AUSTIN, Texas—According to the latest Central Texas Housing Market Report released by the Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR), the Central Texas housing market continues to exhibit strength despite economic challenges and shrinking housing inventory. In September, home sales across the Austin-Round Rock MSA soared 31.5% year over year to 3,892 sales. Historically this time of year home sales are slower, but because of decreased activity during the shelter-in-place orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer selling season extended into September.
The market’s strength was evident across the five-county MSA as sales dollar volume jumped 51.7% to $1,779,067,529, and the median price rose 12.1% to $355,000. New listings increased 5.0% to 3,539 listings, and pending sales jumped 28.2% to 3,767. At the same time, active listings dropped 49.9% to 3,708 listings.
Austin Real Estate News
Home sales continue to rise outside the Austin City Limits
“The housing market is pumping billions of dollars into our region’s economy at a time it’s greatly needed, but we also need to be cognizant of the impact such rapid activity is having on record-low inventory levels and rising home prices,” Romeo Manzanilla, 2020 ABoR president said. “Austin’s suburban markets have historically offered housing stock at lower price points that created an opportunity for people when buying or renting inside Austin city limits was not an option. Now, these markets are showing the same gains in prices and declines in inventory as we’re used to seeing inside Austin, putting pressure on the market as a whole.”
Homes across the MSA spent an average of 37 days on the market, 14 fewer days than September 2019, and housing inventory decreased 1.3 months to 1.2 months of inventory.
City of Austin homes sales
Low levels of inventory in the city of Austin drove the median home price up 8.7% year over year to $415,500. Residential sales increased 20.7% to 1,248 sales, as sales dollar volume spiked 39.2% to $678,062,256. During the same period, new listings increased 16.4% to 1,273 listings, active listings decreased 24% to 1,390 listings, and pending sales increased 16.6% to 1,164 pending sales. Monthly housing inventory decreased 0.4 months year over year to 1.4 months of inventory.
Travis County
At the county level, residential sales increased 27.1% to 1,930 sales, while sales dollar volume jumped 50% to $1,081,018,324. The median price for residential homes increased 13.8% year over year to $420,000. During the same period, new listings increased 8.4% to 1,863 listings, while active listings declined 41.8% to 2,039 listings. At the same time, pending sales rose from 18.4% to 1,836 pending sales. Monthly housing inventory fell .9 months year over year to 1.3 months of inventory.
Hays County
September home sales spiked 50.3% to 487 sales, and sales dollar volume increased 78% to $184,817,195 in Hays County. The median price for homes increased by 15.1% to $310,000. During the same period, new listings jumped 40.6% to 485 listings, and active listings tumbled 43.1% to 558 listings. At the same time, pending sales increased by 42.9% to 480 pending sales. Housing inventory dropped by 1.5 months to 1.5 months of inventory.
For more information, and to download the September 2020 Central Texas Housing Market Report, visit here.