Category Archives: Listings

Austin is Growing Up and Growing Out

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construction picAustin is experiencing growing pains. It is hard to turn a corner right now and not experience a construction zone, road closure or at best, a wall of traffic. Texas overall has had a net gain in new residents for several years now and within it, Austin is one of the top cities showing the fastest growth.

Austin by the Numbers

Reports show that the number for increased residents in Austin for 2014 nets at 110 per day. The growth for Austin started surging years ago, but the infrastructure never had a chance to keep pace and is now playing catch up. As residents, we have experienced this in commuting times and all the way down to line for groceries.

With all of this change in the air, Austinites are forced to face a new normal. Austin is literally growing up. Mixed-use office, hotels and apartments buildings are under construction or in the planning stages throughout Austin. Over 17,000 apartment units alone were under construction or planned as of April 2014.

Austin Real Estate Trending Now

One real estate market trend has been in the greater Austin area, which is very hot right now and where I am seeing most of the growth. Now buyers are looking and buying in Cedar Park, Georgetown and Leander because the core of Austin has become less affordable for many.

Another trend is in new construction. New communities are popping up or expanding. People are out with the old and in with the new.

The largest real estate trend I see in Austin is in market area searches. As the Austin area inventory is low, buyers are expanding their search area. It used to be that I had a search set up for someone just in one subdivision like Travis Heights. That buyer today, would be looking in the greater Central Austin area just to have the same selection of homes.

Fall trends as summer ends

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sunMother nature has been consistently reminding us that, although Fall is just around the corner, Summer is still very much here. Central Texas has had some of its hottest days in the last 2 weeks testing the limits of our sanity, sun screen and even our air conditioners.

Austin goes back to school

Although Austin real estate has not really slowed down, I expect the next two weeks to be a little slow as people transition back into their fall schedules. With summer vacations winding down, students settling back into school and commuting times needing some adjustment – the market may soften just a bit as everyone takes a bit of a breather.

Buying a home in Austin

What am I seeing out there? Investors are shopping in full force.  We had over 10 showings on the Hyde Park duplex listing in  and got it under contract in a week.  July was a crazy month for showings for buyers with small children who were eager to get their kids settled for school on time. August was spent trying to get everyone settled in time for Fall. Let’s see what September brings.

711 E 50th Street, Austin TX 78751

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711 E 50th Street

711 E 50th Street

Hyde Park duplex listing in Central Austin. It is conveniently located between The Triangle and Mueller, just 3 miles North of UT. The floor plan and location may appeal to owner occupant, mother-daughter or roommates.

Hyde Park Location

Both units feature hardwood floors, with separate utilities for gas and electric. Each unit has its own utility room washers and dryers. The property is set on a large lot and tree-lined street. Unit A is a 2 bedroom / 2 bath, unit B is a 1 bedroom 1 bath. The house was built in 1950. It is 1,789 square feet (appraiser).

  • Single Story
  • Space for multiple car parking
  • Storage sheds convey
  • Refrigerators, washers and dyers convey
  • List Price:  $415,000

Staging with a Thinking Chair

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Where do you put a dining room table or large TV?   The answers may seem obvious, but for potential real estate buyers – they often are not. In Austin’s current hot sellers market, owners are often moving on prior to selling their current home. Home owners  move first because of a job transfer or owners can afford to buy without having to sell. Buying another home often leads to moving furniture, which often leads to an empty home.

Vacant homes for sale can be harder to sell

When a house for sale is vacant it is often hard for a buyer to figure out how to place furniture. It becomes more of a mental stumbling block and less of a question than one might think. When a buyer cannot figure out where a table might go or if a couch will fit somewhere, it takes them from enjoying the space to now figuring out the space – which means they aren’t even looking at the house anymore. When agent feedback starts coming back that the floor plan is odd or where did the owner put a couch, staging is often needed. Renting furniture can be expensive and there are some strategies to that can be taken before going that route.

Staging Strategies

  • Have pictures taken before the move to give buyers a visual of what the home looked like furnished. Pictures can be very helpful in dining areas and flex space. Flex rooms often confuse buyers so knowing how a seller utilized the space can be very helpful.
  • Don’t move everything at once. Yes, it is more expensive to move twice, but the alternative of keeping your house on the market or renting furniture could cost you more.
  • Floor plans that show furniture, pool tables and even pianos can be produced to show a buyer options on how to configure a space.

