If you have or are looking into Austin real estate in the Barton Creek area your life just may get a little greener.  The Austin American-Statesman tells us this week there will be a City Council vote on whether or not the city will be purchasing 13.6 acres for the Barton Creek Wilderness Park.  The land in the Barton Creek park is currently zoned to hold up to 300,000 square feet of office space but remains vacant.  The land sits close to the center of the park in a “doughnut hole” and therefore is being pressed to be purchased by the city and preserved.  The park first officially started preserving the land in the early 1980s and has since become a massive 1021.00 acres of land just outside of the downtown Austin area.  If approved the city will be paying most of the $5.5 million from bonds for open space approved by voters in 2006.

The Barton Creek Wilderness Park is just west of the city located in the 78735 Zip code.  Not only Austin homes, but investments, condos and town homes are available in the Barton Creek Wilderness Park area.  Austin is privileged to have real estate in several area’s of lush, green scenery in and around the metro area in Zilker Park, Waterloo Park, Mount Bonnell Park, Mc Kenny Falls State Park, and the ever beautiful Greenbelt. You and your family can locate homes in these area’s by going to Austin Real Estate Search or using the visually aided Austin map search to help you find the perfect location.  With these tools you can look for a home or lease with just a Zip code, subdivision, city, MLS number or even keyword to find our listings.  And remember Home to Austin is not just an online real estate source: You may also contact us over the phone at (512) 782-2384 to set up an appointment.

A real estate and investment services firm recently ranked Austin the best city to invest in commercial real estate, according to a recent Austin Business Journal story.

The company is Grubb & Ellis Co., based in Santa Ana, California, and they noted that they expect commercial real estate to continue to falter in 2010, though at a slower rate. Their forecast also notes that most property types will “reach bottom pricing near the end of 2010″ — and a slow recovery should be in store in the beginning of next year.

A recent story from KVUE covered something very impressive in regards to the Austin real estate market: In October, Austin single family home sales increased 38% compared to a year ago — and that’s the largest year-over-year percentage gain we’ve had in over four years. This is actually the second month in a row that has shown signs that Austin is bouncing back.

What may be to thank for this huge increase is the $8,000 first-time home buyer federal tax credit so many people are taking advantage of. A Realtor quoted in the story explained that buyers are definitely motivated by the tax credit, which was recently extended. Plus, home prices are low and interest rates are good. He expects November to be strong as well. We’ll know more in a couple of weeks when figures are released.

The numbers from October: Median sold price was $182,000, down from 2008. Homes that sold were between $100,000 and $249,000.

Search for Austin Real Estate

Prices are low and rates are good — now’s a great time to buy. HometoAustin.com is the best Austin home search tool around. Search by Zip code, subdivision, city, MLS number and even keyword to find listings. If you’re not ready to buy, you can also search for leases.

It’s what everyone in Austin is talking about right now: Did rapper Kanye West buy the top floor of the Austonian Condos? A blog post at the Statesman poses the question, asking for anybody with information to come forward, and no one yet seems to be able to confirm whether it’s true. Though, looking at the comments, it seems the rumor may  have been started after someone listened to Kanye West’s “Maybach Music Pt. 2,” in which he mentions a new home — a loft — in Austin.

Located in downtown Austin at Congress Avenue and 2nd Street, the Austonian is still under construction but is expected to be finished early next year. The building is 56 stories and topped out in mid-September — it claims to be the tallest residential building in Texas. Their tagline “Live It UP” is definitely fitting.

The Austonian certainly offers some amazing amenities, besides breathtaking views of Austin. There’s a fitness center, club, first-floor retail and restaurants and more. And dog owners have a reason to get excited: There’s a dog park on the 10th floor as well as a dog grooming area, pet sitting service, pet food delivery and a taxi service for dogs to get to and from appointments.

The building boasts green features like low-flow toilets and shower heads and calls itself one of the “most sustainable addresses in Austin.” The Austonian has a rainwater capture system that requires no public water for landscape irrigation of its lawn.

Calling the top floor of Austonian Condos home would be pretty impressive — and we’re sure Kanye West wouldn’t mind taking advantage of the opportunity to be at the top of the world.

Moving can be a real pain.  You need to consider many facets of the transaction, such as your ideal location, what sort of budget you have, and what kinds of amenities are most important to you.  Little is more frustrating during an apartment search than finding a place that fulfills two of those three areas.  Thankfully, the Austin real estate market is varied enough to make things a little easier on you.  It also doesn’t hurt to enlist the help of some specialists who can help you cut through the glut of listings available to get you what you are really looking for.

Neighborhoods in Austin

What you’re looking for and where you’re looking for it are equally important and interrelated topics to consider.  Those looking to take part in the rush of the city and engage in a lot of pedestrian transportation would do well investigating some of the options Downtown or in the nearby Warehouse District.  For an up-and-coming area with a minimal commute, the East side is a good choice.  The quintessential “weirdness” of Austin is perhaps best seen in the 78704 zip code, with its individualistic shops and “anything goes” feel.  For a slightly more refined take on that vibe, the neighborhoods of Clarksville and Hyde Park are good destinations.  They also do a good job of serving the UT area, but plent of student communities have sprang up around the university as well.  There are also ample bedroom communities, such as those in Northwest Austin, Pflugerville, Round Rock, and Buda for those who are willing to commute a bit in exchange for a quieter, more family-oriented lifestyle.

