Blue Skies Here | Central Texas

What's It Worth Wednesday

We're back with another installment of our series!  Feel free to make a request for your neighborhood!

                                       Selling $       Sales $/square ft.    % list /sale price   Days on market

              
Round Rock West:         $215, 284            $80.00                      93%                        70
The Woods at
Brushy Creek                                                                                                                                               Round Rock East:          $137,300             $77.00                     104%                       37
Dove Creek                                           

Georgetown West:        $296,250           $118.00                      95%                        54
Northlake                                           

Georgetown East:         $174,500             $71.00                       97%                       71 Stonehedge                                       

Northwest Austin:         $172,225           $118.00                       99%                       40
Walnut Crossing                                  

Cedar Park South:        $193,322             $82.00                        95%                       60 
Ranch at Cypress
Creek               
     
  It's worth noting that I can only list averages.  If you'd like information specific to your home, feel free to contact me! 

Green Expo: Williamson County; July 25

The Williamson County Association of Realtors is hosting a massive expo this Saturday at the Dell Diamond for those of you interested in GREEN living.  The cost is a minimal $5/ticket...

If you're interested in attending, I've attached the flyer below with all the details.

Download Green Expo 2009

Sales Data for Austin Area

I've heard a number of folks talking about the below information and I wanted to make sure that we keep our heads about us.  I don't want to be a black cloud - as I try to stay optimistic when possible.  That said, I want to ensure that sellers are being realistic about pricing and sales expectations.  While we remain better positioned than most markets in the US - we need to keep in mind that we are flat at the median price year over year.  When looking at the averages (June 2008 compared to June 2009) we're -3.3%.  Additionally, I think that the statement below is misleading.  Of course we're seeing gains in volume from January to now - we always do.  This is the "hot" season for selling. 

AUSTIN HOUSING MARKET SHOWS SIGNS OF LIFE

AUSTIN (Austin Board of Realtors) – Just over 2,100 single-family homes were sold last month, according to the June 2009 Multiple Listing Service report by the Austin Board of Realtors. That’s 4 percent less than a year ago. Meanwhile, the median price was $199,900, unchanged from last year.

"We've seen the year-over-year gap in sales volume close steadily throughout 2009, and that momentum continues this month," said Jay Gohil, chairman of the Austin Board of Realtors.

Home prices in the Austin area have continued gaining momentum since the beginning of the year. Over the first two quarters of 2009, the average sale price for a single-family home has increased $20,824, while median sales price has increased $24,400.

Also, since January 2009, sales volume is up 61 percent, and active listings are up 14 percent.

Foreclosure Rates Down in Central Texas

Some good news for the Central Texas housing market:

FORECLOSURES FALL ACROSS STATE

AUSTIN (Austin American-Statesman) – Residential foreclosures are at a five-month low in Central Texas, reflecting a trend in other parts of Texas, according to Foreclosure Listing Service (FLS) data.

"The tide may have changed," said FLS President George Roddy Sr., adding that the figures offer hope that foreclosure postings may have peaked.

Travis, Williamson, Hays and Bastrop counties posted a combined 1,072 properties for foreclosure in the August auction, down 27 percent from July.

The Dallas area saw foreclosures fall below 5,000 for the first time since March. In Bexar County, postings fell to their lowest level since March, according to Real Estate Foreclosures Inc.

Sprouts Comes to Round Rock

For those of you with friends or relatives in the Dallas area, you likely know all about Sprouts Farmers Market -- the latest rage in food shoppery.  Well - good news for the Central Texas - we'll be getting two Sprouts stores very soon. 

The first is in Round Rock (another sign of the city's growth), the sign has gone up for the shop at 620 and I35 (site of the former Albertson's).  The location will open this fall.  And in Austin, the store will be coming in 2010 at 10225 Research.

Want more information about this terrific retailer?  Visit: http://sprouts.com/home.php

Round Rock is Having a Growth Spurt

New statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau show that Round Rock is second fastest-growing city in the nation from 2007 to 2008 with an 8.16 percent rise in population. Round Rock added 7,800 residents during the year.

With 18,000 people added to its population count, Austin was the 9th biggest gainer in the country. The Capital City moved from the 16th largest city in the U.S. to the 15th, moving ahead of Columbus, Ohio.  For more details, check out the coverage from the Austin Business Journal.