Sg Blog::

Perryman: Austin economy will remain strong

Austin Business Journal by Vicky Garza, Staff Writer
Date: Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 2:45pm CST

The area, which includes San Marcos and Round Rock, has been slow coming out of the recession, gaining only 10,000 jobs in 2011, but is expected to build momentum and gain about 20,000 a year for the next five years, he said.

Perryman predicts an annual increase of 2.4 percent in jobs and 4.5 percent in output from $81.7 billion in real gross product in 2011 to $101.8 billion in 2016.

Williamson County will continue to grow the most, while Bastrop and Hays counties will see significant growth as well, he said.

Austin will continue to remain a leader in the technology industry, with growth expected from gaming, software and clean energy, he said. Perryman expects universities and the services sector will also play a major role in Austin’s growth.

The biggest challenge Central Texas businesses will face in the coming years is increasing energy costs. Although the housing market is stabilizing and credit conditions are improving, they will still remain challenges as well, Perryman said.

Perryman recently wrote a guest editorial in the print edition of the Austin Business Journal regarding the slow recovery of the U.S. economy.

Austin launches program to reduce traffic downtown

Austin Business Journal
Date: Friday, January 20, 2012, 1:42pm CST

The city of Austin is launching a pilot program to encourage its 450 downtown employees to choose an alternative means of transportation versus driving their own vehicles to work.

Think Outside the Car is an effort by the Downtown Austin Transportation Management Association, a newly formed nonprofit association, in coordination with the city, the Downtown Austin Alliance .. , Travis County and Capital Metro .. to help alleviate traffic congestion downtown.

The goal is to reduce rush hour congestion and increase parking vacancy downtown by encouraging alternatives such as bus, carpool, vanpool, bike, walking or telework.

The city will pay participating employees $50 per month for leaving their cars at home and is aiming for 20 percent participation among its downtown workers. The city will also provide a free Capital Metro transit pass, personal commute advisors, guaranteed rides home for emergencies and trip reduction training classes.

Austin sees positive trend in home sales

Austin Business Journal by Cody Lyon, Staff writer
Date: Thursday, January 19, 2012, 11:37am CST

Single-family home sales grew by 11 percentage points in December when compared to the same month in 2010, the Austin Board of Realtors .. said Thursday.

In December 2011, a total of 1,581 single-family homes were sold and the median price for those homes was $187,940, or one percentage point lower than the same month last year, based on data from the Multiple Listing Service report.

Austin homes spent an average of 89 days on the market in December 2011, nine days less than the same month of the prior year. At the same time, the market offered 12 percent fewer new listings, 19 percent fewer active listings and 12 percent more pending sales than the same month a year earlier.

Inventory decreased to 4.1 months last year — 1.4 months less than December 2010 and the lowest number since ABOR began tracking the statistic in January 2009.

“With stable prices, stronger sales volume and more pending sales this month compared to December 2010, we’re encouraged to see the market showing strong demand leading into January,” said Leonard Guerrero, 2012 chairman of ABOR.

The report includes figures for all of 2011, during which 19,220 Austin-area single-family homes were sold, which is 7 percent more than 2010. Over the course of the year, the median price of homes in Austin remained statistically unchanged from the prior year at $193,000 and homes spent an average of 84 days on the market, which is seven days longer than 2010. At the same time, the Austin real estate market featured 12 percent fewer new listings, 15 percent fewer active listings and 7 percent more pending sales.

“We are pleased to see Austin’s real estate market end the year on a positive note. With a surge in sales volume over the second half of 2011 and strong demand evident in December, we’re optimistic about the health of our market for the coming year,” said Guerrero.

Population of Austin area reaches 1.8 million

Austin Business Journal
Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Austin is ranked No. 34 on a list of most-populated metropolitan areas in the nation.

As of Jan. 15, Austin had an estimated population of 1.8 million residents, according to a computer analysis by the Business Journals’ On Numbers.

The New York City market is the largest metro area in the U.S. with a population of 19 million.

In Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth leads with a population of 6.6 million, taking the No. 4 spot on the list. Houston follows up as the fifth most-population area with an estimated 6.2 million people. Taking the No. 24 spot is the San Antonio area, with 2.2 million residents.

The database by On Numbers contains the estimated populations of 942 metropolitan and micropolitan areas as of Jan. 15.

TEXAS PROGRAM HELPS FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS

AUSTIN (Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation) – The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation’s (TSAHC) first-time homebuyer programs now include grants to help buyers cover down payment and closing costs.

Homebuyers who qualify for TSAHC’s Professional Educators, Homes for Texas Heroes or Home Sweet Texas Home (click here for a list of who qualifies under each program) can receive a grant of 5 percent of the loan amount. The grant can be applied toward down payment and closing costs.

In addition to qualifying for one of these programs, the person must be a first-time homebuyer, or not had an ownership interest in any residence during the last three years; meet the income and home purchase price limits; complete a HUD-approved homebuyer education course before closing on the loan; and reside in Texas.

Eligible homebuyers can apply directly through an approved participating mortgage lender in their area. For a list of participating lenders, visit TSAHC’s website or call TSAHC at 888-638-3555.

Austin ranked ninth-fittest large city in U.S.

Austin Business Journal

Austin has been ranked the ninth-fittest large city in the U.S., based on data compiled by MapMyFitness Inc.

The Fittest of the Fit U.S. Cities and States rankings were determined by the fitness activities of 1.7 million MapMyFitness users in more than 2,500 cities.

The index will be updated monthly based on the self-reported runs, bike rides, walks, gym sessions and other calorie-burning activities recorded by registered MapMyFitness community members.

“By making this regularly updated data available to state and city governments, we hope it urges efforts to develop wellness programs, safe cycling routes, trail development and other incentives that will support active and healthy lifestyles in communities across the country,” said Robin Thurston, co-founder of Austin-based MapMyFitness.

The top five large cities are Minneapolis, Denver, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

The top five states are the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Colorado, Vermont and Oregon. Texas ranked No. 32.

A complete list of rankings can be found here.

AUSTIN ENDS 2011 WITH 17.8 PERCENT VACANCY RATE

AUSTIN (NAI REOC) – New leases and expansions generated 465,975 sf of positive net absorption in fourth quarter 2011, according NAI REOC Austin’s survey of more than 37.2 million sf of Austin industrial space.

The gain pushed the year-end total above 1.1 million sf, which NAI REOC Austin Vice President Mark Milstead said was “a feat not accomplished in the local market since 2007.”

The citywide vacancy rate finished the year at 17.8 percent, compared with 19 percent last quarter and 20.3 percent a year ago.

Asking rental rates showed no significant change over the quarter.

Gross leasing activity within the city’s 24.3 million sf of warehouse facilities generated 363,735 sf of positive net absorption between October and December.

Activity within the service center/flex/R&D properties, consisting of nearly 13 million sf, slowed in the fourth quarter compared with earlier in the year but still generated 102,240 sf of positive net absorption. Activity in the last three months of the year raised the year-end total to 842,325 sf of net gain.

TEXAS NAMED SIXTH MOST ENTERPRISING STATE

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Urban Land Institute) – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has released its “Enterprising States 2011″ report, and it enhances Texas’ reputation for being a business-friendly state.

The Lone Star State ranked sixth on the list of top ten states for low business taxes and regulations. The report said “the Lone Star State is a low-tax state that offers a low cost of living and has an enterprise-friendly climate that’s paying off with high job growth rates. Recent state initiatives include a business tax reform that raises the revenue exemption.”

Ahead of Texas were Tennessee, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska and Indiana.

According to the Urban Land Institute, “states were ranked in a variety of performance metrics, including their tax and regulatory environments. Those environments were compared in five ways: overall state and local tax burdens, corporate taxes, small-business costs, state government budget gaps, and cost-of-living indices.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce noted that states making the top ten were mostly inland locales, saying desirable coastal states don’t always need incentives to attract business investment and expansion.

