Category Archives: Home Selling

Buyer Turn-Ons

Posted on by

Buyers typically find a house to view for sale, from going to an open house or making an appointment with me to see one.  No matter how a Buyer comes to view a home, the Seller knows ahead time that a Buyer is going to be touring their home with possibly little notice.  I explain to my Sellers that once we actively market their house – it’s Showtime!  Your audience can arrive any minute, so your house always has to be in show ready condition. After all, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

So what turns Buyers on when they see a home?  Like anything else in life – it’s the little things that really get their attention.

Top 10 Buyer Turn-ons

1-     a clean house with freshly vacuumed carpet

2-     an edged lawn

3-     live plants in outdoor and indoor pots

4-     an organized pantry

5-     clothing and linen closets in color order

6-     a set dining room table

7-     clutter free kitchen counters (it makes them look bigger)

8-     a quiet house

9-     a pleasant scent

10-  set beds

Some of these sound silly – I know.  Yes, many of them have absolutely nothing to do with the house itself.  Like I mentioned earlier, it’s the little things that Buyer’s read into. Buyers develop an over all impression of the condition of the house based on the attention to detail Sellers pay to the little things.

Downtown Condo Market

Posted on by

Some are old, some are bold, others are modest and brand new – there is an Austin downtown condo available to suit everyone looking to live an urban greener lifestyle.  Let’s take a peak at the inventory and how well it’s doing…..

Downtown Condos by the Numbers

Based on current 90 day data, there have been 171 condominiums that are available for actively available for purchase, have an accepted offer and are pending, or have closed in downtown, Austin. 

Downtown Condominium Inventory breakdown:

  •          107 units are Active
  •            34 units are Pending
  •            30 units have Sold

    • The median time on the market for a downtown Austin condo is 94 days.

    Downtown Condos by Price and Size

    Active units currently range in price from $109,900 to just over $5 million.  The median list price is currently $325,000.  Downtown condominiums currently available for purchase range in size from 494 square feet (per tax record) to 7,113(per agent).  The median size of a unit available for purchase is currently 1,219 square feet with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. 

    Just as there are many factors that make up the market price of a house, there are many things that factor into the price of a condo.  Building amenities, floor height, views, and interior finishes all factor into the price of a condo.  You have heard the saying in real estate “location, location, location”, and condominiums are no different.  The locations of the buildings within downtown, and the location of the unit within the building, are also factors that will ultimately affect the list price.

    Remember:  Buyers are not just purchasing a unit in a hi-rise, they are buying convenience.  Is Near Town Lake? the Warehouse District? the office?  Convenience is defined by the Buyer.

    It’s $3,000 carpet – not a $3 lipstick

    Posted on by

    Home Colors vs. Personal Colors

    Pantone has announced its color for 2011.  It’s Honeysuckle and you will see it everywhere. Here in Austin, I have seen great color schemes in homes, and of course, I have seen some poor choices.   Home color choices are not like clothing and makeup. With personal color choices you are working with individual skin tone.   Different colors and hues will complement your natural beauty.  Different colors enhance different people.  Personal color choices are also very temporary.

    House colors are different, because they tend to be more universal in appeal.   If you are selling your home, the color scheme needs to appeal to the masses.   House colors affect our inner senses.   When done right, they inspire and relax.   When done wrong, they can enhance stress levels or depress you.   Choosing a color can be a long term commitment and investment, so neutral colors span the test of time.

    Color your Home Happy

    So, what are the rules for coloring your home?   The #1 rule is the simplest to follow – pick your palette from nature.   Green is a very soothing color to the eye.  It is relaxing.   That’s why actors are placed in ‘green rooms’, before they take the stage on a talk show.   A soft yellow is another great color to incorporate into a home. It is bright and cheerful.  Follow an Autumnal color palette, which appeals to all.  Think of browns and greens with touches of gold, yellow and red.

    Buyers want a Blank Canvas


    Can you use a bold color in your home? Sure, but use it sparingly.  It is often best to test a color, with a bedspread, pillows or even artwork.  See if you can ‘live’ with it, before committing to it with a slightly more permanent fixture.  Understand if you do plan to go with the honeysuckle carpet, be prepared to change it to a more neutral color before selling your home.  It will be hard for most buyers to see past the color and many will not want the task of re-carpeting after the purchase.  Bold color choices not only affect time on the market, but may affect your sales price as well.

    Austin Market by Zip Code

    Posted on by

    Some people know Austin areas by name; others know them by zip code.  Looking at market data by zip code gives you an overall snapshot of how an area is performing.  Understand there are a variety of factors within a zip code that will affect how different subdivisions and neighborhoods perform.  Some subdivisions are near the lake, while others are near a major roadway.  Factors like walk ability and proximity to a park or a school, can affect market performance within a particular zip code.

    Taking a look at market data by zip code does give us a good overview of how different areas of Austin are performing.  It also helps us capture all of the data in a particular area.  Certain locations like Travis Heights and Tarrytown are comprised of dozens of micro-subdivisions.  So, looking at market data by zip code gives us a snapshot of overall performance.

    Be mindful that price will affect the size of the buyer pool for a particular market.  A higher priced market area naturally has less buyers who can afford the homes there.  The result means longer time on the market.

