texas: Austin Real Estate District Spotlight: Austin's Southtown, Lower Congress Area - 03/17/08 12:49 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 … (1 comments)

texas: Community Spotlight: Baby Boomers Cash in on Eagle Mountain Reserve - 02/11/08 12:00 AM
Baby Boomers will buy one out of every five new homes sold in 2008. What the 55-and-older segment is really looking for is vacant land. 
For instance, the Texas Hill Country is a prime location for Boomers to look for land from a 1- acre parcel in Marble Falls to a 300+ acre ranch in one of Burnet County's ranch communities.
A recent boom in real estate development in Burnet County has resulted from this influx of future retirees.  Baby boomer investors coming to the Texas Hill Country are picky, but seem willing to pay top dollar for a piece … (0 comments)

texas: Austin Real Estate To Bloom Bigtime in 2010 - 02/05/08 11:27 PM
Ok. So I am officially excited. I've been sniffing the pollen of the new mixed-use real estate developments, condo towers, and the new urbanist communities coming in Greater Austin 2008 through 2010.
Central Austin development took a step forward last week, with two huge projects breaking ground.
The Four Seasons Residences luxury condo tower in Downtown Austin broke ground last week, as did the first phase of the highly-anticipated Crestview Station in North Central Austin.
Both are scheduled for completion in 2010.
COOL! CRESTVIEW STATION NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN FINALLY BREAKS GROUND
"Crestview Station will be one of Austin's biggest transit-oriented developments...to the … (1 comments)

texas: Builder Spotlight: Newmark Home's Parent Company Files Bankruptcy - 02/04/08 12:29 AM
I was in a Austin real estate market update class this week where Residential Strategies gave a year-end summary and forecast for the Austin area. Here is what was said for the January 2008 market summary.
1. Texas isn't doing bad compared to other states, but many national builders are in trouble due to their activity in Florida, Arizona and California.2. Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio real estate markets are overbuilt in the affordable home price ranges. Builders are doing auctions and fire sales to get rid of their sub-$150k inventory.
3. Austin continues to buck trends and will continue to do well … (1 comments)

texas: Gotcha Guide™: Top 5 Tips to Avoid the Bite of a Bad Property Management Agreement - 01/31/08 11:44 PM
NOTE: This article is part of the forthcoming book, the Gotcha GuideTM to Buying or Investing in Real Estate. Email us to join the mailing list for the release date. by DeeinAustinTM
I'm a member of the Texas Association of REALTORS® (TAR) and normally like the forms they provide for consumer use. This post is based on my experience helping a friend negotiate a property management agreement provided by the Texas Association of REALTORS®.
Perhaps I was naive, but I was surprised at how much the standard language in the Texas Association of REALTORS® (TAR) property management agreement was biased in protecting the … (4 comments)

texas: 'New Urbanism' a New Wave on Texas Coast - 01/30/08 07:27 AM
New Urbanism - just what is this? It's a way of planning cities and new developments so they have more of that traditional neighborhood feel.
Walking and biking is big in New Urban development. Instead of the old suburban car culture, where we all drive everywhere, even down the block, a "new urban" neighborhood is one where you're tempted to leave the car in the driveway since you can easily walk to shops, restaurants, and schools.
This sounds better and better, the higher the gas prices set in!
But anyway, what's this got to do with the Texas Coast? Quite a … (7 comments)

texas: Annual Market Update: Austin Real Estate Winners and Losers 2007 - 01/30/08 12:24 AM
by DeeinAustinTM
Austin real estate was poised for a Super Bowl-style win in 2007, but the year proved to be humbling after the mortgage market fumble last summer.
SEE THE  8-YEAR AUSTIN REAL ESTATE MARKET PLAY-BY-PLAY (From 1999 to 2007)
| View | Upload your own Austin homes sales during the first few quarters in 2007 were selling in under 30-60 days. Buyer confidence was high. The Texas mortgage market tanked in June. The result: many buyers and investors who wanted loans simply could not get them. Loans for new construction, land, stated-income, sub-prime borrowers and low-down payments were at a stand-still for … (0 comments)

