Austin Tx Property Tax Rates | Travis County

The Austin Texas Property Tax Rates and Travis County Jurisdictions for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 are listed here in this table in alphabetical order. Austin Tx property tax rates are typically set by each jurisdiction around September of each year. Property tax bills are presented in the November time frame. Check out this other post ff you are trying to find property tax rates for your Austin residence or commercial property 

This table will be updated as new rates are available which are typically posted on October 24th.

Tax Jurisdiction	2017 Tax Rate	2016 Tax Rate	2015 Tax Rate	2014 Tax Rate	2013 Tax Rate
Anderson Mill Limited District	0.11708300	0.12336000	0.12600000	0.13000000	0.13668600
Austin Community College	0.10080000	0.10200000	0.10050000	0.09420000	0.09490000
Austin ISD	1.19200000	1.19200000	1.20200000	1.22200000	1.24200000
Bastrop-Travis Counties ESD # 1	0.10000000	0.09470000	0.09330000	0.09960000	0.09440000
Belvedere MUD	0.37000000	0.38950000	0.42500000	0.45000000	0.45000000
City of Austin	0.44480000	0.44180000	0.45890000	0.48090000	0.50270000
City of Bee Cave	0.02000000	0.02000000	0.02000000	0.02000000	0.02000000
City of Cedar Park	0.45750000	0.47000000	0.47950000	0.48500000	0.49250000
City of Creedmoor	0.38000000	0.38000000	0.38000000	0.38730000	0.38730000
City of Elgin	0.65691600	0.65691900	0.65691600	0.75011000	0.75390000
City of Jonestown	0.56560000	0.56560000	0.56560000	0.56560000	0.57500000
City of Lago Vista	0.65000000	0.65000000	0.65000000	0.65000000	0.65000000
City of Lakeway	0.17410000	0.16120000	0.17000000	0.17000000	0.17480000
City of Leander	0.57786700	0.59900000	0.63292000	0.65292000	0.66792000
City of Manor	0.77220000	0.77380000	0.71180000	0.71180000	0.80950000
City of Mustang Ridge	0.49980000	0.47920000	0.49500000	0.49980000	0.41880000
City of Pflugerville	0.53990000	0.53990000	0.54050000	0.53360000	0.57360000
City of Rollingwood	0.20890000	0.20020000	0.20210000	0.20660000	0.22640000
City of Round Rock	0.43000000	0.42500000	0.41465000	0.41465000	0.41949600
City of West Lake Hills	0.06500000	0.05720000	0.05720000	0.05340000	0.05340000
Cottonwood Creek MUD # 1	0.85000000	0.91700000	0.91700000	0.95000000	1.09000000
Coupland ISD	1.04005000	1.04005000	1.04005000	1.04005000	1.04005000
Cypress Ranch WCID # 1	0.90000000	0.90000000	0.90000000	0.90000000	0.90000000
Del Valle ISD	1.46000000	1.52000000	1.53000000	1.47000000	1.47000000
Dripping Springs ISD	1.52000000	1.52000000	1.52000000	1.52000000	1.49000000
Eanes ISD	1.20000000	1.21250000	1.21250000	1.21250000	1.21250000
Elgin ISD	1.54000000	1.54000000	1.54000000	1.54000000	1.54000000
Hays Consolidated ISD	1.53770000	1.53770000	1.53770000	1.53770000	1.46130000
Hurst Creek MUD	0.32000000	0.34210000	0.36320000	0.37100000	0.39500000
Kelly Lane WCID # 1	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000
Kelly Lane WCID # 2	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000
Lago Vista ISD	1.32000000	1.32000000	1.32000000	1.32000000	1.32000000
Lake Travis ISD	1.40750000	1.40750000	1.40750000	1.40750000	1.40750000
Lakeside MUD # 3	0.84000000	0.84000000	0.84700000	0.87750000	0.90000000
Lakeside WCID # 1	0.75000000	0.75000000	0.80000000	0.80000000	0.85000000
Lakeside WCID # 2A	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000
Lakeside WCID # 2B	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000
Lakeside WCID # 2C	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000
Lakeside WCID # 2D	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000
Lakeway MUD	0.12580000	0.13600000	0.15360000	0.18360000	0.19630000
Lazy Nine MUD # 1A	1.00000000
Lazy Nine MUD # 1B	1.01000000	1.01000000	1.01000000	1.01000000	1.01000000
Leander ISD	1.51187000	1.51187000	1.51187000	1.51187000	1.51187000
Lost Creek Limited District	0.04890000	0.05250000
Manor ISD	1.51500000	1.51500000	1.51500000	1.51500000	1.51500000
Marble Falls ISD	1.27860000	1.28000000	1.28000000	1.28000000	1.28000000
Moore’s Crossing MUD	0.85580000	0.90700000	0.93240000	0.95800000	0.99000000
NE Travis County Utility District	0.68000000	0.78000000	0.86100000	0.87600000	0.89930000
North Austin MUD No. 1	0.28800000	0.28900000	0.31700000	0.33990000	0.34500000
Northtown MUD	0.70750000	0.70750000	0.72200000	0.73600000	0.75000000
Onion Creek Metro Park District	0.20000000	0.20000000
Pflugerville ISD	1.54000000	1.54000000	1.54000000	1.54000000	1.54000000
Pilot Knob #2	0.95000000
Pilot Knob #3	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000
Presidential Glen MUD	0.29760000	0.30000000	0.50190000	0.50190000	0.50190000
Ranch at Cypress Creek MUD # 1	0.35250000	0.35650000	0.36500000	0.43300000	0.51280000
River Place MUD	0.07500000	0.20700000	0.23130000	0.31290000	0.33500000
Round Rock ISD	1.30480000	1.33250000	1.33250000	1.33750000	1.36740000
Senna Hills MUD	0.54110000	0.54110000	0.54110000	0.54110000	0.54900000
Shady Hollow MUD	0.04770000	0.03800000	0.04890000	0.04930000	0.05000000
Southeast Travis County MUD #1	0.98000000	0.98000000	0.98000000
Southeast Travis County MUD #2	0.98000000
Sunfield MUD # 1	0.90000000	0.90000000	0.90000000	0.90000000	0.90000000
Tanglewood Forest Limited Dist.	0.19000000	0.17540000	0.17880000	0.18300000	0.19300000
Travis Central Health	0.10738500	0.11054100	0.11778100	0.12640000	0.12900000
Travis County	0.36900000	0.38380000	0.41690000	0.45630000	0.49460000
Travis County Bee Cave Rd Dist # 1	0.21060000	0.25990000	0.32150000	0.57060000	0.62850000
Travis County ESD # 01	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 02	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.09580000	0.09820000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 03	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.09000000	0.09080000	0.09640000
Travis County ESD # 04	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.09140000	0.10000000	0.09990000
Travis County ESD # 05	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.09180000	0.10000000	0.09780000
Travis County ESD # 06	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 07	0.09790000
Travis County ESD # 08	0.09980000	0.09980000	0.09980000	0.09980000	0.09980000
Travis County ESD # 09	0.07550000	0.07299000	0.07416000	0.07510000	0.08080000
Travis County ESD # 10	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 11	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.09810000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 12	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 13	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 14	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 15	0.10000000
Travis County MUD # 02	0.91730000	0.93000000	0.95850000	0.97450000	0.98000000
Travis County MUD # 03	0.48150000	0.48150000	0.48250000	0.48410000	0.50000000
Travis County MUD # 04	0.72960000	0.72960000	0.72960000	0.72960000	0.72960000
Travis County MUD # 05	0.60300000	0.69750000	0.74280000	0.76930000	0.81200000
Travis County MUD # 06	0.48480000	0.46000000	0.46000000	0.46000000	0.47100000
Travis County MUD # 07	0.90890000	0.90890000	0.90890000	0.90890000	0.90890000
Travis County MUD # 08	0.71450000	0.71450000	0.71450000	0.72130000	0.72130000
Travis County MUD # 09	0.82750000	0.84350000	0.85950000	0.87560000	0.87560000
Travis County MUD # 11	0.61020000	0.69250000	0.73750000	0.77250000	0.77250000
Travis County MUD # 12	0.77250000	0.77250000	0.77250000	0.77250000	0.77250000
Travis County MUD # 13	0.77250000	0.77250000	0.77250000	0.77250000	0.77250000
Travis County MUD # 14	0.87810000	0.90500000	0.90500000	0.94000000	0.99000000
Travis County MUD # 15	0.40750000	0.33250000	0.33250000	0.33250000	0.33250000
Travis County MUD # 16	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000
Travis County MUD # 17	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000
Travis County MUD # 18	0.75000000	0.75000000	0.75000000	0.75000000	0.75000000
Travis County MUD # 21	0.31250000	0.31250000	0.31250000	0.31250000	0.31250000
Travis County MUD # 23	0.41010000
Travis County MUD # 24	0.95000000
Village of Briarcliff	0.14740000	0.16050000	0.16050000	0.16050000	0.11750000
Village of Point Venture	0.12160000	0.11310000	0.10950000	0.10950000	0.10500000
Village of San Leanna	0.24980000	0.24980000	0.24980000	0.24980000	0.24980000
Village of The Hills	0.06000000	0.06000000	0.06000000	0.02485000	0.02480000
Village of Volente	0.10850000	0.10650000	0.10000000	0.13000000	0.13000000
Village of Webberville	0.37420000	0.34020000	0.30510000	0.27740000	0.27740000
WCID # 10	0.09460000	0.06670000	0.02940000	0.02950000	0.02970000
WCID # 17	0.05990000	0.05990000	0.05850000	0.05750000	0.05750000
WCID # 17 (Flintrock Ranch Estates)	0.39960000	0.43200000	0.45050000	0.45260000	0.46560000
WCID # 17 (Serene Hills)	0.62500000	0.62500000	0.65000000	0.65000000	0.65000000
WCID # 17 (Steiner Ranch)	0.29870000	0.30000000	0.37510000	0.42850000	0.44980000
WCID # 18	0.08550000	0.09390000	0.09520000	0.09500000	0.21130000
WCID # 19	0.23070000	0.22500000	0.24000000	0.26000000	0.26000000
WCID # 20	0.20000000	0.20550000	0.20720000	0.23000000	0.24000000
WCID Point Venture	0.62470000	0.62530000	0.62530000	0.39910000	0.39910000
Wells Branch MUD	0.37950000	0.38730000	0.39000000	0.43000000	0.46000000
West Travis County MUD # 3	0.25500000	0.28200000	0.28200000	0.27200000	0.27200000
West Travis County MUD # 5	0.25650000	0.26000000	0.26000000	0.26000000	0.26000000
West Travis County MUD # 6	0.45000000	0.45000000	0.45000000	0.45000000	0.45000000
West Travis County MUD # 8	0.52100000	0.55100000	0.61100000	0.73000000	0.84000000
Wilbarger Creek MUD # 1	0.87800000	0.88950000	0.90800000	0.92500000	0.94840000
Wilbarger Creek MUD # 2	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000
Wmsn Co WSID # 3	0.72300000	0.72300000	0.73060000	0.80820000	0.81500000
Wmson & Travis Counties MUD # 1	0.43160000	0.46620000	0.51000000	0.54000000	0.61500000

