If you’re buying, selling, or adding on to a home in Austin, impervious cover limits are one of the most consequential — and misunderstood — zoning rules you’ll face. And open-air garages, carports, and porte-cochères are frequently the culprit behind unexpected compliance headaches.

Most people assume that if a structure doesn’t have four walls, it doesn’t count toward their lot’s impervious cover total. Unfortunately, that assumption is wrong — and it can derail a renovation permit, kill an ADU addition, or complicate a real estate transaction at the worst possible moment. Here’s what every Austin homeowner and buyer needs to know.

Lender Required Repairs in Texas: Why These Are Different | Adam Timothy Group Buyers & Sellers • Texas Real Estate Lender Required Repairs: Why These

Zillow and Compass reached a resolution this week. Compass dropped its lawsuit. Zillow agreed to stop penalizing agents who market listings on Compass.com and Redfin.com before syndicating everywhere else. The industry took notice. Most buyers and sellers didn’t — and honestly, they shouldn’t have had to.

More inventory. More negotiating room. Real programs that can get you in the door. Here’s what the data actually says — and how to use it.

The market moves fast, the stakes are high, and the process feels unfamiliar. But buying your first home in Austin is more achievable—and more learnable—than it looks from the outside.