Austin Living

Selling Your Home in Austin, TX

2009-12-21T11:00:00.000-06:00

In today’s economy selling your home in Austin is a little more challenging than it was a couple of years ago. However, don’t let the market naysayers get you down! There are many things that you can do to make your home stand out from the others.

Austin, Texas is a city with a stable economic base and the job market continues to grow, especially in the technology sector. If you decide to conduct a FSBO (For Sale by Owner) tactic this type of information is very useful is developing a strategy for how and where to market your home. Advertise your home in the sorts of media that tech-employees would utilize such as trade media. Take advantage of the Internet to get your home the most exposure possible. There are many websites where you can list your home for sale. You will be able to upload multiple photos of the home. It is highly recommended that you upload shots taken inside and out in the yard. Upload the highest quality, clear, uncluttered photos possible to show your home in the most flattering light.

Perhaps the most important decision you make in marketing your home is the asking price. Some sellers are of the opinion that they should set the price high so they can come down in bargaining. Research has shown that homes whose prices are reduced ultimately sell for less than those homes whose price is never revised. The longer homes sit unsold the harder they are to sell; they develop a stigma in the eyes of the buyers. The most important factor to selling you home quickly is to set the right price at the onset.

To enhance the sale-ability of your home look at the outside of the home and the yard areas. A quality paint job on the exterior of the home goes a long ways towards protecting against mildew, moisture and mold; not too mention a good paint job is much more attractive than old paint flaking off to reveal the wood below. Make sure the yard is tidy in all pictures and while the home is on the market. You don’t have to invest in a professional landscaper, just make sure it is kept mowed and trimmed. Mulch for the beds is a great way to spiff up for very little cost. If it is a season for flowers to bloom, place a few colorful pots of flowering plants around to attract attention and add a homey, lived in touch.

If the interior of your home is dingy and dark, paint the walls with light neutral colors to give a brighter appearance which makes spaces seem larger than they really are. Make sure to keep the house picked up and in order. Most buyers cross a place off their list when they go for a tour of the place and the living room is littered with dad’s beer cans. If you want to sell, keep your home tidy inside and out.

Competition for buyers is stiff right now in Austin; but by pricing your home right and making your home appear inviting and attractive, you will find a buyer.

Is Buying a Home in Austin a Good Idea?

2009-11-16T11:00:00.000-06:00

Our current economy reminds one of riding on a roller coaster; we have gone from credit rich to credit and cash poor almost overnight. The housing market is one of the sectors hardest hit by the recession. Financing in general is much harder to obtain and more specifically, mortgage lenders have made qualifying for loans nearly impossible. The result of all this is that selling a home is difficult because of the vast quantity of homes on the market competing for buyers. Generally this is a great situation for the buyer since prices are lower than normal for now. So, even though it seems like a good time to buy a home in Austin, is it really?

To be honest, the answer is totally dependent on the buyer’s situation. Is the buyer able to get affordable, realistic financing? Is the buyer really ready to own a home? Only the buyers are able to answer these types of questions. But as to whether they should buy a home in Austin, the answer to that is a resounding “YES”.

Austin is a great place to live and don’t just take our word for it. Austin has been named repeatedly to “best places” lists such as CNN Money (Austin was # 2 on the list of Best Places to Live, big city category), Kiplinger’s finance magazine (Austin placed #5 on the list of 50 Smart Places to Live) and the Entrepreneur website listed Austin as #1 on their list of Best Places to Buy a Home. In other words, not only do the residents love Austin but so do those who come to visit. These honors are but a few of those garnered by this popular city.

What makes Austin so attractive? Education is one factor that draws people to Austin. Austin is home to great colleges including the University of Texas and a public school system that promotes high quality education for all students. The live music scene is literally alive and well in Austin. Music festivals such as the fabulous “South by Southwest” and “ACL” are a part of Austin culture. The climate is warm and dry. It can be hot in the summer but the humidity is low unlike coastal Texas. In the spring Austin is ablaze with wildflowers in full bloom. Real estate prices are one of the feature most commonly referred as a reason for living in Austin. Compared to other cities, your dollar goes further in Austin. Austin is a city steeped in history but alive with a very real, fabulous future.

With so much supporting evidence to back your decision to buy a home in Austin, you won’t ever regret the choice.

City Council bans Texting while driving

2009-10-23T11:08:00.000-05:00

CITY OF AUSTIN

Council bans texting while driving
Some speakers say ban too broad; council delays effective date to January.

