Talk about news of the weird... Someone actually tallied the cost of everything in the ’12 Days of Christmas’ song, and it was printed in the Austin Business Journal…
Here are the nitty gritty details for your shopping list!'12 days of Christmas’ costs $18,920
A partridge and a pear tree will put a larger hole in your pocketbook this year, according to PNC Financial Services Group Inc.'s annual "Twelve Days of Christmas" survey.
According to the 22nd annual survey, the cost of the items from the well-known song is $18,920 in 2006, a 3.1 percent increase over last year. The change in gift prices mirrored the U.S. consumer price index.
Pear trees had the largest percentage price increase, up 44 percent from last year, from $89.99 to $129.99.
"The Christmas Price Index reflects trends in the broader economy," says Jeff Kleintop, chief investment strategist for PNC Wealth Management. "After years of stagnation, wages for skilled workers, including the song's dancers and musicians, have increased as the labor market has tightened."
The nine ladies dancing earned $4,759, 4 percent more, according to Philadanco, the Philadelphia Dance Co. The lords a-leaping got a 3 percent pay raise, while the drummers drumming and pipers piping earned 3.4 percent more. The seven swans a-swimming cost $4,200.
The partridge remained the cheapest purchase, at $15, according to Pittsburgh-based PNC (NYSE:PNC).
Austin Business Journal – November 27, 2006
Check out this recent ABJ article…National Geographic (and a few others) have discovered how cool Austin is, and they’re spreading the word!From National Geographic to Conde Nast, Magazines Lauding Austin
Some national press highlighting Austin is set to hit newsstands in November and December. Though Austin is growing at break-neck speed, some locals might be happy to learn that one publication considers Austin the "Best Little City in America".
In its November/December 2006 edition, National Geographic Traveler highlights Austin's diverse population, endless music, eclectic shopping and regional cuisine as defining factors.
"The glass isn't half full in Austin; it's spilling all over the table," writes Carl Hoffman. "Austin is not just the capital of Texas, but also a place where misfits fit and creativity is unbridled."
But National Geographic Traveler isn't the only national publication touting Austin's amenities. In the November issue of Travel + Leisure en Espanol, the magazine names Austin "the secret jewel." Journalist Analia Ferreyra writes that "Austin is the self-proclaimed Live Capital Music of the World, and the truth is: they are right. With more than 150 venues for live music and concerts in strange sites like supermarkets and the airport, I don't believe the town has any equal."
Additionally, Conde Nast Traveler will feature Austin in its December issue, thanks to Graham Boynton, a London-based editor for the magazine who arrived in the city during South by Southwest in March and immersed himself in the Austin experience.
And over the past month, the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau's communications department has hosted journalists from Germany, France, both the London Sunday Mail and the London Independent, and will welcome a group of Canadian travel writers to the city on Sunday.
Austin Business Journal – November 3, 2006
Best September Ever for Austin Real Estate -
Steady demand for homes pushes prices higher!Austin, Texas, home sales set another record in September as single-family transactions rose 2.7 percent over their year-ago level, the Austin Board of Realtors reported.
According to the latest Multiple Listing Service report, 2,341 single-family homes were sold last month, up from 2,280 sales in September 2005. Last month was the ninth consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains, according to statistics.
The median price of single-family properties gained 3 percent from a year ago to a September record of $167,000, up from $162,000 in September 2005.
The 8,203 active single-family listings in the MLS represent a 5 percent increase from September 2005, and were up from 8,137 in August. At an average of 58 days, the amount of time these listings sat on the market decreased by 15 percent, which is the shortest amount of time single-family listings have waited to sell since September 2001, when the average was 46 days.
"If you want proof that Austin is a real estate hot zone, all you have to do is look out your window," said ABoR Chairman John Rosshirt. "The construction cranes that have become fixtures around the skyline underscore the city's desirability. In North Austin, for example, the area around the Arboretum is the target of serious commercial development, and the home sales data complements that fact."
The 1N section of Austin, which encompasses ABoR's northwest Austin neighborhood, posted particularly noteworthy numbers in September. The area's single-family home sales increased 47 percent to 69 and earned a median price of $240,000, an 18 percent increase from last year. Averaging 38 days on the market, these properties sat for 40 percent less time than they did in September 2005.
The Austin Board of Realtors is a nonprofit, voluntary organization representing more than 8,500 licensed Realtors in Central Texas.Inman News - Friday, October 27, 2006
