The Greater Austin Area Real Estate Podcast

The Latest News From the Austin Real Estate Market

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 13:54:00 -0700

I recently sat down for an interview on Facebook Live. We covered a lot, including how to compete as a buyer in this competitive market.

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

I recently sat down for an interview on Facebook Live to give a great, in-depth look at the Greater Austin real estate market. Things are quite competitive out there, so we went over a few different ways that you can make yourself stand out as a buyer or a seller. Here is an outline of the topics that we discussed, with timestamps so that you can skip ahead to the sections that interest you most:

1:05- Where we are seeing the most multiple offer situations in the Austin market.

1:45- How to prepare your home in a way that encourages multiple offers and maximizes your sale price.

3:23- If you do receive multiple offers right away, should you respond right away or wait for even more offers to come in?

Buyers and sellers can succeed in this competitive market.

5:48- Why the highest-priced offer is not always the best.

6:45- The importance of a pre-approval for a homebuyer in today’s Austin market.

7:48- A few different strategies that we use to help our buyers win in multiple offer situations.

If you have any questions for me about the Austin real estate market in the meantime or you need anything else, please feel free to reach out and give me a call or send me an email today. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Which Questions Should Buyers and Sellers Ask Their Agent?

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 08:25:00 -0700

Whether you are a buyer or a seller, there are certain questions you must ask your agent to know if they’re the right fit for you.

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

We are quickly approaching summer, which means a lot of buyers and sellers in our market are gearing up to make their move. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, there are certain questions you need to ask your agent to make sure they are a good fit. Here are the timestamped sections of the most important questions buyers and sellers should ask and why they should ask them. Buyers: 1:00 - Are you able to find inventory that is not officially listed yet? 2:06 - What if you don’t like the house? 3:04 - Are you a solo agent or do you have a team behind you?

These questions will help you know if your agent is the right fit for you.

Sellers: 7:08 - How many homes did you sell in the last 12 months? 9:02 - What is the absorption rate in my neighborhood and specific price range? 11:20 - What are you going to do to market my house? As always, if you have any other questions or you are thinking of buying or selling a home in our market soon, please feel free to reach out to me. My team and I would love to help you.

The Latest News From the Austin Real Estate Market

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Wed, 23 May 2018 11:44:00 -0700

The Austin real estate market continues to remain extremely hot for the most part. Here’s what you need to know.

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

I recently sat down for a Facebook Live interview to give a great, in-depth look at the Greater Austin real estate market. Here is an outline of what we discussed, with timestamps so that you can skip ahead to the sections that interest you most: 1:00- The hottest areas in the scorching Austin real estate market right now. 5:15- The sweet spot for prospective home sellers in the Austin real estate market.

A large portion of Austin is in a strong seller’s market.

7:08- Strategies to help you prepare yourself as a buyer in a hot seller’s market like this. 10:30- The absolute best way to get your home’s true market value. 12:00- How to get a competitive advantage in the market with our “Coming Soon” inventory. Thanks again to Scott for joining me. We had a great discussion and really got to dive in deep to the Austin market. If you have any questions for me about the market in the meantime or you need anyone else, don’t hesitate to reach out and give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Come Out to Watch a Game at the Dell Diamond—It’s on Us

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Wed, 9 May 2018 08:36:00 -0700

Our annual client appreciation event is just around the corner and we hope you’ll join us for the fun.

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

I’ve got some exciting news: You and your family are invited to our annual client appreciation event, which will take place down at the Round Rock Express Dell Diamond on Saturday, June 2. We’ve got tickets for that evening’s game already waiting for you, and that’s not all—we reserved the pool deck and will be providing food, drinks, and games for your entire family to enjoy. Of course, we’ve only got a limited number of tickets so be sure to RSVP by either clicking the link below, or contacting Coach Sarah by phone at (512) 253-8408 or by email at sarah@wattersinternational.com. We hope you’ll join us for the fun. For more details, watch this short video.

RSVP → https://goo.gl/forms/5OIkbs8nLX4Jo7Ou2

We’re Saying Thanks…With Pie

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Wed, 8 Nov 2017 08:45:00 -0800

Our annual pie giveaway is coming soon. You won’t want to miss this year’s event.

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

We’re already in November and Thanksgiving is fast-approaching. Every year, to say thanks to all the support from our amazing clients, we hold a big pie giveaway and client appreciation event. This year’s event is coming up in just a few weeks! This has been an amazing year of growth for our company. We’ve grown by 300%, opened offices across Texas, and we’re on the brink of national expansion. It’s all in large part due to the amazing clients we’ve been able to serve over the years.

This has been an amazing year of growth for our company.

Join us on Tuesday, November 21 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for our annual pie night giveaway at our office (6850 Austin Center boulevard Building #2 Suite #320). We’ll have some great door prizes to give away, catered food, wine, and of course, free pies. To reserve your free pie, just reply back to us and let us know whether you want a pumpkin or a pecan pie. Then you can come pick your pie up on Nov. 21 after joining us for an evening of food and fun. Thanks again for all your support. If you have any questions for me in the meantime or you have any real estate needs that my team and I can assist you with, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

The Fed’s Recent Bombshell Announcement

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Thu, 2 Nov 2017 13:36:00 -0700

The Fed’s recent announcement will have a huge impact on the economy, for both buyers and sellers alike.