Forbes calls Austin America’s No. 1 “Boom Town”

Austin was named the city most likely to grow and prosper during the next decade.

Forbes, in partnership with the Praxis Strategy Group, recently examined what the next decade has in store for America’s 52 largest cities. The publication used recent U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics growth and demographic data to compile a list of the expected “boom towns.” The Central Texas region from Round Rock to San Marcos came in first.

The report lauded the Austin area for its impressive two-year employment and population growth, as well as the local number of college graduations and children. A separate report said Austin is expected to add 6,000 residents in one month this summer.
______________________________________________________
Search homes on the go! Download the new Sg Home Search
App to your Iphone, Android, Blackberry or other Smartphone!
Text SAMFORD to 87778 or click on the picture below to access it.
(Oh yeah, it’s FREE!)

Texas Economy Outpacing the Nation’s

Thankfully, we never saw the huge depreciation that the rest of the Nation experienced during the huge economic downturn. However, Austin also never experienced the huge appreciation either, we have remained a relatively steady and stable real estate market with only a slight depreciation of about 3% in the housing market during the economic crisis. Our market appears to have hit bottom in 2010 and seems to be in a state of recovery. Our inventory remains low and prices are pretty stable, I’m even starting to see multiple offers again, which is a nice change! Read the article below for other encouraging news:

TEXAS ECONOMY GROWING FASTER THAN NATION’S
(Real Estate Center) – The Texas economy continues to outperform the U.S. economy, according to the Real Estate Center’s latest Monthly Review of the Texas Economy. From March 2010 to March 2011, Texas gained 237,900 jobs, an annual growth rate of 2.3 percent. Over the same period, U.S. nonfarm employment rose 1 percent. The state’s private sector also exceeded U.S. figures, posting an annual employment growth rate of 2.7 percent compared with 1.6 percent for the U.S. private sector. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 8.2 percent to 8.1 percent. The nation’s rate decreased from 9.7 to 8.8 percent.

All Texas industries except financial activities and information industries had more jobs in March 2011 than in March 2010. All Texas metro areas, except Abilene, Brownsville-Harlingen and Laredo, had more jobs. Petroplex Odessa ranked first in job creation followed by Midland, Longview and Dallas-Plano-Irving.
The state’s actual unemployment rate in March 2011 was 8.1 percent. Midland had the lowest unemployment rate followed by Amarillo, College Station-Bryan, Lubbock and San Angelo.

.

Eminent domain bill becomes law in Texas

Good news on the Eminent Domain front for landowners…
Governor Rick Perry signed Senate Bill 18 into law on May 23, 2011. The law helps strengthen a property owner’s right to defend against eminent domain from both U.S. and Texas government agencies and private entities. The bill was one of the governor’s “emergency” initiatives for the current legislative session.

Provisions in the bill specify that taken property must be intended for public use, and that a property owner could buy back the land after 10 years if nothing is done with it.

Great tool for more than just running….

The website www.mapmyrun.com is a great tool to see how far you went on your last run or road bike trip, but it’s also a great tool just to see the distance between two spots when you know where they are located but don’t have a street address. Check it out sometime!

Summer Lovin’

The Best of the Best!

Austin & Wimberley are both perfect water spots! Ask us about all of the activities on area lakes and rivers.
Below is a picture we took of Lady Bird Lake along with a list of our favorite swimming holes.

Hamilton Pool Park is as close to the perfect natural swimming hole you are likely to find in Central Texas. The large pool and the waterfall at this ideal location make this a top swimming hole that has been enjoyed by generations of Texans looking for a way to beat the heat. This is a good place to bring a floatation device so you can paddle out to the waterfall or paddle from the beach portion of the pool over to the back side under the huge limestone overhang. Be sure to take a look at the large fish that hang out in the pool, but please don’t be a dufus and try to disturb them. Some folks like to hang out under the waterfall or over by the adjacent rocks, but be careful because those areas can be slippery. Back in the old days when the land was privately owned you could jump or dive into the pool from the area next to the top of the waterfall, but those days are long gone. Once you get to the bottom of the hill after entering the trail head from the parking lot if you turn right you will walk about a quarter of a mile to the pool. Taking a left will take you over a pretty long trail that goes to the Pedernales River if you want to go exploring. Be sure to call before heading out because admission is limited and some times the park is closed after it rains for safety concerns. One last thing, they have less than 100 parking places and once they are full nobody gets in until somebody else leaves.