For more info check out Travis County Tax

What is Amortized Tenant Improvement Allowance For Commercial Space Build-Outs?

When negotiating a commercial lease you typically ask to receive a tenant improvement allowance to cover tenant build out costs such as new flooring, new walls and paint, demo, etc. Before signing the commercial lease contract it’s always a good idea to get at least 2-3 preliminary construction bids to make sure the total cost does not exceed your negotiated TI allowance.

However tenant finish-out projects don’t always meet their budget for a variety of reasons. For example if the tenant makes changes to the scope of work or the contractor discovered a large ticket item that was not known during the preliminary construction bid. Either way there will be times when the total tenant build-out costs exceed the negotiated tenant improvement allowance.

So what do you?

Well you have a few of options which need to be negotiated before the commercial lease is signed and executed.

1. The first option is for your company to come out of pocket and pay for the build-out costs that exceed the tenant improvement allowance up front.
2. The 2nd option is for you to get a loan like an SBA loan.
3. The other option is to negotiate an additional allowance (aka amortized TI) that covers the overage amount an amortize it into the lease. We will discuss in more detail below.

What Does Amortization Mean?

In business amortization means to spread payments over multiple periods. For example the amortization of a loan that includes principal and interest that is determined by an amortization schedule.

Amortized Tenant Improvements (TI) Allowance

This is essentially a loan from the landlord for the additional allowance that the tenant has to pay back over the life of their term. The landlord will typically give this money upfront to pay for the improvements. When it comes to amortizing tenant improvements it basically means you don’t have to pay back the money all at once. The money is being added to the total rent due at an interest rate the landlord charges and divided by the number of months in the lease term.

