2012 headlines

Forbes ranks Austin No. 1 best big city for jobs
Austin Business Journal (5/8/2012)
Forbes has ranked the Austin metropolitan statistical area No. 1 on its list of the best big cities for jobs…Read More

Austin has 3 Fortune 500 companies
Austin Business Journal (5/7/2012)
Three Austin area companies have been listed on the 2012 Fortune 500. Fortune on Monday released its annual list of the country’s largest 500 publicly traded companies by revenue…Read More

How brainy are Austin’s young adults?
Austin Business Journal (5/7/2012)
More than 28 percent of 18-to-34-year-olds in the Austin market hold bachelor’s degrees, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau figures…Read More

Texas No. 1 for private sector job growth over past decade
Austin Business Journal (5/3/2012)
Texas led the nation in the creation of private sector jobs in the past decade, The Business Journals' On Numbers reports…Read More

Luxury complex to break ground in NW Austin
Austin Business Journal (4/27/12)
Another luxury apartment complex is set to break ground in June in Northwest Austin…Read More

Foreclosure activity drops 51 percent
KUT (4/26/2012)
A report out this morning shows Austin is defying the national trend when it comes to home foreclosures…Read More

Austin makes gains in leisure and hospitality jobs
Austin Business Journal (4/25/12)
Nearly half of the nation’s 100 biggest metropolitan areas had more leisure and hospitality jobs in February 2012 than during the same month four years earlier, including Austin, which added 13,900…Read More

Study: Texas a top state for entrepreneurs
Austin Business Journal (4/23/12)
Texas is ranked No. 2 for having the best tax turf for entrepreneurs, Portfolio.com reports…Read More

Austin financial-activity jobs hold steady
Miami Herald (4/15/2012)
As 12 major metropolitan areas across the U.S. lost financial-activity jobs between February 2008 and February 2012, Austin held steady …Read More

In Austin, Texas, forget the music — cue the food!
Miami Herald (4/15/2012)
When Austin is in the spotlight, it’s usually because the thumping Austin City Limits Festival has set up shop in Zilker Park or the talent-heavy South by Southwest is in town. Lately, though Austin’s food culture is also growing in reputation…Read More

Austin is best U.S. city for small businesses
Austin Business Journal (4/13/2012)
The U.S. market that provides the best opportunities for small businesses to grow and prosper is Austin, which also finished first in On Numbers' rankings for 2011 and 2010…Read More

Austin no. 2 city to buy a home right now
Forbes (4/12/2012)
Buying a home is not a decision to be taken lightly. Personal finance gurus warn against purchasing unless you plan to keep it for a minimum of five years and, since the housing bubble burst, many say it’s best to buy only if it fits your lifestyle – not your investing portfolio…Read More

Audit ranks AISD among top performing districts in nation
Community Impact Newspaper (4/2/2012)
The Broad Foundation has endorsed Austin Independent School District as one of the highest-performing school districts in the country based on a rigorous review that is used to assess finalists for its annual $1 million Broad Prize for Urban Education. …Read More

Austin unemployment drops to 6.1 percent
Austin Business Journal (3/30/2012)
The unemployment rate for the Austin area dropped in February to 6.1 percent, down from 6.5 percent the month before, Workforce Solutions Capital Area reported Friday…Read More

Austin unemployment drops to 6.1%
Austin Business Journal (3/30/2012)
The unemployment rate for the Austin area dropped in February to 6.1 percent, down from 6.5 percent the month before, Workforce Solutions Capital Area reported Friday…Read More

Austin housing market on upswing, industry expert says
Austin American-Statesman (3/29/2012)
Thanks in part to healthy job growth, the Austin area's housing market is on the upswing, an industry expert said Wednesday. The optimistic local forecast from Eldon Rude also included encouraging signs for other metro areas around the country…Read More

How America’s wimpy recovery has shaped Austin, Texas
Time (3/28/2012)
In this week's cover story, Rana Foroohar and Bill Saporito write that "a lot of the investor money that flew from the U.S.to emerging markets over the past decade might start returning..." and that "Austin is absorbing some of that capital."…Read More

Report: Austin a top relocation city
Austin Business Journal (3/26/2012)
Austin is the No. 6 U.S. destination city to relocate, a report from U-Haul International Inc. shows. The report, titled "The 2011 Top 50 U.S. Destination Cities," ranks destinations for movers traveling more than 50 miles, U-Haul said in a statement. Data was compiled from more than 1.6 million U-Haul truck transactions in 2011…Read More

Rent.com finds top cities for wedded bliss
Rent.com (3/20/2012)
Austin is the perfect home to inspire creative couples. A thriving art scene is a great way to experience unique date nights and meet other couples…Read More

Austin No. 2 for tech startup jobs
Austin Business Journal (3/2/2012)
The No. 2 hotspot in the United States for technology startups is Austin, according to a list compiled by Payscale.com…Read More

