Springtime has arrived in the Houston area, signaling a resurgence in home sales and a return to pre-pandemic inventory levels, presenting favorable conditions for both buyers and sellers. In April, there was a 7 percent increase in single-family home sales compared to the previous month, and an 8.7 percent rise compared to the same time last year. Moreover, the months of inventory have grown from 2.6 in April 2023 to 3.7 in April 2024.
Per HAR / MLS:
| Category | Jan. 2024 | Feb. 2024 | Mar. 2024 | Apr. 2024 | May 2024 | June 2024 | July 2024 | Aug. 2024 | Sept. 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Property Sales | 6,098 | 7,541 | 8,939 | 9,611 | 10,175 | 9,133 | 8,969 | 8,730 | 8,228 |
| Total Active Listings | 38,410 | 39,757 | 41,070 | 43,044 | 45,692 | 47,563 | 47,348 | 48,774 | 48,749 |
| Single-Family Home Sales | 5,009 | 6,221 | 7,334 | 7,926 | 8,538 | 7,718 | 7,635 | 7,340 | 6,973 |
| Townhome/Condominium Sales | 361 | 440 | 541 | 584 | 601 | 541 | 501 | 499 | 431 |
| Single-Family Months of Inventory | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| Single-Family Pending Sales | 6,934 | 7,763 | 8,741 | 9,110 | 8,484 | 8,478 | 7,180 | 8,092 | 7,489 |
| Days on Market | 58 | 57 | 55 | 49 | 45 | 46 | 44 | 47 | 51 |
| Price Range | Jan. 2024 | Feb. 2024 | Mar. 2024 | Apr. 2024 | May 2024 | June 2024 | July 2024 | Aug. 2024 | Sept. 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1 - $99,999 | 32 | 35 | 35 | 32 | 34 | 30 | 26 | 37 | 49 |
| $100,000 - $149,999 | 70 | 99 | 94 | 115 | 93 | 100 | 81 | 96 | 83 |
| $150,000 - $249,999 | 757 | 880 | 992 | 1,005 | 1,058 | 958 | 864 | 918 | 944 |
| $250,000 - $499,999 | 2,475 | 3,066 | 3,530 | 3,703 | 4,036 | 3,615 | 3,617 | 3,537 | 3,412 |
| $500,000 - $749,999 | 491 | 681 | 740 | 978 | 1,053 | 942 | 987 | 814 | 721 |
| $750,000 and above | 269 | 364 | 473 | 634 | 697 | 591 | 634 | 515 | 445 |
The 2024 property tax protest deadline is Monday, May 15th. If property owners have not received their property value notice, or received it late, you will have 30 days from when then notice was sent to file a protest. Your protest deadline should be printed on your property value notice.
A Harris County Notice of Protest Form can be downloaded from the HCAD website. Protests may be filed online, brought to HCAD’s office at 13013 Northwest Freeway, or mailed to P.O. Box 922004, Houston, TX 77292-2004, but must be postmarked by May 15th if received April 15th or before.
Property owners are urged to use HCAD’s online iFile system to submit their protest. Homeowners who file their protest through the Internet using iFile may also have an opportunity to settle their value online with HCAD’s iSettle system. If a settlement through the online system isn’t possible, the homeowner will be scheduled for a hearing with the Appraisal Review Board.
Other Houston Area Counties:
It is time to take advantage of the Energy Star and Water-Efficient Products Sales Tax Holiday. During Memorial Day weekend, Texas shoppers avoid paying state and local sales and use taxes on purchases of certain energy-efficient and water-efficient products.
The 2023 tax-free ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday begins Saturday, May 25, and goes through midnight on Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day).
The energy-efficient products that qualify for the tax exemption are:
Qualifying products will display the ENERGY STAR logo, which may appear on the appliance, the packaging or the Energy Guide label. There is no limit on the number of qualifying items one can purchase during this sales tax holiday, and an exemption certificate is not required.
Online Purchases and Telephone Orders
During the Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday, you can buy qualifying ENERGY STAR® energy-efficient products in-store, online, by telephone, mail, custom order or any other means. The sale of the item must take place during the specific period. The purchase date is easy to determine when the purchase is made in-store but becomes more complicated with remote purchases. The purchaser must have given the consideration for the item during the period even if the item may not be delivered until after the period is over.
Delivery Charges
Delivery, shipping, handling, and transportation charges by the seller are part of the item’s sales price. Charges for installing free-standing items are also part of the item’s sales price. If the item you buy is not taxable, then these charges are not taxable.
Sales Tax Holiday Refund Requests
Purchasers can buy certain ENERGY STAR® energy-efficient products during the annual Texas ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday. If you pay sales tax on these items during the sales tax holiday, you can ask the seller for a refund of the tax paid. The seller can either grant the refund or provide their customer with Form 00-985, Assignment of Right to Refund (PDF), which allows the purchaser to file the refund claim directly with the Comptroller’s office.
>>>For more information visit the Texas Comptroller’s website.
Water-Efficient Products
You can buy certain water-efficient and water-conserving products tax free during the Water-Efficient Product Sales Tax Holiday.
WaterSense Products
You can buy any product tax free that displays a WaterSense label or logo. These items can be bought for personal or business use.
Water-Conserving Products
These items can only be bought for residential/personal use.
You can buy items tax free during the holiday that are used or planted for:
Examples of items that qualify for the exemption include:
>>>For more information visit the Texas Comptroller’s website.
