The Westsider: field notes from the west side of Austin, by Diana Roberts
Cover story · No. 09 · October 2026
Rock solid. A head start, west of Austin.
Austin’s fault line has been quiet for about 20 million years, and it left the west side of Austin up on limestone. Why that gives a home a head start, and what I still check on every address.
By Diana Roberts · Austin Real Estate Advisor · Compass
All issues
Every issue. Newest first.
The 70-Page Report: How to Survive a Home Inspection in Austin
A good house can come back from inspection with a seventy-page report. What Austin inspection reports really say, what to repair and what to let go, and how to keep the deal together.
Austin’s Second Market: The Homes That Sell Before the Big Websites
The full Austin market is not on one website anymore. How private and Compass-first homes work, how to see them first, and what it means if you are buying or selling on the west side of Austin.
What Makes a Home Great, and Why It Doesn’t Have to Be New
A great home is defined by proportion, flow, light, function and a sense of place, not by its finishes or the year it was built. The qualities that make a house feel right can keep working for generations.