Mission Mortgage Loan Officer Wins Award

Posted by miss3751 in Austin Facts, General Information | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
26April2012

Mission Mortgage’s own Senior Loan Officer Zoe Ann Heep has won the award of Mortgage Professional of the Year at the Austin Area Homebuilder’s Association’s MAX Award ceremony! The event took place earlier this month and served to recognize members of the Austin Area Homebuilder’s Association for achievements in new home building, remodeling, marketing, and personal achievement during 2011.

Zoe Ann is an Austin-native with a career spanning over 25 years in the world of real estate. It takes time, effort, and an incredible dedication to get where she is today. Mission Mortgage is grateful to have her as a part of the team.  Congrats Zoe Ann!

For the full list of Max Award winners, please click here.

Contact Zoe Ann by emailing her at zheep@missionmortgage.com or by calling us at 512-328-0400.

Mission Mortgage iPad Drawing

Posted by miss3751 in General Information | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment
26April2012

Last Friday we held a drawing for a new iPad 2. We invite all of our clients to submit feedback to us using an online survey within two weeks of their closing date.  All of the clients who completed a survery were included in the drawing, where we used a virtual lottery to randomly pick our winner. We conducted a live stream of the drawing on GoToMeeting so potential winners could sign in and see the results live. Below is a video of live virtual drawing:

Congratulations to Jade L. who won our drawing!

 

 

 

 

 

Clients who complete a feedback survey during 2nd quarter of 2012 will be eligible for our next online drawing.  We will be giving away a new Kindle Fire to our next lucky winner!

 

Two High-Rises Planned for Downtown Austin

Posted by miss3751 in Austin Facts, General Information | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
23April2012

Local developer The Sutton Co. is in preliminary plans to build two new high-rises in the southeast area of downtown Austin. The Sutton Co. is envisioning the two towers to go up in the Rainey Street area, with each reaching as tall as 50 stories.

This planned construction for downtown is in line with various reports showing increased growth in Austin, including rises in construction employment.

The two towers combined could house as many as 1,000 apartments, condominiums, and hotels. Estimated costs for the first tower are between $75 million and $100 million. At this point, financing has not yet been arranged, but the Sutton Co is working with potential capital partners and hopes to have one selected in the next month.        

There are several issues that will need to be addressed before construction can be underway. For instance, several older homes will need to be demolished in order for construction to begin, so the Sutton Co. will need to seek approval from the city’s Historic Landmark Commission beforehand. Narrow streets in the area also present themselves as being an issue with this potential new development. Don Grillo, communications officer for the Rainey Neighbors Association, said, “In general, we welcome new businesses and new buildings. But another 1,000 or 2,000 people living in that neighborhood with those narrow streets is a major, major issue.”

The Sutton Co. is responsible for several downtown housing units, including developing the Brazos Lofts and Avenue Lofts, as well as co-developing the Plaza Lofts.

To read the original article from the Statesman, please click here.

Four Things To Do In Austin This Week

Posted by miss3751 in Austin Facts, General Information | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
20April2012

This feature highlights four events or activities in Austin and the surrounding area every week.  If you have suggestions for events to be mentioned, please email them to info@missionmortgage.com.

1. Enjoy three days of good music and fun in the sun at the Austin Reggae Fest going on this weekend. Proceeds benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. For more, click here.

2. Get out and Support the #3 world-ranked Texas Rollergirls this Saturday at the Austin Convention Center. For details, please click here.

3. Catch a good laugh with NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” comedian Aziz Ansari at The Paramount on Wednesday. For more information, click here.

4. More great music coming at you this week, including a few of my personal favorites:  Garbage at La Zona Rosa on Saturday, Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys at the Frank Erwin Center on Wednesday, Feist at Stubbs on Thursday, and Al Green at ACL Live on Thursday.

Compiled by Diego Menchaca for Mission Mortgage, April 20, 2012

For those seeking more options for things to do in Austin, we recommend the following websites:
www.do512.com - By far the easiest to navigate and search and they give away plenty of tickets to shows every week.
www.c3concerts.com/ - Another easy-to-use site provided by the same folks that produce the ACL Music Festival every year.
www.austinchronicle.com – Less user-friendly, but a wide variety of events, activities, and stories about the Austin music scene.
www.austin360.com – Provided by the Austin American-Statesman newspaper. Again, not the most user-friendly, but filled with great ideas every week.

