Harold Hunt, a research economist with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, published an interesting profile of the downtown Austin condo market in Tierra Grande.
First, the report calculated that “about 1,500 condominiums have been delivered to the downtown market since 2001 . . .To date, nearly 98 percent of those units are sold and closed” Of the 18 projects completed over the last seven years, all but 18 of 1,544 units have been sold.
Interestingly enough, the report included sales estimates by project for four unfinished projects: The Austonian, the Four Seasons, the W Hotel & Residences, and Spring. These estimates, credited to Capital Market Research and dated March 10, 2010, show the challenges in selling hundreds of million dollar units in the current environment. While anecdotal research shows that sales have increased in recent weeks, many additional units remain unsold.
Sales Estimates for Projects Under Construction
| Project |
Year |
Units |
Contracts |
Avail. |
% Sold |
Absorption / month |
Avg Price |
Avg Size |
$ / SF |
| Austonian |
2010 |
178 |
55 |
123 |
31% |
1.89 |
$1,516,000 |
2203 |
$688 |
|
Four Seasons Residences |
2010 |
148 |
74 |
74 |
50% |
2.64 |
$1,269,447 |
1969 |
$645 |
|
W Hotel & Residences |
2011 |
159 |
82 |
77 |
52% |
2.49 |
$1,067,352 |
1716 |
$622 |
|
Spring |
2009 |
248 |
120 |
128 |
48% |
3.87 |
$521,063 |
969 |
$538 |
In summary, the article concluded that “More than 400 of the most expensive luxury condos in Texas are coming online in downtown Austin. Some say the timing is disastrous; others believe economic recovery may work in favor of these developments. Upscale buyers hold the key to success for this small niche market.”
