Whatever phrase you decide to use to describe the Austin real estate market, it is undeniably and forever changed. The days of a $300,000 house are long gone and seemingly overnight we’ve become one of the most “unaffordable” cities in the United States. 

Here’s what I see happening next…you ready? 

1. SUBURBAN EXPLOSION –  When most of you moved to Austin, you could find a nice $300K starter home (I should have bought them all!) in a nice neighborhood with great schools. That’s no longer the case for young families or single professionals, those options only exist outside the city limits in emerging markets like Liberty Hill, Jarrell, Taylor, Smithville, Manor, and Hutto. 

2. SINGLE FAMILY PRICE INCREASES – It’s not going to stop! It’s possible that our price escalation might cool down a bit, but the math is simple…there are more buyers than sellers. Single-family home prices will keep going up especially in desirable neighborhoods with low inventory – Rollingwood, Barton Hills, Zilker, Travis Heights, Westlake, Tarrytown, Highland Park, Northwest Hills, Lakeway, and Circle C…just to name a few! 

4. POPULATION – More people, more cars, longer lines, hard to get dinner reservations, and empty retail shelves. They’re here…the people are here and they’re still coming. Over the next several years there are HUGE opportunities for service-based companies! We need more hair salons, oil change stations, restaurants, dry cleaners, and LOTS of other services to keep up with the demands of a growing population.