Krause Springs is a smaller version of Hamilton Pool, but it is an equally beautiful natural swimming hole. This is the water feature that everybody wishes they had on their property. You easily could spend hours on the sloping rock leading to the pool just looking at the waterfall and its associated vegetation because it is just stinking gorgeous. The pool and surrounding area is fairly small, so you will definitely want to come out early to get a choice location. A lot of folks like to swim or float over to the waterfall and afterwards go spend some time in the small cutout in the grotto — just sayin. If you enter the pool by walking down the rock incline watch out for the algae just below the waterline or you could bust your butowski like countless others have done before you.

Blue Hole is the place you have pictured in your mind when you are imagining that perfect spring-fed creek tucked away some place out in the hills. This is a very nice county park just outside of Wimberley and it is an absolutely great place to go sit under the shade trees and to take a dip in the refreshing blue water. Blue Hole is located along a portion of Cypress Creek, which is fed by spring water from Jacob’s Well. The water at Blue Hole is fabulous and they should have a couple of rope swings for you to enjoy. Thank your lucky stars that the good folks of Wimberley and Hays County were able to buy the property and save it from being developed not all that long ago. Now we all can enjoy this location til the end of time.

Inks Lake has some pretty good places to go swimming, and the best of all is Devil’s Waterhole. It is a favorite of the locals up in this northern portion of the Hill Country. There is a relatively small area available for lounging by the water fall so if you are wanting to hang out there you will be much better off by coming out here early in the day. There are some nice places to hang out on the rocks and to go wading or just splash around in the water over by the falls. Further away from the falls is a fairly large pool where you could swim or float. Lots of folks like jumping off the nearby cliffs and ledges into the water, but if you engage in that activity be sure the coast is clear and there are no rocks below.

Sulphur Springs Camp has around 3 miles of river frontage making it pretty likely you will be able to find a good place to play in the water on the Colorado River during your visit here. This is a good spot on the river for swimming or floating or just wading around. There is a very nice bluff on the far side of the river along a pretty good stretch of the watercourse and the view from above it is not bad at all. As an added bonus, they have cabins and tent camping at this privately owned property in case you want to stay the weekend.

Barton Springs Pool is hands down one of the most beautiful man-made spring-fed pools you will ever visit. The pool is clear and very, very chilly. In fact, your first plunge into the pool most assuredly will take your breath away. Some folks like to float here, others like to swim, and still others will come out to snorkel and look for salamanders. If you happen to see a salamander don’t jack with it or you could end up in federal prison — they are endangered. The grounds are gorgeous and the snack bar will remind you of when you were a kid. The pool is in Austin so try not to let your jaw hit the ground if you happen to notice that some of the young ladies are topless. No matter what your reason for coming to Barton’s we assure you that you will not regret the decision. It is so close to being perfect it is hard to believe this place really exists.

Rio Vista Park is one of the jewels of the San Marcos park system found running along the spring-fed San Marcos River. This is the area where the City recently made upgrades to the dam and created a very nice play area for paddlers. The dam forms a great swimming hole and it doubles as a place where you can hang out on your favorite floatation device. This is also the take out point for all the tubers putting in upstream at City Park. The entire stretch of city owned park land extending upstream from Rio Vista to the headwaters of the San Marcos is a very scenic area. This is an excellent portion of the river and a lot of folks come here just to hang out on the shores in their street clothes. They, however, are really missing out by not jumping into the soothing San Marcos waters. Because this is such a beautiful area and there is no admission fee, it gets very crowded on the weekends and many other days during the summer so getting here early is an absolute necessity.

