Austin homebuyers have been through the wringer in the past year—tales of offers well over asking price, sales in under an hour, and months-long supply chain shortages have become commonplace in the city's cutthroat housing market. So it's perhaps no surprise that many homebuyers are looking for greener pastures as they stake out large empty lots along the city's outskirts.

After casually searching for a home for years, Austin influencer and blogger Jane Ko experienced the pandemic housing surge firsthand when she found an empty lot near the airport in the summer of 2020. Stretched thin by high demand and limited supply, Austin's median home prices had already reached a then-record of $435,000 in August of that year, while new inventory grew by…

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With the new year clocking in, we asked for some crystal ball predictions about the one thing all Austinites, rich and poor, think about: housing.

The big picture: Where and how we live remains a central question amid Austin's influx of wealth.

The folks at home listing site Zillow say that if you're set on a bargain, look to the smaller cities outside of Austin.

  • Home buyers want to live in sunny states, but price hikes in markets like Austin make less expensive nearby markets more attractive. The Sun Belt region, including Austin, should expect another big year, according to a Zillow outlook.

What they're saying: "From April to August, Austin held the top spot in quarter-over-quarter home value growth, which is a good indicator of…

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Key Points

  • Home prices have soared but still present a bargain relative to other areas -- for now.
  • Those areas include Silicon Valley, a place some major employers are leaving for Austin.
  • A burgeoning population underpins the argument that a buy now will pay off later.

Austin, Texas, fell from the No. 1 spot in 2021 to a predicted No. 10 in 2022 on Zillow's list of hottest housing markets in America. Tampa, Florida, has assumed the top spot, but Austin is still a very robust market.

The capital region of the Lone Star State has seen explosive population growth, the most of any large metro area in the United States from 2010-2020, according to the U.S. Census, swelling by a third in 10 years to nearly 1 million in the city itself…

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Austin's housing market is booming. The market reflects what is happening in other major cities across the country. While activity appears to have slowed slightly in recent months, Austin's residential real estate market remains extremely hot, with prices increasing significantly over the last year. Austin real estate remains a seller's market, owing to low-interest rates, strong in-migration, a rapidly recovering local economy. In November, the Austin housing market continued its record-breaking pace.

Despite a calming trend, it is still on track for a record-breaking year. While home sales in the Austin-Round Rock metro area fell 4 percent, the median sales price increased 29 percent year over year to $470,000, setting a new November record. A…

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There is a new update to the Homestead Exemption Law. 

Starting January 1, 2022, homebuyers will be allowed to file for exemption in the year they purchased the property - previously homebuyers had to wait until the following calendar year to file. 

This is great news for homebuyers who can now have the opportunity to lower their property taxes! 

How does this affect prorations? 

Previously, prorations of taxes between the Buyer & Seller, and reserves needed for the Buyer's new escrow accounts, were estimated using the homestead exemption because it was in place until the end of the year. Now, a Seller can buy a new property and move their exemption to that new property immediately. 



Source: Patten Title Company 

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After nearly a year and a half of living with Covid-19, many households have gone through long-term lifestyle changes, such as career reorientation and cross-country moves. New opportunities brought out by the pandemic, especially the sudden popularity of remote work, triggered many of these circumstances.

Such a dramatic evolution in work models has affected the real estate market across the country. Now, investors must reconsider where to focus their efforts and which assets may be better for expanding and balancing their portfolios.

Institutional investors with assets greater than $50 billion have long invested primarily in gateway markets, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York; commercial properties in these cities typically offer…

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As is the tradition as we near the end of 2021, Eater asked a trusted group of friends, industry types, and local bloggers for their takes on the past culinary year in Austin. Given the insanity of this year, Eater has adapted the standard survey into one that reflects the new realities of takeout, restaurant shutters, and a shaky industry. All answers will be revealed before the year ends — cut, pasted, (mostly) unedited, and in no particular order. Question number one:

What were your regular go-to destinations in 2021? What newcomer on the scene excited you this year?

Raphael Brion, Texas editor, The Infatuation, and former editor of Eater
My regular go-to is the same every year. It’s Bufalina Due. The pizza’s great, the wines are adventurous,…

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Texas Education Agency (TEA) - tea.texas.gov

 A state agency that oversees primary and secondary public education. The TEA strives to improve outcomes for all public school students in the state.

• Mission, Leadership, Annual Reports, & Legal Structure

• Financial, Grant, & State Funding Information

• List of Texas Schools & Enrollment Guidance

• Curriculum, Subject Areas, & Educational Support Programs

• A·F Accountability Resources

• State Testing & TxCHSE Resources • Educator Databases

• Data & Reports

Texas Schools - txschools.gov

As an extension of TEA, TXschools.gov is a database that stores information by school and district. This resource provides analytical tools to create correlations, compare, and study the…

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Outdoors

Zilker Park, Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail

Spanning 351 acres in the heart of Austin is Zilker Park. It’s also the city’s oldest park, according to the city’s website. It was named after Andrew Jackson Zilker, who donated pieces of land to the city on multiple occasions beginning in 1917.

You can also hop on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, named after a former mayor and his wife. The trail is 10 miles long.

Barton Creek Greenbelt, Sculpture Falls

Austin has several greenbelts for hiking, but the most famous is the Barton Creek Greenbelt. It’s an ideal spot for swimming as well.

You can start at the trailhead off MoPac — this will give you access to both Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls — or from the…

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The pandemic has heightened our appreciation for where we live, with many reconsidering their hometowns. Coupled with the flexibility of remote work and international borders slowly opening up, now might be the time to consider that relocation you've long dreamed of. To determine the ideal places to call home, U.K. finance site money.co.uk studied the best cities to move around the world in its Relocation Report, released this week.

Austin came in first, thanks in part to its average temperature of 68.7 degrees and average monthly salary of £3,984 (or $5,378), as well as its internet speed of 87.5 Mbps. Next up was the most populous city in the world, Tokyo, for its plethora of restaurants and parks, as well as its high life expectancy at…

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