Sam White's College Station Real Estate Blog

Hi everyone,

Our company needed to pick up another Android phone this Christmas. I really wanted to wait until the spring to purchase a phone and activate another two-year agreement, hoping on developments with the iPhone 5 or a price reduction in the new Nexus, but we couldn't.

I spoke to many Andriod owners over the last month, and combined with our recent experience, I'd like to offer the following suggestions:

Processor Speed: at least 1 gigahertz (1.2gh dual-core preferable)
RAM: At least 512 megabytes  (1 gigabyte preferable)
Storage: at least 16g (32g preferable)
Rear Camera: at least 5mp
Front Camera: at least 1mp
LED Flash: rear
Video: at least 720p (1080p preferable)
Audio Out: 3.5mm standard jack
Screen: at least 4"
Battery: at least 1500 mAh (1800 mAh preferable)
Network: at least 4g (4g LTE preferable)
OS: at least 2.3.5 gingerbread (4.0 ice cream sandwich preferable)

Of this list, I give priority to processor speed and RAM. Your life can be miserable without enough of either.

This is a pretty strong suite and well above the standard fare offered as a "free" phone from the primary carriers, but if you are going to be happy in three months, let alone two years, you need to buy "up."

We run our phones hard, heavy on social networking and location services. I can't stand phones that slow down, or are unreliable. Unfortunately, technology is progressing much faster than the typical two-year contract.

I hope this is helpful for post-Christmas shopping.

You can follow the New Technoloy Working Group on twitter or our facebook page for more tech tips!

Blue skies,

Sam
www.SamWhiteRealty.com
979-589-4487 

Dear readers,

This morning I'm writing to introduce you to a new technology and social media training group that recently opened to the public after providing private consulting services for several years. The New Technology Working Group (NTWG), or NewTechWorkGroup.com, was formed in early 2010 to advance social media and technology training in Bryan and College Station, Texas, home of Texas A&M University. 

The group is comprised of several professionals from different generations and trades, to include Web designers, writers and editors, marketing consultants and social media nerds. The company's goal is to promote individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations on the Web with custom programs to leverage new or already existing reputations and outbound marketing.

With over 15 years of experience in advanced technology training for large corporations such as Continental Airlines and Texas state agencies, as well as small business and non-profit organizations, NTWG's trainers and consultants are used to working with businesses of all sizes. 

Real estate training and consulting by the New Technology Working Group in the Bryan College Station area is currently exclusively limited to agents of Keller Williams Realty Bryan College Station. Real estate agents from other, noncompetitive areas of the country are welcome to contact NTWG for consultations.

NTWG has a presence on facebook and twitter, where they post best practices and keep clients and potential clients up to date on the latest trends in technology and social media.

If your interested in how social media, new technology and inbound marketing can improve your business, I urge you to give them a shout on facebook or twitter, email them at info@newtechworkgroup.com or finally give them a call at 512-931-4487.

Feeling left behind? NTWG's motto is "We'll help you catch-up fast!"

As always, if you have any questions regarding real estate in Bryan, College Station or Texas A&M, don't hesitate to call or text me at 979-589-4487 or contact me through my websites, BrazosValleyPremierHomes.com or BryanCollegeStationHomes.info.

Blue skies,

Sam White

I grew up on a nice lawn. It made the running games of tag or hide and seek up and down the neighborhood pleasant. And since we lived in town, I guess my Mom and Dad really didn't think about the water it took to keep our lawns green in Hereford, Texas. Hereford isn't exactly tropical.

We came to Hereford from a "semi-arid" climate at 4,700 feet in New Mexico. It was a ranch where green lawns were small, you worked to keep the trees alive in the summer, and leaving the water or a toilet running through, could cause there to be no water for several hours. It wasn't really a pain, you just had to pay attention. It was part of life.

Even during a normal year, meaning one without extreme drought, it is expensive to maintain a classic green American lawn. We live in a nice neighborhood, built in the early 80's. Our neighbors are older and traditional, and I've watched many struggle to keep their grass alive, knowing not only what it cost but also how scarce water is this year.

Another neighborhood trait is that no one does their own lawn, so several times per week, large pickups pulling flatbed utility trailers with several riding lawn implements appear, and the neighborhood fills with the sound and smoke created by several small, inefficient engines. Grass is cut (which of course releases the little moisture that was in the ground), the smoky, noisy caravan moves to another part of town. I humbly apologize to my friends in the lawn care business...and I have some, but it just doesn't make sense.

