I just ran across another story that shows how much our area is growing. A developer in Leander has gotten another 2000 acres approved for development that will start in about 5 years. Bill Hinkley, developer of Crystal Falls in Leander, will develop an adjoining 2000 acres with mixed use...that could double the amount of homes in Leander. You can read more below:
Leander approves master plan development
Written by Robert Bell Friday, 16 January 2009
At its Jan. 15 meeting, Leander’s City Council approved a proposal to allow Lookout Partners LP to develop about 2,000 acres west of Leander in what company president Bill Hinckley called the largest master plan community in the region. Construction on the site is still a few years away, though.
“It’s beautiful land that is going to be a great master plan community, and we’re just getting it all set so in three years probably we roll it out,” Hinckley said.
The community will be a live-work-play environment, he said.
“There will be a blend of houses, probably from $300,000 to $1 million. There will be retail, there will be some office, schools, churches — everything you need in terms of neighborhood services.”
Lookout Partners itself will not be developing any houses, but could build some commercial space, Hinckley said.
Eventually, the city will annex the land, and Hinckley’s company will be repaid for infrastructure expenses with a percentage of the property taxes generated by the development.
“We’re going to probably have to build our own sewer plant. We’re going to have to build water storage facilities. A developer can’t fund all those backbone issues and expect to be solvent.
“The city benefits from the tax base we create and we just want to get paid back over time out of our own growth,” Hinckley said. “It’s a win-win situation.”
My last blog talked about the continued growth in our areas! And Georgetown is continuing to see evidence of that growth. Later this month they will celebrate the opening of their new recreation center...and it looks to be very nice. Good for the residents of Georgetown!! You can read more here:
Georgetown Recreation Center Grand Opening on January 31
January 6th, 2009 by Jill Kellum, Parks Administration
The City celebrates the Grand Opening of the new Recreation Center on Saturday, January 31. Ceremonies start at 10 a.m. followed by facility tours and demonstrations. Memberships also will be on sale at the Grand Opening. Regular use of the facility begins on Monday, February 2.
The new center features an indoor pool, a new aerobics room, and an outdoor splash pool that will open for the summer swim season. Other features at the new 65,000 square-foot center include weight and cardio areas, a multi-purpose room for martial arts and other classes, a spinning area, and a larger babysitting room with access to an outdoor playground. The existing center will be renovated this spring to become a teen and senior activity area.
Funding for the new Recreation Center was approved by the voters in a bond election in November 2004. The Recreation Center is located at 1003 N. Austin Avenue.
The signs of growth are all around us...new roads everywhere, developers buying up land, cities approving master plans, etc. AND Georgetown, TX is no different. A new medical facility is being built in Georgetown by a group of doctors who see the need with all the growth in the area. You can read all about it below:
Georgetown Medical Complex breaks ground
Written by Beth Wade Friday, 16 January 2009
A group of 25 doctors and outside investors will break ground on a $30 million medical plaza in Georgetown in late January. The 99,600 sq. ft. building will be the first of two to sit on the 15-acre site on Austin Avenue and is expected to be completed by December 2009.
The project was delayed for two months due to construction financing complications, but is now moving forward, construction and corporate manager Randy Mongold said. Lott Brothers Construction will serve as the general contractor for the project.
Rendering courtesy Beaty Palmer Architects
“We elected to build now, as opposed to waiting, because we think there may be some potential inflation in the future,” he said. “We want to be able to build the project now.”
Phase one will include a three-story building, which is already 70 percent preleased.
The two largest tenants include Georgetown
Medical, which will occupy 17,000 sq. ft. and Austin Radiological Association, with 15,000 sq. ft. Both medical groups are owners in the project.
Mongold said the project is expected to generate approximately $3 million annually in new jobs to the city of Georgetown, with approximately $1.8 million from ARA personnel.
Phase two of the project will include a two-story, 60,000 sq. ft. building. The plans for the building are complete, but a timeline for construction has not been determined, Mongold said. He added that the
second phase may not be all medical offices, but may include professional offices or corporate relocations.
Mongold is working with the City of Georgetown Economic Development Corporation to find potential businesses interested in relocation for phase two, he said.
I'm here to pass along some great news...we are seeing a pick up in the market! A lot of this may have to do with the incredibly and historically low interest that are available to buyers right now...still being quoted UNDER 5%!!! That means it is an incredible time to buy.
Our leads have picked up and the agent activity in the market place has also increased! I believe that our prices will continue to hold pretty steady, making it both a good time to sell if you need to, and a great time to buy with the other factors already mentioned.
If you have questions about the current market or are interested in learning how to take advantage of some buys we are seeing, please contact us. We are constanty trying to stay abreast of all the happenings that are related to real estate, and especially things that will effect homes for sale in Liberty Hill, Bertram, Leander, or Georgetown, TX.
Our team just listed a custom home for sale on over 2 acres in Durham Park in Liberty Hill, TX. This home has a great floor plan and lots of custom or upgraded features! You definitely want to see this one if you are in the market to buy...and don't forget, INTEREST RATES ARE AT HISTORIC LOW LEVELS!!! So time is of the essence to take advantage of the low interest rates...check out more of the house here:
Austin ranks in the top 10 in job creation in the U.S.!!! This is great news considering all that is going on in the economy. Of course, this is one reason our real estate market has not been hit as hard as a lot of areas around the country that you hear about in the media. We have seen a big slow down in sales, but our prices have only been slightly affected, and our inventories have not skyrocket like in other areas. Here is the article that I got from the Austin Business Journal:
Austin ranks 10th in the U.S. in job creation
The Austin area added 6,200 private-sector jobs in the 12-month period between November 2007 and November 2008—the 10th biggest gain in metro employment in the country—according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Texas is showing considerable resilience amid a crippled national economy. The two largest markets in the state—Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth—registered the nation’s biggest private-sector employment gains.
The Houston area added 42,400 jobs between November 2007 and November 2008, and Dallas-Fort Worth picked up 35,100. No other U.S. market gained more than 15,600 private-sector jobs during the 12-month period.
All four of Texas’ major metro areas ranked among the top 10 in job creation in the last year. San Antonio was No. 4 with 11,700 new jobs.
But the rest of the country isn’t faring nearly so well. Just one-fifth of the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas managed to add any jobs at all. Seventy-eight suffered losses, 21 posted increases, and one was unchanged.
Detroit was hit with the biggest loss of private-sector jobs, 67,700 in 12 months. November 2008 brought the 38th straight monthly decline for Detroit.
Four other markets lost more than 50,000 private-sector jobs during the past year: Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Phoenix.
The following are the 100 biggest labor markets in America, ranked according to raw change in private-sector employment between November 2007 and November 2008:
The link below will take you to a new listing we just got...it is a great creek front lot with a new custom house! This home for sale in Liberty Hill, TX offers 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, and also has an office or media room with all the surround sound wiring in place. The garage is also oversized with a workshop area!! You don't want to miss this one...see more here:
The Shane T. White Team
RE/MAX Town & Country 13561 Hwy. 29 West
Liberty Hill, Texas 78642
Phone: (512) 515-5263
Toll Free: (866) 302-5263
Fax: (512) 515-5931
Email: shanetwhite@remax.net
