The housing market closed out 2017 with a bang. Austin’s stats proved that the market once again eclipsed all prior years — it was the seventh record-breaker in a row.
That fit nicely with a theme to start off 2018. A lot of people are moving to Texas. New U-Haul data shows that Texas remains the top state for in-bound, one-way travelers. Even though it wasn’t a big increase from past years, it kept the state at No. 1.
Meanwhile, we’re sharing some news about the future sale of former President Lyndon B. Johnson’s old ranch — one that he bought just days after taking office.
You’ll learn about that and more in our January real estate news roundup.
Everyone’s Headed to Texas, U-Haul Data Shows
U-Haul’s business means it has a good read on who’s moving where. In its latest data-crunching effort, the moving company reported Texas was the No. 1 growth state. The number of one-way trucks headed to the Lone Star State rose 1 percent year-over-year. Who came next? Florida, Arkansas, South Carolina and Tennessee rounded out the top five. More here.
Amazon HQ2 is an Elephant for Any Market
Austin, New York and several other cities are still in the running to get Amazon’s second North American headquarters. The e-commerce giant in January announced a list of 20 finalists. Whichever city wins the $5 billion or so in investment and 50,000 high-paying jobs will also have to deal with disruptions to the housing market. When cities get big influxes like that, it tends to drive up home prices and rental prices. Read more about the potential impacts of Amazon’s HQ2 in this Realtor.com article.
Austin Will Remain a Hot Market, Zillow Says
Austin keeps winning over the rankings of top cities for real estate, among other things. And that holds true in 2018. Zillow said Austin’s hot job market is setting it up to be the sixth-hottest U.S housing market in in 2018, the Austin Business Journal reported. San Jose, Calif. led the pack, followed by Raleigh and Seattle.
Own a Presidential Ranch
Looking to have a presidential suite — for life? Pony up to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s former Hill Country estate for a cool $2.8 million. The Austin Business Journal reports the Johnson City area ranch was purchased by the former leader in 1963, just a week into his presidency. It later housed Italian artist Benini.
Austin Had Another Record Year in Home Sales
The Austin metro area logged its seventh straight year of record home sales in 2017, the Austin Board of Realtors confirmed. Home sales had been slowing in the city of Austin until December, when there was a sharp uptick. Meanwhile, the city’s fringes showed strong growth throughout the year as prices inside the city rose and affordable houses became even more difficult to find. Learn more in our monthly real estate market report.