Austin's Go To Team

The housing market is improving for 2012!!

michaela — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:12:20 +0000

Happy New Year and welcome to 2012! Finally we are starting to see some improvements in the national housing market. I was listening to the radio this morning and heard that more and more jobs are being created so fewer and fewer people are unemployed. This also means that more people can afford to stay in their homes and not go into foreclosure. It also means that more people can afford to purchase homes…. see how it’s all coming together!?

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has also released numbers that indicate that for the second month in a row pending home sales are up. Builders are starting to build more and home prices are stabilizing. What does this mean for you? Each real estate transaction is different, especially in Austin. Call me to discuss your real estate plans for 2012 or even 2013.

Formula 1 is a Go… Again.

michaela — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:29:05 +0000

I’m sure you have heard that Formula 1 is coming to Austin. Then a week or two ago, Formula 1 was in jeopardy. Well, now it’s a go! So if you have a business that would benefit from the success of Formula 1, you should be happy to know that the first race will be in 2012.

My real estate business in Austin can possibly benefit from the race since it will bring money to the area. This money will come in the form of travel, hotels, food, and real estate. Austin will be exposed to an international fan base, and some of those fans may decide to purchase real estate in Austin or the surrounding areas.

Downtown condos and hotels in Austin will be attractive places to stay since they are in the middle of the entertainment district and not too far from the race site. Homeaway.com and VRBO.com are popular Austin businesses that will benefit from people renting vacation properties. The race is on.

Californians moving to Texas

michaela — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:31:37 +0000

I read a blog today at http://cvbiz.blogs.mydesert.com/2011/11/15/census-california-to-texas-move-most-common/ , that states that 39,468 people moved from California to Texas last year (2010). That’s a lot of people moving to Texas!

How does this affect you? If you are selling your house, you might want to think about how different people like to decorate. In Austin, you might find animal heads hanging from the wall while in California you might find pictures of the ocean. Consider how you decorate your Austin home when listing it for sale. Many people are moving to Austin from all the country and world, and they may or may not like your style. My best advice is to keep your decor minimalistic. Clean up clutter, put away pictures, and remove items with sensitive subject matter (religious, political, etc).

When you are ready to sell your house in or around Austin, call Bob at 512-699-0786.

Rates on 30- year mortgages fall below 4%- Again!

michaela — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:06:16 +0000

People, 30 year mortgage interest rates have fallen below 4% again. If you are waiting for the bottom of the Austin real estate market, you probably won’t find it. Most people don’t know the bottom has hit until it has already past.

I think that home prices will increase over the next year, especially in the popular areas like Crestview, Travis Heights, Tarrytown, Bouldin, Allendale, Hyde Park, etc. I also think home prices will increase in Circle C, Avery Ranch, Steiner Ranch, and some of the other large communities.

I just did some quick math on a 30 year FHA loan. This is a rough estimate, and you need to talk to a lender about actual numbers… I happen to know some lenders that can help. BUT, let’s image you purchase a home in Austin for $280,000 (that’s about the average price). Let’s pretend you get an FHA loan for 30 years with 3.5% down payment and 4% interest rate, you would have a rough payment (principle, interest, taxes, and insurance) of $2303 per month. Doing the same math at 5% interest rate, it would roughly be $2465. That’s a savings of $162 per month or $1944 per year or $58,320 over the life of the loan. So I ask, What are you waiting for?!

Those people that want to sell their homes can make up losses on price by buying low at a low interest rate. Call Bob at 512-699-0786

Texas Ahead

michaela — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:33:43 +0000

Texas State Comptroller’s office has a great website to check in on the economic forecast for the state of Texas. It has information about demographics, work force, and housing. We keep hearing that the national housing market is pretty flat, but Texas housing is still strong. In fact, the Austin housing market is strong. Take a look at the website at http://www.texasahead.org/insight/housing.html

Here is some info that it provides:

1. Texas is affordable. A 2006 census study shows that the median home price was $114,00. That is the least expensive of the the top 10 most populous states!

2. An article from Forbes in 2007 shows that Austin and Dallas are 2 of the most affordable cities despite rapid growth.

3. In 2008, Texas was one of the only states that saw a decrease in foreclosures.

Check out the website for more info. Texas is a great place to live. Austin is a great place to live in a great state. Join me and about 60-65% of Texans and buy a home. I’ll help you do it! Bob 512-699-0786

Austin New Homes

michaela — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:01:42 +0000

The Austin real estate market has started to slow a little now that school is back. This means that it may take a little longer to sell your home, but what a great time to shop for a new home in Austin!

It can take 4-6 month or more to build a new home in the Austin area. If you have a difficult plan, lot, or design, it can take even longer. Before you build, you should do a little research on the builder you choose. Of course, I can help you do that! Some of the larger builders in Austin are Meritage Homes, KB Homes, Drees Homes, Gehan Homes (local to Texas) , David Weekley (local to Texas), Scott Felder Homes (local to Austin), Buffington Homes (local to Austin), and many others.

In order to find your builder, you should decide which area you would like, how much you would like to spend, and what amenities are important. Give Bob a call at 512-699-0786 to discuss your new home in Austin!

Low Interest Rates

michaela — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 22:50:25 +0000

I was on BankRate.com today to check out the interest rates on 30 year mortgages, and they seem to be even lower than they have been. The site quoted 4.42% on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. I know people are still nervous about buying and selling real estate, but it just seems silly to me. Of course, there are exceptions, but Austin has a great real estate market. Austin has a great job market compared to the rest of the nation.

It’s time to sell your home and move up or move down or move all around. Call me to get started. Bob 512-699-0786

Austin Schools

michaela — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:11:13 +0000

The Austin American Statesman has indicated that Austin schools will receive 13.8 million dollars from the Federal Education Jobs Fund. The lack of funding has been a big deal. Driving around Zilker and Barton Hills in South Austin, you can find home owners with signs that encourage saving the local Austin schools. In fact, I had a house listed in Barton Hills that would have been affected by the closing of schools.

While the school board was able to save the schools, they were not able to save the teachers. Hopefully, this money will be used wisely to hire back the teachers. Remember that schools are part of the community and help or hinder real estate in Austin. Good schools typically help the real estate prices in the area. While poor schools typically hinder the real estate market.

Surrounding districts also will receive funds: Round Rock, Leander, and Pflugerville.