JBGoodwin REALTORS Real Estate Blog

When it comes to affordability, families don’t usually shop in big cities when they hope to land a real estate bargain. Home shoppers know they’ll pay more to experience the conveniences that major cities provide.

But a new study from gobankingrates.com revealed that when it comes to measuring the comfort of residents’ cost of living, Austin goes against the major city grain. In the study, not only did Austin prove to be one of the most comfortable cities, but Texas was also concluded as the state whose cities offered their residents the most cost-friendly living situations compared to the rest of the nation.

The study said, “Texas is the state that boasts the most cities in which the median income is enough for a comfortable living”.

In

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If the mention of an extravagant new hotel and condo residency perks your ears the same way it has ours, the development of the Thompson Hotel and Arts Residences in San Antonio may just be the news yo're looking for.

Thompson Hotels are renowned for their alluring presence, cultural taste, masterful design, and professional customer service. It was recently announced that this luxury hospitality brand would begin construction at 123 Lexington Ave. For those unfamiliar with this area, the building will rest alongside San Antonio’s Riverwalk, in the heart of one of our city’s most cherished districts.

The Museum Reach District

The Museum Reach district in San Antonio is home to a wealth of attractions that annually entice visitors from across

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Investment is a term that seizes the attention of even the least business-minded person in a room. When we hear the term, many of us imagine dollar signs, remember our Economics 101 professor, or picture Scrooge McDuck swimming through his sea of gold coins.

In real estate, we toss this term around often. When someone purchases a home, REALTORS® like to communicate every benefit that comes from owning a home. And since real estate investing is such a profitable option in the Central Texas’ market, we find no reason to hold back our enthusiasm about the opportunities we see.

Investment sparks a lot to think about for a family. While you weigh your options about whether to purchase a house or to throw all your extra cash into the stock market,

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Everyone dreams about what they’ll look for in a first home. Many Texans prefer city living, while others choose a multi-acre property on the outskirts of town. Some consider lavish spaces, and still others prefer a small house with minimalist furniture and design.

Home preferences can feel as distinct as our fingerprints, but the truth is that our housing preferences aren’t as different from one another as they might feel.

At the end of the day, housing trends exist, even to distinguish generation from generation. Many factors play into generational trends:

• New ideas and technology
• Economic booms or burdens
• Community values
• Celebrity preferences
• Lifestyle needs
• And much, much more

The Wall Street Journal collected a

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Here's a look at Austin's leasing and rental statistics for the month of May 2017. Highlights include:

• Homes rented through JB Goodwin spent an average of 6 days less on the market
• Total number of properties leased increased by 62%
• The median Austin rental price per month is $1,700 or $1.15 per square foot

Young professionals and families make their way to Austin every day. The career opportunities, healthy local lifestyle, and ample fun of the city are too wonderful for most of us to turn down.

As people move to the area, however, many face a challenging question: Should I rent or buy? Usually these folks are already sold on the appeal of living in Austin. The city is a wonderful place to live, with no doubt about it. But the high housing costs can be a little intimidating to anyone, especially the families who are new to purchasing real estate.

So for those families still on the fence about whether buying a house in Austin is right for you, here are 5 reasons why we and a few Austin home-owners think this a great city for first-time home

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Take a look at Austin's real estate MLS® sold data for the month of April 2017 below.

Highlights include:

• Housing inventory was up 18% from last year
• There was a 4% increase in demand for Austin homes since April 2016
• Total of 9,647 homes have been sold in 2017

Let me clue you in on a little Texas real estate secret: the cities that make national headlines aren’t the only places in Texas experiencing economic and real estate booms! In fact, Central Texas is home to a new, quiet metropolis that is dodging exposure because of its proximity to some of our state’s biggest cities.

Austin and San Antonio receive a lot of national attention. Their economies, lively city-centers, and delicious cuisines are often the subject of major headlines and top national polls. But most don’t realize that these two cities, and the 70+ miles that connect them, have formed a booming metropolis that probably slipped right under your nose.

We call this stretch of land the Texas Hill Country. It weaves alongside the portion of Highway

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San Antonio has a lot going for it. Americans from across the country can recall iconic scenes from our city’s hero-filled history. Major corporations and tech companies move here for the city’s generous business incentives. And the family-centeredness of San Antonio rightly captures the attention of many people looking for a comfortable place to call their own.

At JB Goodwin, we give San Antonio a lot of praise because we genuinely believe it is an awesome place for anyone to call home. In fact, many of us do! So when we see others pointing out some of the features that make San Antonio so great, we like to share their findings with our cherished readers.

Recent data from Zillow found that families looking to buy their first home ought to conduct their

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We weren’t too surprised to hear it, but the news still makes us proud. JBGoodwin REALTORS® was once again named one of Austin’s Best Places to Work in 2017 by Austin Business Journal!

When you gather a group of hardworking, optimistic people and equip them with the tools and knowledge necessary to give real help to families and businesses, a great work environment almost sounds like it’d come naturally.

While nature may have something to do with it, we also prioritize making our workplace one that is empowering, enjoyable, and fair for each employee. That’s because we believe that the most efficient and productive workplaces are those that make a big deal about treating people like… well… people!

What makes JB Goodwin such a great place to work?

Our

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