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austin: Manor Expressway: Central Texas Answer To Congestion - 08/15/08 09:27 AM
Like many U.S. cities, the Austin area has a challenge with traffic congestion. Traffic on U.S. 290 has increased more than 78 percent since 1990 as Manor and surrounding cities increase in population.
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is proposing construction of the Manor Expressway to alleviate congestion. This 6.2-mile toll road would be constructed in the median of the existing highway. Construction would begin in late 2009, with the road opening in 2013.
Residents learned the details of the Manor Expressway project last week at an Open House. A follow-up meeting to collect public input is planned for August … (1 comments)
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austin: Mueller Center Earns LEED Gold Certification For “Greenness” - 08/05/08 02:06 PM
Since we've been spotlighting the Mueller Austin community for a while now, we know that this planned development is one of the most eco-friendly of its kind. Featuring affordable homes and plenty of public green space, the mixed-use "urban village" is a model for sustainable community design.
When guests and potential residents visit Mueller, they first enter through the Mueller Center which acts the community information center and the Catellus Development Group's main office. But this is no ordinary welcome center: Catellus recently announced that the Mueller Center has earned LEED® Gold Certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
The LEED® (Leadership in … (0 comments)
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austin: dAustin TX Foreclosure Market Keeps Real Estate Affordable - 06/11/08 08:51 AM
Austin Habitat for Humanity needs more land to build affordable homes. Austin struggles with affordability, so charities like Habitat are needed to create more home owners. Habitat for Humanity offers affordable housing to low income families. The charity uses volunteers to rehab these newly acquired foreclosed properties or in extreme cases, tears them down and rebuilds.
While many struggle to keep their homes and avoid foreclosure, rising national foreclosures have created a window of opportunity for charities like Habitat, who strive to keep home ownership costs low. This controversial topic has even reached Congress (read later).
The National Foreclosure Crisis Rescues … (0 comments)
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austin: Villa Muse Talks Officially End with City of Austin - 05/29/08 05:00 AM
You may remember reading a couple of months ago that the "Titanic-size" Villa Muse development project was in trouble and going under fast; a statement made by Villa Muse last week confirms the ship has sunk - at least in Austin.
After Austin City Council refused to release some 2,000 acres in East Travis County from its jurisdiction, it is now being reported that Bastrop, TX, despite its efforts to keep the dealings hush-hush, is courting the film-based developers. Villa Muse says it is also considering several other cities, all in Texas, with hopes to break ground before the end of the … (1 comments)
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austin: Neighborhood Spotlight: Plum Creek Provides Uncommon Living - 05/23/08 09:50 AM
The goal of Plum Creek is to provide uncommon living for the common man. This 2,200 acre master-planned, new urbanist community is located 17 miles south of Austin in Kyle, Texas and incorporates all the amenities of schools, recreational parks, residential neighborhoods and commercial centers. Plum Creek is a pedestrian friendly community with winding streets, sidewalks and traditional architecture enhanced by neighbor friendly front porches. The goal is to get you closer to the other places in our lives including schools, parks, shops, and jobs.
Residential offerings are a mix of traditional cottages, elegant golf-course homes and duplex townhomes. Single family … (1 comments)
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austin: Will Light Rail Solve Downtown Austin Transit Woes? - 04/30/08 08:31 AM
Texas State Senator Kirk Watson and Austin City CouncilMember Brewster McCracken have led the charge to change how we commute to within Central Austin. After struggling with congession from our population growth, Mayor Will Wynn charged various groups, community leaders, transit experts and other residents to come up plans for a final vote in November.
Roma Design Group was hired as a consultant to the city to evaluate the dire situation and make a proposal. Roma's final solution: place 14 miles of light rail line through Central Austin.
Top concerns for Central Austin light rail were:
Read the rest of this entry
… (0 comments)
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austin: Spotlight: Towering Towers II Condo Project To Replace State “Capital” - 04/28/08 09:17 AM
(Note: this was a satirical article reprinted by the Austin Statesman that points. Read comments for further discussion.)
Today's Spotlight focuses on the proposed condominium project, Towering Towers II, which is being developed by Baulsy Bros Builders LLC, based in Miami. The proposed 100-story towers will become the tallest in the state and include 2,361 units.
Towering Towers II, will include a number of ‘Green' features, including no-flush" toilets that will pipe residents' waste products directly into a holding tank below the building which can then be recycled and used as fertilizer by the Austin Parks Department. Each unit will have solar-powered coffee … (2 comments)
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austin: Gotcha Guide™: Green-ify Your Home Service Contract - 04/23/08 09:19 AM
NOTE: This article is part of the forthcoming book, the Gotcha GuideTM to Buying or Investing in Real Estate. by DeeinAustinTM
I was elated to see the Home Warranty of America (HWA) announcement of their GreenPlus Program earlier this year.