I'm not suggesting that we go "Las Cruces, NM," where most lawns are rock or gravel, but in our part of Texas native landscaping natural and acceptable...when you think about it.

Deep down, I believe that humans are smart and that we'll get it. Drilling fewer wells, for those of us lucky enough to have wells, saves water and money. For those relying on dry lakes and rivers, you already know what a water emergency is like.

Hoping for rain in the fall,

Sam

Surviving another birthday has again reinforced my appreciation of facebook and it's ability to bring people together.

I don't watch my friend count from day to day. I know it's somewhere in the upper 500's. I do, however, take my friends list seriously. I go through it a couple of time per year and I've discovered that I have a relationship with almost every person on it. I admit, I have a very few friends that I can't quite place. Maybe I pushed the wrong button or it's a case of mistaken identity. I've looked at these folks and kept them because they contribute to the conversation or live someplace different or exciting.

Before facebook, I was in touch with probably 10 friends from my adolecent years at New Mexico Military Institute. Now I'm in touch with over 100, who are spread out all over the world doing things for their country, family and self. I would have never guessed who would go into the soft-serve ice cream business (in Arizona) or who remains in Afghanistan, away from his family, doing our nation's dirty work. Some of my friends are going to be general officers soon. I'm proud of them.

Then there are the kids. I've friended more than one kid thinking it was his father. My friends that are kids at Texas A&M keep me young, and my friends who are current cadets at NMMI keep me in touch with the quality of the school. Now my friends kids, who are also friends, are coming to College Station for college.

Anyway, thanks for all the birthday greetings. And to my almost 600 friends, keep living and keep posting. Don't be scared. I think facebook makes me a better, more aware person and also makes this a better world.

Blue skies,

Sam

Everyone needs a break, and I just took mine from blogging. I was absent several months. It was well worth it.

I've spent my time setting up the social media program for Growing Green Communities, a conference series we're holding in Texas on sustainable rural economic development. More simply put, we are teaching rural governments, organizations and businesses how they can Save Money, Make Money and Create Jobs.

Our next major conference is the statewide conference in Austin, November 14-16. In the meantime you can catch our "Green Track" at the Texas Rural Challenge, which is in San Marcos June 16-17.

That's all for now. Have a great week.

Blue skies,

Sam White

Dear readers,

Many times the act of doing something is worth more than the end product. I think we see this in many areas.

Yesterday I wrote a short post from the National Diving Championships being held here at Texas A&M University. In fact, I received a little flak because the blog didn't directly speak about a property for sale.

While sitting in the crowd with my Netbook on my lap, tapping away, another spectator asked what I was doing. I quickly explained I was writing a quick blog about the event and explained what Active Rain was. I also gave him a card.

If you haven't been to a diving competition, they are kind of like a golf tournament. You are expected to be very quiet and still before each dive, which doesn't lead to conversation. He took my card, nodded and we didn't speak again...until this morning.

I just received a call from the gentleman, and he'd like me to help his family find a home. The combination of supporting our school and community through attending the diving event and taking the time to write about it really impressed him. That, combined with my knowledge of the local market and Internet savvy, influenced him to trust me with his business. He never read the blog, but just the act of writing it gained me a nevw client.

Blogging may be one of the most healthy things we do for our minds and business. Once again it's not just the destination, but the act of getting there that makes the journey worth it.

Blue skies,

Sam White
979-589-4487
Search.SamWhiteRealty.com

Hi everyone,

I'm blogging live today from the National Diving Championships being held at the Texas A&M Natitorium in College Station, Texas. We have a great facility here, including:

Dive Pool
* 25 meters long 58 feet wide (eight 7-foot wide lanes)
* Two 1-meter and two 3-meter springboards and 1, 3, 5, 7.5 and 10 meter platforms with rough-tex surfaces
* One inch ceramic tile throughout (blue field with white markers)
* One underwater viewing window
* Sparger bubbler system under all platforms and three meter springboards
* Bubble and spray surface agitation systems
* Trampoline room and separate Port-A-Pit area
* Hydrolic self-operated handicap lift
* Adjacent eight person in-ground hot tub
* 16-17 feet deep 24 x 80 tri-color full matrix scoreboard/message center

The contest has been running all week and ends tomorrow (Sunday) after lunch.

