August 2018

Texas condominium sales dropped 2.1 percent from July 2017 to June 2018, while townhome sales increased 6.3 percent, according to the Texas Association of REALTORS® 2018 Texas Condominium Sales Report.

“Despite the slight decrease in sales, the Texas condominium and townhome market remains one of the most popular segments of the Texas housing market,” said TAR Chairman Kaki Lybbert. “With less maintenance and close proximity to popular attractions, many retirees and young professionals prefer condos and townhomes as an affordable alternative to traditional, single-family homes.”

Generally a more affordable alternative to single-family homes, the median year-to-date price for Texas condominiums as of June 2018 was $185,000, and the median

Austin-area Experiences Highest Volume of Homes Sold Since 2011, Highest Median Price Ever

In July 2018, Austin-area real estate reached its highest home sales volume since July 2011, according to the Austin Board of REALTORS® July 2018 Central Texas Housing Market Report. Median price in the Austin area hit its highest point ever, with a median price of $320,000, a six percent increase. The city of Austin had double digit increases in home sales in July 2018, increasing 13.5 percent compared to July 2017, and sales dollar volume also had a double digit increase, with a 19.8 percent gain.

“Strong pending sales activity in June contributed to a big uptick in home sales growth last month, and pending sales growth was strong again in July, too,” said

WalletHub named Austin, Texas the third best big city to live in within the United States. Seattle, Washington and Virginia Beach, Virginia took the top two spots, while San Francisco, San Diego, and Honolulu rounded out the top five. The top three scores were very close, with scores of 63.63, 63.27, and 63.24.

There was a three-way tie among U.S. big cities for income growth, with San Francisco, Seattle, and Austin taking top spot. Austin ranked second overall in the U.S. for its economy and ranked eighth for education and health. For quality of life, Austin ranked 16th and then dropped below the top 20 from there, to 21st in safety and 28th in affordability.

Of Texas cities, Arlington was the next highest ranked at 31, followed by Fort Worth and