When Do You Negotiate the Amortized Tenant Allowance?

The additional allowance is typically negotiated during the initial lease term negotiations on the term sheet or proposal. This is done fairly often as it’s nice to have the ability to tap into it rather than having to go to the bank for a loan.

Interest Rate for Amortized TI

The interest rate will vary from landlord to landlord and dependent on the market however in most cases it will range from 7% to 9% per annum

How To Calculate Amortized Tenant Improvements

Suppose your leasing 3,000 sf of office space for 5 years and the landlord has agreed to give another $30 sf above and beyond the initial tenant allowance at 7.5%

1. Using a Google sheet or financial calculator enter the amount of the loan 
2. Enter the annual interest rate
3. Enter the term of the loan
4. Enter payments per year

So

1. Amount of loan = $90,000 ($30 x 3,000 sf)
2. Annual Interest Rate = 7.5%
3. Term of loan = 60 months (5 year lease)
4. Payments per year = Same as when rent payments are due so = 12

When you enter the above information to a Google Sheet you get the Tenant Improvement Amortization Schedule.

As you can see $1,803.42 is the additional monthly payment that will be added to your total monthly rent.

Benefits of Amortizing Additional Tenant Improvement Allowance

The main benefit is it gives the tenant some backup funding in the event the build-out costs exceed the tenant improvement allowance. You may not have the cash on hand to cover it so having this pre-negotiated will eliminate any worry. Many startups or new businesses are typically in this situation. If costs go over you can avoid having project delays and be able to finish out the space the way you want, rather than having to scale back on the scope of work.

Example of Amortized TI Allowance

If the cost of the Landlord’s Work exceeds the Construction Allowance, then Tenant may, prior to the conclusion of the Landlord’s Work, request that Landlord increase the Construction Allowance by the amount of the excess, up to a maximum of $51,420.00 (the actual amount of the increase being the “Additional Allowance”). If Tenant timely requests the increase in the Construction Allowance, then Landlord shall increase the Construction Allowance by the amount of the Additional Allowance. Landlord shall prepare, and Landlord and Tenant shall promptly execute and deliver, an amendment to this Lease increasing the Base Rent by the amount needed to amortize the Additional Allowance over the Lease Term at 8% per annum, with the increased payments commencing with the first Base Rent payment due under this Lease.

 

Broadloom Carpet or Carpet Tiles: Which is Better for Your Office?

When doing an office space build out you typically have to get new flooring. Your choices are endless from polished concrete, tiles, laminate, hardwood, carpet tiles, broadloom carpet, etc. You also have many different colors and patterns to look at.

Of all the options carpet will typically be the most common choice that tenants pick and you will have to choose between carpet tiles or broadloom carpet. What is the different between those and which one is better?

Carpet tiles

• Also called carpet squares or modular carpet
• Come in pres-sized squares (typically 2 ft x 2 ft tiles)
• They sit directly on floor substrate
• If stained it’s easy to replace one tile
• You typically want to order more than you need so you have some attic stock
• Is the most popular among tenants
• Easier to install
• Less overall waste
• Easier to maintain
• Will be more expensive than broadloom

Broadloom Carpet 

• Also known as Roll carpet
• Comes in 12 foot wide rolls
• Less expensive than carpet tiles
• Have to rip up whole room if stain and need to replace
• Installation involves rolling onto carpet pad that sits on floor substrate and cutting to size
• More waste is created during installation due to the necessity of cutting large pieces
• Difficult to repair

Overall you really need to choose a flooring material that best matches your company culture and design needs. And make sure that you stick within your budget. You can’t go wrong with broadloom carpet or carpet tiles however in the long run carpet tiles maybe your best option as they are easy to install, clean, and replace if needed.

How to Find Austin Property Tax Rate in Travis County

Travis County is located in Central Texas and part of the Austin-Round Rock Metro Area. Whether you are buying or leasing Austin commercial or residential property in Austin Tx you  will want to find out the tax rate and know how to calculate your property taxes. Every tax jurisdiction is different so before signing a contract it’s a good idea to know what taxing jurisdiction your in and what the tax rate is. 

How to Find Your Taxing Jurisdiction

You want to start with going to https://www.traviscad.org/property-search/

1. Click on the Blue Property Search Button

2. Enter Property Search Address

How to use TCAD property search options

 

3. Taxing Jurisdiction Tab

Now that you are in the Travis CAD Taxing Jurisdiction section you will now see the property tax rate and it will also break the tax rate down by entity. 

• Description column – Shows each jurisdiction that levy’s taxes on your property.
• Tax Rate – This show the tax rate for each jurisdiction as well as the Total Tax Rate for your property

How to Calculate the Travis County Tax Rate

Simply multiply the tax rate by the taxable value you get the total estimated taxes due for your property

 

How To Use Travis County Appraisal District (TCAD) Property Search

Before you make a decision on whether to buy or lease Austin Tx properties whether commercial or residential you’ll want to check them out on the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD).

On the TCAD site located at https://www.traviscad.org/property-search/ you will be able to find pertinent information that can help you evaluate properties to ensure you make the best lease or purchase decision such as:

• legal description
• Owner contact information
• Appraised value
• Taxing Jurisdiction and Property Tax rate
• Improvement / Building size & market value
• Role Value History
• Deed History

Travis CAD Property Search Options

Once you are on the site click on the blue property search button and it will take you to a searchable database of every property in Travis County. You have the option of entering one or more search terms in the blank field OR you can click on the advanced button to see more search options.

For best results when doing address searches do NOT use suffixes (e.g. St., Dr., etc) or directional prefixes (e.g. N, S, E, W). Using ONLY the street name will give you the best results. If you don’t get any results after using the whole street name then just enter the first few letters or numbers of the street name then sort through the addresses.

If you decided to click on the advanced search button you will have the following property search options:

• Owner Name
• Street Number
• Property ID
• Geographic ID
• Doing Business As (DBA)
• Subdivision
• Mobile Home Park
• Condo
• Agent Code
• Protest Status
• Informal Date
• Formal Date
• Tax Year
• Property Type
• Order Results by
• Results Per Page

Property Ownership Records & Results

Once you found the property you are looking for now you can see all the important details about it such as property tax records, assessed value, etc. This is useful information if you are considering buying a house or a commercial property in Austin Tx and want to know who the current owner is as well as the previous owners, the legal description of the property, the property assessed values, and the taxing jurisdiction and tax rate.

