https://lorieblackrealestate.com/

Lorie Black, Realtor, GRI, 9600 Great Hills Trail Ste 150W, Austin, TX (2026)

09/25/2026

🏗️ **Dripping Springs is growing again — and this one is BIG.**

A new commercial development called **Headwaters East Commercial** is planned along U.S. 290 in Dripping Springs, bringing approximately **300,000 square feet of new retail space across 43 acres**.

Plans call for a mix of shopping, restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses, with construction currently expected to begin in 2027.

For residents, that could mean more places to shop, eat and spend time closer to home — and it's another indication of just how much investment continues to flow into the Dripping Springs area.

But I suspect this news may also bring some mixed feelings.

Part of what has made Dripping Springs so special for so long is its **small-town identity and Hill Country character**. As development continues along the 290 corridor, the challenge will be accommodating growth while protecting the qualities that attracted people to Dripping Springs in the first place.

From a real estate perspective, this is exactly why I think it's important to watch **more than home prices and new subdivisions**. Commercial development, roads, schools, infrastructure and population growth all play a role in how a community evolves — and ultimately in what it's like to live there.

So I'm curious, especially from my longtime Dripping Springs friends and residents:

**Is this the kind of growth Dripping Springs needs — or are you concerned about how quickly the area is changing?**

I'd genuinely love to hear your perspective.

09/24/2026

🏡 **Austin homebuyers, your window may be opening.**

According to a new Realtor.com® analysis, **September 27–October 3 is projected to be the best week to buy a home in 2026 — and Austin is one of the major metros where the local sweet spot lines up with the national one.**

For the Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos area, historical seasonal trends during this week show:

🔑 **22.1% more active listings** than an average week
👀 **42.6% less competition** compared with peak buyer demand
⏳ Homes spending about **26 more days on the market** than during the year's fastest-moving period
💰 Median listing prices about **6.6% below their seasonal peak**

What does that mean for buyers?

**More choices. More time to make decisions. And potentially more negotiating leverage.**

Mortgage rates are still an important part of the affordability equation, so this isn't about trying to perfectly “time” the market. It's about recognizing when several conditions may be working in a buyer's favor at the same time.

And here in Central Texas, that could make the next few weeks especially interesting.

If buying a home has been on your radar, this may be a good time to take another look at what's available and what your purchasing power looks like today.

📩 **Thinking about buying in Austin or Central Texas? Message me and let's talk about what opportunities are out there right now.**

09/15/2026

🏙️ **Real estate isn't just about what is being built. It's about how communities evolve.**

A recent KXAN report takes a closer look at **East Riverside** and how changes involving housing and mobility could affect the neighborhood — including questions surrounding public safety and the experience of residents.

It's an important conversation because Austin is continuing to grow and change at a remarkable pace.

And as a Realtor, I think it's important to look beyond the headlines.

When we're talking about new housing, redevelopment, transportation and increased density, we're also talking about:

🏡 The future of existing neighborhoods
🚶 How people move through their communities
🚗 Traffic and transportation
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Quality of life for residents
🚔 Public safety
📈 Long-term property and community values

Growth can create tremendous opportunity. But **good growth requires thoughtful planning and an understanding of how changes affect the people who already call a neighborhood home.**

That's one reason I believe staying informed about what's happening at the neighborhood level is so important — whether you're thinking about buying, selling, investing, or simply understanding the future of the place you call home.

Austin's story isn't just about *how much* we're growing.

**It's about what kind of communities we're creating as we grow.**

And that's a conversation worth paying attention to.

09/15/2026

⚡ **Austin is attracting another piece of the future.**

Austin's reputation as a hub for technology and innovation continues to expand — and now, advanced nuclear energy is becoming part of that story.

🇸🇪 Swedish advanced nuclear company **Blykalla** has opened a new U.S. technical hub in Austin, bringing engineering and reactor-development teams to the city as the company works to advance its small modular reactor technology.

What caught my attention isn't just the technology. It's what this represents for **Central Texas**.

Austin continues to attract companies working at the intersection of technology, energy, engineering and innovation — bringing new talent, new investment and new opportunities to our region.

We've talked about Austin's growth in technology, robotics, defense and AI. Now we can add **advanced nuclear energy** to that list.

These aren't just interesting headlines. They're pieces of a much bigger story about **where companies want to be, where talent is moving, and where future opportunities are being created.**

As a Central Texas Realtor, I love following these developments because understanding the forces shaping our region today helps us better understand **the communities we're building for tomorrow.**

**Austin isn't just growing. It's positioning itself for what comes next.** 🤘

09/13/2026

🏗️ **Another vote of confidence in Southwest Austin.**

Big things are happening in Oak Hill.

Cohen & Steers and Trademark Property Company have acquired **Oak Hill Plaza**, the 116,000-square-foot neighborhood shopping center at the intersection of **US 290 and SH 71**. And this isn't simply a change in ownership—the new owners have plans to **upgrade the property and its tenant mix**.

