Media Headlines


City of Austin to Require Composting Collection at Multifamily Communities

AUSTIN, TX – The City of Austin will require composting collection at all multifamily communities starting in October 2024. The Austin City Council unanimously approved the amendment to the Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO) at its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023.  Multifamily properties with five or more dwelling units will be required to…

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Wildfire: ‘Home ignition zone’ inspections can help prepare

CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — Wind speeds combined with low moisture, dry trees, and possible dead limbs and vegetation left over from the winter freeze likely created ideal conditions for a Cedar Park wildfire to spread, according to one fire marshal. “I’m intimately familiar with their operations,” said Travis County Chief Fire Marshal Tony Callaway,…

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Home prices stabilize after historic highs in Southwest Austin area

Even as Southwest Austin remains among the most desirable and pricier areas of the metro to buy or rent, local data points to the housing market settling down after a recent burst of activity. Movement toward a more balanced market has been underway since last year with observers crediting broader trends, such as rising interest…

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It’s Expensive to Build in Austin, and Regulations Are Adding Cost

Costs associated with regulation – like flood controls – are greater for multifamily housing than single-family housing, likely due the pervasiveness of low-density zoning in Austin’s land development code. Those regulatory costs also vary across town. (map via City of Austin) Since at least 2017, reducing the cost of housing has been a top priority…

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Airbnb brings ‘Airbnb-friendly apartments’ to Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Airbnb, in partnership with nine apartment complexes, has brought its program aimed at enabling renters to offer their apartments as short-term rentals (STR) to Central Texas. The program is “Airbnb-friendly Apartments” and launched in November 2022 in 25 markets. Now, that program has expanded to 40 markets in under a year. Court…

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Mueller nears finish line after two decades of development

After nearly two decades of development, the Mueller neighborhood—Central Austin’s largest master-planned community—is nearing completion. The 700-acre stretch of land in Northeast Austin has been transformed from the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport to an eco-friendly development with dozens of locally owned restaurants and shops, affordable housing, an H-E-B, the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central…

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New reports examine Austin's high housing costs plus elevated expenses of single-family, west side development

City-commissioned market studies released this summer laid out the high costs of building housing in Austin and proposed several ways to reduce those expenses, potentially shaping some future policy discussions at City Hall. The new analyses arrive this year with a City Council that’s been vocally in favor of updating land-use regulations to sanction more…

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Fast-growing Southwest Lubbock experiencing development boom

LUBBOCK, Texas – Southwest Lubbock has certainly picked up the pace over the last few years and has taken the title of the fastest-growing residential and commercial area in town.  “One Ford Road” is one new community that will add over 100 single-family homes to the area. In two weeks, new homeowners can begin moving…

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Dallas Housing Coalition seeks $200 million for affordable housing

A new coalition of Dallas leaders wants $200 million of a planned $1 billion 2024 public improvement bond referendum devoted to affordable housing. The Dallas Housing Coalition says the money would help ease what it says is an affordable housing crisis in Dallas where home prices and rent are increasingly unaffordable for working families. D’Andrala…

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White House, HUD and CFPB detail new actions and priorities to protect renters

Multiple agencies across the federal government including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have all renewed their efforts to protect tenants renting in multifamily housing units as costs continue to climb, according to an announcement from the White House….

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Rent Price Declines Help to Improve Housing Affordability

According to the Realtor.com June Rental Report, new research found that rent prices dropped even further, down 1.0% year-over-year, offering some relief for renters. Meanwhile, the median asking rent in the 50 largest metros analyzed increased to $1,745, up by $7 from last month and down $31 from its July 2022 peak. “The downward trend in rent prices continued…

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The Junk Fee Fight Spreads to Rental Housing

While I was on vacation last week, the second anniversary of the White House executive order on promoting competition in the U.S. economy was marked by the release of several important measures. By far the biggest was the long-awaited rollout of draft merger guidelines, intended to instruct the judiciary on when federal antitrust authorities will…

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Lubbock ranked in best places for renters to live in 2023

LUBBOCK, Texas — In a new study by RentCafe.com, Lubbock was ranked #43 in the best places for renters to live in 2023. Lubbock VA Clinic job fair, August 4 The rankings were determined across three main categories: Cost of Living & Housing, Local Economy, and Quality of Life. RentCafe.com only considered cities that had…

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It's easier to rent an apartment in San Antonio than most other cities, study finds