Find an Austin Apartment

Ultimately, whatever you’re looking for, there is an Austin apartment that will satisfy your needs.  You just need to put your search in the right hands, because that definitely helps alleviate some of the stress associated with moving.

Good news for the Austin real estate market — according to an article out in Tuesday’s The Dallas Morning News, Texas boasts four of the top ten markets for issuing building permits for single-family homes in America.  That total figure, approaching 64,000 over a 12-month period ending in May, represents a greater number of permits than issued in all of California and Florida combined.  This is excellent news — and further proof that the Lone Star State is weathering the current turbulence in the real estate market with a more even keel than much of the rest of the country.

Houston tops the list with nearly 22,000 issued, while Dallas-Fort Worth takes the second spot with over 15,000 permits tallied.  San Antonio and the relatively robust Austin real estate market round out Texas’s showing.

Dr. James Gaines, an economist at the Real Estate Center of Texas A&M, was interviewed for the article.  He notes that these figures, while promising, are more cautious than previous years’ tallies.  As he notes, “Most of the builders I’ve talked to say they are doing mostly contract work with just a few speculative homes here and there and only by those with capital resources to be able to finance it.”  That hardly refers to fat, boom-town growth, but it’s certainly a start.

Signs of that start are popping up in the Austin real estate market.  According to an article in Saturday’s Austin American-Statesman, D.R. Horton, the largest builder in Central Texas, has begun building hundreds of spec houses all over the area.  Most of these homes are priced under $200,000 and are geared toward first-time buyers and people relocating out of the state.

Central Texas home construction has plunged from a 2006 high of 17,106 to an estimated 6,400 in 2009, but things seem to be looking up.  Though the market for Austin homes generally picks up in the second quarter, Horton’s overall leap in construction (from 162 to 398 homes) represents a greater jump than can be expected by that trend.  It’s a reassuring vote of confidence.  As Rob Hutton, president of D.R. Horton’s Central Texas division, says, “We believe in Austin.”  That is, no doubt, a good thing to hear.

Located in the Austin, TX subdivision of Walnut Crossing Sec 05-a at 3503 Cookstown Dr, this Residential features 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Built in 1981, this property is offered at $168,000 with 1,361 sq ft. The Residential is listed by Cheryl Tucker with the Austin Real Estate MLS # 8963145

Located in the Austin, TX subdivision of Ridgetop Add 04 at 4705 Harmon, this Residential features 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Built in 1936, this property is offered at $389,000 with 1,354 sq ft. The Residential is listed by Eric Bramlett with the Austin Real Estate MLS # 3353258

Keller Williams Southwest Market Center Gets New Look

The Keller Williams Austin Southwest Market Center is on the move, and the Austin real estate scene just got prettier. We’re pleased to see that Keller Williams’ Southwest real estate office has launched a brand new website and Austin home search blog.

Gary Keller and his associates at Keller Williams have long been one of the class acts in the Austin real estate market. We at Home to Austin are always pleased when we get a chance to work with Keller Williams’ many talented realtors.

The Southwest Market Center Website: Hot as a Texas Summer

Their new Austin Southwest Market Center website is a technological marvel. Striking in red and black, it features a clean, easy-to-use design and a fantastic property search tool. Just type in any keyword – like a zipcode or an address – adjust the sliders, and hit search.

That’s not all. Change the search type to “Map” and the fun really begins. This IDX website immediately cranks out a responsive and interactive Google-style map of listings that match your specifications. Want to zoom in? The map listing on the left side changes to reflect your new view.

The Keller Williams Austin Southwest Market Center site is a sign of what a 21st century real estate website is going to look like in the coming years. Easy searches, clean design, compelling graphics and maps, top-of-the-line service. Nicely done, Gary Keller and Keller Williams.

About Gary Keller and Keller Williams

Gary Keller is the chairman of the board at Keller Williams, which has been one of the fastest-growing U.S. real estate companies in the past decade. He founded Keller Williams with his partner Joe Williams in 1983, and since 2002, his Southwest Market Center has held the position of top U.S. real estate office.

Mr. Keller is also a best-selling author with a new book, SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times, on shelves now. In the current economic climate, Gary Keller’s advice couldn’t be more timely for real estate agents and businesspeople in general.

We’re pleased to see that Gary Keller is actively investing in the Austin real estate market. Apparently, he agrees with us that the future is bright for both Austin real estate and well-designed IDX websites like that of the Keller Williams Southwest Market Center.

Located in the Austin, TX subdivision of Ridgetop Add 04 at 4705 Harmon, this Lease features 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Built in 1936, this property is offered at $1,700 with 1,354 sq ft. The Lease is listed by Eric Bramlett with the Austin Real Estate MLS # 5159231