Heath Care Tech Company Opening Facility in Austin

Posted by miss3751 in Austin Facts, General Information | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment
19April2012

St. Louis-based health care technology company, Lumeris, is opening an Austin office. In the process, Lumeris plans to hire 100 people this year with the potential for more openings in the future, said CEO Michael Long.

Candidates they are looking to hire include software developers, product and project managers, and data warehousing and client services professionals.

We have blogged in the past about healthcare expansion that would help bring new jobs to Austin, including the plan to build a new hospital, as well as a proposal for a new University of Texas Medical School.

Lumeris felt Central Texas was a good choice for expansion given Austin’s talent pool. Lumeris board member John Doerr said, “Austin was a logical choice for us. I have personally experienced the great talent and innovation that is pervasive in the Austin area, and great talent builds great companies.”

Lumeris’ software works to help insurance companies and hospitals more efficiently share information and tools with doctors. Lumeris CEO Michael Long said, “We’re taking some of the innovative technologies that have just recently come to market and that have been proven in other industries and we’re applying them to health care. The result is we will bend the cost curve while improving outcomes.”

In order to provide potential candidates with more information, Lumeris will be holding a recruiting event at 219 West in downtown Austin on April 30, 2012 at 5:30 pm. Company executives will be present to answer any questions job candidates may have. Appetizers and drinks will be provided at the event, as well as giveaways for Austin City Limits tickets and an iPad. Click here for more information on this event.

Lumeris currently employs over 500 employees in St. Louis, Boston, and Hyderabad, India.

For the full story on the Statesman, please click here.

Construction Employment Rises in Austin

Posted by miss3751 in Austin Facts, General Information | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
17April2012

Construction jobs in Austin have risen 6 percent in the month of February compared to the same month last year. This employment boost marks an increase of about 2,500 jobs. On a larger scope, Texas has also shown a 6 percent increase in construction employment, totaling about 43,800 additional jobs.

This announcement comes just a few weeks after Austin was ranked the number one metro in the nation for job creation. Between January 2011 and January 2012 Austin has added 26,800 jobs. During the same period, the state of Texas added 258,000 jobs.

The Associated General Contractors of America chief economist Ken Simonson said the increase can be credited in large part to the growing private-sector demand. New company expansions in Austin can also be attributed to an increase in the demand for construction jobs lately. Companies like Apple, Whole Foods, and HEB have all announced expansion in the Austin area that will require some sort of new construction.

There are several other major construction projects currently underway in Austin that are positively affecting construction employment. A few of these include the upcoming F1 track, the new Federal Courthouse, and the Cirrus Logic headquarters building.

Furthermore, increases in local housing market could also be a determining factor in the increase in construction job demand.

To read the original Austin Business Journal article, please click here.

Four Things To Do In Austin This Week

Posted by miss3751 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
13April2012

This feature highlights four events or activities in Austin and the surrounding area every week.  If you have suggestions for events to be mentioned, please email them to info@missionmortgage.com.

1. Join in on some Cajun fun this weekend at the Lone Star Crawfish Festival, where you can enjoy music, beer, and all-you-can-eat crawfish. All proceeds from the event will go towards the Busby Foundation, which supports Central Texas families affected by ALS. For more, click here.

2. Stop by at Lucy’s for their Beers for Books and Trivia event benefitting Room to Read, which positively impacts literacy and gender equality in education across Asia and Africa. For details, please click here.

3. Learn what it takes to start and grow your own garden at the East Austin Garden Fair. Activity booths will be available for adults and children on a variety of topics. For more information, click here.

4. Another great week in music coming up:  School of Seven Bells at The Mohawk on Friday, The Eastern Sea at Stubbson Friday, Quiet Company at Riverbend Centre on Saturday, and Evanescence at Stubbs on Tuesday.

Compiled by Diego Menchaca for Mission Mortgage, April 5, 2012

For those seeking more options for things to do in Austin, we recommend the following websites:
www.do512.com - By far the easiest to navigate and search and they give away plenty of tickets to shows every week.
www.c3concerts.com/ - Another easy-to-use site provided by the same folks that produce the ACL Music Festival every year.
www.austinchronicle.com – Less user-friendly, but a wide variety of events, activities, and stories about the Austin music scene.
www.austin360.com – Provided by the Austin American-Statesman newspaper. Again, not the most user-friendly, but filled with great ideas every week.

Updated: Austin Remains Best for Small Business

Posted by miss3751 in Austin Facts, General Information | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment
12April2012

For the third year in a row, Austin is the best city in the South for small businesses. Austin managed to beat out Raleigh, NC for the number one spot. Other Texas markets that made the top ten include Houston, McAllen-Edinburg, and Dallas.

