Grossman & Jones Real Estate Blog - development

"Santa Rita Ranch yet again ranks among best-selling neighborhoods"

Austin Business Journal reports, "Liberty Hill’s Santa Rita Ranch has claimed the title of top-selling master-planned community in the Austin area for the third consecutive year.

That distinction comes despite an overall drop in sales, according to Robert Charles Lesser & Co.’s 2022 list of the top selling master-planned communities nationwide. No other Austin-area neighborhood sold enough homes to rank in the country's top 50.

In all, 450 Santa Rita Ranch homes were sold in 2022. That was good enough for the development to top all rivals in the Austin area and secure the No. 32 spot nationally.

RCLCO has conducted a survey to identify the top-selling master planned communities since 1994.

According to Santa Rita Ranch developer Ed Horne,…

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"New Lakeway street, residential development will be considered at Dec. 19 council meeting"

Community Impact repots, "preliminary plans for the development of a new street called Taranga Drive will be presented during Lakeway City Council’s Dec. 19 regular meeting.

The street is part of a 5.59-acre development being built by Houston-based general contractor RobRyan Custom Builders and is located at 507 Rupen Drive, Lakeway, according to city documents.

The submitted preliminary plan is to develop 10 residential lots and one drainage reserve lot, the city said.

In terms of traffic, the new development is expected to generate around 103 trips per day, according to the report.

The developer is also requesting City Council approve a fee in lieu in the amount of $45,000 to meet the parkland dedication and improvements requirements.

At the Dec. 19…

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"New 2,200-acre master-planned community with 'downtown village' on the horizon for Lake Travis"

CultureMap Austin reports, "a new master-planned community is set to take shape in the "wild hills" of Lake Travis. Thomas Ranch, announced December 5 by developer Areté Collective, is coming to Spicewood, with construction set to begin in 2023.

The 2,200-acre project will boast ample housing — approximately 3,500 units are planned — as well as a downtown village, expansive hiking and biking trails, and many other luxe amenities. Its website says "Thomas Ranch is a 2,200-acre master-planned community reimagined to appeal to a new kind of lifestyle."

“Areté is working to create a new frontier when it comes to Lake Travis living,” Rebecca Buchan, Areté Collective's CEO and co-founder, says in a release.

“Our vision for Thomas Ranch is that it…

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"CLD Realty proposes $8M retail complex in Austin ’burb"

TheRealDeal writes, "a retail center serving two master-planned communities is on the way in the Austin suburb of Buda.

CLD Realty has proposed building seven one-story buildings with retail and restaurant space on a 5.7-acre site at 2260 Main Street, the Austin Business Journal reported. Dubbed Corner on Main, the development is currently under review by the City of Buda.

The 48,000-square-foot complex would cost about $8 million, and construction is scheduled to begin in March next year.

“We are looking for neighborhood services that seek to take advantage of the tremendous growth in east Buda and the Sunfield community, Ryder Jeanes with CLD Realty, told the outlet in an email. He said the firm will consider tenants like restaurants and…

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"46K new housing units possible on unlocked Austin land — but zoning change doesn't go far enough, builder says"

Austin Business Journal reports, "builders in Austin can now take advantage of a change in city code that will allow for the development of residential properties on land zoned for commercial use.

The change to the land development code, which Austin City Council approved on Dec. 2, carries major implications for real estate firms, significantly expanding the market for development. It also represents another avenue for cutting into Austin's housing shortage: city staffers previously estimated this decision could allow for the creation of 46,324 new homes.

Developers will still need to apply to build residential projects in commercial areas and will have to meet certain criteria, including around affordability. The change incentivizes the…

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"Fewer sales, moderate price growth: Here's what Austin housing market could look like in 2023"

Austin Business Journal writes, "after a wild couple of years, the Austin-area housing market could be in store for a relatively modest 2023.

Realtor.com predicted that the volume of local home sales will actually fall 6.6% next year, compared with 2022, while prices will grow 3%.

Ashley Jackson, president-elect of the Austin Board of Realtors, said there's hope that more moderate adjustments are a sign of Austin's return to a normal, seasonal market — as opposed to the dramatics seen in 2021 and part of 2022, when Austin became one of the top pandemic relocation destinations.

Median home sale price in the Austin metro peaked at a record $550,000 in April and May, but had fallen to $474,990 by October, according to ABOR data. Winter is…

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"Crane Watch: Symphony Square tower tops out; Lots more housing, warehouse space planned"

Austin Business Journal reports, "Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC's Symphony Square mixed-use project in downtown Austin is inching toward completion.

Since October, both 1121 at Symphony Square, the development's seven-story office building, and The Waller, its 32-story residential tower, have topped out, said Jon deVita, development associate at Greystar.

South Carolina-based Greystar is seeking certifications that will set the project apart in the areas of sustainability, connectivity and health and wellness, said Matt Stevenson, Austin-based senior director of development.

When complete, 1121 at Symphony Square will have 129,000 square feet of class A office space, with floor plates ranging from 13,500 to 30,000 square feet, deVita…

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"Not just 'another luxury golf community': Thomas Ranch could add thousands of homes, urban node west of Austin"

The Austin Business Journal reports, "a massive master-planned community could be coming to the border of Travis and Burnet counties.

Salt Lake City-based Areté Collective LP announced Dec. 4 plans for Thomas Ranch, a 2,200-acre neighborhood that could rise along State Highway 71 near Spicewood. It would feature a dense urban core that developers hope to anchor with a major grocer, plus thousands of housing units across multiple types of residences and price points, a school, health care options, a resort hotel and a golf course designed by the mind behind the newest addition to the world's oldest course — The Castle Course at Scotland’s St. Andrews Links.

“What we are trying to do is build an inclusive, livable community,” Areté Collective…

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"Travis County considers increasing development fees"

Austin Business Journal reports, "developers working in Travis County may face increased construction and permitting fees in the months ahead.

Travis County Commissioners Court is considering increasing existing development fees and implementing new ones for a variety of services including traffic impact analysis, on-site sewage facilities and floodplain permits, in addition to requests for variances and exceptions associated with development review.

If passed, this would be the first change to the county’s development fee structure since 2016 and generate millions in annual income for the county.

With already long wait times for county development review, which increase the cost of new construction, commissioners stress that any additional…

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"Wilson Capital Proposes 80-Story Apartment Tower in Austin, Texas"

REBusiness Online reports, "Wilson Capital, an Austin-based real estate development firm, has unveiled plans for Wilson Towers, an 80-story apartment building in Austin. Totaling 450 residential units and rising 1,035 feet, the development would become the tallest building in Texas upon completion.

The property is located at 410 E. Fifth St. in the heart of Austin’s downtown. It is less than a block from the MetroRail Downtown station, three blocks from the Congress Avenue retail and restaurant district, and six blocks from the Texas State Capitol building. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer.

According to local real estate publication Towers, the project is a massive expansion upon previously released redevelopment plans for the site…

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