The Central Texas Real Estate Market continues to remain strong despite what is happening across the nation. Remember real estate is like the weather, always depend upon the local forecast. 

According to the Texas Real Estate Research Center, the Texas Real Estate Market heats up.  "First quarter 2010 figures were up compared to 2009, despite sales being down in January and February," says Jim Gaines, Ph.D., economist with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M

Source: Texas Real Estate Research Center

Great news released today for Central Texas from the MainStreet report named "20 Cities surviving the Recession" by Miranda Marquit.  Central Texas boast 2 of the top 20 Cities surviving the Recession and Texas all together boast 7 of the top 20.  The two cities in Central Texas include Austin, Texas and more importantly Ft. Hood including the Killeen and Temple Areas.  Factors contributing to the success are jobs servicing Ft. Hood and jobs in the health care industry. 

Sources: MainStreet, Yahoo Finance

Interest rates have hit one of the lowest points since the 1970s.  We have seen rates today running around 4.625% on a 30 year note and around 4% on a 15 year note.  Of course interest rates are subject to change and vary depending upon credit and other factors.  For more info call your lender today or give us a call!  If you are looking to buy a home in Salado, Belton, Temple, or other surrounding community, call First Texas Brokerage!!!

Thank you,

Ryan Hodge

First Texas

Salado Texas Real Estate

We know its summer time and the hot weather is here, but how hot is the Salado Texas Real Estate Market??  What a great question to ask!  The real estate market in Salado is doing very well and is continuing to break the national trend as is the rest of Texas.  The inventory numbers are currently around 100 homes. 

Comparing Jan.1 – July 19, 2009 to Jan 1. –July 19, 2010

            Jan – July 19                 2009                 vs                     2010

Average List Price                     $239,000                                   $259,000*

Average Sales Price                  $229,000                                   $250,000*

Average DOM                           130                                           150*              

 # of units SOLD                       54                                             54* 

                            * Information obtained by Temple Belton Board of Realtors

As you can see, it is taking a little bit longer for homes to sell, but the average list price and sales price are both higher.  We have also currently sold the same number of units as this time last year which is great news compared to other areas across the nation.   Always remember real estate is like the weather, it is local. 

Interest rates are still at a historical low. We have seen rates today running around 4.5% on a 30 year note and around 4% on a 15 year note.  Of course interest rates are subject to change and vary depending upon credit and other factors.  For more info call your lender today or give us a call!  If you are looking to buy a home or a piece of real estate in Salado call First Texas Brokerage today!!!

Temple Texas Real Estate

We are continuing our series on “We know its summer time and the hot weather is here, but how hot is the Temple Texas Real Estate Market??”  What a great question to ask!  The real estate market in Temple is doing very well and is continuing to break the national trend as is the rest of Texas.  The inventory numbers are currently around 519 homes. 

Comparing Jan.1 – July 19, 2009 to Jan 1. –July 19, 2010

            Jan – July 19                 2009                 vs                     2010

Average List Price                     $137,160                                   $146,572

Average Sales Price                  $132,824                                   $142,898 

Average DOM                           129                                           123       

# of units SOLD                        505                                           472

Although the total amount of units sold this year vs last is down just a bit, the average days on market is lower and the average sales price is higher for 2010.   This is great news for Temple real estate market.  Always remember real estate is like the weather, it is local.  Interest rates are still at a historical low. We have seen rates today running around 4.5% on a 30 year note and around 4% on a 15 year note.  Of course interest rates are subject to change and vary depending upon credit and other factors.  For more info call your lender today or give us a call!  If you are looking to buy a home or a piece of real estate in Temple call First Texas Brokerage today!!! 

Information obtained by Temple Belton Board of Realtors

Belton Texas Real Estate

We are continuing our series on “We know its summer time and the hot weather is here, but how hot is the Belton Texas Real Estate Market??”  What a great question to ask!  The real estate market in Belton is doing very well and is continuing to break the national trend as is the rest of Texas.  The inventory numbers are currently around 150 homes. 

Comparing Jan.1 – July 19, 2009 to Jan 1. –July 19, 2010

            Jan – July 19                 2009                 vs                     2010

Average List Price                     $164,554                                   $159,811

Average Sales Price                  $159,811                                   $150,791 

Average DOM                           134                                           111                   

# of units SOLD                        121                                           138

As you can see by the numbers Belton Texas Real Estate remains strong.  Average list price and sales price are down just a little, but the good news is the average days on market is down and the number of units are higher.  Always remember real estate is like the weather, it is local.  Interest rates are still at a historical low. We have seen rates today running around 4.5% on a 30 year note and around 4% on a 15 year note.  Of course interest rates are subject to change and vary depending upon credit and other factors.  For more info call your lender today or give us a call!  If you are looking to buy a home or a piece of real estate in Salado call First Texas Brokerage today!!! 

Information obtained by Temple Belton Board of Realtors

Selling a LifeStyle...

First Impressions

To sell your home faster, you must sell more than just three bedrooms, two baths and so many square feet with a garage.  
 
You must sell a lifestyle: 

Where buyers’ imagine themselves raising their families or entertaining their friends. Where they can relax on the patio or listen to their favorite music.

Where they imagine themselves preparing gourmet meals or taking luxurious baths. Where dreams come true.

Our Agents at First Texas can help you sell that lifestyle. Buyers "First Impressions" matter.

Real Estate in Temple, Texas

*The city of Temple offers a wide variety of homes in a broad range of style, sizes and prices. Temple's north side Historic District offers a glimpse into the past with its stately Victorian showplaces, beautifully restored turn-of-the-century mansions, and charming 1930's and '40's bungalows. Homes that are more contemporary can be found in all areas of the city, including first-time-buyer homes along with more traditional executive homes.

