Dee Copeland, Principal Broker

You may remember reading a couple of months ago that the "Titanic-size" Villa Muse development project was in trouble and going under fast; a statement made by Villa Muse last week confirms the ship has sunk - at least in Austin.

After Austin City Council refused to release some 2,000 acres in East Travis County from its jurisdiction, it is now being reported that Bastrop, TX, despite its efforts to keep the dealings hush-hush, is courting the film-based developers. Villa Muse says it is also considering several other cities, all in Texas, with hopes to break ground before the end of the year.

Though the $2.5 billion mixed use commercial and residential project promised to bring up to 110,000 jobs and growth in the film industry, City Council looked long-term at the plans and ultimately ruled that 40 years of freedom from city regulations and environmental protection rules was not a risk worth taking for the city of Austin.

It remains unclear as to what will happen with the option Villa Muse holds on the original land east of Austin in Manor. Other cities with strong possibilities include Kyle, Cedar Park, Leander, and other outlying areas.

More About Villa Muse : Villa Muse Talks Officially End with City of Austin
$2.5 Billion Villa Muse Takes Titanic Downturn after Critical Austin City Council Vote

Austin Board of REALTORS® sent an email alert today to propose a change to Mayor Wynn's Climate Protection Plan. So far, it looks like REALTORS® agree with most aspects of the plan. Like most solutions, there's a few areas of contention. Here's what the email alert outlined:

What's this about?
In early 2007, Austin Mayor Will Wynn released the Climate Protection Plan with the goal of making Austin the "greenest" city in the country, [including] the "Proposed Point of Sale Ordinance"....The city's proposal would require that homeowners upgrade their homes and obtain a "Certificate of Compliance" from the city before they're able to sell it. We oppose this plan for several reasons:

• Affordability - This type of out-of-pocket expense will prevent many homeowners from having the option to sell their home, particularly if they need to sell due to a difficult financial situation. In addition, the cost will inevitably be passed on to homebuyers, making it even more difficult to afford a home in Austin. 


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If you own or recently purchased a lot in Austin with the intent to build more than one unit or a duplex, throw your current plans away. A crucial City Planning Commission vote tomorrow could drop some Central Austin land values by at least 50%.

For background, the Austin City Planning Commission reviewed changes to city design standards through a task force. The Residential Development Standards Task Force first met December 2007 and briefed Austin City Council in February.

Most guidelines are well-received, but one in particular may negatively impact Austin duplexes and infill lots, especially in East and Central Austin.

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Here's some background on popular Travis Heights, one of South Austin's oldest neighborhoods. Making a drive through the area a pleasure to the eyes with its lush mature landscaping, charm and history.

Located south of the Colorado River and tucked between Interstate 35 and South Congress Avenue and in the 78704 zip code, Travis Heights is a desirable address among professionals who are looking for a quiet neighborhood close to downtown.

Development of Travis Heights started in the late 1880s. It was an ideal place for a "country mansion" away from downtown. At that time, the only way across to cross the Colorado River was by ferry, making the Travis Heights location extremely desirable. However, few mansions were ever built.

In the 1920s, real estate developer, Travis Heights, built smaller homes with carriage houses and detached garages, which today have been turned into much desired apartments. There is an ongoing battle between developers and residents who wish to preserver the integrity of the neighborhood. Many of the older homes have been torn down in recent years for ‘McMansions, which are usually bigger than the older 1920s homes.  

Reasons To Buy Travis Heights Real Estate Read the rest of this entry

After struggling with congession from our population growth, Mayor Will Wynn charged various groups, community leaders, transit experts and other residents to come up plans for a final vote in November.

Roma Design Group was hired as a consultant to the city to evaluate the dire situation and make a proposal. Roma's final solution: place 14 miles of light rail line through Central Austin.

Top concerns for Central Austin light rail were:

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