GreenPlus is an upgrade to HWA's 13-month contract, which covers appliance and mechanical systems. GreenPlus makes Energy Star exchanges, replaces your water heater with a tankless version, and upgrades your heating system to 90% efficiency upon disrepair.
This is especially useful in Green cities like in Austin, where our mayor is preparing to roll out a Climate Protection Plan, requiring all Austin home … (0 comments)
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austin: Spotlight: Park Place Village Homeless RV Park in East Austin Creates Criticism, Praise - 04/21/08 06:59 PM
Today's spotlight is on controversial Park Place Village, a 10-acre gated RV site for 150-175 "chronically homeless" individuals.
The 99-year ground lease for the city-owned land in East Austin was approved by council to help fight homelessness.
Opposing East Austin residents faced an uphill battle at this week's city council meeting. Reporters said hundreds of homeless Austinites and their supporters packed council chambers to ensure approval for the 3-year project. Park Place Village residents would rent the RVs and cottages for $100 to $375 a month, including electricity, water and TV services.
Three Major Reasons Why East Austin Opposed Park Place Village
Continue … (0 comments)
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austin: Is Affordable Austin Real Estate Just a Pipe Dream? - 04/16/08 07:35 AM
Austin is consistently one of America's top places to live, causing demand for housing to remain steady in most areas of the city.
As the Greater Austin metro area grows, we face rising home prices. Austin and other Texas cities are among the few in the nation to continue to appreciate while we face a recession.
We face tough questions every day. Their answer will affect our children and future generations.
Top Housing Issues in Austin
1. How can we create walkable, sustainable communities as the population increases?
2. How far should we take density if we want to remain livable?
3. How can we … (2 comments)
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austin: Three Reasons Why Austin is Among Top U.S. Real Estate For Empty Nesters, Boomers - 04/14/08 09:08 AM
Empty Nesters are moving to cities like Austin and Las Vegas in droves, keeping the local economy afloat during the current recession while growing housing demand.
Empty Nesters are couples whose children no longer live at home. They're often members of the Baby Boomer generation, between 55 and 64 years of age. Baby Boomers have made huge impacts on health care and real estate due to the fact that there's going to be about 78 Million of them.
Both Empty Nesters and Boomers are mobile and unafraid of change. In their lifetimes, they experienced America sending a man to the moon, the advent … (0 comments)
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austin: Spotlight: $85M 'Villagio' Brings Mixed-Use Luxury to Northwest Austin - 04/09/08 08:20 AM
This week's spotlight focuses on the $85M mixed-use project breaking ground in Northwest Austin.
The Villagio will be located at RR 620 between US Hwy 183 and TX Hwy 71 minutes from Lake Travis. This project is sizable, with 29 acres of retail, office and luxury residences, all with an Italian style.
· 117,310 SF Retail/Restaurant space
· 31,800 SF Professional Office space
• 300 Apartments and a 5-acre lake
Who will live, work and shop at the Villagio Austin?
Continue reading "Spotlight: $85M 'Villagio' Brings Mixed-Use Luxury to Northwest Austin"
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austin: How will Dell Layoffs of 900 Jobs Affect Austin Real Estate? - 04/04/08 08:11 AM
A surprise announcement by Dell, Inc. earlier this week sent the Austin real estate community into shock. Dell plans to close it's North Austin manufacturing facility, cutting almost 800-900 jobs in early 2009. Globally, the company will remove up to 10% of it's workforce, about 8800 jobs, saving up to $3 billion.
Readers asked me to cover the topic. Specific questions:
"How will the closing of Dell's North Austin manufacturing plant affect Austin real estate values?""How will the 800-900 lost jobs impact the local economy?""Is this an indication that Austin is set for a real estate bust?"
These are good questions, but there are … (1 comments)
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austin: Spotlight: Maravilla Custom Home Builder Cancels TRCC License, Receives Complaints for Involvement - 03/31/08 10:13 AM
This Friday's story focuses on Austin custom home builder involved with Maravilla. (NOTE. The builder has not been indicted for charges, so names will be kept anonymous.)
According to readers, local sources, and information available to the public, a 'Maravilla Builder' may soon be under investigation by several Texas legal authorities for accusations around their involvement in Maravilla, a subdivision that resulted in Texas Builder Mike Kelly filing bankruptcy.
