Austin new home construction down 34% in ‘08

From Austin Business Journal, December 31, 2008...

New home starts and closings declined considerably in 2008, but employment numbers and a slight reduction in the vacant developed lot supply were a bright spot for the Austin area in 2008, according to a report released Wednesday from Residential Strategies Inc.

Starts in 2008 totaled 8,987, or 34 percent lower than the 13,624 housing starts in 2007, the report said. For fourth quarter 2008, starts totaled 1,459 new homes, down 51 percent from the same quarter last year, which saw 2,993 new starts.

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Thieves target new home developments

From KVUE, October 3, 2008...

Austin police say new home developments are getting hit hard by thieves. Air conditioning units are being stolen, but not just by copper thieves.

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Forbes names Austin area No. 2 city in nation for buying a new home

From Hill Country News, July 28, 2008...

Texas continues to shine like the lone star it is when it comes to building new homes. Thanks to suburban areas like Cedar Park and Leander, the Austin metropolitan area was recently named the second-best place to build a new home in the country.

Houston, which is going through a revived economic boom, topped the list. San Antonio made the list at No. 5 and Dallas was No. 6. According to the report on Forbes.com, having a business-friendly tax environment and many large corporations combined with lower monthly mortgage payment contributed to the high rankings.

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