About Doreen Zelma, REALTOR

Doreen Zelma, Broker Associate, GRI, CLRA with Sky Realty, serving the Austin Round Rock MSA and Central Texas for 17 years.

Austin Real Estate News and Housing Market Insights

Austin Real Estate News from Doreen l Austin Realtor

AUSTIN, Texas —In June, closed listings across the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown MSA decreased 13.4% year-over-year with 2,732 sales.  That left 5 months of available inventory, the highest since 2011 according to the latest Central Texas Housing Report.  Active listings increased 25.9% year-over-year. The amount of homes for sale coupled with elevated mortgage rates has tempered the median sales price to $450,000, a 6.3% reduction over June 2023.
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Homebuyers hold the keys in this value-driven market

Austin housing market l Austin Texas real estate market l homebuyers l buyer's market l inventory growth

In any housing market, homebuyers ultimately determine value. Home prices go up in a strong seller’s market because the demand is high.  In a buyer’s market prices come down when the supply is high and the demand is low. The Austin housing market is very value-driven right now. The exact formula factoring in how price, condition, and location are weighted is up to the buyer in any market. What’s different about now? The other factor you need is motivation and the lack of it presents a unique situation for buyers and sellers. Continue reading

Austin Real Estate Trends: More Options Give Buyers an Edge

Austin Real Estate News from Doreen

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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Welcome to the MAYcember real estate market

maycember l spring real estate market l  home selling tips l home buying tips

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

Spring Austin Real Estate Market: Sales Bloom

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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Central Texas Short-Term Rental Maze: A Guide for Investors

Short Term Rentals in Central Texas l STRs Austin l Short-term rentals in Austin, TX l short-term rental l buying Austin STRs

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 Market Shifts: More Homes, Buyer Options

Austin Real Estate News

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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