Foreclosures have presented a lure of a deal for years as the real estate market has had its ups and downs. Over the past few months, we’ve been hearing a lot of buyers with some incorrect ideas about how buying foreclosures in Austin works. Here are some foreclosure buying facts and fiction to help set […]
Rent vs Buy in Austin
Earlier this week, we talked about WalletHub’s 2017’s Best Big Cities to Live In; however, WalletHub also recently published 2017’s Best & Worst Places to Rent in America. (You can read the full article here.) On that list, Austin ranked #34 out of 150 U.S. cities. Basically Austin isn’t a great or terrible place to […]
8 Insider Home Buying Tips for Austin’s Hot Summer Market
Spring is in our rear view mirror, and Summer is almost here; so is our peak home buying season. Austin’s 2017 Summer housing market is heating up faster than the temperatures. If you’ve been looking for a home long, you’ve likely seen multiple offers on some of the homes you’ve liked. And, you may have […]
Property Tax Trends in Austin
We’ve written extensively on property tax rates in Austin and with good reason. Texas, as you may know, has no personal income tax. This makes property taxes and sales taxes the primary means of rising revenue and a unique income/expense situation for many relocating buyers. While it may be intimidating at first, being informed about […]
Risks of Buying Short Sales in Austin
The only reason to buy a “short sale” or pre-foreclosure is to acquire the property below market value and save money. Most people think buying short sales is simply the owner trying to unload their home for less than market value for a quick sale. While that is true, the owner is not the only […]
5 Keys to Buying in Austin’s Strong Seller’s Market
As a home buyer in today’s Austin housing market, you’re undoubtedly at your wit’s end trying to find your dream home. Even when you do find a home you love, you’re competing with all cash offers and bidding wars driving the sales price above what it’s listed for and many times, even above what the […]
10 Tips for Buying an Infill Home in Austin
Austin is undergoing a period of tremendous growth and development. Where vacant parcels once lay unused, contractors are building anew. In a city like Austin where large vacant parcels are rare, new construction takes the form of tearing out the old and building the new. We call this process “infilling” and it is based on […]
Setting the Right List Price When Selling Your Home
The right list price will attract able buyers who make solid offers, getting you every dollar your home is worth. Getting it right from the start is an art form and also the key to creating an appearance of value to more than one buyer. When your home catches the eye of more than one […]
How Much More is a Home with a View Worth?
How much more is a home with a view worth? There is no disagreement within the real estate, lending and appraisal communities that a view can add value to a property, but there is no agreed upon formula or rule-of-thumb to quantify just how much more valuable a view property is than one without a […]
What is a Pocket Listing and Who Benefits?
What is a pocket listing? “Pocket Listing” is the colloquial term for any active listing that is not entered into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). In Austin, Texas, it’s called Austin Central Texas Realty Information Service (ACTRIS). The listing agent markets the property directly to the public circumventing the MLS and keeps the listing “in […]