Ki Gray - Austin Real Estate

It seems Texas has arrived to the recession fashionably late, the question now is how long will we stay? The current economic woes began to be felt in some parts of the nation at the end of 2007, the official beginning of this recession. Texas began to feel the squeeze at the end of 2008, a full year later.

Austin in particular has only recently started to feel the economic pain that the rest of the country has been experiencing for the last year. According to a recent Austin-American Statesman article, Texas could cut as much as 296,000 jobs in 2009, particularly in the previously booming sectors like construction and financial services. Analysts predict the state unemployment rate could go up to 8 percent.

Austin was looking recession-proof for most 2008 and the situation is hardly dire at this point, with a 6.4 percent unemployment rate still under the national average. But local economic analyst Angelos Angelou predicts things will get worse and recovery will be slow. "When you look at the stock market, unemployment rates, job growth levels, this economic downturn has put us back 15 or 20 years," he said in the Austin-American Statesman recently. He doesn't believe it will take decades for Austin to be booming again, but it won't be soon.

There was some pleasant news about housing starts, which rose unexpectedly in February. According to the Associated Press, "the Commerce Department said new home construction rose to an annual rate of 583,000 in February from a revised 477,000 in January. Economists forecast construction would drop to a pace of around 450,000 units, according to Thomson Reuters. Building permit applications, a key measure of future activity, also rose unexpectedly."

Some analysts found this news very encouraging and went so far as to hope this could signal "some kind of normalization" in the housing market. Home building has certainly been one of the worst hit industries in this recession and Austin has felt that pain, too. But the Federal Reserve's recent decision to buy up more mortgage backed securities could stimulate lending and get people borrowing again. The Fed's hope is this will lead to more home loans on both existing homes and new home starts.

So where does all of this leave Austin? While jobs are still being created in Texas, the workforce is expanding. Austin is a great place to live and because the city has weathered the recession well so far, people are continuing to move here. This is good news and bad news. In general the continual influx of new residents is good for the housing market. But Austin's dependence on high technology jobs is having an effect on the city's economy.

It is likely that Austin's unemployment rate will continue to rise. Analysts predict companies like Dell, Inc. will continue layoffs through 2009. As companies streamline, Austin's high tech landscape is going to look somewhat different. But new industries are likely to come in and fill the void, particularly in the areas of green technology.




Ki caters to future buyers of Austin real estate. He has a searchable website of Austin homes. His site also has statistics on Austin real estate and Round Rock real estate

Austin has a plethora of Irish-themed restaurants and pubs, and the yearly St. Patrick's Day celebrations at most of them are sure to bring a twinkle to your eye and a bounce to your step!

Fado and Mother Egan's are two popular Irish pubs that promise authentic cuisine and various other Irish-themed drinks, foods, and activities for the yearly celebration of all things green. Fado is planning an outdoor extravaganza, with live music and contests, and both clubs are on or near 6th Street in the downtown entertainment district. Both entertained large crowds last year, and promise more of the same this year.

Another popular choice for St. Paddy's are both of the Opal Divine Freehouse franchises, one of which is on 6th Street and the other at Penn Field off South Congress Avenue. Both are planning festivities, including Irish live music, for the holiday, along with a third location on the lake.

An Austin tradition for many years that also caters to those from across the pond is the Dog and Duck Pub on Guadalupe, where a game of darts can be enjoyed with a pint of ale. The Dog and Duck is located on the southern edge of the University of Texas campus, just north of downtown, and the pub specializes in pub grub with an Irish twist. The pub also boasts a patio for outdoor drinking, eating, schmoozing, talking, and laughing, and music is planned for the day as well. The Dog and Duck is a favorite meeting place for political discussions and meetings of numerous campus organizations, among others. This year marks the 19th anniversary of St. Patrick's Day festivities at the Dog and Duck, and a great musical lineup is on tap this year again.

Two more possibilities for those hoping to celebrate in an Irish atmosphere include Bennigan's, located just south of the river on Barton Springs, and which has a planned Blarney Blast to celebrate the day, and B.D. Riley's, a locally owned downtown pub on Brazos at 6th Street that advertises live music on a regular basis. B.D. Riley's is a historic structure decorated with many authentic Irish accents, and an Irish tune session is held every Sunday with no cover charge. B.D. Riley's will also host a few SXSW events around the same time as St. Paddy's Day, so expect many surprise appearances by local as well as national performers.

