The month of January report shows that sales volume decreased by 2% to 1,598 sales when compared to January last year. Sales dollar volume tallied to a total of $599 Million for January 2019. Median prices for January 2018 vs. 2019 were slightly higher than last year at $297,000. These small changes are common at the beginning of the year, as the holidays tend to invite a seasonal slowdown. The market continues strong as active listings, pending contracts, and new listings increased for the month of January by 21%, 11% and 22% respectively. There was also a .4 months increase when compared to January 2018 to 2.3 months of inventory for January 2019.
We are excited and rolling full steam ahead into Spring 2019! Our agents are ready to help you
Here's your friendly annual reminder from Austin House Company about your homestead exemption. If you want to take advantage of tax savings, you'll need to apply for a Homestead Exemption if you occupy the home you purchased last year as your primary residence. You can file fo the Homestead exemption between January 1st and April 30. We've listed some important information about the Homestead Exemption below. And remember, Texas in a non-disclosure state, so if you get asked your purchase price, don't do it. You are under no obligation to disclose.
Homestead Exemptions
There are different criteria that you need to meet in order to qualify for a Homestead Exemption. Click here to read about some of the details surrounding the Homestead
Buyers shopping in the Austin area this Fall can really save big. Here's why:
Market Activity in Austin's Residential Market
Market Activity in Austin's Multi-Family/Investment Market
A couple things to notice here are the increased number of price reductions in the Residential market and the more balanced market of Multi-Family listings. RTeh price reductions in the residential market were even more staggering over the last 90 days. Some say it's the election year stigma, and others blame it on "back to school" syndrome, but whatever the case may be, Austin has definitely seen a lull in the residential market. These charts show that Austin investors have been able to take advantage of the soft market and snatched up property
The Gutierrez Team recently helped clients purchase a Highland Home in Travisso, a new construction neighborhood in Leander, TX. This isn't the first time we've worked with Highland Homes, but we were able to dig a little deeper into what makes Highland Homes different from most of the other large builders in the Austin area.
Highland Homes is led by a brother and sister that started the company in Dallas, TX. So they are a homegrown Texas product. In their first year as Highland Homes, they built 13 homes. Today they build 2800 homes annually in the Texas Region. They've obviously grown substantially in their short history and recently, the owners of the company decided to sell the business. They sold the business to their employees!
Lake Travis, and Central Texas in general, have seen the ebb and flow of lake levels over the years. In the years past we experienced drought and water supply issues that left many waterfront residents without lake access. Thanks El Niño and efforts put into place by the LCRA, Lake Travis is full again, and many Central Texas Lakes are also back to "normal."
We'd like to highlight one of our listings that has seen the drastically low lake levels experienced during the height of the drought, and has now made a full turn back to prime Austin Waterfront Real Estate.
This amazing property is currently listed at a poultry $285,000, which is a very low number when compared to other waterfront acreage, or even non-waterfront property in the Four Points
For those Austin home buyers that want a combination of close proximity to Central Austin, acreage, a gated community and access to a top Austin area golf course, this property can't be beat.
Israel Gutierrez Broker Associate, Realtor®, BPOR, GREEN 512/299-3809 Direct israel@austinhomeshop.com
Photo & Listing Credit: Scott Hayes of Realty Austin.
With the Austin Real Estate Market holding steady (that's an understatement), more and more new homes are being built in the area. Central Austin is widely know for it's Mid-Century Modern, Craftsman and Victorian architecture. Downtown has become the land of the high rises with more and more "cranes in the sky" every day. Then there's West Austin and the Hill Country, where the ever popular Tuscan Villa style and Texas Ranches are being replaced by Hill Country and Ultra Modern Homes. It's definitely an interesting time to be an Austenite and even more so if you're shopping for a new construction spread in West Lake Hills or perhaps an old world charmer in Hyde Park.
We're all aware that Austin has been booming and continues to boom. As time passes and the Austin Metro continues to grow, land availability continues to dwindle. This is especially true of parcels available for single family homes with lake amenities like lake views and water access on Austin's most popular lakes including Lady Bird Lake, Lake Austin and Lake Travis.
For these reasons, my amazing listing which features 14 acres of untouched hill country with panoramic Lake Travis views is such a rarity. 8220 Lake Mountain Lane is available for $699,900. It is located near the famed Oasis, which boasts the best sunsets in Texas. The 14 acre residential lot is tucked away in an exclusive gated subdivision, which features Leander ISD schools, prime
Everyone has their reasons for buying a home. Some prefer to live in the lap of luxury and be on the water. Waterfront Real Estate in Austin is a hot commodity and does not come cheap, but for those that can afford it, there are some amazing waterfront homes to pick from. This particular home on Oestrick which recently came back on the market, is special because of the acreage and family history. It's belonged for one family for generations and is perched on a quiet bank with easy topography and lake access. With 300 feet of frontage on Lake Austin and over 10,000 square feet of living space, this is truly a dream home. This Austin mansion has been featured in the Wall Street Journal in additional to other large publications. For more information on this
Here are our top three ways to start saving smarter compliments of the Austin Institute of Real Estate.
1) Cut Cost by Cutting Space
Going out to eat can be a strain on your budget, but may not be the only thing you need to consider reducing. Downsizing from one home to a home with one less room can reduce your rent significantly. Not interested in relocating? Consider a roommate. Nobody ever uses the guest bedroom anyway, right? However you decide to reduce your space, remember it will increase your budget!
2) Make it Automatic
Having trouble finding the strength to put money aside? Then don’t even think about it. Ask your payroll department if you can set up an automatic transfer of a percentage from your pay check to be deposited into
