Category: Featured

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Tips For Home Care In The New Year!

Tips For Home Care In The New Year! 

Welcome to 2019! A year most of us almost 40 somethings never really pictured happening. Alas, we are here so let’s make the most of this opportunity.  

Tips for looking for a new place to rent: 

If you are thinking about finding a new place to rent, here are some tips to get started. 

  • Identify your budget 
    • Have you had some good years and looking for an upgrade? Either way, 30% of your income is always a good metric in terms of affordability in housing. 
  • Identify the part of town 
    • As you already know, Austin has a bit of a traffic problem. Where someone lives is often dictated by where they work. Start your search with where you work and venture out from there.  
  • What type of housing do you want to live in? 
    • House with a yard? Condo with a pool? Duplex close to your favorite burger joint? Apartment with a gym? Everyone has different needs and wants. Figure out what is important to you. 
  • When do you want to make a move? 
    • If you are currently renting a place, it is time to pull out the lease and take a look. Determine when the lease ends and how much notice you need to give. Most leases nowadays require a 60-day notice. This gives us plenty of time to find a new place. 
    • If you own your home and no longer want the responsibility of homeownership, we need to put a plan together to sell your home. Likely, it will be 60 to 90 days from start to finish. 
  • Reach out to me 
    • I can help you through the entire process.  Give me a call, text or email and I will help you execute a plan.  

Tips for purchasing a new home: 

If you have been kicking around the idea of buying a new home this year, here is how you should prepare: 

  • How Much Can You Afford? 
    • This is best done by reaching out to a mortgage lender to determine a price range that is affordable for you.
  • What type of home are you looking to purchase? 
    • House, Condo, Duplex, etc. What best suits you and how you want to live? 
  • Where do you want to live? 
    • Don’t for get to take into account that our little traffic issue here in Austin often dictates where to start your search. It is easy to get stuck in a terrible commute if you don’t account for that early. 
  • Do you need access to good schools? 
  • What else is important to you or a must have criteria?   
  • Once you have thought about some of these questions, it is time to call, text, or email me.  

Tips For Home Maintenance To Start The Year 

  • When was the last time you changed your air filters? 
    • If you can’t remember, it is time to change them. If you can remember, it is also probably time to change them.  
  • It’s cold right now. Check your windows for leakage and make necessary improvements. 
    • Often it is as simple as caulking around the outside of the window. Amazon sells a cheap and awesome thermometer tool identify leakage. 
  • Do a lap around the house and make sure no dirt/soil has piled up above the foundation. A quick and easy way for termites to start eating away your home is through ground contact of your wood and bricks. The remedy is simple, just pull back all the dirt and re-route any chances for water to get above your foundation.  
  • Check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. 
    • These alarms are vital for your safety. If you haven’t changed them lately or ever, it may be time.  
  • Refrigerator lint 
    • When was the last time you looked under your refrigerator? Was it never? Grab your vacuum and put that brush attachment that has never been used. Pop off the bottom of your fridge and vacuum all the lint and debris. Remember those travel magnets you lost? Remove those. 
  • Leaf Clean Up 
    • By now, most trees that will drop their leaves or have already done so. Take some time to clean those up from around your house and gutters. You will thank yourself come Spring when everything is in bloom. 
  • Door knobs and locks 
    • Over time, your door knobs and locks will start to jiggle and move. Grab a Phillips head screwdriver and walk around the house tightening all the knobs and locks. This will prevent long term door wear and tear damage from loose knobs.  
  • Dust Clean Up 
    • By now, you have cleaned up your Christmas tree but have you vacuumed behind your TV stand? Take some time to move all of the furniture and sweep or vacuum under it. You will be surprised by how much collects back there.  
  • Water Heater Flush 
    • Central Texas has hard water. This often builds up in the water heater. Turn off the electricity and water to the water heater. Grab the hose and attached it to the bottom. Run the hose outside and put it into a bucket. Then open the drain valve and run into the bucket until the water becomes clear.  
  • Clean Faucet Screens 
    • Unscrew the screens on all your faucets and clean them out. You will often be surprised by how your water pressure returns.  
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Property Tax Appraisals Are Out. What Can You Do?

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 and your property taxes will continue to go up.

– Informal Protest – There are two types of protests. Information and Formal. Most taxing districts offer an online informal protest. You can also request an in-person informal process. This is an easy way to try to get a reduction. You fill out an online form, provide your evidence and argument, and wait for a decision. If you like that decision, you can accept the new value. If you do not, you can file a formal protest.