Today's competition includes:

• Women's 3-Meter Finals
• Men's 10-Meter Finals
• Women's 3-Meter Synchro Finals
• Men's 10-Meter Synchro Finals

If you are here in the Brazos Valley, this will make a great Saturday or Sunda activity.

For more information see:

http://www.usadiving.org/05redesign/events/2010_AT&T_nats.htm

Our thanks to USA Diving and Texas A&M for bringing this great event to our area.

Blue skies,

Sam White
9790589-4487
Search.SamWhiteRealty.com

Happy Saturday!

Bryan & College Station, Texas is preparing for the fall 2010 semester at Texas A&M University and Blinn College. Summer school is over and kids are taking a quick break before school starts.

All Texas A&M residence halls will open for check-in on Sunday, August 22, 2010, from 8:00am - 7:00pm. For more infomation on Texas A&M Residence Halls see http://reslife.tamu.edu. Blinn College does not offer on-campus housing and refers students to TAMU's Office of the Dean of Student Life at http://studentlife.tamu.edu/.

For those living off campus, Bryan & College Station have a vast assortment of rentals and apartments. Unfortunately, there isn't one central database for area rentals as there is with sales.

Although Sam White Realty handles rentals for select buyer clients, our primary business is residential sales. We do, however, have one rental on the market. It's a nice 3 bedroom 2 bath home near the Southwood Athletic Park. View the properties Website at 1100Buttercup.com.

For those who have already secured living accomadations but need to get the utilities lined-up, this link takes you to our Utility Information Website. There you will be able to link to local providers.

I have one word of advice for anyone connecting utilities this time of year. Try to do everything you can over the Internet or telephone. Connection lines are already long, and the influx of almost 50,000 students makes things much worse. Also, some connection times can take several days, especially cable and Internet. Don't wait!

Of course, if we can help you find a home or student property to purchase, we'd love to help. You search all area properties and save those searches at Search.SamWhiteRealty.com.

Have a great weekend!

Sam White
979-589-4487
Search.SamWhiteRealty.com

Dear readers,

There is a unique opportunity this evening to get close to the fire as the Texas Engineering Extension Service hosts a public firefighting demonstration at the Brayton Fire Training Field Wednesday evening. The gates open at 7pm and a children’s fire-awareness class begins at 7:30 p.m. Following the awareness class, TEEX instructors will explain and demonstrate techniques used to extinguish fires on selected full-scale, live-fire training props. The event will end at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Here is a link to the TEEX press release, where there is a google maps link to the event. I'll also be blogging from the event at TEEXblog.

Blue skies,

Sam White
MarketReports.SamWhiteRealty.com
979-589-4487

Dear readers,

May 2010 residential real estate statistics for Bryan College Station look good overall.

Total monthly sales came in only slightly higher than 2009, at $45,529,835, compared with $53,031,332 in 2008.

Units sold were also slightly above 2009 numbers at 282, versus 266 in 2009 and 333 units in 2008. Total monthly sales and units sold usually move in tandem.

Following the same pattern, average single-family home price came in at $161,453, only slightly above 2009's $159,253 and well below 2008, when the average price was $171,079. This is one of those charts that is all over the place.

Average days on the market stayed tight at 111, compared with 113 in 2009 and 111 days in 2008. Finally, new listings taken in May were only 372, in stark contrast to 477 new listings gaken in April 2010. This is a graph to watch.

Although all the numbers come in better than 2009 (one would hope), they are still indications of a slightly soft market. That said, buyers are getting some good deals and the average ADOM for my listings this summer is very short, around 16 days.

All of these charts as well as national real estate news and mortgage rates are available at MarketReports.SamWhiteRealty.com. Scroll down the page and you'll also find the short video, This Month in Real Estate, from Keller Williams Realty.

Remember, you can get this market information daily on my twitter feed, @BCShomes. Going green? Follow @BCSgreenliving for sane tips on how to save money and the environment. Finally, if you're on facebook, you can catch local market information as well as news and local events at facebook.samwhiterealty.com.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or I can be of assistance.

Blue skies,

Sam White
979-589-4487 google voice & text
Search.SamWhiteRealty.com

Dear readers,

I'm taking a moment today to thank everyone involved in air conditioning. I appreciate everyone involved whether you invented it, modified it, install or service it. And, let's not forget everyone who keeps the power flowing to during the summer months.

