How to navigate Central Texas's unpredictable real estate market
The Brief
Last fall saw expectations of mortgage rate drops, better conditions for sellers this spring
However, more and more houses have gone up for sale in the Austin area
While prices are quite low right now, buyers are still looking at high interest rates
AUSTIN, Texas - If you're looking to buy or sell a home in Central Texas, you'll likely be navigating an unpredictable real estate market.
FOX 7 Austin's 7 On Your Side reporter John Krinjak spoke with a local realtor for some advice.
Big picture view
Last fall, many were expecting both a drop in mortgage rates and better conditions for sellers come springtime. However, now that spring is here, that hasn't exactly happened.
When Liz Del Bosque put her northeast Austin home on the market back in March, she saw pretty strong interest, including packed open houses and a lot of showings.
In the last few weeks, it's been somewhat slower as more and more houses have gone up for sale in the Austin area.
Del Bosque's realtor Olivia Vale with Roots Residential Group says that's not exactly the picture most experts had anticipated.
"It's a pretty competitive time that way because smaller pool of buyers, there is quite a lot of inventory for them to choose from right now," said Vale. "it's been a wild ride. So everything that pundits, anything that Fannie Mae was predicting has not come to pass…A lot of the turbulence in the larger economic sphere, tariffs, things like that are definitely affecting the housing market."
What you can do
While the market is a little sticky for sellers, there are some things you can do to overcome it, says Vale.
"You can either... Have your sale be a smashing success by doing everything your realtor says, by prepping your home immaculately and just having it so ready to go that you'll attract those buyers. If not, it's gonna be really hard for you to stand out," said Vale.
Dig deeper
For buyers, this is good news and bad news.
While prices are quite low right now, buyers are still looking at high interest rates. That means if you're able to put more money down, it might not be a bad time to buy, but if not, you may want to hold off.
Dig deeper
If you're looking for an apartment, Vale says that rent prices are still low, thanks to high availability.
So if your landlord is trying to raise your rent, it may be time to reach out to a broker and look elsewhere.
What's next
With an uncertain economic picture ahead, the future could be bumpy too.
"I feel we're going see more of an effect from tariffs down the road, when construction prices rise so much that new home sales really slow," Vale said.
For Del Bosque, she says she's glad to have a good relationship with her realtor and that she's still seeing interest in her home and is confident the right buyer will come along soon.
The Source
Information in this report comes from interviews/reporting by 7 on Your Side reporter John Krinjak.
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