First, but not the last

Welcome to my blog. As with Real Estate, this blog is an ongoing adventure. I start this blog with the intention to inform others about the happenings in Austin Real Estate, as well as other sectors of our community. I will start my blog with a mixture of both.

I had a friend from Canada come visit Austin a couple of years ago. It was a beautiful Austin day , as is usually the case, and he decided to ride a bike down South 1st and back up South Congress. After his adventure he had this to say about Austin :"It seems to me that people in Austin have mastered the art of doing nothing.". His conclusion came from his observations of the many people sitting at the restaurants and coffee shops along his path.

At the time, I found his comment amusing and felt it to be quite true. I would repeat it to friends in stories I told about my city, and they too would find the comment amusing and witty. You see, if you too take the path down 1st from Ben White and back up South Congress there are many people sitting and talking, on computers, reading, and the such. To the eye, it is really easy to believe these people are going on in their lives playing, discussing the happenings of the day and what their plans are for that particular night.

I made that same trip down and around the block the other day, stopping at the occasional business, but mostly just observing. After lending an uninvited ear and eye to the goings on, it hit me, though my friend's statement was witty and amusing he was mistaken. The people of Austin have not mastered the art of doing nothing, but in fact are constantly improving on the art of doing things their way.

I do want to make it clear the intention of my trip was not to approve or disprove my friend's comment, but rather to take a look at real estate along the path. But as I traveled, it struck me that most people were deeply entrenched in work. From lawyers to musicians, the streets were alive with work. All of this work, surrounded by more work. The labors of roofers, electricians, plumbers, designing and creating new and existing buildings.

The same holds true for neighborhoods all over Austin, from the lake down the river, from North to South. People in Austin love, and have chosen to work in a manner and environment that is comfortable to them. Yet in the end the goal is the same, to make themselves and this city better. We are a city of Lifestyle, and our real estate needs are reflective of that. Change is not for good or bad, but a necessity - that our community has embraced. As the writer G.K Chesterton is quoted "All conservatism is based upon the idea that if you leave things alone you leave them as they are. But you do not. If you leave a thing alone you leave it to a torrent of change." So in change we find stability and growth.

This purpose of my blog is not to argue whether change is good or bad - it is certainly in the eyes of the beholder. Still you cannot argue that it is occurring in our city, from entertainment to work, it is happening all around. I hope to keep folks involved and up to date with the ever changing Austin market. I go into it knowing no work is perfect, as no building is indestructible. Yet I invite you to join me in the ongoing journey through the market and in the end hopefully we both will learn something.