Luxe Austin Homes

"The Austin housing market just won't quit. It's an example of what's happening nationwide despite high prices and interest rates."

Business Insider writes, "just when some people thought the Austin, Texas, housing market was going to crash, it's starting to heat up again.

It could be a sign of relief for homeowners across the US — but bad news for hopeful buyers.

This sudden surge in Austin housing sales is a bit surprising. Not only were some experts predicting the downfall of the city's housing market just a few months ago, but interest rates have been back on the rise in 2024, reaching their highest level since December. However, Austin isn't the only city beating the odds; prices are still rising in 85% of US cities even though 91% of all homes are deemed "overvalued."

The inventory of houses for sale in Austin and the number of houses that sold both increased…

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"Retired NFL Star Derrick Johnson Puts His Lone Star State Home on the Market for $4 Million"

Robb Report shares, "Former Texas Longhorn and Kansas City Chief linebacker Derrick Johnson—known to his many fans simply as “DJ”—has officially hoisted his swanky estate in Austin’s exclusive Spanish Oaks gated community up for sale.

The founder and president of the Defend the Dream Foundation, which serves low-income and inner-city youth, acquired the modern residence back in 2018. Now, six years later, the place has returned to the market with a nearly $4 million ask.

Custom-built by Olson Defendorf in 2015, and designed by Geschke Group Architecture, the creamy stucco and brick structure features five bedrooms and five bathrooms in a little more than 5,400 square feet of multi-level living space boasting an office wing, a gym, movie theater…

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"The District mixed-use project moving forward even bigger than originally planned"

Austin Business Journal reports, "one of the region's most-anticipated projects is back on track — and much bigger than previously planned.

Eight years ago, Mark IV Capital, a Newport Beach, California-based commercial real estate firm, purchased a 66-acre plot near Interstate 35 and the State Highway 45 toll road for a project known as The District. But the plans subsequently stalled, mostly due to shifting market conditions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

Since then, the size of the project has more than doubled. The District is planned as a $500 million investment that will result in 3 million square feet of development and a minimum of 5,000 jobs at full buildout in 2039. Original plans called for 1 million square feet by 2039 and a…

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"Spa complex with mineral pools, cold plunges may come to Cedar Park"

Austin Business Journal shares, "a wellness company is planning an Austin-area spa destination as it wraps up work on its flagship project near Dallas.

WorldSprings wants to develop an 8-acre project in Cedar Park that could have more than 40 pools, including hot springs, a Dead Sea floating pool and cold plunges. It would be in the New Hope project along U.S. Highway 183A, a stretch of highway that includes rocket maker Firefly Aerospace Inc. and the future Nebraska Furniture Mart development.

Project representatives presented initial plans for the project during a Feb. 20 meeting of the Cedar Park Planning and Zoning Commission as part of a request for a special use permit for the site.

Representatives said during the meeting that the…

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"Related Cos. envisions high-rises in mixed-use hub along South Congress"

Austin Business Journal reports, "a New York-based real estate development firm is planning to transform a 6-acre site at the intersection of South Congress Avenue and West Riverside Drive with high-rise towers — the latest indication that Austin's downtown skyline is poised to expand across Lake Bird Lake.

The Related Cos. wants to establish a planned unit development with a maximum building height of 575 feet, or about 50 stories. The multitower project would include approximately 800 residential units, as well as a 225-room hotel, 200,000 square feet of office space, 90,000 square feet of retail space, 30,000 square feet of space for restaurants and a 25,000-square-foot grocery store, in addition to an underground parking garage, according to…

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"Austin's housing market is off to a strong start in 2024, says report"

Culturemap Austin shares, "homebuyers and sellers are starting to feel optimistic about the Austin-area housing market, according to a new report by the Austin Board of Realtors.

According to the latest analysis by Unlock MLS, which provides real estate data across the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metropolitan statistical area (MSA), bothpending and closed sales increased slightly in January compared to the previous year. 1,667 homes were sold last month, up 4.3 percent; There were also 2,480 pending sales, up 3.8 percent.

Median prices in the MSA dipped slightly year-over-year to $430,000. Unlock MLS and ABoR housing economist Clare Losey, Ph.D., shared that the recent decline in mortgage rates has allowed for lower home prices heading into…

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"Is a Mortgage Pre-Approval Letter Necessary to Make an Offer on a House?"

Realtor.com explains, "the short answer is no. However, if you want your offer to be taken seriously and to stand out from any competing bids, this little piece of paperwork can really give you the edge.

“While you do not ‘need’ a pre-approval letter from your lender in order for your offer to be accepted, I highly recommend all of my buyers present it,” says Denise Shur, a Realtor® with 1:1 Realty in San Jose, CA. In fact, “I do not look for homes with my buyers until they have a pre-approval letter from their lender. To me, it’s that important.”

What is mortgage pre-approval?

Basically, a mortgage pre-approval letter is a guarantee from a lender that it’s willing to finance your home purchase up to a certain dollar amount, based on…

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"Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth Tipped as Top U.S. Housing Markets for 2024, Texas Cities Bracing for Surge in Homebuying Interest"

Hoodline.com writes, "the sizzling property markets of Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth are tipped to be the nation's hottest in 2024, with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) planting them atop their forecast for burgeoning housing demand.

Amid a landscape punctuated by rising prices and competitive bidding wars, Texans in these metros might find themselves in an increasingly tight squeeze to land that dream home.

Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the NAR, paints a picture of a local housing market where mortgage rates, although not at their historic highs, continue to shape the playing field.

In an interview with NBC 5 DFW, Yun pointed out that as companies converge on Dallas-Fort Worth, bringing in a slew of new residents, the price tags…

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"Housing Starts Post Sharpest Drop Since April 2020"

Realtor.com reports, "The numbers: Construction of new U.S. homes fell 14.8% in January as home builders scaled back new projects.

The pace of construction slowed as builders curtailed their activity amid wintry weather in the U.S. in January.

Housing starts fell to a 1.33 million annual pace from 1.56 million in December, the government said Friday. That’s how many houses would be built over an entire year if construction took place at the same rate every month as it did in January.

Housing starts fell to the lowest level since August 2023.

The drop in January was the sharpest since April 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, when starts fell by nearly 27%. Not including that pandemic drop, housing starts fell by the most since 2015.

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"50 winners revealed for Austin Residential Real Estate Awards"

Austin Business Journal shares, "it's almost time to honor Central Texas' top-selling Realtors, along with superlative homebuilders and master-planned communities.

Austin Business Journal's 2024 Residential Real Estate Awards are scheduled for next month. The winners, listed below, will be recognized and rankings per category will be revealed at the annual event. Winning builders and neighborhoods will also be awarded based on judging by the ABJ.

Even as the Austin housing market normalizes from the high-flying days of the pandemic, Central Texas Realtors and builders have stayed busy and have plenty to celebrate. The March 21 luncheon will be held at the JW Marriott Austin. For more information or to secure tickets, go here.

Read about last…

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