Luxe Austin Homes

"Mortgage Demand From Homeowners Recovers as Applications Rise for the Second Week in a Row"

Realtor.com reports, "Home loan applications slightly ticked up 1.1% for the second week, but are trending lower than last week when overall applications increased 11%.

The latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey shows a 1.1% increase on mortgage loan application volume on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. The refinance index decreased 0.4% from the prior week but was 44% higher than the same week one year ago.

"The most notable change in this week's data was the increase in purchase applications, which jumped 2.3% on a weekly basis and were up 18% year over year," says Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com®. "The spring housing market is picking up, and…

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"Austin suburb buys downtown land as it aims to facilitate growth"

Austin Business Journal shares, "One of Austin's growing suburbs will purchase a one-acre parcel in its city center, continuing a wave of cities around the region taking control of land in their downtowns.

The Elgin City Council on May 6 unanimously gave the go-ahead to its economic development corporation to acquire a property at 403 Central Avenue, near the city's new police station. The EDC in February approved the $305,500 purchase from DLJ Holdings LLC. The property was valued for tax purposes at $153,000 in 2025, according to Bastrop County property records.

With the move, the city of Elgin — about 25 miles northeast of Austin with a population of around 12,000 — will acquire a key parcel on the fringes of the city's downtown, which is…

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"Gen Z's regret grows over generational housing divide"

Austin Business Journal writes, "High home prices and elevated interest rates have members of Generation Z worried about missing out on the dream of homeownership — or deeply regretting having taken the plunge.

According to the BMO Real Financial Progress Index, 54% of American renters envy people their age and younger who have purchased a home. It's a dynamic that's even stronger among Gen Zers, with 63% of those respondents saying they are envious of homeowners. The Gen Z share is second only to that of millennials, who are most likely to be envious, at 67%.

"The data show that owning a home remains a key component of the American dream, but with some obstacles still facing first-time homebuyers, younger generations worry they missed their…

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"Half of Texas homeowners don't know they can protest taxes, study says"

CultureMap Austin shares, "some people might be surprised to find out that their taxes are negotiable — at least when it comes to real estate. Specifically, 53 percent of Texas homeowners don't know they can protest their home's property tax evaluation, according to a study by Ownwell, a service that makes homeowners' cases for them.

Put simply, since homeowners are taxed on the assessed market value of their home, an over-appraisal by the local tax office can lead to paying too much in taxes. Homeowners in this situation can lower what they owe by telling tax appraisers what they believe the real value of the home is, and the two entities will negotiate to find an acceptable number. Appraisals reflect the value of the home on January 1 of that tax…

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"Here's how much Austinites spend renting instead of buying a home"

CultureMap Austin writes, "The affordability of homeownership seems to be a hot topic of 2025, and the cost difference between renting and buying a home in Austin adds up to more than $1,000 per month, according to a new housing cost analysis by SmartAsset.

The 2025 report, called "Renting vs. Buying: How Housing Costs Compare Across America," examined the median monthly homeownership and rent costs in 342 of the largest U.S. cities.

The study's findings revealed Austin homeowners spend a median $2,768 on their monthly housing costs, whereas renters spend about $1,764 in comparison.

Austin ranked No. 58 in the report's rankings of cities where homeownership is more expensive than renting.

This study compares median costs for each group of…

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"Exclusive: Country's elite scoop up memberships, real estate at this Austin surf club neighborhood"

Austin Business Journal writes, "Entrepreneurs, actors, sports figures and social media influencers are paddling proverbially to the private surf-and-condominium park that's rising down the road from Austin's airport — not far from Tesla's gigafactory.

Matthew McConaughey, Drew Brees and Tony Hawk are among those tied to the coveted 400 real estate or membership slots at the Austin Surf Club, according to documents obtained by the Austin Business Journal, as well as a review of public records.

Over the last six months, the ABJ has uncovered key details about the construction of the project at the former site of NLand Surf Park. Set to rise on the site is housing, a brewery and high-end amenities centered around multiple man-made surf basins.

…

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"Developers in East Austin work to remain agile in face of shifting market conditions"

Austin Business Journal shares, "East Austin is growing fast, but that growth may not include more office space after what's springing up is done.

A variety of topics related to development in East Austin — such as plans to pivot away from office construction, the region's attractiveness to businesses and new real estate projects, and what it could look like in the coming years — were tackled during a panel discussion at the East Austin Growth Summit that included developers and one of Austin’s go-to real estate attorneys.

One major discussion point was how to remain agile and adapt in an office market experiencing high levels of vacancy.

Austin’s office vacancy clocked in at an elevated 24.5% in the first quarter, according to commercial…

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"Major homebuilder Taylor Morrison enters multifamily market in Austin metro"

Austin Business Journal shares, "One of Austin’s busiest single-family homebuilders is diving into the multifamily market in Central Texas.

Arizona-based Taylor Morrison, the fourth-busiest homebuilder in Austin last year, is bringing its multifamily brand, Yardly, to Pflugerville, according to an announcement. The new development, called Yardly Kelly Lane, will have 175 apartment-style units that are elevated a bit from traditional apartments with features like private backyards.

And while Austin’s multifamily housing market is experiencing elevated vacancy rates, Darin Rowe, Yardly president, said the company views the project as a long-term investment in a market that will eventually normalize.

Yardly Kelly Lane will be built on an 11-acre…

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"A new deal-breaker is derailing some home sales"

Austin Business Journal writes, "Real estate agents are struggling to close on deals because of the surging cost of homeowners insurance.

That’s according to real estate firm Redfin Corp.'s 2025 Industry Survey, which found 47% of surveyed agents said they have encountered more issues with home insurance during a transaction over the past year compared to the year before it.  

Overall, 21% of agents said they had "significantly more" issues recently with homeowners insurance, such as clients having trouble getting affordable insurance or canceling a purchase because of homeowners insurance. About 26% said they had "somewhat more" issues while 35.7% said it was about the same as the year before. 

In California, about 50% said they had…

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"Caliterra in Dripping Springs breaks ground on second phase"

Austin Business Journal reports, "Caliterra, a 600-acre master-planned community in Dripping Springs, is growing.

Developer SR Capital Management broke ground this week on The Ranch at Calterra, a $40 million expansion of the community at 26025 Ranch Road 12, according to an announcement. The new development phase will add more than 200 homes and home sites.

Caliterra’s original plans called for 616 homes, of which 575 have been built. Counting 232 more attributable to The Ranch, Caliterra’s total eventually will come to 848.

The homes at The Ranch, from builders David Weekly Homes, Drees Homes and Scott Felder Homes, will range from 3,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet and will be built on 80- and 100-foot lots. They will start in the…

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