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

In recent news, as of September 20th, the Fed met and made a huge announcement that’s going to have a massive impact on the real estate market. They announced that they’re going to start cutting back their balance sheet. Ten years ago during the financial crisis, the Fed injected an enormous amount of money into the economy, $3.5 trillion, in order to get the economy back on track. Now that the economy has stabilized, the Fed is going to start pulling that money back out. They’ve announced that they’ll begin buying back $10 billion in financial assets that they purchased in 2007 and 2008.

If you are thinking of buying a home, this move will eventually make it more expensive for you to do so.

You might be wondering how this will impact you as a potential buyer or seller. If you are thinking of buying a home, this move will eventually make it more expensive for you to do so. You might be able to buy a $300,000 home today with your current income, but two years from now you may only be able to afford a $250,000 home. And if you are looking to sell your home, this might mean there will be fewer interested buyers. This might drive prices down and might make it harder to sell. It’s a very unique situation for buyers and sellers right now. The market is complicated and ambiguous, so it’s important that you give us a call, as your real estate adviser and expert, so we can guide you through this and help you get the best outcome possible. We look forward to hearing from you.

The $26,000 Mistake I Made

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 15:01:00 -0800

Today, Dan from S&D Plumbing joins me to discuss how his company got started, what they do, and why static pressure tests are so important to home buyers.

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

Today I’m here with Dan from S&D Plumbing. S&D Plumbing is a family-owned business that Dan’s parents started in 1980.

One thing that separates S&D Plumbing from all of the other plumbing companies out there is their outstanding customer service. If you need plumbing help, a live person will answer your call 24/7. Dan’s company also provides same day service and leak protection. They also have special equipment that allows for minimal access, whether it’s trenchless repairs or locating water leaks in the slabs.
I made a big mistake when I bought a home not too long ago. As a Realtor, I should’ve known better, but I did not call Dan at S&D Plumbing to do a static pressure test on the property. That mistake wound up costing me $26,000.
A static pressure test simulates what a sewer stoppage would look like in your home. They put a test ball outside of the sewer exits, fill all the drain lines with water, and let that sit for 30 minutes to make sure that there are no leaks in the drain system.
Static pressure tests are especially important in the Austin area because of the clay soil. If there are unforeseen leaks in the drain system, then moisture will get into the clay soil, which will expand, contract, and cause foundation issues.

You need to get a static pressure test in Austin, no matter how old the home is.

Even if you are buying a home that isn’t brand new and the previous owners didn’t have any issues, you should still get a static pressure test. Just because the plumbing system isn’t backed up doesn’t mean it’s not leaking. Whether you are buying a one-year-old house or a 100-year-old house, you need to order a static pressure test.

Like I said, as a real estate agent, I should have known better. My house was built using cast iron plumbing, which got corroded. We had to trench underneath the house and $26,000 later I got a new plumbing system. Still, if I had called Dan and run a static pressure test, I could have avoided this problem.
Another benefit of working with S&D Plumbing is that once they locate a leak, they can pinpoint the location of the leak and go through the repair process. That way, you only have to work with one company from start to finish. They can even repair any cosmetic issues for you as well.
S&D Plumbing also offers hydro-jetting, which is basically like power washing the inside of your pipes. If you have issues with grease from your kitchen sink, Dan and his team can go in there and clean everything out.
S&D’s Plumbing covers all aspects of residential and commercial repairs. They have a great customer loyalty agreement for residential customers that allows for priority scheduling, discounted pricing, and other great perks. They also offer a similar program for commercial clients.
Back in 1980, S&D Plumbing was one of the only companies that handled static pressure tests, leak detections, and repairs all in the same place. Whenever you have an issue or order a static pressure test, you can work with one plumber throughout the whole process.
If you have any questions for Dan, you can contact him at (512) 746-1510 or check out the website for S&D Plumbing. As always, if you have any real estate questions for me, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. We would be happy to help you!

Start Planning Your Spring Sale This Winter

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 11:46:00 -0800

Selling a home in the winter comes with many advantages. If you want to sell in the spring, though, you need to at least start planning with your Realtor this winter.

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

If you're thinking about selling your home in the spring, there are some distinct advantages to meeting with a Realtor in the winter.

First, though, let's talk about the advantages of actually listing in the winter.

There's a lot less inventory on the market in the winter and fewer new construction homes. This is a good thing for resale homeowners looking to sell; you won't have to compete against as much new construction. Winter buyers are typically in must-buy situations, too, so they are more motivated to get a deal done.

Additionally, the other people in your neighborhood thinking about selling will also want to wait for spring, opening up the market for you. We also see that many employers make a lot of relocation hires in the first quarter of each year.

If you plan on selling this spring, start by meeting with an agent this winter.

So, if you plan on selling in the spring, you should start by meeting with an agent this winter. You can start by talking about how to position the home for the market. We can also put your home in our 'Coming Soon' program. We'll put a 'Coming Soon' sign in your yard and put your house on a special section on our website. Since the market is so hot, we have tons of buyers asking us about properties that are coming soon.

