Northwest Austin home sales increased 12.1 percent in May compared to the same time last year, according to a report released Thursday by the Austin Board of Realtors.

The area’s home sales increased more than any other part in the Austin-Round Rock area. In comparison, the city of Austin increased 9.7 percent, Travis County increased 6.3 percent and Williamson County increased 8.3 percent.

The report also shows the number of days homes were on the market in Northwest Austin was nine days less than the city of Austin, and much less than both Travis County and Williamson County.



Single-family home sales in the entire Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area increased 9 percent, with 3,170 homes sold. The home sales volume topped $1.2 billion, setting an all-time high for sales dollar volume throughout the area.

“Housing is the backbone of our region’s economy and the heart of our communities,” ABoR board President Brandy Guthrie said in a news release. “Housing demand continues to be at an all-time high in and around Austin, indicated by steady growth in home sales and prices, listing activity and housing inventory.”

Coupled with rising home prices, this recent surge in home sales activity made May 2017 the highest-grossing month for Central Texas real estate in the region’s history, according to the report.

At the same time, the median price for single-family homes reached $310,000–an 8 percent increase–in the region. Guthrie said statistics show that although housing inventory levels overall rose in May, homes for sale under $250,000 remain mostly at less than one month of inventory throughout the region. Months of inventory is how long it would take to sell all current homes on the market.

“Rising property values and housing development costs are rapidly causing an upward shift in the price range of residential real estate available within Austin and across the region,” Guthrie said. “This trend will not be reversed until our city is able to come together to create strong, purposeful changes to Austin’s zoning maps that paves the way for housing at all price ranges to exist.”

Because of the rising property values and the speed at which Central Texas’ housing market has grown, Guthrie also said the board urges the city of Austin to pass a “functioning” land development code.

“The Central Texas housing market is moving at an increasingly faster pace,” Guthrie said. “For every day Austin does not have a functioning land development code, our commutes lengthen, housing costs in our neighborhoods increase and our residents’ quality of life is impacted."

See how Northwest Austin compared with the city of Austin, Travis County and Williamson County below.