8214 Gallatin Drive, Austin
Investor, remodel or just live in it as-is. No HOA. 1980’s finishes. Ceramic tile flooring throughout main living areas. HV/AC (2009). Southwest Austin home located on neighborhood street, less than 2 miles to Oak Hill shopping including HEB and eateries. Less than 4 miles to Seton, AMD and NXP. Fenced backyard. Windmill Run neighborhood park features nature trail, picnic tables and playscapes. Continue reading
5809 West Gate BLVD #A Austin, TX 78745
South Austin 78745 single-story duplex-style condo in pocket community about 1 mile from West Gate shopping & eateries and Garrison Park. Features: Hollywood style bath & walk-in closet in master. Updates include: living area carpet (2015), laminate wood floors in dining area (2015), Hot water heater (2015), dishwasher (2015) Low E double pane windows in bedrooms (2015). Detached carport enclosed on 3-sides & offers extra storage. Parking space next to carport. Patio with fenced backyard. Continue reading
House for sale….Remodel. Invest. Enjoy as-is…plenty of options for this South Austin home with a 70’s vibe. Updates include: roof (2016), hot water heater (2013), HV/AC (2011), gutters & rainwater collector (2013) & disposal (2018). Continue reading
Recently Sold Home In Kyle
The summer home selling season is sizzling in Austin real estate news. Market activity set an all-time sales volume in May reaching $1.2 billion, according to the May 2017 Central Texas Housing Market Report released by the Austin Board of REALTORS®. By the numbers, May 2017 single-family housing market statistics in the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area showed 3,170 Single-family homes sold, which was 9% more than May 2016. The median price for single-family homes was $310,000, an 8% increase over May 2016. The average time on the market was 43 days homes, which was one day less than May 2016.
The key to this market for a buyer is flexibility in terms of location and a solid understanding of budget. Austin is weird and the beauty of that is having a wide variety of home styles to choose from, in a unique mix of neighborhoods.
With low inventory, Buyers are searching for a home in a larger area then they once were.The key to this Austin real estate market for sellers is also understanding that their home is also unique right now. In some neighborhoods, there may be only one house for sale in a particular price point. This creates a sellers’ market and an opportunity. The Austin housing market has buyers searching within a larger map area these days because of the lack of inventory and will keep looking elsewhere if the home does not show well.
Keeping the house clean and cool in the summer are two of the easiest ways to welcome a buyer, show pride of ownership, and now-a-days represent the neighborhood.
They say you are what you eat. What kind of home you purchase can say something about who you as well. Austin is known for being weird. The eclectic mix of art, music, and culture is as unique as the architecture, landscaping, and aesthetic designs of Austinites who call this city home. There is quite a buffet of home styles in Austin to choose from.
Homes for sale in Austin offer a unique blend of vintage and modern designs. In Austin, you can turn a corner and be in a different neighborhood with a completely different vibe. I’ve had clients in the past who refer to master-planned communities as ‘Disney World’, because all of the homes conform to the same aesthetic tone. Other neighborhoods in Austin look like something out of a storybook with bungalow-style homes and lemonade porches.
I have found, more often than not, that who you are as a person, has a lot to do with what type of home you pick as a homebuyer. Buyers who like antiques, and nostalgia tend to like colonial and bungalow-style homes. These buyers don’t care if the floors creek, have no finish and are original from the 1940’s. To them, the floors as real wood and they appreciate the history and authenticity they represent. These traditional buyers also like defined rooms. They like a formal dining room, separate from the kitchen and other rooms, because to them every room has a unique purpose and therefore should have its own identity.
Unlike traditional personalities, progressive buyers roll with the times. In my experience these buyers tend to be creative, artist types who don’t always look at a house for what it is… but rather what it could be. These buyers are deciding what walls they are knocking down and how to expand the kitchen. These are the dreamers who know very well they may never get to every project they envision, but see the potential and possibility.
Modern buyers are similar to creative types, but have a flare for drama. These buyers are drawn to open floor plans and like mid-century, contemporary and trend-setting designs. They feel boxed in with too many walls. They like vaulted ceilings with a uniform tone between living areas. To some people, these homes look like office buildings, but to modern home buyers, they are dramatic and unique – a work of art in their own right. For these buyers, a downtown condo may be a fine alternative to living in the suburbs.
The funny thing is that you typically don’t like what you grew up with. For example, I grew up in a mid-century modern single-story home, but my brother, sister and I have always lived in 2-story traditional homes. I find this to be the trend with most of my buyers. Maybe it’s the rebel in us or simply that we know deep down change is good.
Looking for a specific home style in Austin or surrounding cities in Central Texas? Ask me about creating a custom search today.
Zilker Park Christmas Tree
‘Tis the season for shopping, baking, cleaning and sitting in Austin traffic. With all of the things to find time for during the holidays, selling or buying a home in Austin, or anywhere, is often taken off the to-do list. There are benefits to selling and buying during the holiday season which can make the prospect of doing so a little merrier.
The holiday season is also the start of colder weather. In other parts of the country snow can really impact winter home sales. Fortunately, for the Austin real estate market, snow days are few and far between. Home buyers in Austin can generally shop year round though it may be hard to find the time during the holidays.
The holiday season holds benefits for home buyers. Less buyers mean less competition. There are typically less multiple offers this time of year which can drive up prices along with stress levels. There is often more flexibility with a standard 30-day closing turnaround this time of year as well. Both buyers and sellers have a lot going on besides the thought of moving. In addition, banks and title companies are closed for the holidays which decreases the amount of business days. For some, a shorter closing timeline may be appealing and for others adding 10 days to the timeline to get past the holidays or doing a lease back so nobody has to move right away works nicely. The goal this time of year is to make it work and it usually can.
Only the must-see homes on the hot list make the cut this time of year. There are fewer buyers this time of year and with little time, those coming out to see a house are serious shoppers. Sellers will get less traffic but those that come out want or need to buy — now.
Decorations set the stage by making a house feel like a home. A seller’s biggest challenge, in any given month, is keeping the home constantly clean. We tend to clean more this time of year anyway for visiting friends and family, so why not take advantage of the opportunity to show it.
There are many sellers that will take their house off the market between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I always encourage my sellers to keep their houses on the market. Serious buyers will miss a home if it is not for actively for sale, which is exactly the type of buyer they want.
Mother Nature offers two options in Central Texas – either extreme heat or extreme rain. Heat indexes got as high as 108 degrees in Austin before breaking a record for rain totals in August. Working with extreme weather can be a daunting task for a home buyer. Only those with an immediate need or searching for a lakefront property were stepping out to buy a home in Austin.
There is always a consistent desire to live close to Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake, but sales dropped along Lake Travis during the drought. Many homes that were once lakefront, were no longer as desirable without water present. Things have changed quite a bit. In fact, Lake Travis has reached full status for the second time this year.
The consistent water levels turned the lakefront property market around quite a bit this summer. Austin lake view homes for sale and lakefront properties in Austin, West Lake Hills and Lake Travis certainly saw saw an increase in sales activity.
With summer vacations winding down and everyone back into school – commuting times need some adjustment. The market may soften just a bit more as everyone takes a bit of a breather as we settle into our fall schedules.
Central Texas experienced a bit of a decline in July compared to July 2015. According to the July 2016 Central Texas Housing Report released by the Austin Board of REALTORS(R), 4,230 single-family homes were sold which was a 3.1% decline in July compared to July 2015.