COLLEGE STATION – According to the Real Estate Center’s latest Texas Housing Insight report, the state’s homeownership rate hit a record 67.5 percent in June in the face the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Despite falling sales in April and May, Texas’ second quarter homeownership rate was the highest since record-keeping began in 1996. Texas now lags the national rate by only half a percent, the smallest in eight years,” said Center Chief Economist Dr. James Gaines.
Among Texas metros, Austin had the greatest increase in homeownership, rising almost 6 percent to 65.3 percent.
Additionally, Texas homes are selling at a record pace.
“Pent-up demand and record-low mortgage rates pushed total housing sales up 29.4 percent in June,” said Gaines. “Improvement, however, stemmed from a pickup in existing-home sales transactions as activity in the new-home market stalled after a year of solid growth.”
A dwindling supply of active listings and a resurgence in home sales pulled Texas’ months of inventory down to an all-time low of 2.8 months. Texas homes were on the market an average 64 days in June.
Sales are estimated to increase 22 percent statewide next month.
“The Center’s single-family housing sales projection suggests July numbers may show a complete recovery in single-family home sales,” said Gaines. “But that continued improvement depends on the resurgence in contracted coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.”
The state’s median home price jumped 3.9 percent to $249,100 in June after subdued growth to start the second quarter. Annual price appreciation accelerated 4.2 percent.
Slower home-price growth and historically low interest rates increased housing affordability in Texas’ major metros during the second quarter.
The Real Estate Center has a wealth of economic information online for free.