– Formal Protest – if you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can request a formal hearing. In a formal hearing, it will be you, a county representative and three board members.

– Hire Someone – There are lots of tax protest companies out there. Most work for a percentage of reduction.

How Can We Help?

– Get Your Facts Straight

You may protest the value on your property in the following situations:

  • the value the appraisal district placed on your property is too high;
  • your property is unequally appraised;
  • the appraisal district denied a special appraisal, such as open-space land, or incorrectly denied your exemption application;
  • the appraisal district failed to provide you with required notices; or
  • other matters prescribed by Tax Code Section 41.41(a).

– Ask Us For Evidence

If you feel like your property value is too high, you will need to support your argument with evidence. Contact me today at Jacob@TexasDreamRealtors.com. I can pull comparables for your home and discuss what my opinion of value on your home may be. We can often find alike home sales that will support a lower valuation than the county.

 You Can Do It!

The process to protest your taxes is actually fairly simple. It may seem like a lot of unknowns but we are confident you can do it.

 

 

More Information:

https://www.traviscad.org/eservices/

https://www.traviscad.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/96-295_Property-Taxpayer-Remedies.pdf

https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/video/homeowner-protest/presentation_html5.html

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Carbon Monoxide Detectors Required in the City of Austin Starting April 1st.

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 they go off in the middle of the night.
  • Mount detectors on the wall at least a couple feet below your ceiling or even lower. Carbon monoxide often won’t rise all the way up to the ceiling (like smoke does) until the concentration of the gas is at a critically dangerous level. Additionally, some carbon monoxide detectors have digital readouts – mount those kinds of detectors at eye level so you can read them. If you have pets or curious children, you’ll need to find somewhere the detector won’t be bothered.
  • The detecting mechanisms in carbon monoxide detectors need to stay at stable temperatures and humidities to work properly. Keep them out of direct sunlight and away from fixtures that generate heat (appliances, lights, radiators, etc.) and out of overly humid areas (bathrooms, laundry rooms, etc.). Keep in mind air flow, too: Don’t mount carbon monoxide detectors by windows that are often opened or in dead air spaces.
  • Don’t cover the detectors. Keep them mounted out in the open and away from curtains, furniture or shelves that could potentially block them or interfere with normal air flow to the sensors.
  • If your house has an attached garage, make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector mounted inside the house within 10 feet of the door to the garage. A running car could very easily elevate levels of carbon monoxide in the home.
  • Make your carbon monoxide detectors easy to test. Put them in areas where you can easily reach the detectors and check them every six months or so and get in the habit of replacing them when the manufacturer recommends it (most carbon monoxide detectors are good for about five years or so).

 

 

Be Safe!

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Commuting between San Antonio and Austin

Commuting between san antonio and austinCommuting 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  and is smooth all the way to downtown Austin, then it takes another 45 minutes  to get through downtown.  That is without calculating accidents, gas, and car maintenance.

If you are planning to spend a significant amount of time in either city, we recommend buying a home in New Braunfels, San Marcos, Kyle, or Buda.  These are charming cities that rest in between San Antonio and Austin.  They offer abundant amenities and are only a 30-45 minute commute to San Antonio and Austin.  These cities are known for their parks and recreation, live music, festivals, tubing down the clear rivers or sailing across the deep, blue lakes.  In addition, there is plenty of affordable housing, master-planned communities, and great schools.

Commuting between San Antonio and Austin would be a lot easier and less stressful if you lived in any of these great cities.  Texas Dream Realtors has agents that are experienced in all of these bordering cities, as well as, San Antonio and Austin.  Please contact us if you are considering moving to Central Texas and we would be delighted to provide you with more information.

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Are we heading toward an era of small brokerages in San Antonio?

are we heading toward an era of small brokeragesAre we heading toward an era of small brokerages in San Antonio?  Just recently the 2014 Swanepoel TRENDS Report noted that there is a trend moving away from the small mom and pop real estate brokerages and more agents are working for the large real estate firms across the country.  However, the New York Times posted an article on “The Ascent of the Little Guys” stating that the credibility of the smaller firms are growing in popularity due to the attention to agent training, customer service, and low agent-to-manager ratios.

