Garreth Wilcock Central East Austin Real Estate

East of Downtown Austin: 41 Waller is a new condominium development near Downtown Austin just east of IH-35, representing just some of the incredible changes seen to the East Side of Austin in recent years. The location of 41 Waller is perfect for anyone who wants to be close to downtown without having to pay steep downtown prices. You will be biking distance to eats 'n treats such as Progress Coffee, Iron Works BBQ, Mongolian BBQ and PF Changs, just to scratch the surface. You will also be biking distance to 6th St, and not have to worry about catching a cab home! Being so close to so many Austin attractions will surely save you time and gas money!

You might find yourself asking, But what features does 41 Waller offer on the inside? Good question! Here are many of the features you can expect to find at 41 Waller:

• Stackable washer and dryer connections
• Bosch Energy Star stainless steel appliances
• Pre-wired for a surround sound home audio system, which can be used for just the living room or the whole house!
  
• Internet work station
• Ultracraft cabinets with 6-way adjustable hinges and automatic drawer closers (Author's note: I have no idea how this works but it sounds pretty cool!)
• Remote controlled ceiling fans
• Granite counter tops
• Energy Star Armana 14 SEER/12 EER heating/cooling system
• Wet bath with rain shower head and traverline tiled walls with inlaid glass tile
• Installed security system

These homes start pricing in the low $200k's. According to the website, many have sold and there are only three left at this time.

Garreth Wilcock is a Realtor in Downtown and East Austin. Search Austin homes for sale at his website.

South Lamar District: As we all know, huge parts of Austin have been seeing some exciting change in the last few years. South Lamar is one such district, with new condominium projects, an emphasis on "green business" and above all else a passion for Keeping Austin Weird. The Akoya Condominiums embodies the changes seen along SoLa, while remaining affordable and uniquely Austin. Akoya has been designed as a 4-star green building by the Michael Hsu Design Office. It's located in the heart of the SoLa district, close to many Austin favorites like Alamo Drafthouse, Uchi, Mr. Natural, Taco Xpress, Yoga Yoga, Music Lab and a short drive to Zilker Park.

What kind of amenities can you come to expect of the Akoya Condiminiums? For one, each unit has a unique design in relationship to its location on the property. Some units come with private terraces and courtyard views. All units feature bamboo wood floors throughout, washer and dryer units included and in upgraded units there is a glass tile backsplash in the kitchen. For those who take cooking seriously, the kitchen features granite slab countertops and a glass top stove. There is a pool and an outdoor community cooking area in the courtyard. The Akoya Condominiums is the first 4-star green condominium complex built in South Austin. The "greeneries" of this condo conversion include energy efficient double pane glass windows and energy efficient HVAC systems.

How much would a person pay for Austin Urban Living at its finest? These days, 2 bedroom units are averaging around $218,000. Hard to believe you can have green living at such an affordable price, but there it is!

Garreth Wilcock is a Realtor working in South Austin. Search Austin Homes for sale at his website.

West of Downtown Austin: Clarksville features uniquely quiet living in an old-style neighborhood with cute victorian houses. What makes this unique though is the proximity to Downtown Austin and the burgeoning 6th & Lamar "Design District".

The location of Clarksville is a jewel within Austin; so close to MoPac for easy commutes, walking distance to the Westward-expanding Downtown area, Austin Community College's Rio Grande Campus, or, if you're looking for a night on the town, you can walk to Shoal Creek Saloon for a meal and some drinks without worrying about having to drive back or catch a cab.

Amazingly, Clarksville is still able to be a quiet and quaint neighborhood, despite being so close to all the craziness of Downtown Austin. Of course, having the best of both worlds like this comes at a price, as a home in Clarksville can average up to $500,000. However, compared to other cities such as San Francisco where such a location would cost you upwards of 2.5mil, this is actually quite a deal!

The homes in Clarksville were mostly built in the 1920s and 1930s, though over the years they have all seen numerous renovations. The upshot of this is many homes still have gorgeous hardwood flooring and an "old style charm", the downside though is many of these homes have not been updated to have more modern conveniences such as dish washers and central air conditioning (never fear, heat haters: all homes feature window units at the very least). Clarksville is almost certainly one of Austin's crown jewel neighborhoods- are you going to take the last train and become our neighbor?

Garreth Wilcock is a Realtor working in Downtown Austin. Search Austin homes for sale at his website. (The Last Train To Clarksville is a Monkees song!)

Type "Austin apartments" into google and you'll get a splurge of sites offering to tell you about what's out there.

They may be giving you a skewed result though. As Abe points out in his own site, many of the apartment sites are sponsored to show you certain results first. The sites have no fiduciary duty to show you what you ask for.

So how do you find the right apartment in Austin? There are plenty of apartment locators out there, and the same as the website search results, they're the target of apartment complex marketing. Some apartments pay more finders fees than others, and get a larger mindshare in the locator community.

That's why I like Abe's Austin Apartment site. I came across it last week. It's like a craigslist version of an apartment mls. All it has is data on apartments. No fees change hands.

The site is still working on the data feed to keep the content fresh - prices vary rapidly to address changes in housing supply. I hope the model works and it grows in popularity.

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker. You can search Austin homes for sale at his website.

In the heart of Austin's downtown redevelopment district are Austin City Lofts at 800 W 5th St. What do you get for the $321/sqft condos built in 2003/4?

First the location is pretty handy - it's pretty much at the corner of West and 5th. Convenient if you want to run around Ladybird Lake, or wander over to Whole Foods. You'd be pretty darned close to Hut's Hamburgers too if you fancied a reasonable burger in a crowded popular space. Aquarelle is just a few blocks away. In essence this is downtown living where entertainment is not a drive away.

The 14 floor residential building has 82 units from just over 1000sqft to just over 3000sqft with an average size of 1770sqft. Here are a few of the facilities:

• 24 hour concierge
• Pool
• Gym
• Controlled access covered parking
• Private balconies
• Garden area
• Views of the Capitol / Town Lake / Shoal Creek
  

Units sold in the last year have ranged from $500,000 to around $1m for a 2 bedroom unit. There's also a unit for lease for $5000 per month.

What I like about the lofts are the huge windows - the unit are light inside, and with 11 foot / 20 foot ceilings and dramatic views, you don't feel like you're in the middle of a 600,000 person city. That might be worth a million dollars.

Garreth Wilcock is a Realtor working in Central, East and Downtown Austin. Search Austin condos for sale at his website.