In a move that is already impacting nearby retail and residential neighborhoods, HEB Grocery Co. has announced plans on a new South Austin HEB store near West Slaughter Lane and the I-35 frontage road. If updates to the site plan are approved by the City of Austin, the 139,000-square-foot store, car wash, and gas station are slated to open in late 2019 or early 2020.

The 8801 South Congress Ave. store is expected to profoundly impact the trajectory of future retail and residential developments in the immediate area, including “South Congress Station,” a shopping complex across the street at 9000 South Congress Ave. Anchored by a Gold’s Gym, other tenants include Pet Supermarket, a Schlotzsky’s sandwich shop, and Deca Dental, while lease…

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As the city of Austin vies to become the new home of Amazon’s HQ2, we’ve heard questions from residential investors and potential investors wondering how the tech giant will affect Austin-area home prices and rents.

First and foremost, the Amazon effect is real. In Seattle, Amazon’s hometown, the now-booming tech giant spiked housing prices and gentrification. From 2005 to 2015, Seattle’s median rent went from $1,008 to $1,286 – three times more than the national median. Housing has experienced an even more drastic increase as recent data shows Seattle’s median home price hit $777,000 in February – an 18 percent increase from the year before. 

Rents and home prices will increase no matter which city Amazon chooses, but some metros will change…

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