Rob Albertson's (robalbertson) Blog

So it's a good start for 2011 as Austin home sales are up 14% over Jan 2010, and the average sale price (about $190,000) is up 6% as well.  Now, it is a bit tricky to try & compare statistics with 2010 (one of the strangest years in the history of real estate), but it is still more positive news...

Who has the money to buy a 4 acre apartment complex, tear it down, & then sit on it for 4 years?  Answer: Post Properties, Inc.  from Dallas (eww, Dallas).  I've driven by the old Southridge apartment tract for years now wondering what the hell they were going to do with it, & when the hell they...

  Current Market Stats for 78722 I tend to work in a smaller area of Austin than many of my colleagues.  I believe in specialization (and trying to avoid traffic at all costs.)  So I end up spending my days in South Austin (specifically 78704, 78745, & 78749), while also venturing into the eastsi...

  78745 Market Stats for the Start of 2011 So we've already looked at what 78704 & 78749 has been doing since summer 2010 & where they're starting 2011, so it's only fair to see how the neighbor in the middle, 78745, is doing. In the middle of the summer of 2010, inventory in Austin was at histor...

  My start in real estate came as a builder and remodeler.  3 years later, I had my real estate license because I couldn't find an agent who matched my level of enthusiasm for finding great values on the market first (I suppose I was a needy client.)  Little by little, I started helping friends i...

Last week, I looked at what the second half of 2010 looked like for 78704 & gave my best guess for the start of 2011.  I was curious to see if similar trends exist in Southwest Austin's 78749 zip code. In the middle of the summer of 2010, Austin was facing the highest levels of inventory in its ...

The Statesman is reporting that nine Austin schools may face closure starting as early as 2012. In amongst the 9 Austin schools "informally" recommended by AISD's facilities task force for closure , 2 gems of 78704 - Zilker & Barton Hills Elementary - have been named.  Public (and I'm sure, heat...

Great economic news to start 2011 off:  Austin is ranked as 3rd best job market in the U.S., according to Forbes magazine.  While we've felt that Austin has been outperforming the nation as a whole, it's still nice to hear confirmation from time to time.  Thanks to our status as a capitol city, ...

According to an article in today's Austin American Statesman, Austin's apartment rents are rising as occupancy increases.  This trend is expected to continue well into 2011 as Austin's job market remains strong, population will continue to increase, and fewer new apartments/rentals are being cons...

  South Austin 78704 Market Statistics:  What Will 2011 Bring? As 2010 ends & 2011 begins, it's good to look at where we've been to see where we might be heading.  In the middle of the summer of 2010, Austin was facing the highest levels of inventory in its history & buyers, well, were not there ...