Category Archives: Home Selling

Livestrong Austin Marathon

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All eyes were on Austin this weekend as 20,000 runners from all over the world came to participate in the 20th anniversary of the Livestrong Austin Marathon. The event is one of the largest in the country and pacers were available to qualify for the Boston Marathon which is set at 3 hours and 30 minutes. It’s a wonderful event and reminder of the health conscious city we live in.
The 26.2 mile course included historic and scenic areas of Austin like Congress Avenue, Hyde Park and the UT Campus.

Let’s take a look at the housing market along the route:

Austin Real Estate Market Data

Downtown
There are currently 3 houses and 100 condos for sale in downtown Austin. The houses range in price from $585,000 to $2.8 million. The active condos available for purchase range from $105,000 to $5.3 million.

University of Texas
In the UT area, buyers will currently find 20 houses and 120 condos actively on the market for purchase. The houses range from $230,000 to $1.35 million. Condos in the University of Texas area are currently listed between $79,900 and $459,000.

Central Austin
Central Austin (north and south of Lady Bird Lake), encompasses a few different market areas and is the largest covered in this article. There are currently 162 condos for sale in central Austin ranging from $44,500 to $1.1 million. There are 374 houses for sale ranging from $119,000 to $8.9 million.

The Butterfly Effect

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The Butterfly Effect is a term used in chaos theory to describe how a minor flutter of a butterfly’s wings can trigger a series of events.  I have seen the Butterfly Effect in real estate with both negative and positive results.

Distressed properties can drag the prices down of all resale and new homes in a community.  Foreclosures can and do, contribute to the pricing of new inventory as it becomes available in a community, because they are competing with aggressive prices.  Distressed properties elongate the impact to a community even after they have sold.  They can have a ripple effect as a community’s new inventory is priced against the distressed properties as sold comparables, so it takes longer for the community to bounce back.

A ripple causing change in a given market can be positive as well.  A few houses in the neighborhood get remodeled.  A commercial building fills with a coffee shop, wine bar and cupcake bakery.  The flutter of hip, trendy happenings brings a new a fresh new perspective, to a once settled area.  The neighborhood slowly starts turning and house prices go up as it is now a modern, progressive place to live.  This happened years ago in what is now the trendy 78704 zip code and is currently happening in East Austin. 

Both of these Butterfly Effects happen not only in neighborhoods, but condominium communities like The Island on Lake Travis as well.

By the Numbers

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How many homes are for sale in Austin, in a community near you?  What are the median list prices?  What are the current average days on the market?  Let’s explore some random subdivisions and condominium communities to look at some current market data.  Note these numbers are by specific subdivision name, not by area.  So there may be more homes available in the neighborhood’s area.  When buyers are looking in a general area, like Travis Heights or Tarrytown, I typically set up a map search.  Older neighborhoods are made up of many micro-subdivisions as the land was and is developed.  The list below will give you an overall idea of what to expect in terms of available inventory price points.

Jester Estate, Crestview, Onion Creek and more….

Jester Estate
Number of homes for sale                       12        
Median List Price                                   $440,750          
Average Active Days on the Market         120

Circle C Ranch
Number of homes for sale                       24                    
Median List Price                                   $316,500
Average Active Days on the Market         57

Parkside at Slaughter Creek
Number of homes for sale                       11
Median List Price                                   $207,900
Average Active Days on the Market         110

Crestview
Number of homes for sale                       16
Median List Price                                   $249,389
Average Active Days on the Market         141

Agave
Number of homes for sale                       6
Median List Price                                   $238,700
Average Active Days on the Market         129

Travis Heights
Number of homes for sale                       9
Median List Price                                   $599,000
Average Active Days on the Market         149

Western Oaks
Number of homes for sale                       25
Median List Price                                   $246,500
Average Active Days on the Market         98

Onion Creek
Number of homes for sale                       32
Median List Price                                   $308,000
Average Active Days on the Market         145

360 Condominiums
Number of homes for sale                       17
Median List Price                                   $339,900
Average Active Days on the Market         117

Spring Condominiums
Number of homes for sale                       3
Median List Price                                   $403,000
Average Active Days on the Market         70

Call First: Go!

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When going on a listing appointment, one of the things I discuss with my Sellers are showing instructions. Showing instructions are entered into the listing database, so that agents understand what they need to do to gain access to a house. Instructions can include anything from the need to make an appointment with the listing agent, to simply showing up.

Most Sellers think that Buyers plan ahead to see homes, so they always think they are going to have time to prepare for a showing. More often then not, that is simply not true. Buyers do plan ahead to buy a home. They talk to me about where they want to live and what they are looking for in a home. Buyers often make an appointment with me in advance to view homes, but often don’t know what they want to see until the last minute. Everyone always wants to see what new inventory might come up, so some homes are scheduled ahead of time, but others are often chosen at the last minute, which may alter the overall itinerary and change appointment times.

