November 2019 Austin Housing Market Statistics

Infographics courtesy of Austin Board of REALTORS®.  Visit https://www.abor.com/statsnov19/ for more information.  And, of course, contact Floyd Real Estate if you want to buy or sell property in the Austin area.

Basketball to Hockey Conversion | American Airlines Center

Red-Crowned Parrots in Texas - Texas Parks & Wildlife [Official]

September 2019 Austin Housing Market Statistics

Infographics courtesy of Austin Board of REALTORS®.  Visit https://www.abor.com/statssep19-2/ for more information.  And, of course, contact Floyd Real Estate if you want to buy or sell property in the Austin area.

Why Are Wild Parrots Disappearing in Miami? | Short Film Showcase

TV: The Expanse Season 4

As you may be aware, I am a fan of The Expanse series.  I've seen all of the TV episodes and am halfway through Babylon's Ashes (book 6).  Thus, it is delightful to be able to share that season 4 will be coming to Amazon Prime on December 13th.  

Also, if you haven't seen any of the TV series yet then I do recommend reading Leviathan Wakes and Caliban's War first.  People I've talked to who watched the show first- and then read the first couple of novels- said the show was more enjoyable once they had the additional background information from the books.  Seasons 1-3 cover the events in books 1-3. 

Here's the teaser trailer for season 4:

June 2019 Austin Housing Market Statistics

Last month Austin's median home prices were at an all-time high at $407,400.  In just a month we're up to $420,000 in the city.

Infographics courtesy of Austin Board of REALTORS®.  Visit www.abor.com/statsjune19 for more information.  And, of course, contact Floyd Real Estate if you want to buy or sell property in the Austin area.

Trivia: The Creative Fund's July Trivia Fundraiser

Join us on July 17th at Austin's Scoot Inn for a live team trivia fundraiser benefitting The Creative Fund.  As always, form teams of 4-6 to participate in 5 rounds of questioning and 1 round of picture puzzles.  Come with a team, or come alone and find a team to join.  

Tickets are $20 per person and they are available now.  Proceeds go to The Creative Fund and its efforts to help Austin's performing artists afford rental fees at local venues.  

Remember:  outside is hot, but trivia happens in air-conditioned comfort.

Food: Buffalo Lamb Chop Appetizer

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Recently, Sara and I celebrated our 10 year date-iversary.  We went to ALC Steaks, as we are wont to do for such occasions, wherein we could indulge in our favorite cuts (filet for her, the dry aged/grass fed strip for me).   And indulge we did, which leads me to the raison d'être of this post:  ALC's buffalo sauce slathered lamb chop appetizer is delicious and I wanted to let you know.  

I typically order the shrimp cocktail or the crab cakes when I eat at ALC.  Those are good options as well (though, ALC has never taken up my suggestion of offering bacon wrapped shrimp with remoulade); however, if you (1) find yourself at ALC Steaks and (2) at all like lamb then I recommend ordering the chops before diving into a delicious steak.

ALC's dry aged/grass fed strip steak, served Oscar style.

 

May 2019 Austin Housing Market Statistics

The big news here is that Austin's median home price is at an all-time high amid declining inventory.

Infographics courtesy of Austin Board of REALTORS®.  Visit www.abor.com/statsmay19 for more information.  And, of course, contact Floyd Real Estate if you want to buy or sell property in the Austin area.

March 2019 Austin Housing Market Statistics

Infographics courtesy of Austin Board of REALTORS®.  Visit www.abor.com/statsmarch19 for more information.  And, of course, contact Floyd Real Estate if you want to buy or sell property in the Austin area.

Trivia News

Dave Floyd, Hosting Trivia

A lot has happened on the trivia front this year.  First of all, Creative Fund trivia night in January was quite the success.   In March, Sara and I started our "Floyd Real Estate Presents: Trivia" series of fundraisers.  The first one was in March (at the Tavern), with the Fusebox Festival as the beneficiary.

