"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 Top Luxury Residential Real Estate Agents Named to Luxury League 2023"

"Members cumulatively closed over $2.3 billion in residential sales in 2022, 65% of which was priced at $2 million or greater. On average, each Luxury League member had $76.4. million in total closed sales for 2022. 

AUSTIN, TEXAS (APRIL,, 2023) — Thirty Austin-area real estate agents have been selected for membership in Luxury League for 2023. 

Each year, Luxury League invites Austin-area real estate agents who specialize in luxury transactions (over $2 million)  to apply for membership. The applications are then evaluated by an advisory board, who selects members based on their luxury residential sales volume from the previous year. 

Forty-five agents applied for membership in January of 2023; collectively the entire field of 45 applicants…

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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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"8 Best Places to Live in Texas, According to Real Estate Experts"

Everything is bigger and, as it turns out, better, in Texas. Over the past couple of years, the Lone Star State has ranked among the top states for relocation. In 2021, Texas gained the most residents, according to data from the United States Postal Service, and in 2022, it came in second after Florida. And while everyone has different reasons for moving, general factors such as a stable economy, a high number of well-paying jobs, safety, good schools, and recreational opportunities certainly make the decision easier. And Texas delivers in all of these areas.

With hundreds of miles of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico, two majestic national parks (Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains), more than 40 mountain ranges, scenic vistas, popular festivals,…

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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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"This April week is the best time to list your Austin-area home, data says"

KXAN Austin writes, "wondering when the best time is to list your Austin home? New realtor.com data states it’s coming up soon.

The study shows the week of April 16-22 is the best time to list a home in the Austin-Round Rock metro area. This week is forecast to have above-average prices, above-average buyer demand, a fast market pace and lower competition from other sellers.

This week is also the best week for most other metros in the country, the report said, including the Houston metro. San Antonio’s best week is the following week, April 23. The report said the week of March 26 is the best time to list Dallas-Fort Worth homes — bucking the national trend.

Best times to list your Texas home

“The week of April 16-22 is expected…

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"Amid Bank Turmoil, the Housing Market Has Just Done Something Extraordinary"

Realtor.com writes, "while most Americans rarely worry about their bank, that faith was shaken this week when several (including Silicon Valley, Silvergate, and Signature) went under. Withdrawal runs and stock market chaos ensued, sending ripple effects far and wide. 

Yet by some miracle, one facet of the economy that remained astonishingly unruffled was the housing market—which even showed a glimmer of good news. 

Namely, mortgage rates fell this week to 6.6% for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, according to Freddie Mac. This marks the first drop after five weeks of pushing upward, cresting last week at 6.73%.

Plus, homebuyers who are bracing for another hefty rate hike to hit next week when the Federal Reserve meets again may instead find some…

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