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Community Corner

🌱 Preliminary State Budget + Real Estate Cooling Off + Free Tax Prep

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Austin.

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Jessica Collins, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Hello, everybody! I hope your morning's kicked off on the right note! It's Jessica here with your Thursday edition of the Austin Daily, filled with all the local information you need to know right now. In today's issue, we'll cover:

  • Does Austin currently have a seller's market or a buyer's market? We've got the scoop on the latest real estate trends.
  • Pretty Woman: The Musical is in town this evening — and there's still tickets!
  • Things are heating up on the acquisition front for local tech titan National Instruments.

But first, today's weather:

Variable cloudiness. High: 67 Low: 46.

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Here are the top stories in Austin today:

1) Austin's housing market is continuing to cool off and shift in favor of buyers. The Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) released its latest monthly housing report, and the data shows that homes are now spending an average of two months on the market. KXAN reports: "Homes that sold in December [2022] spent an average of 73 days on the market, almost triple the average from a year ago. The average is the highest since March 2012 — almost 11 years ago — when homes took on average 83 days to sell." KXAN has an in-depth analysis of ABoR's report here.

2) Texas House and Senate leaders released the chamber's new preliminary state budget bill, which includes $15 billion for property tax relief, $1.8 billion for state employee pay raises and $4.6 billion for Operation Lone Star. According to The Texas Tribune, both proposals "appear to leave on the table more than $50 billion in available funds at a time when the state has a total of $188.2 billion in funds available for spending over the next cycle — including a historic $32.7 billion cash balance." The Texas Tribune has more coverage on the 1,000+ page proposals filed yesterday and where things stand with lawmakers – check it out.

3) Emerson Electric put in a $7.6 billion bid for local tech giant National Instruments. Days after I reported that National Instruments was exploring a sale, U.S. engineering and industrial software company Emerson Electric disclosed that it's been trying unsuccessfully to acquire the company for several months. WOW! Who knew we'd get soap opera-level drama from our local business news?! The Austin American-Statesman has more on this story here.

4) Central Texas pharmacies are struggling to keep children's medication in stock. Health officials expect medication demand to continue through cold and flu season (till May) and suggest that parents get comfortable asking the pharmacist about alternative options. KVUE reports: "Experts say some adult medication can be made into a child's dose, as there are ways to cut it, split it or mix it — but parents should never determine the correct dosage on their own and should ask a doctor of pharmacist about what they are administering to their child." Learn more here at KVUE.

Today in Austin:

  • (Kid-Friendly) Pajama Storytime at Austin Public Library, Windsor Park Branch. (6 p.m.)
  • Teen Music Lab: Mentoring Artists at Austin Public Library, Central Branch. (6 p.m.)
  • Moontower Comedy Presents: Sam Morril The Class Act Tour at The Paramount Theater. (6 p.m.)
  • TC Superstar: Tiny Texas Tour with Cloud Companion, Marxus Bell, and Flora & Fawna at Empire Garage. (7:30 p.m.)
  • Krum Bums with Peace Decay, Liberty & Justice and Nerve at Mohawk. (7:30 p.m.)
  • Learn to Swim (Tool Tribute) with Black Days (ATX Tribute to '90s Grunge) at Empire Control Room. (7:30 p.m.)
  • Pretty Woman: The Musical at Bass Concert Hall. (8 p.m.)
  • Campfire Comedy: A Storytelling Show at Buzz Mill. (8 p.m.)

Community Chatter:

  • 💰 Local winner: "ICYMI: Lottery officials say a winning Powerball ticket for Monday's drawing worth $1 million was sold at a Central Austin gas station." (CBS Austin via Facebook)
  • 🧾 Free tax services for Austinites: "As tax season approaches, Foundation Communities is opening up its free tax preparation services to Austin's low- to moderate-income residents. Prosper Tax Help is open seven days a week at six different locations throughout the Austin area. Services are provided by retired tax preparers and bookkeepers who are trained by the IRS." (Community Impact)
  • 🐶 Calling all pup parents: "Calling all dogs to drop by Metz Park, Saturday, March 11, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. for the 10th Annual Dog Extravaganza. Have a barking good time with your human with FREE games, treats and contests." (Austin Parks and Recreation Department - Families via Facebook)

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That's it for today. I'll see you soon!

— Jessica Collins

About me: Jessica is happy to call Austin her home for the past 10+ years. She loves the outdoors, arts & cinema, dining, and all of the natural beauty that Central Texas has to offer.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Austin Daily? Contact me at DowntownAustin@patch.com

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

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