Any buyer will be seven times more motivated to buy by the fear of loss, according to human psychology. When buyers drive through the neighborhood, they see these 'Coming Soon' signs and get worried that another buyer will jump in and submit an offer before they get the chance. By leveraging our 'Coming Soon' program, sometimes we can market your home even above market value during the process.

If you're thinking about selling this winter or this upcoming spring, give us a call or send us an email. We'd love to help you out!

How Can You Prevent Frozen Pipes This Winter?

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 09:29:00 -0800

We'll see some temperatures cold enough for a freeze here in Central Texas soon. I've brought in my trusted home inspector for some advice on how to prevent freezing and burst pipes.

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

Today I'm joined by Jeff Thorp, a licensed inspector here in Austin that we use a lot. Today, we're discussing what to do if your pipes burst due to the coming freeze here in Central Texas and how to prevent pipes from freezing in the first place. As Jeff says, your first step is to turn off the water. In most Austin homes, you'll find the water shutoff valve adjacent to the water meter, which should be located near the street or near the sidewalk. There, you'll find a small hand valve that either looks like a circular dial handle or a flat blade lever valve handle. Don't forget—righty tighty, lefty loosey.

So how can you prevent this from happening in the first place? Freeze protection is a must, Jeff says. We don't get cold temperatures often, but with those cold winds, hose bibs can freeze over, Jeff says. Once the water in there freezes, the expansion of the ice causes the leakage. To combat this, you can insulate hose bibs.

If you go out of town, you may be tempted to turn your heat off, but you should leave it on. The house doesn't need to be toasty, but you do need to keep some heat inside. Jeff says 55 degrees is enough heat.

"IF YOU LEAVE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, DON'T LET YOUR HOUSE GET COLDER THAN 55 DEGREES."

In many modern homes, water lines run through the attic. Sometimes they are even insulated by the ceiling insulation. That insulation could change, though, if a security system is installed or cable wiring is run through the attic. If the insulation has been disturbed enough to where you can see blue, red, or clear piping, it needs to be insulated.

Finally, letting a faucet drip is Jeff's last tip. This will keep a small amount of water moving and prevent freezing. Jess says it's best to have a kitchen or bathroom sink that's near an exterior wall dripping; you don't need all your faucets to drip.

A big thanks to Jeff for joining us today. If you're interested in any kind of home inspection or you just have questions for Jeff, you can contact him at 512-585-8726 or email him at propertydoctorjeff@gmail.com.

If you're thinking of buying or selling a home, give us a call or send us an email soon. We'd love to help!

How Long Should Your Home Stay Listed?

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 08:20:00 -0700

How long your home should sit on the market depends on the absorption rate in your neighborhood and your specific price range and whether or not you have your three Ps in alignment: price, promotion, and product.

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

What’s a good number of days on market when your home is listed for sale?

That’s a tricky question. What’s important for you to understand is the absorption rate in your neighborhood and your specific price range. Location and price range are both important because in some price points—anything in excess of $2 million, for example— you can see homes sitting on the market for up to a year.

If you have a home in the $200,000 to $300,000 price range, buyers are going to expect to see that home move rather quickly. One of the very first questions a buyer asks Mr. or Mrs. Realtor when they walk in the door is, “How many days has this home been on the market?” If your home is in this price range and your days on market exceeds two to three months, buyers are going to start wondering why the home hasn’t sold. They’ll then start walking through your home and picking it apart to see what’s wrong with it. This is what you don’t want to happen.

That’s why it’s critical that you get the three Ps in alignment: price, promotion, and product. If they aren’t in alignment, your home will sit on the market for a long time.

A healthy days on market is contingent on the absorption rate.

A healthy level of average days on market is contingent on the absorption rate. When interviewing a real estate agent, it’s important that you ask them what the absorption rate for your neighborhood is. Once you exceed that number, I can guarantee you that any potential buyer will start wondering what’s wrong with your home.

If you have any further questions about days on market or anything else real estate-related, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you!

How Does Our Guaranteed Sale Program Work?

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Wed, 5 Oct 2016 08:52:00 -0700

Our Guaranteed Sale program isn’t too good to be true; it’s just our way of showing you how confident we are in our home selling abilities.

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

You’ve probably heard about our Guaranteed Sale program, but you may also be a bit skeptical about it. You may think it’s a gimmick or that it’s too good to be true.

In reality, it’s actually very simple. We will come to a predetermined price and deadline for your home together. If the deadline passes, we will simply buy your home. We are not going to buy it at a wholesale price either. In fact, if we make a profit from buying your home and reselling it, we will give that profit back to you.

One of our greatest tools is marketing. We have two local banks who have underwritten our Guaranteed Sale program because they are so confident in our ability to sell your home.

We have to earn your business each day.

You don’t have to worry about getting stuck in a long-term contract either. We have a one-day listing agreement, which means we have to earn your business every day. You can fire us at any point if you are unhappy. It’s a great way for you to hold us accountable. If we don’t come through for you, you can just get rid of us.

