Pool Season

Posted on by

PoolSwimming pools: the instant source for entertainment, relaxation and exercise. They provide a backyard retreat and a tranquil view that is a luxury marker some buyers dream about having. For those buyers who want a pool, houses with them are much easier to sell. Forget the condition of the house– that oasis in the backyard, especially on a hot day kind of sells itself, doesn’t it?

Pools can be more of a hindrance than a help. Not everyone wants a pool. In fact, I would say 70% of people don’t. Pools cost money and time to maintain. In addition, there are safety concerns for people with small children and pets. They can also take up a lot of yard space.

Swimming Pool Tips for both Buyers and Sellers

Swimming Pool Owners
•Maintain and update your pool. Nobody wants to buy a money pit (literally).
•If you can afford switch to saline — do it, it is a selling feature.
•If you own in a subdivision where most homes have a private pool…buyers will be comparing your ‘pool’ appeal.
•Make sure the pool area looks clean, maintained and inviting.

Buying a Home with a pool
•A general inspector will not inspect a pool, but many pool companies do. Have a pool inspection – they can be costly to fix.
•If you want to know how much it costs to maintain a pool including what you will spend on chemicals, electric and water — the answer is — you don’t want a pool! They can be costly, and if you are already watching your budget — a pool is going to blow it.
•Remember, pools limit your potential number of buyers, so they can take longer to sell when the time comes.

As someone who grew up having a pool, I understand the appeal of having one from a lifestyle perspective. My experience is that they are great for moments in time. You will spend more time staring at a pool during your ownership, then you will spend in it. If you have a pool, don’t let it become another 4-letter word make sure it shines because it can make or break a sale.

Pools in Austin

Austin Texas has a variety of options for people who want to enjoy a pool, but don’t want to maintain one. Many planned single family home communities in Austin have pools that are included with HOA fees or may require a nominal additional fee. Condominium communities in Austin often have a private pool as well for residents. An automated home search can be customized to only include properties with community with pools.

There are many public pools in Austin as well. There are 27 neighborhood pools and 6 municipal pools in total. The most well known pool is Barton Springs, located in Zilker Park. Centrally located in the neighborhood of Barton Hills, Barton Springs Pool is spring fed, just over 900 feet long and maintains a consistent temperature of 68 degrees year round.

Curb Appeal

Posted on by

Mather RoadIt’s Showtime! That’s what I tell sellers when we go live with their Austin real estate on the Austin Multiple Listing Service, Realtor.com, Austinhomesearch.com and about 100 more websites.  Showtime for one of my Austin listings generally includes a sign in the yard with a text rider for color pictures and data.  Before the marketing begins, the outside work need to be finished because the exterior of the house will set the stage for what’s inside.

A showing starts at the street

Listing appointments are more than just about the paperwork, market data and pricing.  I tour the home with a buyer’s eyes pointing out things along the way that have often been there for so long the owner doesn’t even see them anymore.  My suggestions start from the street, not inside the house.  I tell sellers all of the time that I want the house to look ‘light, bright and happy.’ I want people to feel good when they visit one of my listings from the moment they pull up to the house.  Whether a potential buyer is just driving home from work or a buyer’s agent is showing a property, the goal is to get the buyer to come inside because they want to see more.

Add curb appeal to your Austin home

Here are some tips to get your home show ready or maybe just a little happier:

  • Replace dead plants with flowers
  • Store garage and recycling containers on the side of the house or in the garage.  Not only does this increase curb appeal, it also aids in parking in front of the house.
  • Put the garden hose away when not in use.  Buyers don’t want to be walking over it to get to the front door.
  • Paint your mail box and door knocker (if rusting) with some metallic paint.
  • Replace the door mat.
  • Hose off the front of the house (you can power wash but just be prepared to paint)
  • Clean the gutters
  • Rake and sweep dead leaves

Added Steps Austin Buyers Appreciate

Want to go the extra mile?  Most home buyers would like to have a green thumb, but not everyone does.  Buyers do appreciate and see the appeal when home owners go the extra mile and plant drought resistant plants.  With water restrictions already in place throughout most of Central Texas, using native plants and grasses that are heat and drought tolerant shows a buyer that the owner was thinking ahead.  Buyers will know they won’t be replanting plants in a year or won’t need to water excessively.

