Austin Business Journal - July 26, 2007

After a cautious slowdown in new construction late in 2006 and early this year, Austin homebuilders are forging ahead, starting more than 1,100 more homes during the second quarter of 2007 than during the first quarter, according to a report from housing research group Metrostudy.

Still, the 4,132 new home starts logged last quarter remains 8 percent below the number of starts in second quarter 2006. The annual rate of new home starts, or the number of homes begun in the last 12-month period–is also 8 percent below where it stood this time last year, according to the study.

That’s due in large part to a significant reduction in starts on new homes priced below $200,000. Concerned over the size of the existing inventory and decreased buyer demand caused by tightening credit standards, >>>Click for full article

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By Dave Thomas
Special to CNN
updated 10:14 a.m. EDT, Tue July 3, 2007

AUSTIN, Texas (CNN) — At dusk, stand on the Congress Avenue bridge over Town Lake, the span linking hip downtown to funkier South Austin, and you’ll see it.

o, not the 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats that emerge from crevasses below and fwip-fwip-fwip into the night (although they’re pretty cool — see them on the way to doing something else and it will be time well spent).

What you’ll see is Austin’s diversity. And I don’t mean yuppies, hippies, hipsters, scenesters, tech geeks, cowboys, students, musicians, politicians or got-more-money-than-sense rich folks, either — though Austin has ‘em all and more.

Think Lance Armstrong. Think Willie Nelson. >>>Click for full article

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