About Nueces County, TX

_{PORT ARANSAS, Texas – Earlier this month I posted “Austin Sports Writer Enjoys Links Golf In Port Aransas” when Kevin Robbins wrote about the course. The Newport Dunes course in Port Aransas is featured In today’s Travel Section of the Austin American Statesman.}

_{I fancied the true links-golf experience. Deserved it, even. After all, a true links experience was what I was about to have on, of all places, the Coastal Bend of Texas.}

_{I remember my first drive down Texas 361 and my earliest impression of this untamed stretch of Mustang Island. The year was 2004. I'd been to Scotland the previous fall. With ancient seaside links such as Royal Troon and Prestwick and Western Gailes as my reference points, I considered the dunes on the island — their silhouette on the horizon, their native bushes and hay — almost identical to the distinct contours of the Ayrshire Coast.}

_{Read An Ode to the Scottish links land – in Texas}

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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In May 2008, before the demise of Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, AIG and a host of banks, I posted “Mustang Island Real Estate 101.” The article provided an overview of this coastal Texas real estate market. At that time, much of the U.S. was already reeling while our market remained stable. That is still largely the case in September 2009 as described in “Mustang Island Real Estate 101 Update.”

Photo by Mark Creighton

Mustang Island Real Estate 101 - Update

While much of the country continues to suffer through a difficult housing market, the Gulf Coast City of Port Aransas continues to be a popular choice for vacation and second home buyers. Most of the real estate buyers in Port Aransas call San Antonio, Austin, Houston or Dallas home. Port Aransas has always been a mecca for Texans looking for a beach or fishing escape. The secret is slowly getting out and coastal enthusiasts from across the nation are discovering Mustang Island.

The Texas economy has proven to be remarkably resilient. Buyers from large and small inland Texas communities are the lifeblood of the Mustang Island real estate market. Even those that once only considered Florida or other U.S. beach destinations are opting for Port Aransas and Mustang Island.

The town of Port Aransas (Port A as the locals call it) is the center of the Mustang Island community. Mustang Island is an 18 mile barrier island running parallel to mainland Texas north of Padre Island, with Corpus Christi Bay to the West and the Gulf of Mexico to the East. The northern end of the island is connected to the mainland by a ferry system run by the Texas Department of Transportation. The trip is free of charge and takes only three minutes to cross to the mainland. On the southern end, the JFK Causeway connects the island with mainland Corpus Christi.

Because of this, Port Aransas is as accessible as it is beautiful. With a life of its own and a lot of character, this peaceful beach community has miles and miles of unspoiled beaches lapped by gentle waves. Port Aransas is an area of immense natural beauty that (combined with the opportunity for a sound real estate investment) is becoming especially popular with Baby Boomers. The island is perfect for people looking for a laid back coastal lifestyle different from the one offered by tall-and-glittering condominiums elsewhere in the U.S. To many, Port Aransas is the kind of place described in a Jimmy Buffett song.

The Port Aransas Housing Market

Texas housing markets are some of the most stable in the nation. Because of this, the state has been able to avoid “the popping of the real estate bubble” which has been occurring in growing communities all over the country. Texas homes have resisted the drastic downward trends in pricing suffered in other U.S. states. Instead, many Texas communities are showing modest growth during a time of national economic malaise.

Port Aransas is one of these communities and offers some of the best value in coastal property in the U.S. While much of the Gulf Coast is dotted with towering condos, Port Aransas is an attractive option for those looking for a more peaceful environment (or just a sound investment) in a beachfront home or condo.

Why is Port Aransas a growing community? Part of the reason is that Mustang Island boasts a large portion of the total Texas coastline available for development. Of the 375 miles that make up the Texas coast, 293 miles are unavailable for development, 56 miles are fully developed, and 26 are available for development. Many of those 26 miles lie on Mustang Island.

Communities on Mustang Island

There are many planned communities built and being built on Mustang Island. These range from modest condominiums and town homes to entire planned communities complete with marinas, golf courses, parks, shopping and restaurants. The overall economy has slowed the construction starts for some of the planned projects, but many are moving forward with success.

Cinnamon Shore

Cinnamon Shore is a 64-acre planned community which began construction in the spring of 2007. Upon completion, this master planned community will feature about 240 single-family homes, 275 housing units, and 1,100 feet of coast line. The development is designed around the idea of beautiful architecture and pedestrian friendly streets, as well as having only a minimal impact on the environment around it. Southern Living Magazine chose Cinnamon Shore as the location for their 2009 “Tarpon Run” Idea House.

Royal Sands

Established in 2003, Royal Sands is a 32 acre Mustang Island beachfront community consisting of 90 home sites. The development features family and adult pools, birding ponds, protected dune areas and a beach walk over. Royal Sands provides onsite management, security and maintenance support for vacation rentals. 2009 vacation rental revenues are well over 2008 levels.

Newport Beach and Golf

The Arnold Palmer Signature course opened in October 2008 and has already earned critical acclaim on a national level. The Newport Beach and Golf master planned community is planned around the concept of a European port city. At the heart of this community will be the Town Center Marina, surrounded by residential villages with luxury homes, hotels, shops, a marina, and waterfront cafes. Three local builders will begin construction on Mediterranean style town homes in the coming months.

The Palmilla

Developers Koontz McCombs waterfront Palmilla resort will be situated on 30 acres of land and will consist of 94 home sites. The community will feature a mile of bulkhead walkways, floating boat docks and a resort style pool. Updated construction timelines have not been announced.

