Luxe Austin Homes - for sale

"The best time for Austinites to list their home"

AXIOS Austin writes, "It's prime time to list homes in Austin, according to a new Zillow report.

Why it matters: Sellers who listed their homes in early spring last year made more money on the sale than at any other time of the year.

The big picture: The "best time to sell," per Zillow researchers, depends on where you live, and the season starts early in Austin.

• Across the U.S., homes listed late last May sold for 1.6% more — typically $5,600 — than any other time of year.
• San Jose, California; Seattle; and San Diego also saw price premiums in March, while late fall was prime time to sell in Tampa Bay and Phoenix.

Zoom in: Listing Austin-area homes in the second half of March boosted the final sale price by 2.3%, or about $10,400, on…

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"Homebuyers Face Less Stress as More Listings Hit the Market"

Realtor.com writes, "It’s spring home selling season, and there’s good news for buyers who may feel less pressure to commit to a home on the spot as more listing options are available.

The Realtor.com® weekly housing data showed that listing prices flattened even as new listings and active inventory growth continued. The data suggests that March home shoppers will have more options and a bit more time to evaluate those options this year versus last.

The Realtor.com forecast expects modestly higher home sales from the low 2024 bar as inventory recovery gives home shoppers more options and more market power. That mortgage rates are steady this year at a time when they surged last year will likely benefit spring shoppers and should encourage…

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"Home sales launch in massive Flora neighborhood in Hutto"

Austin Business Journal writes, "A sprawling master-planned community in Hutto is coming along as another homebuilder opens up sales within it.

Nevada-based Tri Pointe Homes, one of the busiest volume homebuilders in the metro, now has homes ready to purchase in the master-planned community, said Bryan Havel, Tri Pointe’s Austin division president. Work on Flora, an 835-acre project in Hutto developed by Precedent Land Company, began in March 2024.

Other homebuilders involved in the first phase of Flora, which Havel said is being built on about 50 acres, include Brightland Homes, Meritage Homes, Empire Communities, Perry Homes, Highland Homes and Westin Homes, according to Flora’s website. Of those, Westin is the only homebuilder not marketing…

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"Construction to gain steam at luxury Lake Travis master-planned community Thomas Ranch"

Austin Business Journal reports, "The expansive Thomas Ranch luxury housing development on Lake Travis has secured $106 million in financing for construction of infrastructure and initial homes in the master-planned community.

Thomas Ranch developers Areté Collective and the Wasatch Group will use the loan, underwritten by D.A. Davidson’s Development Finance Group, to complete roadwork, water and wastewater treatment plants and other infrastructure at the 2,200-acre development along State Highway 71 near Spicewood, according to a Dec. 3 announcement. The financing also will support construction of the first homes in Loraloma Private Club & Estates, a luxury enclave within Thomas Ranch where homes and homesites are now available.

At full…

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"Prices still at record levels even as existing-home sales tick up"

Key takeaways

• Existing-home sales in October 2024 rose 3.4 percent from the previous month and 2.9 percent from a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors — the metric’s first annual gain since 2021.
• The nationwide median sale price was $407,200, up 4 percent from last year and the highest October median on record.
• Inventory in October was at a 4.2-month supply — still tight, but a sign that buyers are gaining more bargaining power.

Bankrate.com writes, "The housing market suffered from sluggish sales again in October 2024, but sales volumes finally are looking up. And home prices remain near record highs, a new report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows.

The median home-sale price marked the highest…

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"Austin metro's hottest housing markets ranked"

Austin Business Journal shares, "Neighborhoods on the shores of Lake Travis, in Round Rock and in Driftwood are among the hottest housing markets in the Austin area.

That's according to The Business Journals' inaugural hottest housing markets ranking, which is based on third-quarter listing and sales data from Intercontinental Exchange Inc.

The ranking is intended to emphasize sales and pricing momentum in individual ZIP codes, using a weighted formula that includes quarterly and year-over-year comparisons. Only ZIP codes with complete data were included in the analysis. You can read more about the methodology at the bottom of this story.

Using those criteria, Austin’s 78726 ZIP code was found to have the most momentum in the metro. Located…

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"Housing market hits highest inventory since 2019 as sellers flood the market"

The New York Post writes, "The housing market is finally giving buyers some breathing room.

After two years of skyrocketing prices and shrinking inventory, the number of homes on the market just hit its highest level since 2019, sparking hope for frustrated buyers across the country.

In October alone, available homes surged 29.2% from last year, marking a full year of growth in listings, according to an analysis by Realtor.com.

Homeowners nationwide are throwing up “For Sale” signs in droves, especially in former pandemic hot spots like Austin, Memphis and Orlando.

These “boomtowns” are making a comeback in a big way, with Austin inventory jumping a staggering 40.1%, while Memphis and Orlando posted gains of 39.2% and 26.6% respectively.

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"Mortgage rates finally fell, but homebuyers still face a big problem"

Austin Business Journal writes, "The Federal Reserve may have cut interest rates last month, but homebuyers still face a challenge when assessing the current market for real estate: home prices.

Prices were up 5.9% in the third quarter this year over the same three-month period in 2023, according to data from Fannie Mae. While that increase is down from a 6.4% spike in the second quarter, it’s still a substantial jump for buyers who are looking for a home.

Mark Palim, Fannie Mae senior vice president and chief economist, said the “robust” growth is because of a lack of supply. Many current owners don’t want to sell their homes and give up the low interest rate they obtained earlier only to step into a high-interest rate environment.

“Even though…

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"Down Payments Are Dropping From Historic Highs—See How Much Homebuyers Can Save Today"

Realtor.com writes, "homebuyers might be relieved to hear that down payments are finally dropping from recent historic highs.

A new report by Realtor.com® shows that the median down payment homebuyers plunked down from July to September of 2024 was an average of 14.5%—or $30,300.

That’s a $2,400 savings from last quarter’s historic peak of $32,700 (14.9%).

So why are down payments dropping? Fewer homebuyers are out there, which gives those who do brave today’s market more leverage, according to Realtor.com senior economic research analyst Hannah Jones.

“The annual decline in down payments is the result of less buyer competition in the third quarter,” Jones says. “Easing demand and increasing inventory gave buyers more flexibility last…

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"Mortgage Rates Rise to 6.44%, Yet ‘Buyers May Be Feeling Ready To Act’"

Realtor.com shares, "Mortgage rates rose from 6.32% last week to 6.44% for a 30-year fixed home loan for the week ending Oct. 17, according to Freddie Mac.

“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased for the third consecutive week, moving closer to 6.5%,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in a statement. “In general, higher rates reflect the strength in the economy that is supportive of the housing market. But notably, as compared to a year ago, rates are more than one percentage point lower and potential homebuyers can stand to benefit, especially by shopping around for the best quote as rates can vary widely between mortgage lenders.”

This wasn’t exactly the news homebuyers were hoping for.

“While we expect the long-run trend…

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