Luxe Austin Homes

"Construction resumes on some StoryBuilt developments to maximize sale value"

Austin Business Journal reports, "Construction is picking back up on some projects left incomplete by embattled real estate firm StoryBuilt.

Los Angeles-based Stapleton Group, which was appointed as StoryBuilt's receiver last summer to fix its finances, has resumed construction on some single-family homes in StoryBuilt's $2 billion development pipeline that's up for sale, according to an April 29 report. The goal is to maximize the sale value of the projects. Additionally, an East Austin development site is close to being sold in a deal expected to yield “several million dollars," according to the report.

Stapleton Group "plans to complete the sale of the remaining real estate assets, terminate all employees, complete the construction and sale…

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"Forbes declares these Texas schools new Ivy Leagues"

AUSTIN (KXAN) — "New reporting from Forbes published last week outlines a host of college campuses employers are turning to instead of Ivy League institutions — including two in Texas.

The University of Texas at Austin and Rice University joined the rankings of new public and private school elites which are “attracting the smartest students and plaudits from employers.”

Forbes’ researchers said the evaluation came as the traditional Ivy League institutions have “faced a barrage of complaints in recent years” related to admissions policies, grade inflations at several elite schools and university officials’ responses to on-campus protests regarding the Israel-Hamas War.

For Forbes’ methodology, researchers removed the eight classic Ivy League…

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Barton Creek Lakeside, Where Serenity Meets Luxury

Nestled in the heart of Spicewood, Barton Creek Lakeside beckons with its allure of exclusivity and tranquility. This 24/7 guard-gated, country club community boasts a picturesque waterfront setting that has captivated residents for decades. Stepping into Barton Creek Lakeside feels like entering a world of timeless elegance and natural beauty.

Dating back to the late 1980s and extending into the early 2000s, Barton Creek Lakeside offers a diverse array of housing options, ranging from cozy starter homes to opulent waterfront or golf course estates. This diversity ensures that there's something for everyone, regardless of where they are in life's journey.

One of the defining features of Barton Creek Lakeside is its wealth of recreational…

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"Five questions with Austin's top multifamily developer"

Austin Business Journal writes, "Multifamily development in Austin has slowed dramatically.

In April, 29,669 multifamily units were under construction across 104 communities in the metro, compared to 50,393 units under construction in 178 communities during the same month last year, according to ApartmentData.com.

The Journeyman Group ranked at the top of ABJ's latest list of multifamily real estate developers, with 3,944 units in the works or delivered in the Austin area last year. Journeyman Group has an additional 1,613 units planned for the area.

Alliance Residential ranked second on the list with 3,089 units in 2023, while The NRP Group took the No. 3 spot with 2,442 units. Wilson Capital ranked fourth with 2,135 units and Endeavor…

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"Far East Austin's development pipeline is packed"

Austin Business Journal writes, "A wave of development is washing over far East Austin, turning empty fields into hulking buildings.

The area around Tesla Inc.'s mammoth gigafactory is considered by many to be Austin's final frontier, and developers are taking the plunge now that Elon Musk has warmed the water. Mixed-use projects, multifamily housing, office towers, shopping centers and more are poised to transform the "eastern crescent" of Austin, which roughly follows the relatively new State Highway 130 toll road.

Here is a look at some of the largest projects on tap in the area. They will create a mountain of work for construction crews and yield abundant opportunities for others. County and municipal planners — especially road builders —…

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"Home prices have reached a milestone. Here's why it's a double-edged sword."

Austin Business Journal shares, "The median sale price for U.S. homes hit a record $383,725 during the four weeks ending April 21, up more than 5% from a year earlier, according to newly available data from real estate firm Redfin Corp.

The increase comes even as the supply of homes also has gone up, with 10.2% more new listings compared to the same time last year.

The record-high sale price is double what the median price was 10 years ago and up about 50% over the past five years, according to Redfin (Nasdaq: RDFN).

High interest rates have kept mortgage rates above 7%, and there's little indication from the Federal Reserve that interest rates will be measurably declining in the near term. That combination has helped push the median monthly…

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"Home Prices Soared Higher in February, Despite Increasing Mortgage Rates"

Realtor.com reports, "Home prices continue to march higher this year, despite pressure from increasing mortgage rates.

National home prices rose 6.4% annually in February, according to data from the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index released Tuesday. That was the largest year-over-year rise since November 2022.

Among the 20 cities tracked, San Diego had the highest year-over-year price jump in February, at 11.4%, followed by Chicago and Detroit, both with increases of 8.9%.

The report tracks single-family home prices across December, January, and February, when mortgage rates dipped to 6.6%. More recently, average rates for 30-year fixed mortgages jumped to 7.17% for the week ending April 25, according to Freddie Mac.

In a note,…

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"Tesla electrifying Austin economy far and wide"

Austin Business Journal writes, "The impacts of the Tesla Inc. gigafactory in eastern Travis County can be felt all the way out to an inconspicuous warehouse in Hutto, a vast greenfield at the north end of Georgetown, a train rail line in Taylor and a sprawling industrial complex in Kyle and even a bus station in Killeen, where gigafactory workers are picked up for work each morning for a 150-mile round trip.

Those sites — and just about everywhere in between — are among the locales where the "Tesla effect" is coming to fruition, referring to how the company's headquarters relocation to Austin has spurred additional economic development in the region. That's either through direct investment by the company itself, Tesla suppliers moving here, or…

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"New-Home Sales Surge as Buyers Seek Options in Tight Housing Market"

Realtor.com reports, "New-home sales surged last month, as buyers increasingly turned to fresh construction in a housing market plagued by few homes for sale.

Sales of new single-family houses jumped 8.8% in March from the prior month, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 693,000, the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly reported on Tuesday. March sales were up 8.3% from one year ago and were at their highest levels since last September.

The median sales price of new homes was $430,700 in March. That was good news for buyers as the price was down 1.8% from one year ago. This is a result of homebuilders increasingly pivoting to smaller and more affordable homes to appeal to buyers pinched by high mortgage…

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"The Vesper Condo Tower Wraps Up in Downtown Austin’s Rainey Street District"

TOWERS writes, "The 41-story Vesper condo tower is now complete in the Rainey Street District of downtown Austin, with its first phase of move-ins kicking off this week. According to developers Pearlstone Partners and sales agency Prospect Real Estate, the building is currently 67 percent sold. The 452-foot tower broke ground in the summer of 2021, situated on a small 0.4-acre site at the edge of the neighborhood at 84 East Avenue, pretty tightly hemmed in on three sides by the Camden Rainey Street apartment building and a famously garish Homewood Suites. 

It’s just one of a forest of towers now rising in the Rainey District, with the perspective of the aerial shot below showing not one, not two, not three, but four separate tower projects underway…

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