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- Daily Briefing: 🔄 DEN’s Debut & Austin’s Zoning Zoom: Housing Game-Changers Alert! 🏗️
Daily Briefing: 🔄 DEN’s Debut & Austin’s Zoning Zoom: Housing Game-Changers Alert! 🏗️

September 28th, 2023 News Brief TLDR:
Austin tackles housing affordability with crucial zoning reforms again. Stay tuned! đźŹ
DEN launches tech-driven homebuilding in Austin, streamlining your construction endeavors! 🏗️
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HOUSING AFFORDABILITY & ZONING REFORM
Austin will try again to tame its housing affordability crisis with zoning reforms. Here’s what you should know.
Source: The Texas Tribune
Summary: Austin is grappling with a housing affordability crisis, exacerbated by tech industry expansion and pandemic-induced population growth. The city is attempting to combat sky-rocketing housing costs with zoning reforms, such as allowing more single-family homes on smaller lots and taller apartment buildings near existing homes. However, the resistance from homeowners fearing neighborhood character changes and potential acceleration of gentrification has blocked recent attempts at reform. The city’s existing land development code, unchanged since 1984, is considered a significant contributor to the crisis due to restrictions leading to higher housing costs.
Why this matters: Commercial real estate professionals in Central Texas can leverage this information to strategize development plans and client advisories, focusing on properties best suited for zoning reforms and potential for densification.
HOMEBUILDING & HOUSING MARKET
Austin’s Build-To-Rent Market Is Just Getting Started

Source: Central Texas Real Estate News
Summary: The Central Texas real estate market continues to show strong signs of growth, with both residential and commercial properties experiencing record-high demand. This surge is driven by several factors, including increased remote work flexibility, the region's affordable cost of living, and its robust job market, particularly in the tech sector. The industrial real estate sector is also on the rise, with new construction projects in the pipeline to accommodate growing needs for warehouse and distribution space due to e-commerce boom. Land and farm real estate, however, faces challenges as urban sprawl threatens traditional farming regions.
Why this matters: Understanding the factors driving the strong demand in Central Texas real estate—such as remote work flexibility, affordable cost of living, and a booming job market—can help real estate professionals strategically guide their clients towards profitable investments and stay ahead in this competitive market.
DEN Launches in Austin, Texas, to Bring Streamlined Homebuilding to a Market in Need
Source: PR Newswire
Summary: DEN, a modern homebuilding platform, has announced its launch in Austin, Texas. The platform, BuiltBy DEN, aims to address the higher costs, limited housing stock, and accelerated population growth in the Austin region by offering a stress-free, tech-enabled homebuilding service. The entire building process, including design, land selection, permitting, project management, and construction is managed by DEN, with the aim of making the process similar to buying a car online. Two Austin-based construction partners, Skelly Build and Carr Residential, have been named as DEN's construction partners for the Austin build.
Why this matters: The launch of a streamlined homebuilding platform like BuiltBy DEN in Austin, Texas provides an opportunity for commercial real estate professionals to expand their client base by offering new build options, contributing to meeting the demand in a rapidly growing market.
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🚉 Austin's Old Mall Gets a Facelift & Arenaman Steps In! 🌆đźŹ