May News You Can Use

Housing Stats • Property Tax Deadline • Memorial Day Sales Tax Holiday

THE HOUSTON AREA SPRING HOMEBUYING SEASON IS HERE

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:

Month-to-Month Comparison:

CategoryJan.
2024
Feb.
2024
Mar.
2024
Apr.
2024
May
2024
June
2024
July
2024
Aug.
2024
Sept.
2024
Oct.
2024
Total Property Sales6,0987,5418,9399,61110,1759,1338,9698,7308,2288,627
Total Active Listings38,41039,75741,07043,04445,69247,56347,34848,77448,74949,423
Single-Family Home Sales5,0096,2217,3347,9268,5387,7187,6357,3406,9737,185
Townhome/Condominium Sales361440541584601541501499431517
Single-Family Months of Inventory3.33.43.53.74.04.34.34.54.44.4
Single-Family Pending Sales6,9347,7638,7419,1108,4848,4787,1808,0927,4897,551
Days on Market58575549454644475151

Single-Family Sales by Price Range (Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria & Montgomery Counties)

Price RangeJan.
2024
Feb.
2024
Mar.
2024
Apr.
2024
May
2024
June
2024
July
2024
Aug.
2024
Sept.
2024
Oct.
2024
$1 - $99,99932353532343026374933
$100,000 - $149,9997099941159310081968397
$150,000 - $249,9997578809921,0051,0589588649189441,062
$250,000 - $499,9992,4753,0663,5303,7034,0363,6153,6173,5373,4123,319
$500,000 - $749,9994916817409781,053942987814721837
$750,000 and above269364473634697591634515445497

Property Tax Protest Deadline is May 15th

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:

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND ENERGY STAR & WATER EFFICIENT PRODUCTS SALES TAX HOLIDAY

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:

  • air conditioners priced at $6,000 or less
  • refrigerators priced at $2,000 or less
  • ceiling fans
  • incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs
  • clothes washers
  • dishwashers
  • dehumidifiers

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:

  • conserving or retaining groundwater;
  • recharging water tables; or
  • decreasing ambient air temperature, and so limiting water evaporation.

Examples of items that qualify for the exemption include:

  • a soaker or drip-irrigation hose
  • a moisture control for a sprinkler or irrigation system
  • mulch
  • a rain barrel or an alternative rain and moisture collection system
  • a permeable ground cover surface that allows water to reach underground basins, aquifers or water collection points
  • plants, trees and grasses
  • water-saving surfactants
  • soil and compost

>>>For more information visit the Texas Comptroller’s website.