The timing is especially interesting.

The acquisition comes as the **$674 million Oak Hill Parkway project** reaches substantial completion, dramatically improving access and mobility through one of Southwest Austin's most important gateways to the Hill Country.

Oak Hill Plaza is already home to familiar names including Wells Fargo, Pluckers, Dollar Tree, AutoZone, Jim's Restaurant and The Picklr. The new ownership plans to create a more modern, inviting destination while bringing in additional local and regional retailers and restaurants.

📍 **Why does this matter for residential real estate?**

Commercial investment like this is one more indicator of the continued evolution of Southwest Austin. When infrastructure improves, businesses invest and retail offerings expand, it can make an already desirable area even more attractive to the people who live there.

**Oak Hill isn't just getting a new shopping center strategy—it's continuing to establish itself as an important gateway between Austin and the Texas Hill Country.**

I love watching these changes unfold across Central Texas, because they help tell the bigger story of **where our communities are headed next.**

And if you're considering buying or selling anywhere in **Austin or Central Texas**, understanding that bigger picture matters.

🏡 **Let's talk about what Central Texas is becoming—and where you want to be part of it.**

09/13/2026

❤️ **Happy Grandparents Day!**

Today we celebrate the grandparents who have given us so much — their wisdom, their stories, their traditions, and their unconditional love.

Grandparents have a special way of making a house feel like **home**. They create the traditions we remember, gather families around the table, and fill ordinary moments with memories that last a lifetime.

Whether you're fortunate enough to celebrate with your grandparents today, are honoring their memory, or are a grandparent creating new memories with your own grandchildren, I hope this day reminds you of just how meaningful **family and home** truly are.

🏡 Because ultimately, a home isn't about the walls around us.

**It's about the people and memories that make those walls matter.**

Happy Grandparents Day to all the grandparents who make life a little richer, a little wiser, and a whole lot more special. 💕

09/13/2026

🤖 **Austin continues to prove that innovation is part of its DNA.**

The University of Texas at Austin has been awarded a **$30 million National Science Foundation investment over five years** to establish a new Science and Technology Center focused on the future of robotics and human-robot interaction.

The research will explore how robots can safely and effectively work alongside people in everyday environments — from homes and hospitals to workplaces and assisted-living communities.

Even more exciting? The initiative brings together **39 researchers from six universities** along with major industry partners including NVIDIA, Google DeepMind, Amazon and Austin-founded robotics company Apptronik.

This is another example of the kind of investment, talent and innovation that continues to strengthen Austin's position as a national technology hub.

And from a real estate perspective, I think it's worth paying attention to the bigger picture:

**Where innovation grows, opportunity tends to follow.**

Research. Technology. Education. New companies. High-skilled jobs. Talent.

These are all important pieces of the long-term Central Texas growth story — and one of the reasons I love helping people understand not just *where* to buy, but **why a community is positioned for the future.**

Austin isn't just growing.

**It's helping build what's next.** 🤘

09/11/2026

🇺🇸 **Patriot Day — September 11**

Today, we pause to remember the nearly 3,000 innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001, and to honor the courage of the first responders, service members, and ordinary Americans who stepped forward in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

We remember the families who lost loved ones.
We remember the heroes who gave everything.
And we remember the extraordinary unity and compassion that emerged from one of our nation's darkest days.

May we never forget.

Today, let us honor their memory by cherishing our families, serving our communities, helping our neighbors, and appreciating the freedoms and opportunities we are fortunate to share.

**We remember. We honor. We will never forget.** 🇺🇸

09/10/2026

🏙️ **Austin just made Texas history — again.**

The Austin skyline has officially reached a new height.

**Waterline, the 74-story tower in downtown Austin, is now the tallest building in Texas at 1,025 feet.** It rises 23 feet higher than Houston’s JPMorgan Chase Tower and 185 feet above Austin’s previous tallest building, Sixth & Guadalupe.

But what makes Waterline especially interesting is that it isn't *just* a skyscraper.

The mixed-use development includes:
🏡 352 luxury apartment residences
💼 703,000 square feet of office space
🏨 252 hotel rooms
🌳 More than 3 acres near Waterloo Greenway and Lady Bird Lake
🚶 New connections between downtown, Rainey Street and the surrounding area

And construction was completed **two months ahead of schedule.**

To me, developments like Waterline tell a much bigger story about Austin. Our city isn't simply growing outward — **it's growing upward, becoming denser, more urban and increasingly attractive to people who want to live, work and experience everything Central Texas has to offer.**

As someone who specializes in real estate throughout **Austin and Central Texas**, I love watching this transformation unfold — and helping people find their place in it.

**Texas has a new tallest building. And Austin is still reaching higher. 🤠**

Lorie Black, Realtor, GRI

09/25/2026

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