Curb appeal can make all of the difference in getting a buyer inside a house and getting it sold.

The Wizard of Oz

Posted on by

wizardWhen I bought my first house in 1993 and had a lot of questions to answer.  No, they weren’t to my parents or even my friends, they were written to the underwriter who was processing my loan.  One of the questions was what I spent $1,000 on because they saw the funds withdrawn from my bank and wanted an explanation.  I played the guilt card and told them it was for my wedding dress, when in reality it was for a vacation.

The world we live in today is very similar to that period of time.  Yes, it is certainly easier for people to get loans than say 2 years ago, but lenders are cautious and are analyzing quite a bit to make certain people can actually afford what they are trying to buy.

There is a lot of dialogue when a buyer initially purchases a home between a seller’s agent, a buyer’s agent and loan officer.  A seller’s agent looks at the pre-qualification letter to see if the lender has completed certain steps to make certain the buyer is viable.  The buyer’s agent initially has a buyer talk to a lender and get pre-qualified before even shopping for a home to ensure they can afford it.  The loan officer reviews credit scores, the debt to income ratio, loan programs and funds to find a product that meets their criteria and is affordable.

After all is said and done with the buyer under contract, the wonderful wizard takes over.  This is the final stretch to the finish line.  I refer to underwriter as the Wizard of Oz because it paints a picture people can relate to.  It is the underwriter who blesses the file before closing to make sure all of the loan conditions have been met.  The underwriter doesn’t always know everything.  The underwriter simply opens a file, reviews it and may ask lots of questions along the way.  The process can be extremely frustrating for a buyer as it may seem repetitive and even invasive.

Remember that a buyer who requires a loan is buying a house with the underwriter’s blessing. Appease the wizard and go with the flow, keeping in mind you are almost at the finish line.

Just Sold in Barton Hills

Posted on by

1304 Robert E LeeJust sold, 1304 Robert E Lee Road in Barton Hills offers nearly 3,000 square feet of living space in this 2-story duplex.  Side A has 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and a loft space, with the master located on the main floor.  Side B features 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths with the master on the second floor.  Each side of the duplex has it’s own private outdoor yard space, a wood burning fireplace, separate utility closets and carport space.

1304 Robert E Lee Road, Austin, TX 78704

1304 Robert E lee Road was an attractive investment property due to it’s hot 78704 location.  The zip code 78704 in Austin is the home of Zilker Park, Barton Springs Restaurant Row, South Congress Avenue in the SoCo District, the Town Lake Hike & Bike Trail, Lady Bird Lake, the SoLa District on South Lamar and the SoFi District on South First.

Barton Hills, Austin 78704

1304 Robert E Lee Road is very close to Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Park and the Umlauf Sculpture Garden.  This Luxury location is convenient when Austin’s local festivals like the Zilker Park Kite Festival, SXSW and the Austin City Limits Music Festival are taking place.

1101 Blue Fox Drive, Austin TX 78753

Posted on by

1101 Blue Fox Drive, Austin TX1101 Blue Fox Drive is located in the North-East subdivision of Harris Ridge.  Built in 1993, this single story home has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and a 2-car garage.  Highlights include a wood burning fireplace in living room and large backyard deck with covered lattice adding nice outdoor living space.

For Sale 1101 Blue Fox Dr., Austin TX 78753

The floor plan for 1101 Blue Fox Drive has the master bedroom separate from the secondary bedrooms.  There is a 2-car attached garage and a dining area that could be used for added living space.