Travis CAD Property Ownership Records

Travis County Property Values

Taxing Jurisdiction

TCAD Improvement / Building

Roll Value & Deed History TCAD Austin

Upcoming Event: Exploring Refugee Policy for the 21st Century

Join the Niskanen Center for the release of our new paper on the national security and strategic foreign policy impacts of refugee resettlement and two panel discussions with invited keynote speaker Senator James Lankford.

The event will take place on September 20th from 9:45am-12:30pm in Russell Senate Office Room 485. Please RSVP to Matthew La Corte at events@niskanencenter.org by September 14.

Refugee Resettlement and U.S. National Security: the Strategic Case for Resettlement with:

• Professor Idean Salehyan, University of North Texas
• Linda Chavez, Niskanen Center Senior Fellow
• Scott Cooper, Human Rights First

Community Sponsorship of Refugees: Harnessing American Philanthropy with: 

• Chris Gersten, former director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
• Jennifer Bond, Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative
• Chris George, Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services

This event is co-sponsored by the National Immigration Forum, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Human Rights First, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Click here to view the event flyer.

The post Upcoming Event: Exploring Refugee Policy for the 21st Century appeared first on Niskanen Center.

from nicholemhearn digest https://niskanencenter.org/blog/upcoming-event-exploring-refugee-policy-for-the-21st-century/

How Citizens Match Their Issue Positions to Candidates and Causes

Citizens have views on policy issues but are often ignorant about the specific stances of politicians and interest groups. How do they match their issue positions to candidates and causes and how well do their choices line up with their professed views? Cheryl Boudreau finds that low-information voters can utilize everything from party endorsements to voter guides to match their views to a candidate. But Nicholas Hass finds the policy views people articulate in surveys are not the same as how they act in the political arena. Not everyone backs up their expressed view once donation dollars are at stake.

The Niskanen Center’s Political Research Digest features up-and-coming researchers delivering fresh insights on the big trends driving American politics today. Get beyond punditry to data-driven understanding of today’s Washington with host and political scientist Matt Grossmann. Each 20-minute episode covers two new cutting-edge studies and interviews two researchers.

You can subscribe to the Political Research Digest on iTunes here.

The post How Citizens Match Their Issue Positions to Candidates and Causes appeared first on Niskanen Center.

from nicholemhearn digest https://niskanencenter.org/blog/how-citizens-match-their-issue-positions-to-candidates-and-causes/

The New ‘Public Charge’ Rule Will Harm the Rule of Law, Economic Growth, and Public Health

The Trump administration will soon publish a new regulation that will dramatically alter the rules surrounding the provision of public benefits for nearly 27 million immigrants and citizens, and have significant consequences for the admission and permanent settlement of immigrants moving forward. Based on a draft of the proposal leaked earlier this year — which set off a public outcry at the time of its release — the rule would trigger the largest reform to the U.S. immigration system in 30 years.

Instead of narrowly targeting welfare fraud for enhanced prosecution or tweaking the current five-year ban on welfare usage for legal immigrants, the leaked regulation — which may change when ultimately published — casts an enormous net, entangling those immigrants who legally used benefits and the U.S.-citizen children of immigrants, undermining the administration’s claims that the move is meant to combat fraud. Most alarmingly, the regulation is guaranteed to set off a public health crisis, as evidenced by similar consequences from confusion over the 1996 welfare reform law.

This is a Massive Break With Precedent

The public-charge determination is part of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which defines criteria for admission, status adjustment, and deportation. The public charge determination typically applies to an individual who relies primarily on the government. Over the last 20 years, four administrations have interpreted the INA to authorize denial of admission or deportation under public charge grounds if an immigrant relies primarily on just two programs: cash assistance or long-term institutionalized care. The new rule aims to build upon these two grounds and dramatically expand them to include other benefit programs — a wholesale rejection of years of longstanding policy.

The proposed rule would expand the factors used to weigh whether a person will or has become a public charge to include the use of any benefit by any person in their household even if they are eligible for them. The benefits in question are also expanded to include the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and temporary food assistance programs for families. The test to admit or deport an immigrant no longer depends on dependency, but any receipt of any benefit, regardless of how minimal or brief. This includes the use of a benefit by a child who is a U.S. citizen.

A major issue with this rule is that the government is targeting immigrants for legally using benefits. At its core this is about fairness and expectations; it’s about the rule of law being applied consistently. Changing the rules and retroactively holding immigrants to new standards would punish a legal immigrant for using a benefit they have been allowed to utilize without trouble.

Laura Collins of the George W. Bush Institute explains that the new proposal is “particularly stunning” for mixed-status families: households where noncitizens and U.S. citizens live together. She explains that the public charge rule would deny green cards to families that have U.S.-citizen children who use the government benefits they are legally eligible for. In other words, it’s not just legal immigrants who would be punished for accessing welfare programs they otherwise qualify for. American citizens who access benefits they are due could see their family members being denied green cards as a result.

Turning a Scalpel Into a Carving Knife

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimates that the proportion of noncitizens who could be branded a “public charge” would rise from about 3 percent today to 47 percent under this rule, as shown in the figure below. In absolute terms, that is a 15-fold increase in the number of immigrants who could be affected.

Jeanne Batalova et. al., “Chilling Effects: The Expected Public Charge Rule and Its Impact on Legal Immigrant Families’ Public Benefits Use” (Washington, D.C.: Migration Policy Institute, 2018).

The new public charge determination could prevent immigrants from receiving family-based visas or green cards if they or their family members received legal benefits. This would have two major effects. First, the threat of not receiving admission or adjustment will push lawful immigrants and U.S. citizens to forgo benefits, assistance, and tax credits they may be eligible for. Second, linking deportation to an expanded public charge determination can dramatically increase the ease with which immigrants can be removed. The result will be to damage the U.S. economy and cause a massive disruption to the U.S. immigration system.

Some classes of immigrants will remain exempt from the public charge restrictions, like refugees, asylees, trafficking survivors, and those holding U visas, which are offered to those that assist law enforcement in investigations.

The Bush Institute views the public charge rule as another element in a larger Trump administration strategy of slowing legal immigration flows. Collins writes that immigration is an important part of a pro-growth economic strategy and the new proposal would further complicate an already difficult legal immigration process. These complications for temporary workers and family-based immigrants would hurt economic growth.