I wish there was a way to stay cool without throwing KWh's at it, and soon we may find one. I have to say that having lived with and without "aircon" in tropical climates, there is nothing like the feel of conditioned air when it's 33C outside. The only thing that made lack of aircon tolerable was the ocean.

So, here's to those who are going to work long hours to keep me cool this summer!

Blue skies,

Sam White
Search.SamWhiteRealty.com
979-589-4487

Dear readers,

May 2010 residential real estate statistics for Bryan College Station look good overall.

Total monthly sales came in only slightly higher than 2009, at $45,529,835, compared with $53,031,332 in 2008.

Units sold were also slightly above 2009 numbers at 282, versus 266 in 2009 and 333 units in 2008. Total monthly sales and units sold usually move in tandem.

Following the same pattern, average single-family home price came in at $161,453, only slightly above 2009's $159,253 and well below 2008, when the average price was $171,079. This is one of those charts that is all over the place.

Average days on the market stayed tight at 111, compared with 113 in 2009 and 111 days in 2008.

Finally, new listings taken in May were only 372, in stark contrast to 477 new listings gaken in April 2010. This is a graph to watch. Although all the numbers come in better than 2009 (one would hope), they are still indications of a slightly soft market.That said, buyers are getting some good deals and the average ADOM for my listings this summer is very short, around 16 days.

All of these charts as well as national real estate news and mortgage rates are available at MarketReports.SamWhiteRealty.com. Scroll down the page and you'll also find the short video, This Month in Real Estate, from Keller Williams Realty.

Remember, you can get this market information daily on my twitter feed, @BCShomes. Going green? Follow @BCSgreenliving for sane tips on how to save money and the environment. Finally, if you're on facebook, you can catch local market information as well as news and local events at facebook.samwhiterealty.com.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or I can be of assistance.

Blue skies,

Search.SamWhiteRealty.com
979-589-4487

Dear readers,

On June 16, a major confrontation in our community will come to an end with the "opening" of our College Station Walmart, ending a battle that has raged for years.

 As in many communities, Walmart had big plans for a lot near the Greens Prairie/SH6 intersection. And, like many communities, the citizens of College Station said NO, to more traffic and congestion. The battle finally came down to rezoning, and after a town-hall meeting at the local high school, Walmart and their real estate developers lost.

College Station happens to be half of our twin cities, Bryan / College Station. Although we are our own Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), nothing is more than ten minutes from anything else here. There is a Walmart Super Center in Bryan, and College Station residents seemed perfectly happy driving to that store, rather than have one of their own.

So, what did Walmart do? They expanded the store they had, by almost 1/3. Battle over. Everyone wins.

Walmart has done much in the last year to bring their reputation around. Ending this battle can't hurt.

Blue skies,

Sam White
Search.SamWhiteRealty.com
979-589-4487

Dear readers,

We are only a couple of weeks away from some great wine and beef. Texas Reds is coming back to Downtown Bryan, Texas June 18-19, 2010. Over 25,000 people attended the event in 2009.

Described as just plain "fun," Texas Reds features the best in steak, wine from over 20 different vineyards, enterainment by Robert Earl Keen and a great play area for the kids. Other activities include a steak cook-off, grape stomp, many outside vendors and live music.

Free Park & Ride - Free Admission - Free Live Music

Detailed information can be found at these Websites:

http://www.bryantx.gov/texasredsfestival/

http://www.visitaggieland.com/

http://www.downtownbryan.com/

See you there!

Blue skies,

Sam White
Search.SamWhiteRealty.com
979-589-4487

Happy Wednesday,

The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M has released new Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) overviews for many Texas MSA's, including College Station - Bryan. The 38-page .pdf report is available on the center's Website. I really wasn't in to statistics in college, but find them both educational and entertaining today. This report has far too much material for one blog, but will make a fun series as I pick my way through the details.

The College Station - Bryan MSA consists of 2,133 square miles encompassing three Texas counties, Robertson, Burelson and Brazos. College Station - Bryan is withing 180 miles, or approximately three hours, of 80% of Texas' population. Our population density is 99.5 people per square mile.

