When it comes to apartments in Downtown Austin (you can search for properties here), most people think that they simply aren’t affordable. There are countless new projects, many of them high-profile, that offer one bedrooms for more than $2500 per month, or two bedrooms for more than $3500 per month. While this may be perfect for high rollers with no budget, most of us just can’t afford a downtown Austin apartment that expensive - we’re just looking for a quality apartment at an affordable price that puts us in the middle of the action. If you’ve been looking for a great one or two bedroom apartment downtown and have been finding outrageous prices at every turn, the Robertson Hill Apartments - located just east of IH-35 on San Marcos at 11th Street - may be just what you’ve been searching for. Recently built just a few years ago at the historic Robertson Hill site in east Austin, these apartments offer countless upscale amenities, an outstanding clubhouse and pool, and more. Read on to learn more about Robertson Hill apartments in downtown Austin and how to reserve your unit today!
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According to the Austin American Statesman and the Real Estate Center at Texan A&M (boo Aggies!), after two years of steady decline in occupancy rate and pricing in the Austin apartment market, the end of the 2009 saw improvement and 2010 looks to be a strong recovery year for the Austin market. The uptick in prices and occupancy can be partially attributed to the generally strong and steadily-recovering local economy, the fact that Austin has had fewer layoffs than most other major cities, and the general desirability of relocating to Austin. The fact that fewer buyers were purchasing new homes also leads more people to choose apartment living as an alternative, and this probably won’t change much into 2010, although the most recent data suggests that Austin actually had a massive year-over-year increase in home sales in December as well (over 57% according to the Austin Board of Realtors). The major takeaway from all of this: despite the fact that over 4000 apartments were added to the Austin market from June-December alone, more units were actually leased in that period than were built, which is a perfect example of the resiliency and singular nature of the Austin market for rental property and and even better reason to invest in multifamily property in Austin, TX!
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A recent Austin Towers article points out the fact that the huge number of top ten lists, shout-outs in business magazines, positive press coverage, and explosive growth rate in Austin all point to an undeniable fact: Austin, TX is no longer a sleep college town, but rather a thriving top-tier city that is going to continue to attract huge new residents in the coming years. Austin has grown rapidly during the last decade (as have the surrounding areas such a Pflugerville and Round Rock which have both been among the fastest growing cities in the US in the past five years), and people coming to Austin are eager to take advantage of the fantastic job market, stable real estate prices, quality of life, and more. How does this relate to the UT real estate market? Investing in UT real estate isn’t an excellent idea just because of steady appreciation, consistently high occupancy, and unparalleled location, but also because as Austin continues to grow and true central city density develops, property is going to be at an even greater premium that’s closer to Downtown, parks, major thoroughfares, and retail/dining. Sound familiar? That’s UT Austin, specifically the North Campus and West Campus areas (you can search for properties here or learn more about the neighborhoods here), and West Campus Living is here to help you make the smart move today. Read on to learn more about some of the recent attention Austin has received and some of the ways in which it’s going to be one of the most important American cities of the next two decades.
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While we’re relatively comfortable in the campus market - high occupancy, stable prices, and quick turn each August are the name of the game - the Austin, TX apartment market has experienced some significant changes as the economy has shifted over the past two years. According to a recent article from the Austin Business Journal, many Austin “Class A” apartment owners (this is virtually all apartments in the campus area as well as countless others around Austin) are going to face operational and financial challenges during the first half of 2010. Read more to find out about the difficulties that they will face, learn more about the market for homes, condos, and apartments in Austin, and get a sense for how these changes in the rental market will affect the average renter.
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The Austin, TX real estate market is weathering the storm. Despite a tumultuous economic climate, a major recession that’s been particular hard on the housing market, and high unemployment, Austin has weathered the storm, offering solid returns on real estate investments and a stable job market thanks to an educated workforce coming from the University of Texas. We’re fortunate to have had stable home prices, rising home sales, stable rent prices in central Austin neighborhoods (particularly West Campus, North Campus, and Hyde Park that cater to students), and increases in housing starts and new jobs despite the economy. We’ve even seen a strong downtown condo market develop and prosper over the last five years, and despite some naysayers claiming we’re going to have a downtown condo bust akin to Miami or Las Vegas, the evidence doesn’t justify their claims - our inventory is actually quite low compared to the large numbers of new people moving to central Austin, and we’ve seen strong sales despite changes in the lending arena and overall housing market issues. The bottom line: Austin has been and will continue to be an excellent place to invest, whether you are a UT student or not, and according to recent research by Coldwell Banker, Austin is among the easiest of the desirable college towns to afford.
