Moving to Austin? You may start to wonder what everyone is talking about when they mention our lakes because all you see is a river. Prior topics from this series on things to know if you're a new resident to Central Texas can be read here. River or Lake? What do Lake Travis, Lake Austin, and Lady Bird Lake have in common? They are all part of the Colorado River. Few people refer to any of these water bodies as the Colorado River, though. Each of the lakes is created because of a series of dams along the … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2015
Austin Rents Continue to Increase
The median rent in the Austin area has increased 66% over the past ten years and there are no signs that increases will be slowing down anytime soon. If you currently rent but are thinking of buying a home, why wait for another rent increase? Many tenants don’t realize that lending requirements have eased over the past few years. Did you know you can buy a home with 5% down (or even less is some particular situations)? Stop paying your landlords mortgage and start building your own equity. Contact me today to … [Read more...]
August 2015 Housing Statistics – Texas and US
Both the Texas and national housing statistics are now available for August. Overall, the number of homes sold and the prices they sold for are higher than last August, but lower than July 2015. … [Read more...]
Moving to Austin? You Should Know About the Pennybacker Bridge
Moving to Austin? You should know about the Pennybacker Bridge. Prior topics from this series on things to know if you're a new resident to Central Texas can be read here. Pennybacker Bridge The Pennybacker Bridge is commonly known as the 360 Bridge because Loop 360 is the name of the roadway (which isn’t a loop and is also known as Capital of Texas Highway – yes, it gets confusing). This iconic bridge is named after Percy Pennybacker, who designed bridges for the state both before and after World War II. … [Read more...]
August 2015 Housing Statistics – Austin
The August housing statistics for Austin have been released. Overall, the Austin market continues to remain strong. Both the number of homes sold and the median price continues to rise. Keep in mind that not all areas of Austin are this strong while others are stronger because, even within Austin, the market varies. … [Read more...]
Austin Neighborhood Home Sale Data – August 2015
The Neighborhood Home Sale data for August is now available. You can access the address, sales price, and other information for home sales in Steiner Ranch, Avery Ranch, River Place, and other Austin area neighborhoods by clicking here. Detailed information is available for those who register and summary data is available for those who do not. If you are ready to become part of these monthly statistics by either buying or selling a home, contact me at 512-650-7300, by email, or the form below. … [Read more...]
2014 Census Statistics
Latest stats from the Census Bureau show Austin was the 4th fastest growing city in the US in 2014 with a population now at 1,943,299. On a county basis, Hays was #4 (185,025), Williamson was #10 (489,250), Bastrop was #23 (78,069), and Travis was #42 (1,151,145). Texas grew by 1.92% which was good for #2 on the state list. The Texas population is now at 26,956,958. The number one state for growth was North Dakota (where I grew up, by the way). The oil boom pushed growth there to 2.2%. To put it as a raw number … [Read more...]
Underestimating Your Home’s Equity? Maybe You Can Drop Your PMI
Fannie Mae recently released a few statistics on the amount of equity in homes across the United States. In particular, how many homes have at least 20% equity and how many people think their home has at least 20% equity. As it turns out, 37% of homeowners think they have at least 20% equity but the real number is 69%. I was surprised by the size of that spread. But what difference does it make? There are a few quick ones that come to my mind: First is the impact on PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance). If you … [Read more...]
Moving to Austin? You Should Know About The LBJ Library
Moving to Austin? You should know about The LBJ Library. Prior topics from this series on things to know if you're a new resident to Central Texas can be read here. The LBJ Library The presidential library for Lyndon Baines Johnson is located on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. The 36th President of the United States, LBJ grew up in Central Texas and always called the area home. The library contains over 45 million pages of documents, hundreds of thousands of photos, and hundreds of hours of … [Read more...]
Moving to Austin? You Should Know About Mopac
Moving to Austin? You should know about Mopac. This is part of a series about things new residents to Central Texas should know (prior topics in the series can be found here). Mopac I find it interesting that newcomers to Austin often ask me what the origin is of one of our main freeways – Mopac Expressway (in some places referred to as Mopac Boulevard). Of all the roads with odd-sounding names around town, this is the only one about which people ask. The road was built in the 1970s alongside railroad … [Read more...]
How’s the Market in Steiner Ranch – September 2015
In this edition of “How’s the Market in Steiner Ranch,” I talk about the August stats, the last of the typically strong summer months. Below the video, you can find the same information in chart and text formats. To view summary and detailed sales information for all Steiner Ranch neighborhoods, check out the Neighborhood Home Sale Data section of my website. If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Steiner Ranch, contact me via email or at 512-650-7300. Previous editions of How’s the Market in Steiner Ranch … [Read more...]
Moving to Austin? You Should Know About Shiner
Moving to Austin? Today I continue educating new Austin area residents about the basic tidbits that all Central Texans should know by discussing Shiner Bock. Again, there is not a set schedule, but I suspect I’ll add a few posts each week. The posts will be individual, but if you want to see them all, you can check out this page which compiles them all in one place. Shiner Bock Simply referred to as Shiner, this Texas beer has been made in Shiner, Texas since 1913. Originally a seasonal beer available only … [Read more...]