<a href="https://media1.sacurrent.com/sacurrent/imager/u/original/32219833/satx_skyline.jpg" rel="contentImg_gal-32219827" title="Rentals in the Alamo City remain on the market for 44 days on average, with only about seven people competing for each property, according to the new report. – Wikimedia" data-caption="Rentals in the Alamo City remain on the market for 44 days on average, with only about seven people competing for each…

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Brazos County Property Tax Protests Have Saved Over $7 Million YTD

Brazos County property owners are making the most of their right to contest the initial appraisal values and they are seeing results. HOUSTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, July 19, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — In early hearings for the 2023 tax year, property owners in Brazos County have recovered more than $7 million through exercising their right to appeal…

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NMHC Statement in Response to White House Announcement on Rental Housing Fees

NMHC members believe that transparency in the cost of rental housing is positive for renters and housing providers alike. While we support the voluntary initiatives included in the White House’s announcement today, we strongly disagree with the characterization that rental housing residents are pervasively being taken advantage of by housing providers. We are aware of…

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Biden going after 'junk fees' in housing

Renters may be able to save money after the Biden administration secured commitments from Zillow, Apartments.com and AffordableHousing.com. The websites have committed to listing upfront costs a person would incur if they choose to inquire or rent a property. Zillow launched a new feature on Wednesday called the “Cost of Renting Summary.” It details all costs associated with the…

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Sparse affordable housing, unrelenting prices challenge Spring residents

Faced with a lack of affordable housing options as home and rent prices remain high, rising numbers of Spring-area residents and homebuyers are seeking assistance, community stakeholders say. After two years of elevated home prices in Houston, prices began to decrease for the first time in February, according to a June 14 report from the…

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Embracing Digital Transformation for a Seamless Renter Experience

<!– –><!—-><!—->The Impact of Digital Transformation on the Renter Experience – Spiceworks Digital transformation revolutionizes the renter experience, making the process easier and more efficient. July 19, 2023 Bryan Woods, co-founder of Rhino, explains how digital transformation reshapes the rental market, making the process easier and more efficient for landlords and tenants. Landlords must embrace…

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Unexpected heat hazards can be found in your garage

The Austin Fire Department is warning homeowners about the dangers of leaving a hot lawnmower or gas can in your garage. AUSTIN, Texas — The next time you mow your lawn, you may want to reconsider how you store the lawnmower when you’re done. The hot outdoor temperatures could put you and your equipment at…

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First-Time Renters Guide: What You Need To Know

Read on to find out what you need to know when renting for the first time. Renting for the first time can be a relatively daunting process. Not only are you taking control of a house, but you are also now responsible for somebody else’s investment. However, there is no need to stress; understanding a…

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Red flags to look for amid spike in rental scams

(InvestigateTV) — More than 40% of people said they or someone they knew had personally lost money because of rental fraud, according to a 2022 Dwellsy survey. Renter scams can vary, but one common one is the “fake listing scam.” According to Dwellsy, here is how the scam works: The fraudster steals a legitimate apartment…

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The Pearl development to break ground this fall in Bee Cave

The Morgan Group and InTown Homes are slated to break ground on The Pearl development this September at 13200 Bee Cave Parkway, Bee Cave, following several updates and changes to the project as previously reported by Community Impact. Located off RR 620, there are two developments to create one project; The Morgan Group will be…

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Residents, legislators fight increasing property appraisals

In 2006, Stephanie and Chad Waddell bought a home in Pearland for less than $300,000, they said. Today, that same house is appraised at over $471,000, according to the Brazoria County Appraisal District. Its appraised value in 2020 was nearly $334,460, meaning it rose more than $137,000—or 41.04%—in appraised value in three years. “Come 2021,…

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Texas lawmaker vows to try again to make AC for renters mandatory

AUSTIN (KXAN) – It’s not as if Jake Salinas was dialing down the digits on his thermostat with reckless abandon. A few weeks ago, his air conditioning was set to, what he considers, a conservative 76 degrees. Austin Resident Jake Salinas explains how the AC in his apartment wasn’t cooling properly (KXAN Photo/Chris Nelson) “It…

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Texas lawmakers send $18B property tax relief plan to governor

The Texas Legislature passed its new plan to cut property taxes July 13, closing out the second special legislative session of the year and bringing an end to seven months of negotiations. The $18 billion package includes two bills and a constitutional amendment. In order for the tax cuts to show up on this year’s…

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Council to vote on allowing taller buildings along Sixth Street

Friday, July 14, 2023 by Jonathan Lee City Council is set to vote next week on allowing taller buildings along part of Sixth Street, in hopes of bringing more daytime uses to Austin’s most famous stretch of bars and clubs.  The plan is to allow buildings up to 140 feet high on properties along “Dirty…

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NMHC, NAA Support the Introduction of Choice in Affordable Housing Act

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jul 13, 2023– The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and the National Apartment Association (NAA) applaud the introduction of the Choice in Affordable Housing Act, bipartisan legislation that aims to increase private sector participation in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program.