 Several factors go into determining the best markets for small business, including population growth, employment gains/loses, and local concentrations of small businesses. Earlier this week the Austin Business Journal reported that Austin has the number 14 population in the United States, with 790,390 residents. Just a few weeks ago we blogged about how Austin has lead the nation in job creation in the the past eight years.  

 Austin was able to retain its number 1 ranking in large part to its strong growth in population, private-sector jobs, and small businesses. This last statistic is especially important, as only three of the top 37 Southern markets posted one-year gains.

 The lowest ranked market in the region for small business is Augusta, GA, because of its low concentration of small businesses and drop in population.

 Below is a complete list of the top ten markets for small businesses in the Southern region of the United States:

 

 To read the original Business Journals article, click here.

UPDATED:  In their combination list, where all markets are ranked together, The Business Journals has ranked Austin as the number one market for small business in the United States.

The best regional markets for small business, and they are as follows:

East:  Pittsburgh

South:  Austin

Midwest:  Minneapolis-St. Paul

West:  Salt Lake City

To read the Business Journals article comparing all markets, please click here.

 

AISD Ranks Among the Top Performing Districts in the Nation

Posted by miss3751 in Austin Facts, General Information | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment
9April2012

One of the most important factors for home buyers is the school district that their children will attend. Understanding the health and performance of the local schools helps potential buyers in their decision making process. A recent report found that the Austin Independent School District (AISD) ranks among the best in the nation.

Based on a thorough review performed by the Broad Foundation, Austin Independent School District has been named one of the highest-performing school districts in the country. The report states that AISD excelled in many categories, specifically strategic planning and financial resource systems.

Shelley Billig, vice president of RMC Research, said, “Austin is setting an example for the nation. AISD is a terrific school district, striving to become world-class.”

The report showed that on 28 out of 33 indicators used by the audit, AISD scored  ratings of at least “meets expectations,” while six categories were rated “exemplary.”

“We asked for the toughest assessment in the country to help the district make the right next steps and focus our limited resources to ensure that we are on the right path to achieve excellence for our kids and families. We welcomed the opportunity to continue to review the district—candidly and openly—against world-class standards.” Superintendent Meria Carstarphen said in a statement.

AISD was one of only two “promising practice” school districts in the country selected by the Broad Foundation and a part of the mere 14 districts the foundation considered.

According to this audit, several of AISD’s practices and procedures are among the best in the United States, including:

•  The district strategic plan is regularly monitored for implementation, evaluated for effectiveness and revised to respond to changing priorities

•  The district provides a cohesive, comprehensive system for assessing and reporting student performance

•  The district holds schools accountable for academic performance and intervenes as needed to ensure high performance

•  The district is financially sound … uses its funds efficiently, and seeks additional external sources of funding to support strategic plan implementation.

For more information, please click here and here.

Four Things To Do In Austin This Week

Posted by miss3751 in Austin Facts, General Information | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment
6April2012

This feature highlights four events or activities in Austin and the surrounding area every week.  If you have suggestions for events to be mentioned, please email them to info@missionmortgage.com.

1.  Join in on some great family fun at the Easter Egg Hunt and Picnic taking place on Saturday. The egg hunt kicks off at 11:00 am on the west lawn of the Capitol Grounds. For more, click here.

2.  Blue Starlite Drive-In is showing a double feature on Saturday of two childhood classics: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and It’s the Easter Beagle Charlie Brown. For details, please click here.

3.  Go out and support the #3 University of Texas Longhorns softball team as they take on the #11 Missouri Tigers on Saturday. For more information, click here.

4.  Some really great music this week, including some great local bands: Pure X at Red 7 on Friday, Toadies at Stubbs on Saturday, Real Estate at The Mohawk on Wednesday and Spoon at Red 7 on Wednesday.

Compiled by Diego Menchaca for Mission Mortgage, April 6, 2012

For those seeking more options for things to do in Austin, we recommend the following websites:
www.do512.com - By far the easiest to navigate and search and they give away plenty of tickets to shows every week.
www.c3concerts.com/ - Another easy-to-use site provided by the same folks that produce the ACL Music Festival every year.
www.austinchronicle.com – Less user-friendly, but a wide variety of events, activities, and stories about the Austin music scene.
www.austin360.com – Provided by the Austin American-Statesman newspaper. Again, not the most user-friendly, but filled with great ideas every week.