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Villa's first Austin tiny homes will be completed by next summer. (Villa)
Calling all Austin millennials—your fight with Austin's dog-eat-dog real estate market could be coming to a close as San Francisco-based tiny home manufacturer Villa, also known as Natomas Labs Inc., is expanding in Austin.
Drawn in by the city's growing need for affordable housing, Villa began its Austin expansion in July, as the first city the company is building in outside of California. The expansion is already underway—a vendor manager has been hired and the company said it is hiring for sales and other roles.
The company develops accessory dwelling units, which are small but independent residential dwellings on the same lot as a stand-alone home; they are small enough to fit in a backyard. The homes are made in local factories and installed onsite, which officials said help reduce cost.
Villa homes come in one, two and three-bedroom options from 440 to 1,200 square feet. Starting at $159,000 for one-bedroom, $239,000 for two and $289,000 for three, each figure factors in permits, foundation, utility setup and other costs.
(Villa)
Austin was chosen out of 100 total markets, with emphasis on population growth, home appreciation, income, zoning restrictions and housing demand. The company has seen a "profound" need in California—the units have a variety of uses: a home for relatives, a replacement for a retirement home or dorms, or a home office.
The company was searching for markets that need more lodging options—a strong need in a city like Austin, where the median rent is around $1,539.
Austin City Council relaxed regulations for ADUs back in 2015, reducing minimum lot sizes, removing parking requirements and capping unit size. Still, ADU's are not permitted in SF-2 zoned areas, which characterize single-family units.
The company expects the first units to be completed in Austin by next summer.
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Giga Texas grabbed attention during Tesla's Q4 earnings call. The Austin factory is seen as pivotal to the company's growth going forward. (Tesla)
Phase 1 of Giga Texas appears to be tied up as production of the Model Y Tesla is underway, the electric car company revealed on Wednesday in its fourth-quarter earnings call. The factory, located on the former Harold Green-turned Tesla Road, sits on more than 2,000 acres of land in southeast Travis County.
Here's a glimpse inside the factory.
(Tesla)
Model Ys will be the first Teslas to come out of Giga Texas with an estimated delivery of August. The wait estimate comes after Tesla noted supply chain issues have affected their factories, which have been running below capacity for several quarters. A deep blue metallic like this goes for $1,000 more than a white or silver Model Y, totaling $61,990.
Model Ys began being produced at Giga Texas at the end of 2020. In general assembly at the factory, the Teslas get their major interior components to finish the vehicle.
(Tesla)
Workers at Austin's Gigafactory are attaching seats to a structural battery pack. It's been described by some as the biggest difference between Texas-made Model Y's and the current version at the Fremont, California factory. It shouldn't have a major impact on the owner's experience, but Tesla has updated instructions for the jacking procedure, as the lift points are different.
With a sleek, open office setup, workers can take in a view of the factory from their seats. It's a component CEO Elon Musk wanted for what is now the headquarters of Tesla.
With Snapchat's maps, anyone can look at everyday activity happening at the factory. To view these geographically-linked stories, click the bottom left "map" icon and search "Tesla Giga Texas." Once you've found it, you can view the Snapchat story of those in and around the facility. While most stories stay up for only 24 hours, Giga Texas is a designated place on Snapchat, allowing users to view a collection of photos and videos from the inside.
Following Model Ys, Texas-made Teslas will include the Cybertruck, Semi and Model 3. But it might be a while before those other models arrive. EV makers have been hit hard by the chip shortage, and it's thought that changing features are contributing to Cybertruck delays as Tesla works to compete in the electric pickup market.
Joe Rogan paid a visit to buddy Elon Musk this week. The two have been seen around town since both moving to Texas. Naturally, Rogan was impressed with the prototype.
If you're dying to get a closer look at this factory, you just might get to. In December, Musk said the factory would have tours available to the community early this year.
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