Austin, TX

Austin’s troubled housing market gets more bad news

Published

2 years ago

July 23, 2024

Austin’s troubled housing market gets more bad news

Home prices in the former pandemic boomtown of Austin, Texas, dropped by -0.1 percent from May to June, according to the latest data from Zillow compiled by journalist Lance Lambert.

“In early June, I said the Austin metro is poised for some more home price declines in the second half of 2024,” Lambert, who writes for ResiClub, posted on X. “The tell-tale sign was the weak month-over-month print from April to May—historically one of the strongest reporting months of the year.”

In early June, I said the Austin metro is poised for some more home price declines in the second half of 2024.
The tell-tale sign was the weak month-over-month print from April to May—historically one of the strongest reporting months of the year.
The June print came in red 👇 pic.twitter.com/kVSCDqsvwb
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— Lance Lambert (@NewsLambert) July 23, 2024

After a drop of -0.6 percent between December 2023 and January, home prices had modestly been rising in the Texas capital. Between January and February, they increased by 0.3 percent; in both March and April they grew by 1.1 percent month-over-month. From April to May, they increased by only 0.2 percent.

More From Newsweek Vault: How to Calculate How Much House You Can Afford

While the June home price decrease is a far cry from the steep drops of summer and winter of 2022, when prices plunged by as much as -3.0 percent, it’s a clear sign that Austin’s housing market is still navigating troubled waters.

In an aerial view, the downtown skyline is seen on March 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Home prices in Austin have fallen between May and June, as inventory grows in the city.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

When the pandemic hit, Austin had been the fastest growing large metropolitan area in the country in more than a decade, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. During the COVID-19 health emergency, the city saw a massive influx of people moving from other states into the Texas capital, attracted by more affordable prices, Austin’s great weather and its vibrant culture.

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These people—often remote workers leaving expensive cities like the ones in California’s Bay Area—brought up demand for homes in the city at a time of historically low supply, engaging in cutthroat bidding wars and sending prices to the roof. At its peak in May 2022, the median sale price of a home in Austin had reached $667,000, according to Redfin data, up 16.0 percent from a year earlier.

But after the end of the pandemic boom, many remote workers were forced to return home and leave Austin, while the massive migration of the past couple of years started to decline. As the U.S. housing market was experiencing a modest price correction between late summer 2022 and spring 2023, Austin was witnessing a much more dramatic collapse of its home prices.

“Because prices have been so high, there was a lot of room for prices to fall,” Daryl Fairweather, Redfin chief economist, previously told Newsweek. Between July 2022 and February 2023, home prices fell in Austin for eight consecutive months, by as much as -3.0 percent and as little as -0.9 percent.

After rising for three months between April 2023 and June 2023, home prices in the city started dropping again between July 2023 and January 2024, though the deepest drop was a much more modest -1.5 percent.

An increase in housing inventory is partly responsible for this further drop in prices. According to a recent analysis of Realtor.com active listings made by ResiClub, housing inventory for sale in Austin reached a new cycle high last month at 10,913 and it’s now 41 percent above pre-pandemic levels.

While the median sale price of homes in Austin remains much higher than the state’s average of $354,800, according to Redfin data, the cost of housing has dropped noticeably since the pandemic. In June, as per Redfin data, the median sale price of a home was $564,000, down -6.0 percent year-over-year.

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Austin, TX

Texas’ Gorgeous State Park Northwest Of Austin Is A Rustic Haven With Caves And A Stunning Waterfall – Islands

Published

9 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Texas’ Gorgeous State Park Northwest Of Austin Is A Rustic Haven With Caves And A Stunning Waterfall – Islands

Billy McDonald/Shutterstock

The landscapes around Austin are a natural wonderland for outdoor adventures, from diving into pristine swimming holes to kayaking on the beautiful lakes of the Texas Hill Country. But one destination northwest of the city is a particularly gorgeous escape. Colorado Bend State Park, about two hours away by car, is home to ethereal caves and a 70-foot spring-fed waterfall.

The 5,300-acre park has 35 miles of hiking trails, including one that leads to the park’s most famous feature, Gorman Falls. The rugged 3-mile round-trip hike is considered moderately challenging to difficult, with steep, rocky sections, slippery areas, and little shade from the sun. The trek is worth it for the chance to view the cascades, towering high above the river and fed by a mineral-rich spring. “The falls were beautiful, natural, and peaceful!” said one hiker on AllTrails. If you’re interested in other nearby adventures, be sure to check out all the breathtaking waterfall destinations tourists can find in Austin.

