It is a fact: there has not been much investment activity in the downtown Austin condo market. Most of the buyers plan to occupy their units. As we reported last week , this is one of the reasons why Austin is less likely to see a Miami-style bubble explosion anytime soon.There are lots of reasons why investors have…
The Scary “B” Word: Will Investors Create a Downtown Austin Condo Bubble?
Much has been written about the condo bubble in southern Florida, especially the dramatic rise and fall of the Miami condo market. Between 2004 and 2006, condos were being snapped up by investors and quickly flipped for a profit long before buildings were completed. As more and more investors joined the fun, condo units would…
The Evolving Riverside Condo District
The shores of Riverside drive on the south side of Ladybird lake are about to undergo a dramatic transformation. Starting next year, four separate developers will begin construction on as many as 3,000 luxury condo and apartment units. With close access to downtown, the South Congress entertainment district, the lake, and the hike and bike…
Introducing Austin’s Municipal Parking Authority
As downtown Austin continues to grow and thrive, it gets harder and harder to find a parking spot. For city planners, there are two ways to view this phenomena: either as a problem or an opportunity.It is clear that parking is becoming a problem: the easier it is to park downtown, the more people will…
Huge Downtown Site Slated for Development
Over the last few years, much of Austin’s downtown has been redeveloped — or planned for redevelopment. Whole Foods has transformed an area of car dealers and auto body shops. The second street district transformed a region of old warehouse and industrial buildings. Seaholm power plant has been decommissioned and is now slated for mixed…
Austin Real Estate Market Forcecast
Fortune and Economy.com just released 5-year real estate appreciation predictions for 54 major metropolitan areas. For the analysis, they looked at the likely price increase or decrease for a luxury home that would ell today for twice the local median price.Here is a summary of the results:1Cleveland 9.6%2 Indianapolis 7.4%3 Detroit