Luxe Austin Homes - first-time homebuyers

"Austin ranks among 20 best large U.S. cities for first-time homebuyers"

CultureMap Austin writes, "As Austin's real estate market slowly bounces back after several years of high housing prices, a new WalletHub analysis has revealed it is the 19th best large U.S. city for first-time homebuyers, and the No. 1 big city in Texas.

WalletHub's study ranked 300 U.S. cities across 22 metrics based on affordability, quality of life, and the status of each city's real estate market, including factors like active listings per capita, homeownership rates for millennials, and more. Cities were ranked overall and based on population size: Large cities with more than 300,000 residents; midsize cities with populations between 150,000-300,000 people; and small cities with fewer than 150,000 people.

Palm Bay, Florida ranked as the…

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"Shopping for a home? Texas city scores largest influx of new listings"

MYSA writes, "In the market for a new home? What better place than right here in Central Texas.

Two Texas cities ranked among the best in the nation for the largest price slashes within their respective housing markets, marking a real estate haven for first-time homebuyers and more experienced house hunters, according to a report from Realtor.com released on Monday, June 23. Both the South and the West led the way in the biggest cost cuts, with Phoenix ranking supreme with 31.3% of its Arizona home listings featuring a price cut.

Coming in second was Tampa with a 29.9% slash in home listing costs, with Denver trailing slightly behind at a 29.4% share of listings featuring reduced prices. In fourth place, Texas made its mark with the capital city,…

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"The price-cut picture is changing as home listings rise and buyers gain leverage"

Austin Business Journal shares, "After several years of strong sellers' markets, buyers are gaining leverage in a number of housing markets across the nation — and it's reflected in both home-listing and price-cut data.

That’s according to The Business Journals' recent hottest housing markets analysis of first-quarter housing data from Intercontinental Exchange.

Of the 8,936 ZIP codes analyzed by The Business Journals, 5,788 (or 64%) posted a year-over-year increase in home listings in the first quarter. Of those, 698 (or 7.8%) recorded an increase of at least 50%.

The data revealed home listings grew significantly in many pockets of the country, underscoring observations by some market watchers that the national residential real estate…

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"Central Texas city named No. 3 U.S. market for first-time homebuyers"

CultureMap Austin reports, "Central Texans who want to settle down in an up-and-coming, affordable city won't find a better place than Killeen, which just earned a coveted top-three spot in SmartAsset's 2025 rankings of the best housing markets for first-time homebuyers.

SmartAsset rated 180 of the largest U.S. metro areas based on relative affordability, housing inventory and demand, home pricing growth projections, and the relative population of residents in their 20s and 30s.

The South Texas border town of McAllen climbed through the ranks as the No. 1 best U.S. housing market for first-time homebuyers, while Killeen ranked third. Lawton, Oklahoma, wiggled between the two Texas cities in the top three.

This isn't the first time Killeen has…

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"Inventory of homes for sale in the Austin metro on the rise"

Austin Business Journal writes, "With housing inventory in the Austin metro on the rise, the region may be close to becoming a buyer’s market.

That’s according to the latest report from Unlock MLS, which found that the metro’s housing inventory reached 5.6 months in April, up 1.4 months from the same time last year and closing in on the six-month mark that's generally considered a balanced market. But with the inventory rising and a larger stock of more affordably priced homes, conditions could lead to a buyer’s market, or at least one that’s favorable for first-time buyers, said Clare Knapp, housing economist for Unlock MLS and the Austin Board of Realtors.

“If anything, it’s a good market for first-time buyers in the sense that they have a…

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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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"Share of first-time homebuyers hits record low as affordability challenges persist"

Austin Business Journal shares, "First-time buyers hit a record low share of the homebuying market last year, another sign that affordability continues to make homeownership out of reach for many.

Only 24% of homebuyers surveyed by the National Association of Realtors said they were purchasing a home for the first time — a substantial drop from the 32% who said the same the year prior. Meanwhile, baby boomers were the largest cohort of homebuyers last year, making up 42% of all homebuyers.

The survey took place in July and included buyers who purchased a primary residence between July 2023 and June 2024. Results were released earlier this week.

Rising home prices, high mortgage rates, limited supply and competition with all-cash buyers…

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"Elevated prices, interest rates will continue to curb housing affordability in 2025"

Austin Business Journal reports, "Homebuyers and sellers in the Austin metro likely will see little change in prices and inventory in 2025.

That's because median sales prices are likely to hover around the $450,000 mark reported in December 2024, and interest rates are expected to stay high, according to Clare Knapp, housing economist for the Austin Board of Realtors and Unlock MLS. It's a combination that's considered unaffordable for many first-time homebuyers, which means the onus is on homebuilders to build more homes with lower price tags to help move the needle on affordability in the metro.

A first-time homebuyer can typically afford to pay three times their income for a home, putting many in the market for a home in the $300,000 to $400,000…

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"First-time homebuyers flock to Williamson County"

In October, the most recent data available, the median sales price of a home in Williamson County clocked in at $420,000 compared to $510,000 in Travis County and $565,000 in the city of Austin, according to the Austin Board of Realtors’ and Unlock MLS’ latest market data.

While the more affordable inventory in Williamson County is attractive to first-time homebuyers, the job market fueled by employers such as Apple and Samsung is also a major driver of demand in the region.

Kent Redding, ABOR's 2024 president, said buyers are comparing the average sales price of a home in Austin to other areas of the metro and deciding they simply can’t afford a house in Austin — especially at a time when mortgage rates are elevated.

The average 30-year…

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"Building Boom Forecast for 2025: Number of Affordable New Homes Set To Soar, but Expect Them To Be Smaller"

Realtor.com writes, "Builders are working to fix America’s critical housing shortage—and while the number of new homes is expected to top 1.1 million in 2025, expect them to be built slightly smaller.

But, homebuyers can expect them to be more affordable, too, according to the Realtor.com® 2025 Housing Forecast. This is especially good news for first-time homebuyers, who might find new homes easier to access in areas that are growing.

New construction will help ease the housing shortage

In 2025, new-home sales and single-family housing starts are expected to improve compared with other types of homes. Builders plan to construct about 1.1 million homes, which is a 13.8% increase from 2024.

Builders are working to make homes more affordable,…

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