texas: Spotlight: Builders Bet on Texas Lake Real Estate, Commit to 400-Acre Lake Houston Development - 01/27/08 11:47 PM
Fictional character J.R Ewing, from the popular 80s television drama, Dallas, was a betting man. What would the rich Texan do in today's housing market?
I think he'd take a peak at lake real estate in Texas, which are poised for a comeback in 2008. Investors and buyers know that know that the market for second homes, luxury estate, and lakefront estate homes in Texas are still in demand. 
We recently reported on Trinity River development in Dallas. Today's spotlight is on an upcoming 400-acre neighborhood development on the west side of Lake Houston.
A FEW DETAILS:
This $90M-plus Parke Patterson Land Development … (0 comments)

texas: Dallas Stats In: View the Latest Market Update - 01/22/08 11:55 PM
Some of the local boards haven't officially released their December 2007 market statistics, but the Dallas board is out in front with their final numbers. Below is the summary for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington real estate market for December including data since 2005.
See the data charts below. They are viewed best in full screen mode.
| View | Upload your own DOWNLOAD THE PDF NOW
DECEMBER 2007 DALLAS-FORT WORTH MARKET SUMMARY
Continue reading "Dallas Stats In: View the Latest Market Update"
 
(0 comments)

texas: Sticker Shock! Sluggish December Smacks You in the Face - 01/17/08 11:46 PM
I wonder if anyone uses the term, "sticker shock" anymore. Sticker shock was used backed in the 80s and 90s to describe the raw, gut reaction that consumers had when they saw an extremely high price tag on a item. The term wasn't used to describe real estate, but I think you should prepare for sticker shock on December market stats.
If I had to describe the face of a sticker shock victim, it would look like what you'd expect from someone who had their hand struck with a hammer or who jumped in the Alaskan waters sans speedo.
A quick … (2 comments)

texas: Step Up to the Mic: Market Condition Reporters Wanted - 01/15/08 11:08 PM
What does American Idol, Next Great American Band, and Don't Forget the Lyrics all have in common?
Besides signaling the downfall of quality television and saving network tv from the writer's strike, they allow a select few to live out fantasies of having a national audience.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR HAMS
I'm excited to announce the Texas Realty Radio blogcast coming in 2008. This addition will compliment the Texas Realty Blog with more interactive content via audio and video podcasts. 
Even better, we're going to share the love...
KNOW A TEXAS MARKET EXPERT? THEY CAN BE A MARKET CONDITIONS REPORTER
If you know a savvy … (4 comments)

texas: Development Spotlight: Trinity River Corridor Dallas - 01/07/08 02:49 AM
Dallas City Council just approved a 45-acre planned development district (mixed-use) at the foot of the Trinity River Corridor a few weeks ago. Today's spotlight is on this mixed-use development along the hot Trinity River Corridor in Dallas.
Just about every major city in Texas has had a surge in downtown revitalization since 2005, including San Antonio, Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin. Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert (inset) is relatively new, but has been surprisingly successful in rallying the city to respond to expected growth.
He's keen on mixed-use development along the corridor and in other areas facing revitalization. You may … (0 comments)

texas: Woohoo, It's 2008! The Real Estate Market Better Improve! - 01/03/08 01:30 AM
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of our readers! Texas Realty Blog was started March 2006, the heyday of the Texas real estate market. I'm looking forward to a great 2008 since the real estate market should improve as mortgage lenders ease borrower requirements.
This year, we plan to provide more interviews with local specialists video and photos, Texas real estate updates, market forecasts, community spotlights, commercial news real estate, and expert advice. We'll continue invite local experts to blog for us and topics in their area of specialty, may bring on additional staff writers, and will increase coverage of green-building … (3 comments)

texas: Texas Lawmakers Take "Green" Boot Approach to Sustainability - 12/26/07 12:05 AM
Let's face it. Non-Texans sometimes perceived our state as being behind on the times. Lately, Texas is being recognized for being forward-thinking when it comes to green practices and sustainability. Texas is not just growing a green thumb, we're passing laws that put a "green" boot in the backsides of corporations, developers and new construction builders to encourage them to adopt new practices.
Here's what I mean.
A friend who works for Pepsi-Co International mentioned that large corporations have implemented more strict green requirements from suppliers. In order to supply products or services to Pepsi-co, your company must regularly report … (4 comments)