College Station is home of Texas A&M University, which was founded as Texas' first public institution of higher learning, in 1876. A space, sea and land-grant university, it is home to the George Bush (41) Presidential Library and Museum. More on our university system in a later blog. Bryan was established by Stephen F. Austin's nephew in 1859. The railroad came in 1867, turning the town into an agricultural and commercial center.

Local population climbed from 182,327 in 1999 to 212,268 in 2009, giving us a current population density of 99.5 people per square mile. Of the three counties, Brazos grew almost 20% in the last decade while Robertson County lost 2.6% of its population.

City-wise, College Station leads Bryan in decade growth 2 to 1. Projected growth puts the MSA at 245,000 in 2020. Compared to Texas state growth, our are was in the middle of the pack with 16.4% over the last decade, compared with a high in Austin/Round Rock/San Marcos of 41.4% and a low of Beaumont/Port Aurthur losing about 2.6 of its population. Nationally, Texas continues to be an inbound migration state.

That's enough dry stuff for now. The next installment will be a bit more interesting as I look at education and employment at the home of Texas A& M University.

Blue skies,

Sam White
Search.SamWhiteRealty.com
979-589-4487 google voice & text

Good morning,

Besides working in real estate, I'm a technology consultant for several groups, including a large state agency. Yesterday I was asked whether it was worth it to go to the trouble of putting analytic code on landing and conversion pages.

This particular query concerned a foreign language facebook ad targeted at Spanish speaking firefighters all over the globe. So, I rattled off many of the things that google analytics tells us:

• Where they came from and where they went
• How long they were on each page
• Their operating system
• Their browser
• Their mobile status and geographic location
• Their screen resolution
• Their connection speed

Beause the target audience is foreign, I think the information is even more important. Those of us that live on the mainland United States have a pretty good idea what's happening with the Internet here in the USA. We know how most folks connect and what OS and browsers are most popular. But what do we know about Latin America and other Spanish speaking areas that would help us serve them better?

Do they have high-speed internet through cable or DSL, or are they stuck with dail-up and satellite? Are they using Internet Explorer or another browser? What percentage are connecting though mobile devices and what operating system and screen resolution are they using? How about a snapshot of your clientele and target demographic?

All of these are valid questions if you are worried about getting YOUR contect to dispaly correctly on their Internet source. Especially pay attention to the information about mobile devices!

Just some thoughts for technology Tuesday!

Blue skies,

Sam White
Search.SamWhiteRealty.com
979-589-4487

Happy Tuesday!

I received a text yesterday evening from a good friend wondering if I had jumped into Sprint's new 4G Android phone, yet (the EVO). It became available June 4th. He knew that I'd moved to the cloud in January and was cussing my Palm Centro because it doesn't mesh well with google apps, especially the calendar function. The simple truth is that yes, I had a new phone, but I had actually moved BACK in technology rather than forward.

One distinction I was very aware of when I was an airline pilot was the distinction between an airline pilot and a test pilot. One rule for staying out of trouble was to remain an airline pilot and leave the test pilot stuff to others. I tend to approach technology the same way.

So, I'm going to give the test pilots a few months to work the kinks out of the Android phone and maybe pick one up for Christmas. That way I spend my time working real estate instead of wondering why I've spent two hours trying to get my phone to do what I want it to.

In the meantime, I spent $40 on ebay and have an older Windows Mobile phone that handles google apps ok. At $40, it's almost disposable and will get me by until the fall.

Where is the mobile device industry headed? That's a topic for another blog!

Blue skies,

Sam White
Search.SamWhiteRealty.com
979-589-4487

Happy Friday!

Below, please find this week's real estate news from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University. Noteworthy, are this links to the Real Estate Center's podcast and the ability to subscribe to the newsletter at the bottom of the post.

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RECON Real Estate Center Online News June 4, 2010 Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Material herein is published according to the fair-use doctrine of U.S. copyright laws related to non-profit, educational institutions. Items attributed to sources other than the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University should not be reprinted without permission of the original source.

