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Rose Real Estate is a local, family owned business with over thirty five years of experience representing buyers and sellers in the Texas Hill Country. Located in Austin's nearby community of Dripping Springs, we are here to skillfully and ethically assist our clients with full-service real estate needs. Our experience includes residential and commercial real estate, Texas Hill Country ranches, and land acreage for home sites, recreational or agricultural use.

We aim to serve those interested in buying or selling real estate within the city of Dripping Springs, as well as the following communities: Austin, Bee Cave, Blanco, Buda, Driftwood, Dripping Springs, Johnson City, Lakeway, Marble Falls, Spicewood and Wimberley. Rose Real Estate believes that Austin wouldn't be what it is today without the surrounding Hill Country, and these communities all greatly add to the region's beauty and growth.

The mission of this website is to provide our customers with the resources and technology they require in order to successfully navigate the Hill Country real estate market.

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  • Remodeling Cost vs. Value

    If you are starting to make plans to sell your home, there may be some things that need updating or remodelin[...]
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  • Selecting a Rural Lot for Your New Home

    Texas Hill Country Gate
    While the real estate market in Austin and the Central Hill Country continues to be an excellent investment f[...]
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2023 Central Texas Housing Market Report

AUSTIN, TX — In 2023, the median price for a home in the Austin-Round Rock MSA decreased 10.2% to $450,000, according to the Austin Board of REALTORS® December 2023 and Year-End Central Texas Housing Market Report. When compared to the steep 24.2% decline in pending sales in 2022, 2023 saw a slight 3.0% decline to 30,353 sales emphasizing that the Central Texas housing market continues to find its footing despite macroeconomic factors impacting the broader housing market and economy.

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CENTRAL TEXAS HOUSING MARKET REPORT | December 2019

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | December 2019
While Austin continued to rank high on “Best of U.S.” lists, Central Texas REALTORS® sold more homes in 2019 than
any year on record—33,084 home sales and $13,158,737,333 in sales volume.
“Austin’s unprecedented population growth during the past decade has heavily impacted the real estate market.
Compared to 2010, home sales in 2019 increased by 84%,” Romeo Manzanilla, 2020 ABoR president said. “That type of
exponential growth has put enormous pressure on the market, raising the median home price from $193,520 in 2010 to
$318,000 in 2019. As we look forward to this year, the market is not showing signs of slowing down anytime soon.”
In the Austin-Round Rock MSA—now the 30th largest U.S. metropolitan area—the median price for single-family
homes increased by 2.6% to $318,000 in 2019. During the same period, sales increased by 7.2% to 33,084 sales. New
listings for the five-county MSA increased year over year by 1.4% to 39,309 listings in 2019. Active listings decreased
4.3% to 6,216 listings, but pending sales increased 10.5% to 33,976 pending sales.
In December 2019, sales volume in the Greater Austin area increased by 9.2% to 2,608 sales, while inventory decreased
by 0.5 months to 1.7 months of inventory. Growing demand pushed the median price of a single-family home to
$323,000, a 7.1% increase from December 2018.
“If we don’t take action to increase housing supply in Austin, we will continue to see exponential increases in home
values,” Manzanilla said. “ABoR continues to advocate for an updated land development code in Austin for exactly this
reason—so that folks who want to purchase a home in the area can afford to do so.”

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Remodeling Cost vs. Value

If you are starting to make plans to sell your home, there may be some things that need updating or remodeling.   Naturally you want to attract more buyers, reduce the time on the market, and receive maximum return on dollars spent.  As you get bids for the different projects, the question that you will probably have is “How much value will be added to my home for the cost of various projects?”  The following link provides helpful information related to that question.  You will notice that the return on dollars spent will vary depending on the local real estate markets.   Visit www.costvsvalue.com to see the Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report.

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Selecting a Rural Lot for Your New Home

While the real estate market in Austin and the Central Hill Country continues to be an excellent investment for home owners, there remains a need for more available homes.  An attractive alternative to buying a resale home is to find a special piece of land and build on it.  Local and out of state buyers are continuing to flood the market in search of available lots in locations like Dripping Springs, Wimberley, Driftwood, Johnson City and Blanco.  These smaller towns offer proximity to Austin, exceptional schools and the beauty of the Texas Hill Country.

