Trying to decide whether it makes more sense to buy a home now or wait? There’s a lot to consider, from what’s happening in the market to your changing needs. But aiming to time the market isn’t a good strategy – there are too many factors at play for that to even be possible.   Full article here:  Time in the Housing Market Beats Timing the Market (512) 853-0110...

Fueled by solid demand, single-family construction moved higher in December despite several headwinds facing the industry, including high mortgage rates, elevated financing costs for builders and a lack of buildable lots. Overall housing starts increased 15.8% in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.50 million units. Full article here: Housing Starts End 2024 on an Up Note (512)...

Experts say rates will come down slightly in the year ahead – but some volatility is expected. So, you shouldn’t try to time the market. Instead, it’s better to focus on how even a small change impacts your future mortgage payment. As rates come down, even a little bit, your monthly payment on your next home will too. Want to see what this looks like at a different price point? Let’s...

Mortgage rates are quickly approaching 7% again, after rising each of the first two weeks in January. Nationally, it means the household income now required to afford the typical starter home is $70,164, up more than 100% from just $32,357 in 2019, according to a new analysis from the Realtor.com® economic research team. Full article here: The Income Needed in Each State To Afford a Starter Home...

Below are the five-year averages for our Austin metro single family home sales between 2020 and 2024. For the first image, Number of Home Sales, I note the following: 2000 and 2001 were the Covid years which created aberrations in every statistic of our home sales that we will likely never see again in our lifetimes.   Therefore, it is best that we confine our analysis to the past 3 years...

Though today’s housing market presents a challenge for many hopeful homeowners, a recent Realtor.com® survey reveals that owning a home is still a life goal for many Americans. Roughly two-thirds of Americans have the goal of owning a home and nearly as many (59%) feel that homeownership is achievable for them.  Notably, half of all respondents believe that homeownership is necessary to achieve...

Silicon Valley-based TransPak has opened a new 300,000-square-foot campus in Manor, east of Austin. The facility brings 75 to 100 new jobs to Manor, where TransPak already has more than 200 employees. The logistics, packaging and crating services company is expanding its presence in Manor to support the area’s semiconductor companies. Full article here: TransPak opens campus in Manor (512)...

Single-family housing starts rebounded in December ending the year with more new construction than in 2023. Despite rising housing inventory coupled with higher uncertainty about the future path of mortgage rates, builders remained cautiously optimistic and ended the year on a strong note. Full article here: Single-Family Starts Rebounded in December 2024 To Their Highest Level Since 2021 (512)...

Times are still tough for U.S. homebuyers. Long-term interest rates are rising again. That has pushed mortgage rates back above 7%. And it’s keeping housing affordability near the lowest level in decades. Yet home prices keep rising with no end in sight. You’d think this combination should be freezing housing activity. But it isn’t… Full article here: The Housing-Activity Bust Might Have...

Mortgage rates are expected to keep mortgage payments essentially unchanged in 2025 despite continued home price growth. With Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, the U.S. housing market could see significant shifts, from regulatory changes to tax policies, and potentially even a recalibration of housing supply and demand dynamics especially since President-elect Trump is a developer...