Families appreciate the "kid-friendly" neighborhoods, only minutes away from work, schools, churches and shopping areas. Affordable apartments, town and garden homes as well as quality retirement complexes contribute to the city's comfortable, yet diverse lifestyles. The average price of a 3-bedroom home is well below the national average.

*Temple Ecomonic Development

Real Estate in Belton, Texas

*The City of Belton, right in the center of this vibrant MSA, is a charming, growing community with a fascinating past and a promising future.

Belton’s scenic beauty features a variety of parks and walking trails weaving all through the community highlighting beautiful rolling hills, hidden creeks, fun splash pads and the magnificent Belton and Stillhouse Hollow lakes. Both lakes offer plenty of outdoor and recreational activities for anyone to enjoy.

Downtown Belton is filled with history. It is home of the county seat and the historic Bell County Courthouse, the Bell County Museum and several historic homes. Downtown Belton offers a unique experience with walking tours, antique shops, coffee and ice cream shops, and unique old-time restaurants featuring Texas BBQ and traditional comfort food cooking. A variety of residential developments are also available with homes in all price ranges.

*Belton Economic Development
 

Economist: Bell Co. should add 20,000 jobs by 2015

by Carroll Wilson | Managing Editor
Published: February 15, 2011

Temple Daily Telegram

Texas has outperformed most other states through the recession, and the short-term outlook is positive, one of Texas' top economists says.

Metropolitan areas, including this one in Central Texas, will continue to prosper for at least the next four years, Dr. Ray Perryman of The Perryman Group predicts in his latest newsletter.

"The Texas recovery will be most impacted by the largest areas," Perryman writes, "although smaller metros also will see notable growth."

His projection is that the population in Central Texas will grow by 84,000 between 2010 and 2015. Employment will grow by 52,000 during that same period. Specifically in the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood MSA, the wage and salary employment rate will rise 2 percent annually during the five-year period.

Great News For The Temple Belton Salado Texas Area!!!

By Jackie Stone
Killeen Daily Herald

Bell County has climbed to No. 16 of the state's 254 counties in terms of population size, according to numbers released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

When the once-a-decade report was conducted in April 2010, Bell County had 310,235 people living in it. That's 30.4 percent more than it had in 2009 — when 237,974 ranked the county No. 19.

Within Bell County, Killeen's population was counted at 127,921 people. Temple was counted at 66,102.

"Bell County has, over the past several decades, experienced impressive growth, but this is even more than anyone predicted," County Judge Jon Burrows said.

The Census Bureau began this month to release population counts to the states, with more states released each day. The counts released Thursday will be used in redistricting while also giving a glimpse of the makeup of Texas and its largest-growing counties.

Bell County's rate of growth outstripped the state's growth of 20.6 percent. The state grew from 20.8 million people in 2000 to 25.1 million in April 2010.

Good News for Temple, Belton and Salado Area

Austin-American Statesman

Central Texas employers added 11,400 jobs between February 2010 and February 2011, a 1.5 percent annual gain, according to the commission. That comes on the heels of the January jobs report, which found the area was 10,500 jobs ahead in that same time period, a 1.4 percent annual gain.

The biggest gains were in the education and health services sector, which added 3,700 jobs between February 2010 and February 2011, an increase of 4.3 percent.

Only two areas experienced job cuts in that time period — the mining, logging and construction sector lost 500 jobs, a 1.3 percent decline, and the financial activities sector lost 300 jobs, a 0.7 percent dip.

The Central Texas unemployment rate was 6.9 percent last month, an improvement from 7.3 percent in February 2010.

Central Texas has been adding jobs since March 2010, according to annual adjusted figures the Workforce Commission released on March 10. Those figures showed year-over-year gains of 1.3 percent in December, 1.7 percent in November and 1.9 percent in October.

Keith Phillips, a senior economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, this month predicted the Austin area could reach 3.5 to 4 percent job growth this year.

Statewide, Texas added 254,200 jobs between February 2010 and February 2011, an annual growth rate of 2.5 percent, the highest since April 2008, according to the commission. The state's unemployment rate was 8.2 percent in February, the same as February of last year.

Check out the great news about area. 

Forbes #1 Best Small Cities for Jobs  - Killeen Temple Ft. Hood area No. 1

Forbes #1 Best Big Cities for Jobs

Here are just a few of the new business' or ones that are headed our way!!!

Temple

Scott & White Children's Hospital

Kohl's

Natural Grocers

Jason's Deli

Carter's

Belton

HEB

 The ACCRA Cost of Living Index measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services, excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professional and managerial households in the top income quintile. It is based on more than 90,000 prices covering 60 different items for which prices are collected quarterly by chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, and university applied economic centers in each participating urban area. Small differences should not be interpreted as showing a measurable difference.

The composite index is based on six component categories – housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care and miscellaneous goods and services.

With mortgage rates so low and now is a GREAT time to buy!!!

The Council for Community and Economic Research named Temple, Tx as the # 4 least expensive cities to live in the nation!

Real Estate Center Chief Economist Mark Dotzour, Ph.D., sees “modest, positive economic growth” for the nation in the next 12 months. Nationally, he expects 2012 to look something like 2003-06.

By comparison, Dotzour predicts a “much more robust economic outlook” for Texas in the coming year. He bases this on documented evidence that Texas dramatically outperformed the United States in 2011.

The state’s positive job growth came not only in the energy industry but also in construction, manufacturing, retail, transportation, professional business services, health care, and hospitality.

“Job growth is occurring in nearly all Texas metro areas and is likely to continue into 2012,” says Dotzour.

Davis S. Jones | columnist

Dec. 27, 2011