Shopping for a tract of land to improve can be quite a different experience from purchasing a resale home.  If you are not familiar with rural lots, you’ll need to consider several items before you seriously consider your land purchase:

  • Acreage:  Most commonly, home buyers are looking for a lot between 1 – 5 acres.  This size provides them the freedom to roam that is not available in Austin city limits, yet isn’t so large that property taxes and maintenance expenses are prohibitive.
  • Views, Trees & Water: What physical features in the land are most appealing to you and your family?  While it might be possible to find a lot with a view, nice trees, access to surface water or other features that you desire, it can sometimes be difficult to find a tract that has everything you want.  We often advise our clients to do their best to set at least these three items in order of priority.
  • School District: Consider the school district in which the property is located.  Hays and Blanco Counties boast some very good public schools, and we are seeing more and more families relocating to take advantage of them.  School systems like Dripping Springs ISD and Wimberley ISD rate very high on the list of options in the entire Austin area.
  • Restrictions and HOA Fees: Many properties have deed restrictions or are located in subdivisions that have HOAs and restrictive covenants that govern what homeowners can and can’t do on the property.  These need to be seriously considered before a purchase, to make sure that, among other considerations, the desired use of the land and the type and size of home to be built are permissible.  Additionally, HOAs that require membership many times come with additional expense.
  • Home Site:  No two pieces of land are exactly the same.  Buyers need to understand how each tract is different, and understand how aspects like topography, trees and drainage can affect future development on the site.  Additionally, future expenses like driveways and utilities should be considered in projecting where the home will be built.
  • Utilities: Buyers should consider utility requirements in projecting the cost of building on a rural lot.  Rural tracts typically have no city water or sewer system, and electricity might only be available at a boundary of the lot or might be a distance from the property.  Land buyers will need to work with their real estate agent to understand their options and potential costs.

It is always important for buyers to select a real estate agent with local knowledge.  Rose Real Estate will guide you through these unique considerations and into the next phase – building your dream home!

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2015 Year In Review | Austin Real Estate Stats

2015 Year-End Totals

  • 29,068 – Single-family homes sold, five percent more than 2014.2015 Year In Review: Austin Real Estate Stats
  • $263,900 – Median price for single-family homes, nine percent more than 2014.
  • $333,558 – Average price for single-family homes, eight percent more than 2014.
  • 49 – Average number of days that single-family homes spent on the market, two days more than 2014.
  • 36,810 – New single-family home listings on the market, four percent more than 2014.
  • 6,044 – Active single-family home listings on the market, five percent more than 2014.
  • 29,839 – Pending sales for single-family homes, five percent more than 2014.
  • $9,695,852,178 – Total dollar volume of single-family properties sold, 13 percent more than 2014.

The following sections describe trends in other sectors of the Austin-area real estate market.

Townhouses & Condominiums

The number of townhouses and condominiums (condos) sold in the Austin area in December 2015 was 230 properties, unchanged from December 2014. The median price for condos was $250,000, which is eight percent more than the same month of the prior year. These properties spent an average of 46 days on market, 10 days fewer than in December 2014.

In 2015, Austin-area condo sales dipped three percent from the year prior to 3,057 condo sales. Median price for Austin-area condos was $227,700, a six percent increase from 2014. Condos spent the same amount of time on the market in 2015 as 2014, or an average of 43 days.

Leasing

In December 2015, a total of 1,153 properties were leased in Austin, which is three percent less than December 2014. Properties spent an average of 47 days available for lease, or two fewer days than December 2014. The median rent for property leases was $1,500 per month, a three percent increase from December 2014. Active property listings increased three percent from December 2014 to 1,630 properties. In all of 2015, a total of 17,875 properties were leased in Austin, which is five percent more than 2014, and the median rent was $1,540 per month, or four percent more than 2014.

 

All information above is credit to Austin Board of Realtors.

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Viticulture In Texas

Texas winemaking has a long and rich heritage.  The earliest vineyard in North America was established in Texas by Franciscan priests circa 1662 along the Rio Grande near present day El Paso.  The Val Verde Winery established in 1883 in Del Rio is the longest operating winery in Texas, surviving prohibition by selling table grapes and wines for church sacramental purposes.

Currently Texas is the fifth-largest wine producing state in the nation with more than 350 wineries and approximately 4,000 acres of producing vineyard farmland.  The industry provides over 11,000 full time jobs and contributes more than $1.88 billion of economic value to the State of Texas.  More than 1.6 million tourists visit Texas wineries each year.

Texas has eight American Viticultural Areas  (AVAs), which are designated wine grape-growing regions in the United States with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau; however, many vineyards exist outside the specified AVAs.  The Texas Hill Country AVA is the second largest in the country with more than nine million acres.

If you are looking to purchase land for a vineyard in the Texas Hill Country, there are many items to consider before purchasing land for your future vineyard.  Of primary concern are four things: soil, water, climate and location.

