What a year of change! Austin is growing significantly. The migration of job seekers is evidenced by the number of out-of-state license plates on our rapidly congesting roadways. Miles of toll roads are opening up to help relieve the situation.

At a recent event sponsored by Frost Bank and the Fullbright & Jaworski law firm, economist Ray Perryman said that the forecast for Austin is 4.5 percent growth through 2011. Powerful stuff!

The CB Richard Ellis/Trammell Crow acquisitionswith the many, many personnel changes in real estate companies here and across the countrywill keep things unsettled for some time.

And the Blackstone acquisition of Equity Office Properties and CarrAmerica, comprising more than 15 percent of Austin’s office market, is set to disperse ownership again from the consolidation trend that occurred since Carr founded the first office REIT in 1993.

At Commercial Texas our people are thrilled to be focused on our clients and their successes. We have a quality team dedicated to acting in the client’s best interesta stable and winning combination in the turmoil of the marketplace.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and Best Wishes to you for a wonderful New Year!

By now most people have heard that the market for office space is tightening up. With decreasing unemployment and improving economic conditions, Austins office space users have weathered the storm and are beginning to expand again.

Large blocks of space are diminishing. Even though market dynamics have not provoked bidding wars on space, competition among tenants has become a logistical and strategic concern.

In a quickly changing marketplace, how do you ensure the right solution for your business space needs?

Businesses no longer have the luxury of spending months or weeks evaluating space. A real estate broker must combine knowledge of your business needs and an understanding of the marketplace to provide you with guidance and choices.

Hiring a space finder or tour guide as a real estate broker bears significant risk in todays market. And evaluating alternatives on the basis of cost per square foot paints a very incomplete picture with potentially costly consequences. Instead, you need answers to these questions:

How much will it cost to retrofit new space to fit our cultural and spatial needs? How is each building going to be able to meet our need for expansion over 5-10 years? How much actual space do we need?

The first step is to hire an experienced, process-oriented real estate broker who will assemble a team of top architects and contractors to position you for quick decision making. The team will help you define the underlying goals and needs of your business as it relates to its workspace requirements.

Your team, including your broker and architect, will identify the many necessary facets of your new workspace: square footage requirements, parking, location, amenities, needs of specific business units, requirements for customers, finish levels and the total costs to the business, now and throughout the course of a lease commitment.

Armed with a strategic understanding of the marketplace and your business, your real estate team is positioned to quickly evaluate alternatives and find solutions. A qualified real estate representative can position you to make the best decision for your businessa solution that makes sense today and over the life of your lease.

TEXAS JOB GROWTH IS UP

According to a report from the Real Estate Center of Texas A&M University, job growth in Texas was up for October. The Center's "Monthly Review of the Texas Economy" states that the rate of new job creation in Texas was 2.0 percent, compared to 1.4 percent for the rest of the nation, and the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 4.8 percent.

The five metropolitan areas with the lowest unemployment rates were Midland, Amarillo, Austin-Round Rock, College Station-Bryan and Lubbock.

To read the entire report, click here.

AUSTIN: A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, CHILL ... AND BE A DOG

It's the end of the year, a time when everyone looks back at the top news stories or engages in reflecting on movies, books or places, and ranking them according to preference. So in that vein, we thought we would share with you some of the things people love most about Austin.

a great place to live ...

Money magazine lists Austin as #2 among the 10 best places to live, judging

on financial, educational and quality of life criteria, among others.

Men's Journal ranks Austin #2 among the 50 Best Places to Live because of its

combination of adventure, attractiveness, and affordability.

Austin ranks #8 on Reader's Digest list of America's Cleanest Cities.

a great place to work ...

The Wall Street Journal names Austin #3 in a list of America's Most Innovative Cities. 

CNN.com ranks Austin among the top ten cities for job growth, with the Sun Belt providing the hub of tech development from now through 2015.

The US Census Bureau reports that Austin ranks 5th among the most educated

cities in the U.S.  More than 45 percent of the population has a college degree.

Intel ranks Austin #3 among top WiFi cities in the country, based on commercial and free wireless internet access.

a great place to chill ...

Sperling's BestPlaces and Bailey's Irish Cr√me named Austin #9 among the Top

Ten "Chill" Cities, based on the behavior of the residents and social opportunities provided.

Golf Magazine.com lists Barton Creek Resort & Spa among the top 50 golf

destinations in the US.

Texas Highways readers chose The Oasis as the Best Place to Watch the Sunset, and Barton Springs as the Favorite Swimming Spot.

Sports Illustrated recognized the Scholz Beer Garten as #18 of the 25 Best Sports Bars in America, noting it as being the oldest continuously operated business in Texas.

and a great place to be a dog

According to DogFancy magazine, Austin is one of the top 10 cities to be a dog. As you can see from the photos below, our employees' dogs give Austin "two paws up."