This Week in New Braunfels
Flood Watch Puts New Braunfels on Alert Through Late September
A Flood Watch issued by the National Weather Service covered Comal and Guadalupe counties from Wednesday evening through Friday evening, September 30, as a multi-day rain system moved into Central Texas. City officials monitored conditions closely, though both the Comal and Guadalupe rivers remained open for recreation as of midday Wednesday. The broader regional threat was significant — forecasters flagged a dangerous weeklong flood corridor stretching from San Antonio and Austin northward toward Chicago, fueled in part by tropical moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Rachel and Tropical Storm Polo.
DHS Files Immigration Detainers for Two Men Charged in Fatal New Braunfels Crash
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has filed immigration detainers for two men accused of causing a fatal head-on collision that killed a 27-year-old father in New Braunfels. An ICE detainer is a federal request asking local law enforcement to notify federal authorities before releasing a suspect so ICE can take custody. "ICE has lodged detainers asking our partners in Texas to cooperate with us so that these criminals can be removed from our country after they face justice," DHS officials said in a statement.
New Braunfels Keeps Flock Safety Cameras Running Amid State Funding Freeze
New Braunfels is among a handful of Texas municipalities that accepted an offer from Flock Safety to maintain license plate reader cameras during a 90-day payment hold after Governor Abbott blocked state grant funding for the devices. Local officials indicated that without Flock's intervention, the affected cameras would likely have been shut down. Flock also told the city it could exit contracts for the affected cameras with no penalties if state funding does not return after the extension period ends.
20 Business Updates Signal Continued Commercial Growth
Community Impact this week rounded up 20 business updates in New Braunfels, reflecting the pace of commercial activity in a city that continues to attract new concepts. Among the highlights: Steele Hyundai is relocating to a temporary site at 4261 I-35 while its new permanent building is under construction, and KidStrong — a science-based children's fitness and character-development program — has opened a New Braunfels franchise location. The mix of automotive, food, fitness, and retail openings points to a local economy still absorbing demand from years of rapid population growth.
Real Estate Market
The New Braunfels market in the 78130 zip code is showing the kind of measured softening you'd expect after several years of outsized appreciation. The median closed sale price tracked by Resideline sits at roughly $310,000 based on 1,357 closings over the past six months — a workable data point, though worth noting that Texas is a non-disclosure state, so any tracked sample understates the full picture. Separately, Movoto's broader New Braunfels market data shows a median around $398,000 — down 6% year over year — which likely captures a wider geographic footprint or different property mix. Either way, the directional signal is the same: prices have eased from their peak.
The pending-to-active ratio for 78130 stands at 0.73, meaning there are more active listings than homes under contract — a buyer's market condition by conventional definition. That aligns with statewide dynamics: Texas had 137,660 active listings against 33,060 new listings as of September 2026, with a median of 71 days on market and 17% of listings carrying a price cut. Sellers outnumbering buyers across Texas metros — San Antonio's ratio is roughly 116% sellers to buyers — is partly a structural story. New construction has consistently added supply, and that pressure doesn't evaporate quickly. For buyers who've been waiting for leverage, the math has shifted in their direction.
The complicating factor is mortgage rates. Redfin's chief economist noted recently that rates have risen to their highest levels in nearly three years, driven by Middle East conflict, oil prices, and bond market volatility — which is keeping a meaningful share of otherwise qualified buyers on the sidelines. For New Braunfels specifically, the I-35 corridor between San Antonio and Austin remains a durable draw for dual-commuter households, and that geographic premium isn't going away. But buyers active right now are operating with real negotiating room, and sellers who haven't adjusted their price expectations to the current sample data are likely sitting on inventory longer than they need to.