Here's the upcoming schedule:

• April 10: Trivia fundraiser for The Creative Fund.  This will be at The Scoot Inn.  Social hour starts at 6:30, with gameplay to begin at 7:30.
• April 24: Trivia fundraiser with the Texas Exes Young Alumni.  This one is raising money for scholarships and will be held at Little Woodrow's on Parmer.  You do not have to be a University of Texas alum to join in the fun.  
• May 15:  Second in the Floyd Real Estate sponsored series.  This one will be at the Tavern and benefitting Austin Habitat for Humanity.  

All of these trivia nights follow the same format: 5 rounds of live questions and one picture/puzzle round.  Teams of 4-6 are suggested... but, if you are solo or in a pair feel free to come on down as we'll help you find a group (and hey, that sounds like a fun way to meet new people).  

If you want to stay in the loop vis a vis future trivia nights, then follow this blog.   I may be starting a mailing list for trivia- and I may be launching a fancier blog soon - but any updates on new channels of information will be posted here.

February 2019 Austin Housing Market Statistics

Infographics courtesy of Austin Board of REALTORS®.  Visit www.abor.com/statsjfeb19 for more information.  And, of course, contact Floyd Real Estate if you want to buy or sell property in the Austin area.

Food: Venison Chili

Here's a checklist:

1. Do you like chili?
2. Do you like venison?

If so, head to The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen for this tasty meat dish.  I enjoyed said meat dish at The Grove on West 6th; however, you might enjoy any of the three other locations in the Austin area.  I thought that the venison chili deserved a spotlight (it's not the most common item on downtown menus), though everything else I've eaten at The Grove has been good.   Feel free to order other dishes as opposed to just demanding chili and a flight of reds.

If you aren't in the mood for wine, cocktails, and/or food at The Grove: the adjacent Lola Savannah makes a good latte and offers a nice area for afternoon coffee.  I hear the tea is good as well.

And, here is my post scriptum:  after enjoying food and drink at The Grove recently, we ended up at Whistler's on East 6th.  If you like a good Old Fashioned (I do), then you will enjoy the Old Fashioned at Whistler's. 

2019 Austin Area Population Growth Projections

Yes, everyone's moving to Austin – but they're not all coming from California

From the Statesman:

Yes, everyone's moving to Austin; but they're not all coming from California: According to the analysis, more than 50 percent of migration to Austin from 2012 to 2016 was from people leaving other large Texas cities, such as Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. But census data also shows that a net of thousands of people from states like California, Florida and New York came to Austin during those years.

Food: P. Terry's Expanding to Houston

Houston, you're in luck.  Apparently you're getting four new P. Terry's soon. 

I hit P. Terry's about twice per month.   The double cheeseburger (I get mine with onions, special sauce, and a wheat bun) is great, as is the chicken burger.  The latter is different from most fast-food chicken options as it is a patty of ground chicken (as opposed to a grilled/fried chicken breast).  Either option is delicious, as are the freshly cut fries  (salt and potatoes, no crazy seasonings) with a side of special sauce for dipping. 

I once described the P. Terry's burger as "what an In-and-Out burger should aspire to be."  Before you accuse me of anti-Californian burger bias:  I love Fatburger and wish someone would open a location in Austin.  And yes, I like to eat my Fatburger with chili. 

When driving around Texas, Whataburger is (of course) my preferred fast-food burger option.   I think they'd boot me out of the state if I didn't mention that. 

New downtown rail station to break ground early April - Austin Monitor

New downtown rail station to break ground early April - Austin Monitor: "After carving away the excess from Downtown Station plans in January, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority awarded a construction contract of $36,865,160 to Austin-based firm Jay-Reese Contractors Inc. at its Feb. 25 meeting.Jay-Reese was one of three firms to respond to…"

A good thing to note is that this project is being designed with potential Green Line (commuter rail to Elgin) and Blue Line (possible light rail to airport) capacity in mind.