FOUR SEASONS' SUMMER FALL IRVING (Dallas Business Journal) – Lenders foreclosed on the Four Seasons Resort and Club at Tuesday's property auction for $122 million. The 400-acre property is one of the largest foreclosures in the DFW area in the past eight years. Former owner BentleyForbes spent $60 million renovating the hotel and golf course over the past few years. However, earlier this year, U.S. Bank NA filed against the hotel on a $183 million loan that was taken out in 2006. “BentleyForbes remains certain that its past management efforts and capital investments in the property since originally taking ownership in 2006 have positioned the resort for long-term success," said Tony Manos, chief operating officer of BentleyForbes. "As the hospitality market recovers from the challenges of the current market realities," he said, "the Four Seasons Dallas will be able to fully leverage the extensive improvements to the golf course, guest rooms, hotel lobby and guest amenities implemented and executed by BentleyForbes on behalf of the property.” BOXER

PROPERTY TAKES TWO DALLAS (Dallas Morning News) – Houston-based Boxer Property Co. has purchased the Executive Center II and III buildings at LBJ Frwy. and North Central Expy. The eight- and 12-story buildings, which total more than 381,000 sf and are 75 percent leased, were obtained from a California investor. Boxer Property now owns more than two dozen office buildings in the Dallas area.

SQUEAKY CLEAN IN ABILENE COLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) – On this week's Real Estate Red Zone podcast, hosts Bryan Pope and Edie Craig celebrate the arrival of the Real Estate Center's 2010 Market Reports. Also, Pope talks about this week's National Association of Real Estate Editors conference in Austin, and Craig talks small towns and big deals with the latest real estate news from Presidio, Abilene and Bay City. You can listen to the free podcast from your computer by going to recenter.tamu.edu/podcast and clicking the “play” button beneath each episode. To subscribe, click on the RSS feed found on the podcast page. You can also subscribe through iTunes and download each episode to your iPod. So grab a cup of coffee and join us in the Red Zone. And be sure to tell your friends about us.

HEALTHCARE DIVISIONS UPSURGE DALLAS (Dallas Morning News) – Commercial Real Estate firm GVA Cawley is expanding its three-year-old healthcare division because of an increase in demand. Medical facilities in Frisco as well as medical office developments in Mansfield and North Richland Hills are currently underway by the healthcare property group. “Healthcare is one of the only industries continuing to build right now. There is an immediate call for 19 million sf of healthcare-related space nationwide in the next few years and 50 to 60 million sf over the long term,” said David Dees, new director of the medical landlord services division at GVA Cawley.

USAA BUYS MONDRIAN AT CITYPLACE DALLAS (Dallas Business Journal) – The 21-story Mondrian at CityPlace tower in Dallas was purchased by San Antonio-based USAA Real Estate Co. The complex contains 218 apartments ranging from 910 to 2,985 sf. It also has two four-story loft-style buildings and 19,500 sf of street-level retail space. “This investment represents a timely opportunity to acquire a strategically located upscale property, located in a strong market and which ideally matches our multifamily product criteria,” said Pat Duncan, chairman and CEO of USAA Real Estate Co. The building, built in 2005, is at 3000 Blackburn St. and McKinney Ave.

ASTROWORLD TAKES OFF WITH MALLICK HOUSTON (Houston Chronicle) – The 104 acres formerly home to AstroWorld was purchased by the Mallick Group of Fort Worth. Located along the South Loop between Fannin and Kirby, the property was originally owned by Six Flags, which sold it to Angel/Mclver Interests for $77 million in 2006.

SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY'S FALL DEVELOPMENT RICHMOND (Houston Business Journal) – A community in Fort Bend County for residents 55 and older will begin development this fall after being announced three years ago. The 1,500 single-family homes on 500 acres at SH 59 and Thompson’s Rd. are being developed by Del Webb and Houston-based Caldwell Cos. Del Webb is owned by Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based PulteGroup Inc. Residents could move into the neighborhood as early as summer 2011.

EXPANDING JOBS IN AUSTIN, ROUND ROCK AUSTIN (Austin American-Statesman) – Three companies in the Austin-Round Rock area may receive tax rebates for their expansion projects, increasing the number of employment opportunities in the area. St. David South Austin Medical Center at 901 W. Ben White Blvd. proposed a $72 million expansion that will add more than 100,000 sf and retain 1,157 jobs. Bazaarvoice’s $5 million expansion expects to add approximately 100 employees to its headquarters at 3900 N. Capital of Texas Highway. The Sears Customer Care call center, at 1300 Louis Henna Blvd. proposed a $5 million expansion and plant improvement. Both Austin and Round Rock city councils have given preliminary approval to all three projects, but final approval must come from the state comptroller’s office.

