Real Estate Information

Last night I had the opportunity to meet Joe Ciccarelli, the principal of the soon-to-be-opened Four Points Middle School.  Also on hand at this informal gathering was Peggy Morisset, who will be one of the school counselors.  The event was held at a private residence in River Place in an effort to allow parents of incoming students to a chance to meet Mr. Ciccarelli and ask him questions about his vision for the school, the process of selecting teachers and staff, as well as other items of interest.  I was quite impressed with him (as were the parents) and he seems like the right person for the job.  He was very approachable, likeable, and has a clear vision of what he wants to accomplish at Four Points.  He has been in the Leander ISD for over 25 years, over 15 of those as a teacher.  He is currently a vice principal at Cedar Park High School.  Four Points Middle School opens in the Fall of 2010 to relieve the overcrowding at exemplary-rated Canyon Ridge Middle School.  There is no reason to believe that under Joe Ciccarelli's leadership there won't be a second exemplary-rated Middle School in the Four Points Area. 

Over the next few months, there will be other opportunities to meet Mr. Ciccarelli and his staff, both in small groups such as this one and larger, public venues.  While none of my children will be at Four Points next year, I appreciate the opportunity to attend events like these because it makes me more capable of educating my clients who are looking to buy a home in the Four Points area.  If you are considering buying or selling a home in Four Points, call me at 512-735-7200 or contact me online.

To view the homes currently for sale that will be within the Four Points Middle School boundaries when it opens this fall, click on both of these links:  here and here.

The February housing statistics were released on March 23 (the national numbers are provided by the National Association of Realtors while the Texas numbers are from The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University).  Nationally, the numbers show a 0.6% decrease in the number of homes sold compared to January 2010.  On a year-over-year basis, however, the number of homes sold in February 2010 increased by 7.0% over February 2009.  Distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales) accounted for 35% of the national sales in February.  42% of the buyers in February were first-time buyers (19% were investors and 39% were repeat).

The Austin numbers look good.  Compared to February 2009, the number of homes sold was up 6.8%.  This is the sixth month in a row that the year-over-year comparison showed an increase (prior to this streak we had 27 months in a row of declines for the year-over-year numbers).  This is a very positive sign that indicates we may be nearing the bottom locally.  Because prices were down slightly, I'm not going to claim that we have hit bottom. 

In Texas, the January sales figures weren't as great as they were for Austin.  The year-over-year comparison to February 2009 shows that the number of homes sold was down 2.1%.  On the positive side, prices were up.

February 2010 Existing Home Sales

As we are in the process of taking the 2010 census, an article on the Austin American-Statesman website today provides some new population numbers for the Austin area based on 2009 data.

For the first time, Travis County passed the 1 million mark with 1,026,158 people living in the county.  In the area census bureau calls the Austin-Round Rock metro area, the population now stands at 1,705,075 which is an increase of 36% versus 2000 (this area includes Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, and Caldwell counties).  Our "metro area" now ranks #35 in the nation for population.

Williamson and Hays counties continue to be ranked among the nations fastest growing at 9th and 15th respectively.

The article doesn't mention any city-specific numbers so I went to the census bureau's website to find them.  The latest numbers available are estimates for 2008:

If you would like to be a part of changing these numbers in the future, contact me to buy or sell a house in the Austin area!

This week I had the opportunity to tour Dell Children's Hospital in Austin.  A big group of us from RE/MAX Capital City got a firsthand look at this wonderful facility so that we could see what our donations are helping to fund.  Fortunately, I've never had to take my kids over there so this was my first time to see it.  All I can say is "Wow!"  This hospital is amazing and creates such a wonderful atmosphere for the kids who have to spend time there for treatment.

RE/MAX has long been a major contributor to Children's Miracle Network.  In Austin, all of the money we contribute to CMN goes straight to Dell Children's Hospital so all of our funds stay right here to help local kids.

In 2009, RE/MAX Capital City once again contributed more to Children's Miracle Network than any other RE/MAX company in Central Texas.  But our colleagues throughout Texas also contribute at a high level.  For the third year in a row, RE/MAX of Texas was the top contributing region through the RE/MAX network (over $396,000).  In 2009, RE/MAX crossed the $100 million threshold in total contributions to Children's Miracle Network (we are one of only three companies to have reached that level).

When you buy or sell a house with me, I will donate a portion of the commission to your choice of Children's Miracle Network or the Susan G. Komen Foundation. 

