AUSTIN, Texas— Moving to Austin? As the summer real estate market season comes to a close, the Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR) latest Central Texas Housing Market Report indicates the Austin-area housing market continues to exhibit strength, despite economic setbacks amid the ongoing pandemic. The Austin-Round Rock MSA posted robust gains this August, as home sales experienced a double-digit increase of 12.9% year over year to 4,019 sales. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Buying a home
Sold 8704 Samuel Bishop Drive Austin Texas 78736 in Covered Bridge
Recently sold this two-story majestic home located in the Covered Bridge neighborhood. Located at 8704 Samuel Bishop Drive in Austin Texas, the two-story home featured a four-sided masonry exterior with covered backyard patio area. The hillside location provides the perfect opportunity for sunset views overlooking the Texas Hill Country landscape. 8704 Samuel Bishop Drive is a five bedroom home with the main bedroom location on the first level. The home also boast a first floor office which offers the perfect work-from-home convenience homeowners are seeking today. The secondary bedrooms upstairs offer additional lifestyle flexibility for either secondary living space or a media room. In addiiton, to a plethora of closet space throughout the home, there are dual walk-in-attics which perform as two additional large walk-in closets. Continue reading
The Austin Housing Market Continues to Rise
AUSTIN, Texas—According to the latest Central Texas Housing Market Report released by the Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR), the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) continues to exhibit resiliency in the face of COVID-19. The MSA posted its second consecutive month of strong home sales numbers with a 21.5% increase in July sales year over year. The robust increase demonstrates the vital role real estate will play as the region begins its economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Austin Home Sales Rise in Median Prices, Units and Dollars across MSA
In addition to the 21.5% jump to 4,537 home sales across the five-county MSA, the median price increased 10.7% to $353,000 and sales dollar volume also soared 36.7% to $2,037,152,035. Pending sales climbed 32.2% to 4,607 as new listings increased 13% to 4,767, while active listings dropped 32.4% to 5,309 due to demand. Continue reading
Swimming Pool Tips when Buying or Selling a Home
Swimming pools are an instant source of entertainment, relaxation, and exercise. They provide a backyard retreat, a tranquil view, and a luxury marker some buyers dream about having. For those real estate 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 often be a hindrance more than a help when selling. Not everyone wants a pool. I would say 70% of people do not. 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. Continue reading
Keeping Cool During the Home Buying Process
Austin Texas is hot and I’m not just talking about the temperature. According to the May Central Texas Housing Report, we’ve got less than 2 months of residential real estate inventory overall, which is certainly keeping everyone on their toes. Temperature-wise, if buyers have flexibility in their schedule, it is often best to go early in the day. Cooler temps keep spirits high and make the process more enjoyable for all. Continue reading
A Buyer’s Guide to Purchasing a Home While Sheltering in Place
People who want to stay safe and shelter in place, but also want to buy a home, may be a bit confused about what their next steps should be. That’s great news because there is so much you should be doing and can be doing – from home. I tell buyers all of the time that looking at homes in person, is really the only fun part of the home buying process. Some people might disagree, but really if you consider the steps – you will probably agree. Some people stress about spending money. Not everyone enjoys a new time-consuming task to fit into an already filled day. I have also yet to meet someone who enjoys filling out paperwork.
There is paperwork aplenty. Back in the day, we printed everything and I used to include myself as one of those tree killers. Nowadays, so much of what I do is online, there is no guilt anymore. My buyers can buy a home completely paperless if they choose, but the paperwork still exists, now as online forms, and there is plenty of it. There are many forms that are required to be filled out in order to buy a home. All of that can take place on-line. All of it takes time. All of it can be done from the comfort of your own couch. Continue reading
Buying a Home amid COVID-19
I hope you and your families are in good health and good spirits as we collectively fight COVID-19. I have already connected with some of you and will continue to do so. Please reach out to me as well if you want to talk about real estate, are on the lookout for a supply you can’t find, looking for a new show to stream or are just bored and want someone different to talk to. Working from home can be very isolating, trust me I get it. I can certainly provide some tricks and tips to help you schedule your day a bit.
Austin Homes Sales are Strong
The Austin real estate market is strong, and that includes all of Central Texas. Yes, we have changed some business practices, but new homes are still coming on the market daily, houses are still being shown (with some precautions) and sold. Closings still happening virtually, with limited attendance and even taking place outside. Continue reading