Food: Top Notch

The #5 from Top Notch

I was at ABOR headquarters all morning for a meeting.  As I drove out of the garage I thought, hey, today is a great day for a Top Notch burger.   Thus a slight detour was made.

Everyone I know who likes Top Notch talks about the fried chicken and how amazing it is.  I wouldn't know, as I stick with the #5 chili-cheese burger.  First of all, I love a good chili-cheese burger.  Second, Top Notch's reminds me of the #4 Fiesta Burger from the former Austin institution that was Holiday House (I'm not making this up: they had a live gator at the Barton Springs location back in the 70's).  Unfortunately, the notorious "Meat Lady" non-renewed the lease for the Tarrytown location and the Holiday House chain died shortly thereafter.  Holiday House was not only only a place I frequented in high school, the #4 Fiesta Burger was the first thing I ate when I moved to Austin (30 years ago, as of next week).   I'm digressing a bit, but it was a delicious piece of flame-kissed goodness I still miss.  Accordingly, this illustrates why I enjoy any burger which approximates the Fiesta Burger.  That is what I get at Top Notch and why I have yet to advance to the fried chicken.

So yes, the detour was worthwhile.  The #5 was delicious as always.  Now,  if Top Notch would just consider getting a live gator...

Not only is the food at Top Notch great, but is it also a fun place for fans of the film Dazed and Confused to visit.  In addition to being at the location of several scenes from the film, one can enjoy an up-close viewing of two paddles from the movie.     

One final bit of Top Notch news:  they are opening another restaurant in Hutto.   No Dazed and Confused connection, but I'm sure the burgers and fried chicken will be tasty.



On the chili-cheese burger note, here are two other restaurants with good options in Austin:

• Waterloo Icehouse
• Shady Grove       

Hopdoddy once had an awesome burger called The Terlingua (topped with chili, cheese, and Fritos) but it seems to have vanished from the menu.  I'm fond of the Buffalo Bill and all, but bring the Terlingua back.  

January 2019 Austin Housing Market Statistics

Infographics courtesy of Austin Board of REALTORS®.  Visit www.abor.com/statsjan19 for more information.  And, of course, contact Floyd Real Estate if you want to buy or sell property in the Austin area.

Fusebox Festival: 2019 Schedule Announced

The Fusebox Festival (April 16-21) announced its schedule of 2019 performances on Tuesday.  All performances are free.  Sign up early if you are interested in going, as many of the performances fill up quickly.

Here's an article about the upcoming Fusebox Festival line-up:  Fusebox Festival: 6 events to check out during this free experimental arts fest

Also, check out this video from Fusebox about the upcoming 2019 festival.

Office, retail project planned at South Lamar and Oltorf

South Austin commercial real estate news:

Office, retail project planned at South Lamar and Oltorf

Austin Opera will climb Mount Everest and push more boundaries in new season

Austin Opera will climb Mount Everest and push more boundaries in new season

Update: I saw Everest in January of 2020 and loved it.  They were giving away copies of Into Thin Air in the lobby, so I took one home.  If you haven't read it, I recommend that you do.

City Council's Casar unveils ambitious affordable housing plan

City Council's Casar unveils ambitious affordable housing plan

State GOP leaders seek to limit property tax increases

State GOP leaders seek to limit property tax increases

'Silent Night,' coming to Austin Opera, is an overnight sensation

'Silent Night,' coming to Austin Opera, is an overnight sensation

Food: Prime Rib Friday, Now with Crab

Prime Rib and Crab at Lonesome Dove in Austin

You may have been wondering: how does one improve upon a $16 lunch special consisting of a pound of smoked prime rib and a twice baked potato?  Wonder no longer.  You add the delicious "deviled gulf coast blue crab" appetizer.  I already thought the rattlesnake and rabbit sausage was good, but the crab surpasses it in the flavor department.   Try out out the crab (or try it and the sausage) next time you're in Lonesome Dove.  Also, keep in mind that Austin's Lonesome Dove has 1/2 bottles of wine available during lunch.  Plan your afternoon accordingly. 