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Rent growth is slowing, but it’s still near record-highs

“The housing market tends to be ‘downside sticky,’ which means rents don’t typically fall much even when renter demand pulls back,” Redfin Deputy Chief Economist Taylor Marr said in a statement. “Instead of lowering rents when business is slow, many landlords offer perks like a free month’s rent or discounted parking, which tends to be…

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What is Texas doing about property taxes? And will it save you money?

AUSTIN — Since seizing control of state government in 2002, Republicans have touted their fiscal stinginess and vigilant opposition to any new taxes. As one of only seven states not levying income taxes on individuals, Texas has just two legs of the usual “three-legged stool” that pays for public services — sales and property taxes….

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Texas bans homeowners’ associations from discriminating against renters who receive federal housing aid

State lawmakers passed the law after a North Texas homeowners’ association barred landlords from renting to Section 8 tenants. DENTON COUNTY, Texas — In a rare, friendly move to low-income renters, Texas lawmakers this year outlawed a form of discrimination that allowed homeowners associations to ban some tenants from their neighborhoods. The move — spearheaded…

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Major Development: Signs of movement at Anthem Park, which could bring in many new businesses and residences to Killeen

#inform-video-player-1 .inform-embed { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px; } #inform-video-player-2 .inform-embed { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px; } More than 200 acres near Skylark Field are being cleared for Anthem Park, a major new housing and commercial development in Killeen. The many cedar and other shrubbery that aligned the Killeen municipal airport’s western border for decades or…

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Rising rents are a problem across the US, new data shows

For weeks, protesters in New York City have made their opposition known to possible price hikes for rent-stabilized apartments. Every year, the city’s rent guideline board sets a percentage limit on how much landlords can raise the price of rent-stabilized apartments. On Thursday they’ll vote on whether to raise the cap anywhere from 2% to…

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Dallas County grants millions more for affordable housing projects

More affordable housing is on its way in Dallas County, made possible only through federal COVID-19 dollars. Some of these county-backed housing projects could be completed as early as 2025. Advertisement The Dallas County Commissioners Court approved more than $4.61 million on Tuesday to help with the construction of 36 homes in Mesquite, 30 homes…

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Downtown Dallas office tower is almost ready for first apartment renters

One of downtown Dallas’ largest skyscraper redevelopments is set to welcome its first apartment residents starting next month. Pacific Elm Properties and Mintwood Real Estate have converted 11 floors of the 50-story Santander Tower at 1601 Elm St. into luxury rental units. They’ve begun leasing for the apartments, called Peridot, and expect them to be…

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Progressives want to stop landlords from using criminal background checks to screen renters – Page 2 – AR15.COM

Originally Posted By WeimaranerDad:I have an old family friend.  She is basically my aunt.  She manages rental property for her daughter and son-in-law. The daughter is or was the consulate (consular?) lady in Puerto Vallarta and the son-in-law was originally an architect.  I think he then became a lawyer….yes, in Mexico.. So my “aunt” definitely…

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How Wichita Falls apartments are staying crime-free

WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Following a homicide on Professional Drive over the weekend, the Wichita Falls Police Department is reminding apartment managers and new renters of a program to help ensure community safety. RELATED: One dead after shooting at County Part apartments Wichita Falls started the Crime-Free Multi-Housing Program after repeatedly seeing crime within apartment…

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Las Cruces ranks No. 1 for fastest growing rent nationwide

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KTSM) — If you’re looking for a place to rent, look no further because Las Cruces has ranked number one in the fastest growing rent for one-bedroom apartment rentals. According to Dwellsy’s May data report, this year Las Cruces has seen a rent rise of 51.4% since May 2022. The reason…

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San Antonio needs a major campaign to renew the city

Not for the first time, San Antonio needs to evolve as a city. That will require vision and a plan, a big plan. It has happened before in contemporary times, and it can happen again. Visionary plans, of course, never turn out exactly as they are envisioned. Critics with great hindsight can always point out…

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