Convenience is Key

Understand, Buyers’ schedules are often not as flexible as you might think. I often have clients that will have a babysitter watch the children, so they can view some homes with me for a few hours. Other times, buyers are only in town for a day or two and need to see as many homes as possible in a small window of time.

Sellers can’t sell what Buyers can’t see, so flexibility is key to getting a house sold. The easier it is to show, the more Buyers will have the opportunity to see the home. When I am on a listing appointment, we talk about how to we are going to manage the dogs, and how the morning routine might change. Beds need to be made, sinks need to be cleaned and laundry needs to be put away. This way, if a call comes in as the day progresses, no one panics. With Buyers you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

The happy medium that seems to work best with my clients is Call First, then Go as a showing instruction. It gives my clients a head up that someone is coming, but offers the flexibility agents often need to show it.

Austin Neighborhood Spotlights

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What’s going on in a neighborhood near you? I have selected some random neighborhoods in Austin and cities surrounding it, to provide some current real estate market data. If there is an area or neighborhood you would like me to spotlight – just let me know.

Overall, the Austin market is going strong into 2011 strong. Neighborhoods averaging 3 months or less are considered to be seller’s markets, because there is a demand to live in them. Neighborhoods averaging 4 to 6 months are considered neutral markets. Six months or more time on the market is considered to be buyer’s markets. The exceptions to this rule: luxury properties over $800,000, simply due to less buyers and new homes under construction where the houses are actively marketed before or during building.

Austin Homes for Sale

Hyde Park (Central Austin)
Number of Active Homes on the Market: 10
Average Days on Market: 124
Median Home Price: $ 323,500

Jester Estates (Northwest Austin)
Number of Active Homes on the Market: 8
Average Days on Market: 127
Median Home Price: $ 423,700

Rob Roy (West Austin)
Number of Active Homes on the Market: 11
Average Days on Market: 202
Median Home Price: $ 1,250,000

Onion Creek (South Austin)
Number of Active Homes on the Market: 30
Average Days on Market: 142
Median Home Price: $ 310,950

Plum Creek (Kyle)
Number of Active Homes on the Market: 24
Average Days on Market: 71
Median Home Price: $ 143,825

Doreen’s Favorite Things

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Don’t get too excited here.  Try and control yourself, we don’t have medics standing by. I’m not Oprah, so I don’t have anything to offer you for free, except advice.  When it comes to real estate though, I do have a list of favorite things.  These are products that I have found over time that work well in regard to cleaning, staging and prepping a home for sale.  Not all of them are pricey; in fact you may already have a few of them.  I mention many of them in my listing presentations as I walk around a home to see what seller’s might need to do, to show their home in its best light. Here is a list my favorite things and why they made the list.  They are in no particular order.

Drumroll please………………………..

Glade Vanilla Scented Plug-Ins

The Vanilla and Lilac scent is ok too.  They give a nice warm undertone to a home.  Seller’s have a tendency to make a home smell too fragrant.  Buyers just want a home to smell clean, floral scents are often over powering.

Dyson Vacuum Cleaners

I am not going to get model specific, because I don’t think it matters.  I have pets and have a tendency to kill my vacuum cleaner every 2 – 3 years.  The Dyson picks up pet hair others leave behind.  It is great for picking up after the kids as well.

Candles

Candles are a great staging tool, because they work in every room of your home.  Try putting 3 together on a shelf, a dresser or centerpiece on a table.  They give a home a warm feeling even when they are not lit.

Area Rugs

Buy a couple to help divide a large room up, and give smaller areas more definition.

Shoe Boxes

How many of you have a closet with empty show boxes?  Shoe boxes are a great way to store items you don’t necessarily want potential buyers to see when viewing your home.

Bamboo

Bamboo lives a long time, just in water.  It’s a great plant to add to a room even if you don’t have a green thumb.  Try putting 3 stalks together in a clear vase with pebbles or glass beads.

Duvet Covers

Let’s face it, comforters can be pricey.  Duvet covers are a great way to use the same comforter when you change the décor of a room.  Or, if you need a new comforter you can save money and buy any pattern you want, because no one will see it with a duvet.

Kaboom

I use Kaboom on everything including my carpet.  I advise you test an area before trying this.

Books

Books are another great staging tool that works in every room of a home.

IKEA

IKEA is a great store if you are looking to re-do a room, add extra storage or if you simply want to finish a room with items like bookshelves.

 

Buyer Turn-Ons

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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.