Austin Real Estate Sales Breakdown by MLS Area – June 2008 YTD

Below is the breakdown of year-to-date home sales in Austin by MLS area. This is for houses only, no condos, townhomes, etc. I’m often asked, “how is the Austin real estate market?”, to which I reply, it depends on which market you are talking about. There are multiple “markets” and sub-markets in Austin. Here are some summary points I gleaned from the stats.

* Of the 42 Austin MLS areas tracked below, all but 1 have fewer sales Jan-Jun 2008 compared to 2007. The only area with more sales than the same 6-month period last year was the UT area with 26 sales YTD this year compared to 24 last year.

* 28 of the 42 Austin MLS areas have higher average sales prices for 2008 than the same period last year. That’s 2/3 of Austin’s MLS areas experiencing price increases for average sales price.

* The same number (28) of Austin MLS areas have increases in Median Sold prices compared to a year ago.

* 24 MLS areas saw an increase in both average and median sold prices.

* 27 of the 42 Austin MLS areas saw an increase in average price per square foot on homes sold.

* Of the 24 MLS areas that saw an increase in both average sold and median sold prices, 21 of those areas also showed an increase in the average sold price per square foot. This means half of all Austin MLS areas have experienced price increases in all three of the main metrics that indicate price appreciation. These areas generally tend to congregate around Central Austin. 14 of these areas are within a 20 minute drive of downtwon. 7 are east of IH35.

* 7 of the Austin areas saw a decrease in all three metrics of avg, median and psf sales prices. Those areas were 8W (Eanes West), EL (Elgin), LN (Lake North), LS (Lake South), MA (Manor), SC (Far SE Austin) and W (West Austin). It’s interesting that, with the exception of area LN, all of the areas with triple drops are either way above or way below the Austin average and median sales prices. This jives with what we know, that both the upper and lower ends of the market are slow.

* 7 of the 42 MLS area saw a decrease in the Days on Market, meaning homes are selling faster in those areas than a year ago. Most areas saw an increase in days on market, indicating slower sales.

Check the chart below to see how your particular area is doing. As usual, questions and comments are welcome.

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