Buyers take a fresh look at new and remodeled homes just across I-35 from downtown

By Charles Ealy
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, January 13, 2008

The numbers will probably surprise anyone who hasn’t ventured east of Interstate 35 lately. The 78702 ZIP code in East Austin currently has more than 150 properties for sale, and they’re just as eclectic as the artists who live in that part of the city.

A slew of modernist homes and condominiums are going for $400,000 to $600,000 or more. Remodeled homes are listed for up to $675,000. And four lots at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Harvey Street are on the market for $1.8 million.

The details reveal the big trends in a real estate area that got little attention 20 years ago. And it’s not hard to figure out why.

Despite a median home price that has risen by more than 50 percent in the past five years to $199,000, East Austin is still within reach of many potential home buyers, especially when compared with nearby Austin neighborhoods such as Travis Heights, Hyde Park and Tarrytown.  >>> Click for full article

Tags: buyers, sellers //