By Sarah Coppola
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Friday, October 23, 2009

The Austin City Council unanimously passed a ban Thursday on text messaging while driving, though a few speakers raised concerns that the ban is too broad and urged council members to spend more time refining it.
The ban was supposed to take effect Nov. 2; instead, it will take effect Jan. 1. Council Member Mike Martinez suggested the delay, saying it will give the public and city commissions more time to review and suggest tweaks to the ordinance. He also asked city staffers to use the time to conduct an educational campaign about the ban.
Drivers will still be able to text when their vehicle is stopped. The ordinance will prohibit writing, sending or viewing electronic messages on a cell phone, BlackBerry, iPhone or any wireless communication device while driving. Electronic messages include text messages, e-mails, posts on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, and "a command or request to access an Internet site."
The ordinance exempts placing a phone call, using a navigation system or a wireless device permanently installed in a vehicle and texting in emergency situations. It also exempts public safety personnel who use wireless devices while on duty. Drivers could still use a voice-activated mode on their wireless devices to send messages.
Violations will be Class C misdemeanors, which carry a fine of up to $500 and can be appealed in Municipal Court. The penalty could be increased if a driver is caught engaging in another dangerous driving behavior, such as speeding.
Chip Rosenthal, chairman of the city's community technology and telecommunications commission, asked council members before the vote to take more time to review and revise the ban.
"I think the language before you will have unintended and unanticipated consequences," he said. "The scope is so much wider than just a ban on texting."
He said the language could potentially ban actions that drivers can do safely, such as glancing down at an electronic note or using Pandora, an Internet radio service.
Debbie Russell of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union questioned why public safety employees would be exempt, saying texting while driving poses the same risks for them. She added that the ban could be tough to enforce and may lead to intrusive searches of wireless devices as police or prosecutors gather evidence against violators.
Council Members Laura Morrison and Bill Spelman suggested postponing the item two weeks to give city commissions more time to review it. Their motion failed and the council passed Martinez's proposal on the ban now but delayed the effective date to January.
Martinez noted that the ban has been in the works for two years, since he first proposed it during meetings of a public safety task force.
The ban, he said, "is not about enforcement or revenue generation. It's about safety and awareness."

scoppola@statesman.com; 912-2939

Foreclosed Homes in Austin, Texas

2009-10-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

Like the rest of the country, Austin foreclosures are at an all time high. Turn on the news and you are sure to hear at least some mention of the national housing market situation. Speculators say that the economy is rebounding, then the next news commentator disputes that claim. The media continually dredges up the subprime lender topic and beats it to death. Regardless of how the country got into this mess, the mess is here and people are losing their homes to foreclosure at never before seen rates.

Austin is a city located in Travis County, Texas and it is through the county that lists of foreclosures are made available. Many people see foreclosures as good investment properties; they eagerly anticipate each new list. While it is true that foreclosed homes often sell for under market value, potential buyers need to do their homework before buying a foreclosed home.

What is a foreclosure? Foreclosure is what happens to a home when the mortgage payments can no longer be met by the homeowner. In Travis County the procedure takes about 5 months from start to finish. During this time the homeowner is given the chance to try to obtain refinancing or some method to catch up and keep the payments current. Every day in Austin homeowners lose their homes because they are unable to pay the cost of their mortgage. If the lender and homeowner do not come to some sort of terms for a viable payment plan, the home starts into foreclosure and on its way to public real estate auction.

The first step in foreclosure is for the lender to file a Notice of Default against the homeowner of record, followed by a 90 day grace period to allow the owner to try to organize some sort of financing to allow them to keep the home. If no agreement has been reached with lender and homeowner, after the 90 days as official notification of real estate auction is made. Notice of Sale is posted for public view at least 20 days before the scheduled auction to get the word out and to interested parties. Austin lenders are not real estate companies, they sell mortgage loans. When they foreclose on a home the goal is to sell it quickly and get it off their books.

The county courthouse is the setting for foreclosure auctions and the highest bidder is the home’s new owner. Proceeds of the sale go to the foreclosing lender. Any proceeds over and above the mortgage value foreclosed go to any other lien holders, if any, and lastly, to the original borrower.

Tips for buying foreclosures: “Buyer beware”; foreclosed homes are sold as is. Buyers must have money in hand or pre-approved financing when bidding on a foreclosed home. At an Austin foreclosure auction the starting bid price will generally be the amount owed the lender plus any expenses the lender has incurred in the foreclosure process.

Sadly, foreclosures occur every day in Austin. As a buyer, you can find some great real estate bargains at foreclosure auctions. Do your homework and know the auction rules and maybe you will find a treasure.

