I decided to assemble a more complete comparison of home prices in the Austin area and in the Case-Shiller indices (10-city and 20-city composites). The result? Here’s what a housing bubble looks like. Continue reading
Unlike many cities used in the Case-Shiller Index, Austin saw average home sale prices dip in December, but here’s a different view of that data. Continue reading
Today’s local report about properties scheduled for February foreclosure auctions made much about the “high” level of foreclosures in the Austin metro area, but relative to metro population or compared to cities where the housing downturn hit much harder, Austin doesn’t look so bad. Continue reading
While individual Austin-area homeowners have not generally seen their property values increase since the housing downturn and mortgage crisis began, a larger percentage of homebuyers have moved into much higher price ranges. That’s a real testament to the underlying strength of the Austin economy. Continue reading
Month-to-month reports of home sales in the Austin area have not been encouraging since the last tax credit program ended in June, but if you look at annualized sales and pricing things aren’t as bleak as they may seem. Continue reading
Pending home sales were down in September, but the Austin metropolitan area shows signs of strength. Continue reading
According to the Austin Board of Realtors® , pending homes sales in the Austin metro area down27% in September 2010 compared to September 2009. Year-to-date sales, however, were down only 1%.
“Leave housing to market forces, let prices fall until buyers are motivated to come in, and hope that the economy can stand one final cathartic wave to clear the excesses of the bubble.” Continue reading
The $500,000-and-up went from 7% of the Austin/Central Texas single
family market a year ago to 12% in the last month! Continue reading
Year-to-year sales performance in the Austin metro area does not show the kind of growth reported nationally, but there is a lot to be thankful for in this market area, and plenty of reason for optimism for the future. Continue reading