Local housing market still strong despite dip in sales across Texas

BIT...BUT THE DATA DOESN'TSHOW THAT YET IN CENTRALTEXAS.

THAT'S ESPECIALLY TRUEIN BELL COUNTY.

25 NEWSREPORTER JARELL BAKER HASMORE...HOUSES IN CENTRAL TEXAS ARESELLING AT TOP SPEED... BUTDURING THIS THIRD QUARTER,SOME BELL COUNTY REAL ESTATEWATCHERS ARE SEEING SOMETHGINDIFFERENT, COMPARED TO TSHITIME LAST YEAR.

"WE'RE SEEINGA TINY SLOWDOWN WASE GET INTOTHE HOLIDAYS.

ESPECIALLY, ISTHYEAR.

WE HAVE A SHORTAGE OFSUPPLIES" EVEN STILL... ETHLATEST DATA SHOWS OVERALL& AVERY STRONG LOCAL MARK.ET"HOUSES HAVE BEEN SELLING FORMORE THAN ASKING PRICE INGENERAL.

THE 20% UP OVER LASTYEAR THAT'S SIGNIFICANT,THAT'S NOT THE NORM." THAT'SEVEN WITH A 0.5 MONTH SUPPLY.TEXAS RELATORS SAY INVENTORYACROSS THE STATE DROPPED FROM2.3 MONTHS COMPARED TOHETHIRD QUARTER LAST YEAR.

"LASTYEAR WAS A RECORD YEAR.

SOBECAUSE OF IT BEING A RECORDYEAR, A SMALL FALL OFF OF THETHIRD- QUARTER FOR DEMAND FORHOUSES DOESN'T REALLY ANMEIT'S A SHRINKAGE IN DEMAND."KILLEEN MAYOR AND LOCALRELATOR JOSE SEGARRA SAYSPEOPLE ARE STILL MAKING OFFERSTUPO $60,000 OVER ASKING...MAINLY BECAUSE HOUSING ISSTILL FAR CHEAPER HERECOMPARED TO AUSTIN AND OTHERMETRO AREAS.

"THE MOST I'VESEEN IN OUR OFFICE HERE IN OUROFFICE IS ABOUT 30-40,000."SEGARRA SAYS HE BELIEVES TSHICOULD CONTINUE ANOTHERYEAR...ESPECIALLY SINCETHERE'S STILL A SHORTAGE OFLUMBER AND OTHER BUILDGINMATERIALS.

IN KILLEEN JALLREBAKER 25 NS.EWCOACRDING TO TEXAS REALTORSAND THE TEXAS A&M REAL ESTERESEARCH CENTER OVER THE LASTQUARTER...THE MEDIAN HOUSEPRICE WENT UP 17 PERCENTCOMPARIED TO THIS TIME LTASYEAR.

THE NUMBER OF LISTINGSFELL 18 PERCENT.

THE NUMBERSALES ONLY DROPPED 3 PERCENT.CLOSER TO HOMEHE T KILLEENTEMPLE AREA HAS SEEN A 19PERCENT INCREASE WHILELISTINGS FELL 13 PERCENT.

TBUTHE NUMBER OF SALES WENT U11PPERCENT.

IN WACO HOME PRICESARE UP 17 PERCENT BUT LISTINGSAND SALES ARE DOWN 22 AND NENIPERC