That wonderful time of year is here. Spring has sprung, the weather is beautiful, and the local apprais al district has made up a new value for your home. If you feel like the value on your home is too high, you only have until May 15th, 2018 to file a Protest. Here Are Your Options – Nothing – You are certainly within your rights to do nothing at all. Your tax appraisal will continue to climb year after year…
The City of Austin recently passed an ordinance requiring Carbon Monoxide detectors in all Austin homes that have a gas or fuel-burning appliance in the house or has a connected garage. Read more about it here: https://www.abor.com/new-carbon-monoxide-ordinance-effective-april-1/ Some best practices from The Family Handyman. Make sure you have at least one carbon monoxide detector on each level of your home, including the basement. Locate carbon monoxide detectors near bedrooms – close enough so that they’ll wake you up if…
You will hear everywhere that the Austin’s market is hot. It is a Seller’s market. My Dad’s Uncle’s Neighbor’s Yard Guy’s Brother sold his junk of a house in two days and got a quarter-million over asking. Most of that might just be true. The Austin market is very busy. Cash is very much King and home can move quickly BUT. But, the house has to deliver. The exact floor plan of your home sold two weeks ago and they…
Whether relocating from in town or from out of state, buyers are often surprised to find out just how strong and competitive the San Antonio housing market is. Maybe it’s because they have been watching too many HGTV real estate rehab shows that they think there are a ton of great listings out there, or maybe it’s because of the frequency with which national news outlets have reported on weaker real estate markets from around the country. Whatever the case may be,…
Commuting between San Antonio and Austin is a common question from our clients. Can I live in Austin and work in San Antonio? How long would it take me to get to work each day? With the Texas Metro-plex exponentially growing each day, traffic and the I-35 corridor that connect San Antonio and Austin can prove to be daunting if you choose to commute from one city to the other. Leaving SA takes at least 40minutes. Once you get on I35 everything opens up …
Buyers are liars. Fact or fiction? In several sales professions, namely, car sales and real estate sales, you will hear sales people say that buyers are liars. Normally, you would never hear me compare these two professions, but figuring out what a buyer really wants is something we have in common. It is usually spoken by a resentful salesperson, as in, “Can you believe that guy? He told me he was going to show his wife, but, well, you know—once they walk…
Often times I meet people who tell me they just want to get a good deal when buying or selling their home. What does a ‘good deal’ mean exactly? For a long time, I figured my clients just wanted to walk away with more money in their pockets. However, after a recent trip to my hair salon, I realized that a good deal could mean different things to different people. I told my hair stylist I wanted to remain blonde,…
Sellers, here are some tips on what makes your home hard to show. If you want to sell your home quickly, avoid these What Makes Your Home Hard to Show no-n0’s: No-no #1) Restricted showing hours. Generally, buyers have a window of when they can go house shopping. If you have restricted hours or need a lot of advanced notice, your home may drop off the list. If a buyer’s agent cannot get access to your home, they cannot…
Are you really a home buyer or are you just a contender? How do you know if you are a really a buyer or just a contender in today’s Austin market? We get calls all the time of people wanting to see properties because they are “in the market to buy a home.” My first response is usually, “How do you know you are a buyer?” To be a true home buyer in the Austin market, you must meet…
What’s the big deal about popcorn ceilings? Most comments I hear are: “They’re dated.” “They are hard to paint over.” “They are dust catchers.” “They are just plain ugly.” Are popcorn ceilings a deal breaker to you? Don’t let popcorn ceilings be a deal breaker in your next home search. Instead of breaking the bank to try to remove popcorn ceilings, or crossing it off your list, here are a few ways to lessen their visual appearance. #1. Change…