Okay, so you already know that Austin is booming, particularly with young people who are flocking to the millennial generation’s “it” city. But can you guess which end of Austin is growing the most?

If you said East Austin, good for you. According to the Austin Business Journal, fast-rising sale prices and overall home values are driving the economy in Central Texas, and East Austin is getting the biggest share of the boom. The area south of East Cesar Chavez Street between I-35 and Springdale Road, the journal notes, has seen median home values rise 44 percent to $241,400. That’s up from $159,000 and is by far the largest increase in the entire Austin area.

In addition, in the area bound by East Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Airport Boulevard,…

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The great thing about growing towns is that there are always exciting new places being built. For those looking to hang their hat in College Station, but want a newly built home, there’s good news. College Station is growing, thanks to some new communities

Castlegate II

In the heart of South College Station, Castlegate II is a 202-acre master-planned community that combines convenient location with luxurious amenities. According to Realtor.org, residents will be able to enjoy a resort style pool with cabanas and outdoor kitchens unlike anything currently available in the area. They will also enjoy numerous parks including a fitness park, a lighted jogging trail, and a fully stocked lake for fishing. Nearby Greens Prairie Elementary School also…

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San Antonio is trading its old-school frontier town image for one of a 21st century hotspot. At least, that’s what the Wall Street Journal has noticed. A recent article in the Journal shows that as Alamo City becomes more and more a tech-business hub, investors are putting more money into developing downtown into a place tech-savvy professionals want to spend time in and businesses gather.

According to the Journal, since 2011, 2,900 housing units (five times the number built in the entire decade prior) have been built or are in the planning or construction phase. In the downtown’s northwest end, a 120,000-square-foot former department store is being converted into a communal workspace for tech professionals called “Geekdom,” which already has 800…

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College Station’s Top Upscale Rentals

So you’ve grown past the days of the dorm life, and your budget is large enough to allow you to survive without eating solely ramen noodles. Where should a young professional like yourself call home?

Falcon Point Condos

1915 Dartmouth Ave, College Station, TX, 77840

Price Range: $900 - $1290

(15mg Internet & Cable package included)

Varying 1 & 2 bedroom floorplans

The first phase of this complex was finished in August of 2013, and the second phase is set to finish in July of 2014. These condos boast large open floorplans with upscale finishes. Hardwood floors throughout, granite/marble countertops, cherry cabinetry with mosaic tile backsplash, some of the biggest walk-in closets in town, and all…

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As the home of Texas A&M University’s main, flagship campus, College Station offers much in the way of education and amenities. But when it comes to buying a home and putting down roots, College Station offers some of the finest living and some of the most sought-after areas.

1. Pebble Creek

If the very name of the Pebble Creek community sounds like it would have a golf course, you’re right. Pebble Creek Country Club ‒‒ which boasts some of the best golf course in the Brazos Valley ‒‒ is at the heart of this picturesque community. This upscale neighborhood, close enough to the heart of Aggieland but far enough removed from the bustle of college-town life to give it that small town feel, has something for everyone. The average property here lists for…

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You might have heard by now that San Antonio is the fastest-growing tech hub in Texas. As more tech startups and emerging companies look to do business with the military bases and the ever-evolving South Texas Medical Center, and as the city ramps up its efforts to revitalize and expand its reborn downtown, more young, tech-savvy professionals are looking to adopt the lifestyle San Antonio has to offer.

Which, of course, begs the question, where do young professionals want to live? Here are some of the most sought-after areas in San Antonio :

Downtown

Young professionals these days embrace urban living in a way their predecessors never did. And San Antonio’s growing downtown, complete with revitalized urban buildings and a coming city rail…

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If you’re looking to build your new home in an up-and-coming end of the River City, look no further than these new neighborhoods.

1. Mission del Lago.

Called “the pride of south San Antonio,” Mission del Lago is a master planned community of  custom homes surrounding the beautiful Mission del Lago Golf Course in a neighborhood of quiet cul-de-sacs.  If you’re thinking that this sounds like a cookie-cutter subdivision, think again. Mission del Lago blends diverse styles and sizes of homes designed to meet varying tastes and budgets. The community borders the 1,200-acre Mitchell Lake Wildlife Refuge and Audubon Center and will soon feature the Medina Walking Trail. For the children, school is just a short walk to renowned Gallardo Elementary School,…

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When it comes to high-end homes, there is absolutely none higher than Greenwich, Connecticut's Copper Beech Farm.

 

How high-end are we talking? Well, let’s just say that while some upscale properties might come with their own island, Copper beech comes with two. When the 50-acre property went up for sale last year, the asking price was an astonishing $190 ‒‒ so high that even Forbes Magazine took notice. By the time it sold in April, after a mere 11 months on the market, Copper Beech went for 61 percent of its asking price, $120 million, and still became the most expensive single-family home ever sold in the United States. The closing price tops the $117 million sale of Silicon Valley’s Woodside, which held the record since 2012. Some may…

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The first-time buyer is often in for a shock when it comes to getting a mortgage. What seems as if it should be a straightforward process ‒‒ you want to borrow money to buy a house, the bank wants to loan money to qualified buyers, what could be a match made more in heaven, right? ‒‒ can quickly become an overwhelming, confusing mess. Before you apply for a mortgage, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Debt-to-Income

Whether you get your mortgage at all depends largely on your debt-to-income ratio; in other words, the ratio between how much money you make and how much you will have to spend per month on the projected total costs of your house. That includes mortgage payments, property taxes, and insurances. If what you will have to pay in a…

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Buying a home with cash is not just for developers who want to buy, fix, and flip a home for profit. In fact, there are several good reasons to buy a home outright with cash if you can. Cash deals benefit you and the buyer by streamlining the process and lowering the risks of financing.

Less Expensive in the Long Run

Cash deals carry far fewer and much lower costs than mortgage financing, which carry interest with payments. If, for example, you took out a mortgage for $100,000, you could by the end of the loan's life wind up paying out $250,000. Cash deals, of course, carry no interest. You write the check, you get the keys, and your house is yours.

A Streamlined Process

Getting a mortgage can be a tricky matter. Some buyers, for example, have…

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