If you have any questions for us or would like to know what your home is worth in this market, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

This Is What Really Matters Your Greater Austin House Hunt

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 10:26:00 -0700

We see a wide range of buyers, from those who want homes of a very specific size, style and architectural design, to buyers who simply want four walls, a roof, and electricity for their next home. Most clients are somewhere in the middle - they’re looking for a home that looks good and has most of the features they want.

You've probably looked at houses and checked off a few boxes making sure they have the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you want, but have you ever looked at a home and really thought, "Is this house right for me?"

Not many do. That's why I wanted to share a Consumer Reports video with you that I recently found. It's a nice checklist to go through in order to make sure the home you're considering actually fits you and your lifestyle. Here are my favorite items:

Communicate with people at the local coffee shop or any place where locals hang out. Simply ask their thoughts on the area.
You can tell a lot about the sense of community in a neighborhood based on the sidewalks and porches. Seriously!
Proximity to places and amenities you frequent shouldn't be overlooked. Do you want to be close to restaurants and shops, the airport, or parks and trails?
Mortgage cost shouldn't be the only factor when considering affordability. Look at transportation and utility costs too, for example.

Remember, the average Greater Austin homeowner will stay in their home for about nine years. Don't ignore the important checklist items when considering the place you’ll call home for nearly a decade.

Now, this example is pretty broad. Each family has its own unique situation and its own unique checklist. I'd love to sit down with you and use my experience to help you come up with that all-important checklist of your own to help find the right home for you. Give me a call or send me an email and let’s talk soon.

HVAC Maintenance & Repair Tips for Homeowners

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 09:42:00 -0700

With summer nearly over, I’m sure you (like me) have been reminded just how much we use our air conditioning. Soon, in the winter, you’ll also be reminded of how often you use the furnace, too.

It’s one of the major systems in your home, and a surprise issue with one of these systems can be a nightmare if handled improperly. That’s why I wanted to share a video from Angie’s List that I recently saw about proper maintenance of your heating and cooling systems.

If either unit is having issues, did you know you can actually hire technicians who are specially trained to work on certain brands? For example, if you have a Trane system, you can find a tech who is trained specifically to work on Trane products.

Secondly, always remember to get second opinion when someone recommends that you replace a system, because oftentimes, a repair will do. You want to be certain when it comes to a part of your home that should last 20 years, especially considering the cost of a replacement.

Unfortunately, as the video points out, there are a lot of people out there in who deal in these systems who prey on customers who don’t know any better. If you’re hiring a company, you should investigate them by checking out their web reviews or social media pages.

Also, be proactive with service with these systems. If you wait until the systems is broken down and needs repair to get it checked out, you’re now at their mercy.

As always, if you have any real estate questions for the Greater Austin area, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to answer them for you!

The Hottest Austin Market in Decades

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Tue, 3 May 2016 10:35:00 -0700

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

The real estate market in Austin is among the hottest in the entire country right now. We’re seeing activity in the market building, and we see this every year after spring break. To add to this, job growth is high, unemployment is low, and home prices have never been this high.

The market is phenomenal right now, but what might happen down the road to slow this growth? We want to pay attention to interest rates. They’re still historically low, but they’re bound to rise. This will negatively affect our buyers, and demand will fall, which means that home prices will also fall. Although everything is terrific right now, we want you to know that this kind of market doesn’t stick around for long.

In fact, affordability in some parts of the city has already become an issue. The average family in Austin makes just over $60,000 per year, and the average home in Austin costs $270,000. This has pushed a lot of people into the suburbs, and this could put downward pressure on home prices.

The bottom line is that right now is a great time to sell. I think we’re at the peak of the market, and you should not hesitate to put your home on the market. We can consult with you for free to figure out if this is really something that you should consider seriously.

We look forward to hearing back from you. Don’t miss out on this hot market!

Important Service Announcement from Watters International

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Tue, 3 May 2016 10:22:00 -0700

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

We’re proud to announce that we’re moving our offices into a much larger and nicer space. We used to be near MoPac 2222, but we are two exits further west now.

This new office is going to allow our team to serve you at an even higher level, and in even more locations in Texas.

This new space is actually three times larger because we are expanding into San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas in the next 12 months. We want to help as many families as possible, so please let people in these cities know that we’re headed their way.

The exact location of the new office is 6850 Austin Center Boulevard in Building #2 (Suite 320).

We look forward to working with you all across Texas!

Does the Austin Market Favor Buyers or Sellers?

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 09:33:00 -0700

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search.

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free market analysis report.

A lot of our clients have been wanting to know whether the Austin market is favoring home buyers or home sellers. The answer to this question is not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. It all depends on where you’re looking and in what price range.

Real estate is hyper-local and changes very quickly from one area to the next. I will tell you that if you own a home worth less than $250k and it’s in a 45-mile radius of Austin, it’s going to fly off the shelf. The closer you get to Austin, the hotter the seller’s market becomes.

For those that are in the $250k to $500k range just outside of Austin, we’re seeing more inventory but that market is still favoring sellers. Homes worth more than $500k are seeing more inventory, so those markets are favoring buyers right now.

Overall, I don’t think we’ve ever seen a better time to sell a home in Austin. This city is red-hot right now when it comes to economics. Job growth is going through the roof and that’s a great indicator that our market will continue to be red-hot.

