I was having a conversation with a couple I was showing Lake Travis view homes yesterday over lunch and we were talking about the oil spill and how Texas can actually benefit from it.  The oil has netagively affected Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and is now hitting Florida.  As this well continues to spew oil into the waters of the Gulf, it may make its way into the Gulf Stream and then up the east coast.  Beaches from Florida all the way to New York may be affected.

On the other hand, Texas beaches remain clear.  During the lunch conversation I was telling my buyers that Texas could see an increase in tourists on our beaches and that could be great for our economy.  Our seafood industry could also feel a positive impact as up to 1/3 of Gulf fisheries have been closed.  After seeing the final home we drove to Marina View Way in Rough Hollow.  My clients wanted to walk around one of the villas even though they knew we could not get inside right then as I had not set that one up for a showing.

Rough Hollow Yacht Club Marina

The Rough Hollow Yacht Club Marina

As we were looking in the back by the pool we saw a couple enter the villa.  They walked to the back and opened the door.  It turned out that this couple from Louisiana had been vacationing on a Florida beach for 25 years, but cancelled their Florida trip this summer out of fear that the beaches would be closed because of the oil spill.  Rather than the Texas coast, they chose to vacation at Lake Travis.  This couple basically provided proof of the earlier conversation about how Texas will benefit from the Gulf oil spill.