Large Arboretum 1/1 under $600

Hidden community in the Arboretum area (but off of the Jollyville retail strip) has one 700 sq ft unit coming available next week. Comes with washer/dryer already in unit. $575/month.

Cute 2/2 Round Rock condo with 1-car garage, $825

Here's a cute condo for lease on the north side of Round Rock. 880 square feet 2BR/2Bath, comes complete with 1-car garage and a washer, dryer included. New construction - - - carpet, tile and paint all fresh. Available immediately but owner negotiable on possession date.

More info: BradleyPounds@aol.com.
512 / 736-3353

What the hell happened to Bee Cave?

A couple of months ago I ran a piece on the blog that was favorable of the Hill Country Galleria development, mainly because it's bringing a few hundred new apartment units online. This weekend, I finally made it down to the site for a quick survey of the development.

The result is sickening. You have to go see it for yourself. The shops don't look any better than the rows of boxes that make up the inevitable OLD NAVY / Best Buy / PETCO combinations of Cedar Park or Anywhere, U.S.A. And they're directly adjacent to The Backyard music venue!

The town is ruined. Here's what I should have been reporting.

The Austin Chronicle: News: Westward Ho!

What was so great about 1997?

Austin's Green Builder program heavy-handedly influenced the way we build apartments in Austin. And thank God for it.

In '97 the program guidelines went into effect, with a few key building codes that help keep energy bills much lower than older units built without the regulations. Sure, the materials restrictions keep all the new stuff looking pretty homogenous, but look what all we picked up:

• Two ceiling fans per unit
• 12.0 SEER high-efficiency air conditioners
• Gas combination space/water heating systems
• Interiors painted with healthier paints
• Insulation and sheathing made of materials that don't harm the ozone layer
• Concrete with 15% flyash content (a by-product of coal-burning power plants)
• Siding made from recycled materials and cement (Hardiplank)
• Landscape irrigation will not require use of city water/sewer
• Excess construction materials donated to Habitat for Humanity
• Concrete paving (instead of asphalt) on parking lots and sidewalks to keep the outdoor areas cooler

All this adds up to a reduced fixed monthly cost for the tenant because of much lower energy bills. So next time you think you're saving $50/month for going with the '80s built property, think again.

Looking for a new place? Let me help. BradleyPounds@aol.com.

Properties beginning to feature wi-fi access as incentive for renters

Can anyone verify that you access wireless Internet on your property's dime? I found a list of hotspots that includes several apartment complexes (mostly downtown) that offer wi-fi access but I've never heard this as part of the leasing pitch.

Here's the link to the short list. Let me know if you live somewhere that's not listed as well.

Austin Wireless Internet

BradleyPounds@aol.com

If you've ever considered working in the apartment industry . . .

. . . the best resource is easily the Austin Apartment Association. They have an extensive job bank full of positions at local properties and they'll handle getting your resume into the right hands. Don't disqualify yourself from a leasing position because you don't have experience. It's all aout the image, personality and attention to detail. You may have to start off at a small property instead of a big corporate shop, but turnover is so high that you can expect to get upgrade quickly if you're good at it.

The job bank isn't searchable online so think of it as more of a matching service. Here's the page with instructions of where to send what.

Austin Apartment Association job bank