We expect great things in the Austin market this year, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have been thinking of selling your home. We look forward to hearing from you!

Eight Things Your Realtor Isn’t Telling You About

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Tue, 8 Mar 2016 10:18:00 -0800

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search,

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free home value report.

Realtors work very hard to sell homes. We like to talk about all of the different things that we do to get your home sold, but we will do even more for you behind closed doors. Here are some extra steps that we take to get your home in Central Texas sold quickly!

We shop for properties online, and we explore investment properties, FSBO properties, and even homes that are not currently available on the MLS.

We prospect for you. We go inside homes and look at them so you don’t waste time looking at homes that you won’t like.

We attend ‘pitch sessions’, and this is how we find out about other listings that Realtors have. This is where we find most of our off-market properties.

We spend our own money on your marketing. This is how we put our skin in the game, and this is just another reason why we care so much about selling your home for top dollar. Anywhere from 25% to 35% of our commission is spent on marketing.

We write offers and counteroffers to help you get the best possible deal. This sounds pretty simple, but there is a lot of thought put into these offers. These are all customized for your particular home sale.

We stick around for inspections to take notes on what needs to be done in order to buy or sell a given property. We’ve seen hundreds of inspections, and we know which items you need to pay attention to.

We smooth out bumps in the road. This is just part of being a good Realtor. We want your experience to be painless.

We keep calm under pressure. There is a lot of emotion involved in a transaction, but we keep our cool. This is part of the reason you hired us, and you can count on us to be more rational when you may be a little more emotional.

If there’s anything that we can do to help you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Whether you’re buying or selling, 2016 is going to be a great year to get involved with real estate!

How to Whip Your Austin Home Into Shape for Spring 2016

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 09:50:00 -0800

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search,

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free home value report.

This year is going to be a fantastic time to sell a home in Austin. Spring will be here much quicker than you realize, so now is the time to prepare your home for a competitive spring market. Here are a few things to think about.

Consider which expensive items depreciate over time. We’re talking about water heaters, furnaces, HVAC, and more. Check the life cycles of these items because it could be very problematic later on in the transaction.
Walk around the home and find common problems. Around your window and door seals, look for wood rot. Sometimes siding ages over time (it only lasts about 15 years). Also check your ceilings for yellow water spots. They’re very unattractive to buyers and they’re relatively easy to fix.

Get your home pre-inspected before you sell it. This allows you to proactively go through and eliminate problems before they occur. The inspector will undoubtedly find something wrong with your property, and you want to find out before your buyer finds out. Inspections are the #1 deal killers in a real estate transaction. Have the confidence that your home is in good condition. This gives you an upper hand in negotiations down the road.

If you’re unsure about what you need to do to your home before you sell it, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I could walk through your home with you and determine some things that might be worth fixing.

What Questions Should You Ask Before Signing a Mortgage?

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Wed, 9 Dec 2015 08:42:00 -0800

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search,

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free home value report.

If you’re thinking about buying a home, you’re going to need to secure a good mortgage with a reputable lender. To ensure you get the best rates and terms possible, we’ve got four questions for you today that you should be asking before you sign a mortgage agreement with a lender. Here they are:

1. What is the APR?

The APR really tells you the true cost of the loan. It includes all closing costs, underwriting costs, and processing fees.

2. Does the mortgage carry a pre-payment penalty?

If you end up getting penalized negatively for paying off a loan in advance, it could negatively affect your ability to have a profitable investment. Watch out for pre-payment penalties!

3. Can you review the GFE and the HUD-1 together?

The Good Faith Estimate, or GFE, is an estimate a lender gives you when you first speak with them. The HUD-1 is the settlement statement at the closing table. You want to make sure that the GFE matches up with the HUD-1 at the closing table.

4. How long will my rate lock and what’s the maximum cap?

You might sign an agreement with a lender when you start looking for a home, but not find a home for two or three months. It’s important when you get that initial approval from a lender, you know how long you are locked into that specific rate. A lot of times, there are time limits, and rates can change. You don’t want to have to pay more than you agreed to.

These are four key questions you need to ask your lender before signing a mortgage contract. Working with a trusted real estate advisor will really help the process become more smooth and easy. If you have any questions for us, or are looking to buy or sell in Austin, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.

You’re Invited to Our Free Pie Giveaway!

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 09:41:00 -0800

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search,

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free home value report.

We’ve got a very special message for you today. We haven’t got any educational real estate news and information for you today, but we do have some free pie to give away.

If you’re watching this video, you’re invited to come to our office and pick up a free pie! We wanted to give a token of appreciation to all of our great clients, friends, and families for entrusting us with helping them and their referrals buy and sell homes here in Austin.

Our free pie giveaway is going to be on November 24th, from 3:30 to 7:30 pm. All you have to do to reserve your pie is let me know your first name, last name, when you are coming and what kind of pie you want. We will have both pumpkin and pecan pies, and we’ve got a local bakery cooking them up for us. They are going to be delicious.

We have been able to help over 500 families buy or sell homes this year alone, and we plan on giving away over 1000 pies. So give us a call, let us know what kind of pie you want, and we look forward to seeing you on November 24th from 3:30 to 7:30!