Sometimes the water at Gorman Falls is rushing, and other times the waterfalls are quieter, according to traveler reviews. “This is a beautiful trickling fall that is right out of a storybook about fairies,” said one review on Google. Many agreed that the hike itself isn’t easy. “Very rocky and challenging but worth the effort,” commented another. Several people mentioned that the trail may not be appropriate for beginners, kids, or dogs, that it gets very busy on weekends, and that it’s important to bring more water than you think you’ll need.

Plan an escape to Colorado Bend State Park

Gorman Falls Trail and the Colorado River at Colorado Bend State Park

David Wayne Radzieta/Shutterstock

Another of the park’s key attractions is its system of underground caves, which visitors can explore on a guided tour with Nichols Outdoor Adventures. The intermediate-level Adventure Tour ($25 per person), billed as “an introduction to what Texas caving is all about,” is a 1.5-hour excursion that takes participants deep underground to crawl through cavernous passageways. “It was a fabulous experience,” said one recent guest on TripAdvisor. “[The guide] did a great job of explaining the topography, how the caves were formed, and answering any and all questions throughout the tour.” The activity is only for travelers ages 8 and up, and though long pants, headlamps, and closed-toe shoes are required, helmets and knee pads are provided. You can book your tour online.

Whether you’re touring the caves or hiking to waterfalls, you’ll need to pay a day-use fee ($5 per person) to access Colorado Bend State Park. It’s smart to reserve your pass online, since the park has a limited capacity and often fills up. If you’re hoping to camp in the park, you’ll want to make arrangements even further in advance. Simple campsites (without hookups) start at $10 per night, while larger group sites start at around $35.

Colorado Bend State Park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s less than a two-hour drive from Austin’s international airport. If you love Colorado Bend, consider a detour to the secluded Inks Lake State Park, an idyllic getaway with shady trails and peaceful waters.

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Austin, TX

Sunday storms expected in Austin. Here’s how long rough weather could last.

Published

21 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Sunday storms expected in Austin. Here’s how long rough weather could last.

While we saw severe weather across parts of the state on Saturday, the bulk of the action happened in North Texas but don’t let your guard down yet. That system will influence our weather in Central Texas throughout much of next week, bringing daily chances for rain and thunderstorms.

Saturday’s cold front has stalled across South Texas, and the next weather feature to watch is a closed system of low atmospheric pressure lingering near the Baja California coast. That system will send several atmospheric disturbances into Texas that will keep rain chances high across the region.

Overcast skies, spotty showers, light north winds, and cooler temperatures will welcome us Sunday morning. Temperatures will be in the middle and upper 50s through mid-morning and then climb about 10 to 15 degrees by the afternoon. Afternoon temperatures will remain closer to climatological normals for early March, in the upper 60s and low 70s.

While we do expect to see some thunderstorms across the region at times on Sunday, severe weather is not on the menu. Rain chances are about 50% with rainfall totals between a half-inch to an inch.

The comfortable temperatures and north winds will not hang around long once low pressure develops to our north and opens the door to winds from a more southerly direction by Monday. We’ll have a small rain chance, about 30% to 40%, on Monday with a few afternoon thunderstorms possible. Temperatures will be warm, though, with the morning near 60s degrees and the afternoon reaching the low 80s.

Rain chances look to ramp up again from Tuesday through Thursday with the potential for some strong and severe thunderstorms.

“For now, it looks like late Tuesday into Wednesday will be favored as a closed low (pressure system) moves across West Texas into Central Texas,” the National Weather Service wrote in a forecast bulletin. “We will likely see some changes in the path of this upper low, but the current latitude looks favorable for a line of convection (storm activity) along a Pacific cold front to accompany the passage of this system.”

“The latest guidance shows a 60 to 90% chance of at least 1 inch of rain for most of our area with a 40 to 60% chance of at least 2 inches for areas north of I-10,” the weather service said. “There is a potential for multiple inches across some areas.”

Once this storm heads east by Thursday afternoon, cooler and drier weather will filter in with temperatures closer to our March normals of 50 degrees and 71 degrees.

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Austin, TX

Austin weather: Cold front, storm risk to roll in mid-afternoon

Published

1 day ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Austin weather: Cold front, storm risk to roll in mid-afternoon

AUSTIN, Texas – It’s cold front day and storm day! The front is slowing down and not entering Central Texas until the afternoon during the warmest part of the day.

Austin weather risk

This will make the atmosphere unstable and more likely to generate isolated severe storms. The main concern will be with 1 to 2″ diameter hail.

Also a high risk of lightning and moderate chance of heavy rain with the highest flood threat staying in East Texas. Damaging wind and tornado risk remains very low. The first round of storms will happen by early to mid afternoon.

Risk for Saturday night

The second round will occur late tonight and into early Sunday. For now, a half to one inch of rain is likely for much of the area, with isolated spots getting over an inch.