DFW FORECLOSURES UP DALLAS (Dallas Morning News) – More than 20 percent of foreclosure postings in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the first half of the year were on homes on which homeowners owed more than the property was worth. Addison-based Foreclosure Listing Service said that was more than a 40 percent increase from a year earlier. “Upside-down postings have risen at a much higher pace than overall residential foreclosure posting activity. Generally, the homeowner cannot sell the home for what they owe on the mortgage. And most often, the lender cannot sell the home after reposting it for the amount that they have invested in the mortgage and other costs that the lender has incurred,” Foreclosure Listing Service CEO George Roddy said in a report. More than 6,700 foreclosure postings in the area were deemed as upside-down postings. The biggest increase this year was in Dallas County, where the number of upside-down home mortgage postings has grown 56 percent.

CRAIG RANCH UNVEILS $575M DISTRICT McKINNEY (GlobeSt.com) – The 2,200-acre Craig Ranch has unveiled a $575 million employment district on 250 acres. The complex will include two sites: a 160-acre corporate district and a 90-acre medical district. Forty-five percent of the medical district acreage has been purchased by the Cooper Fitness Center and Spa, Cooper Clinic, the Hospital at Craig Ranch and Tuscarora. KDC partnered with Craig Ranch to develop the 160-acre corporate district which may house two million sf of multitenant office buildings and corporate headquarter facilities. “Craig Ranch is not a planned project. It is already a relevant, quality development with many different components that make it attractive to corporate users,” said Bill Guthrey, senior vice president of KDC. The complex, located along a nearly two-mile stretch of the 12-lane Sam Rayburn SH121 Tollway, is within 30 minutes of DFW Airport and six miles from Collin County Regional Airport.

GRANTING JOBS FOR OWENS CORNING AMARILLO (Amarillo Globe-News) – The Amarillo Economic Development Corp. (AEDC) board approved a grant of up to $1.5 million for job creation at Owens Corning Composite Materials LLC. The plant produces more than 300 types of composite mixtures that reinforce plastic structures. Owens Corning has proposed three expansion plans to the AEDC that would increase the plant’s capacity, creating 100 to 145 jobs. Amarillo’s facility generates an annual profit of $24.5 million and employs 468 workers.

TAX CREDIT BOOSTS EL PASO HOME SALES EL PASO (El Paso Times) – El Paso saw a 28.5 percent increase in existing home sales along with an 8.3 percent increase in median sales price compared with last April. “I think the increase is almost 100 percent due to the tax credit. Most of the sales were due to homebuyers rushing to get a home under contract before the deadline,” said Charles de Wetter, president of Coldwell Banker de Wetter Hovious, one of El Paso’s largest real estate companies. The median sales price of an existing home in April was $124,500 compared with 2009’s $115,000. “I think May’s numbers will come back down. The tax credit pulled buyers forward into April. I do not see it as a trend,” de Wetter said. The median sales price in March was $115,000.

LONGVIEW OPENS DOOR FOR A1 LONGVIEW (Longview News Journal) – Premiere Management completed the sale of the eight-acre industrial site at 6100 Tenneryville Rd. Bought by B2C Properties with the transaction handled by Eberhart and Miller Real Estate Services, the site is to be leased to A1 Door and Window. A1 Door and Window distributes atrium doors, windows and commercial store fronts and is one of the world’s largest door and window manufacturers.

$150M DATA CENTER UNDERWAY AUSTIN (GlobeSt.com) – A 250,000-sf data center will cost Data Foundry $150 million to develop in the southeast quadrant of the city as part of a 40-acre data center campus. Groundbreaking for the first phase, totaling 130,000 sf, is slated for next month with a 2011 completion date. The second phase will add 120,000 sf. The firm, which provides wholesale and retail data center outsourcing along with co-location and disaster recovery services, is currently leasing 40,000 sf in downtown Austin in addition to 5,000 sf in Houston. The other 28 acres of the planned campus are scheduled to be developed over the next several years.

@ THE CENTER To subscribe or unsubscribe to RECON or to view back issues go to the Real Estate Center's website. To send news items for consideration, e-mail Bryan Pope. The Real Estate Center is part of the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University in College Station - the heart of the Research Valley.

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Blue skies,

Sam White
979-589-4487
BrazosValleyPremierHomes.com