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Austin, Texas, led the nation in dropping rent prices for the month of June, according to a new report from Realtor.com.
The South generally saw a surge in housing units as more builders target the area because of mass migration post-pandemic.
After Austin’s year-over-year rent drop of 9.5 percent, San Antonio, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee, also saw significant rent price decreases of 8.2 percent and 8.1 percent, respectively.
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“It’s difficult to know just yet if this is simply a trend or a long-term slide, but markets that were white hot during the pandemic like Austin and Nashville are experiencing a deceleration in demand,” Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek.
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Beene said the boom in remote work has regressed, and many workers have had to relocate back to their home office, which for many is outside of the southern cities they migrated to during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Realtor.com also attributed the drops to substantial increases in the supply of new rental units.
“To meet that demand, suppliers needed to come into the market and have now oversupplied the market with housing,” Kevin Thompson, a Texas-based financial expert and founder of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek. “What you are seeing now is the natural market forces finding an equilibrium price, which will naturally fall, especially when you compare them to year-over-year numbers.”
Nationwide, rents fell 0.4 percent year-over-year in June, marking the 11th consecutive month of rent drops nationwide. The median rent for a studio to two-bedroom unit in the top 50 metro areas was 21.2 percent, or $305 higher than the same month in 2019.
“Rents have been steadily falling for almost a year, though the pace of the decline has slowed,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said in a statement. “But rental costs have risen significantly since before the pandemic and inflation has further strained renters’ budgets, underscoring the need for more supply to meet demand and to keep renters from contributing an increasing percentage of their incomes to housing costs.”
The pandemic saw the housing market become severely disrupted, with some markets like Tampa and Miami in Florida seeing rents skyrocketing by up to 40 percent. Tampa and Miami still have some of the fattest rental-price growth versus their pre-pandemic levels, with Tampa up 39.5 percent and Miami 39.2 percent.
Beene said that in comparison, smaller metropolitan cities like Austin have smaller suburban areas that ultimately offer cheaper rents and even mortgages.
Austin also saw the number of homes for sale to climb by 26 percent to 13,227 active listings, according to the Austin Board of Realtors.
“As these markets continue to mature and have states that are seeing economic growth in all areas, it’s natural to see people reassess their living options,” Beene said. “If you can save a few hundred dollars in rent by driving to work 30 minutes each day, you usually do it.”
Thompson said that while the remote work age might be coming to a close, many workers will fight against it and could potentially come back to the city as housing prices become more affordable.
“Austin and other areas that have experienced substantial growth will likely see those growth rates decline to more sustainable levels,” he said.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
AUSTIN, Texas – A man was charged with murder in connection to a deadly East Austin shooting last week, police said.
This is the Austin Police Department’s 20th homicide of the year.
What we know:
Police said on April 10, around 8:40 p.m., officers responded to a call of a shooting at the Cabana Club at 5012 East 7th Street.
When officers arrived, they found a victim, Richard Barr, with gunshot wounds to his body. He died from his injuries.
The investigation showed there had been a fight in the parking lot outside the club that escalated into the suspect, 21-year-old Ryan Lara, shooting Barr in the back.
Barr had been moving away and across the parking lot from Lara when he was shot. Police said Lara had also shot two other people in the group. They were taken to a local hospital for their injuries. One victim remains in critical condition while the other victim was released.
Ryan Lara, 21 (Austin Police Department)
Lara was charged with murder.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.
The Source: Information from the Austin Police Department
AUSTIN, Texas – We will be on storm watch tonight.
Local perspective:
More of the same today with a cloud/sun mix, warm, humid and breezy conditions.
Highs heading for the 80s with wind gusts of 15 to 25 mph.
The backstory:
The West Texas dryline will be the storm machine. This is where the Gulf moisture meets up with dry air coming off the mountains.
As the two different air masses collide the air will be forced up.
The heating of the day and upper low will provide even stronger lift to generate numerous and more intense storms in West Texas.
There is a chance a few of the storms will survive their journey away from the dryline and reach the Hill Country starting this evening and overnight.
By the time they enter Central Texas, most of the storms will drop below severe limits.
The highest threat of severe weather remains west of the Hill Country.
What’s next:
Could we get redevelopment with the storms late on Wednesday?
The jury is still out because not all the models agree, so we will have to play the wait and see game.
The next game-changers will be a stronger Western Low and a cold front with bite to it entering the picture this weekend.
Expecting increasing rain chances on Saturday followed by a cooler and drier breeze the rest of the weekend.
What you can do:
Track your local forecast for the Austin area quickly with the free FOX 7 WAPP.
The design gives you radar, hourly, and 7-day weather information just by scrolling.
Our weather alerts will warn you early and help you stay safe.
The Source: Information from meteorologist Zack Shields.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson expressed concern Monday about two items on the Austin Transit Partnership Board agenda later this week, one to negotiate an office lease in a downtown office building for up to $32 million for roughly 8 years and another to furnish the space for $15 million. READ MORE: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/inappropriate-mayor-pushes-back-on-47m-light-rail-office-relocation-plan/
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