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SEPTEMBER 2018 • VOLUME 23 • ISSUE 5
Luxury home market in Leander makes it a fit for 2018 Parade of Homes™ By Riki Markowitz
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he Parade of Homes is an annual event presented by the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Austin. It’s a much-anticipated annual affair featuring trends in design, interiors, construction and landscaping. The community chosen for this year’s showcase is Travisso, a master-planned community in Leander, one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and a recent
favorite for luxury homebuilders. There are plans in the works for an on-site fire station within the community and with commercial real estate also booming, prospectors believe that Travisso will have a similar city-withina-city environment, similar to Steiner Ranch. This year marks the first time the Parade of Homes will be in Leander. And anyone who has been keeping an eye on the city won’t be surprised. Leander has grown from a sleepy farm town, split by Travis and Williamson counties, to a vibrant city with a relatively low cost of living and an award-winning school system. Leander has also been named a “safest city” in Texas. In 2012, Leander was home to some 30,000 residents – you can say it was a pretty big jump from 283 at the turn of the 20th century. City planners today estimate the population nears 60,000. The median annual household income was $83,550 last year and the median home listing price was $320k. However, over the past two decades, a swell of homes priced more than $1 million has been gaining traction in the city, which is expected to rival areas like Westlake, Bee Cave, Lakeway and Northwest Austin for luxury home living. In 2017, Leander recorded more than 1,600 single-family housing starts (compared to 418 five years prior). And the recession
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didn’t seem to have a big impact on the city. Property values have grown and continue to grow year after year. Leander’s appeal also derives from quality of life and economic development projects. For the past six years, consecutively, City Council proposed a property tax deduction. Luxury real estate professionals point out that Leander is very popular with investors and buyers both nationally and internationally. Finally, Leander ranked No. 1 for the “best place to raise a family in Texas.” To understand how Leander has really changed over the past generation, ask some-
one who grew up there in the 80s or 90s. Just a few decades ago, you had to leave town for work, to buy groceries, clothes and other necessities. For a fun night out, you had to drive 30 miles to Austin. Today, Leander is a destination. Travisso, which translates to “the good life” in Italian, is a welcoming master-planned community located on a stunning Hill Country tract only 30 minutes northwest of Austin. The Texas Association of Builders awarded the Palazzo, with a resort-style pool, splash
Front Page: Continued on page 20
Features of the Month Column: ABoR—Are you ready for the Great American Road Trip?. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. pg. 3 Column: WCREALTORS—Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Technology Brokerage? . . . . . . . . pg. 7 Column: HBA—Why Development Moratoriums Raise Prices; Hurt Homebuyers . . . . . pg. 12 Column: RRC—Protect Your Trees and Your Home Value!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 16 Column: Women's Council of REALTORS—I Love Parades!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 22 Associates in Progress: Monticello Homes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 25 Upcoming Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 34 News & Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 34