While large real estate brokerages with thousands of agents still dominate the market, I can’t help but wonder whether the clout of the smaller firms is a question buyers and sellers should consider when choosing a real estate agent.  As consumers decide between a highly visible company with lots of agents and resources, they should also consider the idea of a smaller firm that caters to a niche market and to the client’s needs.  For example, downtown living, condo specialists, luxury lifestyles, etc.  In addition, smaller brokerages in San Antonio are more creative and nimble.  They can be more responsive and customer service oriented in a changing market.

“One of the main things that any small business — whether an independent bookstore, a corner toy store or a neighborhood hardware store — would have customers believe is that service is better and personal attention greater at a little firm. Whether that is true in real estate depends — because the company name may be ubiquitous, but the client’s relationship is usually with a single person.” –HILARY STOUT, New York Times

The owners of Texas Dream REALTORS do not hire any agent looking for a place to hang their license.  We have a small professional team that services our clients for sales, staging, photography, contract to close, listing management, marketing, quality control, make ready services, and technology.  We know that you are busy, work hard, fight traffic, and have a life.  Therefore, we come to you and proudly have a paperless company that makes our agents accessible and your transaction smooth and successful.

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Buyers Are Liars. Fact or Fiction?

buyers are liars

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 out the door, they’re gone. Buyers are liars.”

Another scenario I hear about from more seasoned salespeople is that they have a pre-determined notion that the buyer is not telling them the truth.  “If the buyer says they want an open floor plan on a cul-de-sac, with a view, don’t believe it.  Buyers are liars.  One of those might be true, but the others they’ll compromise on.”

In my opinion, buyers mix their “must haves” with their “wish list” and it takes a true professional salesperson to determine what they can compromise on and what they cannot.  Many times buyers don’t know what they really want, they just saw it somewher and think they have to have it.

Salespeople hold a lot of power by virtue of expertise and this can be intimidating during the sales process.  Buyers need to feel like they are making an educated decision without being sold to.  Therefore, many buyers attempt to control the situation by limiting what they disclose to the salesperson.  They want to avoid getting screwed over, so they resort to what feels low-risk.

Buyers are liars.  However, usually it is the salesperson’s fault.  Taking the time to get to know the buyer’s lifestyle, personality, and how they make decisions is imperative to closing the sale.  Texas Dream REALTORS are trained to get to the point of mutual admission so that each party feels they are bringing something to the table in an effort to reach a common goal…homeownership.

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What does a ‘Good Deal’ mean exactly?

What does a 'good deal' mean exactly

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, but wanted to add golden and copper highlights for winter.  He said, “Okay.  What color is golden to you?”  I showed him a picture of a celebrity’s hair in a magazine that I thought would look nice and he said, “Honey, that’s not golden, that’s light brown with honey-colored highlights.”   I digress…

As I sat there with my head wrapped in foil, I couldn’t help but wonder how many times I was not clear on what was most important to my client’s needs when they said they wanted a good deal.

What does a good deal mean exactly?  Does it mean you want to buy a home for less money than it’s worth?  Does it mean you want more upgrades?  Does it mean you want more closing costs or a lower interest rate?  Or does it mean you want a colonial, not a ranch style house?  Would a good deal mean closing in two months versus two weeks because the kids will be on spring break?  I could go on and on.

Since my salon experience, I am determined to dissect and investigate what a good deal means to each of my clients.  If I were to ask you what a good deal means to you when buying or selling your home, could you answer me?  Is your idea of a good deal different from your spouses?  Because what is golden to me, could be light brown with honey-colored highlights to you.

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Tax and Home Records Checklist: What to Keep and For How Long

By: Dona DeZube

Want to rest assured you have all the documents you need when you need them, but not be awash in paper? Read on.

Unless you’re living in the 123-room Spelling Manor, you probably don’t have space to store massive amounts of tax and insurance paperwork, warranties, and repair receipts related to your home. But you’ll definitely want your paperwork at hand if you have to prove you deserved a tax deduction, file an insurance claim, or figure out if your busted oven is still under warranty.

Except for tax paperwork, there’s no official guideline governing exactly how long you have to keep most home-related documents. Lucky for you, we considered the situations in which you might need documents and came up with a handy “How Long to Keep It” home records checklist.