Staging Your Home in Austin for Quick Sale

2009-09-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

With the home market in a mess, selling your home presents more of a challenge today than in the past seller’s market. If you are looking for a quick sell one of the best things you can do to help make your home stand out from the pack is to stage your home for sale. Staging your home simply means that your home is prepped and merchandised just like any product being put on the market. Sometime staging is referred to as fluffing, home prepping and on occasion, as home primping. A little market psychology mixed with some creativity and you will have a quicker sale at a higher price than homes that are not staged. If you have the time and energy, staging can be done by the home owner. However, for those who would rather not undertake the staging of their own home, in Austin you can easily find many resourceful staging services for hire.

Statistics show that the vast majority of home buyers expect to pay around $5,000 to make their newly acquired home suite their taste or needs. Statistics further show that most home buyers prefer to buy a home that is ready for move-in as opposed to buying a home they must renovate or fix up. Roughly translated, there two statistics reflect that buyers will pay more for a home they consider ideal; one that is ready to be lived in and does not require the expected expense to customize to their taste.

Currently the Austin real estate sales market is very competitive. There are hundreds of homes for sale and anything the owner can do to give his home a selling advantage is worth looking into. Doing your own staging can be a lot of labor since it involves such activities as cleaning, doing needed repairs, painting exterior and interior of home in fashionable, neutral colors and general tidying. If you have an eye for decoration, you can opt to do your own interior design or you can hire it done. Move furniture, tastefully display art and accessories and add all sorts of design touches to enhance your home. Your sales chances are markedly increased if your home is decorated to target your buyer market. If you are interior design challenged, hire a staging service to stage your home for you. The return on investment will be worth the fee.

To find a home staging service around Austin, go online. There are many real estate agencies that provide staging services as well as numerous professional home stagers to help you dress your home and transform it into a dream home.

Curb Appeal in Austin

2009-08-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

We hear all sorts of unfamiliar terms when we contact a real estate agent about selling our home. One of the most common comments a real estate agent can make after the initial review of your home is that you need to “increase your homes curb appeal”. Most likely you simply nod in agreement and make a mental note to figure out what that means later. For those still in the dark, cub appeal is very simply the view a person sees as they drive up to or past your home. Curb appeal is basically the first impression a potential buyer will get as they arrive to view your home. First impressions are extremely important so you want to make the best impression you possibly can.

Currently in Austin, as with everywhere else in the country, the housing market is suffering in the recession. If you decide to sell your home you must make yours stand out from the hundreds of other homes on the market. Increasing your homes curb appeal is one of the first things you need to do to increase your chances of selling your home.

There are many ways to go about increasing the curb appeal of your home. The best way to start is to take on the role of a potential buyer and view your home through their eye. Walk all around and through your home, inside and out. Make a list of those items that need attention, items that could dissuade a potential buyer. Be ruthless; remember you are looking at it as if you were the potential buyer not the current complacent owner.

Start working on your list by first attacking clean up and simple repair tasks first. Then move onto more difficult or time consuming projects such as making the yard more appealing. Do the simple things like washing windows and cleaning the rain gutters, put away the garden implements, eliminate weeds, mow the lawn, trim sidewalks, eliminate mildew and molds on the home, rake any debris or leaves from the yard and finally, trim any tree limbs that touch the roof of the home.

If the home needs paint either inside or out, you can save money by doing the job yourself. Use neutral tones to appeal to a broad base of buyers. Review the lighting in and outside the house to assure that all is in working order and that the home is well lit.

Sometimes it is not what you add to your home that increases the curb appeal but rather what you take away. If your home is overshadowed by overgrown bushes or trees, cut them back or remove them so that your home is showcased. Apply fresh mulch in the flower beds and make sure to always have the yard in tidy order.

In Austin as elsewhere, the trick to increasing curb appeal is to maximize your home’s best features and minimize its least desirable features. The next time a real estate suggests you need to enhance your home’s curb appeal you will be able to nod your head in agreement and not have to wonder any more.

First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Expiring December 1st!

2009-07-28T14:56:00.000-05:00

Are you a First Time Homebuyer or it has been awhile since you have owned a home? Well this is for you!

There’s good news for your first-time homebuyers. In an effort to stimulate the economy and help the housing market, the federal government has enacted new legislation providing a tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers.

Below are some of the key highlights of this program:

For first-time homebuyers only. Qualifying homebuyers have not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase.

Amount of tax credit. The credit equals 10 percent of the home’s purchase price, up to a maximum of $8,000, whichever is less.

Limited time only. The tax credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009, and before December 1, 2009.

No repayment required. Unlike the previous tax credit, this tax credit does not have to be repaid, but homebuyers must use the residence as a principal residence for at least three years or face recapture of the tax credit amount.

