecue, which means it follows […]
Marble Falls TX HOA Fees: What You’ll Actually Pay by Neighborhood (2026)
A Marble Falls broker breaks down real HOA fees by neighborhood, why many homes have none, and how to get the true current number before you buy.
Your Guide to the Bertram Oatmeal Festival
Bertram already has the closed-street charm of Halloween on Vaughan Street going for it, but the Oatmeal Festival is the event that actually put the town on people’s radar statewide. It started as a protest, and it’s still going strong nearly 50 years later. The Oatmeal Festival exists because of an insult. In 1978, residents […]
Living in Bee Cave, TX: Hill Country Views with a Real Town Center
I’ve sold homes in Bee Cave for years now, and the question I get most from buyers isn’t about the schools or the commute. It’s “wait, is this actually a separate town, or is it just part of Austin?” Fair question. Bee Cave is its own incorporated city in Travis County, with its own city […]
Living in Buda, TX: Small-Town Main Street With an Easy Run Up I-35
I’ve written contracts on houses in Buda where the sellers had lived there since before the H-E-B on Main Street existed, and I’ve helped young families close on new construction in subdivisions that were cattle pasture five years ago. Both of those are Buda right now, and honestly that’s the thing people ask me about […]
Marble Falls TX Property Tax Rate: What You’ll Actually Pay in 2026
A Marble Falls broker breaks down the real property tax rate: city, ISD, and county rates, the 2025 homestead exemption changes, and what buyers actually pay.
Living in Kyle, TX: Small-Town Roots and Big Growth South of Austin
I’ve sold homes on both sides of I-35 in Kyle for long enough now that I can tell you which streets pond up after a hard rain and which Plum Creek cul-de-sacs get shade in the afternoon before I ever pull an address. Kyle comes up in a lot of buyer conversations these days, usually […]
Living in Meadowlakes, TX: A Gated Golf Community on Lake Marble Falls
I get some version of this question every few months from buyers looking around the Highland Lakes: they’ve toured Horseshoe Bay, priced out Marble Falls proper, and someone mentioned a small gated neighborhood on Lake Marble Falls called Meadowlakes that they can’t find much about online. It’s a fair reaction. Meadowlakes doesn’t get the attention […]
Living in Horseshoe Bay, TX: Resort Life on Lake LBJ
I get a version of the same question every time someone drives out to Horseshoe Bay for the first time: is this actually a real town, or is it just a resort with a zip code? It’s a fair question, because the golf and the yacht club are what get people out here in the […]
