Investing in Austin
Amidst the pandemic, the Austin real estate market has experienced critically low levels of housing inventory. Home sales initially saw a decline, but have now rebounded and increased to all time record setting levels. The Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. Across the area, the housing market is beyond competitive and shows no signs of slowing. Over the past ten years, Austin has been one of the best long term real estate investments in the U.S. Despite the impact of COVID-19, Austin’s rate of job and population growth (which directly tie into real estate demand) are forecasted to experience continued growth.
Investors Market
The Austin metro area has stabilized in pricing and demand after a few years of record hitting sales. At this point, homes are sitting on average 55 days and buyers now have more negotiating power.
As interest rates have risen over the last two quarters we are seeing buyers hesitant to jump into the market and many waiting in hopes the rates will decrease. This is great news for investors since it allows more price negotiation with less competition. Savvy investors understand the "date the rate" scenario and can confidently buy a home at a lower price with a high interest rate, all while knowing they can refinance when rates drop.
Outlook
One of the most resilient areas of the economy during the economic shutdown has been real estate. There are only eight U.S. metropolitan areas to have fully recovered in the past decade to pre-recession values, and Austin is one of them. Despite what it may sound like, the Austin market is not struggling. We are continuing to get a consistent influx of buyers and renters due to big corporations setting up shop in and area Austin. The tech industry continues to grow here and the job market is healthy and strong.
For investors, this bodes well as it’s a combination of a healthy flow of home-buyers along with steady activity. It is forecasted that Millennials will be the largest demographic of buyers in Austin for the next few years. Neighborhoods that have amenities such as pools, parks, shopping, and restaurants will be desired.
Austin buyers are as varied as the population itself, so this list of some of the popular neighborhoods in the area follow suit, checking off a diverse set of boxes:
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Allandale
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Barton Creek
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Brushy Creek
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Crestview
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Downtown Austin
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Hyde Park
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Mueller
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North Austin
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Northwest Hills
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Rollingwood
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Shady Hollow
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South Austin
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Spicewood Summit
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Steiner Ranch
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West Lake Hills
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Windsor Park
The Austin metro area continues to enjoy a strong real estate market with many attractive aspects for investors. Whether your interest is a single-family home, condo, or land, we’re here to help.
Please note: the info here is commentary and not formal advice; financial or otherwise. Many factors impact a real estate market, and those can change quickly.