SW Austin to see growth slowdown

SOUTHWEST AUSTIN – 2014 may be the year that puts the brakes on one of the fastest growing parts of Austin.

In much of Southwest Austin, there isn’t a lot of land left to be developed. That could push developers to more affordable parts of the city.

"It is relatively locked, at the moment," said Madison Inselmann, regional director for Metrostudy. Looking out over Southwest Austin, he says developers don’t like what they see when it comes to the number of available vacant lots.

The space to build big housing projects in Southwest Austin is all but gone. Construction workers will spend 2014 filling in small gaps, but, future development depends largely on whether plans to finish State Highway 45 get revved up.

"Hutto, Manor, Kyle, Buda," said Inselmann.

That’s where there is more affordable land and the ability to build homes in line with what more families can afford. Starting 2014, the median list price for a new home in Austin is $250,000. But, the maximum home loan for a family with a median income is $196,000.

Less construction in Southwest Austin and more further east could mean more homes will be available to first time homebuyers.

Dripping Springs could also see even more construction. Several tracts of land that envelop Dripping Springs are just waiting for investors to pull the trigger on the next stage of development.