In addition to St. Patrick's Day celebrations, March 17th is also the feast day of St. Gertrude, the patron saint of cats, so the mix of these two holiday themes will be sure to provide lots of entertainment to participants in the many planned contests and other trivia games and activities being held at these venues, as well as most of the clubs and restaurants in the entertainment district downtown and in the warehouse district, as well as other areas of Austin.

Austin also has many stores, shops, and galleries that cater to a Celtic crowd, and many of these stores are advertising specials for the holiday period, so join the leprechauns and other Irish folk and take advantage of these sales by stocking up on Irish memorabilia and foods and host your own event, replete with green beer!!

Many such private parties round out St. Patrick's Day in the Austin area, as well as events on the lake and other parks, and 6th Street is expecting its usual big crowds of revelers for the holiday, so pick out something green to wear, and start making plans for this yearly event, because it is just around the corner, and before you know it, it will be over!

Ki caters to the Austin real estate market. He provides a free searchable database of the Austin MLS on his website. There, future buyers can obtain information about Austin real estate along with information on mortgage interest rates

What makes a neighborhood walkable? Streets and roads that are accessible for everyone; and have wheelchair ramps, lots of benches with shade and sidewalks on all streets.

Walkable neighborhoods have well designed streets that everyone can use, including bicyclists, pedestrians of all ages and abilities, people getting on and off transit vehicles.

Another thing to look for in walkable neighborhoods are well connected streets that improve traffic and provide many routes to any destination.

Austin has many walkable neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are easy to get around in, and have many amenities that pedestrians can access very easily.

Downtown Austin is our number one walkable neighborhood. Downtown scored a 92 out of a possible 100. The neighborhood has grocery stores such as Whole Foods, several convenient stores. There are also many restaurants, coffee shops, entertainment and parks for citizens to enjoy.

University Of Texas and West University both came in at second, with a score of 87. The University Of Texas is walkable for the students who live on or near campus. Living here makes it easy for students and visitors to be car free and still be able to get around campus and surrounding areas easily.
West University is a neighborhood just west of UT. Students, professors and many others make their home in this small Heritage neighborhood. It is just a short walk to the university, and the streets are lined with trees. Most of the homes in this neighborhood date back to the 1910's and 1920's, making it a nice scenic walk.

North University came in with a score of 83. This neighborhood is in central Austin. Residents have many places to walk in this old neighborhood. One of the most famous places is Trudy's Restaurant, Spider House Cafe and JP's Java, along with the 37th street lighting spectacular during Christmas.

Old West Austin and Bouldin Creek also scored a walkable score of 83. Old West Austin neighborhood has lots of history and plenty of landmarks. The streets are lined with shade trees and the neighborhood has Bed and Breakfast's for visitors. Old West Austin was named one of the 10 best neighborhoods in Austin in 2007. This neighborhood is enjoyable, safe and desirable. Residents of this neighborhood participate in keeping this neighborhood strong and preserving its roots. Chain stores are basically nonexistent in Old West Austin; instead visitors can find specialty shops, restaurants and schools.

Bouldin Creek is a neighborhood that is filled with apartments, homes and mom and pop shops. Running through the heart of the neighborhood is South First Street; with a melting pot of businesses and restaurants.

Austin is full of neighborhoods with shade trees covering the streets and sidewalks, restaurants, bakeries and tattoo shops. That is what makes Austin, Austin!

Next time you are in one of these neighborhoods, find a place to park your car and take time to walk through the streets and look at the yards, trees, homes and businesses that make each neighborhood unique.


At no charge, buyers can search the Austin MLS on Ki's website. The site provides a lot of detail on Austin Texas real estate. Ki started working in real estate as a hobby, and eventually quit his advertising job in Austin, Texas, because real estate was more interesting and fulfilling. He keeps buyers updated on his blog on Austin real estate with statistics and market reports.

With spring break just a few weeks away, families are planning their vacations. Since the economy is not very stable, many families are planning their spring break close to home.

San Antonio is the number one vacation spot in Texas. The city has many things to do and see. The Alamo, river walk and Hemisfair Park are a few that are on the "must do" list.

The Alamo, it is Texas' most important historical land mark and brings around 2.5 million visitors each year. It was built in 1718 near the headwaters of San Pedro Creek and was moved twice, reaching its current location in 1724. Today, the Alamo is owned by the State of Texas and operated by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. It is open every day of the year, except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and admission is free.