Five Lessons Learned from the Housing Market Crash

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Mon, 9 Nov 2015 10:28:00 -0800

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search,

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free home value report.

Now that the real estate market is in great shape and the economy is doing well, it's not a bad time to take a look back at the housing crisis and figure out what we've learned:

1. Your home may not always be an investment. This may sound counter-intuitive coming from a real estate agent, but if you buy a home in an area where there is a massive number of months worth of inventory, you're buying into an area that's trending down, which means you're buying into an area where properties will be worth less down the road.

2. Every homeowner should have an emergency fund. This is pretty obvious, but incidental things happen. Make sure your mortgage payment is something you are more than comfortable paying each month, and that you can afford to pay it even if things take a downward turn.

3. Beware of risky mortgages. An example of a risky mortgage is, say, a variable-rate mortgage that adjusts every year. You might have gotten the loan on day one at 4.5%, but it may rise above 5% within a few years, which causes the cost of your home to go up too.

4. Buy what feels comfortable. Just because you qualify for a loan to buy a $400,000 house doesn't mean you can actually afford it. You don't want to give up a huge percentage of your income in order to make monthly house payments.

5. Home ownership is not for everyone! This may sound even crazier coming from a real estate agent than number 1, but it's the truth. On average, home prices go up 3-4%, so when you take closing costs into account, you're unlikely to make money for quite some time. You only want to get involved if you're comfortable enough financially.

If you have any questions about this topic, or if you need real estate assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

The Pitfalls of Buying a Distressed Property in Austin

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 09:32:00 -0700

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search,

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free home value report.

Today, we'll speak about the downfalls of purchasing a distressed property. A lot of people think that these homes are good deals, but there are some things that you need to be aware of prior to purchasing them.

1. Buy a clear title to the property: I have seen people purchase foreclosures that have outstanding liens on them from the prior owner. You will be liable for these liens once you buy the property.

2. Some lenders have troubles getting a loan because of the condition of the home: The lender will want certain parts of your property to be in good condition. This includes the roof and the foundation of your home. Wood-destroying insects can also be a worry if you're trying to get approved for a loan.

3. Not examining market trends: People don't often examine where the market is moving. Is there appreciation? If you buy a home in an area where homes are losing value every day, then purchasing a distressed property may not be the best idea for you.

4. Unforeseen damages and deferred maintenance: This probably seems like common sense, but I've seen some bad situations arise. I have a lot of horror stories about this happening to people who have bought distressed homes, so you need to be careful not to cut any corners when you're doing renovations or making repairs.

Hopefully this information has been helpful to you! If you'd like to learn more about real estate in Austin, please don't hesitate to contact me!

What to Avoid for the Best Results When Selling in Austin

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 09:15:00 -0700

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search,

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free home value report.

Today, I have some information for all the homeowners out there. I want to share the four biggest mistakes people make when selling their Austin homes!

Not getting a pre-inspection prior to listing: This is one of the best ways to get the highest return on investment. Whoever ends up buying your home will likely get an inspection, which will usually reveal some defects with your property. A pre-inspection will put you in a position of strength and knowledge when it comes to negotiating. Also, fixing problems ahead of time is cheaper and more time efficient!
Overdoing upgrades: In Austin and the surrounding areas, on average, you are not going to get a positive return on investment by making huge upgrades. I highly recommend staying clear of risky upgrades and focusing on things that will net you a positive return.
Not staging your home: Study after study has proved that getting your home staged is going to help a seller net significantly more money! If you're currently living in the home, a huge benefit of working with our team is we pay for a free consultation with one of our expert stagers, who will show you how to best arrange your home for buyers. Staging is a great way to get buyers to emotionally connect to your home.
Pricing too high: It's our job to make sure you net the highest amount of money possible for your home. There's a method we use to ensure you get top dollar for your home. Instead of just looking at historical sales, we can actually predict what is going to happen in two to three months simply by looking at the market absorption rate. Using this strategy, we can help you maximize the value of your home!

If you have any questions about this topic, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I would love to help you make the most of your next real estate transaction!

Selling Vs. Renting in Austin

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 08:04:00 -0700

Looking to buy in the Austin area? Get a full home search,

Selling your Austin area home? Get a free home value report.

Hey everyone, thanks for joining us again today. I wanted to share a question with you I recently got from a client, who wanted to know if they should sell their home or rent it out.

It's a great question, because having an investment property is a great way to build wealth. However, the answer is a little more complicated than that.

If you're thinking about renting out your home, the first question we have to ask is, "What are your plans after you rent the home out?" Are you going to turn around and buy another home? If so, can you afford to do that? If you're going to need the equity out of your current home to pay for another, you may want to ask the lender to give you a home equity line of credit from your current home to use as a down payment on your next purchase.

It all really depends on your goals. If you need the equity on the property, I suggest you sell rather than rent it out. Right now, our market is having rising prices and lower days on market, making conditions even better for sellers.

If you have any questions for us, or are looking to buy or sell a home in Austin, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to helping you!

