Luxe Austin Homes - housing

"'The market is active and resilient': Austin area sees uptick in home sales"

Austin American-Statesman writes, "Resilient.

That's the status of the Austin-area housing market as of August, when it saw its first year-over-year increase in home sales since early 2022, the Austin Board of Realtors says.

In its latest monthly report, the board said 2,939 houses changed hands last month in the five-county Austin region, which extends from Georgetown to San Marcos.

The sales represented a 1.4% increase over August 2022. It was the first increase in sales in the Austin region since February 2022, before repeated interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve to ease inflation began sharply slowing home sales throughout Central Texas.

Across the Austin-Round Rock metro area, half of the houses last month sold for more than…

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"August home prices, sales vary in Lake Travis, Westlake area"

Community Impact Austin reports, "the median home price in August for the majority of Lake Travis/Westlake homes is down year over year, according to data from the Austin Board of Realtors. Homes in the 78733 ZIP code saw the biggest drop with median home prices decreasing by nearly 57%.

Prices did increase in some ZIP codes, however. The median price of homes sold in 78735 was $1.2 million, nearly 50% higher than last year. Median home prices in 78746 also reached $2.7 million, the highest in the market. 

The number of home sales are also down year over year, with sales in 78735 dropping 43%, the highest in the market. There were some jumps, however; in 78733, home sales increased by 350%, the highest in the market.

Overall, homes stayed on…

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"Pearlstone envisions denser Austin, forges ahead with $700M in urban housing"

Austin Business Journal writes, "amid a year of muted activity for commercial real estate development, Pearlstone Partners LLC is betting big on the continued allure of Austin — it has three new projects up its sleeve that could total about $700 million in construction costs. That's on top of Robert Lee and his team forging ahead on three under-construction projects expected to deliver from early 2024 through 2025.

The Austin-based company just unveiled details on three multifamily communities planned to rise on prime sites, spread from Rainey Street to the northwest side of the Central Business District. All three are still in the investment phase, meaning they may not deliver for a few years.

Demand for housing has slowed across the board in…

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"Oracle could expand Austin HQ campus with additional offices, hotel"

Austin Business Journal writes, "Oracle Corp. seems about ready to move forward with long-term plans to expand its headquarters campus near downtown Austin.

The software giant in late August filed documents with the city of Austin outlining plans to add a third office building, measuring 287,510 square feet, to the site it owns off East Riverside Drive. It could also build a 255-room hotel.

The growth will be to the west of Oracle's (NYSE: ORCL) existing office buildings, which measure nearly 1 million square feet combined. The company wants to modify a planned unit development, or PUD, that governs the area's zoning by adding a more than two-acre tract bordering Tinnin Ford Road. The tract is home to the former Town Lake Village Condos, which…

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"Signed Contracts for U.S. Homes Rise for the Second Month in a Row"

Realtor.com reports, "the numbers: U.S. home sales inched up for the second month in a row, as the housing market continues to be hampered by high rates and a lack of home listings.

Pending home sales rose by 0.9% in July from the previous month, according to the monthly index released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.

The figure exceeded expectations on Wall Street. Economists were expecting pending home sales to fall 0.5% in July.

Transactions were still down 14% from last year.

Pending home sales reflect transactions where the contract has been signed for the sale of an existing home, but the sale has not yet closed. Economists view it as an indicator for the direction of existing-home sales in subsequent months.

Big…

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"Austin is home to the 8th most attractive U.S. housing market, new report says"

CultureMap Austin writes, "when it comes to places to buy a house, Austin still remains near the top of the list. So says WalletHub's highly anticipated 2023 report on the best real estate markets in the U.S.

The new study by the personal finance website, released August 22, names Austin the No. 8 most attractive real estate market in the country. The state capital joins a host of other Texas cities within the top 10.

Texas housing markets have dominated WalletHub's report throughout the years, showing resilience as other markets rise and fall. Austin and its Central Texas neighbors have been at the top in similar reports, but the city has slid in WalletHub's 2023 report after ranking No. 4 in the 2022 edition and No. 2 in 2021.

With a great…

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"Austin Is The New Austin"

National Mortgage Professional writes, "there’s no such thing as a perfect housing market, but Austin is trying to check off all the boxes for would-be buyers. Young and savvy tech professionals are flocking to the funky metro known for its music scene to scoop up jobs and take the plunge into homeownership.

Since Austin is attracting new buyers and transforming long-term renters into prospective homeowners, LOs aren’t having trouble wrangling customers to buy loans. And it helps that 25.8% of homes in Austin have lower estimated monthly housing payments than they would have if they had been for sale a year ago, according to Redfin. Year-to-date home sales price data from the Austin Board of Realtors show a 12.6% decline in the median price for…

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"Big neighborhoods pitched for tiny towns south of Austin"

Austin Business Journal writes, "while housing starts across the Austin metro have retreated from pandemic highs, large residential communities continue to be pushed forward, especially in areas expected to see rapid population growth in the coming years.

That includes on the fringes of the emerging "metroplex" between Austin and San Antonio. An approximately 1,185-home subdivision called Haney Park is proposed for 245 acres in Hays County. It would in the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the small city of Uhland, between Cotton Gin and High roads, according to public documents.

In addition to the homes, the development would have three commercial lots ranging from 1.3 to 4.2 acres and an 18-acre lot for multifamily residential. Haney Park…

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"What’s next for the Austin housing market heading to fall 2023"

AUSTIN (KXAN) — "Mortgage rates have hit a 21-year high, and KXAN wanted to see what it could mean for Central Texans.

KXAN Anchor Jennifer Sanders spoke with Dr. Clare Losey, a housing economist with the Austin Board of Realtors, about key housing data, such as new and existing home sales.

JENNIFER: So as mortgage rates top 7% It’s a two-decade high. What does this really mean for homebuyers as well as homeowners here in Central Texas?

CLARE: Well, the primary effect of higher mortgage rates is on homebuyers purchasing power, right? So anytime the mortgage rate increases, it reduces the maximum home price affordable to any potential buyer. So, what we anticipate to see in Austin really in any housing market is just somewhat of a moderation in…

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"Lund Farm pitched as big neighborhood in rural area near Elgin"

Austin Business Journal reports, "a 570-acre community may be coming to the Elgin area with more than 1,800 single-family homes, hundreds of multifamily units and nine acres of commercial space.

A little-known company called Blossoms Development has proposed Lund Farm off State Highway 95, north of Elgin. The company wants to have a diversity of home types and prices, according to a public presentation posted online by the city of Elgin. It also aims to create a walkable neighborhood that leverages the natural features of the site by using floodplains as amenity space and restoring historic blackland prairie.

In addition to the single-family homes, Lund Farm could have nearly 650 multifamily units, plus parks, an amenity center and a possible…

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