Bryan / College Station Area Statistics:

New Additions to the Market:

• Median Home Price for Feb is down from $325K in January to $298K in February, but total sales is 25% higher compared to January. Looking over the last 5 years, February's total sales of 231 units is the second lowest (Feb 2020 total sales were 211 units). The interesting data point will be seeing what March 2025 total sales are as the average units sold in March is 348.
• Total Active Listings for the Bryan-College Station MSA is 1,182 properties for sale. Up about 80 from January and a whopping 31% compared to this time last year. Meanwhile closed sales are down 12% and we are looking at 4.5 months of inventory (remember ~6 months of inventory is considered a "balanced" market).
• But it's not all roses for College Station as closed sales are down 17% and Bryan has seen the median home price going up! Still a tale of two markets - Bryan has 5 months of inventory vs College Station having 3.1 months. Even though both have similar numbers of total active listings (348 in Bryan vs 390 in College Station).
• Shifting to the luxury segment (over $1,000,000) in February 2025 saw 6 units sold (up from 5 in January), with 115 active listings, 9 pending sales, and 12 off-market units, contributing to a sales volume of $3,142,000. This growth, alongside a reduced pending-to-active ratio compared to January (219 pending), suggests improved closing efficiency in the high-end market, possibly due to seasonal buyer activity or pricing adjustments
• The key takeaways are seeing if this spring weather with this slight decrease in rates helps thaw the market a bit in time for Spring and Bluebonnets? Ironically - turbulence in the overall US Economy can be helpful to the Real Estate Market as people sell stocks to buy bonds, making treasury rates go down - which then leads to lower interest rates.

Cool Stories around BCS Real Estate:

• KBTX reported that College Station is a standout city for growth according to U-Haul's growth data index, ranking sixth in the U.S. outside major metro areas. The article notes an influx of younger people, including students and job seekers, driven by Texas A&M University, a strong job market, and affordable housing compared to larger cities.
• A significant development in College Station involves the closure of Hurricane Harry's, an iconic Aggieland dance hall at Legacy Point, as reported on December 9, 2024. Developer Culpepper Realty, in partnership with LV Collective, announced plans to redevelop this 10-acre plot into a mix of housing and retail, complementing the nearby Century Square. This project, set to move forward in early 2025, highlights the area's focus on mixed-use developments to accommodate growth.
• Your Local Red Pear Agent Luke and his wife announced the birth of their second child (a boy) late last week. Mom and Baby are doing great!

Bryan/College Station MSA:



Brazos County:



Bryan:



College Station:

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos

February 2025 Central Texas Housing Market

Quote:

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Clare Knapp, Ph.D., housing economist for Unlock MLS and the Austin Board of REALTORS, noted that while elevated mortgage rates and affordability challenges have factored into the decline in sales, sellers are lowering prices to attract buyers, helping to further stabilize the market.

"As affordability remains a key constraint for many first-time homebuyers, the single-family leasing market continues to be a viable alternative. While closed sales have slowed this month, sellers adjusting their pricing strategies to align with market conditions are keeping transactions moving. With inventory levels rising, buyers are regaining leverage, creating a more favorable environment for those who have been waiting for the right moment to purchase. Mortgage rates are expected to remain elevated this year, which may not bring significant relief to buyers, but will provide more predictability, allowing both buyers and sellers to navigate the market with clearer expectations. As we head into the traditionally busy spring homebuying season, increased options and improved pricing flexibility could encourage more buyers to transition from renting to homeownership."

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It's been a slower couple of months, but I'm happy to share some good news!

My Spring Branch listing closed earlier this month, and my client saved around $4,000 in reduced listing fees. Next week, I'll be showing homes in the Wimberley and Driftwood areas. If everything goes as planned, my client could potentially save about $7,000 through a buyer's rebate just for being a Red Pear Realty client. With the rising costs of just about everything these days, saving at closing makes a big difference! Who wouldn't want to keep more money in their pocket?


Here's a quick look at the latest trends in the Austin area:

• Median Sales Price: Prices continue to decline, down 3.9% year-over-year (YOY) to $430,000. I'd love to see this number in the low $400s, especially with high interest rates making it tough for first-time buyers.
• Closed Sales: Down 6.5% YOY to 1,856. Winter is typically a slower season, so it'll be interesting to see where this number stands in May.
• Active Listings: Increased 16.7% YOY to 10,235, meaning more inventory and a slight shift toward a buyer's market.
• Pending Sales: Down 5.0% YOY to 2,452 another sign of a cooling market.
• Months of Inventory: Currently at 5.7 months, up slightly from last month (+0.1 months) and +1.3 months YOY, signaling a more balanced market.

It'll be interesting to see how these trends evolve in the coming months! Let me know if you have any questions about the market.

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos


Bastrop County


Caldwell County


City of Austin


Hays County


Travis County


Willliamson County


Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Rental Data

NORTH TEXAS

It's shaping up to be an interesting buying season and I feel that there is a lot of buzz going into it on both the selling and buying side. My pipeline has swelled up significantly in the past couple of weeks as people are preparing to hit the ground running in a month or so. I am also seeing an increase in listings just driving around and the data proves it.

The 10 Year Treasury is now ~50bps below its high earlier this year in January, easing the pain on mortgage rates. It seems that some banks are now starting to call for greater chances of a recession in the next 12 months as a result of the tariff war. As such, if that scenario plays out I would expect rates to continue to decline. However, in this environment things quickly change.

Overall, the metroplex is still seeing price growth (up 1.5% YoY) and inventory continues to climb (up 35.7% YoY) bringing months of inventory to 3.6.

swimmerbabe11 said:

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If anyone wants new construction, get in now, cause everything I'm hearing is that prices are going to get jacked up and material pricing goes up.

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So the same thing that's been happening over the past 5 years?

swimmerbabe11 said:

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you can't think of anything that's happening the last three months that might cause a brand new sudden sharp increase in the price of building materials?

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Was merely commenting that we've seen steady and sharp increases of building materials in the past 5 years without tarrifs.

So now builders are blaming tarrifs is honestly laughable.

swimmerbabe11 said:

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I'm preparing my household for the price/supply issues of covid without the demand benefits. I can only share what I'm hearing from the offices about selling dirt/summer starts. covid made new homes salespeople a whole lotta money, but I started after right after it wore off.


in the heat of covid, we stopped new starts for about a month because lumber was fluctuating so wildly. it's possible we do that again. on the other hand, we weren't canceling homes already on contract so that we could jack up the price for the next buyer, cutting agents out, or reducing sales incentives...so I'm grateful I work for a builder like that.

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With all my heart, I hope it works out. But we're starting to see some potential cracks in RE that worry me. Good luck to you.