From accidental landlords to business closures, here are six of the top-read stories from Northwest Austin in 2025.

1. Housing market slowdown prompts trend of ‘accidental landlords’ in Austin
As the national real estate market shows signs of slowing, Unlock MLS data shows homes are generally spending more time on the market and home prices are coming back down in the Northwest Austin area on average.

For homeowners looking to sell, however, this has created a new trend in Austin, with more sellers turning to leasing as they wait for the market to bounce back, Dochen Realty Group Realtor Katie Dochen said.

2. Former hotel converted into affordable apartment complex in North Austin
A former Quality Inn hotel in North Austin has been converted into affordable studio apartments, announced by Pfluger Architects and SHIR Capital in July.

3. Factory Mattress closing all Austin locations after bankruptcy filing
Factory Mattress is closing its Austin-area locations, following the company filing for bankruptcy.

A recent burn ban for the unincorporated areas of Travis County—areas outside of any specific city—was recently extended to remain in effect until Feb. 10, according to a news release from the county.

The burn ban had been put into effect on Dec. 29 and originally was slated to end on Jan. 6, as previously reported by Community Impact.

The details: The burn ban was extended due to continuing dry conditions. The ban applies to outdoor burning in unincorporated areas of Travis County, but does not include prescribed burns, outdoor welding, cutting, grinding, or other hot work operations when conducted in accordance with the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office guidelines.

Travis County officials urge residents to:

• Use caution when grilling or barbecuing outdoors. Residents should keep a water source or fire extinguisher nearby when doing so.
• Avoid the use of leftover fireworks from the recent holiday. Even small fireworks can ignite dry vegetation and pose a wildfire risk.
• Call 911 if they notice a fire that may be out of control.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is moving forward with a $5 billion expansion aimed at easing congestion and improving the passenger experience. The project will add 32 new gates, including 26 tied to a new Concourse B, while Southwest Airlines plans to nearly double its presence at the airport with 18 additional gates and about 200 daily flights.

A closer look: As part of the expansion, Southwest will relocate its command center and open a pilot and flight attendant base, bringing roughly 2,000 new jobs by 2027. The airport is also building a six-gate Concourse M to provide flexibility during construction, schedule changes, delays and diverted flights.

Looking ahead: Additional projects include expanded parking, centralized TSA checkpoints and improvements to baggage handling, as well as ongoing efforts to extend Austin’s light rail to the airport. Officials say these projects will help ABIA handle growth while enhancing convenience for travelers.