Dear Friend,

We are getting the much needed April showers and everything has greened up. This is a great time of year to see the wildflowers in bloom, the trees all leafed out, and the temperatures are mild.

Not only is it the perfect time to visit Sun City, but Georgetown is such a great historic town with the most beautiful square! I would love to show you around our beautiful community!

Williamson County continues to experience rapid growth of master built and mixed-use communities as the sprawl from Austin drives homebuyers to Georgetown seeking more affordability. Georgetown is now officially the fastest growing city of 50,000+ population in the U.S.

The local housing market has picked up and we are seeing more listings. The last 6 months has seen a market correction bringing prices down to more realistic levels. However, most market predictions still point to prices rising slowly along with increased inventory. Read an interesting article that details 27 leading research firms' predictions for the housing market in 2023.

Demand for homes in Sun City Texas has continued to slow over the past few months as buyers wrestle with uncertainty in the investment market. The builder has been discounting spec homes and I am seeing more homes on the market longer and price reductions. We are seeing more concessions from sellers as the market shifts to favor buyers more than during the pandemic real estate frenzy a year ago.

Austin is still in the top 5 of best cities in which to find a job this year. The kids move for jobs and the parents follow to Sun City. Pulte, the builder in Sun City Texas, has increased the number of inventory homes to try to keep up with demand. Read more about the Austin area housing market boom.

THANK YOU

I want all my clients and friends to know that I am so thankful for the privilege of being able to assist you with your real estate needs and counting you as a friend. Working with people to help find their new or resale home in Sun City allows me to learn so much, improve my service and do a better job each time. My success depends upon your business and referrals and I am grateful for your support.

Learn the benefits of home ownership. Purchasing a home is most people's largest purchase and can be very stressful. I want you to have the best real estate experience when you allow me to help you with your Sun City real estate needs or questions. ActiveLife Realty is the only exclusive Buyer's Agency and specialists in Sun City Texas.

EVENTS

Have family or friends coming to visit and looking for things to do in April? Here are some ideas for Day Trips.

Lots of April activities are going on here in Georgetown. Check out all the fun things to do. Don't forget to check out the music and theater offerings at Southwestern University too!

The Daytripper has 51 great ideas for things to do around Georgetown and a lot are outdoor activities so you can maintain some social distance.

Alice and I toured the new amenity center at Sun City Texas today. The center houses the second largest fitness center in Sun City and will be fully completed later this summer. It has both indoor and outdoor pools, a large aerobics room for leader-led classes and two smaller aerobics rooms, and a huge fitness room for machines and free weight training. It is lovely and includes an outdoor party area with grill, bocce court, lighting and seating for residents to rent for group events.

Follow Alice on her personal Facebook page.

I continue to work with Alice's clients so please feel free to contact me with your real estate needs. I have been mentored by the best and I am lucky to call Alice my best friend.

Let me sign you (or a friend) up for the exclusive ActiveLife Buyer Direct Access Program. I get the inside scoop on Sun City real estate that isn't always available online and share that with you. This gives you a distinct advantage over other buyers and it is completely free. Learn more & sign up here.

There are quite a few builder inventory homes that are nearing completion in April-May that would enable a buyer to purchase a new home without the wait to build. Click on the image above for the full list. "TBD" means that the home has not broken ground yet. Inventory homes have already had design choices and options selected which cannot be changed. I can get details for you if you have an interest.

Many of the spec homes have had recent price reductions also!

I can help you with a new home purchase and it doesn't cost you anything. Check out the 6 Reasons to Buy a New Home in Sun City Texas.

If you are out of town, I visit the home under construction, take photos, monitor the progress and make sure you receive all the discounts and incentives. Prices are subject to change at any time by the builder.

Want to Build?
I would love to help you build the home of your dreams and make the process easier. It doesn't cost you to have a buyer agent, in fact, it could save you money.

Current discount incentives are:
APRIL INCENTIVES…for building a brand new home!

New Echelon series lots range from $30K-$395K Once you choose your favorite floorplan, then you select an available lot. Build time is approximately 9-12 months, so if you purchase a home now it would be complete Nov. 2023-February 2024.

Price Increases

Due to continued rising costs of building materials (specifically Lumber), the builder is experiencing more frequent increases to base prices. They have tried to time these increases to happen approximately every 6 homes sold per series (Scenic, Distinctive and Echelon), but there are also times when an unplanned increase will occur due to rising costs that are passed along to the builder from their vendors. The management team is telling sales associates to expect this pattern to continue for the foreseeable future. Incremental increases will be $3-5K every 10th sale per series.

Community Build Out Update

The builder has closed a little over 9,100 homes since inception in 1995. The projected final number of homes is estimated at 10,550. It is estimated that buildout will occur in the next three years.

There is also a builder request to expand Neighborhood 61 (near the softball fields and dog parks) to include attached single-family residential units as a permitted use and add approximately 75 residential units (the final number depends on the actual plat layout). Diagrams presented to the Georgetown City Council at the 25 May Workshop closely resembled the existing cottages in Sun City. Pulte Homes is in discussion with the developer of the Madison Tract to potentially add approximately 450 homes to Sun City Texas. The new lots will be located adjacent to future neighborhoods 88 and 89. If the project moves forward, Pulte Homes will work with The Blake Magee Company, LP to design and develop the Sun City portion of the property to make sure it meets the Del Webb standards and criteria. Pulte will also build an additional amenity center dedicated to the Sun City portion of the property. As more information becomes available, Pulte will schedule a town hall to present detailed information about the development.

