AUSTIN, Texas – The ownership of an East Austin home is on the line after the owner, Rudy Hipolito, signed away the property. But now he says he didn’t know what he was signing.

Advocates for that man say this behavior from land speculators is predatory and is ultimately changing the look and feel of East Austin.

“Today I can walk around and sometimes I find myself as a stranger in my own neighborhood,” said Gavino Fernandez Jr., of LULAC Austin.

The city’s east side is arguably one of the most affected communities by gentrification. It’s place where families rooted for generations are being pushed out.

Hipolito, who has autism, lives in a roughly 100-year-old home on East Cesar Chavez which once doubled as a barbershop.

“This was the only barbershop back in the day — you’re talking about the '50s and '60s — where everyone in the community congregated,” said Fernandez, who spoke to Spectrum News on behalf of Hipolito.

“When the neighborhood plans were adopted here in East Austin in the '90s, that’s when land zoning changed all these properties that allowed more density. Density means—in these areas—displacement. They’ll build a two-story condo here – knock it down or whatever – or a business. They’ll buy this and flip it for a million,” said Fernandez.

Mr. Hipolito's property is prime real estate but his ownership is now up in the air after advocates say he inadvertently signed over the property to land speculators, people that buy properties in hopes of turning them around for a profit.

His advocates say they’re going through the court system to invalidate that agreement.

“Our hope is that they’ll null and void the contract that they got him to sign and to give Rudy back his land rights, that way Rudy can go ahead and proceed to a sale,” said Fernandez.

To Fernandez, what happened to Hipolito is a symptom of a much bigger issue: a changing Austin that shows no signs of slowing down, and one that is leaving its minority residents behind.