    Austin by the Numbers

    78759 (North West: includes Great Hills)
    Number of Active homes on the market:            98
    Number of Sold homes in the past 90 days:       73                   
    Median Current Listing Price:                           $345,975

    78746 (West Lake Hills Area)
    Number of Active homes on the market:            158
    Number of Sold homes in the past 90 days:       56       
    Median Current Listing Price:                            $1,172,000

    78703 (Central:  includes Tarrytown, Pemberton)
    Number of Active homes on the market:            126
    Number of Sold homes in the past 90 days:       43                   
    Median Current Listing Price:                           $599,450

    78757 (Central:  includes Crestview)
    Number of Active homes on the market:            90
    Number of Sold homes in the past 90 days:       51                   
    Median Current Listing Price:                            $247,250

    78702 (East: includes just east of Downtown)
    Number of Active homes on the market:            107
    Number of Sold homes in the past 90 days:       22                   
    Median Current Listing Price:                           $209,900

    78749 (South:  includes Circle C Ranch and Western Oaks)
    Number of Active homes on the market:            99
    Number of Sold homes in the past 90 days:       74                   
    Median Current Listing Price:                          $234,975

    I support local Austin; after all, I think it’s only neighborly.

    Doreen Zelma
    REALTOR, GRI
    E: [email protected]
    W: www.SupportLocalAustin.com
    T: 512-761-0567

    Tis the Season

    Posted on by

    I had lunch with a former client last week, who asked me if my business slows down this time of year.  The truth is my business just changes.  It doesn’t really slow down, because I don’t really slow down.  The one thing I tend to do a little less of between Thanksgiving and Christmas is open houses.  Buyers who don’t have agents tend to go to open houses.  When you are looking for a house on your own, you tend to have other things to do on the weekends during the holiday season, especially if you are not really focused on what you want, or what you can afford.  Buyers who have agents, have the luxury of having someone else help them, which saves time, so serious people are still out there buying.  At the end of the day, Buyers still need and want to buy, and Sellers still need and want to sell.

    I love listing homes this time of year for a couple of reasons.  The first, is because people tend to have company this time of year, so they are naturally organizing and cleaning.  Selling your home is not always a great motivator for cleaning it, so knowing Grandma Jean is coming to count the cobwebs tends to naturally motivate homeowners.
     
    Do you know what the biggest day of the year to start looking for a house is?  It’s December 26th — the day after Christmas.  That’s my second reason I like listing homes this time of year, because we are ready for December 26th.  We have all of the marketing in place and the house is clean and organized.  So, as I would say:  It’s ShowTime!

    Love Thy Neighbor

    Posted on by

    The number one reason why sellers do not want to have an open house is because they don’t want neighbors to come.  Yes, sometimes the neighbors you love, like or could live without, will transition into ‘nosey’ neighbor status when its time to sell your home.  All of their curiosities about what color you painted the living room, or what room that window looks out from, can all be answered at an open house.   While I do appreciate and respect a seller’s desire for privacy, let me point out the benefit of neighbors visiting the open house.

    There is no greater billboard for the positive features of your neighborhood,  than your neighbor.  Your neighbors have the inside scoop on what it’s really like to live in your community.  They know how long it takes to commute to a variety of areas, about local hot spots, even what corner the bus picks the kids up for school. 
    The best part about neighbors coming is that they generally like the seller’s house better than their own.  Either the storage is better, or the floorplan in the kitchen makes more sense, what ever the reason — it’s always positive and they are always eager to share their opinions with potential buyers.
    There is no greater testimonial for a potential buyer, then hearing how happy neighbors love their community.  So, love thy neighbor.  They are your greatest cheerleaders. Remember, they have relatives, co-workers and friends and have the potential to bring you a great buyer.

    Austin Market Spotlights

    Posted on by

    I have selected some random subdivisions, zip codes in Austin and cities surrounding it, to provide some current real estate market data.  If there is an area or neighborhood you would like spotlighted -please let me know.

    Overall, the Austin market is strong.  Areas averaging 3 months or less are considered to be seller’s markets.  Four to six months are considered neutral markets.  Six months or more time on the market is considered to be buyer’s markets.  The exceptions to this are:   luxury properties over $800,000, because there are less buyers and new construction where the projects are actively marketed before or during building.

    Austin Condominiums

    78704 Condos

    Number of Active Condos on the Market:  113

    Average Days on Market:  138

    (new construction projects make the average days high)

    Median Home Price:  $ 275,000

    Downtown Condos

    Number of Active Condos on the Market:  151

    Average Days on Market:  127

    Median Home Price:  $ 349,500

    Austin Single Family Homes

    Circle C Ranch

    Number of Active Homes on the Market:  33

    Average Days on Market:  67

    Median Home Price:  $ 314,900

    Travis Heights

    Number of Active Homes on the Market:  15

    Average Days on Market:  115

    Median Home Price:   $ 499,000

    City of West Lake Hills

    Number of Active Houses on the Market:  29

    Average Days on Market:  136

    Median Home Price:    $1,220,000

    Shady Hollow

    Number of Active Houses on the Market:  26

    Average Days on Market:  108

    Median Home Price:    $284,450

    Cat Mountain

    Number of Active Houses on the Market:  21

    Average Days on Market:  134

    Median Home Price:    $520,000

    Barton Creek West

    Number of Active Houses on the Market:  8

    Average Days on Market:  58

    Median Home Price:    $562,363