78757 (Austin, TX)
By John Dunham, N Central Austin
(Juice RE Group at Compass)
One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. It is a time to slow down, look around, and see all the wonderful things around us to be thankful for - whether that's everyday things like running around Town Lake or some of the year's accomplishments (this will be a record setting year for me business wise) or special moments (like coaching my kids teams). One of the things I'm most thankful for this year is time with family. A huge silver lining of the pandemic was getting to see my kiddos more and make some lasting memories. As the world has *thankfully* started to open back up, I find myself cherishing those moments with family maybe even more than pre-pandemic.We snuck in a quick road trip before the big holiday tomorrow, and relaxed at a quiet lake house outside of Austin. My mother, ...
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By John Dunham, N Central Austin
(Juice RE Group at Compass)
What a season!  What a game!Monday night dad and I attended the rematch between Alabama and my Alma mater Clemson University in the national championship game in Tampa, FL. Heading to the game with tickets in the Bama section we agreed to deal with the possible backlash.  There were plenty of Clemson fans near by though, and minus the one apposing fan directly behind us, the Bama faithful were cordial opponents. Coach Dabo & Company slugged it out all night in what turned out to be a 4th Qtr battle with multiple lead changes.  Clemson pulled together one of the most thrilling comebacks in playoff history.  You could spend hours debating Monday's game over the 2005 Rose Bowl between USC vs Texas, when Vince Young led a similar drive in the final minutes. Clemson Quarterback Deshaun Watso...
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By John Dunham, N Central Austin
(Juice RE Group at Compass)
Austin Platinum Top 50 hosted their year end awards ceremony just before the holidays kicked into full gear.  There were 150 finalists waiting to hear if they would be announced one of the top 50 winners (keep in mind, Austin has approximately 10,000 agents now).  I'm excited to say my name was announced!Recipients are chosen for the outstanding achievements in sales, education, industry participation and civic leadership / philanthropy.  While sales volume is a significant factor, PT 50 seeks a well - rounded agent.  The PT 50 Club sponsors various events throughout the year that encourages agents to share innovative ideas, best practices and ways to collaborate towards improving our  industry at large.There are many agents I proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with, however this young ...
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By John Dunham, N Central Austin
(Juice RE Group at Compass)
Traveling out of ABIA this holiday season?  Trying to plan out your parking situation or want to know which security checkpoint to head towards once inside the airport?  Wouldn't it be helpful to have this information in real time?  You can!  See the following excerpt from the Austin Letter by Neal Spelce."Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) just launched a new service.  Go online at www.abia.org, click on “Travel Tips,” or go directly to http://aus.tsa.iinside.com.  It will show you in big, bold type the line speeds starting from checkpoint entrances through passenger screening – at all three checkpoints.  This way you can pick the fastest-moving checkpoint.Checkpoint 1 is on the east end of ticketing, past the Delta counter.  Checkpoint 2 is at the center of the terminal, ac...
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By John Dunham, N Central Austin
(Juice RE Group at Compass)
I'm on the go....all the time.  Meals are generally rushed heading to the next appointment and trying to pack as much as I can into the day so evenings are for the family.  My wife and I try to fuel our training with healthier meals, but we both work.  We probably consume more sandwiches than any couple in town....like A LOT of sandwiches.  They are quick and healthier than many other 'fast - on the go' options.Now we have a new option near our neighborhood and both offices, Baby Greens, a drive thru salad stop that offers healthy wraps, mixed greens and protein options on Anderson Ln (1/2 between Burnet Rd and Lamar).  There is a 2 lane drive thru, park bench seating outside under an uber cool butterfly pergola and a living green wall with self-misters.  Oh yeah, for the yogis out ther...
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By John Dunham, N Central Austin
(Juice RE Group at Compass)
A mild Winter and it already feels like Spring is in full force, and the seasonal real estate selling period has kicked off.  Last year we contended with multiple ice days, or threats of ice, which might have delayed some buyer activity, but not this year.Two compelling numbers: Brentwood inventory is back under 20 available homes and Days on Market for Crestview dropped significantly.  We had a string of new listings in Crestview that were gobbled up quickly by anxious buyers.  The lower avg sold price in Brentwood is the result of small, original bungalows under 900 sq ft selling for introductory prices to the neighborhood.  I am also seeing several of the B units (smaller of the two units a builder will put on 1 lot...these do not exceed 850 sq ft) selling quickly.  Generally in the ...
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By John Dunham, N Central Austin
(Juice RE Group at Compass)
Austin is a hub for economic growth right now, and is more diverse from pressures in any one specific market (unlike the downturn in the early 2000's when high tech took us for a wild ride).  One industry I talk more about today is Tourism.  Austin added 2,200 hotel rooms last year which might frighten some locals, but demand was up 15.5% downtown for the year!  The downtown occupancy rate was 78%....that exceeds all other Texas cities, Nashville, Chicago and New Orleans.  It also helps explain many of the cranes downtown, and that no, they are not all for expensive high rise condos!A few major draws from last year: The two-weekend Austin City Limits Music Festival topped the list with an estimated 450,000 attendance.  And the two-week holiday Trail of Lights attracted more local reside...
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