Port Aransas Real Estate

PORT ARANSAS, Texas - I must confess that I have been remiss in posting updates in recent weeks.  With that in mind, here are a few highlights:

• The Port Aransas real estate market performed far better than most last year.  Total 2009 sales were 8% below 2008 levels.  Many of the sales were in new developments such as Cinnamon Shore and Village Walk.
• Overall condo and home pricing appears to be flat, but that is in part due to numerous high-end properties that have somewhat skewed the average pricing numbers.
• Commercial and residential lot pricing continues to fall and in some cases has returned to 2003 levels.
• Local property management companies report early indicators of another very strong year for tourism and vacation rentals.
• Our Winter Texan friends are here in great numbers.  Unfortunately, we are in the midst of a typical "El Nino" Winter with wet conditions.  Alas, it will be hot and sunny in no time.
• In 2010 residents and visitors will enjoy the Port Aransas Nature Preserve that opened late last year.  The new Port Aransas Skate Park will be opening in a few weeks and will be a popular new addition to our community.
• The first big Spring Break Weekend is March 13th (only a few weeks away).

PORT ARANSAS, Texas – Cinnamon Shore on Mustang Island recently announced that construction of the “Susan Castor Collection Beach House” is now underway with completion expected in June 2010.  Once completed, the home will be open for public tours.

The team for the site selection, design of the home, construction, and landscaping has been collaborating since mid-July. The design professionals have spent countless hours striving to deliver fresh ideas and interesting features for a perfect beach home to be enjoyed by all ages. Now it is time for these ideas, inspirations and visions to become a reality. Furnishings will be provided by the Susan Castor Collection and her team of designers. “We are very excited about this wonderful opportunity to provide the public with the results of a total collaboration among design professionals on a challenging beachfront property in a master planned traditional seaside village.”

Cinnamon Shore is a 62 acre Master Planned Community featuring a pedestrian friendly lifestyle with sidewalks throughout, beautiful lakes, multiple parks, neighborhood pools,  2 Dune Crossovers accessing the beach and the upcoming Town Center featuring shops and restaurants all within a 5 minute walk from anywhere in the community!

When complete, Cinnamon Shore will have approximately 300 homes and condos. Home prices begin in the low $400's while condos will begin in the low $200's

Cinnamon Shore Street Scene

Cinnamon Shore Swimming Pool

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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PORT ARANSAS, Texas - The Annual Winter Texan / Snow Bird migration has begun.  RV Parks, condos and area homes are preparing for our seasonal guests.  Community leaders are hopeful that their marketing efforts will pay dividends this year.  

The Corpus Christi Caller Times features a story on the Port Aransas, Rockport and North Padre Island markets as they prepare for the Winter visitors.  The article is available here.

Photo George Gongora/Caller-Times

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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There is a great article in this weekend's edition of the LA Times that further illustrates how Texas is performing better than most in difficult economic times.

"Texas' population, the nation's second largest at about 25 million, is expected to be boosted this year by net inflows of at least 150,000 people from other states, said Karl Eschbach, the state demographer. Seniors are a growing part of that trend, lured by aggressive campaigns from state officials and developers."

Read the complete article here.

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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PORT ARANSAS, Texas - All the signs point to this being the best Summer Season in Port A.  Vacation rentals were at an all-time high.  In fact, July occupancy levels in Port Aransas were up 11% over last year.  Most local businesses beat record numbers from 2008.

There are a host of theories as to why Port A prospered this year.  It was likely a combination of factors that brought record numbers to our beach town.  In the coming weeks I will post details on vacation rental properties in Village Walk and Royal Sands.  Homes generated $30k to $50k+ in gross rental revenue.

Many long time visitors know that October, November and December are perfect in Port Aransas.  The weather is great, the crowds are smaller and you can claim a stretch of beach all for yourself.

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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In May 2008, before the demise of Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, AIG and a host of banks, I posted “Mustang Island Real Estate 101.” The article provided an overview of this coastal Texas real estate market.  At that time, much of the U.S. was already reeling while our market remained stable.  That is still largely the case in September 2009 as described in “Mustang Island Real Estate 101 Update.”

