Greetings from Austin, where homes are taking a little longer to find a buyer this fall. Here's what moved this week.
🐢 What's happening with Austin home prices
Zillow's newest numbers, updated through Sept. 30, put the typical Austin home value at $491,960. That's down 3.2% from a year ago. Homes now take about 58 days to go pending, up from 49 in August. Buyers have more time to think and compare. Sellers need sharp pricing from the first day on market.
🦇 Mortgage rates
Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed averaged 7.24% on Oct. 29, down from 7.32% the week before. It's the lowest reading this month. Rates are still about a point higher than a year ago, when they sat at 6.17%.
🦆 Builders and new neighborhoods
Granger City Council approved a development agreement and preliminary plat for Lakeside at Granger on Oct. 28. WBW Development plans about 765 homes on 40 and 50 foot lots near Granger Lake, built in four phases. For scale, Granger had 1,228 residents in 2025. The city will provide water and wastewater, and the land will be annexed into city limits.
🍾 Notable sales
1001 Live Oak Ridge Road in West Lake Hills, listed at $6 million with about 5,000 square feet, went under contract after two weeks. It topped Austin's luxury contracts for the week of Oct. 19. That week was slow with F1 in town: about $15 million across five homes listed at $2 million or more.
Condo sales also opened at One Lady Bird Lake, the 18-story tower going up at 125 S. First St. It will have 101 condos and 197 apartments, with one-bedroom condos starting at $1 million. Completion is expected in early 2028. Amenities include a 70 foot pool, a cold plunge, a golf simulator and a dog run.
🏒 Business and development news
The NHL is still weighing Austin and Houston for a 33rd franchise. Sources told the Austin Business Journal the Travis County Exposition Center off Decker Lake Road is a top site under consideration. That's where the Austin Ice Bats played until 2006. Any league vote would come in December at the earliest.
Austin-Bergstrom moved 5.7 million passengers in the third quarter, up 3.4% from last year. Alaska Airlines also announced a Saturday nonstop to Anchorage, running June 12 through Aug. 7.
In Bastrop County, SpaceX filed permits for two more buildings, one with a 2.14 million square foot footprint. The permits are still under review. Musk's companies are now tied to more than 2,000 acres along FM 969 and FM 1209.
Manor breaks ground Nov. 14 on a new city hall, library and great lawn, all set to open in June 2028. Manor grew 68.7% from 2020 to 2025, to just over 23,000 residents.
The Arboretum's new owners shared renderings of a 13,600 square foot building with room for two restaurants and retail. Construction is expected to start in spring 2027, with an opening in fall 2028.
Jester King, the Hill Country brewery on a 41 acre ranch, is looking for a buyer after 16 years. The founders hope to find someone who keeps the brewery, restaurant and farm intact.
🥞 New openings
The Toasted Yolk Cafe opened Oct. 26 at 150 Heroes Memorial Drive, Suite D-100 in Kyle.
Emery, a new steakhouse from the chefs behind Intero and Poeta, opens Thursday, Nov. 5 at 4800 Burnet Road in the former Gusto space. Look for Texas Wagyu, mushroom beignets and a 3 to 5 p.m. happy hour.
🌱 Around town
Zilker Park's Western Great Lawn reopened Oct. 31 after post-ACL recovery work. The volleyball courts are open through Nov. 16, and Lou Neff Road stays closed through the holidays.
Texas Monthly retired its Dining Guide, which started in 1973. Its new guide, Texas Grand, names 127 restaurants in Austin and the suburbs, including Fonda San Miguel and Howdys Pizza and Pasta.
🔑 What this means if you're buying or selling in Austin
Buyers have more time and more room to negotiate than they did this summer, and rates eased a bit last week. Sellers who price right from the start still get deals done, even in the luxury range. If you want to talk through your plans, reach out anytime.
