Median home prices are currently sitting at $545,000 in Austin. Courtesy of Realty Austin

CultureMap Austin reports, "despite economic struggles, lack of housing availability, and affordability woes making up a majority of concerns with the Austin-Round Rock housing market, overall trends have improved through the first half of 2023. The latest Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) report details a need for more inventory to address rapid population growth.

"Despite a slight uptick in mortgage rates in June, the median sales price rose a modest 2.7 percent from May," said ABoR's housing economist Dr. Clare Losey. "Overall, the moderation in home prices throughout the region over the past year has eased the affordability constraint posed by higher rates, but more work needs to be done across the region and into the future to fully address this…

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Tri Pointe Homes broke ground on the 78-acre Park Central community in early July. TRI POINTE HOMES

Austin Business Journal reports, "Tri Pointe Homes Inc. broke ground earlier this month on its first Georgetown neighborhood, the developer announced July 12.

The neighborhood, called Park Central, will bring more than 400 single-family and attached homes to the fast-growing city north of Austin from Tri Pointe (NYSE: TPH), a national homebuilder that is one of the busiest in the region. While Tri Pointe's Austin division has jointly developed communities in Central Texas, Park Central will be the first community it self-develops on its own, Division President Bryan Havel said in an email.

Park Central is rising on 77.8 acres at Sam Houston Avenue and Bell Gin Road in southeast Georgetown. Homes will sit on 45- and 50-foot lots and range from…

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Realtor.com shares, "an FHA-approved condo is a property that can be purchased using FHA loans—or loans that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration. These FHA loans are for first-time homebuyers (or someone who hasn’t owned a home in the previous three years).

The fantastic news about FHA-approved condos is that these properties require lower down payments and have looser credit requirements than conventional loans. The not-so-great news is that FHA-approved condos may require homebuyers to jump through a few extra hoops.

So what requirements must these condominiums meet to be approved by the FHA? And where should you go to search for available properties?

What are FHA-approved condos?

FHA condos are simply residential…

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Realtor.com writes, "FHA versus conventional loan: If you need a mortgage to buy a house, you may find yourself weighing these two options. What’s the difference, and which one is right for you?

While the majority of homebuyers might assume they should get a conventional home loan, about 40% end up with FHA loans, which are insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

To help you decide whether an FHA or conventional loan is better for your circumstances, here’s more information about each, including their distinct advantages to you as a home buyer as well as what you’ll need to qualify (which may vary by lender).

Conventional loan requirements

Minimum down payment: 3% to 20%
Minimum credit score: 620
Maximum debt-to-income ratio: below…

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Savvy Development is developing a 24-acre site along Williams Drive that will bring multifamily, retail and restaurant space. (Courtesy Savvy Development)

CommunityImpact Austin writes, "Savvy Development, a new development company working in Williamson County, is spearheading its first project on Williams Drive in Georgetown.

The 24-acre site located at 4775 and 4795 Williams Drive will include multifamily housing, restaurant, retail and office space, said Travis Wilkes, Savvy Development co-founder and chief operating officer.


Diving in deeper

Wilkes said Savvy has owned the Williams Drive property for about a year and half.

During that time, the company sold 9 of its 24 acres to Georgetown real estate company Novak Brothers, which plans to build a 216-unit apartment community on the site, he said. Novak is scheduled to begin construction Oct. 28.

Additionally, Savvy sold one other piece of the…

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Three major Texas metro areas have the highest new home construction rates in the nation, with Austin right in No. 7. Photo by Josh Olalde on Unsplash

CultureMap Austin writes, "Austin already has one of the most active real estate development markets within the last decade and holds a top 10 rank for the most built-to-rent homes. Now, the Austin metro area has now earned another top 10 spot for the seventh-highest new home construction rate in 2023, according to a recent analysis by Chamber of Commerce.

The booming housing construction is just one way Austin is trying to keep up with its remarkable population growth.

The June 2023 edition of the "Cities with the Most New Homes" analysis discovered that despite new home permits being down over 20 percent year-over-year from 2022, the state capital's housing market is still on the rise.

"Numerous factors such as limited inventory in the…

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The apartments at Loop 337 and Independence Drive will be eligible for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development vouchers, according to the developer. (Sierra Martin/Community Impact)

CommunityImpact Austin reports, "the following three developments are under construction in New Braunfels, bringing more multifamily and retail spaces to market.

Equinox Townhomes

Construction is underway on a 122-unit townhome development on 10 acres next to the future site of Mission Hill Park along Independence Drive near West Hwy. 46. The developer, Grocapitus Investments, is producing them as two-, three- and four-bedroom rental units.

Space: 122 units; 1,032-1,425 square feet each

Timeline: spring 2023-TBD


The Devereaux Apartments

A new multifamily apartment complex is being constructed off of Loop 337 at 1661 Independence Drive, New Braunfels. Contractor Blazer Building said the apartments will be eligible for U.S. Department of Housing and…

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A 722-acre property on the west side of Lake Georgetown could become a luxury single-family development. SCREENSHOT OF CITY OF GEORGETOWN DOCUMENTS

Austin Business Journal reports, "a Wyoming-based developer is eyeing a 722-acre development in Georgetown that could bring 1,500 homes and a 15-acre resort hotel to the west side of Lake Georgetown.

While the project is still in its initial stages, representatives from Zovest Capital LLC on June 27 presented a proposal to the Georgetown City Council to support creating a municipal utility district for Lakeside Estates, which would be next to Santa Rita Ranch in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction. The Santa Rita Ranch neighborhood is still being built out, but it's already one of the biggest neighborhoods in Central Texas.

Zovest's development would add upscale single-family housing to what has been the fastest-growing city in the United…

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Screenshot of master plan for North Village, with 174 homes planned. MICHAEL WATKINS ARCHITECT LLC

Austin Business Journal reports, "a couple of Taylor residents aim to bring a new subdivision to life in their town that features a variety of housing types.

Taylor-based EVK Homes LLC — owned by married couple Geraldo Reyes, a Taylor native, and Elizabeth Krueger — hopes to build a 40-acre subdivision on the northern edge of the Williamson County city. It would add 174 homes in a city expected to see tremendous growth in the coming years, in part because of the massive factory that Samsung is building there.

The development, to be called North Village, would feature single-family homes, townhouses, cottages and fourplexes for purchase, Krueger said. Additionally, some single-family homes would come with one-bedroom accessory dwelling units…

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