ATX: the Austin Real Estate Life Blog

per fellow ATX local and my Univ. of Texas SAE fraternity Brother and overall good man, Reid Umstattd on Faceook, " Take a nap at work and come out late on a Wednesday you big sissy. It’s worth it just to hear Brian Douglas Phillips on steel. And no better place to hear it than Saxon Pub ." ---Reid U . https://thesaxonpub.com/ https://thesaxonpub.com/event/reid-brothers/   Reid Umstattd is an Austin native and the creative force behind Reid Bros., a project that weaves nostalgic storytelling through the tones of Americana, folk, and rock. He first came onto the national stage as co-founder and frontman of the alternative rock band Nelo, which formed in 2005 and toured extensively across the U.S., releasing three full-length albums and two EPs on Pedernales Records. After nearly a decade with Nelo, Reid stepped into the spotlight as a solo artist, competing on Season 14 of NBC’s The Voice, where he joined Team Adam Levine and advanced to the Top 24. In 2019, he released hi...

Austin shows stamina as No. 2 fittest city in Texas for 2026 By John Egan Jul 27, 2026 | 9:03 am Outdoor activity is a daily part of life for many Austinites. Photo by Max Miner on Unsplash The people of Austin deserve to take a victory lap: The capital city has been crowned the second fittest city in Texas for 2026. This year’s American Fitness Index puts Austin at No. 28 among the country’s 100 most populated cities, down from 21st place last year, but still No. 2 in Texas. This also means that Austin is well ahead of Austin's other large metros. Austin ranks 19th in the personal health category and 55th — almost dead average — in the community and environment category. The index shows 82 percent of Austin residents had exercised in the previous month, 61 percent had met aerobic activity guidelines, and 32 percent had met aerobic and strength activity guidelines. All three of those numbers are above the 100-city averages. Although from rankings alone, it seems that Austin didn...

Let's Be Real: The 7 Biggest Problems With Living in Austin, Texas I love this city. I was born here, raised here, and I've spent my career selling Central Austin real estate. I'm not planning on moving away, ever, but the country lifestyle is starting to appear rosier. That's exactly why I get to say what follows. Austin Texas has changed. It is constantly evolving with the modern times, for better or worse.   Here are the seven things that perturb and grind on me the most , counting down to the one that bothers me the most — with real examples pulled from my own first hand life history account. 7. A City of Strangers In the 1990s, Austin had a small-town feel. You knew people, and you knew where they came from — the family, the industry their parents worked in, the high school they went to. Leaving the house meant running into a familiar face at the post office, the dry cleaner, or the coffee shop. These days, with the city population well past 1 million, I hardly kno...

  Thanks for all of you who took time to complete my survey last week. There were lots of good responses, and they’re helpful to me. One reply especially struck me.  A 36-year-old, lifelong Austin resident said: “If you can do the basics really well, then the voters will support and trust that you can do the extras as well.” Something else that struck me was how much folks want to engage and to learn about what’s in the budget and how it works. That’s why I recently sat down with Kerri Lang, the Director of Austin’s Budget & Organizational Excellence Department, to talk more in-depth on the ins-and-outs of budgeting. I call this going behind the Wire. Behind the Wire: Austin’s Budget Essentially Austin Austinites want their local government to deliver quality essential city services. They want to know that the city is focused on maintaining our roads, improving drainage, supplying residents with clean water, keeping the lights on, providing effective and responsive public ...

  Off-Market 3/2 Home in Historic Robertson Hill | Fully Updated with Rental Income & Future ADU Potential Silent Market Property for Sale Robertson Hill | East Central Austin Located in the highly desirable and walkable historic Robertson Hill neighborhood of East Central Austin, this beautifully updated 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom single-family residence presents a character-filled opportunity to acquire an income-producing property asset in one of Austin’s most sought-after neighborhoods. According to the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD), the home offers approximately 1,468 square feet of living space and sits on a 0.114-acre lot (approximately 4,966 square feet) . The residence has been extensively updated throughout while maintaining the character and charm of this historic Austin neighborhood. As a contributing property, this real estate may qualify for historic designation , which could make it eligible for a Historic Landmark plaque and potential historic annual pr...