  • Soil:  Soil and soil types will play critical roles in the health of your vines and production.  Although grapevines can be grown in a variety of soil types, you will need to pay particular attention to depth, pH and salinity, drainage, fertility and water retention.
  • Water:  You will need to consider water availability and distribution, as well as water quality.  Since rain can be sporadic, irrigation is required to supplement natural rainfall.  Undesirable water quality can lead to poor soil and poor yields.
  • Climate:  When we refer to climate, we are really referring to the macroclimate that will determine the types of grapes you grow, the mesoclimate that refers to the local traits of your site, and the microclimate which refers to the area between the soil and the canopy of the vines.
  • Location:  There are many aspects to consider with respect to location, including proximity to other vineyards, adequacy of access, agricultural or commercial restrictions, and tract shape and size.  When choosing your site, aspects such as elevation, slope and drainage need to be considered when determining how you will improve your land.  If you plan to focus on commercial traffic and wine tasting, then the property needs to have sufficient room for parking and local liquor laws will need to be considered.

In your search for property, it is important to select a real estate agent who has local knowledge.  A knowledgeable agent can help you locate the right piece of property and obtain answers to important questions.

 

Sources: Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association, Texas Wine Trail, Texas Winegrape Network, edible Austin, November 17, 2015

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Mortgage Financing: Back To The Basics

In July 2011, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was created to centralize federal consumer financial protection authority.  While there have been many changes since July 2011, the largest and most significant changes recently took place on October 3.  The historic change, known as TRID (TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure), implemented new forms (the new Loan Estimate replaces the old Good Faith Estimate and Initial Truth In Lending Statement…and the new Closing Disclosure replaces the old HUD 1 Settlement Statement and the final Truth In Lending Statement).  Additionally, new laws require that the Closing Disclosure be provided to the borrower(s) at least three business days prior to closing.  This is actually a GREAT change for you, the consumer, as it will allow for time to review cash required at closing and monthly payment.

Historically, the normal time from contract to close has been 30 days.  Many industry insiders believe this may be extended out to 45 or even 60 days.  Our company goal is to maintain a 30-day contract to close.  There will undoubtedly be delays while transitioning to TRID, but we are committed to maintaining 30-day closings in the long run.

At Premier Residential Mortgage, we have been preparing for TRID since October 2014 when we migrated to a new software system, which we believe to be best equipped for TRID.  Additionally, we created our team approach (Team Coble) with a few very basic principles:  1)  Close on time, 2) Be under budget with respect to closing costs, cash at closing, and monthly payment, 3)  Communicate status weekly, and at various milestones, and finally 4)  Provide WOW service to you, our customer.  We believe that if we do 1-4 above, we will have provided a memorable, stress free transaction in a lending environment where this is not the norm.

Obtaining mortgage financing in 2015 looks very much like it did in 1988…the borrower(s) must demonstrate the ability to repay the debt by providing documents to prove income and assets.  The traditional way of proving income is with pay check stubs, W2 forms, and Income Tax Returns (in the event one is self-employed or commissioned).  Assets are documented with either bank statements or by directly verifying bank balances with the institution.  Job stability, past credit history and financial responsibility are all important in overall risk evaluation.  The days of stated income and stated asset mortgages, subprime mortgages (for the credit challenged) and No Doc Mortgages are mostly gone.

There are numerous mortgage products available in the marketplace today that provide the dream of homeownership.  USDA / Rural Housing provides 100% financing for qualified buyers, The Veterans Administration provides 100% financing for Veterans with VA Eligibility, FHA provides financing with as little as 3.5% down for those who qualify, and Conventional loans (Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac) are available with as little as 3% down to those who qualify.  Additionally, the State of Texas offers numerous programs to help with down payments for those who qualify.

In closing, don’t be discouraged by the lending process.  Qualifying may be as easy as providing the most recent W2 form, paycheck stub, and bank statement.

 

Article written by Mike Coble, Premier Residential Mortgage of Texas (PRMTX).  Mike can be reached at [email protected], or on his cell at (512) 657-6600.

Disclaimer: Premier Residential Mortgage is sponsored by NTFN, Inc., NMLS #75333. NTFN, Inc. is an equal housing lender.

 

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How To Pay For A Rural Property

When looking for land in the country, all buyers inevitably have the same question: how am I going to pay for this?  For most buyers it is their first time to buy land, and they soon find that the process is much different than buying a house in a subdivision.  It’s important for buyers to have a team of knowledgeable professionals to guide them through the process.  A good lender is one of those professionals.  Most acreage and Ag properties don’t qualify for conventional mortgage loans, so most mortgage originators can’t help with financing.  This is where Capital Farm Credit comes in.

