For anyone buying a house in the past several years, the price tag as well as the ins and outs of market dynamics can be intimidating. For one who is curious exactly what those numbers were in the past year compared to 2022, the Austin Board of Realtors Dec. 2023 and Year-End Central Texas Housing Market Report will provide that information for all of the five counties in the Greater Austin area.
'Last year, a confluence of factors, but especially mortgage rates, posed a drag on the Austin housing market,” ABoR Housing Economist Clare Losey said. “A significant secondary factor was the artificial demand created by conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic—i.e., a low interest rate environment, work from home, a preference among buyers for more space, etc.—which led to a certain number of buyers deciding to purchase ‘early’ in 20202022 vs. otherwise purchasing a home in 2024, 2025, etc.”
Losey said that Hays County witnessed less of a moderation in sales and prices than the broader Metropolitan Statistical Area, which was mainly due to the higher concentration of affordable homes within the county compared to much of the rest of the Austin MSA.
