Tesla has begun soliciting local contractors for its Gigafactory Texas, the 4 million- to 5 million-square-foot manufacturing plant slated to start construction in Travis County east of Austin later this year.

The electric carmaker initiated the contracting process one day after CEO Elon Musk's announcement that southeastern Travis County would be the site for Tesla's next gigafactory.

In an email obtained by Community Impact Newpaper, Jessica Munoz, a procurement manager for Tesla, began soliciting contractors and subcontractors for the project via email following a July 23 outreach event for interested local contracting professionals.

"I am very excited to build a contractor base with local talent," Munoz said in the email.

Contractors have to apply

The Miraval Austin Resort & Spa, located at 13500 FM 2769, Austin, closed March 27 due to restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic but reopened June 25, and the resort’s spa reopened July 15. Miraval General Manager Anthony Duggan said the resort, located just east of the Volente community on Lake Travis, has taken a number of precautions to help ensure guests are as safe as possible during their stay. Miraval is still open at a limited capacity, and Duggan said reservations are taken depending on the number of guests and the business climate of a particular day.

“We do have a limited spa menu, and there are some services we are still not comfortable offering,” Duggan said. “But with services such as massages, both therapists and guests are

International preschool Kido opened its first Austin location July 15 at 10625 Bonaventure Drive, Austin, in the River Place neighborhood. The 15,000-square-foot facility has become the company’s largest to date, according to the Kido website.

Kido offers primary education through a curriculum focused on human behavior, according to a press release from Kido. The Kido website states that its curriculum promotes hands-on, interactive learning for children ages six weeks to five years old.

“We knew right away that we wanted to open a location in Austin because we recognize the unique growth that is happening to the city right now,” Kido U.S. CEO Deep Pandita said. 512-557-1152. www.kido.school/en/our-centers/austin/river-place/

Source:

As budget talks continue for the 2020-21 school year, homeowners in Lake Travis ISD can anticipate a tax rate decrease heading into the next school year.

LTISD officials are set to discuss the proposed operating budget during a virtual board meeting July 15.

The tentative budget will include a proposed rate of $1.31363 per $100 of valuation, which, when accounting for property value inflation, is the lowest the district has presented since 1989, according to Johnny Hill, the assistant superintendent for business, financial and auxiliary services.

The rate is about $0.02 lower than LTISD’s approved 2019-20 tax rate of $1.3375 per $100 of valuation, which was $0.07 lower than the year prior.

Officials held a preliminary budget workshop June 15, during which

The residential real estate market in the greater Austin area has shown a steep drop in the total amount of inventory since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the U.S., and local experts have said that sales in the same five-county region have also dropped as a direct result.

Compared with data from May 2019 provided by the Austin Board of Realtors, residential sales in May 2020 in the five-county region that makes up the Greater Austin metropolitan statistical area dropped almost 30% to 2,697.

But while anticipated negative effects of the pandemic have created a lag in the market, members of ABoR and other local real estate companies said the recent data also show that Austin remains a strong market. That includes the Lake Travis-Westlake market.

Mark

Though sales in the residential real estate market throughout Greater Austin took a hit as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold in March, developers in Western Travis County have said they are now seeing an uptick in interest from builders and buyers.

Whether it is because the market is starting to correct on its own or because a growing interest in relocating away from dense urban areas is taking hold, sales of new homes in the Lake Travis area are rising.

The sales numbers reported by local developers and Realtors come as the state of Texas is facing historic shortages in the real estate market.

A July 14 report from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University states that Texas’ months of inventory, or the amount of time it would

June home sales rebound across Austin area; sales decline in first half of 2020 due to COVID-19  

AUSTIN, Texas—Home sales in the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) rebounded this June with a 9.3% increase year over year, which helped hold sales to only a 5.2% decline during the first half of 2020 as the market was impacted by COVID-19, according to the Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR) June and Midyear Central Texas Housing Market Report. 

Across the five-county MSA in June, residential home sales increased 9.3% year over year to 3,969 sales, and the median price increased by 4.6% to $340,000. Sales dollar volume also increased 13.1% to $1,674,070,282 and pending sales increased by 33.7% to 4,737. Housing inventory declined

When interest rates are low, homeowners may look to save money by refinancing, which means getting a new mortgage with a better term or interest rate to lower payments. Mortgage rates have steadily declined since November 2018, according to weekly data from Freddie Mac, also known as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.

Matt Frankel, a certified financial planner and mortgage analyst at The Ascent by Motley Fool—a general personal finance advice resource—shared advantages and disadvantages of the refinancing process.

What to consider

• Is the current market rate at least 1% lower than your existing mortgage rate?

• Are you planning to stay in the same home for at least five more years?

How to start

Rare opportunity to own 5 acres of prime Lake Travis waterfront land.  Enjoy incredible panoramic views of the lake and sunsets over the water.  Fabulous location near the iconic Oasis only 16 miles to downtown Austin within one of Austin’s highest rated school district’s - Leander ISD.  Surrounded by multi-million dollar homes, this hill top land is not Builder restricted - choose your own and build the perfect waterfront estate home! 

View More Waterfront Listings 

Sales prices are up & inventory is down! The Grossman & Jones Group has put ALL of their listings under contract in the last month! Austin faces low inventory, if you are thinking of selling call us to maximize your profits!