Five Mile Dam creates a fairly large impoundment on the Blanco River that is very good for swimming and floating. You could even bring the kayak or paddle board out if you wanted to get in a little exercise on the water. Lots of folks also like to hang out on the dam or just below it in the play area where you can lay on the rocks and let the water flow over you. Some times it gets fairly crowded just below the dam so you could try exploring the area further downstream and you might be able to find a nice somewhat secluded place to hang out.

Landa Park is another one of those parks on a captivating spring-fed river — the beautiful Comal River. This L-shaped pool rivals Barton Springs in Austin as the most gorgeous man-made pool in the Hill Country. The kids really like the super long slide that empties them into the water. This is an absolutely great place to spend the afternoon when you want to cool down from the heat. Everything about this pool is beautiful and the chilly water feels divine.

Cypress Bend Park is a nice little park on the shores of the Guadalupe River in a quiet part of town not used by many tourists. The park is in an out-of-the-way area so there is a pretty good chance you will have plenty of room to play in this refreshing stream. This portion of the river is pretty much for locals only so try to be cool, man.

Camp Huaco Springs is a great place to hang out in the water and to watch people tumble off of their tubes at the Huaco Rapids on the Guadalupe River. Folks have been coming here to watch tubers crash for years. Another place where folks have some difficulty staying on their tubes is at Slumber Falls, which is at the far downstream portion of Camp Huaco Springs. When your side starts hurting from laughing at all the people falling off their tubes there is a great deal of river frontage at this campground so you should be able to find a place to go hang out and relax. That will be the case as long as you get here early in the day because this is a very popular site.

Blanco State Park is a small, but excellent state park right on the lovely Blanco River. This is a terrific place to go swim or float because the dam here creates a fairly large impoundment. There also is a nice play area just downstream of the dam if you want to go wading or just splash around in the water. The locals love this place so be sure to come out early if you want to snag a good spot.

The Ingram Dam has been a favorite swimming hole for many, many years up near the Kerrville area. The dam forms a nice pool for your swimming and floating pleasure. There is a long tradition of participating in what is called “dam sliding” here. The idea is to keep your balance while you slide down the algae coated dam standing on your feet in a crouched position. Just keep your eyes open and the local teenagers will show you how it is done. For the brave, feel free to try some dam sliding on your own if you think you can do so without breaking your arm or cracking open your noggin.

If you are out near the Kerrville area you should consider going to Brink’s Crossing. This is a nice little spot on the Guadalupe River to seek shelter from the harsh Texas heat during the hot months. If you are lucky, this natural swimming hole won’t be as crowded as some of the others over near Hunt. There also is a fair amount of shade at this swimming hole as well, which is always an added benefit. If it does get too crowded here, you could go to the nearby Lion’s Park in Center Point, but you should know that there is not much shade at that park.

Guadalupe River State Park is another great state park for swimming. There is lots of river frontage here, but a fair amount of people gravitate towards the big boulder in the middle of the river for some reason. You can do some swimming here or, like most folks, wade out about chest deep into the stream and just enjoy the river flowing by you. The water feels great here because the vast majority of it comes from spring flow up river. This park is very popular for accessing the water so make sure you get here early. Because it tends to get pretty crowded in the main part of the park near the water, consider walking upstream or downstream from that area. Consult the map available at the office because there is a fair amount of park land outside of the main parking area by the river for you to explore so you should be able to find some secluded areas to play in the water.

Garner State Park is the most popular state park in Texas and once you come out for a visit you will know why that is the case. There is a small dam on the Frio River that creates a large pond for swimming or floating. Some folks like to hang out in the river just below the dam, but the best part of the river is further downstream. There you will find a fairly large pool for floating and of course there is a rope swing. If you decide to walk on the dam be very careful because it is prettly slick on top. They didn’t pick the name Frio for nothing. The water here is cool, clear and very invigorating because it comes from upstream springs.

Mager’s has access to the spring-fed Frio River and it has a variety of places for you to go hang out in the water. Mager’s is a campground that is located on a very pretty stretch of the river and it is favored by many who live in the western part of the Hill Country. An added bonus is the fabulous view it has of Old Baldy located on the other side of the stream at Garner State Park.