texas: Trans-Texas Corridor, Slated to Connect Dallas to Austin and San Antonio, Still Controversial - 12/16/07 11:48 PM
I was in a Leadership Austin class on all day Wednesday. We discussed some interesting updates on new urbanism, transit-oriented development, commuter rails, and other changes to Austin and Texas that I'll share in upcoming weeks and months. A variety of infrastructure and development tools are being used in anticipation of millions of new residents coming to Texas in the next decade.
The theme of the past few Leadership Austin sessions have been economic development and infrastructure needed in Texas to keep up with consumer demand. We are not a shrinking population and are growing at a very fast pace.
For … (2 comments)

texas: Community Spotlight: Rough Hollow Lakeway - 12/11/07 11:45 PM
This week was pretty exciting for our team. First, we were featured on MSNBC for KXAN's story on mobile marketing in real estate. Then, we learned Keller Williams Realty will likely write about the use of mobile technology in small business in an upcoming article for their national magazine, Outfront. 
In the middle of all this, I've been working on a project in Rough Hollow, a wonderful new construction community in Lakeway that is our spotlight community for the week.
THE SKINNY ON LAKE AREAS IN AUSTIN
The past few years was a tough time for many lake home areas. While … (3 comments)

texas: Texans should be Fed up with real estate doom and gloom - 12/10/07 12:39 AM
I have a small beef with the national real estate news media. I was reading an article from CoStar Group about the 2008 real estate outlook. I like Costar because they're pretty straightforward and reliable.
The article, entitled "Housing Outlook Dims for 2008", reminded me of the same doom and gloom headlines from other national news outlets.
WHY TEXANS SHOULD HAVE A BEEF WITH THE NATIONAL MEDIA
They're biased. Reporters chatter about housing "booms" and "busts", but not stability because middle ground is boring. California, Arizona, and Florida sellers are suffering after real estate speculators rushed to those markets and overpaid. Houston … (6 comments)

texas: This just in! Austin Real Estate Market Update - 12/03/07 12:10 AM
So here's some great news. The national real estate community is still highly interested in Texas!
Need proof? REALTOR.com featured more of our posts yesterday. We were previously featured for an article on the Mueller Austin new urbanist community. Yesterday's feature was for our updates on Houston and Forth Worth markets.
Now that the mortgage market is making a comeback, investors and buyers are flying in to get some great December deals.
AUSTIN REAL ESTATE MARKET STATISTICS-OCTOBER SUMMARY
Below is a chart from the Austin Board of REALTORS® showing October 2007 MLS Statistics compared to October 2006. You can click it to view … (1 comments)

texas: Cedar Park Approves $43 million for Hockey Complex - 12/02/07 11:40 PM
Here's one for you sports or hockey fans. I recently spoke to Buffalo Sabers fan who attended the Stanley Cup finals between the Sabers and the Dallas Stars years ago. She said it had been easier and cheaper to fly from New York to Texas, and get a ticket for the games held in Dallas than to go to a game in Buffalo. On top of that, she said there were probably more Buffalo fans than Stars fans at the games in Dallas.
Besides the fact that she went to the game, I can't say if any of her story is really … (0 comments)

texas: Community Spotlight: Villa Muse in Austin Crafty Mix of Arts and Housing - 11/18/07 10:55 PM
Don't know if you guys have heard about the Villa Muse development, but it sounds pretty amazing. Villa Muse is a new mixed-use development going up just east of Austin. It may be some standards of new urbanism as well.
What makes this Villa Muse community different? The entire community is centered around The Arts.
Like most mixed-use developments, Villa Muse will include housing (mostly condos) for about 8,500 people  and will have an assortment of retail shops and restaurants with centerpiece being the Villa Muse Studios.
The studios will have state-of-the-art facilities for filmmakers, musicians, and game developers. Other perks … (2 comments)

 

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