The February home sale data has been uploaded to my website.  If you would like to view the sales prices for homes in Austin neighborhoods, go to www.RealEstateInAustin.com/Neighborhood-Sales-Data.  Summary information is available to all while detailed information is available for those who register (registration is free).  Most neighborhoods in zip codes 78732, 78730, and 78726 are available.  Other neighborhoods are added each month.  If you would like to suggest a neighborhood, please contact me.

The January housing statistics were released just as I was leaving for the RE/MAX International convention so I'm a bit behind on posting these (the national numbers are provided by the National Association of Realtors while the Texas numbers are from The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University).  Nationally, the numbers show a 7.2% decrease in the number of homes sold compared to December 2009.  On a year-over-year basis, however, the number of homes sold in January 2010 increased by 11.5% over January 2009.  Distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales) accounted for 38% of the national sales in January.  Prices were flat compared to the same time last year.

In Austin, the numbers are mixed.  Compared to December 2009, the number of homes sold declined a whopping 32.6% but compared to January 2009, the number increased by 10.3% (although I should point out that the 914 homes sold in January 2009 was the lowest monthly total since January 1998).  Prices were down slightly 0.7%.

In Texas, the January sales figures weren't as great.  Compared to December 2009, the number of homes sold declined 36.3%.  Compared to January 2009, the number decreased by 4.8%.  The 10,217 homes sold across Texas in January 2009 was the lowest monthly total since January 2000.  Prices were up 4.0%

January 2010 Existing Home Sales

*National numbers are seasonally adjusted so no year-to-date comparisons are made.

According to National Association of Realtors figures released today, there were 5,156,000 home sales in 2009.  This is a 4.9% increase from the prior year - the first year-over-year increase since 2005.  The median price in 2009 was $173,200, a drop of 11.9% from 2008.  I was not able to find a comparison of average sale prices in the data.

The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M provided the following on data for Texas and Austin.  In Texas, the total number of homes sold in 2009 was 212,756 which represents an 8.4% decline over 2008.  The average sales price dropped 3.2% to $185,400.  The median sales price fell 0.7% to $145,900.  In Austin, the total number of homes sold in 2009 was 20,871, a drop of 7.0% over 2008.  The average sales price dropped 2.9% to $236,800.  The median sales price fell 1.4% to $185,600.

If you are interested in viewing sales prices for specific homes in Austin, Texas, click here to access the data.  The data is currently available for neighborhoods several zip codes with more neighborhoods added each month.  If you have a specific neighborhood you wish to track, let me know and I may be able adjust the schedule so that it is done quickly.

If you planning to buy or sell a home in 2010 in the Austin, Texas area, please contact me so we can get started.

The December housing statistics were released today (the national numbers are provided by the National Association of Realtors while the Texas numbers are from The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University).  Nationally, the numbers show a dramatic 16.7% decrease in the number of homes sold (the biggest monthly drop in 40 years).  The big drop is a result of the first-time homebuyer credit which was originally supposed to expire on November 30, 2009.  Because many first-time buyers rushed to complete their sales by November 30, there was less demand for these properties in December (43% of purchases in December were to first-time buyers compared to more than 50% in November).  Distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales) accounted for 32% of the national sales in December.  On the positive side, prices were up 1.5% over December of last year.   There were two competing forces with prices in December.  Because fewer of the sales were to first-time buyers who usually buy entry-level homes, the prices should have tended to increase, which they did.  However, the increase was tempered because almost one-third of all sales were distressed properties, which generally drag down prices.

In Austin, the numbers are certainly better.  The month-to-month decline was only 11.0% and we increased the number of sales by 7.3% in the year-to-year comparison.  Prices were also up more than nationally.

December 2009 Existing Home Sales

*National numbers are seasonally adjusted so no year-to-date comparisons are made.

Since it's Friday, how about something a little random?  My hometown of Grand Forks, North Dakota had a mishap with their city calendar this year.  Fortunately, they were able to find a solution.

Have a great weekend!  With highs in the upper 60s and low 70s, it's a great reminder as to why Austin, Texas is a fabulous place to live.  If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in the Austin area, contact me today.

I recently unveiled my free Neighborhood Home Sale Data service.  If you've been looking for a place to view sales prices and other information about recently sold homes, then this is for you!  It is a great way to track the value of homes in your neighborhood.  For more information, visit www.AustinNeighborhoodData.com.