The Cato Institute’s David Bier points out that in the draft rule, the Department of Homeland Security fails to consider the costs of losing immigrants who would be excluded by the rule and to estimate the direct and indirect effects of these exclusions on tax receipts and economic growth. DHS in its draft of the rule claims it “was not able to estimate potential lost productivity, early death, or increased disability insurance claims” that would result from the rule.

DHS should not proceed with the rule without making an estimate of such impacts, which could have extreme consequences for the U.S. economy. If think tanks can produce estimates of the number of individuals and households affected, DHS should be able to estimate costs. A regulatory change of this size without a complete economic analysis is irresponsible.

Immigrants Use Fewer Public  Benefits Than the Native-Born

DHS spokesman Tyler Houlton said in a recent statement to CNN that any changes to the public charge determination “would be in keeping with the letter and spirit of the law — as well as the reasonable expectations of the American people for the government to be good stewards of taxpayer funds.” The message coming from administration officials is that noncitizens are using public benefits at high rates, and are doing so fraudulently.

This is a difficult proposition to accept based on the facts. As Niskanen’s Kristie De Peña and Samuel Hammond wrote in the Hill:

Ever since the 1996 welfare reform, legal immigrants have been prohibited from receiving public benefits for at least five years after their arrival. And when noncitizens finally do become fully eligible for programs like SNAP or Medicaid, they use them at substantially lower rates, and in significantly smaller amounts, than their native-born counterparts. Low-income noncitizen adults and children, including those outside the five-year waiting period, nonetheless receive much less in average annual SNAP benefits compared to low-income naturalized citizens and the native-born. Even citizen children of noncitizen adults receive nearly 20 percent less in nutritional assistance on average.

According to a rigorous National Academy of Sciences study published in 2016, for all age categories but the elderly, immigrants use fewer public benefits than native-born Americans.

In fact, public assistance can make someone less likely to rely on government in the future. The temporary use of public benefits can stabilize immigrants and families, putting them on a track to long-term financial stability and health. “Our educational, nutrition, and healthcare programs are seen as serving the interests of the nation as a whole — not leading the recipient to a state of primary dependence,” write De Peña and Hammond. We should view public-benefit usage in terms of costs and benefits over the long-term, comparing what immigrants pay in taxes and contribute economically to their use of public benefits.

The allegations of fraud are suspiciously baseless. Where one might expect the Department of Justice to point to a spike in prosecutions of fraud or misrepresentation, none exists. In fact, just a handful of immigrants are prosecuted each year for benefits fraud. Without evidence to bolster the administration’s claims about public-benefits usage or fraud, the entire motivation for this rule remains transparently to punish and deter immigrants — more reason to table such a behemoth.

Learning from History: We Risk a Public Health Crisis

Assuming the rule is finalized as is, we can expect a public health crisis that results from large groups of immigrants and U.S. citizens forgoing benefits to avoid immigration consequences. In the aftermath of welfare reform in the late 1990s, noncitizens were confused about applying for benefits that they were legally allowed to access because of the complex changes to the law that included the new 5-year ban on legal immigrants receiving assistance. The problem became so drastic that the U.S. government had to issue guidance to clarify the law.

The agency then known as the Immigration and Naturalization service wrote that the “situation is becoming particularly acute with respect to the provision of emergency and other medical assistance, children’s immunizations, and basic nutrition programs, as well as the treatment of communicable diseases. Immigrants’ fear of obtaining these necessary medical and other benefits are not only causing them considerable harm, but are also jeopardizing the general public.”

In this case, the underlying changes are much more sweeping. Both the direct effect of immigrants passing up benefits that are newly subject to restrictions and the indirect effect of immigrants avoiding unrestricted programs out of confusion will be larger — and both exacerbated by the increasing lack of trust between immigrant communities and the Trump administration. Families will need to make an impossible decision: access benefits that they are legally entitled to use or preserve their lawful immigration status.

The demographic hit hardest will be children and pregnant women. There exists an enormous peer-reviewed literature on the importance and benefit of ensuring that pregnant women and children receive adequate health care and nutritional food; a reduction in access to either will without question trigger short and long-term negative effects that can undermine outcomes in health, education, and employment for years to come.

What Should Reform Look Like?

There are options for the administration to scrap the rule and replace it with something that improves governance, enhances our immigration system, and respects the rule of law. First, if immigrants are committing fraud to acquire public benefits, we should be prosecuting them for it.

Second, if the administration believes the five-year ban on welfare for legal immigrants is ineffective, or the suite of potential benefits for both immigrants and U.S. citizens is too broad, then it should ask Congress to debate and reform the system. It’s been more than 20 years since the 1996 welfare reform bill reorganized the U.S. social safety net. Let’s have that conversation again.

Trying to cram large-scale immigration reform through the administrative rule-making process under the guise of welfare reform is the wrong way to go about such drastic changes. If we are talking about wholesale changes to welfare provisions and upending precedent, then it’s time for Congress to get involved and address the full welfare system. And for a nation that has struggled to pass meaningful immigration reform for decades, this new rule gives enormous power to administrative agencies while circumventing Congress.

This rule accomplishes immigration goals the administration has championed but struggled to pass through Congress, and the roundabout mechanism being used to accomplish them is a slap in the face towards regular order and the process by which the American people have a voice in such governing decisions.

Self-sufficiency Does Not Require Cruelty:

The United States can enforce immigration laws and ensure self-sufficiency without cruelty. There are reasonable, middle-of-the-road solutions that ensure immigrants aren’t living on the taxpayers’ dime while making sure expectant mothers don’t ever have to decide between going to the doctor and keeping their lawful immigration status. The United States can have an immigration system that seeks newcomers who can support themselves on their own and still offer those newcomers a social safety net for when challenging circumstances arise — because hard times fall on everyone at some point in life. These two systems are not mutually exclusive.

For the health of families, respect for the rule of law, and the good of the economy, the public charge rule should not be implemented.  

