Wal-Mart vs. Lincoln, In Short

Here is a quick quote that sums up the issue of Lincoln Property building a Wal-Mart in the Northcross Mall property. I’ll be honest, I have tried to avoid this issue as much as possible. But I need to stay informed for my clients’ sake so I always scan over any articles about it. Anyway, I thought this quote was great as far as summarizing the whole problem. Regardless of what side of the fence you are on, this just goes to show the whole thing needs to be put behind us. Read the quote

Tiger Tacos

I found these useful little items the other day. They are called Tiger Tacos and they help keep box flaps out of the way when packing/unpacking. They are a very simple idea, but I am surprised I have never seen anything like it before. I thought it might also be a useful gift for my clients.

Austin One of Top Travel Destinations

Austin has been named one of the top 25 travel destinations by Travel & Leisure Magazine. The list was voted on by travelers. Austin was in the top five for several sub-categories, including:

  • nightlife
  • clubbing
  • happy hour
  • affordability
  • environmental awareness
  • cleanliness
  • public parks
  • athleticism
  • attractive people
  • friendliness
  • vintage shopping
  • wild weekend

Sounds like Austin has it all covered.

via ABJ

RANT on TREC’s Phone Service

This is mainly for other Realtors. I just want let everyone know how terrible the phone service is for TREC. It is terrible because it is non-existent. Every time I call I get a busy signal. In this day and age, it is hard to even find a busy signal anymore. But not at TREC. You are not put on hold so that you can wait until someone is available. There is no voicemail. It is absolutely ridiculous. You basically have to take your chances and try over and over again throughout the day or, in my case, a week. Luckily, the TREC office is in Austin, so I can go down there to get something done. I don’t know what agents from other cities do. TREC, please step in the next millennium.

UPDATE 2009.08.26: I had to call TREC today and actually got put on hold and then someone picked up in less than a minute.  Now if only they made the website a bit more useful, I wouldn’t need to call them.

Housing Predictor Looks Good for Austin

According to Housing Predictor, Austin is going to be the #5 appreciating market in the country. What I like about this chart is that San Antonio is also on the list at #25. It is only a matter of time before Austin and San Antonio grow together along the I-35 corridor. They will eventually become a metroplex much like Dallas and Fort Worth. This means all the real estate in between has a great outlook. Yet another reason to buy in the Austin area.  Also of note is that 8 of the 25 markets are in Texas.  That means almost a third of the list resides right here in Texas

2007 Austin Market Report from TAMU Real Estate Center

The 2007 Market Report from TAMU’s Real Estate Center has been released.  Here are a few of the highlights:

  • Austin is the top growing metro area in Texas for the last decade with a  41.% increase
  • Austin’s projected population for 2010 is 1,563,179
  • 94.6% occupancy rate for multifamily properties in 2006
  • median price for homes in 2006 was $172,000

Market Reports