Have you ever wondered how Austin real estate costs compare to other major cities across the U.S.? We were curious too.

Austin’s delicious food, prolific creativity, booming industries, and vast outdoors are no national secret. More families are won over by our awesome city every single day. But these aren’t the only features that qualify a town to be the next place a family calls home. One of the most important factors behind any move is affordability.

Cost of living considers many income and expense variables. Before moving, it’s worth looking into the average rental cost, grocery bills, and median incomes of that city. Since JB Goodwin is a team of expert real estate agents, we decided that crafting a blog series that compares Austin’s cost of…

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School is out!

That means parents are scrambling to schedule fun activities to keep their kids active and learning during the summer break.

Fortunately, Austin is a place where healthy living is valued and boredom is hard to achieve. If you’re new to the area or simply looking for a reminder of the fun places to take your kids, we’ve narrowed down some of our favorite healthy summer activities.

1. Explore The Greenbelt

For locals, this one is the most obvious. For newbies, this is arguably the best gem we can provide. Miles and miles of beautiful nature trails run right through Austin’s backyard. Find the entrance nearest your home, and your kids will swim and explore to their hearts’ content.

2. Swim At Deep Eddy

Don’t forget your…

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Here's a look into Austin's leasing and rental market for the month of July 2017. Highlights include:

  • JB Goodwin rentals spend 4 days less on the market
  • The median price for a single-family home is $1,700 per month or $1.15 per square foot
  • Total leases are up 8% since July 2016

Austin Leasing Stats For July 2017

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Central Texas has won the attention of many millennials. It is home to some of the largest and fastest growing cities in the nation, and offers amenities many young families look for in a place to live.

There is a lot to be considered when trying to locate a new home. Most families consider affordability, property size, and nearby work opportunities before deciding where they’ll call home.

In recent years, the number of millennials moving to San Antonio has grown at a notable rate. We decided to take a look at some of the great lifestyle features that might have lured these young professionals and their families to Alamo City. Here are 6 of the incentives that made the most sense to us:

1. Low Cost Of Living

One of the biggest pitfalls of…

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For about a year, a small mystery existed regarding the future of one of the most famous buildings in Austin. It began in 2015 when the Cox family purchased the Austin-American Statesman building, a property on Congress Ave, just south of Lady Bird Lake. Anyone who has been to the Congress Ave Bridge to view the bats coming out at dusk has seen the nondescript building just south of the knoll where many stand to view the iconic Austin bats.

The intriguing thing about this purchase, and perhaps why it drove so much curiosity, was the fact that the Cox family has owned the publication since 1976.

Speculations quickly began among local real estate companies in 2015 about whether this expensive property was soon to return to the market. Recently, some…

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

Highlights include:

  • Housing inventory was up 22% from last year
  • There was a 5% increase in demand for Austin homes since May 2016
  • Total of 13,210 homes have been sold in 2017

May 2017 MLS Stats Austin

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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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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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