Austin’s water restrictions can make maintaining a lawn or garden challenging during the heat of summer, but as Texas droughts continue, it’s as important as ever to conserve water. Thankfully, for over two years now, the City of Austin has offered a special rebate program for residents and local businesses interested in collecting rainwater. Water collected from rain barrels is not only free—it is completely exempt from city water restrictions! …
U.S. 30-Year Mortgage Rate Hits Record-breaking 3.49 Percent
The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage has fallen again, dropping to a record-breaking 3.49 percent for the first time in the past 60 years. The average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage also declined, dipping to 2.80 percent – well below last week’s previous record of 2.83 percent.
Austin Selected for 2015 Cyclo-cross National Championships
USA Cycling has selected Austin, Texas as the host for the 2015 Cyclo-cross National Championships. The competition will be held at Zilker Park near the heart of Downtown Austin. “Being chosen to host the 2015 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships is both an honor and an exciting opportunity for Austin,” said Austin City Council Member Chris Riley. “Cyclo-cross is a fast-growing sport that is gaining more and more followers in …
Lower Your Electric Bill This Summer: Home Energy Efficiency Tips
On June 8th, the Austin City Council unanimously approved a 7% rate increase for Austin Energy, the first increase in base electric rates and rate structure change since 1994. What does this mean for Austin residents? The overall impact is three-part. First, summer electric bills will increase by less than $10 per month for the smallest residential users and between $13 and $24 per summer month for average users. Second, …
Happy Poetry Month from the Austin Poetry Society
Sixteen years ago, the Academy of American Poets declared April National Poetry Month. From Tarrytown to Travis Country, Austin abounds with over 1,500 poets! What better way to celebrate Poetry Month than to celebrate alongside them? This is the line of thinking for Austin Poetry Society, an organization that has been celebrating Austin poetry for over 60 years: “Since Austin has at least one poetry reading almost every day of …