October 2025

  Even as builders continue to grapple with market and macroeconomic uncertainty, sentiment levels posted a solid gain in October as future sales expectations surpassed the 50-point breakeven mark for the first time since last January. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes was 37 in October, up five points from September and the highest reading since April. Full article...

  If you paused your plans to move because of high rates or prices, it may finally be time to take a second look at your numbers. Affordability is improving in 39 of the top 50 markets, according to First American. And that’s the 5th straight month where buying a home has started to get a little bit easier. Let’s break this down into real dollars, so you can see the difference this could make for you...

  For the first time this year, the Federal Reserve cut its short-term interest rate by a quarter point. And while mortgage rates did drop this week, continuing a recent trend, some hopeful home buyers may have been expecting deeper cuts in response to the Fed’s long-anticipated move. Full article here: Why Didn’t Mortgage Rates Fall More After the Fed Rate Cut? (512) 853-0110...

2026 Housing Market Outlook  After a couple of years where the housing market felt stuck in neutral, 2026 may be the year things shift back into gear. Expert forecasts show more people are expected to move – and that could open the door for you to do the same. There are always people who need to move. And experts think more of them will start to act in 2026. Full article here: 2026 Housing Market...

Experts say there are criminals running scams to change property deeds into their names and they tend to target properties without a mortgage, which makes it easier for them to try to sell it or borrow against the site. While I haven’t personally heard of this happening to anyone I know, it can be a nightmare to get resolved after weeks and a lot of money.  One step you can take is sign up for alerts...

There’s a trend taking hold in real estate right now: more buyers are choosing newly built homes. And it’s not just about getting the latest technology or modern floorplans. It’s because they may be able to get a better deal. Builders are offering serious incentives today, and people are jumping on them. In fact, new home sales just hit their highest level in over two years. Full article here:...

Property tax bills are now out, so be on the lookout for yours.  Also, if you bought a home as your primary residence in the last few years, did you also record your Homestead Exemption?  This is a free service that can reduce the amount of property taxes you pay on your home each year and only needs to be filed once per home you claim.  Here is more information:  Texas Residence Homestead Exemption....

  These days, you’re going to want to get your price right when you get ready to sell your house. Honestly, it’s more important than ever. Why? While you may want to list high just to see what happens, that’s a plan that can easily backfire, and it’s going to cost you in today’s market. And the risk isn’t just missing out on offers, it’s missing out on the move you needed to make in the...

  If you’ve been following real estate news lately, you’ve probably seen headlines saying home prices are flat. And at first glance, that sounds simple enough. But here’s the thing. The reality isn’t quite that straightforward. In most places, prices aren’t flat at all. Full article here: Why Home Prices Aren’t Actually Flat (512) 853-0110 or robert@AustinTxHomeSales.com If you...

You want mortgage rates to fall – and they've started to. But is it going to last? And how low will they go? Experts say there’s room for rates to come down even more over the next year. And one of the leading indicators to watch is the 10-year treasury yield. Here's why. Full article here: Why Experts Say Mortgage Rates Should Ease Over the Next Year (512) 853-0110...