Rollingwood Christmas Schedule
- Today – We’ve closed our books, no further expenses will fall on your accounts for the remaining 12 days of the years.
- December 24th through 26th – Our office will be closed for the Christmas Holiday. Merry Christmas from our entire team!
- January 1st – Our office will be closed for the New Years. Happy New Year!
- January 8th – You'll receive another statement containing the year end of Dec 19th to Dec 31st to close your financials for 2025.
HOA Dues Payment Reminder – Last Reminder!
As noted in your Owner Handbook, if you or your property's HOA company does not send us an invoice for dues, we have no trigger to make a payment. We must receive a current invoice to create a payable to ensure accurate payment. This is required as HOAs change companies, billing addresses, dues amount, and we never receive an update, leading to billing errors, fees and issues. As noted in our past owner statements, we won’t be responsible for unpaid HOA dues or any penalties due to past-due amounts; you are responsible for verifying invoices. Please verify with your home’s HOA that payment has been made or check with your property manager for verification.
Form 1099 Notices
If you haven’t consented to electronic delivery of your annual Form 1099 documents, you’ll have been sent an updated consent document via DocuSign in the past two weeks. If you check your inbox and you haven’t received such a notice from us, then your account is already set up for electronic delivery. If you have received this consent document, and haven’t signed it, please make sure you complete it before January 5th!
Thank you to the 50% of you that have already completed and sent this back to us!
Market Update with Mike Minns of Atlas Realty
Last week, the Federal Reserve cut their benchmark rate by .25% once again. This move coincided with an increase in mortgage rates, which reached a three-month high. As I have often mentioned, the Fed rate does not directly influence mortgage rates or most other rates. The Fed rate is a short-term loan between banks, lasting less than 24 hours, primarily supporting liquidity. Mortgage rates, on the other hand, are based on 30-year terms, making them inherently different. Furthermore, the Fed rate can only change up to eight times a year, whereas mortgage rates fluctuate daily—sometimes multiple times in a single day if the market is volatile. Therefore, market reactions to Fed signals typically occur prior to their announcements. Looking forward, upcoming data releases, including October Retail Sales, November CPI inflation, and November (plus part of October) jobs reports—missed during the government shutdown—will likely influence mortgage rates. Stronger-than-expected data could cause rates to rise, while weaker or disappointing numbers might keep rates steady or lower. In essence, the direction of future mortgage rates remains uncertain until the data is released. Predicting the Fed’s rate moves is usually easier since all relevant data is available beforehand.
What does this mean for the sales market and our recovery in the Austin real estate market? We may see a few more buyers entering the market, but not enough to trigger a full recovery. GDP is expected to stay flat through 2026, and unemployment might rise slightly from 4.5% to 4.7%. This increase isn't significant enough to derail the economy but could hinder the recovery. I expect a stronger sales season in 2026 compared to 2025, though prices will likely remain stable. Tech companies need to resume hiring for the recovery to gain momentum. Mortgage rates probably won't drop below 6%, fluctuating instead between the 5% and 7% range as the new normal. Once hiring picks up and the economy improves, buyers will need to accept rates within this range. Additionally, the potential of reduced property taxes remains a wildcard. If the Federal Education Department is dissolved, the funds currently allocated to education might be redirected to lower property taxes. For example, Florida is already moving to remove school taxes from property tax bills. If that occurs, much of the federal funds spent on administrative costs could instead benefit schools, easing the property tax burden. This could trigger another real estate boom in Texas—though it still seems unlikely, we can hope.
All that said, now remains a good opportunity to buy in Austin. Finding a single-family home that yields positive cash flow without putting down more than 20% is challenging, but duplexes that cash flow with a 20-25% down payment are readily available (some lenders require 25% for multi-family properties). If you're looking to invest, this winter may still be a favorable time to purchase property. Sellers, it's still generally a buyer's market. If you need to sell, we can help find a buyer, but you'll probably leave money on the table compared to waiting 1-3 more years.
As the Christmas season approaches, we want to take a moment to thank you for being an integral part of the Rollingwood Management Team. Your trust and partnership make what we do truly meaningful. We wish you and your loved ones a joyous Christmas with warmth, happiness, and cherished memories. May the new year bring you continued success, prosperity, and plenty of reasons to celebrate!
Warmest holiday wishes,
The Rollingwood Management Team
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