Austin a top city for electric cars
Austin Business Journal (3/1/2012)
Austin is one of four cities recognized as an electric vehicle community by the Electric Drive Transportation Association. The Capital City was selected because it had the first charging station network completely powered by renewable energy through Austin Energy’s GreenChoice program…Read More

Housing market begins to favor sellers
Community Impact Newspaper (2/29/2012)
Low inventory buoys housing prices as experts see uptick in demand. As the housing market around the nation continues its slow mend, demand for residential real estate in Austin—particularly Northwest Austin—is through the roof, REALTORS® say….Read More

Austin named no. 5 barbeque city in the nation
Austin Business Journal (3/1/12)
A new list has placed Austin among the top in United States in barbecue rankings…Read More

Mueller set for quantum leap in growth this year
Austin American-Statesman (2/25/2012)
With its remake into a master-planned New Urbanist development about one-third complete, the Mueller community northeast of downtown is poised to take a quantum leap in its growth this year…Read More

Forecast: Austin job growth revs up in ‘12
Austin Business Journal (2/23/2012)
Economist Angelos Angelou shared “fantastic news” about a “continued recovery” for Austin with more than 800 professionals who attended his annual economic forecast event at the Austin Convention Center…Read More

Four Seasons Hotel Austin named a top hotel
Austin Business Journal (2/21/2012)
The Four Seasons Hotel Austin has been ranked among the top hotels in the nation by U.S. News & World Report…Read More

Ask an Agent: Is flipping a home worth it in Austin?
Austin American-Statesman (2/11/2012)
Five years ago, TV shows made flipping houses seem like fun. Those shows are still on and, from time to time, show up in Austin. Can flipping houses still work in our current economy…Read More

4 Austin communities among top master-planned in U.S.
Austin Business Journal (2/7/2012)
Four Austin-area master-planned communities have been ranked on John Burns Real Estate Consulting’s list of 50 Top-Selling U.S. Master Planned Communities for 2011…Read More

Austin No. 3 for most jobs gained since recession
Austin Business Journal (2/7/2012)
Austin is among 13 of the nation’s 100 biggest labor markets to have regained all of the jobs that were lost during the recession…Read More

Austin employees in love with their jobs, survey says
Austin Business Journal (2/8/2012)
A recent survey shows that Austin employees are more satisfied with their jobs than any other U.S. city…Read More

Austin featured in BBC Travel article
BBC Travel (2/8/2012)
Austin is a unique city, with hilly, green terrain and academic, creative and high tech sectors that make the Texas capital one of the most desirable places to live – in the state and in the country…Read More

SXSW Accelerator Invites Six Austin Startups to Compete
Austinist (1/31/2012)
The fourth annual SXSW Accelerator brought to you by Microsoft Bizspark is going down on March 12-14… Six Austin gems will be fighting for glory this year, in four of the six Categories… Read More

EPA: Austin No. 8 for Green Power
Austin Business Journal (2/3/2012)
Austin is the eighth-largest green power purchaser overall among 50 organizations ranked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership… Read More

Round Rock Ranked the 11th Safest U.S. City
Austin Business Journal (1/17/2012)
The city of Round Rock has been ranked one of the safest cities in the nation… Read More

Austin annual paychecks average $46k
Austin Business Journal (1/23/2012)
Austin is ranks 71st among 406 U.S. metropolitan areas for average annual salaries… Read More

Perryman: Austin economy will remain strong
Austin Business Journal (1/25/2012)
The Austin metropolitan area will remain one of the strongest performing areas in the nation in the coming years… Read More

Population of Austin area reaches 1.8 million
Austin Business Journal (1/18/2012)
Austin is ranked No. 34 on a list of most-populated metropolitan areas in the nation. As of Jan. 15, Austin had an estimated population of 1.8 million residents… Read More

Austin ranked ninth-fittest large city in U.S.
Austin Business Journal (1/10/2012)
Austin is the proud holder of another title touting residents’ health. According to MapMyFitness Inc. Austin is the ninth-fittest city in the country… Read More

Austin is Home to New Solar Panel Technology
Time Magazine (1/16/2012)
Many Austin residents are proud of the various green programs city leaders have invested in. HelioVolt is a local company founded by a native Texan that is turning a page in the solar energy industry… Read More

Austin among 10 cities ‘poised for greatness’ in 2012
Austin Business Journal (1/11/2012)
It’s not every day that a city makes a top 10 list…or is it? Austin is one of a small faction of cities to be collecting sought-after titles. This article details why Austin is “poised for greatness in 2012”… Read More

Austin no. 8 city for foreign real estate investors
Austin Buisness Journal (1/4/2012)
Austin’s value to foreign investors has increased since last year, according to a survey released by the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate. They are interested in a variety of properties including multifamily complexes …Read More