The post The New ‘Public Charge’ Rule Will Harm the Rule of Law, Economic Growth, and Public Health appeared first on Niskanen Center.

from nicholemhearn digest https://niskanencenter.org/blog/the-new-public-charge-rule-will-harm-the-rule-of-law-economic-growth-and-public-health/

Austin Utilities and Services – Water Electric Gas Internet Cable Phone

Moving to a new city (e.g. Austin, Tx) means a lot of changes for your family, work life or company. Whether you are moving into a new home or renting Austin commercial real estate you are going to need to have some sort of utility services turned on such as electric, gas, phone, or internet. Since you are new to Austin you may wonder…….Who is the Austin electric company? What company do I call for gas services? Who are the internet/cable companies? Depending on the service it can take anywhere from a couple of days to over 30 days to have services turned. Because of this you need to determine your needs and time frame and call them in advance to find out how long it will take. Then coordinate having your Austin utilities turned on before your ideal move in date. To help you get started we have compiled a list of the City of Austin utility providers.

Austin Metro Electric Companies

Austin Energy

Phone Number: (512) 494-9400
Outside Austin (888) 340-6465
https://austinenergy.com/ae/

Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative

(800) 842-7708
https://www.bluebonnetelectric.coop/

Bastrop Power & Light

(512) 332-8830
https://www.cityofbastrop.org/page/us.home

Pedernales Electric Cooperative

(888) 554-4732
https://www.pec.coop/

Natural Gas Companies in Austin

Texas Gas Service

(800) 700-2443
https://www.texasgasservice.com/

Atmos Energy

(512) 472-6950
https://www.atmosenergy.com/

Internet Service Providers Austin Tx

CenturyLink (Formerly Level 3)

(877) 4Level3
www.level3.com/en/

AT&T

www.business.att.com/solutions/support/

Spectrum Enterprise Fiber

www.enterprise.spectrum.com
(877) 906-9121

Spectrum Coax

www.business.spectrum.com
(855) 388-7433

Grande Communication Coax or Fiber

www.mygrande.com/business/
(877) 881-7575
(866) 218-2555

Cogent Communications (Enterprise Level)

(877) 875-4432

Google Fiber

www.fiber.google.com/about/

Other Austin Service Providers

City Of Austin

http://www.austintexas.gov/

Texas Department of Motor Vehicles

Automobile Registration
http://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/register-your-vehicle
(888) 368-4689

Texas Department of Public Safety

Driver’s License (TXDPS)
http://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/
(512) 424-2000

Capital Metro – Austin Public Transit

https://www.capmetro.org/
(512) 474-1200

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

http://www.austintexas.gov/airport

Time is Of The Essence in Real Estate Contracts

Time is of the Essence is language in an agreement or contract that means that performance by one party within a specified time period in a contract is required for that party to necessitate performance by the other party. Failure to act within this specified time period required will result in breach of contract.

Most things in business run on some sort of schedule. Sales and loan escrows, legal notifications, and other business transactions operate on fixed time periods. For example you will see the time is of the essence clause in commercial real estate purchases & leases and 1-4 Family residential contracts. If a contract does not expressly provide or the parties have not manifested such an intent then time is NOT of the essence.

In commercial real estate contracts the time that we are talking about is typically on the executed contract. There are quite a few performance requirements that are contingent on time. For example in a commercial contract on an improved property the following all have a time in which things are due by either the buyer or seller. Failure to comply with these dates could mean breach of contract or other legal consequences. The time period typically begins on the Effective date of the contract.

• Earnest Money
• Feasibility period
• Financing
• Title Policy & Survey
• Sellers delivery of estoppel certificates
• Closing date
• Etc.

Time is of the Essence Example

Let’s pretend you executed a commercial contract on January 1st, 2019. This becomes the effective date.  In the contract you have 30 days for the feasibility period (aka option period) which is when you figure out if anything is wrong with the property. This would mean that on January 31st aat 11:59 pm your feasibility period would expire. Before this time period you can cancel the contract for any reason with written notice. After this date you are required to perform the contract.

In commercial lease contracts there are a lot of dates and timelines to keep up with and it’s important that you be very diligent in doing so. Missing these dates can have severe consequences that are typically laid out in the contract. If you do not understand the importance of the timelines or the consequences then you should seek the advice of an attorney.

Commercial Contract Critical Date List

This is available for commercial purchases. There is also a critical date list available for the 1-4 Family Residential Contract. Take the time to fill this out after a contract is executed and/or have your agent do this. This list will help you keep track of critical timelines and avoid mistakes.

Commercial Lease Terms to Know When Reviewing a Contract

So you’ve found a commercial space that you liked, the landlord presented you a proposal, and you just finalized negotiating the base terms and conditions. Next the landlord will draft a lease contract for you to review, comment on, and sign. in reality landlords hope that you don’t actually review it and just sign on the dotted line. They would rather have it 100% their way.

The commercial lease contract is a legal binding contract between you (tenant) and the landlord. If you do not pay rent or breach the contract in any way the landlord is able to come after you for damages. Before signing a commercial lease make sure to read the contract AND have an attorney review it. You want to understand some of the key commercial lease terminology before signing. If you don’t have your attorney explain them to you.

Typical Commercial Lease Terminology

Parties to the Lease

Are the tenant and the landlord. If you’re operating as a corporation or LLC or other entity then use that on the lease. You may have to sign a personal guarantee to rent commercial space however you can still use your business name as the Party. Make sure to get the names right. Are you dealing with an individual, partnership, or corporation? Make sure the person signing the lease on either side has legal authority to bind the entity into a contract. Ask for a copy of the partnership agreement or a corporate resolution.

Demised Premises

This is the description of the space you are leasing. Make sure you understand what square footage you are actually paying rent on. Ask to have an exhibit / siteplan and floor plan attached to the lease so both parties can visualize where the premises is located in the building. You need to know the exact size, address, and list of tenant improvements existing or to be provided by landlord.

Rent

How rent is calculated and how it should be paid. Spells out the day and month rent is to be paid and where. It will also show the initial year base rent amounts, yearly escalations, and operating expenses (aka NNN).

Term

Most leases have a commencement date and termination date. These dates are subject to negotiation. This is also where you may cover early access, options to extend, or surrender inspection & condition

Deposit

Landlords typically want some sort of security deposit. This will define the amount as well as the form of payment. Could be cash, check, letter of credit, etc.. This will also define when the security deposit will be reimbursed.

Holdover

If a new lease or an extension of the current lease has not been negotiated by the time the lease term expires, the tenant is said to be holding over. As an inducement to the tenant to come to an agreement with the landlord the holding over clause imposes a penalty in the form of a rent premium on the tenant. This is typically  150% to 200% of the last applicable rent under the original lease.

