Luxe Austin Homes

"Mortgage rates fall for the sixth week in a row"

Yahoo Finance reports, "mortgage rates dropped for the sixth straight week, but housing activity remained muted going into the holidays.

The rate for the average 30-year fixed mortgage slipped to 6.27% from 6.31% the week prior, according to  Freddie Mac . Rates have fallen more than three-quarters of a point since mid-November after the Federal Reserve signaled that it would slow its interest-rate hikes amid cooling inflation.

Still, rates remain 3 percentage points higher than they were at the start of the year, leaving many first-time buyers on the sidelines and sellers — who haven't pulled their listings — more willing to negotiate.

“Heading into the holidays, mortgage rates continued to move down,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief…

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"Buyers rejoice: Austin-area housing market ends streak of record-setting prices, sales"

Austin Business Journal reports, 'the median sales price of a home in the Austin-Round Rock metro was essentially unchanged in November from a year prior, the first time that's happened since February 2019, according to the Austin Board of Realtors.

The median price actually decreased, but just barely at 0.4%, to $467,955 — compared with $470,000 in November 2021, ABOR said Dec. 15. It's the latest sign of a cooling trend in the region's housing market, which is also seeing increased inventory and time spent on the market.

Ashley Jackson, an agent with Realty Austin and 2023 president-elect of ABOR, last month told Austin Business Journal there's hope the moderate adjustments are signs of a return to a more normal, seasonal market — as opposed…

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"Austin metro's home price is flat for the first time since 2019, report says"

Culturemap Austin writes, "The Austin housing market is normalizing, and for the first time since before the pandemic, metro home prices are not on the rise.

According to the Austin Board of Realtors' latest monthly report, November 2022 marked the first time since February 2019 that the median home price for the Austin-Round Rock metro area was flat. The metro's median registered at $467,955 last month, the same as November 2021, meaning 0 percent year-over-year growth.

At the same time, housing inventory nearly quadrupled from last year, to 3.1 months at the metro level, and the average time spent on the market grew to a whopping 58 days, leading to further market stabilization.

At the city level, Austin actually saw a drop in its median…

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"Mortgage Buydowns Are Making a Comeback"

Realtor.com writes, "Carley Chase found her dream home in Chandler, Ariz., this summer: a three-bedroom ranch, close to work, with a pool and a backyard lined with palm trees.

Soaring interest rates threatened to put it out of reach. Her lender suggested a temporary buydown that would lower her mortgage payment for the first three years.

“I don’t think I would have been able to afford it without the buydown,” Ms. Chase said.

Rising borrowing costs have dramatically increased the cost of buying a home this year, reviving interest in mortgage products like temporary buydowns that fell out of favor after the 2008 financial crisis.

Temporary buydowns offer steep but short-term savings on mortgage rates. Borrowers get a much lower rate in the…

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'Home Prices Just Hit a Turning Point After Nearly a Year, but Will Buyers Miss It Amid the Holidays?'

Realtor.com writes, "while many homebuyers might be taking a break from their house hunt to indulge in some eggnog and holiday cheer, the few stalwart home shoppers still out there right now have a fantastic opportunity on their hands.

Want proof? Home price growth fell to 9.5% for the week ending Dec. 10, down from 10.3% for the week ending Dec. 3. And that shift to single-digit growth is significant.

“This slowdown marks the first time in 49 weeks, nearly one year, that median home prices have advanced at a single-digit pace,” explains Realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale in her weekly analysis.

And it’s not just home price growth dropping as 2022 comes to a close: Mortgage interest rates also dipped for the fifth week in a row.

So…

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"New Lakeway street, residential development will be considered at Dec. 19 council meeting"

Community Impact repots, "preliminary plans for the development of a new street called Taranga Drive will be presented during Lakeway City Council’s Dec. 19 regular meeting.

The street is part of a 5.59-acre development being built by Houston-based general contractor RobRyan Custom Builders and is located at 507 Rupen Drive, Lakeway, according to city documents.

The submitted preliminary plan is to develop 10 residential lots and one drainage reserve lot, the city said.

In terms of traffic, the new development is expected to generate around 103 trips per day, according to the report.

The developer is also requesting City Council approve a fee in lieu in the amount of $45,000 to meet the parkland dedication and improvements requirements.

At the Dec. 19…

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"New 2,200-acre master-planned community with 'downtown village' on the horizon for Lake Travis"

CultureMap Austin reports, "a new master-planned community is set to take shape in the "wild hills" of Lake Travis. Thomas Ranch, announced December 5 by developer Areté Collective, is coming to Spicewood, with construction set to begin in 2023.

The 2,200-acre project will boast ample housing — approximately 3,500 units are planned — as well as a downtown village, expansive hiking and biking trails, and many other luxe amenities. Its website says "Thomas Ranch is a 2,200-acre master-planned community reimagined to appeal to a new kind of lifestyle."

“Areté is working to create a new frontier when it comes to Lake Travis living,” Rebecca Buchan, Areté Collective's CEO and co-founder, says in a release.

“Our vision for Thomas Ranch is that it…

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"CLD Realty proposes $8M retail complex in Austin ’burb"

TheRealDeal writes, "a retail center serving two master-planned communities is on the way in the Austin suburb of Buda.

CLD Realty has proposed building seven one-story buildings with retail and restaurant space on a 5.7-acre site at 2260 Main Street, the Austin Business Journal reported. Dubbed Corner on Main, the development is currently under review by the City of Buda.

The 48,000-square-foot complex would cost about $8 million, and construction is scheduled to begin in March next year.

“We are looking for neighborhood services that seek to take advantage of the tremendous growth in east Buda and the Sunfield community, Ryder Jeanes with CLD Realty, told the outlet in an email. He said the firm will consider tenants like restaurants and…

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"The 38 Essential Restaurants in Austin"

"Austin’s Eater 38 aims to provide a restaurant recommendation for any situation. This list covers the entire city, spanning numerous cuisines and budgets, and collectively satisfies every restaurant need, from taco trucks to finer dining spots. These are the restaurants and food trucks that truly define Austin."

Eater Guide: Austin’s Eater 38

Source: Eater Austin

Written by: Nadia Chaudhury

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Finally, Mortgage Rates and Home Prices Favor Buyers—but How Long Will This Last?

Realtor.com writes, "Christmas has arrived early for America’s homebuyers! And it’s not just one gift, but two that should make them giddy.

Gift No. 1: lower mortgage rates, which have been falling for the past four weeks.

“Housing data in the week that followed the Thanksgiving holiday showed that the recent dip in mortgage rates may already be having an impact,” explains Realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale in her weekly analysis.

Gift No. 2: Home price growth “slowed notably” for the week ending Dec. 3, according to Hale.

We unwrap the latest real estate statistics and what they mean for homebuyers and sellers in our weekly column “How’s the Housing Market This Week?”

Mortgage rates dipped again

Not too long ago, it had…

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