The Central Texas housing market exhibited signs of cooling in July, as prices declined in most counties and inventory levels rose across the region.
However, recent data from the Austin Board of Realtors indicates that both Austin and Travis County experienced slight year-over-year price gains, defying the broader trend.
According to real estate experts, this seasonal market shift is not unusual.
“It’s typical for the summer market to slow as people focus on travel and leisure; we often see activity pick back up once school starts,” noted a spokesperson.
The increase in inventory compared to recent years provides buyers with more options, yet the month-to-month decline in new and active listings suggests that some sellers may be hesitant to list their homes.
Should interest rates decline this fall, it could potentially trigger an acceleration in both seller and buyer activity.
Within the five-county Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area, the median home price dipped by 3.3% over the past year, settling at $435,000, while total sales volume decreased by 7.3%.
Among the counties, Hays County faced the most significant price drop of 4.6%, declining to $365,000.
Bastrop County’s median price fell 2.7% to $336,749, while Williamson County experienced a 1.6% dip to $419,995, and Caldwell County edged down slightly to $300,000.
Conversely, Austin’s real estate market saw a 2.2% increase in median price, reaching $590,000, while prices in Travis County rose by 1% to $525,000.
These gains suggest that the Austin market remains relatively stable, despite broader indicators of a market slowdown like longer selling times and increased inventory.
New listings experienced notable growth across the metro area, with Austin seeing a 14% rise and Williamson County witnessing an 18% increase.
Active listings also surged, climbing 25% in Williamson and nearly 20% in Bastrop.
This increase contributed to a rise in inventory levels throughout the region, with Austin’s months of inventory reaching 6.9—a nearly 17% increase from the previous year, indicating a shift into buyer’s market territory.
The metro-wide average inventory reached 6.1 months, just surpassing the six months that typically signifies an equal balance between buyers and sellers.
Although closed sales declined across the region, Austin experienced one of the smallest drops, registering only a 1.7% decrease compared to last year.
Hays and Williamson counties reported steeper declines at 11.1% and 11.9%, respectively.
In a somewhat positive development for buyer interest, pending sales rose in many areas, with Austin seeing a 22% increase and Travis County rising by 15.6%.
Hays County led the way with a striking 26% jump in pending sales.
Homes in Austin continue to sell at a steady pace, with the average time on the market holding at 51 days, unchanged from the previous year.
Likewise, Travis County’s average remained at 53 days, while Hays, Bastrop, and Williamson counties experienced slight increases in average days on the market, ranging from two to four additional days.
Caldwell County reported the most significant change, with the average days on market rising sharply from 37 to 83.
These broader trends in Austin and Central Texas mirror national patterns.
A recent analysis from real estate listings and data firm Zillow revealed that over 20 of the largest metro areas in the United States are identified as “neutral” markets, where neither buyers nor sellers enjoy a definitive advantage.
In Austin, nearly one-third of listings saw price reductions in June, with homes taking a median of 50 days to enter contract.
In terms of rental markets, closed leases in the city of Austin experienced an 8.9% decline year-over-year, while Travis County saw a 9.4% drop.
The broader metro area also contracted by 6.4%, with Williamson County showing an 11.1% decline.
Bastrop County stood out as an exception, reporting a nearly 19% increase in leases and a 30% rise in lease dollar volume.
Despite the slower activity in the housing market, rent prices have remained resilient.
Austin’s median rent saw a modest rise of 1.6%, reaching $2,795, while Hays County increased by 2.2% to $2,350 and Caldwell County edged up by 1.3% to $1,823.
Conversely, Travis and Williamson counties noted slight decreases in median rent, with declines of 2.4% and 1.1%, respectively.
Most rentals leased within 36 to 45 days, similar to the previous year, although Caldwell County experienced a notable change, with average days on the market decreasing by 20 days to 40.
Currently, the rental inventory remains stable at around two months.
“If you’re looking to buy or lease, this slower pace can work to your advantage,” advised Brandy Wuensch, 2025 president of Unlock MLS and the board of Realtors.
“If you’re selling, well-priced homes are still moving quickly.”
image source from：statesman