Hemisfair Park was built to accommodate the 1968 World's Fair. The 15 acre park has many amenities, including cascading waterfalls, children's play grounds and one of San Antonio's most popular skyline, the 750 foot Tower of the Americas. Visitors can dine at the revolving restaurant or take a breath taking view of San Antonio from the observation deck on top of the tower.

The river walk is also a great destination for spring breakers. The river walk is located on the San Antonio River, which runs through downtown San Antonio. Visitors can ride on the river on boats or walk along the river on the walk ways on either side. The river walk is lined with restaurants, shops and historical buildings. Hotels also line the river walk and over look the San Antonio River.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas is a 200- acre theme and water park full of rides, shows and many attractions. Fiesta Texas is host to eight roller coasters and its very own water park, which is included with the parks admission price. There are also several hotels within the area of the park, all range in prices and there is something for everyone's budget!

Another popular destination in San Antonio is Sea World. Visitors can get up close and personal with sea creatures of all kind, and the park has coasters and water rides as well. The park is one of three of its kind in the United States, making it a popular destination for visitors in Texas.

Another popular destination for visitors in San Antonio is the Ripley's Believe it or Not and Plaza Wax Museum. It is located down town at Alamo Plaza and Crockett Street and has many unique displays of wax figures. The museum is open year round and a great place to visit when in the down town area.

The Buckhorn Museum & Saloon; the saloon is where Teddy Roosevelt recruited rough riders and Poncho Villa planned the Mexican revolution. The saloon has been around a long time, and still has much of the original furniture, including the back bar which is make from marble and cherry wood. A great destination for any history buff!


Ki is helping streamline the search for homes in the Austin MLS on his website. He provides a free search of available Austin real estate. His website is a resource for information and statistics on Austin real estate and Dripping Springs real estate.

Colorado has stegosaurus and Wyoming has triceratops. And for the last eleven years the official Texas state dinosaur was the pleurocoelus, a 20 ton plant-eater. But last month, State Rep. Charles Geren of Fort Worth filed a resolution to change the name from pleurocoelus to paluxysaurus jonesi.

It may seem like a silly thing for lawmakers to worry about when the Legislature is embroiled in battles over the recession and hurricane damage. "It's important to get things right," said Aaron Pan, curator of science for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.

Just exactly what was wrong with the name was discovered by SMU graduate student Peter Rose in 2007. He was doing research around the Paluxy River near Glen Rose, Texas when he began to doubt the fossils attributed to pleurocoelus had been correctly designated. He determined that the Texas fossils were a previously unrecognized species, not belonging to the large dinosaur that was first discovered in Maryland in the late 1800s. Rose named this new creature paluxysaurus jonesi after W.W. Jones, the owner of the land where the fossils were found.

As an Associated Press article pointed out this month, this is largely just a case of mistaken identity. "Pleurocoelus and paluxysaurus were both giraffe-necked and enormous four-footed herbivores." It was an honest mistake. Several states have official dinosaurs that are believed to have once roamed that land. Even Washington, D.C. has a dinosaur, the capitalsaurus, as its official state fossil.

Rose made his challenge to the name after comparing juvenile pleurocoelus specimens in Maryland to the adult bones found in Texas and discovered they didn't match. Rose told the Associated Press that he's unaware of any challenges to his paper. And so far the paluxysaurus hasn't been found anywhere else but Texas. In fact, many dinosaur fossils have been found in Texas, including the Tyrannosaurus rex. The terrifying king of the dinosaurs is thought to have roamed the Big Bend area.

Science Daily said in an article last month that SMU geological sciences professor Louis Jacobs, who was Rose's mentor, has described Texas as a kind of "free trade zone for the age of reptiles" since dinosaurs from three different geologic time periods have been found in the state. The paluxysaurus jonesi is believed to have lived 112 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period.

Mastodon fossils were found in a construction site on Congress Avenue several years ago and were the inspiration for the Dino Pit at the Austin Nature and Science Center. There have also been other findings in Central Texas from the Pleistocene period, or Ice Age, including fossils from mammoths and giant sloths.

So those other Texas icons like the mockingbird and the monarch butterfly better take note. Texas does not want any imposters, particularly ones from the east coast like the pleurocoelus. Our symbols need to be as original to the state as chili, the official state food; the bluebonnet, the official state flower; and the square dance, the official state dance. The official flying mammal, the Mexican free-tail bat, might want to watch out.



Ki has worked in the Austin real estate market for the last several years. He is the designer of a website with information and statistics on Austin real estate. The site encourages free searches on homes in the Austin MLS and provides a blog with statistics and analysis on Austin Texas real estate.