Photo by Mark Creighton

Mustang Island Real Estate 101 - Update

While much of the country continues to suffer through a difficult housing market, the Gulf Coast City of Port Aransas continues to be a popular choice for vacation and second home buyers. Most of the real estate buyers in Port Aransas call San Antonio, Austin, Houston or Dallas home.  Port Aransas has always been a mecca for Texans looking for a beach or fishing escape.  The secret is slowly getting out and coastal enthusiasts from across the nation are discovering Mustang Island.

The Texas economy has proven to be remarkably resilient.  Buyers from large and small inland Texas communities are the lifeblood of the Mustang Island real estate market.  Even those that once only considered Florida or other U.S. beach destinations are opting for Port Aransas and Mustang Island.

The town of Port Aransas (Port A as the locals call it) is the center of the Mustang Island community.  Mustang Island is an 18 mile barrier island running parallel to mainland Texas north of Padre Island, with Corpus Christi Bay to the West and the Gulf of Mexico to the East.  The northern end of the island is connected to the mainland by a ferry system run by the Texas Department of Transportation. The trip is free of charge and takes only three minutes to cross to the mainland.  On the southern end, the JFK Causeway connects the island with mainland Corpus Christi.

Because of this, Port Aransas is as accessible as it is beautiful.  With a life of its own and a lot of character, this peaceful beach community has miles and miles of unspoiled beaches lapped by gentle waves. Port Aransas is an area of immense natural beauty that (combined with the opportunity for a sound real estate investment) is becoming especially popular with Baby Boomers.  The island is perfect for people looking for a laid back coastal lifestyle different from the one offered by tall-and-glittering condominiums elsewhere in the U.S.  To many, Port Aransas is the kind of place described in a Jimmy Buffett song. 

The Port Aransas Housing Market

Texas housing markets are some of the most stable in the nation.  Because of this, the state has been able to avoid “the popping of the real estate bubble” which has been occurring in growing communities all over the country.  Texas homes have resisted the drastic downward trends in pricing suffered in other U.S. states.  Instead, many Texas communities are showing modest growth during a time of national economic malaise.

Port Aransas is one of these communities and offers some of the best value in coastal property in the U.S.  While much of the Gulf Coast is dotted with towering condos, Port Aransas is an attractive option for those looking for a more peaceful environment (or just a sound investment) in a beachfront home or condo.

Why is Port Aransas a growing community?  Part of the reason is that Mustang Island boasts a large portion of the total Texas coastline available for development. Of the 375 miles that make up the Texas coast, 293 miles are unavailable for development, 56 miles are fully developed, and 26 are available for development.  Many of those 26 miles lie on Mustang Island. 

Communities on Mustang Island

There are many planned communities built and being built on Mustang Island.  These range from modest condominiums and town homes to entire planned communities complete with marinas, golf courses, parks, shopping and restaurants.  The overall economy has slowed the construction starts for some of the planned projects, but many are moving forward with success.

Cinnamon Shore

Cinnamon Shore is a 64-acre planned community which began construction in the spring of 2007.  Upon completion, this master planned community will feature about 240 single-family homes, 275 housing units, and 1,100 feet of coast line.  The development is designed around the idea of beautiful architecture and pedestrian friendly streets, as well as having only a minimal impact on the environment around it.  Southern Living Magazine chose Cinnamon Shore as the location for their 2009 “Tarpon Run” Idea House.

Royal Sands

Established in 2003, Royal Sands is a 32 acre Mustang Island beachfront community consisting of 90 home sites.  The development features family and adult pools, birding ponds, protected dune areas and a beach walk over.  Royal Sands provides onsite management, security and maintenance support for vacation rentals.  2009 vacation rental revenues are well over 2008 levels.

Newport Beach and Golf

The Arnold Palmer Signature course opened in October 2008 and has already earned critical acclaim on a national level.  The Newport Beach and Golf master planned community is planned around the concept of a European port city.  At the heart of this community will be the Town Center Marina, surrounded by residential villages with luxury homes, hotels, shops, a marina, and waterfront cafes.   Three local builders will begin construction on Mediterranean style town homes in the coming months.

The Palmilla

Developers Koontz McCombs waterfront Palmilla resort will be situated on 30 acres of land and will consist of 94 home sites.  The community will feature a mile of bulkhead walkways, floating boat docks and a resort style pool.  Updated construction timelines have not been announced.

Village Walk

Village Walk, located in the heart of Port Aransas, consists of 98 homes and opened for occupancy in 2007.  This community is made up of coastal cottage style homes, with gated access, gulf views, pools and tropical landscaping, all only two minutes from the beach.  The second and final phase is underway.

