Luxe Austin Homes - sellers

"Good News for Homebuyers—It’s a Friendlier Market as Sellers Get Ready for Spring"

Realtor.com shares, "The much anticipated spring selling season is a few weeks away, and signs point to a friendlier market for homebuyers.

The share of consumers saying that now is a good time to buy was the highest in over a year, but still only at 24%. Meanwhile, the share of those saying that it’s a good time to sell remains high, at 62%.

On the one hand, this aligns with the data. The Realtor.com® weekly housing inventory showed that listing prices softened as new listings and active inventory growth both rose and homes took longer to sell. These are all signs consistent with a housing market shifting into buyer-friendlier territory.

At the same time, when the market is shifting and uncertain, it can be wise to home in on seasonal…

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"By the numbers: Home prices cool, rental rates dip in Austin"

ATX Today writes, "Curious about the Austin housing market? Whether you’re buying, selling, or renting, February’s data reveals key trends to know.

A new Unlock MLS report shows home prices are cooling while rental costs are lowering slightly. The report compares data from February 2024 to February 2025, covering single-family homes, condos, and townhomes.

Take a look at the numbers shaping Austin’s real estate landscape."

Sales

• The median sales price dropped to $430,000 — a 3.9% decrease.
• Active listings jumped 16.7% to 10,235.
• 3,826 new listings hit the market — a 6.5% spike.
• The total sales dollar volume fell 4.9% to $1.05 billion.

Leases

• The median rent dipped 2.4% to $2,195.
• Active leases rose 3.5% to 3,899,…

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"Austin-area housing market poised for another stable year, experts say"

Austin American-Statesman writes, "Steady as she goes.

That about sums up the 2025 outlook by real estate experts for the housing market in the Austin metro area, a five-county region stretching from Georgetown to San Marcos.

Peering into their crystal balls, several leading experts who have tracked the ups and downs of the Central Texas real estate market for years, even decades, foresee stable conditions this year. They predict the 2025 housing landscape could mirror last year's, as more normal trends continue in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic era buying frenzy, when multiple offers, often well above asking price, were common.

Those expected trends include home prices remaining relatively flat; a steady supply of housing; predictable…

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"More listings add much-needed housing inventory, but some homes are sitting on the market longer"

Austin Business Journal writes, "The first few weeks of 2025 have brought an uptick in home listings, but whether housing inventory currently on the market is priced to sell remains to be seen.

New for-sale listings rose 7.9% in the four-week period ending Feb. 2 compared to the same timeframe a year earlier, according to data from Redfin Corp. (Nasdaq: RDFN). Despite the increased inventory, pending sales were still down 8.1% year over year.

Some of the pending sales slowdown could be seasonal or related to economic uncertainty, but mortgage rates and high home prices — including among newly listed inventory — are also keeping many would-be buyers sidelined.

Inventory is beginning to accumulate, and some homes are taking longer to sell, largely…

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"4 things to know about Austin’s housing market in 2025"

ATX Today writes, "Predictable, steady, opportunity. Those are the words Unlock MLS Housing Economist Dr. Clare Knapp used to describe Austin’s housing market this year at the Austin Board of Realtors Headquarters today.

If you’re looking to buy or sell a home in the Capital City in 2025, here’s what to expect. 

1. Predictable mortgage rates

Knapp said mortgage rates will likely stay in the 6% range during the first half of the year and might dip into the 5% range later in 2025.

2. Consistent home prices + sales

Active listings in Austin were up by nearly 15% in 2024, and Knapp said healthy inventory is expected to carry over into 2025. Home sales and prices will probably remain flat, but Knapp emphasized that prospects may still be…

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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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"How To Find Out If There’s a Lien on Your House—Before It Wrecks Your Home Sale"

Realtor.com writes, "You might think you already know about any liens on a property you already own. However, the fact is they can lurk beneath your radar and pop up at the most inopportune times.

Like when you’re getting ready to sell your place—and a search of public records uncovers the lien.

This can be very bad news, resulting in delays in selling your home or, worse, throwing a wrench into the whole deal. The good news is that finding out if there are liens on your property is simple—and by finding out early, you can make sure it won’t hinder selling your home, whenever that takes place.

Here’s how to find out if there is a lien on a property, plus how to do a property lien search by address.

What is a lien? Types of liens on homes

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"Austin housing market shows promising stability in 2025, report says"

CultureMap Austin shares, "Austin's real estate market has shown progress with improving stability thanks to an increase in listings and slight reductions in prices. Stabilizing prices aside, the overall market's activity brought in more than $17 billion in 2024, according to the latest report from the Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) and Unlock MLS.

The final report of 2024 wrapped up the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro's performance and compared it to 2023's statistics. Most notably, median prices in the Austin area declined 1.7 percent year-over-year to $445,000.

Unlock MLS' housing economist Clare Knapp, Ph.D., predicts 2025 will show similar activity to the previous year.

"2025 market activity will likely look similar to trends…

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"Santa Rita Ranch once again among top-selling neighborhoods in US"

Austin Business Journal reports, "For the fifth-straight year, Liberty Hill’s Santa Rita Ranch is the top-selling master-planned community in the Austin metro, and it's also in the top 20 nationally.

The sprawling neighborhood claimed the metro's title despite an overall drop in home sales compared to 2023, according to Robert Charles Lesser & Co.’s 2024 list of the best-selling master-planned communities in the nation. It came in at No. 18 nationally, with no other community in the Austin metro in the top 50.

Overall, 644 homes were sold in Santa Rita Ranch in 2024, compared to 742 in 2023, a 13% drop. In Texas, communities in Katy, Cypress, Aubrey and New Caney ranked higher on the national list.

“It was a busy year in Santa Rita Ranch,”…

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"Mortgage Rates Rise Again, to 6.93%—but Economists Predict Housing Market Conditions Will Improve"

Realtor.com reports, "Mortgage rates jumped to a six-month high of 6.93%, up from 6.91% last week, for the average 30-year fixed home loan for the week ending Jan. 9, according to Freddie Mac.

“In the first full week of the new year, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage remained elevated at just under 7%,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “The continued strength of the economy has put upward pressure on mortgage rates, and along with high home prices, continues to impact housing affordability.”

Khater also pointed to a continued lack of entry-level inventory, which presents a stumbling block, especially for consumers looking to become first-time homeowners.

“The Freddie Mac rate for a 30-year mortgage climbed this week as the…

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