The swimming hole over at Neal’s is pretty famous around the Concan area. It is a very scenic site and a really good swimming hole when the flows are up. This place can get real crowded so your best bet is to come out early in the morning on the weekend or, better yet, during the week.

Wes Cooksey Park is a fine swimming hole on the western edge of the Hill Country that is fed by the Nueces River, which is fed by a number of springs. There is a dam across the river, which forms a great place to swim or float. You are going to like this place because it is somewhat secluded and not nearly as crowded as some of the state parks. Naturally, the locals adore this pool and folks are sure to show up in the afternoon so you might want to come out early to claim a space.

Schumacher’s Crossing is one of the quintessential natural swimming holes in the central portion of the Hill Country on the Guadalupe River. The locals have been coming here for years and once you visit you will see why. Of course there is a rope swing, but don’t be surprised if there are several people in front of you. The water feels great here and so long as it doesn’t get too crowded, it is an ideal swimming hole. If it is too crowded here just head upstream or downstream on 39 until you find another crossing that suits you.

The Castell Crossings are located at some pretty wide spots on the Llano River so there should be plenty of places to swim, go wading or otherwise play in the water. There also are boulders on the shore for you to sit on and sun yourself like a lizard if that sounds interesting to you. We like going to the Slab but we did not include it on our favorite list of swimming holes because you hardly ever can swim there. It is a better place for wading or laying down on the slab and letting the water run over you. No such limitations here because at the Castell Crossings you can swim or otherwise float around in the pools if you like. There is not a lot of parking so it is best to come out here early.

The Bandera City Park is a great place to hang out by the water if you want to go swimming or floating on the Medina River. This is a smaller version of the Blanco State Park and the two locations are very similar because both feature impoundments created by a dam. There also is a nice play area just down from the dam, and there are quite a few shade trees to help you escape the heat. Get here early or all the locals will beat you to the best spots.

Texas Outperforms Nation in Job Growth

When it came to creating jobs, Texas outperformed the rest of the country from February 2010 to February 2011.

According to the latest Monthly Review of the Texas Economy published by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, Texas gained 230,000 jobs during those 12 months. That’s an annual growth rate of 2.3 percent. Over the same period, U.S. nonfarm employment rose 1 percent.

The state’s private sector posted an annual employment growth rate of 2.5 percent compared with 1.5 percent for the U.S. private sector.

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.2 percent in February 2011, unchanged from a year earlier. Meanwhile, the nation’s rate decreased from 9.7 to 8.9 percent.

All Texas industries except financial activities and information industries had more jobs, and all Texas metro areas had more jobs. Petroplexes Odessa and Midland ranked first and second, respectively, in job creation followed by Longview and Dallas-Plano-Irving.

The state’s actual unemployment rate was 8.2 percent. Midland had the lowest unemployment rate followed by Amarillo, Lubbock, College Station-Bryan and San Angelo.

Despite job growth, existing Texas single-family home sales in February were down 10 percent from a year ago. Just over 12,000 homes were sold this past February according to the latest Multiple Listing Services (MLS) data compiled by the Center. The median home price was up 3 percent from the previous year, at $145,800. There was a 7.2-month inventory.

Short Sale Misery

by Paula Samford

I recently assisted some buyers with an attempt at purchasing a short sale. We submitted our offer in October, 2010 and after weekly motivational speeches to my clients to” hang in there” we finally received a response from the bank mid January stating that the sellers have $49 in surplus every month after they pay all of their bills so they “don’t know if they will allow the shortsale.” At this point I’m really disgusted because the fluctuation of food and gas prices alone can absorb $49/month! Two weeks later, the bank decides that they will allow the seller to move forward with the shortsale, so nice of them, especially since the sellers had already moved! AND…. Finally……. this week we received a response from the bank with a counter 17k higher than our offer and 7k higher than the list price and they refuse to negotiate because “it is a federally insured loan” and they “cannot sell the property below certain percentages of loss.” I have to assume that they will not get their insurance money if they go below this certain percentage mark. In other words, they would rather it foreclose than to adjust the price to what the market will now support! This video is really an eye opener, it shows what some of these banks are up to!

