Hot Texas Homes

Texas real estate market rakes in billions from international buyers

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Only Florida and California have more international buyers than Texas.

Photo courtesy of Concierge Auctions

Lone Star properties are hot commodities for buyers across the globe. The 2016 Texas International Homebuyers report, released earlier this month by the Texas Association of Realtors, says that international homebuyers pumped more than $10 billion into the Texas economy from April 2015 to March 2016.

More than 21,000 Texas homes were sold to international buyers during that time. For comparison, only 16,720 Texas homes were sold to international buyers the previous year, for a total of $8.32 billion.

"Over the last several years, Texas has become increasingly popular among international homebuyers from all parts of the globe for relocations, investment properties, and vacation homes," says Leslie Rouda Smith, chairman of the Texas Association of Realtors, in a release.

Texas accounted for 10 percent of international home sales in the U.S. Only Florida and California had more foreign buyers, at 22 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

And where are these buyers from? In Texas, 36 percent were from Latin America, 34 percent were from Asia/Oceana, and 12 percent were from Europe. Texas led the U.S. in home purchases from India — 1-in-5 — and maintained the largest percentage of homebuyers from Mexico, 35 percent.

Texas continues to be a hub for migration, notes the report, housing 9 percent of those who immigrated to the U.S. in 2014. "Texas is now home to the second-largest foreign-born population size in the nation and has the seventh-highest percentage of foreign-born residents compared to statewide population," Smith says.

Six Texas metro areas rank among the top 50 in America for immigration. Houston leads the way at No. 5, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth, No. 8; Austin-Round Rock, No. 26; San Antonio-New Braunfels, No. 28; El Paso, No. 32; and McAllen, No. 44.

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Homebuyers can afford to be picky as Austin housing inventory rises

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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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