Here is a recap of what was featured in the Wednesday, Sept. 18, e-edition of the Taylor Press. The e-edition is emailed to subscribers and available at www.taylorpress. net.
August home sales slow in East Wilco The housing market in Williamson County remained a more affordable alternative to Austin and Travis County based on an analysis of August residential home sales in the region.
Slower sales in the last two years also shifted prices slightly downward to make it more of a buyer’s market.
According to sales records, median prices on 23 houses sold in the Taylor area for August were down 4.4% to $325,000.
In the Hutto area, the 54 sales in August were half of what they were the same month in the last two years, stats show.
The median sales price was $370,000, which is fairly flat compared to last year and a 15% decline from 2022.
In Williamson County, the 857 houses sold last month was down 12.6% from last year and the median sales price declined 3.3% to $428,500. Active home listings, however, were up 14.1% with 3,643 houses for sale across the county.
The Federal Reserve is expected to cut the prime lending rate — at which banks borrow from other banks — later this month after an extended period of keeping it high to combat inflation. Those rate cuts eventually trickle down to the consumer mortgage market, but Clare Knapp, housing economist for Unlock MLS and the Austin Board of Realtors, said don’t expect it to make much difference.
This August, houses were selling on average at 93.3% of list price, down about one percentage point from last year.
Knapp said earlier this year that upcoming job growth in East Williamson County will increase demand for homes there and the surrounding area, but housing supply will lag behind.
Samsung supplier requests appraised value limitation amendment
An amendment to an appraised value limitation between the Taylor Independent School District and Linde Inc. was presented at the Monday, Sept. 16, board meeting.
Linde supplies ultrahigh purity industrial gases for Samsung Austin Semiconductor’s latest facilities.
The amendment comes after two structures were seen being constructed on the company’s property, leading to Linde’s request for the limitation start date to be pushed forward from 2028 to 2026, officials said.
The company itself did not notify the school district of the construction. After school officials noticed the structures, the district’s consultants — Moak Casey and O’Hanlon, Demerath & Castillo — contacted Linde. The consultant’s point of contact was unaware of any construction occurring, but the consultants continued their inquiries, officials were told. Eventually, Linde’s external tax consultant confirmed there was construction and requested an amendment to the agreement, officials said.
The amendment did not change the values of the property listed by Linde.
However, the revenue protection payment changed — from an estimated $1.9 million to $1.4 million — by the school district’s 20% tax compression from when the application was initially submitted in 2022.
The consultants predicted the tax would continue to compress.
In addition, the amendment and tax compression did change the tax savings the company would receive — from a total savings of $10.18 million to $8.2 million.
The next steps include sending the amendment documents to the superintendent for acknowledgment and having the Comptroller’s Office recertify the project’s eligibility. Then, an updated agreement will be presented to the board for approval.
More fire stations coming to Hutto
HUTTO — With the pending opening of Hutto’s fourth fire station, Williamson County Emergency Services District No. 3 is one step closer to fulfilling a longterm plan Assistant Fire Chief Rob Bocanegra and Fire Chief Scott Kerwood developed to make sure the agency and its capabilities grew as the city expanded.
Fire Station No. 4 is named after Anne Cano, a long-time public servant and civic leader who died in September 2023. The three-bay, 12,000-squarefoot station is at 161 Klattenhoff Drive. It is slated to begin service on Oct. 1 or soon thereafter. The cost of the construction, not including fire trucks and equipment, was $6.6 million.
Bocanegra said they have plans for two more stations in the near future, one on the northeast side of town near Chandler Road and another in the southwest toward the industrial growth area. That will result in three stations on each side of U.S. 79.
ESD No. 3, commonly known as Hutto Fire Rescue, is also preparing to build a dedicated administration building on Chris Kelley Boulevard. The project is currently out to bid and has a provisional budget of $7 million.
Fire Station No. 4’s location at the edge of Hutto, near Round Rock and Pflugerville, will enhance collaboration with the neighboring cities’ fire departments. The agency has automatic aid agreements with fire departments in Round Rock, Georgetown, Taylor and Pflugerville.