Capital Farm Credit specializes in financing rural properties including: large acreage tracts, rural homesites, recreational properties, ranches, and farms.  Financing these types of properties presents unique challenges that the typical lender doesn’t usually handle.  The first thing buyers need to know is to forget everything they learned when buying their house.  The loan terms and interest rates are going to be different on ag/acreage properties than what most buyers are used to seeing from conventional lenders.  Typically, the interest rates will be higher than a comparable term mortgage, while the amortization terms (length of time to pay the loan back) are usually shorter.  Another difference is that a full 20% (or more) down-payment is usually required, where conventional mortgages may be had with as little as 5% down.  When shopping around for land financing, the terms offered by different lenders can vary widely and be difficult to compare.  Many banks will use balloon notes, adjustable rates, and pre-payment penalties in land financing, so a buyer needs to pay close attention to the terms they are quoted.

The closing process for land is going to be a little slower.  We typically see 30-45 day closing times, but that can be stretched out by complicated surveys, title issues, and appraisal problems.  With the upcoming changes in regulations and procedures stemming from the Dodd-Frank Act, known as TRID, we expect to see the closing times get even longer on properties like rural homesites that are classified as “Consumer Purpose” loans.  We are currently expecting 60-90 day closing times until the industry gets comfortable with the new processes.

Capital Farm Credit is here to be your expert lender in rural properties.  As a Co-op, we are owned by our borrowers, so we take the customer experience very seriously since the customer will be our boss.  An added benefit of the Co-op structure is that our profits are returned to you in cash to offset your interest costs.  Call us anytime and we will show you just how powerful that can be.  When you are gathering your team to go buy land, make sure Capital Farm Credit is in your corner.

This is a guest post courtesy of Tim Traister and Mark Rutledge with Capital Farm Credit.  Capital Farm Credit is a premier rural real estate lender in Texas offering farm loans, ranch loans, country home loans and recreational property loans.  Rose Real Estate is not affiliated with Capital Farm Credit in any way.

You can connect with Tim at [email protected] and Mark at [email protected].

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What Will It Cost To Bring Electricity To This Property?

Central Texas offers many amenities to buyers looking to relocate to the area.  One of those amenities is the availability of acreage tracts that would be perfect for a weekend getaway or a permanent home site.

Motivations to purchase acreage tracts can vary.  Perhaps you want to build a home and yet be close enough to commute to work or to have access to the many cultural, dining, medical and entertainment opportunities available throughout the Central Texas area.  You may want the privacy and the peace to unwind after a hard day’s work or you may want the grandeur of a Hill Country view.  You may want to provide your children or yourselves with the experience of raising livestock or growing some of your own food.  You may desire a particular school district which offers the educational experience that you want for your children.  Or you may want that special place to use as a weekend or vacation retreat.  Regardless of your motivation for purchasing, a local Realtor familiar with the area and with the process of helping buyers purchase acreage tracts will be of great assistance to you.

Perhaps you have started to view properties and have found a property that seems to meet your expectations and needs.  One of the considerations in purchasing should be the availability and proximity of electricity to the property you hope to purchase.  This may be overlooked by some buyers until they get ready to build.  If electricity is not already on the tract or nearby, the cost can be substantial, especially on large acreage tracts.  In many instances, once you locate the spot on the tract where you want to build, an appointment can be arranged for a representative of the local utility provider to meet you at the property to assess availability and cost.  This information can be valuable in helping you make an informed purchase.

The link below will provide you with information on some of the electric providers in the Central Texas area.

www.texas-ec.org/about/member-directory

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June 2015 Austin Real Estate Stats

Austin-area home sales top 3,000, $1 billion in volume in June 2015, prices remain high;
Mid-year results show 2015 on pace to exceed historical sales volume in 2014

Austin Board of REALTORS® releases real estate statistics for June 2015 and mid-year 2015

AUSTIN, Texas – July 21, 2015 – According to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) report released today by the Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR), Austin-area home sales topped 3,000 sales for the first time since July 2013, increasing five percent year-over-year to 3,051 sales for the month of June. Mid-year statistics show that Austin-area home sales increased an average of four percent year-over-year to 13,917, putting 2015 on pace to potentially exceed 2014’s historical high in sales volume.

In June 2015, total dollar volume reached $1,018,625,166 and increased by eight percent compared to June 2014. Additionally, the total dollar volume of single-family properties sold in the first half of 2015 was $4,617,178,959, a year-over-year increase of 12 percent.

Barb Cooper, 2015 President of the Austin Board of REALTORS¬®, explained, “June’s increased home sales, combined with total dollar volume exceeding $1 billion for the first time ever, shows the amazing equity Austin homeowners have in the market and the powerful impact of real estate in Central Texas. However, this increase heightens the need to replenish and expand housing stock to help achieve sustainable growth.”