First, a little background on IRS rules, which informed some of our charts:

  • The IRS says you should keep tax returns and the paperwork supporting them for at least three years after you file the return — the amount of time the IRS has to audit you. So that’s how long we advise in our charts.
  • Check with your state about state income tax, though. Some make you keep tax records a really long time: In Ohio, it’s 10 years.
  • The IRS can also ask for records up to six years after a filing if they suspect someone failed to report 25% or more of his gross income. And the agency never closes the door on an audit if it suspects fraud. Just sayin’.
HOME SALE RECORDS
Document How Long to Keep It
Home sale closing documents, including HUD-1 settlement sheet As long as you own the property + 3 years
Deed to the house As long as you own the property
Builder’s warranty or service contract for new home Until the warranty period ends
Community/condo association covenants, codes, restrictions (CC&Rs) As long as you own the property
Receipts for capital improvements As long as you own the property + 3 years
Section 1031 (like-kind exchange) sale records for both your old and new properties, including HUD-1 settlement sheet As long as you own the property + 3 years
Mortgage payoff statements (certificate of satisfaction or lien release) Forever, just in case a lender says, “Hey, you still owe money.”

Why you need these docs: You use home sale closing documents, receipts for capital improvements, and like-kind exchange records to calculate and document your profit (gain) when you sell your home. Your deed and mortgage payoff statements prove you own your home and have paid off your mortgage, respectively. Your builder’s warranty or contract is important if you file a claim. And sooner or later you’ll need to check the CC&R rules in your condo or community association.

ANNUAL TAX DEDUCTIONS
Document How Long to Keep It
Property tax payment (tax bill + canceled check or bank statement showing check was cashed) 3 years after the due date of the return showing the deduction
Year-end mortgage statements 3 years after the due date of the return showing the deduction
PMI payment (monthly bills + canceled check or bank statements showing check was cashed) 3 years after the due date of the return showing the deduction
Residential energy tax credit* receipts 3 years after the due date of the return on which the credit is claimed (including carryforwards**)

Why you need these docs: To document you’re eligible for a deduction or tax credit.

*Energy tax credits for alternative energy sources; credit expires at the end of 2016.

**Tax credits that you carry forward from one year to a future year, such as when you don’t have enough tax liability to offset the entire amount of the credit. (You can’t deduct more than you earn.) Only certain tax credits can be carried forward. Check with your tax pro about your particular circumstances.

INSURANCE AND WARRANTIES
Document How Long to Keep It
Home repair receipts Until warranty expires
Inventory of household possessions Forever (Remember to make updates.)
Homeowners insurance policies Until you receive the next year’s policy
Service contracts and warranties As long as you have the item being warrantied

Why you need these docs: To file a claim or see what your policy or warranty covers.

INVESTMENT (LANDLORD) REAL ESTATE DEDUCTIONS
Document How Long to Keep It
Appraisal or valuation used to calculate depreciation As long as you own the property + 3 years
Receipts for capital expenses, such as an addition or improvements As long as you own the property + 3 years
Receipts for repairs and other expenses 3 years after the due date of the return showing the deduction
Landlord’s insurance payment receipt (canceled check or bank statement showing check was cashed) 3 years after the due date showing the deduction
Landlord’s insurance policy Until you receive the next year’s policy
Partnership or LLC agreements for real estate investments As long as the partnership or LLC exists + 7 years
Landlord insurance receipts (canceled check or bank statement showing check was cashed) 3 years after you deduct the expense

Why you need these docs: For the most part, to prove your eligibility to deduct the expense. You’ll also need receipts for capital expenditures to calculate your gain or loss when you sell the property. Landlord’s insurance and partnership agreements are important references.

MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS
Document How Long to Keep It
Wills and property trusts Until updated
Date-of-death home value record for inherited home, and any rules for heirs’ use of home As long as you own the home + 3 years
Original owners’ purchase documents (sales contract, deed) for home given to you as a gift As long as you own the home + 3 year
Divorce decree with home sale clause As long as you or spouse owns the home + 3 years
Employment records for live-in help (W-2s, W-4s, pay and benefits statements) 4 years after you make (or owe) payroll tax payments

Why you need these docs: Most are needed to calculate capital gains when you sell. Employment records help prove deductions.

Organizing Your Home Records

Because paper, such as receipts, fades with time and takes up space, consider scanning and storing your documents on a flash drive, an external hard drive, or a cloud-based remote server. Even better, save your documents to at least two of these places.

Digital copies are OK with the IRS as long as they’re identical to the originals and contain all the accurate information that was in the original receipts. You must be able to produce a hard copy if the IRS asks for one.

Tip: Tax season and year’s end are good times to purge files and toss what you no longer need; that’s often when the spirit of organization moves us.

When you do finally toss out your home-related paperwork, use a shredder. Throwing away intact documents with personal financial information puts you at risk for identity theft.

