No one can gaze into a crystal ball and tell us what the population of the Austin metro area will be two decades from now. Forecasts from professional prognosticators give us a pretty good idea, though.

A CultureMap analysis of the most recent population projections from the Texas Water Development Board, a government agency that helps manage the state’s water supply, shows the Austin area may enter eye-popping territory by 2040. The analysis indicates the population of the Austin metro area will exceed the population of the now-larger San Antonio metro area in just 18 years.

Based on the water board’s county-by-county outlook for Texas, the population of the five-county Austin area will reach 3,340,450 in 2040. By comparison, the population of…

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The Austin real estate market is in the middle of a shift.  While the housing market in Austin is still a seller's market, the trend is changing. More would-be buyers are now renting, thanks to a cooling down market. Next year, the market will shift from a seller's to a buyer's market.

Austin's Housing Market Pushed More Would-be Buyers Into Renting During Covid-19 Pandemic

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Austin's housing market was tight, with rents rising by about 5% annually. In Austin alone, there are nearly 125 people moving every day. In addition, builders haven't kept up with demand, and city zoning laws limit the building of new multifamily housing. As a result, home prices have reached new peaks. In May alone, the median sale price in Austin…

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For years, Austin has starred on all sorts of lists — best cities for millennials, best cities for tech workers, best places to live, and so forth. Now, we’ve earned perhaps the nicest accolade a city can receive.

Language-learning app Preply surveyed more 1,500 residents of the country’s largest metropolitan areas to determine which cities are home to the politest people and the rudest people. Fortunately, Austin topped the list of the polite cities (or, put another way, the least rude ones).

“From our results, it seems that Austinites enjoy a laid-back, friendly city atmosphere, even as the city continues to grow rapidly,” Preply observes. “In general, the state of Texas has a reputation for politeness and friendliness, along with the rest of…

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The Austin housing market continues to become a healthier ecosystem for buyers — a welcome sign for many after years of sellers having heavy hands.

The metro’s housing inventory increased to 2.9 months in August, according to the Austin Board of Realtors’ monthly market report. That’s the highest level of inventory since September 2018, well before the Covid-19 pandemic era that saw Austin’s housing inventory crater even further. Additionally, median home sales prices continued to fall since setting a record of $550,000 in April and May, and are under $500,000 for the first time since February.

The inventory is bolstered by declining home sales and an increase in active listings.

August saw 2,924 closed home sales, a 23% decrease from last…

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Owning a home is a major financial milestone and an achievement to take pride in. One major reason: the equity you build as a homeowner gives your net worth a big boost. And with high inflation right now, the link between owning your home and building your wealth is especially important.

If you’re looking to increase your financial security, here’s why now could be a good time to start on your journey toward homeownership.

Owning a Home Is a Key Ingredient for Financial Success

A report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) details several homeownership trends, including a significant gap in net worth between homeowners and renters. It finds:

“. . . the net worth of a homeowner was about $300,000 while that of a…

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In a wild twist, one of the nation’s most prolific developers has emerged as the frontrunner to buy out of bankruptcy a six-acre South Congress Avenue site primed for redevelopment.

After the top two bidders for the South Congress site proved either unwilling or unable to timely close on the sales, The Related Companies LP, a New York-based developer with an estimated $60 billion portfolio, negotiated with a Chapter 7 trustee to make a $65 million offer.

Related was approved by a bankruptcy judge Sept. 15 to purchase the site for $65 million, provided it can close on the deal by Sept. 30.

An attorney representing the company, Josh Judd of law firm Andrews Myers PC, told ABJ Sept. 16 that his client is "not anticipating any problems" closing…

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A major real estate investor in Austin has acquired a sizable apartment complex in the fast-growing suburb from a prominent developer based in the city.

Palladius Capital Management acquired the 342-unit, located in Kyle from Endeavor Real Estate Group, which completed the project earlier this year.

The sale price was not disclosed.

Kyle and other areas south of Austin have proven to be a popular market for multifamily construction and projects as of late

The complex Palladius got is called Citizen House Kyle, and located along the I-35 Innovation Corridor, part of the larger Dry River District, which includes a 65-acre mixed-use community also being developed by Endeavor Real Estate Group. The deal for the apartment complex includes one-…

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With the fate of a $350 million affordable housing bond now in the hands of Austin's voters, the referendum carries the potential to inject a substantial sum of money into the hands of developers and contractors — while also addressing a mounting housing crisis.

But the idea has its opponents.

The $350 million bond, the largest of its type proposed in city history, if approved would increase property taxes by more than $45 a year for a "typical" Austin home, valued at $448,000 with a taxable value of $358,400, assuming there's a homestead exemption.

Such a gain could cause pain during this time of drastically rising prices. Yet proponents argue that is why now is the time to invest in much-needed housing for essential workers.

…

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Updates to the site plan for the Block 32 tower project now working its way through the city’s permitting process offer us a closer look at the two towers set to rise atop a half-block at East Third and San Jacinto Streets in downtown Austin — and although our city is pretty spoiled for impressive new buildings lately, these plans show a pair of towers with a design that should prove remarkable on the skyline. We now know the developer behind the project is Austin’s own Manifold Real Estate, which has quite a few projects cooking at the moment, though Block 32 could become the largest yet. 

The two towers would rise at the half-block bound by San Jacinto Boulevard, East Third, East Fourth, and Trinity Streets directly west of the Austin Convention…

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Austin-based Casata Corp., a developer of small home rental communities, is turning its gaze on San Antonio as it expands across the rest of Texas.

The company, founded in 2020 by developer Aaron Levy, is scouting five locations around San Antonio for a 200-unit community of built-to-rent homes with floor plans ranging between 400 and 800 square feet.

"We like cities where jobs are being created," Chief Operating Officer Zain Mahmood told San Antonio Business Journal.

The company also looks at the entertainment and shopping options nearby.

Mahmood, who was introduced to Levy through mutual friends and brought on as co-founder, said that when the group set up its pilot project, Casata Austin, the community was 82% leased before construction…

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