AUSTIN, Texas —In May, closed listings across the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown MSA decreased 12.8% year-over-year with 2,968 sales. That left 4.9 months of available inventory, which hasn’t been seen in 13 years according to the latest Central Texas Housing Report. Active listings ticked up 37.7% year-over-year. Because of this increase in available options, buyers have the power to be more selective when purchasing a home.
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The MAYcember real estate market is here. Spring has arrived, but it doesn’t quite look or feel like it, at least not in Central Texas. I think Mother Nature is a bit confused this month. April showers are supposed to bring May flowers – but we had them early this year. Instead of stopping to smell the roses, we have to hustle. It’s Maycember, after all. This is the month when there is not enough time in the day like December, only without gifts at the end. Our plates are full with prom season, graduation, college move-out, end-of-school, wedding season, and for many the start of home buying and selling season. Continue reading
AUSTIN, Texas —In April, closed listings across the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown MSA increased 5.9% to 2,708 sales, the highest year-over-year increase in residential homes sold this year, while the median home price rose 1.1% to $469,998. The data demonstrates that there is a collective sense of confidence and optimism in the housing market among both homebuyers and sellers according to the latest Central Texas Housing Report.
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Not all investment properties are alike. I’ve had a few investors inquire about buying homes for short-term rentals or STR’s as they are commonly referred. Keep in mind the devil lives in the details even if he’s just staying for a few days. I wrote recently about building and how restrictions can be stacked between the city, HOA and the deed itself. Short term rental rules are stacked too, but with a slightly different set of blocks. Here’s a little insight into how short-term rentals work in Central Texas and why it’s not safe to assume anything.  Continue reading
Austin Real Estate News – In March, new home listings across the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown MSA jumped to 4,714 new listings, 10.2% more than March 2023, leading to multiple markets reaching four months of inventory, according to the latest Central Texas Housing Report. The data indicates that homeowners have confidence in their ability to sell their homes for good value while buyers now have a larger selection of home options, helping to keep price growth flat.
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The current home builders’ mindset is that if they build them, buyers will come. Building spec homes (based on speculation) can look like playing the lottery. Developers, along with builders, are rolling the dice that the demand will be there at today’s level of need (or greater) when the homes are complete.
While demand shapes Austin’s homebuilding trends, the existing inventory of developable land also influences what gets built. With land becoming increasingly scarce, maximizing housing density is a top priority. It’s the reason why condo regimes are common and why new homes are getting smaller. Continue reading
AUSTIN, Texas — The bluebonnets are popping along with the Austin real estate market. Spring is definitely in the air. In February across the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown MSA, new listings jumped 44.9% to 3,915 listings bringing the total months of inventory for the region to 3 months, up 0.1 months more than February 2023, according to the latest Central Texas Housing Market Report. The data indicates that more owners are ready to sell, giving buyers a broader range of home options to choose from–specifically first-time homebuyers. Continue reading