First there was Austin City Limits. Then came the Real World: Austin. Now there is DOWNTOWN (The all caps effect is actually part of the name). While not widely known, Austin public TV station KLRU produces a great original TV show on life in downtown Austin. The award-winning show, called “DOWNTOWN” promotes itself as covering…
New York Times: Downtown Austin is Attractive Second Home Location
An article in yesterday’s New York Times analyzed downtown Austin as a second home location. The enthusiastic article shed light on an important trend in the downtown market: the popularity of downtown condos with out-of-town buyers looking for a weekend getaway. We have heard first-hand from many developers that affluent Houston and Dallas residents, especially…
September Update: Prices Hold Steady
The September MLS statistics on sales of existing single family homes are out and the news is about as good as can be expected. During the month, sales of existing homes fell by 8 percent while the median price stayed flat. Notably, prices are actually up approximately 10% from September of 2006. While the rest…
BartonPlace Video Commercial
You don’t see many commercials for new condo projects on Austin’s major television stations. While this is unlikely to change, BartonPlace recently produced a profile video on the project that is currently posted on youtube. While the video could use more fancy renderings and images of the units, it’s always interesting to hear real people…
Austin Rental Market Deteriorating
Over the last decade, Austin has been one of the strongest rental markets in the country. As rents increased while supply grew, developers continued to come to Austin to add new rental capacity. Over the last few months, this trend has reversed. With thousands of new units hitting the market and economic conditions deteriorating, both…
Be it Known: Austin is Very, Very, Very Lucky
An important article in today’s Wall Street Journal exposed how dire the national housing crisis has become. Today, across the country, one in six homeowners is underwater in their mortgage. By this, The Wall Street Journal reports, nearly 16% of U.S. homeowners owe more on their mortgage then their home is worth. In a county…