According to the report, the median price for Austin-area single-family homes increased eight percent year-over-year to $272,250 in June 2015, while average price increased two percent to $333,866 during the same time frame. Keeping with the upward trend over the last several months, less than three in 10 single-family homes sold in the Austin area were priced below $200,000.

Price increases are similar for the first half of 2015, with median price increasing 10 percent to $263,000 and average price increasing eight percent to $331,765. At the same time, homes spent an average of 50 days on the market, three more days than the same time last year.

“If this growth continues, 2015 could become another historical year for Austin-area home sales. Both homebuyers and sellers can expect a strong, competitive market for the rest of the summer selling season,” said Cooper.

Active listings increased by four percent year-over-year to 6,701 listings in June 2015 and pending sales increased by eight percent to 3,023 compared to June 2014.

While new listings increased by three percent to 3,812 for June 2015, inventory held steady at 2.8 months, remaining well below the 6.5 month level the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University estimates as a balanced housing market.

Cooper concluded, “While growth shows positive momentum for our city, ABoR supports solutions that serve the entire community, accommodate new populations and help residents find the homes they want. To help achieve these goals, ABoR and Austin REALTORS® recently met with members of the Austin City Council and Mayor Adler to discuss big picture issues affecting Central Texas residents and with a strong focus on sustainable and managed growth. We’re pleased to see the steps city leaders are taking toward a more affordable Austin.”

June 2015 Statistics

    • 3,051 – Single-family homes sold, five percent more than June 2014.
    • $272,250 – Median price for single-family homes, eight percent more than June 2014.
    • $333,866 – Average price for single-family homes, two percent more than June 2014.June 2015 Austin Real Estate Stats
    • 42 – Average number of days single-family homes spent on the market, three days more than June 2014.
    • 3,812 – New single-family home listings on the market, three percent more than June 2014.
    • 6,701 – Active single-family home listings on the market, four percent more than June 2014.
    • 3,023 – Pending sales for single-family homes, eight percent more than June 2014.
    • 2.8 – Months of inventory* of single-family homes, unchanged compared to June 2014.
  • $1,018,625,166 – Total dollar volume of single-family properties sold, eight percent more than June 2014.

2015 Mid-Year Statistics

    • 13,917 – Single-family homes sold, four percent more than the first half of 2014.
    • $263,000 – Median price for single-family homes, 10 percent more than the first half of 2014.
    • $331,765 – Average price for single-family homes, eight percent more than the first half of 2014.
    • 50 – Average number of days single-family homes spent on the market, three days more than the first half of 2014.
    • 19,865 – New single-family home listings on the market, three percent more than the first half of 2014.
    • 5,727 – Active single-family home listings on the market, eight percent more than the first half of 2014.
    • 15,984 – Pending sales for single-family homes, five percent more than the first half of 2014.
  • $4,617,178,959 – Total dollar volume of single-family properties sold, 12 percent more than the first half of 2014.

The following sections describe trends in other sectors of the Austin-area real estate market.

Townhouses & Condominiums

The volume of townhouses and condominiums (condos) purchased in the Austin area in June 2015 was 331, a 12 percent increase from June 2014. The median price for condos was $234,500, which is eleven percent more than the same month of the prior year. When compared to June 2014, these properties spent 8 more days on the market, or an average of 39 days.

For the first half of 2015, 1,510 Austin condos were sold, which is seven percent less than this time last year, while the median price was $226,250, or six percent more than the first half of 2014. Condos spent an average of 43 days on the market, one day fewer than the first half of 2014.

Leasing

In June 2015, a total of 1,861 properties were leased in Austin, which is fourteen percent more than June 2014. The median price for Austin-area home leases was $1,600, seven percent higher than in June 2014. In the first half of 2015, a total of 8,525 properties were leased in Austin, which is eight percent more than 2014, and the median lease price was $1,520, a five percent increase from the first half of 2014.
The Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR) builds connections through the use of technology, education and advocacy to strengthen the careers of its 11,000 members and improve the lives of Central Texas families. We empower Austin REALTORS® to connect their clients to the region’s most complete, accurate and up-to-date listings data. For more, contact the ABoR Department of Public Affairs at

[email protected] or 512-454-7636. For the latest local housing market listings, visitAustinHomeSearch.com.
* The inventory of homes for a market can be measured in months, which is defined as the number of active listings divided by the average sales per month of the prior 12 months. The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University cites that 6.5 months of inventory represents a market in which supply and demand for homes is balanced.

 

All information above is credit to Austin Board of Realtors.

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