In the last week, the following two stories were published on regional unemployment: “The unemployment rate in the Austin area dropped slightly in August as seasonally-expected hiring offset some of the significant job losses the region has endured.” “California’s unemployment rate in August hit its highest point in nearly 70 years, starkly underscoring how the…
Exclusive: Building-by-Building Condo Fees
One of the most common questions asked by first time condo buyers is how much individual buildings charge in monthly condo fees. Condo fees fund the daily operations and maintenance of most condo buildings. They cover security, landscaping, cleaning of common area, common area energy use, maintenance, and other key building functions. In addition —…
New Federal Courthouse to Rise Downtown
A bold new federal courthouse is set to rise on the same prime downtown site that Intel abandoned earlier in the decade. With a recent groundbreaking, the project will be constructed on the Western edge of Republic Square Park. During the tough years of the tech bust, the City lobbied hard for the GSA (Government…
683 Feet: Austonian Reaches the Top
When the rains came last week, there was a day when the clouds simply hovered over downtown. The clouds were so low that they seemed to hover just above all of the tallest downtown buildings. All except for one. If you were working on the top floors of the Austonian , you would have been the…
Ballet Austin Party Held at Austonian
This past weekend, the Austonian hosted one of Austin biggest galas — the Ballet Austin Fete. With dinner on the 33rd floor, a cabaret on the 10th floor, and a wild party in the lobby, it was quite an event for an active construction site. Hundreds of guests moved between venues on rickety construction elevators…
New FHA Rules for Condo Mortgages
FHA loans provide qualified buyers an opportunity to purchase units with loans that they would not otherwise qualify for. In particular, FHA loans allow for smaller down payments, often as low as 3% of the purchase price. Next month, the rules behind these Federal loans will be changed substantially, making many condo projects and buyers…