Relocating your family is tough duty with a multitude of tasks and decisions. A major decision is where to live and what to buy. If you are moving to an unfamiliar area, along with life’s daily challenges (e.g., jobs, family, pets, cars, medical services), finding the right home can seem overwhelming. This 3 part series […]
Understanding Home Warranty Coverage
Home Warranty policies are contractual guarantees to repair or replace certain systems and/or components that malfunction within the time limits set forth in the contract with the payment of a premium and deductible. Essentially, home warranty protection programs are insurance against the limited risk of loss due to the malfunction or breakdown of specifically described […]
The Truth About Selling Short Sales
We get many inquiries about selling and buying a short sale property. That’s a property whose owner owes more than he or she can sell it for and is hoping the lender will accept less than the amount owed. In the parlance of the real estate and mortgage business it’s called “being upside down” or […]
Truth About Buying Short Sales
In our previous post, we discussed the truth about selling short sales. Now, let’s take a look at the challenges facing the short sale buyer. Buy a Short Sale for Instant Equity? There’s a common misconception that a person can buy a short sale using the “ELF” formula. That is, make money the “Easy, Lucrative […]
10 Reasons Why Your Home Is Not Selling
Recently a couple contacted me because they were considering making a change of REALTORS to sell their home. Their listing was about to expire and their home had not sold. They didn’t get one offer during the listing period and they were frustrated and confused. Their REALTOR told them the price per square foot was […]
What Do the Letters After a Realtor’s Name Mean?
Letters, we got letters. In its ongoing effort to foster professionalization within the real estate brokerage industry, the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) has developed a series of specialized training programs for its members. Members successfully completing a specific program may then use an acronym designation to identify their specialized training. NAR offers training programs […]
5 Advantages & Disadvantages of Buying New Construction
Prospective home buyers in the Austin area have the choice whether to buy new construction or a resale. This post addresses the advantages and disadvantages of buying a newly constructed home from builder/developer. First, however, let me offer what I know is the soundest piece of advice about buying into a new sub-division: Discover the […]
Why Hire a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)?
Buying or selling a home is one of life’s most crucial decisions. In what can be a confusing, overwhelming and sometimes difficult process, it pays to use a professionally trained, residential specialist to help you get the most out of your investment. Someone who understands the complexities of the Austin housing market, how to best […]
What Incentive Does a Buyer’s Agent Have to Negotiate a Lower Price for a Buyer?
Since the Buyer’s Agent is paid a percentage of the sales price – a higher selling price means more commission for the agent – why would the agent work to get a buyer the lowest price possible? What incentive does a buyer’s agent have to negotiate a lower price? Good Buyer’s Agents Don’t Focus on […]
6 Unbreakable Rules of Buying a Home You Might Need to Sell Soon
As compared to other asset categories, real estate is an illiquid, long term asset. It will generally take a longer period of time to convert the value of real estate into cash than, for example, gold, silver, stocks, bonds, or fine art. Buying a home when you first relocate to Austin, or when you might […]