Home Buyers

  Mortgage rates have already dropped into the upper 5s twice this year. But after just a few days, they ticked back up into the low 6% range. If you saw that and thought, “Great. I missed it,” you’re not the only one. A lot of buyers are treating the 5s like some kind of magic number. As if moving from 6.1% to 5.99% suddenly changes everything. And from a mindset perspective, it does feel...

Climbing out of a gloomy winter, existing-home sales reversed course following a sharp drop in January and ticked up slightly in February as housing affordability improved nationwide. Lower mortgage rates, rising wages and slower price growth are offering improving conditions for prospective home buyers. Full article here: Home Sales Perk Up as Housing Affordability Improves (512) 853-0110...

  Buying a brand-new home has obvious appeal—everything is fresh, modern, and move-in ready. But if you're working directly with a builder, you might wonder: Do I really need a real estate agent for new construction? The short answer is yes. While builders have their own sales teams (often called builder’s agents), those professionals are hired to represent the builder’s best interests—not...

  he housing market is pointing to one that's "ripe for buyers," according to the latest Realtor.com® Weekly Housing Trends Report. Data shows that the housing market is shifting to a buyer-friendly direction with new and active inventory up and home prices down. Full article here: Housing Market Turns ‘Ripe for Buyers’—Here’s Why (512) 853-0110 or robert@AustinTxHomeSales.com If...

Here are the February/2026 MLS single-family statistics for Austin, TX: We had another good month in February to start 2026 with 2 solid greens, 4 light reds (2 of those were only 1% change) and only 2 solid reds.  Most impressive are the Pendings and Sales since those are important indicators of a market’s health.  Keep in mind that each month I report home sales numbers for are...

  For a lot of parents or grandparents, watching a family member struggle to buy their first home right now is hard. That's because you saw firsthand how homeownership gave your life more stability and helped grow your net worth – and you want your loved ones to have those same opportunities. But with all the affordability challenges in recent years, that can feel like an uphill battle – even though...

  There are hints at the seasonal indicators typically associated with March, which lead to increased market activity relative to prior months, and sets the stage for the peak summer season. These are what we call seasonality trends, patterns we see every year around the same time. They help explain how buyers and sellers usually behave as the year begins to pick up and offer useful insights for...

  January data suggests the market is beginning the year with renewed buyer activity, even as closings lagged year-ago levels. Closed sales were down 14.8% but pending sales rose 10.1% year over year to 2,349 transactions — up more than 23% from December — according to data from the area’s multiple listing service. The median home price was $400,495, down 2.3%, while active listings totaled 10,083,...

What if you didn’t have a mortgage payment on your next house? It may sound a little unrealistic. But for a number of homeowners, it’s actually doable. Nearly 3 in 10 homes purchased today are bought in cash, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). That’s far more than the pre-pandemic norm. Full article here: The Hidden Advantage Repeat Buyers Have Right Now (512) 853-0110...

  Renting can feel like the easier choice right now. There’s no big down payment. No dealing with surprise repairs. And no long-term commitment. But then your rent goes up again. And again. And suddenly the thing that seemed flexible starts looking… expensive, especially considering you’re not building any equity. And once that happens, it’s easy to feel a little trapped in the cycle. Full...