"Hays County home market values up 16% from 2022"

Community Impact reports, "the Hays Central Appraisal District released its preliminary appraised property values April 13 and began mailing out appraisal notices to Hays County residences April 18. The overall market value within Hays County increased by 24%, or $13.54 billion, from 2022.

The preliminary data indicates a 16.11% increase in residential market value across Hays County, or an estimated $111,000 increase from 2022.

The county also saw a 31% increase in the value of commercial and industrial properties from last year; multifamily residential saw a 28% increase compared to 2022.

More than 5,200 new homes were added to Hays County's appraisal roll for 2023, according to the report, as well as 26 new commercial buildings. There was an overall…

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"More inventory signals stabilizing Austin housing market, says latest report"

CultureMap Austin writes, "in what looks like signs of normalizing for both homebuyers and sellers, the Austin-Round Rock metro area now has three months’ worth of housing inventory with active listings soaring to over 8,000.

The latest housing market report from the Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) stated nearly 4,400 homes hit the market in March, which is a 6.6 percent year-over-year increase from last year. While pending and completed home sales in Austin decreased by about 19 and 25 percent, respectively, there was a spike in both new and active listings.

2023 ABoR president Ashley Jackson said in a press release that the past quarter has “ushered in a sweet spot for both buyers and sellers” exploring the current market.

“There are three…

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"Solana Ranch developer says 50K could eventually live in huge community near Jarrell"

Austin Business Journal writes, "when asked why his company was interested in building in Central Texas, DMB Development LLC CEO Brent Herrington rattled off a long list of reasons.

"Beyond the economic opportunity, we love that Central Texas is a place people feel drawn to for lifestyle reasons, a place people choose rather than settle for," Herrington said in an April 18 email. "I grew up in Texas and have a real appreciation for the unique, quirky culture of the greater Austin area. I love the natural beauty, the dynamic blend of people and cultures, the creative vibe, the live music scene, and, of course, the food."

That helps explain why his Arizona-based development firm aims to transform more than 7,000 acres near Jarrell, north of Austin…

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"Austin-Round Rock has the best housing market for growth and stability, new study says"

CultureMap Austin writes, "despite concerns about housing prices and availability in the state, a new study deemed six major Texas metropolitan areas some of the best housing markets in the nation for their growth and stability. And the Texas Capitol city took the No. 1 spot.

In SmartAsset’s report, Austin-Round Rock earned its best housing market title due to its eye-watering 354 percent home price increase since 1998, which is vastly greater than any other area in the country.

Considering Austin’s population has just about doubled in the last two decades, the housing market’s skyrocketing growth was inevitable. The relocation of several tech companies to the city surely didn't hurt. Even Austin’s apartment construction has the highest growth…

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"On the House: What First-Time Home Sellers Need To Know To Be Successful This Spring"

Q: What are some tips for homeowners who hope to sell their homes this spring?

Realtor.com shares, "this month, we’re mixing it up. Instead of focusing on first-time homebuyers, we’re going to shift our attention to first-time home sellers who are spiffing up their properties to list this spring or summer.

It’s not expected to be an easy housing market for anyone—buyers or sellers. The COVID-19 pandemic-era real estate frenzy, where just about every home seemed to sell in a bidding war over a single weekend, has mostly passed. Fewer buyers can afford to buy with mortgage interest rates so high, and those who can may not be able to afford to go as high anymore.

But sellers still have a pretty big advantage: There are many more shoppers…

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"Properties in Austin have skyrocketed in value over the last 25 years. Here are the top 10 US areas where house prices have grown."

• Property values in Austin have soared over the past 25 years, an analysis from SmartAsset found.
• The study analyzed average home value data in metro areas from 1998 to 2022.
• Texas dominated the top 10, with five of the top spots taken by areas in the state.

Business Insider reports, "home values in the Austin area have soared over the past 25 years. 

The Texas city snagged the top spot along with neighboring areas Round Rock and Georgetown in a recent study from SmartAsset. The financial technology company found property values in the metro area had jumped 354% since 1998. 

The study analyzed average home value data in 400 metro areas between 1998 and 2022, calculating collective increases to measure growth and drops in value…

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"Austin's apartment construction rate is the highest in the nation, says new report"

CultureMap Austin writes, "if you think new apartment buildings have been popping up nonstop all around the city within the last couple of years, you’d be right. The Austin-Round Rock metro area is experiencing one of the biggest apartment construction booms in the nation, in an effort to alleviate an ongoing affordability crisis.

But while increasing multi-family housing is solving part of the problem, long term it keeps homeownership out of arm’s reach for younger Americans. That’s according to a new report from apartment rental “matchmaker” and marketplace Apartment List.

Austin has spent decades building more housing for its residents, and 2022 saw the highest number – 18.3 – of new unit permits being issued per thousand residents. Austin’s…

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"Build It and They Will Come: 10 Surprising Cities Where New-Home Construction Is Booming"

Realtor.com writes, "where are America’s new homes?

That question keeps boiling up to the surface, as buyers grapple with the current state of the housing market. High prices and soaring mortgage rates are driving affordability into the dirt. And lurking at the center of all buyer challenges is one towering and inescapable bugaboo: the lack of available homes. It’s simple math. Fewer homes = increased competition, higher prices, and epic levels of frustration.

Last year, new-home construction permits for single-family dwellings declined by about 14% over the previous year—and it’s hardly a new trend. Since the 1990s, U.S. housing starts per 1,000 households have been about half of what they were for the preceding 30 years. The building slowdown…

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"Housing market cools in Lake Travis-Westlake"

Community Impact shares, "the housing market in the Lake Travis-Westlake area has cooled slightly, according to data from the Austin Board of Realtors' February report.

The median home price fell to $780,000 in February from $850,000 in January, a 5.9% decrease from February 2022.

Active listings in the area have increased from 565 in January to 643 in February, while listings spend more days on the market. On average, active listings were spending 87 days on the market in February compared to 74 days in January.

“Austin’s housing market is trending in the right direction,” ABoR President Ashley Jackson said. “Buyers have more options and negotiating power with each passing month, and sellers have more time to make their next move.”

Prior…

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"Austin home buyers have more power when it comes to inventory, report says"

Culturemap Austin writes, "confidence in the real estate market has grown since February, with buyers gaining more leverage through inventory increases across the Austin-Round Rock metro area, according to the latest monthly report from the Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR).

The report shows that housing inventory in February spent an average of 84 days on the market, a massive 55-day jump from February of 2022. The current median home price for the metro area is $436,419, a 12 percent drop from the previous year.

“Austin’s housing market is trending in the right direction. Buyers have more options and negotiating power with each passing month, and sellers have more time to make their next move,” said 2023 ABoR president Ashley Jackson in a press…

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