Use

To be effective the use clause must state the specific purpose for which the premises are leased and prohibit all other uses. The clause is primarily intended to ensure that uses are restricted to functions for which the building was structurally designed and that they conform to city zoning ordinances. Tenants must also be in compliance with city and state laws.

Taxes

Tenants will be charged for taxes and assessments. This clause sets forth which taxes are included as the tenants responsibility. Most common are real estate taxes assessed by the city or county. This discusses the basis for determination, pro-rate share, taxes on tenants property, and the tenants right to contest (if negotiated).

Utilities

Defines who is responsible for paying the utilities. In a “net” lease the tenant pays the entire cost of all utilities. The negotiable part is who is responsible for bringing the utilities to the premises and maintaining their physical condition. In a gross lease the utilities are paid for by the landlord then allocates the cost evenly to all tenants based on the square footage of the space.

Assignment & Subleasing

In an “assignment” all rights and obligations in the lease are transferred to another party (the assignee) and the primary (transferring) tenant (the assignor) has no ongoing responsibility. Under a “sublease” the primary tenant (the sublessor) remains responsible to the landlord and the subtenant is responsible to the primary tenant.

Repairs & Maintenance

Defines who is responsible for making the repairs and maintenance to the premises and the common area. Most leases require that the tenant maintain the premises and the landlord is responsible for the property’s structural repairs and common area. 

Insurance

Defines the type and amounts of insurance that tenants are required to have. Tenants typically need personal property and general liability. Every landlord has different requirements. This also 

Condemnation

If a property is taken by eminent domain tenants and landlords need to determine how this will be handled. Situations are different. What if an entire building was taken under eminent domain?

Destruction of Building

Describes the process if a building is damaged by fire or some other catastrophe. Landlords typically get to make this call however tenants can negotiate this item.

Estoppel

Anytime a building is being purchased or refinanced the bank will require proof that the tenant leases are in full force and effect. They do this with an estoppel certificate that each tenant must sign confirming the lease expiration date, size of space, rental rate, etc…

Default

Defines what happens if the tenant or landlord break the agreement. For tenants the default falls into either financial or behavioral. Financial is if they don’t pay rent or additional rent. Landlord default language is typically very short so make sure the landlord has some skin in the game if they don’t deliver what is expected in the lease contract.

Attornment

This means a Tenant agrees to accept a new owner as landlord. When a property is sold or exchanged, or if a ground lease is terminated before it’s term expires the lease is transferred by assignment to the new owner. Without this clause the tenant could refuse to honor the new owner as the landlord.

Subordination & Nondisturbance

It may be impossible for the landlord to obtain financing without this lease provision. Lenders consider the lease to be a lien on the property. Absent a subordination clause, leases signed before a mortgage or trust deed could take precedence. Lenders want their lien to be superior to any others. However the tenant may negotiate a nondisturbance clause providing that if the tenant is not in default its lease will not be canceled in the event of a foreclosure. Major tenants will want this agreement in writing from the lender before agreeing to subordinate their lease to a mortgage.

Quiet Enjoyment

Means the right to use leased property without disturbance of possession by the landlord.

Arbitration

Courts are overloaded. Jury trials are time consuming. Attorneys are expensive. Litigation is costly. As a result some landlords prefer arbitration to resolve disputes. The number and qualifications of the arbitrators, and how they are paid is spelled out in this provision. 

 

How to Get the Best Deal on a Commercial Lease

Getting the best deal possible on a commercial lease is an important part of starting or running a growing business. For example negotiate poorly or focus on the wrong terms you will end up in an Austin commercial lease contract that will suck the profits out of your company. The more prepared you are the more leverage you will have in commercial lease negotiations. To get the best deal on a commercial lease consider these tips below.

Hire a Commercial Real Estate Agent

Don’t expect the landlord’s agent to help you. They represent the building owner’s best interest. They may give you a little guidance however they CANNOT help you negotiate. They legally cannot tell you what concessions the owner is willing to give up. Their fiduciary duty is ONLY to the Landlord/Building Owner. Having your own agent who has your best interests in mind can help ensure you find the right space and negotiate the best commercial lease possible.

Have Your Financials In Order

Landlords will require that you show some sort of financials when leasing commercial space. Having those ready will prove to the landlord that you know what you are doing. If you don’t have them prepared beforehand it may indicate to the landlord that you may be a risky tenant. The ore prepared you are the more leverage you will have in negotiations. If you are a start up you will more than likely have to sign a personal guarantee. They may also want you to provide a business plan, fill out a personal financial statement, provide a proforma that shows projected income and expenses, show bank statements, If borrowing money show docs proving that you are approved for a loan, etc. If you are an existing business they will want to see 2-3 years of profit / lost statements, balance sheets, etc.

Start Commercial Lease Search Earlier Than You Think You Need To

In a hot market you will have to start the process at least 6-12 months before you ideal open date or before your existing lease expires. Landlords are getting a lot of interest, attorney’s and contractors are slammed, architects are managing multiple projects, etc. Find and negotiating a good deal on a commercial lease takes longer than you think. Do not wait until the last minute or you will end up paying more than you should for space.

Be Familiar With Commercial Lease Terminology

It’s important that you are familiar with the common lease terminology before starting negotiations with landlords. This also gives you more leverage in negotiations if the landlord knows you know what your doing. If you hire an agent they can educate you along the way. Know the commercial lease lingo will help you understand which deal is a better one when evaluating multiple properties.

Review the Commercial Lease Contract

Negotiating the basic deal points on the proposal is only part of the process. Once the lease is drafted you need to review the commercial lease contract. It is negotiable so you need evaluate your company’s current and future needs and goals………and make sure the lease language aligns with your company’s objectives. Even if you are having an attorney review it you still need to interpret and understand how the lease affects your company. What are the tenant responsibilities and expectations? What are the landlords responsibilities and expectations? Do not always assume the landlord got the lease contract right. Check the commencement date, expiration date, rents and escalations and any other negotiated items to ensure they are the same as negotiated on the letter of intent (LOI) and/or proposal.

Lease Only the Commercial Space You Need

Don’t let the landlord agent talk you into taking more space than you need. If you plan on growing make sure you have the ability to expand. For example getting a right of first refusal clause.

Negotiate a Good Common Area Maintenance (CAM) Clause

Make sure you are not paying for things that the landlord should be such as their marketing of space, legal fees incurred with other tenant lease negotiations, benefits for landlord employees, build out costs for other tenant spaces, etc…. Who is responsible for the maintenance of the HVAC units? Who handles janitorial services? What is the tenant responsible for vs the landlord? Make sure you understand who is responsible for what and get all of this in writing. Do not just take the landlords word for it.

