Milago: Detailed Comparable Sales Analysis

Over the last 22 months, AustinTowers has been closely tracking the downtown Austin condo market.

During this period, Milago has sold more units on the resale market than any other project . The 46 Milago transactions over the last 21 months provide an interesting microcosm of the downtown Austin market.

The numbers clearly show the challenges that the market has faced over the last year. Over the last six months there have been 16 Milago transactions averaging $268/SF. Over the previous 15 months, there were 29 transactions averaging $320/SF. This decrease represents a 16% market decline. During this period, average days on market increased 50% from 75 to 113 and the average discount from listing price increased by one point from 4.5% to 5.5%.

The 15 units sold over the last 6 months ranged in price from $175,000 for a 756 foot one bedroom unit on the 11th floor ($231/SF) to $372,500 for an 1,189 square foot 2 bedroom unit on the 9th floor ($313/SF).

Interestingly enough, the 2 bedroom units have commanded a per-square-foot premium over the one bedroom units over the last 21 months. During this period, 20 two bedroom units have sold for an average price of $368,923 ($309/SF) and 24 one bedroom units have sold for an average of $227,256 ($288/SF) representing a 7.5% per-square-foot premium for two bedroom units. In addition, one three bedroom unit sold in early 2008 for $368 / SF.

Finally, over the last year, 22 of the project’s 240 units have sold representing 9% of the building’s units. An additional 20 units are currently on the market which is equivalent to 10.9 months of inventory.

The good news for Milago owners is that the units continue to sell at a reasonably brisk pace and are relatively liquid. The large number of transactions means that comparable values have been firmly set making pricing key for sellers looking to move their units . For buyers, it means that comparative analysis from a realtor is key to ensure that you are not overpaying.