We all read and hear so much bad news about the national real estate market that keeping a realistic perspective about the Austin/Central Texas area is difficult. The average sale price in December 2009 was about 4% higher than in January 2008, and the median price increased about 2% during that same two-year period. Continue reading
Two months of consecutive decline is worrisome, and even Austin and Central Texas participated in this weakness. As always, I the movement of the Austin Metro real estate market on my AustinMarketDashboard, and the decline is visible there, as is the usual price weakness that accompanies weak demand. Average home prices in Austin have now been below the long-term trendline for more than a year. Continue reading
In my opinion, continued artificial support will only make the correction worse when it does happen, so we should allow the market to seek its own course, with minimal external manipulation. Continue reading
The challenge is growing without sacrificing Austin’s wonderfully unique culture and lifestyle. There are a lot of people here who think we already missed that boat, but I think we’ve done pretty well, as evidenced by the fact that these young, leading edge firms continue to find the area attractive.
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Austin and Central Texas remain in a very strong position, not only to weather the continuing national economic storm, but to attract new growth and jobs and investment even as the rest of the country works through a very difficult recovery. Continue reading
Are we really over the crest or just in a trough between waves? Continue reading
Even with sales soft, however, Austin area prices have held their own, and continued to increase slowly in some important market segments. Continue reading
If you or someone you know is going through this devastating situation, please have them call me. I would love to help them get past this and begin to put their financial lives back together. Continue reading
Austin is still in a much better place than the states that saw the most serious declines in home values over the past couple of years. Here too, though, this problem will likely get worse before it gets better. Continue reading
I have seen other credible forecasts that when the Fed withdraws support, mortgage rates could increase 1% to 2% about current rates. These “power brokers” are more optimistic, and generally see the market stabilizing. Continue reading