Village Walk

Village Walk, located in the heart of Port Aransas, consists of 98 homes and opened for occupancy in 2007. This community is made up of coastal cottage style homes, with gated access, gulf views, pools and tropical landscaping, all only two minutes from the beach. The second and final phase is underway.

Mustang Island Real Estate

The one area of the local market that has seen significant price erosion is in unimproved land and residential lots. In fact, many price points have returned to 2004 levels. A large inventory and slower sales have driven down prices. It appears that most vacation and second home buyers prefer to purchase new and existing homes and condos rather than build.

The real estate market on Mustang Island is ever changing. For updated information on these developments or to search the MLS network for all the current real estate listings visit Port Aransas MLS.

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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PORT ARANSAS, Texas - In his August 30th blog post on Statesman.com, Kevin Robbins recounts "Six hours on 150 pretty special acres on the Gulf of Mexico." The Newport Dunes Golf course has been receiving rave reviews since it opened last year. A few excerpts of Kevin's blog are below:

I spent six hours on 150 pretty special acres on the Gulf of Mexico, at an American golf course as close to true links that I’ve seen since Bandon Dunes. Newport Dunes, a par-71 Arnold Palmer design on Mustang Island, opened a year ago to reviews favorable enough that I begged the newspaper for a travel assignment.

It works as a novel experience for the newcomer to links golf and, I would suspect, it works as a more-than-serviceable replacement until the links connoisseur makes his annual pilgrimage to Machrihanish or Western Gailes. A lot of American courses attempt to borrow the links idea, in name or in style. Newport Dunes didn’t borrow anything. It had it to begin with.

Read - Newport Dunes: A glimmer of links golf on the coast of Texas

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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PORT ARANSAS, Texas - Perhaps you are back at work and daydreaming about "Starting a new life in the palm trees" as Jimmy Buffett puts it. You hop online and start researching everything there is to know about condos and homes in Port Aransas. Hopefully that is what lead you here.

In the past ten days, I've written a series of posts to help provide an overview of "Vacation Home Ownership In Port Aransas." Here they are in case you missed them:

• Why Port A?
• Condos And Homes
• What Are The Costs?
• The Big Picture

In this final post of the ten-day series, I'll point out some online information resources that are helpful for research and Doing Your Homework.

I hope that you have bookmarked/saved the Port Aransas Real Estate Blog. I try to provide useful information on local news, events and the real estate market. I often hear from readers with follow up questions. If I can offer any information, please feel free to post a comment, send an email or give me a call.

It was only a few years ago, that Port Aransas was not part of a Multiple Listing Service (MLS). That has changed as more people get information online. The enhanced MLS Search available at Texas Island Properties offers helpful features that make it easy to search, find and track condos, homes and lots. Many users benefit from automated email alerts that they set up to notify them of new listings.

The Port Aransas South Jetty is the weekly newspaper that has been serving the community for decades. The paper is published every Thursday and offers a wealth of local info. Subscriptions are available for print and online versions. And now, you can follow them on Twitter.

The City Of Port Aransas website provides information on City departments, facilities, ordinances and official notices. The most popular pages are the Port A Ferry Cams that show the lines at the ferry landings.

The foremost online authority for Port A information is Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce website. They offer a complete list of places to stay, eat, shop and have fun. The Business Directory can be quite helpful to find local contacts for a variety of services.

About Port Aransas Realty - Established in 1986, Port Aransas Realty, Inc. has two locations and a team of 17 real estate professionals specializing in residential and commercial properties in the Port Aransas, Mustang and Padre Island, Texas markets.

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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PORT ARANSAS, Texas - The question on everyone's mind is whether or not now is the right time to buy. Will prices go lower? Will mortgage rates go down? There is one undeniable truth. Nobody knows where the bottom of a market is, until it has passed. Trying to time the market is exceedingly difficult.

The Port Aransas real estate market continues to outperform most other markets. Prices have come down in some cases, but condos and homes have not seen the sharp declines experienced in other communities. Many properties continue to appreciate. The only segment that is undergoing a market correction would be in residential lots and unimproved land.

It is a buyer's market with a large inventory. On Mustang Island, there are currently 290 condos & townhomes, 124 detached homes and 282 lots on the market (MLS 8/22/09). 30-Year fixed rate mortgages are still in the historically low range at just under 5.25% Let's take a look at The Big Picture.

Supply

They're not making any more coastline. Why is Port Aransas a growing community? Part of the reason is that Mustang Island boasts a large portion of the total Texas coastline available for development. Of the 375 miles that make up the Texas coast, 293 miles are unavailable for development, 56 miles are fully developed, and 26 miles are available for development. Many of those 26 miles lie on Mustang Island.

Demand

All the long-term trends show that the population of Texas will grow significantly. The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M published "Looming Boom - Texas Through 2030" which shows the population to grow by ten million people, from about 23 million in 2005 to 33 million by 2030, a 43.5 percent increase. A June 2009 article in the Austin Business Journal illustrates the projected robust growth in the Texas major metropolitan areas. Released earlier this year, "The Texaplex" sums up these forecasts in an impressive video that is a must see.

The increasing Texas population coincides with a growing number of baby boomers planning their retirement. There are countless studies indicating that it is the desire of many to retire to the coast. I hear and read this trend daily in phone conversations and emails from prospective buyers. Most are trying to get a foothold in the local market with retirement still on the horizon.

Timing

Mortgage rates are low, inventory is plentiful and long-term trends are frankly a bit overwhelming. This may not be the right time for some, but it sure looks good when you consider The Big Picture. If you missed any of these recent posts, you might want to check out: Why Port A? Condos And Homes What Are The Costs? and stay tuned for more information.

Take a little time and explore Port A

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

Search All Port Aransas Listings