New Amenity Center

The builder has completed building 16 New Pickleball Courts off of C.R. 245. The complex will include 4 Bocce courts and a half basketball court later this year.

The new Amenity Center is nearing completion and will have a fitness center, an outdoor pool and an indoor pool. This is located next door to the new sales center on Silver Spur Blvd. It is projected be finished in May of 2023 and open for residents in Summer 2023.

I make sure you get the discounts and incentives you deserve, I send you photos of your home being built, I help with the design appointment, walk-thru, review your closing documents and make sure you enjoy your new home at no extra cost.

Contact me for more information about building a new home and available lot choices with beautiful nature and vista views.

The median sales price in Sun City Texas decreased last month to $400,000 compared to the previous month as shown in the chart below.

Because of the market shift, home buyers are exerting more influence on home sales. We are seeing home inspections, seller concessions, finance contingencies and price adjustments now. But agents are challenged with educating sellers about this shift so that the are not viewing their home sale as if it were 6 months ago. Home buyers have more power in this market and want more than anything else a move-in-ready house. A renovated home sells 72% faster and sells for more money.

For Buyers, historically low interest rates are still favorable, but recent rises to the highest rates in decades and investment market uncertainty has dampened the sellers' market. Rising home prices along with nationwide inflation and rising interest rates are seeding some caution in the market, but we are still experiencing a very active housing market driven by true demand, not investor speculation. We are not seeing as much competition in the Sun City market that drives multiple offers and high bidding. This is some good news for buyers.

Home prices for new builds continue to rise because of increased material costs and competition for labor force as this area experiences the fastest growth in Texas.

So, when is the best time to buy a home?

Today's housing market is not like the financial crisis where the bubble burst in a big way! Although home prices have decreased slightly, it would take a significant drop in home values to undo the equity gained over the past couple of years.

MORTGAGE NEWS

Since early 2022, the huge jump in interest rates can be blamed on inflation. Recent Consumer Price Index reports have indicated that inflation data matched forecasts and has caused the biggest drop in housing expense since the start of the pandemic. The economy is slowing down. This data is reflected in 30 year fixed rate mortgages dropping to 6.39% and mortgage application volume responded with an increase for the 5th time in six weeks.

For information about Texas Mortgage rates (and other useful financial product comparisons) check out Nerdwallet. Mortgage rates are in line with national rates at 6.392%.

If you are a Sun City Texas homeowner or know a homeowner who may be considering selling their home, please let me know. Although ActiveLife Realty is an Exclusive Buyer's Agency, I can help homeowners who may want to sell their home by referring you to one of my preferred listing agents. I provide a free Comparable Market Analysis Report to help you determine the value of your home in current market conditions.

If you're thinking about selling your home, here's a helpful Complete Guide to Selling Your Home.

And because I am an expert when it comes to homes in Sun City Texas, I know what sets a home apart from others in the community. Before selling your home, learn what Three Things to Consider Before You Sell. And to help you get your home ready for market, take a look at 51 Home Improvement Projects Guide.

My brokerage has long-standing relationships with experienced Sun City Texas listing agents who are dedicated to doing the best job in preparing, staging and marketing homes, and have their client's best interest foremost. With that knowledge, I can refer the best and most qualified listing agents to get your home sold and for the highest amount possible.

If you choose to work with one of my referred listing agents, I work to help you sell your home by letting my buyers know all about it. On a number of occasions I have had one or more buyers looking for a particular home model or other specific criteria in a home, and I was able to bring a buyer offer before the home even came on the market.

Make the selling process easier by contacting ActiveLife Realty when it comes time for you to sell.

What to buy and avoid in April.

Ten Cosmetic Upgrades to Sell Your Home in Record Time.

Need some ideas on how to improve your home's value, especially if you are thinking of selling? Check out these DIY ideas.

The National Association of Realtors has a great report on outdoor remodeling projects that add value. This is helpful for homeowners readying their home for sale in the spring market.

Also, see what remodeling projects provide the greatest return on your investment in the Austin area Cost VS Value Report for 2022.

I get lots of questions about what grows well in Central Texas and deer resistant plants. Texas A & M University researches and develops plants that grow best in our area and have a great article listing plants that aren't as attractive to deer as others.

Feel free to share this email with anyone who may be interested in Sun City Texas. ActiveLife Realty is the only exclusive Buyers Agency in Georgetown and specializing in Sun City Texas, so I appreciate referrals should you have friends or family who may be interested in our wonderful community.

When you want exclusive representation when buying a new or resale home and expertise in Sun City Texas, call ActiveLife Realty.

I look forward to helping you and your friends and family with all of their real estate needs. ActiveLife Realty hopes to hear from you soon!

ActiveLife Realty

Sandy Hanner, Broker/Owner
Cell: (512) 818-4426
Office: (512) 943-4224
Email: Sandy@ActiveLifeTeam.com

Alice Gardiner, Consulting Broker, retired
Cell: (512) 818-0389
Email: Alice@AliceGardiner.com