Also: are you curious about the difference between prime rib and steak?   Ribeye and prime cut come from the same primal cut of the cow.  There are slight differences in the cuts.   Ribeye is prepared as a steak, which means it is cooked already cut.  Prime rib is prepared as a roast, meaning a larger piece of beef is roasts with the individual servings cut off.   Lonesome Dove goes above and beyond, as they smoke the prime rib.

December 2018 Austin Housing Market Statistics

Infographics courtesy of Austin Board of REALTORS®.  Visit www.abor.com/statsdecember18 for more information.  And, of course, contact Floyd Real Estate if you want to buy or sell property in the Austin area.

TV: The Expanse

Expanse fans:  Season 3 will start streaming on Amazon Prime on February 8th.  The linked article also mentions that season 4 will come out before the end of the year.

2018 another record year for Austin-area housing market

2018 another record year for Austin-area housing market

Swiftly changing South First Street is 'next frontier' in Austin's development boom

Swiftly changing South First Street is 'next frontier' in Austin's development boom

Food: Bison Burger

The Buffalo Bill, at Hopdoddy

My biggest regret from my recent Colorado trip was my failure to eat any bison meat.   Maybe it's the elevation, but I get a craving for bison (ok, and for elk) when in the mountains.  So, imagine my delight when I discovered that Hopdoddy has a bison burger on the menu.

I hadn't been to Hopdoddy in years.  While the food is great, I did not enjoy the lines I used to encounter at the South Congress location.  Furthermore, when I'm near the Anderson and Burnet intersection I usually opt for lunch at Cover 3.   On Wednesday, though, I was in the area on Floyd Real Estate business and our lunch appointment suggested Hopdoddy.   We arrived at 11:30 to a no line situation.  This made me happy.   Then I noticed my favorite burger (the Terlingua, which was topped with chili, cheese, and Fritos: i.e. a Frito Pie) was off the menu.  The Buffalo Bill made up for this loss.   The bison patty topped with buffalo sauce, "sassy" sauce, and bacon was outstanding.  It reminded me of a burger with bleu cheese and hot sauce which used to me on the menu at Red's Porch.    Thus, if you are craving a great bison burger, swing by Hopdoddy to try out the Buffalo Bill.

It has been a good week for me, burger-wise.  In addition to delicious Buffalo Bill on Wednesday, today I picked up a Top Notch chili-cheese burger on the way home from the Austin Board of Realtors.  I'll note that if you still miss the #4 Fiesta Burger from Holiday House, the #5 at Top Notch will fill its role nicely. 

Dazed and Confused fans will love Top Notch

Food: Prime Rib

I can attest: the smoked prime rib at Stiles Switch is delicious.

Smoked Prime Rib is the Star of this Hump Day every week at #StilesSwitchBBQ in the #ATX get on by. #TexasBBQ #Austin #BBQ pic.twitter.com/2HF0mpxFjv

— StilesSwitchBBQ (@StilesSwitchBBQ) January 16, 2019

Austin Strategic Mobility Plan

Check out the latest draft of the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan.  Do it now, as the city is taking comments and other feedback through tomorrow.

Food: Porterhouse Steaks

Porterhouse, Oscar Style

It is no secret I love a good steak.  Back in the Fall, over F1 weekend, a friend and I engaged in a long talk about the hilariousness that is the Big Texan Challenge.  For those who are unaware, this involves going to a steakhouse in Amarillo and eating a 72oz slab of beef along with sides.  Having recently driven through Amarillo, I can attest there are signs everywhere offering the chance to "win" a free steak (if you can't finish the steak and sides you lose the challenge pay $72; if you do finish the steak and sides within the hour the meal is free... but do you really "win"?).

Anyway, while sitting in the stands for the better part of a day I learned of said friend's attempt to beat the Big Texan Challenge.  He had been playing rugby at the time and was constantly hungry for protein.  I had been lifting weights for most of 2018 and was also constantly hungry for protein.  Thus, I indicated I thought I'd easily take down 72oz.  He was dubious about my levels of confidence, and thus challenged me to try the largest steak on the menu at ALC Steaks.

