The Tom Bates Blog

The following was submitted by Austin mortgage broker Martin Ochs - 512-784-5038 - email Martin   MARKET RECAP If misery loves company, then few of us are lonely these days, at least if last week's spat of economic doom-and-gloom news is any indication. Where to start? Well, foreclosure filings r...

1402 Alta Vista, Modern Luxury, Travis Heights, MLS 8881972, 78704New construction modern luxury 4 bed modern house in hot Travis Heights in South Austin in the 78704 zip code.  The scoop: This Austin modern luxury house has a clean edgy feel and fits nicely on this Travis Heights lots.  Home has...

Very cool 3 bed 2 bath hip modern houses near Cuernavaca in the Austin Lake Hills community in the Eanes ISD.  This is a new construction property and you can still pick out selections.  Cuernavaca is home to more and more modern homes which is great for the neighborhood which can have challengin...

Here is the quintessential Dick Clark Architecture modern home. This is a resale just off Mount Bonnell in the northwest Austin hills off 2222. It is clean, sleek, private, livable and killer modern.  It has great outdoor living space including a very private screened in porch and a private pool ...

500 Riley Rd and 502 Riley Rd in Austin are two truly incredible uber-modern-luxury new construction homes in Eanes ISD in Rollingwood in Austin Texas.  These are designed by one of Austin very prestigious and highly decorated local architects Barley & Pfeiffer.  These are uber-green homes: 5 Sta...

I was recently asked if a particular 1 bedroom condo in south Austin (name withheld for posting) was a good investment at $96,000.  So, let's break it down and see: Is it a good investmentI'll start by first saying that I meet very few people who have bought real estate, especially as close in as...

Here's an excellent opportunity to get a great looking remodel in the Hyde Park / Shoal Creek area of Austin. This is a pocket listing and will not go on the MLS anytime soon. A few minutes to Central Market, HUGE lot, the sellers have their Airstream tucked away privatly in the backyard. Hardwoo...

Here's a 2 minute recap of the Austin Texas real estate market in general: According to Alamo Title research, the number active listings are up 38% over 2007.  The number of new listings are down this week by 14% (compared to the same week last year).  Pendings are down as well, but solds are up ...

Eanes, the Tuscan Hills of AustinThe Eanes Independent School District in Austin not only contains some of the most luxurious single family living in the Austin area, but is also home to some of Texas' most highly sought after schools.  The combination of beautiful rolling hill-country, the proxi...

Linked here is an Inman article about designing homes with the sun in mind.  It's true, our 4-wall boxed home subdivisions didn't have to be and are a discredit to centuries of knowledge about designing homes and orienting them on the lot to maximize energy efficiencies.  Even today few build hom...