Tax credit is refundable. This means the homebuyer credit can be claimed even if the taxpayer has little or no federal income tax liability to offset. A refund check may be issued to the taxpayer for a portion or even all of the refundable tax credit (depending on the taxpayer’s tax liability).

Income restrictions. Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit. (Partial tax credits may be available for taxpayers with incomes over the above limits.)1

2008 tax returns. The tax credit can be claimed on 2008 federal income tax returns if the home was purchased on or after January 1, 2009.

Moving to Austin, Texas? Let Austin Real Estate Agencies Help!

2009-07-20T22:17:00.001-05:00

Are you planning a move to Austin, Texas? Would you like to know what to expect when you get there? Do you already have a job or will you be looking in Austin? Do you have school age children? What kinds of things are there to do? When you relocate there are so many questions running through your head that it is difficult to know where to start to find answers. One of the best ways to get answers about any city, its neighborhoods and way of life is to contact a real estate agent.

Diverse would be the perfect word to describe Austin, the state capital of Texas. Austin is a modern city brimming with history and culture. The neighborhoods in Austin vary like most cities; choose from fast paced urban condo living, family oriented areas with parks, cozy communities where you can walk your dog to the coffee shop and if an academic atmosphere is your desire, neighborhoods close to the UT campus. The wide assortment of neighborhood environments guarantees that everyone will find the perfect place to settle in.

Education in Austin is one of the primary factors behind the growth Austin currently enjoys. The State of Texas has put large sums of money into the Austin economy through school improvement projects and programs. There are 10 public school districts in Austin that provide a quality education for all Austin children. Public schools offer programs for the developmentally disabled as well as a very fine gifted student program. Austin is also home to one of the largest universities in the country, the University of Texas. Ask a real estate person to provide information about schools within the areas you are interested in. Real estate people are equipped with all the most current, complete information available and will happily provide it for you.

If you are looking for a city with plenty of activity, Austin is perfect for you. There is never a lack of things to do in Austin. After all, this is Texas and music, dancing and eating are staples of the life here. All sorts of music can be found playing on any given night of the week especially country and Hispanic. Professional and amateur sports are available for sports fans to take in. There are museums, comedy clubs, theatre, restaurants of all sorts, fine dining, some of the best barbeque on the planet, lakes, hiking and biking trails, parks and more. Seasonal dwellers, bats are considered a form of entertainment by residents and tourists alike. From March-September the Congress Avenue Bridge is home to almost 1 ½ million Mexican free tailed bats that come out nightly to feed on Austin’s insects.

Austin is enjoying constant growth thanks mainly to the technology sector. Job experts suggest that online is the best place to find jobs in the Austin area.

Austin is a great place to live; it has repeatedly been named on the list of “Best Places to Live”. If you are moving to Austin, give me a call or go to my website for more valuable information on Austin and surrounding communities at www.modernurbanrealty.com . I also have links to a relocation site where you can order your own Austin Relocation Guide for free.

Hello Downtown Austin Living!

2009-01-06T12:39:00.001-06:00

This is my first post on this blog and I am excited to be living in Downtown Austin! We moved our family back in September to the 360 Condos at 3rd and Nueces and we love it! After living for about 10 years in Lakeway and having our 2nd child in November of 2007, we decided downtown Austin was were we wanted to raise our kids. Our views from our 360 condo is awesome! We see everything from Lady Bird Lake, Frost Bank, Capital, UT Tower (which was lit up last night- Go Horns!), the hill country, Zilker Park and then Lady Bird Lake again on the other side. The culture, private school options and the town itself was the draw and we love it. Downtown Austin is a great place for families. We can walk to Whole Foods which is our favorite place to eat and shop for groceries, Austin Children’s Museum, Zilker Park, Lady Bird Lake, the Capital and so much more. We love the vibe around town and I highly recommend it to anyone. If you are thinking about it or always wanted to do it but just weren’t sure what it would be like for you or your kids, just ask me and I will be happy to share our ongoing adventure.

I am a licensed Real Estate Broker and if you want any information on any of the downtown Austin condos going in like the Austonian, Spring, Four Seasons, Block 21 or any of the already built condos like 360 (my favorite of course and there are still a few new ones left), Plaza Lofts, Austin City Lofts, 5 Fifty-Five Condos, etc. Also after living out on Lake Travis for almost 10 years, I have a vast knowledge of the lake areas and subdivisions so I can help if you are looking to make a move out of downtown and near Lake Travis. I can help determine the best fit for your austin home search criteria. And of course I work central Austin neighborhoods like Travis Heights, Bouldin Creek, Tarrytown, Rosedale, Allandale and many more. I have been selling real estate for almost 9 years so I have pretty much sold in every neighborhood or area around Austin! Happy New Year to everyone!