Homes in New Braunfels are sitting 69 days on market before they sell. A year ago that number was 85. That is a 19% improvement, and it tells you almost everything about where this market is right now.

I'm Joe Hurd, I sell homes in New Braunfels and the San-Austin corridor, and this is the version of the fall market update that actually tells you what to do about it.

The short version

What the numbers say

Citywide at 6.1 months of inventory puts New Braunfels right on the line between a buyer's market and a seller's market. Mayfair at 8 months is past it. Anything over 6 favors buyers, and that is where we are.

What I'm seeing on the ground

Numbers are the map. Showings are the terrain. Right now I have four active listings and three buyer clients, and what I notice day to day matters more than any headline.

Buyers are asking for things they would not have dared to ask two years ago. Rate buydowns, closing cost help, repairs after inspection. I had a buyer recently ask for $10,000 in concessions and get it. That money went straight to buying down their rate to a number that made the payment work. Two years ago that conversation would not have happened.

Sellers are pricing off last spring. This is the most common mistake I see. The comp that sold in spring is not the comp your buyer is looking at. They are looking at the three homes that have been sitting for 45 days. I am watching a home right now that is overpriced by more than $100K. It has been sitting for almost a year. That is what happens when you price on hope instead of data.

New construction is a real competitor. Builders in places like Mayfair and Veramendi can offer incentives a private seller cannot match. Right now many builders are offering $10-15K in closing cost credits and rate buydowns into the 3-5% range. If you list a resale next door to a builder who can hand a buyer a 4% rate, your house is competing with their marketing budget. I wrote about one of those communities in the Mayfair Buyer Guide, and the incentive math is worth reading before you price.

If you're buying

The upside: you have room to negotiate and time to think. The downside: negotiating power at 7% is not the same thing as cheap. You can talk a seller into a $15K price cut and still have a higher monthly payment than buyers who paid full price at 3%. That is the friction nobody on your feed is explaining.

Here is how I would play it.

1. Get the monthly payment, not just the price. A $350K price at 7.03% and a $365K price with a seller-paid 2-1 buydown are two different homes. Run both.
2. Look at days on market first. A house at 60-plus days is telling you the seller's price is not landing. That is your leverage.
3. Ask what the seller will do, not just what they'll accept. Credits and buydowns often beat a price cut, because they hit your monthly payment harder.
4. Do not skip the inspection because you are in love. Slower markets are when it is safest to do your homework. Use it.
5. Factor in property taxes. Texas has no state income tax, and the trade-off is property tax. A home in Mayfair carries a total tax rate around 2.70% (city + county + NBISD + water improvement district). A home in Vintage Oaks publishes 1.87%. On a $400K house, that is a $3,320 per year difference. A cheaper house in a higher-tax district can cost more per month than you expect.

If you are comparing New Braunfels against other spots along the corridor, the Neighborhood Guide breaks it down neighborhood by neighborhood. Worth a look before you fall for a floor plan.

If you're selling

This section is less fun, and you would rather hear it from me than from your third price reduction.

1. Price it for the market, not your Zestimate. Your neighbor's dream number is not a comp.
2. The first two weeks are your best weeks. Fresh listings get the most eyes. Overprice and you waste them.
3. Condition matters more than it did. When buyers have choices, dated kitchens and deferred maintenance get punished. People do not have vision. They want move-in ready. First and foremost: clean. Deep clean. Then paint. A fresh coat makes a home feel new even when it is not. Those two things cost less than a single price reduction and do more for your showing feedback than any staging trick.
4. Budget for concessions. Plan on the conversation about buydowns or closing costs. Decide in advance what you will say yes to.
5. If you must sell, do not wait for a miracle. If you have a job transfer or a life change, a clean price now usually beats a hopeful price for six months.

Who is moving here right now

The mix has shifted. I am getting a blend of local Austin-area buyers and out-of-state relocations now. The out-of-state calls have picked up noticeably.

The San-Austin corridor keeps pulling people who want more house than Austin gives them. Buda is running $179 per square foot right now. Mayfair in New Braunfels is $205, but you are getting newer construction, bigger lots, and a community with its own amenity center. From Veramendi, you are looking at about 55-65 minutes to downtown Austin and 40-45 minutes to downtown San Antonio, both on I-35. If you are comparing against the drive, read Is the San-Austin Commute Worth It? before you commit. If you are coming from out of state, the Central Texas Relocation Playbook covers what actually changes day to day.

My take

Mayfair's median is $475K and it has 8 months of inventory. The entry-level market and the upper market are two completely different worlds right now, and most market updates treat them like the same thing.

Buyers: you have leverage, use it, but use it on a home you would actually live in for five years. Do not negotiate a great deal on a house you will outgrow in two. Sellers: price like the buyer is holding three other listings in their hand, because they are.

I do not know where rates go next and neither does anyone on your feed. What I do know is how to read the listings in your price range, neighborhood by neighborhood. That is what the Neighborhood Guide is built to do.

Quick FAQ

Ready to make your move?

I help families find the right home in New Braunfels and Central Texas. If you're looking in the area, let's talk.

Joe Hurd

830.580.3667 • joehurdrealtor@gmail.com • buyfromjoehurd.com