21-03-2025
Austin real estate guru Charles Heimsath, 'consummate professional,' dies at 74
Charles Heimsath was the go-to guy for all things real estate in the Austin region.
Developers, builders, city leaders, urban planners, civic groups, journalists, lenders, landowners and others all relied on his vast expertise, trusted data and keen insights gleaned from decades of tracking the area's residential and commercial real estate markets. Those included the housing, retail, hotel and office sectors, and many waves of mixed-use and high-rise development, including downtown Austin's building boom during the past 25 years.
Heimsath, president of Austin-based real estate research firm Capitol Market Research, died March 10. He was 74.
His service is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 3003 Northland Drive.
Widely respected for his market knowledge, Heimsath also leaves a legacy in the civic realm: He gave generously of his time to organizations including the Downtown Austin Alliance, the Urban Land Institute and city task forces. He was a board member of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority for years.
"Charles loved Austin and was always willing to share his time and expertise to help Austin address challenges and problems that our region faced," said longtime friend and client Terry Mitchell, president of Austin-based Momark Development LLC. "He served on countless committees addressing Central Texas issues. He was always willing to give time to help Austin be better."
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David Armbrust, a prominent Austin land use attorney, said that Heimsath's analysis of real estate trends and the economy "was always spot on."
"Charles was a guy everyone in the real estate industry listened to," Armbrust said. "When Charles spoke, all eyes and ears took in every word and number that came from his computer."
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Heimsath had been battling cancer for some time, but he was declared "cancer free" in January, Mitchell said.
"We all thought he had turned the corner," Mitchell said. "He had had a stem cell transplant that was going well, but he was susceptible to disease as his body had to become strong again."
Heimsath developed pneumonia and went into MD Anderson Cancer Center, where doctors think he ultimately succumbed to a heart attack, Mitchell said.
Heimsath was a man of "impeccable" character, Mitchell added.
"He would not lie to anyone or mislead anyone," he said. "Charles was a person who I always knew would be completely honest with me — a person I could trust to say what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear."
While on the board of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, Heimsath "quickly became the 'numbers guy,'" Armbrust said.
"His questions and comments were always excellent and usually very insightful. I learned a lot from Charles as he analyzed reports, budgets and presentations regarding multimillion dollar highway projects," Armbrust said.
Armbrust said he ran into Heimsath about a month ago in a shoe store: "He was very excited about getting back in action after having spent many weeks in the hospital because of cancer. He was happy and proud that he had survived it, but I am sure it took a toll on him."
One of Heimsath's many clients was Austin-based Endeavor Real Estate Group, one of the Austin region's most prolific developers with a long list of successful, high-profile projects.
'My colleagues and I were very sad to hear of Charles's passing," said Chad Marsh, a managing principal with Endeavor. "He was a very kind person, a consummate professional and highly respected within the industry. He will be missed by everyone that knew him."
Heimsath attended the University of Texas, graduating in 1976 with a Master of Science in community and regional planning. He also held key roles at the Rice Center in Houston, and at an Austin appraisal firm, R. Robinson & Associates Inc.
Carl Stuart, whose weekly radio call-in show "Money Talk" has been broadcast locally for three decades, said he and Heimsath were friends for 40 years.
"We played tennis throughout our friendship. Naturally, we would talk about the real estate and financial markets when we played. When I would get real estate questions on 'Money Talk,' I would rely on Charles for his expert opinion," said Stuart, president of Carl Stuart Investment Advisor Inc.
"We often talked about our families. Charles cared deeply for his family and felt a personal sense of responsibility to help and encourage everyone," Stuart said.
Mitchell said Heimsath's marriage to wife Christy Heimsath was "a 40-plus year love affair."
"They traveled together a lot, shared meals with many friends, and loved creating family gatherings with his children and grandchildren," Mitchell said. "My wife and I were honored to be their friends."
In a Facebook post, son Charlie Heimsath said that "it's hard to imagine a world without his presence."
"He was a loving Father, Husband, Grandfather and a leader to many," Charlie Heimsath wrote. "He fought his cancer to the very end to remain here with us but his suffering has ended. We miss him perpetually, but the memories we shared with him will remain with us forever."
Along with family, faith was a significant part of Heimsath's life.
"He was in a men's group with eight other men for close to 20 years," Mitchell said. "He always saw the big, eternal picture and his faith led him in his work and relationships — serving others; loving others; helping others; lifting people up simply because it was the right thing to do."
Heimsath was committed to his faith until the end, friends said.
"He fully understood that life on this Earth is temporary, but your faith and actions here on earth dictate your eternity," Mitchell said. "As such, he lived well, following his faith."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Service set for longtime Austin real estate expert Charles Heimsath
