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- Dec 24 is the best day of the year to buy a home
Dec 24 is the best day of the year to buy a home
Plus: Texas GOP map blocked by court
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1. October was the strongest buyer’s market in 12 years
According to a Redfin report, the number of home sellers exceeded homebuyers by a record 36.8% in October, the largest gap between the two groups since at least 2013.
San Antonio saw the widest imbalance among the 50 most populous metro areas. The city had an estimated 18,467 home sellers and 8,497 homebuyers, meaning there were 117% more sellers than buyers in October.
Source: Redfin
2. Tiny Austin-area town ranked No. 1 hottest ZIP code
The November 2025 Hottest ZIP Codes in America report from MovingPlace analyzed more than 961,000 residential moves in October, ranking ZIP codes based on moves per capita, total move volume, and month-over-month growth.
Dale (78616), a small community southeast of Austin with just a few thousand residents, took the top spot. It ranked as the No. 1 hottest ZIP code in the U.S., recording 15.2 moves per 1,000 residents in October. Lavon (75166) and Maxwell (78656) also landed in the top 10.
When it comes to total move volume, five Texas ZIP codes dominated the rankings: New Braunfels (78130), Leander (78641), Cypress (77433), McKinney (75071), and Katy (77493) all placed among the nation’s top 10.
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3. Catch up quick
🚗 Waymo to launch driverless robotaxis in three new Texas cities. (Waymo)
➡️ FEMA could move to Texas. (Politico)
📈 Investor purchases climbed from 29% in June to 30% in September. (Cotality)
🏠 Houston's first hybrid 3D-printed residential community. (ZuriGardens)
🦃 San Antonio is the No.1 city for Thanksgiving. (WalletHub)
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4. Home prices rose 0.3% in October
According to a new Redfin report, home prices increased 0.3% month over month in October on a seasonally adjusted basis, following a 0.2% gain in September.
Year over year, prices were up 2.9%, slightly below September’s 3.1% annual increase. This reflects a gradual cooling from earlier in the year, when prices were rising more than 5% annually.
In Texas, Dallas saw a 0.3% month-over-month decline, ranking third among metros. On a year-over-year basis, Austin (-3.4%) and Dallas (-2.4%) ranked second and third, respectively.
5. Dec 24 is the best day of the year to buy a home
According to an analysis by ATTOM, December 24 stands out as the single best day of the year to purchase a home. It is followed by several days in October, which offer a 7% premium, the lowest of the year for buyers.
In its review of more than 48 million single-family home and condo sales over the past 10 years, ATTOM found that buyers who close on December 24 pay the smallest premium above the automated valuation model (AVM).
Other days with lower-than-average premiums include November 6 (5.0%), September 11 (5.0%), October 9 (5.2%), November 5 (5.3%), and October 2 (5.4%).
Nationally, the best months to buy are October (7.0% above market value), November (7.2%), September (7.5%), August (7.7%), and July (7.9%).
A MESSAGE FROM 1440 MEDIA
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6. Texas GOP map blocked by court
A panel of three federal judges on Tuesday temporarily blocked a new congressional map in Texas, citing “substantial evidence” that it is “racially gerrymandered.”
The map had been expected to give Republicans five additional U.S. House seats, a move that also sparked redistricting efforts in other states.
The court ordered Texas to revert to its 2021 map, the boundaries used in the last election.
On Tuesday afternoon, the state filed an appeal with the Supreme Court.
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