Pride of Ownership shows through the extensive amount of updates throughout 1101 Blue Fox Drive which include: Roof, HV/AC, HWH (2010), Silestone kitchen counter with sink, ceramic and glass block tile (2011), Garage Door (2005), Backyard Fence (2009), Most of interior freshly painted, Energy Efficient Appliances (2007), Gutters (2006), In-ground Sprinklers (2006), Pergo flooring in main living areas (2005), Stained deck and new lattice (2013).

1101 Blue Fox Drive, Austin TX 78753 is located in the Pflugerville School District.  There is a neighborhood pool, park, sports court and field for soccer and other games.  Harris Ridge residents participate in a bi-annual neighborhood garage sale and an annual neighborhood party at the park.

The Harris Ridge subdivision is located near the well-known Tech-Ridge area of Austin.

Buying in a Seller’s Market

Posted on by

Like a G6What am I seeing lately in the Austin real estate market?  A whole lot of craziness!  There are days right now that I feel more like a fire fighter and less like a Realtor.  The Austin real estate market is favoring sellers right now.

Austin Real Estate Market Activity

Inventory is low for tenants, so lease prices have been on the rise.  Higher leases and low interest rates have created an environment where a monthly mortgage payment is cheaper than rent.  This dynamic has added more buyers to the market and  many of them for the first time, where before owning a home was only a dream.  In addition, investment purchases are on the rise as well.  Higher leases and low interest rates are making it easier to positive cash flow than in the past, making purchases attractive to investors.

When there is less than 3 months of inventory available, it is known to be a seller’s market.  Neutral markets are defined as having 4 to 6 months of inventory.  Buyer’s markets have greater than 6 months of inventory.

Austin Homes for Sale

We are miles away from a buyer’s market right now.  With so little inventory buyers need to be creative when purchasing a home in this market.  Buyers need to see a house within 24 hours after it comes on the market if it looks good.  Some buyers are submitting an offer before they even see the property.  They will submit an offer early because hours can go by while waiting for a response, which gives them time to see it.  If the house looks promising and a buyer has been in the market long enough to know what is out there – it is not unusual for a buyer to offer even a little more than list.  Money is cheap to borrow right now.  It’s about $50 a month for every $10,000 you borrow.

Don’t wait for someone else to buy your home and make an offer based on what it’s worth to you.

Search for Homes

Posted on by

searchThe more criteria I use to find a home, the lower the number of search results. However, I do have to use some data when searching like a zip code or MLS area. The Austin MLS system will only allow 100 results for any given property search. It is rare that I do not have enough criteria to narrow the search to less than 100. After all, everyone typically has some criteria whether it’s a neighborhood, school district and of course: price point.

Currently with the inventory so low, I’m lucky to come up with 40 properties to start at best.

For those who really want to narrow the field down further, I can get very specific in terms of how I search for a property. Understand, I may be lucky to find one property with too many search criteria, but the flexibility in how I search is available for those looking for something very specific.

Search for Homes in Austin

Here is a list of some unique criteria I can use when searching for a property:

♣Elementary School ♣Master bedroom located on the first floor ♣Number of stairs to enter a house ♣Fireplace ♣No HOA ♣Year built ♣Garage Space ♣Pool ♣Duplex, triplex or fourplex ♣Building materials (i.e. all sides masonry) ♣Media Room ♣Modified for wheel chair ♣Single Family Home in Condominium Regime (i.e. garden home) ♣Area amenities (i.e. club house, jogging path, lake privileges ♣Flooring ♣Type of utilities ♣City view ♣No backyard grass

There are too many criteria to list. The intent is to offer some idea of how detailed a search can be.  One thing to note is that not all agents add as much detail as they can to a listing. If an agent does not add to the view field that a property has a view of downtown Austin, for example, the system is not going to pull a home if the criteria include only city view properties. There are fields that, as Realtors, we have to fill when entering a listing, while others are voluntary.