Does The Bank Have A Key To Your House?!

by Paula Samford
So we’ve all read or heard on the news about the horrendous actions of the banks over the past couple of years, but today I was shocked on a whole new level! I have a listing that I’m marketing as a short sale, and as of today there is still not a foreclosure date scheduled. I went by the house today to check on everything because the owners have already relocated and still have their belongings in the home. To my surprise I found that the bank had removed my lockbox, changed the locks and winterized the home! How in the world is this legal?! I immediately called the company who changed the locks and they said that “the bank has to protect its asset.” I’m completely amazed and don’t see how it is even legal for a bank to change someone’s locks before they foreclose and take possession! They are interfering with our ability to show the property to any prospective buyers and are guaranteeing a foreclosure for my clients! Most of us have mortgages on our homes, and the home is the security for the loan, but just because the lender gave money for the home does not give them the right to take possession of the property prior to foreclosure! When does the madness stop?!

Austin population increased 20.4% in the last 10 years

Austin Business Journal
Photo Courtesy of Phillip Kromer/Flickr

Austin is now home to about 790,390 residents, or about 20.4 percent more than 10 years ago, according to U.S. census figures released Thursday.

The influx mirrors statewide trends with Hispanic and minority populations experiencing the bulk of growth, according to an in-depth report from the Austin American-Statesman. Young Hispanics are poised to takeover as the state’s largest demographic, according to a Bloomberg report on the same numbers.

The report is the first population count since 2000. Austin kept its slot as fourth largest city in Texas. The updated figures are expected to spark a redistricting battle in Texas, as reported by the Austin Business Journal last week.

Fort Worth led the state for growth among large metros, rising 38.6 percent, according to a report from the Star-Telegram. Overall, the 2010 census numbers paint a picture of Texas that is increasingly diverse, increasingly urban and suburban, and sharply divided between east and west, the Dallas Morning News said in their report on the Census on Friday.

Austin Ranks High on Quality of Life

In Austin, it’s good to be young. Locals are apparently living the ninth best quality of life in the U.S, according to a new study by Portfolio.com/bizjournals that cited the city’s youth as a major contributing factor. Austin’s strong population growth, 32 percent since 2000, also helped in overall ranking, as well as a comparatively high percent walking to work, 7.1 percent.

The study compared the performances of America’s 67 biggest metropolitan areas in 20 statistical categories. The highest scores went to well-rounded markets with healthy economies, moderate costs of living, impressive housing stocks and high-powered educational systems. Austin scored in many indicators, except people living in the same place for the more than year.

Austin ranked highest on the study’s job opportunities for young adults indicator, while Houston took No. 5, Dallas took the No. 7 and San Antonio was No. 14 on that listing. Dallas was ranked No. 29 overall for quality of life, followed by Houston at No. 47 and San Antonio at No. 53.

Bakersfield ranks last in six of the study’s 20 categories. It has the highest poverty rate of any major market, as well as the lightest concentration of management and professional jobs, weakest inventory of big houses, and smallest percentages in the three educational categories that track adults with high school diplomas, bachelor’s degrees and advanced degrees.

Also in the bottom five are New Orleans, Memphis and Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.

Source: Austin Business Journal

Austin Ranks #1 “Ten Best Cities for the Next Decade”

“Austin is arguably the the country’s best crucible for small business, offering a dozen community programs that form a neural network of business brainpower to help entrepreneurs.” – Kiplinger.com

Full story available on Kiplinger

Texas Metros Top Moved To Cities

Four Texas metros were among the top ten most moved-to cities in 2009, according to U-Haul’s annual National Migration Trend Report. Houston received more people moving from more than 50 miles than any other city in the country. San Antonio followed in fourth place and Austin in sixth. Dallas was 15th in the rankings.

Source: Phoenix Business Week