The largest steak ALC sells is the 30oz porterhouse (pictured above; at the time $50 but now $56).  In case you aren't a steak aficionado: the porterhouse is basically a larger version of the T-bone, which is a cut that includes a strip steak on one side and a tenderloin on the other (according to the USDA, the filet must be 1.25" thick).   We both ordered these, Oscar style (i.e., with lump crab and bernaise sauce on top). 

All I can tell you is that while it was delicious, there is no way of which I can currently conceive that I'll be eating 72oz of steak in one sitting (let alone the potato, shrimp, salad, and roll which come with the Big Texan).  It was a challenge to finish the 30oz porterhouse, though it was a great cut of beef, along with the crab and asparagus.  I don't think even a long ski or backpacking trip could make this possible.   Maybe you can (and if you want to try, there is of course an online guide for steak challenges). 

However... if you feel the need for 30oz of delicious prime beef while in Austin, the ALC porterhouse delivers size and flavor.   Another one of my favorite steakhouses, Bob's Steak and Chop, has a 28oz porterhouse on the menu.  I haven't tried it yet, but every steak I've had at Bob's (here and in Dallas) has been good (I'm partial to the "cote de beouf" bone-in ribeye).

As for Amarillo: why might you find yourself there?  If you aren't going there on purpose, you may find yourself in the area if you are driving to northern New Mexico, Colorado, or staying in the vicinity to enjoy Texas' own Palo Duro Canyon.

Food: Austin BBQ on Quora

Brisket and Sausage from Terry Black's 

If you know me, you know I enjoy delicious meats.  Back in November, I shared a few thoughts about Austin barbecue on Quora in response to the question: "what's is the best barbeque in Austin that isn't a food truck?" 

Creative Fund Trivia: January 2019

Dave Floyd Hosting Trivia

Creative Fund Trivia Night is back for 2019!  In addition to being an attorney and a Realtor, I also enjoy hosting live team trivia as well as helping to raise money for Austin artists.  

Join us on January 10th at Austin's Scoot Inn for a live team trivia fundraiser benefitting The Creative Fund.  As always, form teams of 4-6 to participate in 5 rounds of questioning and 1 round of picture puzzles.  Come with a team, or come alone and find a team to join.  

Tickets are $20 per person.  Moreover, there will be a raffle during the event.  Proceeds go to The Creative Fund and its efforts to help Austin's performing artists afford rental fees at local venues.  

Tickets are available now.  Buy early, and buy often.

2018 Recap

Dave Floyd at Monarch Mountain

2018 was a fun year for me.

In addition to a successful year with both Floyd Real Estate and Foskitt Law Office-Fee Attorney for Capstone Title I made it out of town a few times.   Vacation highlights included:

• Trip to Taos
• Including a hike to the top of Wheeler Peak
• Trip to Ft. Lauderdale
• Trip to Nashville
• Including lunch at the famous Prince's Hot Chicken Shack
• Trip to Big Bend National Park
• Trip to Salida, CO
• Skied at Monarch Mountain

[photos of some of these trips are on my Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/people/wdfloyd/]




Other highlights of the year included, but were not limited to:

• Stand-up comedy class and showcase performance
• You too can try this out at the Institution Theater in Austin
• Hosting six trivia nights
• Four were fundraisers for The Creative Fund, and one was a fundraiser for the Austin Sunshine Camps
• Taking the intro to blacksmithing class at Pioneer Farm
• I made a coal rake
• Watching the Formula 1 USGP out at COTA 

I may elaborate on some of the items listed above at some point in the future.  Until then:  Happy New Year!

November 2018 Austin Housing Market Statistics

Infographics courtesy of Austin Board of REALTORS®.  Visit www.abor.com/statsnovember18 for more information.  And, of course, contact Floyd Real Estate if you want to buy or sell property in the Austin area.