Austin Home Moving Tips ft. Blue Whale Moving and Storage

wattersteam.tim@gmail.com (Christopher Watters) — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 11:55:00 -0700

Bradley Pounds recently had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Hunter Armstrong from Blue Whale Moving and Storage. Moving can be an overwhelming experience, especially if it's your first time packing up an entire house. Mr. Armstrong recommends planning ahead and packing a couple of boxes a day in order to avoid a last-minute, sleepless night of packing the day before the move. He also discusses his favorite packing materials, the craziest thing he's ever had to move, and the proper way to pack up a kitchen. (Hint: you've been packing plates the wrong way all this time.)

Austin Home Moving Tips ft. Blue Whale Moving and Storage (Question 1)

Bradley Pounds: Hunter Armstrong from Blue Whale Moving and Storage, thank you so much. This is so helpful.

Hunter Armstrong: I’m very well, thank you. And yourself?

Bradley Pounds: Good! Listen, this is Bradley Pounds from Watters International Realty, and I wanted to thank you so much for taking a little bit of time. Our buyers have a burning question. We get this all of the time, Hunter. They want to know: How do you properly pack up a kitchen?

Hunter Armstrong: Sure! Packing, whether it’s a kitchen or any other area of your home, all boils down to density and weight. You want to select your box accordingly, and determine how to pack that box. So the denser the items are, the smaller the box you should use. And you should always try to put the densest items toward the bottom of the box.

Bradley Pounds: Tell me why that is. I’m interested.

Hunter Armstrong: That’s the case for a few reasons. In terms of selecting the box, it’s important because if you put very dense items in a big box, you’re not only going to make the box too heavy to safely move, you could also compromise the integrity of the box. When you’re talking about within a box, you want the denser items on the bottom. You don’t want those heavy pieces on top crushing the lighter, typically more delicate items on the bottom.

Bradley Pounds: Okay, so heavy on the bottom, and if you’re moving super dense items, then you need to keep it small and manageable.

Hunter Armstrong: Precisely.

Bradley Pounds: Okay. What else is important about packing up a kitchen?

Hunter Armstrong: When you’re talking specifically about a kitchen, you definitely want to use specialized boxes. What we use are called ‘Dish Packs,’ or ‘Dish Barrels.’ Again, you want to go density first. So typically you want to take your dishes, your plates, and those sort of things, wrap them up—use a lot of packing paper! We definitely recommend packing paper over bubble wrap or anything like that. The other trick that a lot of people don’t know or don’t do is you actually don’t want to stack your dishes. You don’t want to lie them flat and stack them up; you want to put them on edge, and put them into the box that way. Then as you go higher in the box, you move to things like your glasses, crystal, champagne flutes, etc., up near the top.

Bradley Pounds: Okay, so tell me what’s better about packing your plates that way. I had no idea that’s the way you’re supposed to do it!

Hunter Armstrong: Really, it’s just about making it stable and keeping the weight managed. So if you pack them all up on an edge, none of the dishes have the weight of the rest of the dishes on top of them, whereas if you pack them flat, the bottom dish has the weight of every single dish above it sitting down on top of it.

Bradley Pounds: Okay. So you throw that box around a couple times, and you might crack it just because of all the extra pressure. I totally get it! That’s so smart, Hunter. That’s why you’re here. Can you think of anything else that we should keep in mind whenever we go to pack up that kitchen?

Hunter Armstrong: You know, Mr. Pounds, I asked my lead packer that question this morning, just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. When I asked her that exact same question, she said “Use a lot of paper.” You don’t need cell packs, which are those little cardboard inserts to separate glasses, or things like that. You don’t need bubble wrap. What you need to do is just use a lot of paper. The other thing she said is to make sure you seal the boxes well. That’s something that a lot of people overlook. Make sure you have good tape, and make sure you’re taping the tops closed well. Ultimately, these boxes are going to get stacked, be on a dolly, and they need to be able to hold out against the pressure of another box on top of them.

Bradley Pounds: Okay, so I feel like I have a really good idea now about how to do it. At the same time, if I don’t want to pack my kitchen up, or if I just don’t have time, could you guys pack for me?

Hunter Armstrong: Absolutely! We do offer packing as a service. We can come in and pack as little or as much as you want, whether that be just your kitchen, or just your books, or your entire house (including the garage)! Doesn’t have to be all or nothing—we’re happy to just come and do what you don’t want to do!

Bradley Pounds: Well, that’s fantastic. Mr. Hunter Armstrong from Blue Whale Moving and Storage, I want to thank you so much for giving us this great information. I feel so much more prepared for the big move now!

Hunter: Great! Absolutely. Happy to be here, and thank you very much for having me!

Austin Home Moving Tips ft. Blue Whale Moving and Storage (Question 2)

Bradley Pounds: Mr. Hunter Armstrong, from Blue Whale Moving and storage, how are you?

Hunter Armstrong: I’m doing great, Mr. Pounds, thank you so much.

Bradley Pounds: You’re so welcome. Listen, I appreciate you taking a little time out for me. I know you’re a busy guy. You’ve got a lot of moves going on this year. I have a big question for you. Since a lot of our clients end up moving themselves, for better or for worse, I want to know what is the most common mistake that you see people make when they try to pack and move themselves?

