About First Austin Properties

Bill Kochwelp, began his real estate career in Austin in 1982 after six years with IBM. During the 1980’s, he was a partner with First Austin Properties and then Strickland Fike Kochwelp & Blaine until he joined FFB Realty Corp. where he was responsible for liquidating Franklin Federal Bancorp’s real estate portfolio. He returned to the private sector in 1992 and reconsituted First Austin Properties.    With all his previous experiences, he is familiar with all property types and the different, complex situations found in all real estate transactions. Bill provides expertise in all areas of real estate while concentrating on mixed use developments and the representation of major homebuilders and single family developers in the assemblage and acquisition of new subdivisions. Bill is a memeber and past board member of both the Austin Commercial Real Estate Society and the Real Estate Council of Austin.

Dick Obenhaus, was first involved in real estate as a broker with Greenwood Harkins during the 1980′s until he became a consultant to the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) which ultimately led to being named the president of FFB Realty Corp., a wholly owned real estate subsidiary of Franklin Federal Bancorp. At FFB Realty Corp., he was responsible for directing the sale of over $1,000,000,000 in real estate nationwide. He returned to the private sector in 1994 as a partner with First Austin Properties where he concentrated on land and improved sales. In addition, Dick aligned himself with The Apartment Group as their Austin Partner. The Apartment Group, which was recently bought by Jones Lang LaSalle, specialized in the brokerage of institutional grade apartment complexes in Texas. Dick is a well respected figure in Austin’s real estate industry and a member of the Real Estate Council of Austin where he served on its Executive Committee for five years and held positions as Secretary and Vice President. Dick was also past President of the Austin Apartment Association and Regional Vice President of the National Apartment Association. He continues to concentrate on improved property sales, residential land and site location work for his clients, which include most of the major developers and buyers currently active in the Austin and surrounding area.

Dean Blaine began his real estate career in Austin in 1982 after six years with IBM. During the 1980’s, he served as managing partner with First Austin Properties and then Strickland Fike Kochwelp & Blaine where he enjoyed brokering several of Austin’s largest land transactions, and has personally brokered over $350,000,000 in properties during his thirty year real estate career. In 1994 Dean realigned himself with First Austin Properties as a partner and focused on single family developments as well as commercial properties.  He is currently overseeing the development and sales of home sites in Escondido at Horseshoe Bay, a 450 lot master planned golf course community.