It's official. Congress has extended the deadline to qualify for new home purchases to September 30th.

I think I just felt a breeze from the collective sigh of relief of 180,000 people. That's the amount of home buyers saved from being left out in the cold.

The closing date for new home loans was initially set for June 30th (yesterday). The new bill only allows people who already have signed contracts to finish at the extended date.

If you haven't already seen, for the second year in a row, Austin, Texas has made the list of 10 best cities for Kiplinger's magazine. In 2009, Austin was listed at #8, and this year, it was listed at #1 for cities for the next decade. Last year, the criteria was based on unemployment rates, business growth, and culture among other things. This year it was narrowed down to three components--smart people, great ideas, and collaboration.