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This Wednesday, West Campus Living was voted by students at the University of Texas at Austin to be the best apartment locator service in the UT area for the third consecutive time. The UTMost award was presented as part of a special biannual publication of the university’s daily student newspaper, The Daily Texan, which highlights the most popular businesses serving UT Austin. Released on September 23, 2009, this edition honors West Campus Living with the award in the real estate category - businesses that help students and their families find apartments, houses, or condos near UT and in Central Austin - for the third time. West Campus Living has now received this award every time it’s been given since they opened their doors in Summer 2008.
Among the apartment communities that West Campus Living leases to UT students are larger corporate apartments such as The Block, The Quarters, Jefferson 26, The Venue, Jefferson West, Texan West Campus, Texan Shoal Creek, Texan Pearl, The Triangle, and The Gables, as well as newer projects such as The Vintage and West Campus’ only true high rise, 21 Rio. West Campus Living provides online access to information about these and other properties in Central Austin on its website, westcampusliving . com - access is free to all users. “The online search we provide for West Campus and North Campus properties is our way of helping UT students and parents make smart housing decisions and know their options,” says Rojo.
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Just north of UT campus in Central Austin are the outstanding Guadalupe 31 condominums. The explosion of apartment construction in the past five years near UT has not gone unnoticed, but during the same period many smaller projects with a lower profile among student populations have come on the scene as well. Guadalupe 31 is just three stories tall, but with an ideal location at 31st and Guadalupe close to shopping, restaurants, retail, and of course the University of Texas, it’s among the most coveted of the UT area condo projects. Built in 2005, the project quickly sold out and though several of the units have changed hands since then, most of the owners either occupy the project themselves or lease to students, making the project a nice middle ground between student-only living near UT and downtown style condos with virtually no college students. Read on to learn more about this upscale condo community near West Campus in UT Austin: Guadalupe 31.
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Just a few years back amidst considerable controversy, the Triangle apartments and mixed used development was created right in the heart of Central Austin at 47th and Guadalupe. And now, after a few years of retail development, marketing, and a few hundred satisfied tenants later, The Triangle has emerged as precisely what its designers had in mind: a vibrant mixed-use development close to everything that offers quality residences, excellent restaurants, and a perfect location. The Triangle consists of several large apartment buildings as well as the recently opened Triangle Lofts (upscale residences offering more modern finishes and larger floor plans), retail, condos (coming soon), and green spaces for a total of 120,000 square feet across a 22-acre development site. If you’re looking for a new place you should definitely check out The Triangle apartments!
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For those looking to leave near Downtown Austin as well as many UT students looking to branch out beyond the narrow confines of north and west campus, the recently built Robertson Hill apartment complexes are rapidly becoming one of the hot places to be. Though it took them some time to get established, Robertson Hill is now over 95% leased for August, a feat they accomplished on the strength of their excellent pricing, well-designed floor plans, nice finishes, and friendly customer service. West Campus Living has helped students and young professionals alike find their new home at Robertson Hill, so read on to learn more about this exciting new apartment in Austin, TX!
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Last Wednesday, June 10th, a tragic industrial accident claimed 3 lives and left another worker shaken up when a scaffold partially collapsed around the 12th floor of the new 21 Rio apartments in West Campus. The high-rise is scheduled to open soon and will feature its first major wave of move-ins in August of this year, and is located at 21st and Rio Grande. After arriving on the scene early that afternoon, emergency crews determined that an equipment failure was the cause of the accident, and three workers were pronounced dead a bit later that afternoon at Brackenridge Hospital. Two of the workers fell all the way to the ground while another landed on the roof of the parking garage about 4 stories higher. The fourth worker miraculously jumped from the collapsing scaffolding to the building and survived with only minor injuries.
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