This Spanish-style home is summer-ready. | Photo by Chris Diaz
130%. That’s the percent by which home sellers outnumber buyers in Austin, which was ranked the top buyer’s market in the country last week.
The Capital City had more than twice as many sellers (17,403) as it did buyers (7,568) in September, according to a study from Redfin. That’s a pretty big swing for Austin, as sellers outnumbered buyers by 81% in September 2024.
Additionally, Texas tied with Florida for the most-represented state in the top 10, with San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston also appearing.
Mortgage rates just hit their lowest point in 2025, so if you’re looking for housing in Austin, here are a few stats about Travis County from the Austin Board of Realtors.
The median sales price is $485,000, which is down 3.6% since last month.
Closed sales are up by 9.5% since last month.
Homes are staying on the market for ~77 days, which is eight days longer than last month.
Enjoy dazzling shows, festive treats, and the cozy glow of twinkling lights. | Photo provided by Mozart’s
The spirit of the season shines over Lake Austin as Mozart’s Coffee Roasters brings back its Festival of Lights on Saturday, Nov. 22. centers on live music and mesmerizing aquatic acrobatics, featuring:
Nightly performances by McKenna Michels
A Broadway-style concert, “He Rules the World” (Dec. 12–20)
A Christmas Village with sweet treats and cocoa
Floating displays, LED aerial stunts, and light accents that set a magical scene
Plan your visit to Mozart’s Festival of Lights, shining through Jan. 3, 2026.
Gather ‘round the campfire. As Halloween creeps closer, it’s the perfect time to read Texas’ creepiest urban legend. It’s the tale of the Candy Lady, a figure from the early 1900s said to menace a small rural town. Don’t scare easily? Uncover Austin’s most haunted tales. (Business Insider)
Ranked
The New York Times just released a list of the 25 best college football stadiums... and Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium isn’t on it. Do you think it should have made the list? Let us know by replying to this newsletter. (The New York Times)
Mansion Monday
The mystery surrounding the jewelry heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris continues to pique interest across the globe. Who did it? What will they do with the priceless objects? Maybe they’ll sell them to buy this outrageous Barton Hills home that just hit the market. (NBC)
Arts
Swifties are flocking to see Ophelia. Friedrich Heyser’s artistic depiction of Shakespeare’s tragic character is helping fill the halls of Germany’s Museum Wiesbaden thanks to Swift’s recent popular single, “The Fate of Ophelia.” See if you can spot her for yourself at one of Austin’s world-class museums. (The Guardian)
Tech
Netflix, DoorDash, Snapchat, Spotify, and Fortnite were among the services impacted by last week’s major Amazon Web Services outage, and not for the first time. The next time doom-scrolling isn’t available, we recommend spending some time in Austin’s beautiful outdoors. (Reuters)
Active
An 80-year-old recently became the oldest woman to cross the finish line at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. Natalie Grabow completed the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle, and 26.2-mile run in just under 17 hours. Time to hit the gym. (NPR)
Sports
Spurs court is in session, because Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai broke down revitalizing the Freeman Coliseum area. Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the San Antonio Spurs with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Try This
Shake things up with a trip to the Deep Eddy Vodka Tasting Room. Book a tasting or experience, and stick around to try their amazing cocktails. We’ve got our eyes on the Craft Your Own Fun Mini Cocktail Class.*
Event Spotlight
The block party will also have vendors and a coffee cart. | Photo courtesy Loro
The local restaurant will collab with other Austin favorites — including Bird Bird Biscuit, Uncle Nicky’s, and Mañana — for a market-style event at its south location in the beer garden from 6 to 8 p.m.
But wait, there’s more. Local band Jimmy Eats Brisket will provide the tunes and Purr-fecto Cat Lounge will be on-site with adoptable kitties.
The Buy
A set of hydrating, plumping lip oils perfect for winter — and a fuller pout. Read The Buy Editor Sarah’s full review of tarte’s Maracuja Juicy Plumping Lip Oil Set and why she’ll be wearing them all season long (hint: it’s to heal chapped lips).
Bonus: Use code WELCOME2025 to save $15 on your first HSN order of $35+ and snag the lip set for yourself.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
I recently found out that former “Saturday Night Live” comedian Devon Walker is from Austin. He also attended my alma mater, Texas State University, and St. Edward’s University.
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