Friendliest States in the U.S.
We’ve all heard of southern hospitality and the charm often associated with many of the southern states. In fact, you would probably expect those states to be at the top of the list for being the friendliest to tourists. You might be surprised, though, at which state holds the number one spot. Find
Texas City Ranks on Worldwide Quality of Life Index
Texas cities are receiving global recognition in a study assessing quality of life. Surveys based on affordability of housing, cost of living, crime rates, health system, traffic and pollution were used to determine the ranking of the cities. In 2024, several Texas cities were ranked worldwide for t
UT Austin to House Microelectronics Manufacturing Hub
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and University of Texas at Austin have agreed to a 5-year partnership to establish the first advanced microelectronics manufacturing hub in the U.S. The project will be spilt into two phases and will focus on an advanced approach to microelectronics fabr
“Tornado Alley” Moving East?
Historically, the term “Tornado Alley” has referred to the central Plains region of the U.S. that has been the most susceptible to tornadoes. For many years, tornado formations peaked in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, however, tornado pattern maps have indicated a gradual shift to the east with tornad
Are Realtor Stereotypes Accurate?
In a previous blog post, the question “are realtors, lenders, title agents, etc. worth the money they’re being paid?” was posed in relation to the recent changes happening. How much value you feel they add is, of course, a factor in how you may answer this question. But, here’s another factor to con
Tesla Takes Over as Largest Private Employer in Austin
Tesla’s employee count has been on the rise as they have gradually been building their team at the Austin Gigafactory. Not only has this growth contributed to a rise in new jobs, but it has also led the company to take over as the largest private employer in Austin. Read more about their growth and
Changes to How Contracts and Representation Work
Hi everyone, maybe some of you have heard about some of the changes to how contracts and representation work across the nation. Here’s a brief catchup if you’re out of the loop: I won’t have all the answers because it’s still so new, but I did actually sit in on a seminar last week listening to expe
Reversal in Travis County Population Trends
Travis County has been a consistent hot spot for people moving to the Austin area, but for the first time in two decades, the number of people leaving the county is greater than the number moving in. It’s a prime example of how, sometimes, what goes up, must come down. Nevertheless, while this pheno
Is Austin Losing its Appeal?
In the recent years, especially since the pandemic, Austin has been the go-to place for companies, start-ups, and investors. The population has had a huge influx due to Austin’s appeal in affordability and job opportunities. But has the allure worn off? Read here to learn more about if Austin has lo
The Smiths in 2023
Being something of photographers in a past life, Hillary and I had already seen a thousand pictures of the TA Moulton Barn that sits in front of the Grand Tetons. As we were accompanying my mother on a bucket list trip up to Glacier National Park a couple months ago, I realized we’d be passing right
Austin Ranked Among Worst Cities for Traffic
How does Austin traffic compare to other U.S. cities? According to this article, on average, Austin drivers lost 53 hours of commute time due to traffic delays in 2022. A breakdown of these traffic stats and where Austin ranks nationally among the worst traffic cities can be found here.
Is Austin America’s Boomtown?
Although it may seem like Austin is THE boomtown, it’s actually something that’s going around all over Texas. It’s true, we do dominate in the regional IT industry, and create more white collar high-paying jobs than our Texas rivals, but in aggregate the DFW area definitely gets more total migration
Austin’s Role in the Introduction of Central A/C
There’s no doubt that the heat we experience here in Texas makes central A/C a household necessity. It’s something we’ve become accustomed to, but maybe never gave much thought to how it got its start. Interestingly enough, an Austin neighborhood played an early role in this invention eventually bec
Can Austin Compare to Silicon Valley?
Perhaps we sound only like Austin cheerleaders sometimes, but I do like to always include the other side of the story. I often say “second to Silicon Valley, Austin is THE place to be for IT…” The reality, though, is that we’re probably still a pretty distant number two. We do offer lots of advantag
America’s Best Taco Cities
Tacos are, of course, a staple here in Austin. But how does Austin rank when searching for the best cities in the US for tacos? That ranking and even more taco data can be found here.
Austin Market Facing Pandemic Correction
So where are we now? What goes up must come down? We were among the leaders of home appreciation during the pandemic era, and now we’re one of the areas with the biggest correction happening. As a smaller city, smaller changes in migration and investor participation make a bigger difference in our m
The Smiths in 2022
With an eye injury, a month as a pirate, and three surgeries to follow, 2022 took off from a bit of a low point. Not having to wear a mask anymore–definite high point. Real estate was also surging and was keeping us busy. The Austin market is a roller coaster, though, now down about 20% from the pea
State of the Market
Since we’ve taken a short blog sabbatical, the entire real estate world has changed. Although the evening news will sometimes say trite things like “Finally an opportunity for homebuyers…” everyone trying to buy knows the truth. Buyers have all lost 20-30% of their purchasing power from interest rat
UpNest Top Agent
We’re excited to share that our agent, Jeremy Smith, has earned UpNest’s Top Winning Agent Badge! This recognition further displays an agent’s credibility and expertise working with home sellers and buyers.
Jeremy Smith – Awards and Accolades
In real estate, it’s an awkward position to have to promote one’s awards and accolades, but in a competitive market where people want to only work with the most experienced, competent, and high performing agents, it becomes necessary to present our job resume. It’s just a part of applying for the jo
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