Austin area home sales hit all-time high, inventory levels rising

The Austin real estate market is hotter than Texas in August, according to a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) report released today by the Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR). Austin-area home sales hit an all-time high, increasing 12 percent year-over-year to 3,149 sales for the month of July.

Barb Cooper, 2015 President of ABoR, explained, “We’re in the midst of one of the most active summer selling seasons to-date, with more single-family home sales than ever before. Home prices remain high, but inventory levels have increased steadily throughout 2015, perhaps taking a step toward a more balanced housing market.”

Prices are climbing – in July 2015, less than 30 percent of single-family homes sold in Central Texas were priced below $200,000, outside of an affordable range for many Austin-area homebuyers. The majority of pending sales and active listings fall outside of Austin’s city limits in surrounding areas like Cedar Park, Leander, Hays County, Round Rock and Pflugerville, showing that Central Texas residents are continuing to prioritize affordability.

New listings increased nine percent to 4,133 listings and active listings increased by five percent year-over-year to 7,174 listings, driving inventory levels up to three months for the first time since July 2014. However, Austin-area housing inventory is still well below the 6.5 month level, which the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University cites as a balanced market.

Cooper concluded, “Mayor Adler recently called for 100,000 new housing units to be built by 2025 as a first step to untangling the city of Austin’s complicated permit review process and alleviating affordability issues in Austin. The Austin Board of REALTORS® sees this initiative as progress toward a more sustainable Central Texas housing market and will continue to work with city leaders to make Austin an affordable place to call home for all residents.”

July 2015 Statistics

    • 3,149 – Single-family homes sold, 12 percent more than July 2014.
    • $269,500 – Median price for single-family homes, eight percent more than July 2014.
    • $338,452 – Average price for single-family homes, six percent more than July 2014.
    • 41 – Average number of days single-family homes spent on the market, two days more than July 2014.
    • 4,133 – New single-family home listings on the market, nine percent more than July 2014.
    • 7,174 – Active single-family home listings on the market, five percent more than July 2014.
    • 2,873 – Pending sales for single-family homes, eight percent more than July 2014.
    • 3.0 – Months of inventory* of single-family homes, unchanged compared to July 2014.
    • $1,065,785,348 – Total dollar volume of single-family properties sold, 19 percent more than July 2014.

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