December 2019

No matter where you live, you are starting to see and feel the signs of winter and cooler temperatures. As winter progresses, you are more likely to begin seeing snow and ice storms pop up and these events can cause damage to your home depending on the severity of them as well as if you prepare ahead of time and clean up after a storm. A little time and effort on your part can help protect your home and help you avoid costly repairs after the storm.

Snow accumulation on your roof can be a problem. While this isn’t a frequent problem in the Bastrop area, it’s too early to know what this season might bring. Snow is heavy and can cause damage to your roof if allowed to build up. You can remove snow from your roof with special tools but need to be careful.

This elegant sandstone home in The Colony offers three bedrooms, two full baths and one half bath. The home sits on 1.57 acres and is made up of 3,197 square feet and a three-car garage. The Colony offers a secure gated location conveniently located with easy access to Austin Bergstrom International Airport, Hyatt Lost Pines Resort & Spa and COTA.

The front entry to the home features double doors that open to the foyer with tile flooring. From the foyer, access the dining room and study. The home offers an open floor plan with a huge family room that includes a fireplace, coffered ceilings and natural light. The family room opens to the kitchen with knotty Alder cabinets, a large island and stainless steel appliances. A spacious laundry room offers a

The New Year is just around the corner and there are several different activities you can enjoy during the final days of 2019 and to start 2020.

The area’s seasonal holiday activities will be open for their final days over the next week so if you haven’t made it to them yet, don’t delay any longer.  

Make New Year’s Eve dinner reservations at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa for a buffet of many food choices accompanied by live music. Make an evening of it by booking a room for the night.  The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines hosts the Holiday Light Stroll through the New Year. Enjoy beautiful light displays along with hot cocoa and delicious treats at the stroll.

The Bastrop River of Lights will take place nightly through January 3.

Enjoy

When you are buying a new Bastrop house, you will need to understand the difference in fixtures and personal property. A fixture is part of the house and will stay with the house when you sell it. Personal property will not stay with the home and the seller of the home should take all personal property with them. The most common fixtures in a home are built-in appliances but also frequently include window treatments, blinds and pool equipment. When you are looking at houses, how do you know what will be yours if you buy the house and what will go with the current owners of the home? Here are three questions to ask yourself to help you determine if it will stay or go? 

1. Is the item permanently attached to the house? Dishwashers and stoves are normally

This quality Bastrop home was built by Nalle and is a delight for the owner both inside and outside. This home includes three bedrooms, two full baths and two half baths as well as 2,708 square feet of living space plus a three-car garage. The home sits on a 1.35 acre lot so you have room to enjoy.

Enter the majestic front door of the home to find the dining room on the right and a study to the left. The spacious dining room is accented by a tray ceiling and arched doorways. Continue to the living room where you will find a stone fireplace, tray ceiling and arched doorways. Natural lighting fills the room from windows on the back wall. The living room opens to the spacious kitchen and breakfast area. The kitchen offers a breakfast bar and island with

This is the final weekend before Christmas and hopefully your shopping is complete so you can spend the weekend having fun. There are still a few more activities going on around town and if you have family visiting, this is a great time to show them all that Bastrop has to offer.

The Bastrop River of Lights will take place nightly through January 3.

Bastrop Opera House will present The Best Christmas Pageant Ever for one final show on December 21. There is no better way to get in the Christmas spirit then with the Herdman family!

Playhouse Smithville will host A Nightmare Before Christmas through December 21.

Head to the Sugar Shack for Santa Nights through Saturday, December 21st. Tickets are sold at the door for this Santa experience.

The

When you are buying a house, there will likely be many things you don’t know even if it isn’t your first time buying a house. Don’t let this discourage you. Just ask questions of your real estate agent so you can be sure you know what to expect. Early in the home buying process, you are likely to hear your mortgage lender and your real estate agent mention PITI. What in the world does this have to do with buying a house? PITI is an acronym for your mortgage payment that includes Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance. This is commonly referred to during the mortgage application process as your lender is determining your credit ratios and making sure your income and loan amounts fall within their underwriting guidelines.

When your mortgage lender is

This property comes with once in a lifetime views that you will fall more in love with every day. Beyond the land, you will enjoy the custom log home featuring three bedrooms, two baths and 3,000+ square feet with guest quarters. The home is perfectly positioned to maximize the views from this property. This 293 acre ranch offers one of the highest elevations in Bastrop County for your private enjoyment. Panoramic views of the Colorado River and valley are just outside your door. The property also provides heavily wooded forests, native pastures, two ponds, rock outcroppings, canyons and Mill Creek. A variety of wildlife is found on the property including deer, hogs, bobcats, turkey and birds.

The main home includes soaring ceilings and an open floor

Just two weekends remain until Christmas and that makes this the perfect time to celebrate with family and friends for the holidays. This weekend there are lots of outdoor activities to enjoy as well as a few indoor activities to let you warm up. Grab your coat and gloves if you are headed out at night. What is your favorite event or activity to put you in the holiday mood?

Enjoy light displays, a Christmas play, a parade, shopping  much more all over town. Here are some of the holiday activities that will be taking place this weekend.

Have Breakfast with Santa at Calvary Baptist Church from 9-11 a.m. Enjoy a breakfast of pancakes and sausage as well as cookie decorating, Christmas crafts and more.

Downtown Bastrop will host their annual Lighted

Now that cooler weather has started, you may be ready to curl up by the fireplace on cool nights. Later this month, Santa will also be making an appearance and you definitely don’t want him to have any trouble coming down the chimney. Before fireplace burning season starts each year, it’s a good time to perform routine maintenance and a thorough cleaning of your fireplace and have a routine inspection done by a chimney professional. Having a buildup of soot and ash in your fireplace can lead to dangerous conditions when you light a fire. If you haven’t used your fireplace in a long time, it is even more important that you have an expert inspect it and make sure it is ready for the season. The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends an annual