Mustang Island Real Estate

The one area of the local market that has seen significant price erosion is in unimproved land and residential lots.  In fact, many price points have returned to 2004 levels.  A large inventory and slower sales have driven down prices.  It appears that most vacation and second home buyers prefer to purchase new and existing homes and condos rather than build.

The real estate market on Mustang Island is ever changing.  For updated information on these developments or to search the MLS network for all the current real estate listings visit Port Aransas MLS. 

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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PORT ARANSAS, Texas - In his August 30th blog post on Statesman.com, Kevin Robbins recounts "Six hours on 150 pretty special acres on the Gulf of Mexico."  The Newport Dunes Golf course has been receiving rave reviews since it opened last year.  A few excerpts of Kevin's blog are below:

I spent six hours on 150 pretty special acres on the Gulf of Mexico, at an American golf course as close to true links that I’ve seen since Bandon Dunes. Newport Dunes, a par-71 Arnold Palmer design on Mustang Island, opened a year ago to reviews favorable enough that I begged the newspaper for a travel assignment. 

It works as a novel experience for the newcomer to links golf and, I would suspect, it works as a more-than-serviceable replacement until the links connoisseur makes his annual pilgrimage to Machrihanish or Western Gailes. A lot of American courses attempt to borrow the links idea, in name or in style. Newport Dunes didn’t borrow anything. It had it to begin with.

Read - Newport Dunes: A glimmer of links golf on the coast of Texas

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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PORT ARANSAS, Texas - Perhaps you are back at work and daydreaming about "Starting a new life in the palm trees" as Jimmy Buffett puts it.  You hop online and start researching everything there is to know about condos and homes in Port Aransas.  Hopefully that is what lead you here.  

In the past ten days, I've written a series of posts to help provide an overview of "Vacation Home Ownership In Port Aransas."  Here they are in case you missed them:

• Why Port A?
• Condos And Homes
• What Are The Costs?
• The Big Picture

In this final post of the ten-day series, I'll point out some online information resources that are helpful for research and Doing Your Homework. 

I hope that you have bookmarked/saved the Port Aransas Real Estate Blog.  I try to provide useful information on local news, events and the real estate market.  I often hear from readers with follow up questions.  If I can offer any information, please feel free to post a comment, send an email or give me a call.

It was only a few years ago, that Port Aransas was not part of a Multiple Listing Service (MLS).  That has changed as more people get information online.  The enhanced MLS Search available at Texas Island Properties offers helpful features that make it easy to search, find and track condos, homes and lots.  Many users benefit from automated email alerts that they set up to notify them of new listings.

The Port Aransas South Jetty is the weekly newspaper that has been serving the community for decades.  The paper is published every Thursday and offers a wealth of local info.  Subscriptions are available for print and online versions.  And now, you can follow them on Twitter.

The City Of Port Aransas website provides information on City departments, facilities, ordinances and official notices.  The most popular pages are the Port A Ferry Cams that show the lines at the ferry landings.

The foremost online authority for Port A information is Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce website.  They offer a complete list of places to stay, eat, shop and have fun.  The Business Directory can be quite helpful to find local contacts for a variety of services.

About Port Aransas Realty - Established in 1986, Port Aransas Realty, Inc. has two locations and a team of 17 real estate professionals specializing in residential and commercial properties in the Port Aransas, Mustang and Padre Island, Texas markets.

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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PORT ARANSAS, Texas - While much of the country continues to suffer through a difficult housing market, the Gulf Coast City of Port Aransas continues to be a popular choice for vacation and second home buyers.  Most of the real estate buyers in "Port A" call San Antonio, Austin, Houston or Dallas home.

The Texas economy has proven to be remarkably resilient.  Buyers from large and small inland Texas communities are the lifeblood of the Mustang Island real estate market.  The trends in 2009 have seen some price decreases for condos and homes with residential lots being the only segment of the market to experience major pricing reductions. 

One option that makes vacation home ownership in Port Aransas quite attractive is the ability generate rental income when the property is not being enjoyed for personal use.  This has perhaps never been more true than this Summer Rental Season.  Port A has experienced record crowds as many Texans have apparently opted for "Staycations" rather than more elaborate trips out-of-state.  After Labor Day I will be posting details on rental income, but suffice it to say that some properties have seen gross rental revenue over $50k in 2009.

