The changing real estate market and the return of the buyer’s power

Bigger cities in the country are getting overvalued, but San Antonio’s market is safe

SAN ANTONIO – The real estate market in San Antonio and around the country has seen a boom over the last few years.

To put it in perspective, according to realtor.com back in February of 2020 before the height of the pandemic the median listing home price in San Antonio was $229,000. But as of last month, it is $310,000.

But interest rates have also risen and that could start a change of course for prices.

“We did 15 closings already in these past two quarters. So it’s a blessing and all of them have been from out of state as well. So San Antonio is seeing a lot of growth right now,” Tylen Figueroa, a local realtor said.

Figueroa started his career as a real estate agent during the pandemic and for the first time is starting to see listing prices reduced.

“What we are seeing, though, is that buyers now have much more power in the negotiation, because instead of seeing 27 offers on every listing, you’re seeing three. Instead of seeing 50 to $60,000 over asking, you may see $5,000 over asking,” Jack Hawthorne, CEO Keller Williams Heritage said.

Hawthorne said some of the biggest cities in the country are getting overvalued, but San Antonio’s market is safe.

“And so while I wouldn’t really be comfortable buying real estate in New York or in California right now, because I don’t think the values are going to hold where they are, I’m very confident buying and staying in the greater San Antonio area in general,” Hawthorne said.

And do we see another sort of bubble forming and could it pop?

“So with the caveat that I’m talking specifically about the greater San Antonio area, no. Nationally, probably, because there are areas in Austin that is appreciating 30% a year. Right, so that is a bubble that is not sustainable,” Hawthorne said.

As for Tylen, his advice is to find a properly valued home you could see yourself and your family living in.

“Although interest rates are high, I would definitely say marry the home, but just date the rate. So whenever rates do come back down, you can just, you know, refinance and you have the house of your dreams with great incentives as well,” Figueroa said.


About the Author:

Max Massey is the GMSA weekend anchor and a general assignments reporter. Max has been live at some of the biggest national stories out of Texas in recent years, including the Sutherland Springs shooting, Hurricane Harvey and the manhunt for the Austin bomber. Outside of work, Max follows politics and sports, especially Penn State, his alma mater.