Pearlstone Partners CEO Robert Lee, Principal Emily Lee and President Bill Knauss stand outside Pearlstone's Parkside at Mueller development. The firm is seeking capital partners for three new condo projects it hopes to break ground on in the coming years. ARNOLD WELLS / ABJ

Austin Business Journal writes, "amid a year of muted activity for commercial real estate development, Pearlstone Partners LLC is betting big on the continued allure of Austin — it has three new projects up its sleeve that could total about $700 million in construction costs. That's on top of Robert Lee and his team forging ahead on three under-construction projects expected to deliver from early 2024 through 2025.

The Austin-based company just unveiled details on three multifamily communities planned to rise on prime sites, spread from Rainey Street to the northwest side of the Central Business District. All three are still in the investment phase, meaning they may not deliver for a few years.

Demand for housing has slowed across the board in…

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Austin Business Journal writes, "Oracle Corp. seems about ready to move forward with long-term plans to expand its headquarters campus near downtown Austin.

The software giant in late August filed documents with the city of Austin outlining plans to add a third office building, measuring 287,510 square feet, to the site it owns off East Riverside Drive. It could also build a 255-room hotel.

The growth will be to the west of Oracle's (NYSE: ORCL) existing office buildings, which measure nearly 1 million square feet combined. The company wants to modify a planned unit development, or PUD, that governs the area's zoning by adding a more than two-acre tract bordering Tinnin Ford Road. The tract is home to the former Town Lake Village Condos, which…

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CultureMap Austin writes, "the trend of international buyers purchasing homes in Texas shows no signs of slowing down, as revealed in the latest Texas International Homebuyers Report.

Released September 6 by Texas Realtors, the report shows that the Lone Star State remains the No. 3 hottest U.S. destination for international homebuyers. Texas ranks behind Florida and California for the fourth consecutive year.

From April 2022 to March 2023, 9,900 Texas homes were purchased by buyers from outside the U.S. These homes make up 11.7 percent of the total number of Texas Realtors sales transactions.

For comparison, Florida (No. 1) accounted for 23 percent of purchases, with California (No. 2) at 12.2 percent.

"Texas has long been one of the most…

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Realtor.com reports, "the numbers: U.S. home sales inched up for the second month in a row, as the housing market continues to be hampered by high rates and a lack of home listings.

Pending home sales rose by 0.9% in July from the previous month, according to the monthly index released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.

The figure exceeded expectations on Wall Street. Economists were expecting pending home sales to fall 0.5% in July.

Transactions were still down 14% from last year.

Pending home sales reflect transactions where the contract has been signed for the sale of an existing home, but the sale has not yet closed. Economists view it as an indicator for the direction of existing-home sales in subsequent months.

Big…

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You might have to pay a pretty penny to see gorgeous Austin views like this on the daily. Photo by Jeremy Doddridge on Unsplash

CultureMap Austin writes, "when it comes to places to buy a house, Austin still remains near the top of the list. So says WalletHub's highly anticipated 2023 report on the best real estate markets in the U.S.

The new study by the personal finance website, released August 22, names Austin the No. 8 most attractive real estate market in the country. The state capital joins a host of other Texas cities within the top 10.

Texas housing markets have dominated WalletHub's report throughout the years, showing resilience as other markets rise and fall. Austin and its Central Texas neighbors have been at the top in similar reports, but the city has slid in WalletHub's 2023 report after ranking No. 4 in the 2022 edition and No. 2 in 2021.

With a great…

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National Mortgage Professional writes, "there’s no such thing as a perfect housing market, but Austin is trying to check off all the boxes for would-be buyers. Young and savvy tech professionals are flocking to the funky metro known for its music scene to scoop up jobs and take the plunge into homeownership.

Since Austin is attracting new buyers and transforming long-term renters into prospective homeowners, LOs aren’t having trouble wrangling customers to buy loans. And it helps that 25.8% of homes in Austin have lower estimated monthly housing payments than they would have if they had been for sale a year ago, according to Redfin. Year-to-date home sales price data from the Austin Board of Realtors show a 12.6% decline in the median price for…

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Austin Business Journal presents, "The 2023 Austin Business Journal list of volume homebuilders is home to builders working in the Austin area. This includes Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell and Burnet counties.

These builders typically offer spec homes in master-planned neighborhoods around Central Texas, along with an assortment of floor plans and prices for new construction.

The ABJ gathers data from surveys sent to company representatives. Only builders that responded to requests for information are included.

In addition to the ABJ list, housing market advisory firm Zonda regularly gathers home starts of local builders.

Between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 Zonda counted a total of 16,943 new homes starts in the Austin area. This is down from…

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The Haney Park subdivision is planned on 245 acres outside of Uhland. SCREENSHOT OF HAYS COUNTY DOCUMENT

 

Austin Business Journal writes, "while housing starts across the Austin metro have retreated from pandemic highs, large residential communities continue to be pushed forward, especially in areas expected to see rapid population growth in the coming years.

That includes on the fringes of the emerging "metroplex" between Austin and San Antonio. An approximately 1,185-home subdivision called Haney Park is proposed for 245 acres in Hays County. It would in the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the small city of Uhland, between Cotton Gin and High roads, according to public documents.

In addition to the homes, the development would have three commercial lots ranging from 1.3 to 4.2 acres and an 18-acre lot for multifamily residential. Haney Park…

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AUSTIN (KXAN) — "Mortgage rates have hit a 21-year high, and KXAN wanted to see what it could mean for Central Texans.

KXAN Anchor Jennifer Sanders spoke with Dr. Clare Losey, a housing economist with the Austin Board of Realtors, about key housing data, such as new and existing home sales.

JENNIFER: So as mortgage rates top 7% It’s a two-decade high. What does this really mean for homebuyers as well as homeowners here in Central Texas?

CLARE: Well, the primary effect of higher mortgage rates is on homebuyers purchasing power, right? So anytime the mortgage rate increases, it reduces the maximum home price affordable to any potential buyer. So, what we anticipate to see in Austin really in any housing market is just somewhat of a moderation in…

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Homebuilder GFO Home is offering a variety of deals. (Courtesy GFO Home)

Community Impact Austin writes, "homebuilder GFO Home is expanding into Austin-area communities. In August, the builder is offering a variety of promotions, such as 50% off upgrades on to-be-built homes or a 4.75% fixed rate on quick move-in homes—available in Pflugerville, Georgetown, Liberty Hill and Manor—at no cost to customers.

A closer look

According to a news release, GFO Home has homes for sale at pre-grand-opening prices in two new Austin-area communities: Saddleback at Santa Rita Ranch in Liberty Hill, opening in September, and Enclave at Cele in Pflugerville, opening in October. GFO is also starting a new community in Leander near the San Gabriel River.

What else?

According to GFO Home, the builder currently has more than 50 inventory homes…

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