Renting out a second home is not for everybody and many prefer to keep their condo or home solely for personal use.  Port Aransas has zoning which creates quiet residential neighborhoods where vacation rental is not permitted.  However, much of Port A is zoned to allow vacation rentals for homes and condos.

Waterfront condos are always a popular option.  After all, when most people come to the coast they want a front row seat.  Mustang Island has a wide variety of condos that range from modest efficiencies to penthouse suites and everything in between.  As you move away from the water, the pricing generally declines.  There is a large selection with 288 condos currently on the market (MLS 8/16/09).

Port Royal Condominiums on Mustang Island (Prices start at $200k)

"I want a house on the beach" is a common statement for local Realtors to hear.  Often, that is how the dialog in a property search begins.  Another popular choice for waterfront homes are the luxurious canal front homes in Island Moorings which features a marina and is located adjacent to the Mustang Beach Airport.   Port A has a large number of homes that are located in beachfront developments that offer community pools and access to the beach with a boardwalk over the dunes (Royal Sands, Cinnamon Shore, etc).

An increasingly popular choice for homes in Port Aransas is a bit of a hybrid.  Developments such as Village Walk, Royal Palms and Twin Palms feature detached single-family homes and cottages in a zero lot line setting.  These properties typically offer amenities generally associated with homes (enclosed garage, fenced yard, etc) and include the benefits of community pools, palapas and other common elements.  Construction will begin in the coming weeks on another one of these developments when Sunrise Cottages gets underway on Tenth Street.

Village Walk Homes In Port Aransas (Prices start at $239k)

If you are trying to find your little piece of paradise, we are here to assist you.  Port Aransas Realty has two locations and a team of 17 professionals.  You may opt to begin your search by browsing the Port Aransas MLS.  Upcoming installments in this series will include information on insurance, financing and other commonly asked questions.  Stay Tuned!  If you missed it, check out Part One - Why Port A?  

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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PORT ARANSAS, Texas - I love my job.  Selling real estate is one thing, but showing people how they can enjoy a laid-back, island lifestyle that is only a few hours from home and a world away from life in the big city...well, that's the fun part.  Over the next couple of weeks there will be a series of posts that will seek to answer the FAQ of Vacation Home Ownership in Port Aransas.  

Part One asks a simple question "Why Port A?" The subtitle could also read something like "So you think you want a place on the beach and you can't decide between South Padre Island, Galveston or Port Aransas."  

The Texas Gulf Coast offers something for everyone.  Having grown up in Houston, I have been to Galveston on countless occasions and love the historical aspects of this majestic coastal city.  There are conflicting census numbers, but the population is somewhere near 60,000.  The Strand is a Texas treasure.  Galveston earned the legacy of being "The Texas Gulf Coast" a generation ago.  Galveston has much to offer and has rebounded from hurricane Ike.

South Padre Island (SPI) means beach vacation and spring break to many.  SPI is the Texas Riviera.  The offshore currents provide SPI with arguably the prettiest water on the Texas Coast.  Years ago SPI set out to be a full-scale travel destination.  The hotels and condos are frequently packed with visitors from the US and Mexico.  Like Port Aransas, the City of SPI has a small population that rapidly expands during tourist season.

Well of course, I am biased.  Port Aransas (Port A) is in my opinion the best little beach town in Texas.  On an almost weekly basis, I hear from someone that is visiting Port A for the first time in many years.  Port A has been a "sleepy little fishing village" and while that it still true, it is not as sleepy or as little as it once was.

If you haven't been to Port A in a few years, it has changed a little.  There is a new Arnold Palmer golf course and some new places to stay and even more great places for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  More importantly, what has not changed is that there is not a Starbucks, McDonald's, Walmart, Taco Bell or Red Lobster. Instead, Port A offers a great selection of "mom and pop" cafes, diners, restaurants and stores.

Located on Mustang Island, Port Aransas offers miles of unspoiled beaches with beautiful dunes and abundant wildlife.  If you are a regular visitor on this site, than you know quite a bit about Port A.  If not, stay tuned and you might also want to visit the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce.

There is a Texas beach town to accommodate every taste.  To many, Port A is the kind of place best described in a Jimmy Buffett song.  

The next installment will focus on Port Aransas condos and homes.

Thank you for visiting the Port Aransas real estate blog.

Keith McMullin – Broker/Realtor

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