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(Pexels)
Memorial Day is today and, as you honor the men and women who laid down their lives to serve our country, leave some room to celebrate yourself with that extra time off. Austin will be celebrating all over the city, all day.
So in honor of the coveted three-day weekend that comes with the holiday, get out of the house and enjoy a free relaxing day at Barton Springs Pool, crawfish in a beer garden or maybe getting some fresh air out in the countryside.
Austin Eastciders Memorial Day Party, 1530 Barton Springs Rd.
From noon-8 p.m. Austin Eastciders is throwing a Memorial Day party packed to the brim with drink specials and live music. Music starts at 2 p.m. with singer-songwriter Parker Chapin, then Evan Charles at 4 p.m., followed by Austin-based "rock and roller" Danny Golden. There will be $4 draft ciders and seltzers, $8 crowlers and $7 summer cocktails all day!
South Austin Beer Garden Crawfish Boil, 10700 Menchaca Rd.
South Austin Beer Garden isn't throwing your average crawfish boil, it's throwing an event with games specials, pet adoptions through Fuzzy Texan Animal Rescue and free crawfish with the purchase of a drink. You read that right—free mudbugs. The party starts at 2 p.m., so come for the boil, stay for some drinks and maybe leave with a new best friend.
Take a dip at Barton Springs Pool for free, 2201 William Barton Drive
(Emma Freer/Austonia)
For one day only, enjoy Austin's famous Barton Springs Pool without a reservation or entry fee. The pool will be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. so you can swim to your heart's content, but you might want to get there early, as capacity limits will be enforced due to a lifeguard shortage.
12 Fox Beer Co. Beer-iversary Artisan Market, 4700 W Fitzhugh Rd
Closing out a four-day celebration of 12 Fox Beer Co. turning 2 years old, the local brewery will be open from 12-6 p.m. on Monday for a live performance by Brews Blues Band and an artisan market where wares like jewelry, home decor, skincare, clothing, dog treats and more await. While you're celebrating the veteran-owned beer garden, grab some food from nearby food truck Buns N Chicks.
Austin Spring Festival at Barton Hill Farms, 1115 FM 969
The Austin Spring Festival will come to a close this Monday after one last day of fun for the whole family. Take a scenic drive out to the Bastrop countryside where you can frolic among the zinnias, cosmos and sunflowers; go on a hayride; visit some farm animals; and listen to live music. Adults are invited to enjoy the Apfelwein & Biergarten for a craft brew, and it wouldn't be a festival if there wasn't funnel cake!
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Austin's real estate market broke multiple records in 2021. (MaxPixel)
The Austin-Round Rock MSA saw 41,316 homes sold in 2021, 2.5% more than a record-setting 2020. Median home prices skyrocketed as well, rising 30.8% from 2020 to $450,000. The housing market also saw unprecedented impact on Austin's economy, with sales dollar volume jumping to over $23.38 billion, and more homes hit the market in 2021 than any previous year, increasing by 5.9% to 46,449 total homes listed.
(Austin Board of Realtors)
As many recent Austin homebuyers have experienced firsthand, Austin Board of Realtors 2022 President Cord Shiflet said 2021 was the most "exciting, complicated, fast-paced and record-setting housing market" in Austin's history.
Shiflet dubbed the market as "complicated" for a reason—Austin became a case study on supply and demand in 2021, with demand far outpacing the number of active listings, which dropped by 48.2% to 2,348 homes in 2021.
The metro ended the year with 0.6 months of inventory, a far cry from a "healthy" six-month supply, and houses were snatched at breakneck speeds, spending 25 fewer days on the market when compared to 2020. The average home was on the market for 20 days.
But low inventory is more due to high demand than a stagnant homebuilding market, Mark Sprague, Independence Title's state director of information capital, said in the report.
“In 2021, the record number of homes sold were demand-driven transactions and that demand was influenced greatly by companies continuing to target the region for job creation and expansion," Sprague said. "Even though more homes are being built, listed and sold than ever before, our region is still nowhere close to having a comfortable amount of supply to meet the demand, which is why home prices continue to rise steadily.”
Over 23,000 jobs have been promised by companies across the metro as of December 2021, breaking the 2020 record, according to Opportunity Austin, the economic development arm of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. With an influx of major factories and offices, including Tesla's Giga Texas, Samsung's Taylor plant and a planned 33-floor Facebook office, Sprague said the region's booming market paired with a struggling inventory and supply chain issues could be a double-edged sword in 2022.
"In short, 2022 will see a robust market for home sales and property values, but the region must do more to address inventory, ” Sprague said.
Shiflet recommended that potential homebuyers make a decision ahead of predicted increases in interest rates and home prices and said that he hopes local politicians will continue to prioritize affordable housing in the election year.
Still, Shiflet said a record-breaking housing market reflects Austin's growing reputation as a hub for talent, tech jobs and a good quality of life.
"With all the new jobs across the region from exciting companies like Tesla and Samsung, Austin was put on the world’s stage and captured the hearts and attention of so many," Shiflet said. "We are lucky to call Austin our home when it has so much to offer from a great quality of life to a wonderful destination for innovation and opportunity.”
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