The endless argument in public transit policy circles, in Austin and elsewhere, is always about what to buy, normally presented as a stark choice between sleek trains and stodgy buses.

Transit expert Jarrett Walker, in a speech Wednesday to a Real Estate Council of Austin breakfast, said that debate misses the point about what really gets people out of their cars and onto a public transportation vehicle.

If you’re trying to rent any type of property in Austin these days, the amount you'll pay is going up dramatically. This point was driven home by a pair of reports distributed Wednesday to attendees at the Real Estate Council of Austin’s mid-year forecast event, which is taking place this week at the downtown JW Marriott Austin hotel.

We are excited to be welcoming Jarrett Walker as our breakfast keynote speaker at our RECA Exchange on August 12. Walker is a transit consultant based out of the Northwest and author of the book (and blog) Human Transit; he’s best known in Texas for his recent work reimagining the Houston Metro system. Austin is considering a similar effort through Capital Metro’s Service Plan 2025.

There are growing expectations that the Fed will raise interest rates by the end of this year and, some predict, as early as September.

Cowen analysts have predicted that Amazon will unseat Macy’s as the leading apparel retailer in the US by 2017. The online retail giant has topped Walmart’s value by $30B already, with a $265B valuation. Well, brick-and-mortars are not going down without a fight. For instance, Macy’s is upping its omni-channel game to stay ahead of the pack, Forbes reports. It announced last week that it’s expanding its same-day delivery to Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, New York City/Western Long Island, Orange County and Philadelphia, for a total of 17 markets.

Assessing a storm's damage to a house; responding to a prospective buyer's concerns about a property; designing offices that suit the needs of its tenants—all are key tasks of the real estate business that are rapidly being made faster and less expensive as the industry adopts lessons from technology, lessons that have already dramatically changed industries such as finance and health care.

Brandywine Realty Trust, a publicly traded real estate company and one of the largest commercial developers in Austin, announced Aug. 4 it purchased IBM’s share of the Broadmoor campus located off MoPac Expressway, across from The Domain in Northwest Austin.

Office rental rates in Austin are higher than ever, according to Aug. 4 data released by real estate analysts.

The Travis County Commissioners Court has determined that a plan to let private developers build a second tower that would complement the proposed $291.6 Civil & Family Courts Complex is "extremely attractive." -

"The more turmoil there is in the Eurozone, the more there will be continued interest in lending in the U.S.," said Riaz Cassum, a senior managing director at HFF who co-leads the firm’s Global Capital Initiative group. "I think that all the issues going on in Europe will definitely translate to more interest for those banks to lend here."

You may have heard the term "green lease," but should you sign one? It’s a question more attorneys are answering for their clients.

Just one year ago the ability to operate commercial drones in the U.S. was more concept than reality. Only two companies in the country were cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate those types of drones, and they were located in the far northern hinterlands of Alaska. One year later, the commercial drone industry looks drastically different.

Developers are adding vintage arcade rooms in hopes of attracting younger professionals. The rooms provide unlimited access to classic games such as Donkey Kong and continue the trend of appealing to Millennials desire for amenities when trading up for luxury buildings. At 66 Rockwell Place, a 326-unit Brooklyn apartment building, access to the arcade room is included with a $600 annual membership to the building’s amenities space.

Builders across the U.S. are boosting their bottom lines by creating niche specialties that fill unmet consumer demand.

Here are the stories of four contractors who have narrowed their focus to expand their profits.

Date: 8/26/2015
Time: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Urbanspace
801 W 5th St #100

Date: 8/27/2015
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Online Webinar

This webinar serves as a great introduction to the Argus Valuation software for those who have little or no previous experience with the software, or for those who are interested in how it works.

The presenters will take it slow - starting with what you see when you first open the program. They'll take you through how to build an ARGUS model "from scratch" - without relying on the ARGUS Wizard or an existing template.

The presenters will then explain the initial set up of the Property Description pages and introduce the various ways that the Argus software can assist anyone in the valuation of any commercial real estate property.

Tuesday, September 22
11:15 am - 1:00 pm

The Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto Blvd.