Austin-based Amherst Group will create a community in Lockhart made of pre-constructed homes, the company tells Axios.

Why it matters: The development, called Firefly, will add 145 homes to the growing town, which has boomed in recent years as Austin's rapid growth expands into surrounding communities.

The big picture: Amherst's initiative StudioBuilt constructs homes in its factory in Cuero, southeast of San Antonio. They're installed on a permanent foundation and meet the same building requirements as traditional site-built homes.

• Similar companies, like InstaBuilt and Kasita, have cropped up in recent years to create homes off-site and bring them to the Austin area.

Zoom in: Amherst officials say their construction process can help increase housing supply and remove barriers like weather and supply chain issues.

• The Lockhart homes will feature three or four bedrooms, with three floorplans, and cost $200,000-$300,000.
• "We consider Lockhart to be a bedroom community where prices are very affordable and we are very close to employment drivers, including the Tesla gigafactory," said David Schwarz, head of commercial real estate at Amherst.

Between the lines: Lockhart has been growing at a rapid clip since the pandemic, as local musicians, creatives and retirees were seeking a more affordable place to live.

Zoom out: Schwarz said the company has not yet built homes in Austin, since "there has been a tremendous amount of new supply of apartment units that is just now getting absorbed, so the bar is very high."

What's next: Construction has already begun on eight homes, and two homes have already been delivered to the Lockhart site at 2015 Applewood Drive.

• StudioBuilt officials say the first model unit will be complete and ready for public viewing in the next month, and full completion of the community is slated for 2026.

Amherst eyes Austin

While politicians slinging misleading claims may be somewhat routine, false claims about when or where to vote can disenfranchise voters, and lies about election fraud can diminish trust in results, researchers say.

With that in mind, we've compiled some expert tips on how to spot (and guard against) false or misleading election claims, so you don't get sucked in by the memes.

1. Reverse image search that photo. Claims of voter fraud or election malfeasance are often accompanied by alleged photo evidence.

• But if you run an image through Google's "search by image" function and see it used repeatedly in different contexts, that's a sign to dig deeper, Rachel Moran-Prestridge, a senior research scientist at Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington, tells Axios.

2. Don't take the ragebait. Beware posts that elicit strong emotions, positive or negative.

• "Anything that is trying to make it sound scandalous or exciting is probably not going to be true," Moran-Prestridge says.

3. Check other sources. State and county election officials' websites and social media accounts "are going to have accurate, trusted information," says Elizabeth Howard of the Brennan Center for Justice.

• The Artificial Intelligence Incident Database can help verify whether content is genuine or AI-generated, per the Brennan Center.

4. Be patient. Ballots can take several days to be counted as late-arriving mail-in ballots come in. That alone doesn't mean anything nefarious.

Go deeper: Why lying by politicians is generally legal

🌮 Citing "planned changes in the area," Torchy's Tacos is shutting down its 2801 Guadalupe St. location on Nov. 19. (Austin Business Journal 🔒)

• Austin has planned a light rail line to run on Guadalupe up to West 38th Street, a factor cited by Wheatsville in its decision to close its Guadalupe location by the end of 2026.

👻 10 Texas State students have been arrested for stealing Halloween decorations in Kyle. (Fox 7 Austin)

🍱 Umami St. Sushi and Donburi will open early next month in the H Mart food court on Lakeline Boulevard, replacing Momo Sushi, which closed in September. (Community Impact)

Move over, pumpkins.

Follow the money: Overall Halloween-related spending this year is expected to reach $11.6 billion nationally, per the National Retail Federation.

• And per-person spending has grown from $48.48 in 2005 to $103.63 in 2024.

What's next: Gothic velvets and silks, woodland scenes lifted from fantasy novels and gourds in shades of cream, brown or green are biting into traditional haunted home decor, experts say.

🚶‍♀️ Asher here.

Over the weekend my family and I took an an early evening stroll in the Barton Creek Greenbelt to Gus Fruh swimming hole.

Spoiler alert: There was no water in which to swim.

Check it out: The rope dangling from that tree in the photo above often floats above one of Austin's great swimming holes — but drought has left it bone dry.

• In the 2010 photo below, you can just make out a rope dangling from a tree in the background.

Yes, but: There were mini wild squash — at least, we think they were squash — growing out of the creek bed.

What we found: We took a couple home and tried them.

• Stick with H-E-B's.

What's next: Rain is in the forecast for several days starting today, with a 20% chance on Halloween night.