Hottest 'Hoods

Real estate experts say these are Austin's top neighborhoods right now

Riverside is pretty hot, says Redfin.

Photo courtesy of MileStone Community Builders

It's the season to predict the hottest neighborhoods in town, and the heat is rising in Riverside. The East Austin community ranks as Austin'shottest neighborhood for 2017, according to Redfin's annual predictions. The real estate brokerage firm determined the rankings based on search popularity in addition to feedback from local agents.

Riverside has a lot to offer its residents, too, says Austin agent Andrew Vallejo. "Hiking and biking trails have been revitalized, and being so close to the water is a big draw for many homeowners. There's also great dining, plenty of public transportation, and close proximity to the airport."

The median price for a home in that area is $266,500, and you'll have to act quick, because houses only last around 28 days on the market.

That's fast, but Montopolis is practically on fire. The homes in this adjacent neck of the woods are selling like hotcakes, only spending eight days on the market with a median price of $226,000. It's no wonder why Montopolis comes in as the second hottest 'hood.

The third hottest locale on Redfin's report is the combination of Northwest Hills and Far West — and it has a high price tag. Homes here will set you back $650,000 and spend 25 days on the market.

Redfin's top Austin neighborhoods differ from Zillow's predictions for the highest growth neighborhoods in town, but both real estate sites favor peripheral East Austin for 2017. This suggests that the predictably trendy sections of East Austin may be getting a little pricey for homebuyers, pushing them to the more affordable outskirts.

Redfin data shows this trend occurring across the country, as people are moving away from downtown areas even though that means a longer commute. Homes in outlying communities have "the best balance of everything: quick access to public transit, trendy shopping and dining options, plus larger move-in ready homes with charm and price tags that are a little easier to bear."

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Homebuyers can afford to be picky as Austin housing inventory rises

Photo by Avinash Kumar on Unsplash

Housing economist Clare Losey said the most significant factor affecting home sales in Austin is high mortgage rates.

The latest real estate report from Unlock MLS and the Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) has revealed housing inventory is still on a steady rise in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos MSA, creating more choices for potential homebuyers as they navigate a high interest rate market.

Residential home sales dipped by a mere 1.5 percent year-over-year from October 2023, amounting to 2,248 closed sales in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos MSA. Median prices have also dropped to $430,000, or 3.2 percent less than this time last year. More than 3,300 new home listings were added on the market — a 7.4 percent increase from 2023 — bringing the total number of active home listings to 11,599.

According to Unlock MLS and ABoR housing economist Clare Losey, Ph.D., October's mortgage rates stood at 6.4 percent and are showing no signs of a significant drop in the near future. Even heading into 2025, Losey says potential homebuyers who are biding their time in the hopes of seeing rates plummet "may be in for a long wait."

"In the meantime, sellers must recognize that bringing buyers to the table requires a more aggressive pricing approach," Losey said. "Even in a more balanced market, buyers with limited purchasing power are struggling to meet current price expectations."

As for the overall health of the Central Texas housing market, 2024 Unlock MLS and ABoR president Kent Redding labeled recent news reports that called Austin "ground zero" for a downturn as an "extreme over-exaggeration."

"Austin led the state and nation in record-breaking home price growth and sales activity during the pandemic," Redding said. "For three years, near-zero housing inventory, numerous offers above list price and a rapid-paced market raised home prices and left little negotiating power for buyers. During this record-setting growth, ABoR and Unlock MLS consistently emphasized the unsustainability of the rapid growth, and now, our market is working to balance those extremes."

Central Texas housing trends in October 2024

In Travis County, 979 homes were sold last month — a slight 2.5 percent increase from last year. Median prices remained flat year-over-year at $510,000. Active home listings continued growing to 5,702 homes, which is 9.4 percent more year-over-year.

In Williamson County, 807 homes were sold in October, with median prices steadily dropping to $420,000. There were 1,028 new home listings on the market, showing a 4.5 percent increase from October 2023, bringing the total number of active home listings to 3,369.

Residential home sales dropped by nearly eight percent in Hays County in October, totaling 315 sales. Median prices also fell 5.5 percent year-over-year to $359,000. Active listings rose 6.6 percent year-over-year to 1,740 homes with the addition of 534 new listings on the market.

Meanwhile, 114 homes were sold in Bastrop County last month, which is 4.4 percent more than this time last year. Median prices dropped by a single percentage point year-over-year to $355,000. There were 654 active listings on the market in October, and 152 new home listings, representing a 1.3 percent slip in new inventory when compared to last year.

Only 33 homes were sold in Caldwell County in October to reflect a near 14 percent decline year-over-year from October 2023. Median prices fell to $262,990, which was a 13.5 percent decrease from last year. There were 136 active homes on the market last month, and 40 new homes added on the market.

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