Kelly confessed to an agreed order from Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) for his actions.
One Maravilla Builder's license was deactivated in February for reasons unknown to us.
We were told that current accusations … (0 comments)
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austin: Austin Real Estate Update: "Houston, We Have a Glut of Inventory" - 03/26/08 09:33 AM
Last month, I reported that home sales in North and South Austin were doing well despite a down market from last year. At that time, previously "hot" areas such as Central East Austin and the South Congress area (78704) were suffering. Those trends continued in February.
View the Slideshow for the latest Austin real estate market statistics, based on February MLS data from the Austin Board of REALTORS®. Click to Download the February Update (copywritten).
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Continue reading "Austin Real Estate Update: "Houston, We Have a Glut of Inventory"
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austin: Austin Real Estate District Spotlight: Austin's Southtown, Lower Congress Area - 03/17/08 07:49 AM
Today's spotlight is on SouthTown Austin, a growing area of South Austin that lacked the media attention of it's popular cousins in the SoCo (South Congress) and SoLa (South Lamar) Districts.
SouthTown Austin has been quietly booming for the past few years. Home prices steadily rose. The area is affordable, ripe for rehabs, and ready for new construction. The latest Austin real estate update showed South Austin homes selling in 30 days, SouthTown included.
SouthTown may share the same fate as SoCo, which now has too many condos coming. The Austin Statesman published an article entitled, "It's called LoCo and it's getting … (2 comments)
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austin: Trend Spotlight: Modern Prefab (Modular) Homes in Austin - 03/10/08 08:26 AM
Earlier this week, we discussed the Boomerang Home Buyer trend in Central Austin. A style gaining popularity since 2005 is Prefab Modern, also called modern modular.
Modern prefab (modular) homes can be designed to suit a variety of tastes and price ranges.
In a previous post, we debunked the myths of prefabricated homes. Top benefits included solid construction, shorter build times and green techniques.
WHAT'S SO COOL ABOUT MODERN PREFAB?
Most modern prefab home have green, sustainable elements. The companies in Austin use green construction materials, have less on-site waste, and use energy-efficient appliances. Modern prefab styles can be seen in all … (7 comments)
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austin: Waller Creek Tunnel Project Brings 'Riverwalk', Tackles Big Problems in Downtown Austin - 03/07/08 09:13 AM
Austin City Council Member Sheryl Cole is a local hero for cleaning up the Waller Creek Tunnel in Downtown Austin. The project will bring a new vibe to downtown and is likened to the Riverwalk in San Antonio.
Waller Creek is often called Austin's lost stepchild. Located in the heart of Downtown Austin, Waller Creek is known for dangerous flooding, an "aggressive" homeless population, and pollution.
Some say Waller Creek puts a black eye on Austin's reputation for being clean, green and safe. Many city leaders have tried to tackle the issue, but it Cole, along with Mayor Pro Tem Betty Dunkerley, … (2 comments)
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austin: Boomerang Buyers Dominate Central Austin Home Trends - 03/05/08 08:09 AM
Spring is the time of year that real estate really heats up and 2008 is no exception for Austin real estate. What's different this year? A phenomena that I call "Boomerang" Home Buyers. Boomerang Buyers have a big effect on new construction and resale homes in Central Austin.
IS YOUR FRIEND MOVING BACK TO AUSTIN? THEY MAY BE A BOOMERANG
Boomerangs are 30-somethings who left Austin to pursue a career, Ivy-league or out-of-state university, or other endeavor. They now have a small family or career change and want to come back. They usually have 20-40% CASH to put down. They like the … (0 comments)
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austin: Builder Spotlight: Streetman Homes Opens West Cypress Hills this Sunday - 03/03/08 09:17 AM
This week's spotlight is on Streetman Homes,a national builder who is well-respected in Central Texas because of their high-end, green, sustainable homes.
Streetman is among few volume builders who can build 5-star green homes. Their popular styles include Hill Country Modern (pictured) and Craftsman.
Streetman's Austin communities are popular for buyers handling in or out-of-town relocations.
MOST POPULAR STREETMAN HOMES COMMUNITIES IN AUSTIN
1.Stone Creek is new at Circle C Ranch and starts in the mid $270s. Circle C is probably the most popular master-planned communities in Southwest Austin, so to have some more affordable homes in the neighborhood seems like welcome mix.
2. Belterra. … (0 comments)
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Dee Copeland, Principal Broker
Austin,
TX
More about me…
Copeland Group Realty
Address: 6800 Westgate blvd, Austin, TX, 78745
Office Phone: (512) 697-9140
Cell Phone: (512) 784-4704
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