Ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country, Austin, Texas has suffered through a dot-com meltdown which also flattened housing sales for several years. Local Realtors are reporting those days are over.

"From January 1st to June 6th, 8,089 homes sold in Austin," says Realtor Julie Nelson. "That's up 20 percent from this time last year. Yes, interest rates are jumping around a bit but I remain cautiously optimistic, and that is the same tune being sung in the real estate community. I am holding my neutral position on the is-it-a-buyers/sellers-market question and I'll preface that with the profound and oft-repeated "it depends."

Nelson suggests, "The best houses in central Austin under $300k that are in excellent condition, priced right (realistic and not greedy) and show really well on day one are selling quickly. I have been in numerous multiple offer situations in the past few months. With that said, I have recently seen many sellers needing to lower their asking price to get in to the position of generating offers. My advice to buyers is it's still a great time to buy. Don't miss the opportunity. As the economy improves, interest rates will follow that upward trend. Yes, rates are going up and you missed the 5 percent rates ... but 6.25 percent is historically quite low. Beware of ads that entice you with 4 percent, there's always a catch or a cost. Ask your Realtor for a reputable lender referral."

She adds, "The $300k - $500k sector has rebounded this year from a soft 2003. High inventory (and, thus, houses just sitting on the market, uneasy sellers) include the outlying areas of Round Rock, Pflugerville, Hays and Buda. The $100k - $250k (ever-popular with first-time buyers) is not as soft. The cute, hardwood floors, nicely appointed, central Austin, priced-right properties are doing fine."

Says Realtor Aralyn Hughes, "Austin area home sales remain strong. Homes priced right and dressed to sell have the competitive edge and are going quickly. There is just more inventory for buyers, and sellers have to be ready to make their property as marketable as possible. Homes up to $300,000 are in highest demand with lots of inventory for buyers. Interest rates are good with programs for any buyer or investor."

"Today vibrant downtown Austin offers many new beautiful complexes that are designed to take advantage of views, urban living, some of the best restaurants in the country, music, night life and especially access to Town Lake where Austin's beautiful hike and bike trails are," says Realtor Roya Johnson. "These gorgeous trails circle around Town Lake (one of the three continuous lakes in Austin) offering some of the best views of nature, water, and Austin's gorgeous swans and species.

"Sizes and prices for these beautiful downtown luxury living vary from $200,000 for a one-bedroom, one-bath loft to millions for a large unit with a view of the Capital of Texas, the Texas Hill Country, and Town Lake."

Published: June 14, 2004

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Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.