Hunter Armstrong: I would actually have two answers to this question. We see or hear about these two things with almost the frequency. One is a problem that people have when they hire movers as well, but especially when they try to it themselves, and that is waiting until the last minute. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people talk about their previous moves, and they try to pack on Friday and do the whole move on Saturday with the U-Haul. They were just completely and totally underwater on that. So that’s one, and the second is cutting corners on materials. I’m talking about not using packing paper, not having the appropriate boxes for what you’re trying to move, not using tape but just folding the lid on the box over—that really is a seductive way to think that you’re going to save yourself time, money, and energy. But it’s really going to cost you all of those things in the end, because of the additional difficulties that it will cause.

Bradley Pound: I’ve certainly moved myself before. Never again. I tell you, you will certainly be getting a call from me the next time. But I remember going to the truck rental place, and they’ve got a huge selection of expensive materials that are supposed to help you make sure your stuff is okay. One of those things that’s really expensive is bubble wrap, but I’ve heard that you’re not a fan of bubble wrap. You really like paper. Why is that?

Hunter Armstrong: We find that packing paper is not only more cost-effective, but also more versatile. Bubble wrap is good. It serves its purpose, certainly, but it is expensive and hard to fit into some shapes that you need it in. If you’re going to pack, say, a coffee mug, what you want to do is wrap the whole thing in some sort of cushioning, and then also get some cushioning inside. Doing that with bubble wrap is very challenging. You can get paper into whatever shape you need! Packing safely is all about filling voids. You want there to be no empty space whatsoever left in that box. Bubble wrap has a tendency to leave voids. Packing paper you can fill any crevice and corner that you need very easily.

Bradley Pound: Well, like I said, I would never attempt to move myself again, but for those folks who are dead-set on doing it, I think you’ve given us some really helpful tips. I’m sure they feel much more prepared to do that themselves. Mr. Hunter Armstrong from Blue Whale Moving and Storage, I can’t thank you enough for joining me.

Hunter Armstrong: Thank you so much for having me!

Austin Home Moving Tips ft. Blue Whale Moving and Storage (Question 3)

Bradley Pounds: Mr. Hunter Armstrong from Blue Whale Moving and Storage, thank you so much for joining me.

Hunter Armstrong: Mr. Pounds, thank you for having me.

Bradley Pounds: Listen, I’ve got a fun one for you this time. I want to know what’s the biggest, wackiest thing you’ve ever had to move?

Hunter Armstrong: So Blue Whale was founded in 1988. At that time, I was one year old, so I was not around for the biggest, craziest thing that we’ve ever moved. To my knowledge, the biggest, craziest thing we’ve ever moved was Anne Richard’s marble desk. The entire desk was made of marble, as I’m told. I don’t even know that I want to speculate how much that weighed, but we were the ones who got to move that, and that’s a mark of pride to us. If I’m going to talk about the biggest, craziest thing we’ve moved under my tenure—we had a client who purchased a table that’s probably 22 or 23 feet long, four feet wide, and was cut from the center of a tree trunk. I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess, I’d say this table probably weighs 1,500 to 1,800 pounds. We had to take eight guys out there to even get it onto the truck. In terms of what I’ve seen moved myself, that’s the biggest and the craziest under my tenure.

Bradley Pounds: That’s a pretty great story. Mr. Hunter Armstrong, that was a fun one. Thank you so much!

Hunter Armstrong: Absolutely. Thank you.

Austin Home Moving Tips ft. Blue Whale Moving and Storage (Question 4)

Bradley Pounds: Mr. Hunter Armstrong from Blue Whale Moving and Storage, thanks so much for joining me.

Hunter Armstrong: Mr. Pounds, thank you very much for having me.

Bradley Pounds: Hey I’ve got a question for you. As we’re speaking, it’s the height of the sales season. We have so many buyers who are getting into new homes, and so many sellers that are moving onto that next chapter, I get sort of the sense that when it comes to moving and packing, some of them really don’t know where to start. Let’s say you’re moving out of a two-bedroom apartment to a larger property. If we just took the contract today, you’ve got 30 days to close as a seller or buyer. When do you start? What do you do first? If it were you, what would you do?

Hunter Armstrong: When do you start? What do you do first? You start yesterday, and the first thing you do is figure out your plan and start packing! There are a lot of reasons why moving is stressful. It is a huge disruption in your life and so on, but with regards to the actual move itself, I think that the majority of people who are moving are sleep deprived and have more on their plates than they’re prepared to handle. That’s because they’ve let the plan get away from them, and thought they could pack their whole home themselves in one day. It’s certainly doable, but it’s certainly not fun. My recommendation would be to go out tonight, get yourself some boxes, and start packing today. Pack about five boxes every night leading up to your move day. We all know that there’s stuff in your home that you don’t need to use for the next 30 days. Start with that. Get a few boxes packed every day. That way, by the time the move comes around, you’ll have extra time, and it won’t be such a big headache.

Bradley Pounds: So a little bit at a time. Keep it super manageable, and then you won’t have that big, staying up all night long, waiting on the moving truck the next morning, right?

Hunter Armstrong: Exactly.

Bradley Pounds: Okay. Mr. Hunter Armstrong from Blue Whale Moving and Storage, thank you so much. That’s super helpful.

Hunter Armstrong: Absolutely, sir. Thank you so much for having me.