Real Estate In the Know



Even though we live in Texas, we do still (sort of) have a Winter. With the temperature cooling off, a lot of Austinites are looking for fun Winter activities for when the weather outside is Frightful. Luckily there is a lot to do! Here's some of our Favorite Hot Spots to hang out when it gets Cold in Austin:

Grab a Bowl of Soup to Warm Up
Austin has plenty of places to grab a hot bowl of soup to warm you up. There's Ramen Tatsu-Ya , which offers Japanese soul food in the form of ramen. The No. 1 Tonkotsu Original comes with creamy pork broth, noodles on the side, pork belly, and an ajitama (a marinated boiled egg). It's definitely worth trying.

There's also Gourmands Neighborhood Pub , where you can order homemade clam chowder or Texas style chili in a fresh bread bowl.

The Soup Peddler has fresh soup made from local, fresh ingredients - plus, housemade bone broth. A warm meal on a cold day always hits the spot.

Make Some S'Mores at Halcyon Cafe
Halcyon Coffee + Bar + Lounge is a local cafe in downtown Austin that offers cafe-goers coffee and other types of food and drinks. Surprisingly, their desserts are why you'd head there in the winter. Halcyon offers a s'mores platter for up to 2 to 4 people that you can make at your own table, complete with a little fire and roasting sticks to roast your marshmallows with. All the fun of a campfire and s'mores on a cold night, without having to be outside in the cold!

Ice Skating on the Plaza of Whole Foods
Every year, Whole Foods Market on North Lamar has Ice Skating on the Plaza daily from 10 AM - 9 PM. Tickets are $10, which includes skates, and you can also rent the rink for a private party (holiday company party idea!). And if you get hungry, you can always go downstairs and enjoy the many food bars Whole Foods has to offer. If you're looking to get outside and enjoy the rare cold weather in Austin, this is a fun activity for the whole family.

Take a Moonlight Cruise on Lady Bird Lake
If you're looking for a romantic date night activity to do with a loved one during winter, Lone Star Riverboat Cruises offers a Moonlight Cruise on their boat the "Lone Star." The cruise is one hour long and only happens on Friday nights at 10:30 p.m. from March through mid-December. A scenic tour of Lady Bird Lake for $10 with a BYOB option is a great way to get out and enjoy the beautiful lights of Austin around the holidays.




   Your Dream Home Awaits! If you are wanting the low maintenance lifestyle, with single-family home ownership, look no further than this spacious home. Light and bright, the beautiful kitchen opens to dining and family. This is the first of seven homes coming available in the Manor Forest subdivision just east of Windsor Park near Manor Road and 51st Street. The gated community will be built in 2 phases, with the first three homes scheduled for completion in Fall 2018 and four more to follow Summer 2019. Welcome Home!


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If you are planning on Buying and/or Selling a Home this year, let’s get together to help you navigate the conditions in your market and set you up for Success. Please contact me anytime for a
Free Market Value Analysis.

AUSTIN, TX– Rising property values and increased demand led to an all-time high in sales dollar volume in 2018 as shrinking affordability spread across Central Texas, according to year-end data in the latest Austin Board of REALTORS ® (ABoR) report.

Central Texas REALTORS ® sold 30,713 homes in 2018, generating $11.9 billion in sales dollar volume, the December and Year-End 2018 Central Texas Housing Market Report found.


“2018 was the highest-grossing year on record, and for the first time ever, the median price for single-family homes in the Austin-Round Rock MSA (metropolitan statistical area) stayed above $300,000 for 10 consecutive months,” Kevin P. Scanlan, the 2019 Austin Board of REALTORS ® president, said. “While much of the region is benefitting from these higher numbers, increasing home prices are forcing families out of the city of Austin. This phenomenon is leading to lower enrollment in schools and could lead to decreased property tax revenue and budget shortfalls.”

City of Austin
In the city of Austin, the median price for single-family homes increased annually by 4.1 percent to $375,760. While 2018 sales remained flat at 9,357 homes, sales dollar volume increased annually by 5.3 percent to $4,365,464,913. Although the median home price increased 6.2 percent year over year in December to $376,875, sales decreased 17.3 percent year over year to 669 sales. Austin’s monthly housing inventory decreased 0.1 months to 1.4 months of inventory in December.


Travis County
In 2018, Travis County’s median home price increased annually by 2.9 percent to $360,000 and sales increased similarly—3.2 percent to 15,240 sales. The December median home price rose 0.4 percent year over year to $350,000, but sales decreased 11.7 percent year over year to 1,135 sales. Monthly housing inventory stayed at 2.0 months—the same as the previous December.


“If you’re planning on buying or selling a home this year, it’s important to enlist the help of a Central Texas REALTOR ® . REALTORS ® are local market experts who can walk clients through the necessary steps of the purchasing or selling process, and we ascribe to a Code of Ethics that requires us to advocate on our clients’ behalf and in their best interest.