April showers bring May flowers- or so we’ve heard. This year it appears that our wet winter has brought beautiful April wildflowers to North Texas. The picture above is was taken in Pilot Point. The blooming of the bluebonnets in our area has been spectacular. If you are not from Texas you may not know that bluebonnets are the official state flower or the annual tradition of bluebonnet pictures. It seems that everyone seeks out the best fields of bluebonnets to take pics of the family or kids or pets and this year even the police got in on the tradition.

Speaking of traditions, it is springtime which is traditionally the strong selling season for our real estate markets. This year is no exception as the markets have heated up since last month. That said, when looking at the charts from the same time last year, we have definitely slowed down the pace. With the large population growth we’ve had (we’ve gained over 1 million in less than a decade) the large demand and limited supply caused prices to increase rapidly. That rapid pace has begun to slow as affordability has now become an issue for buyers. Mortgage interest rates which had dropped are now increasing again.

According to the Texas Housing Insights,
Texas housing sales increased 5.2 percent from January amid lower mortgage rates and decreased price pressure. Supply indicators were mixed with single-family construction permits and total housing starts stabilizing after a shaky end to 2018, but single-family private construction values continued to slide. On the demand side, the typical Texas home continued to average just 60 days on the market and sold above 95 percent of the original list price. Lower mortgage rates provided incentives for prospective purchasers, but housing affordability remained a challenge across the state. Overall, the healthy labor market, population growth, and the economic expansion supported strong housing demand.

Here are our numbers for this month. Remember to hover over the chart to see the numbers and trends:

Market Data

The months supply of inventory is up from the same time last year in all four counties. It is noted that this is still an under supply as a more balanced market has 4-6 months of supply. This appears to be a trend to a more balanced market.

Commercial Corner

Industrial or Retail? As we have seen the effects of online retail impact the brick and mortar stores, the demand for industrial space for online retailers continues to grow. This was an interesting read –Self-Storage: A Little Bit Industrial, A Little Bit Retail.

If you need an appraisal for industrial property, this is a service we provide. Contact us for more information.

In summary, our markets are still appreciating just at a slower pace. With demand still strong as a result of population growth and a strong economy the housing market is still strong. As interest rates begin to rise again and affordability prices some out of the market, the slowing has occurred.

We hope that you are enjoying your spring and we look forward to sharing you more real estate news and trends next month.