As Texans keep a close eye on the state's electrical grid during this record summer heat, one Austin-area neighborhood is staying relatively worry-free about blackouts.

Each home in Whisper Valley — located in Manor, about 8 miles north of the Tesla factory — comes equipped with solar panels on the roof and an underground geothermal heat pump that is more efficient at heating and cooling a home than an above-ground unit, said Greg Wolfson, chief technology officer of EcoSmart Solution, an affiliate of community developer Taurus Investment Holdings LLC. These two factors make Whisper Valley a zero-energy capable community. The development will eventually have more than 7,000 homes that are zero-energy capable.

The zero-energy capable label is not…

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Santa Rita Ranch, a 3,800-acre historical ranch redesigned as a master-planned community with world-class amenities and spectacular views near Austin, Texas has once more ranked #1 in sales in the Austin-Round Rock area, according to the 2022 RCLCO mid-year report. Santa Rita Ranch also placed 29th in the nation in total sales, up from last year's rank of 33rd.

"We have a top-notch team working hard every day to make sure that Santa Rita Ranch provides the very best possible place to live for all of our many residents," said Santa Rita Ranch Developer Ed Horne, "so recognition like this from an expert group like RCLCO is a wonderful thing. But what we love most is welcoming friendly new faces to our master-planned community, which is why we're so…

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Despite an interest-rate hike of three-quarters of a percent by the Federal Reserve on Wednesday, and additional increases likely still to come, some housing economists aren't expecting another big surge in mortgage rates now or in the coming months.

A recent slowdown observed in the U.S. housing market has largely stemmed from the sudden jump in mortgage rates felt in late spring and early summer, in line with the Fed's decision to move up interest rates in an ongoing effort to combat inflation.

Existing-home sales declined for the fifth straight month in June, down 5.4% from May and 14.2% from the prior year, according to the National Association of Realtors. Unsold inventory was at three months' supply nationally in June, up from 2.6…

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