The Power of the Thinking chair

Often the best part about staging has nothing has nothing to do with furniture placement at all. It is about the buyers feeling at home when they are looking at a house. Sometimes a buyer just wants to sit and take in the space to envision actually living there. When there is a table and chairs or a sofa to sit on, buyers feel like they can take a breather and just take it all in. Every house for sale needs to have a thinking chair. As a seller, you want the buyer to stay and feel at home. Staging can not only make a house look like home, but feel like home too.

For Sale 213 Camperdown Elm Drive, Austin Texas 78748: Open House Saturday 11-2

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213 Camperdown Elm FrontSingle story South Austin home for sale located at 213 Camperdown Elm Drive in the subdivision of Oak at Twin Creeks. Home offers direct access to neighboring Mary Moore Metropolitan Searight Park through the backyard. Features include masonry exterior, granite counter in kitchen, double ovens, island with breakfast bar and a wall of windows facing the backyard and greenbelt.

213 Camperdown Elm Drive was built in 2007 with 2,758 square feet of living space (per tax record).  The floor plan includes a formal dining and living room, family room, 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and 2-car garage.

213 Camperdown Elm Area Amenities

213 Camperdown Elm, Austin Texas 78748 neighbors Mary Moore Searight Park and is conveniently located in Southwest Austin near the popular Southpark Meadows shopping area. 213 Camperdown Elm Drive is not far from major roadways including 1626 and I-35.

213 Camperdown Elm Back213 Camperdown Elm Drive Open House Saturday May 10th 11:00am – 2:00pm

Directions: from I-35 take the Slaughter exit and continue on Slaughter to South 1st Street. Go left on South 1st and right on Camperdown Elm.

Home Improvements and Accessories

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360-2006_10_15_(5)_kitchen_viewThe difference between a house and a home is you.  The memories, the pictures, the furniture, even the paint color combine to create a unique blend that reflects your own personality and style.  Improvements and accessories personalize, improve and/or allow for added functionality that a home may not have had before.  Consider them enhancements when it is time to sell an Austin home because they add appeal whether it’s monetary or simply enhances the functionality of a room.

So what items convey with the property and what items move with you when selling your home?  There are often many assumptions made here by the seller but make no mistake, the opposite thought process is often made by the buyer.  When I have a listing appointment I try to go through items I see and review a contract since many of the items are noted.

Austin Homes for Sale

When buying an Austin home Improvements generally affixed to the dwelling or property are considered permanently installed and built-in so they convey with the sale as real property.  They include items like: shrubbery, plumbing, light fixtures, wall-to-wall carpeting, garage door openers, shutters, mounts and brackets for televisions and speakers.

Accessories include items like stoves, curtains and rods, blinds, draperies, artificial fireplace logs, above ground pools and pool equipment.

Sometimes there are items Sellers want to take typically because they have some sort of personal attachment to them.  Grandma’s chandelier is hanging in the dining room, there are bookcases in the living room or maybe you just really like the curtains.  If it is yours and you want to take it with you, the best thing to do is to remove the item before we list it.  Removing grandma’s chandelier and replacing it with another fixture is simple enough to do and avoids discussions or assumptions later on.

If there is something that is going to stay visible that a Buyer would expect is staying, the best thing to do is to post of little sign on it so that potential buyers know up front that the item is not conveying.  Later on when an offer arrives any improvements and accessories that will be retained by the Seller should be listed into the contract under the exclusions section.  This way it is crystal clear to both parties.

Buyers are Guests too

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happy familyBuyers come back for a second showing when they really like a house. If buyers don’t like a house the first time, they don’t come back. It’s important, for a seller, to make every showing count and not to let anyone in until they are 100% ready. It is often about the little things that make a good first impression. Replacing burnt light bulbs, lampshades, throw rugs, sweeping the walkway and cleaning the windows can give a house a mini face lift and really show pride of ownership. One of the benefits of selling a home this time of year is that many of those things happen anyway.

The Austin Home Buying Season is Year Round

Real estate does not slow down in Austin anymore during the winter months.  When selling a house any time of the year, you want to make it clean enough for company. This time of year getting a home ready to sell is easier since owners often have guests over, which adds some needed motivation to get a home spic and span. Making a buyer feel like a guest, will make them want to stay – which is exactly what you want them to do.