How to Add Resumes to LinkedIn Profiles

Need to add your resume to LinkedIn? Below are the steps to follow that will make it easy to do. As I demonstrate how to upload your resume to LinkedIn I will be using my own profile as an example.

Steps to Upload Resume to Your LinkedIn Profile

1. Sign into your LinkedIn account.
2. Go to the top right of your LinkedIn homepage and click on the Me icon.
3. After you see the drop down ……….click on View Profile.
4. Once in your LinkedIn profile click on the edit icon at the top of your profile on the right of your picture. 
5.  
6. Scroll down until you see Media and click on Upload.
7. Find your resume document on your computer (can be word or PDF format) then click open to upload it to LinkedIn.
8. In the Edit Media pop up window you have the ability to insert a title and description as needed.
9. Click on the blue Apply button on the bottom right of Edit Media pop up window.
10. Click on the Save button.

There you have it. Simple steps on how to attach your resume to LinkedIn.

Video That Shows How to Load Resume to Linkedin Profile

 

Best LinkedIn Invitations To Connect That Get Accepted

“I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn”.

Contrary to what some may say, the above standard invitation to connect is not exactly the invite that entice people to connect with you on LinkedIn. Yes you will get some connections with the standard LinkedIn invite, however if you want to make an impression on people you want to connect and network with your better off taking advantage of the customized invitation feature. By writing personalized notes to people you want to connect with you will increase the probability that they will accept your invitation.

You only have 300 characters to use which should be more than enough to convey the reason why you want to connect. Before you start sending invites to connect be sure your LinkedIn page looks good. Nobody wants to connect to a profile that does not have a nice head shot and updated professional and personal information. For example, take a look at Nathan K Smith LinkedIn Profile who owns an Austin Texas commercial real estate company.

Key factors to consider when crafting your LinkedIn invitation 

Find common ground

Do you share similar interests, jobs, people, education, colleges, etc. Do a little research about them and try to find some sort of mutual interest, hobby, or connection with other people. In some cases you may not know them AT ALL or don’t have any connections in common. In those cases you need to give them a reason why they should connect with you. Are you in the same job function or industry? Do they work for a company that you would like to work for?

Add value 

Don’t just connect asking for referrals. That will come later if you do a good job of building a relationship and adding value. Look at what they do and who they are connected with. How can you add value. Can you connect them to someone you know in their industry?

Personalize every invitation

Customize your messages based on what you find in their profile. Mention something about their school, where they are from, or a certain skill set that they have.

Using flattery is a good thing

Everyone loves a compliment. If they have an awesome LinkedIn profile then TELL them. Think of ways to compliment them in a non cheesy way. For example you can compliment them about their job, company they work for, school they went to, their experience, etc.

Share your story

Tell them a little about who you are. Give them some basic info about what you do and what your skills are. If you have some common ground maybe share how your background and experience could potentially help them

Suggest next steps

So you asked for a connection now where do you go from there? How can you help them? Let them know if you would like to further the relationship. Do you want to jump on a phone call or meet for coffee. Don’t hesitate to suggest next steps after asking for an invite

Always end with a thank you

A simple thank you can go a long way when asking people to connect with you on LinkedIn

Example Custom LinkedIn Invitations to Connect 

Someone You Have Common Ground With

• Hi John, I bumped into your profile by accident and noticed we have some common ground. Looking forward to connecting with you and networking in the future. 
  Warmest Regards
• Hi Bob, I noticed we have some common ground and wanted to reach out.  Would love to connect with you and network in the future.
  Sincerely,
• Hi Jeff, I look to share my personal and professional resources with like minded professionals. Please accept my invite to connect. Thanks in advance.

LinkedIn Invite to Someone You Don’t Know

• Hi Nathan, After viewing your profile, I would be honored to have you as a 1st level connection and network with you!
  If open, here is the connection request.
• You can also use the common ground invites above

LinkedIn Invite to an Existing Coworker

Hi Barbara, I’ve heard great things about your work, especially your negotiating skills. I hope that we get a chance to work on a project soon. Or at least get together for coffee and share some best practices. Sincerely, Nathan

LinkedIn Invite to a New Coworker

Hi Jennifer, I’m so glad you have joined our company and I look forward to working with you. If you have any questions about anything feel free to reach out. See you around the office! All the best,

LinkedIn Invite to a Former Coworker

Hi Jess, It was a pleasure to have worked with you for the last few years. Our office wouldn’t have been the same without your knack for dealing with tough clients! I’d love to hear about your new job at XYZ Company. Hope all is well,

LinkedIn Invite to Someone You Want to Work With

Hi Jenna, I saw some of the projects you did for ABC Company, and am very impressed with your work. My business is looking to work on a similar project, and your skills would be a great help. Let me know if you’re interested in working together – I can be reached at example@gmail.com

LinkedIn Invite to a Recruiter

Hi Ben, I see that you work for XYZ recruiting agency. I’m in the financial industry and have done so for the last 10 years. If you have time, I’d love to discuss my background with you and see if I might be a fit for any of your job listings. Sincerely, Nathan

LinkedIn Invite to Someone You Met at a Networking Event

Hi Beth, It was nice meeting you at the Technology Conference in Austin last week. I really enjoyed learning about what you are doing to get better at your sales presentations. – I’d like to chat even more as you perfect the process. Sincerely,

LinkedIn Invite to Someone You Casually Know

Hi It was nice meeting you at Adam’s dinner party this past weekend. If you have the time I’d love to get in touch and hear more about what you do at ABC Company. Sincerely,

LinkedIn Invite to Someone You Admire

Hi Joan, I’ve been following your work at XYZ Company for the last few months and am very impressed with what you have accomplished. I’d love to hear more about what you do. If you have some time, I would love to learn more about how you got into your current position

LinkedIn Invite to an Alumnus

Hi Wendy, I saw you graduated from Southwest Texas State. I too graduated from there in 1995. If you have time, maybe we can meet to discuss your role at ABC Company – as a fellow Sales professional I’d love to hear more about what you do.

LinkedIn Invite to Someone in the Same LinkedIn Group

Hi Rhett, I’m also a member of the Real Estate LinkedIn group and I always find your posts to be so helpful. I’d love to be able to connect here and learn more about your work. All the Best