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Austin named No. 25 best big city for first-time homebuyers right now
Jul 24, 2026 | 4:19 pm
Amber Heckler is CultureMap's Network Writer, reporting on events and lifestyle news across all CultureMap sites in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth.
A Dripping Springs native, Amber currently lives in Austin. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Multimedia from Abilene Christian University in 2019. She started her journalism career at NPR during college, and has won multiple awards for her radio and video news reporting from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, Hearst Foundation, and Society of Professional Journalists. Before joining CultureMap, she moderated top-40 news headlines and piloted new products for Google.
When she’s not writing, Amber can be found listening to a new audiobook. She’s an avid fan of F1, bookstores, and cocktail bars. She loves to hear (and give) recommendations on where to eat around Austin, as she hardly ever visits the same restaurant twice.
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