Blogs

A 2007 technology report said of Austin "a poster child for the concept of a 21st century knowledge-based community" and according to economists the title still holds true for Austin's technology sector.

According to a series of articles on Austin's economy, written and published by the Statesman, Austin's tech landscape "includes a mix of well-established semiconductor and computer companies and a promising array of young Internet and social media startups".

However, the "new" technology landscape is changing.

RISMedia had a great article on rising rents and increased cash flow and profits for investor's / landlord's this week. The article was written about the US in general, but it applies to Austin. In fact, most investors in the Austin market are finding the 1% to 2% rent to purchase ratio in single-family homes, never mind duplexes, fourplexes and small apartment complexes.

More than 1,600 single family homes were sold in the Austin area in September, representing a 31 percent increase over the same time last year, according to the Austin Board of Realtors .

Overall, the total dollar volume of homes sold in last month was up 33 percent to $421,648,5923.

If you are like me, it was always difficult to find unbiased information on exactly what was being voted on (in understandable terms) in a Texas election (as it is in many States) and about the pro's and con's of the propositions.

Enter 'The League of Women Voters of Texas', a non-partisan group whose sole purpose is to encourage active and informed participation in government!

Texas A&M put together an article on why so many people, from across the country & world, are investing in Texas. The detailed the 9 biggest reasons and I thought it was a good article to read.

Here are the 9 reasons:
(1) Texas is leading the US in current economic recovery
(2) Texas' economy is big and growing
(3) Texas' economy is profitable
(4) Texas has a growing population
(5) Texas' economy is an international economy
(6) The tax burden is less in Texas
(7) Texas has an affordable housing market

Austin could ban outdoor watering entirely by spring unless traditionally slow-moving City Hall overhauls its water policies in response to the region’s historic drought.

At a morning City Council work session, city water officials said the drought could force Austin into even more restrictive measures, with potentially far-reaching consequences that include the demise of many of the city’s trees, risks to the foundations of buildings and possibly even higher electric bills.

To no ones surprise, Austin, now with more than 1.7 million people in the five-county Austin metro area, is one of the nation's Top 10 fastest growing areas. On average, 575 addditional people move to Austin every week (over the ones who leave). That doesn't include family growth from current Austinites.

Not too surprisingly, almost 1 in 4 jobs in the Austin area are in the public sector. With 164,300 public employees in August, government remains the largest economic sector at 23% of local jobs (down from 29%, twenty years ago).

Construction on a new 167-acre Renewable Energy Park is scheduled to begin in two weeks.

The land off the Texas 130 toll road is poised to become Pflugerville's economic jewel as a mixed-use industrial park meant to lure green technology companies to Pflugerville.

The Renewable Energy Park, which will be close to Northeast Metropolitan Park and the Austin Executive Airport, will include offices, retail shops, restaurants, a hotel, offices, an electric vehicle charging station and townhouses or apartments.

The Austin Film Festival is right around the corner. It features eight days of films, panels and, of course, parties.

Now is the time to decide which festival badge is right for you. Executive Director of the Austin Film Festival Barbara Morgan spoke to KVUE to help with that decision.

The Austin Film Festival will take place Oct. 20 to Oct. 27.

For more information click on the link below...

According to the Austin Business Journal, ForbesWoman has ranked the Austin-Round Rock area as one of the best cities for working mothers in 2011.

ForbesWoman, an online property of Forbes.com, ranked the Austin area as No. 18 on its annual list of the 50 Best U.S. Cities for Working Mothers.

The areas move from No. 27 on the 2010 list has Austin-Round Rock as the fifth lowest unemployment rate in the country.

The Texas Capital rose in rank in the following categories: women’s earnings, cost of living, physicians, and violent crime. Buffalo, New York ranked No.