Red

Also, perhaps its just me, but 220/square seems a bit optimistic in east austin considering one can be around that ballpark in SOCO.

What I’m wondering is, how do these nicer houses stand up against the rest of the neighborhood?

Not just value but against the crime. I see houses right around this one with vandalism, what’s to keep this nicer (a bit too nice, almost intrusive) home from being terrorized by the rest of the neighborhood?

Please come by to check it out, just like the Original Mid Century Modern Ideals.

What they sold for are all over the place and easy to locate without going to the realtor. Granted, I have access to lots of info by working within the mortgage biz but there are articles, printed sales sheets, etc that were far from private. Each house price was advertised, blogs were written, there is public records, MLS records. Preconstruction prices vs current prices IS appreciation. But you certainly rarely ever see it continue to increase as Agave has. A builder can’t double pricing and sell if there is not supply and demand. Only demand enables pricing to double when the rest of the market is lowering pricing. Most subdivisions went down in pricing over last year…not double. So that argument…nopers. I hear ya, but it’s not what is beeing seen in real estate so this is a unique situation.
Their prices were not “lowered” at the inception because it took awhile to build at that time. I personally bought after the prices had gone up…I knew it would still take a year to build my home but I loved the place and if I went to the architect I loved and built it elsewhere it was still a year’s time frame (but away from other modernists) so that wasn’t a choice I wanted. Now that the homes only take half the time to build as they used to, prices haven’t gone up THEN. They were already up…so, no that wasn’t it either…that they “deserved” a lesser price because they waited a year or more. No.

I never once said that the prices are going to double next year. Or that what the pioneers had is comparable to comparisons today (I’m talking a year or two here in discussing equity increases. Why bring up Pioneers?? Apples? Oranges?) That’s not my argument. I simply pointed out that when home prices are lowering in so many places, doubling your value in a year means something quite nice is happening in your ‘hood.

And there is a buzz.

Which WAS my point.

In fact, home sales in agave are at the highest they’ve been since it’s inception this month.

So buzz factor…yeah. Me thinks.

We’ll check back next year and compare.

Or, if you’d prefer, 100-200 years from now so we can compare “what the pioneers paid” for what we have now and then what we have now to what they have in the future…oooo yeah.

I’m sorry. I kid.

I will not quibble with the fact that the earliest buyers under contract have a lot of paper equity. That tells me that Agave was a good, but speculative, investment for the very first Agaveites who chose to ride out all the construction challenges several years ago. As far as I’m concerned, anyone who gave 1.5 to 2 years of their lives waiting for their Agave home to be built deserves every penny of that upside.

The fact that the very first CasaBella has doubled from what the very first pioneers paid for it says nothing about how much additional upside potential there is for homes constructed today.

Nonetheless, I think the Agave Design series homes are an inexpensive option for anyone looking for modern in the under $300K price point.

Perhaps you and I learned math differently…but no matter how I add it, that’s double to me.

The VERY first buyers actually have seen their prices double. Not sure where you got your info, but check the CasaBella 1590 on the first one sold and the last one.

doubled.

perhaps it’s best you “price track” differently. I have MLS comps and title company info. I work at a mortgage company.

ANd I live in Agave so it matters to me.

Yet they are both within the realm of “modern art”.

Why push out one and say “the one I like best is THE way.” The ONLY way.

That’s like saying there is only one modern artist or one Renaissance artist.

Modern architecture or architects are no different. Just different “canvases”.

There are many modern art architects. Their styles can vary as much as an artist’s brush.

Or be as different as printmaking to oil.

yet…

they can all fall within the realm of modern architecture.

Why be so literal? So definitive? So “black and white and labled”?

That’s really the opposite of the entire modern movement.

Modern engineering is amazing.

Now of course, architects have a vast catalog of “modern” precedent to either expand on or reject.

These are the architects of Agave.

And just two corrections on what’s offered in Agave: they no longer have Ikea cabinets. They are actually more green-friendly and made by a designer who utilizes the rubber tree for production, and no stove in Agave is four burner. Even the standard oven is a double oven that is 5 burner and all stainless.

You could upgrade to the Jenn Air as Heather did (and her house IS gorgeous…the pics dont do justice) but either way you have an amazing oven… at least a 5 burner, double oven minimum.

Yes, the homes in Agave have doubled in price because of it’s buzz since the inception. You still have breathtaking views of downtown and are just 7 minutes away but have bamboo flooring, slate flooring, polished concrete w/aggregate flooring, stainless appliances, travertine shower surrounds with double head showers, silestone countertops, beautiful cabinetry, stucco….buzz creates value, perceived value increases pricing…it has.

I know for a fact I paid twice as much for our home as one by the same architect, same square footage that was built initially in Agave. And I still feel my home is worth FAR more than what we paid. I still feel we gained TREMENDOUS value and the things we received in our home and the quality of building exceeded all expectations.

things dont double in value in a year and a half for no reason.

especially when they continue to sell well. There were 6 Agave contracts written this month.

In spite of a slowing real estate market…people notice.

Probably, too, why Agave was recently awarded the Grand Prize via Dreyer’s National Contest for “Coolest US Neighborhood” which will award the entire neighborhood with a huge icecream party in September.

It was also a Chronicle pick for “Best Cubist Neighborhood”

anytime you create something different there will be lovers as strong as there are haters because it’s not neutral.

We live in Agave and sold a more expensive central Austin home that was increasing in equity 20% each year in order to do so.

We, too, agree our home is “freakishly beautiful” and perfect. And would NEVER go back.

I thank God every day at 5pm when I get to go home and, at 42, I’ve never done that before my entire life.

It’s a lifestyle. Everyone in Agave knows everyone in Agave. It’s community. It’s a commonality of a love of art, modern, being unique…

We consider ourselves blessed.

It’s like a car or new suit though: you can’t tell anyone “this is a style you have to have” you just have to see if it’s the perfect fit for you.

Agavites are vocal…because, for us, it REALLY is.