Home Buyers

  You've probably heard plenty of doom and gloom about the housing market lately. High rates. Stretched budgets. Headlines that make buying or selling sound like a terrible idea. But the data tells a very different story. This isn't 2020 or 2021. It was never going to be.  Full article here: The Housing Market Is Stronger Than You Think (512) 853-0110 or robert@AustinTxHomeSales.com If...

Are we doing everything we can to help qualified buyers get into homes? The answer, if we are being honest, is no. Nearly 21% of home buyers wished they had known about down payment programs.  Full article here: Down Payment Assistance Isn’t a Last Resort—It’s a Smart Financial Strategy (512) 853-0110 or robert@AustinTxHomeSales.com If you are unable to open the link/article above,...

  Saving for a down payment can feel like the hardest part of buying a home. And with affordability as tight as it’s been lately, it’s fair to wonder how anyone manages it right now. Here’s something you may not have seen coming. Some people are getting their foot in the door with a smaller down payment. Full article here: Down Payments Are Smaller Than They’ve Been Since 2021 (512)...

  Existing-home sales perked up last month, with sales rising to the highest level in five months. Improving affordability is bringing more home buyers back into the market, giving home sales a solid boost in May. Full article here: ‘More Americans Are on the Move,’ Latest NAR Sales Data Shows (512) 853-0110 or robert@AustinTxHomeSales.com If you are unable to open the link/article...

One of the biggest reasons buyers are still sitting on the sidelines is because they think home prices are going to come down. Some believe a crash is coming and they'll get a better deal if they hold off. Others worry they'll buy now and watch their home's value fall later. And nobody wants to overpay or buy right before values drop. But here's the question worth asking: What if the crash you're waiting...

NAR’s current forecast calls for existing-home sales to rise 4% this year, with the median home price also climbing 4%. Mortgage rates are projected to average 6.5% in 2026. Yun added that housing wealth accumulation will continue in 2026, with the typical homeowner gaining approximately $16,000 in wealth this year. Full article here: NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun Says Home Sales Expected to...

  Gen Z is officially moving differently. Known for their pragmatic approach to tackling a set of inherited challenges (“not an affordability crisis and limited inventory”), Gen Z is redefining what homeownership looks like and who it’s for. Full article here: It’s Giving Homeowner: Gen Z’s Path to Homeownership (512) 853-0110 or robert@AustinTxHomeSales.com If you are unable to...

  Whether you're dreaming about buying your first home or wondering if it’s time to move on from the one you're in, affordability is probably weighing on your mind. Home prices are still high in many markets, and even though things have improved a bit over the past year, making the numbers work can still feel like a stretch. Full article here: Could Moving a Bit Further Out Change Everything About...

  A lot of people who want to move are telling themselves the same thing: "Maybe I'll just wait until later this year once things calm down." While waiting sounds like a good plan, there's something worth knowing before you decide. Rates aren’t expected to change much, so if that’s the #1 reason you’re waiting, it may not pay off. And there may be other things you miss out on in the...

Here are the May/2026 MLS single-family statistics for Austin, TX: We haven’t had 5 green categories in May since May/2021 (5 years!) when we had seven of them.  Even then, that was right in the middle of the Covid-19 effect on our real estate market that broke all kinds of sales records in our Austin single-family home market.  Through May, we have averaged 3 green categories YTD so our market...