This article provides general information about tax laws and consequences, but isn’t intended to be relied upon as tax or legal advice applicable to particular transactions or circumstances. Consult a tax professional for such advice.

Read more: http://members.houselogic.com/articles/how-long-to-keep-tax-records/preview/#ixzz3KkmcUInj

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What Makes Your Home Hard to Show

What makes your home hard to sellSellers, 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 sell it.

No-no #2)  Combo lock boxes.  I hate combo lock boxes.  If a home has a combo lock box, it tells me several things.  One, the seller’s agent is not member of MLS or was too cheap to buy a real lock box.  Two, combo lock boxes are a royal pain in the you-know-what to get into.  And three, combo lock boxes get rusty and hard to get into over time.

No-no #3)  Smells.  Most buyers can get past messiness or some clutter.  No buyers can get past smells.  With cigarette and animal smells being the most obvious,  even good smells can be bad.  You could have the best floor plan in the neighborhood, but smells will make your home hard to show.  Get rid of the wall plug-ins and for goodness sake please no Febreze!

No-no #4)  Tell a story.  Why did you buy your home in the first place?  What is it about your home that you love so much?  Be sure to highlight those areas.  Buyers can’t see your awesome game room if there is laundry all over the pool table or can’t walk into the “walk-in closet”.

No-no#5)  Overall condition.  If your home needs many updates and a lot of TLC and has several large projects that are obviously waiting to be completed, there is a very good chance that your home will be hard to show, and ultimately sell.  Projects equal money and you could cost yourself more money off the sale price than the projects are worth.

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Are you really a home buyer or are you just a contender?

 are you really a home buyer 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 the following criteria:

  1.  Stop looking for homes on bad websites.  Zillow, Trulia, and the 60+ alike are NOT ACURATE sources of information.  In fact, 14% of current Austin single family homes are not listed on these syndicated websites.  In addition, approximately 36% have outdated and/or incorrect information.  If you are a serious buyer, then you would not reduce your search to these tire-kicking websites.
  2. Get your finances in place.  I’m not talking about a pre-qualification letter.  I mean find a mortgage lender that will help you get comfortable with what your monthly payment is and prepare you to close on a home within 30 days from contract.  If you are a serious buyer, you would know exactly what your maximum price range is.
  3. Find a good Realtor®.  Most buyers don’t realize that there are real estate agents and there are Realtors®.  There is a difference.  Real estate agents are not members of their local and national associations, often do not have access to the Multiple Listing System, and most importantly, do not abide by the National Association of Realtors® Code of Ethics.  You are investing in one of the largest purchases in your lifetime.  A serious buyer invests in a Realtor® who is going to look after their best interests.
  4. Be prepared to make an offer on the first day of viewing homes.  The word on the street is correct.  Inventory of available homes in Austin have dropped right along with the weather. The homes your Realtor® is showing you are what are available within your criteria.  Currently, there is only 2.5 months of available homes for sale and homes stay on the market for an average of only 48 days.  A serious buyer is ready, willing, and able to take a home off the market.
  5. Increase your chances in a multiple offer situation.  Believe that other buyers want the same house you want.  This is not the time to low-ball.  This type of seller’s market changes the way you make offers on a home.  If you are a contender, you make an offer on a home and wait for the counter offer.  If you are a serious buyer, you compete for a home with your offer.  This includes whatever is left of short sales and foreclosures.

At Texas Dream REALTORS® we qualify our clients according to these criteria before beginning the buying process.  Why?  Because we are in the business to help our clients buy and sell their home.  We know what is involved in the buying process and set the right expectations up front.  This ensures that our clients get the home they want and the transaction goes as smoothly and our clients are happy.

“I recently purchased my home in Austin, TX through Kelea Piper at Texas Dream Realtors. I was a first time home buyer and very unsure of what to expect. I had the most amazing experience with Kelea and TDR! Everything about the process was smooth and seamless- from the beginning of the showing/selection experience to the full closing process. I always felt that Kelea had my best interests in mind and went above and beyond. Kelea is extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and professional every step of the way. I had a TON of questions since it was my first home and she made me feel very comfortable and fully educated. I highly recommend Kelea and Texas Dream Realtors to anyone looking for a top quality home buying experience. Whether it is your first home or your 5th, Kelea fully delivers on expectations plus rises above them consistently! Thank you for helping me find my dream home in Austin!”

Christina Onori, Austin Tx