Swimming Pool Tips when Buying or Selling a Home

Austin Homes for sale with pools l swimming pool tips l Buying homes with poolsSwimming 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

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

January Home Sales Rise as Inventory Continues to Decline

The law of supply and demand continues to ring true in central Texas, as the greater Austin area prices are still on the rise.  The first Central Texas Housing Market Report of the year shows steady gains in both home sales and prices across the five-county Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), according to the Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR).

Austin – Round Rock Real Estate Market Statistics for January 2020

In the Austin-Round Rock MSA, residential home sales in January rose 8.5% to 1,947 home sales, with a 9.6% sales dollar volume increase to $726,157,216. During the same period, new listings decreased 14.3% to 2,723 listings, and active listings decreased 24.1% to 4,889 listings. However, pending sales jumped 13.1% to 2,956 pending sales. Monthly housing inventory declined 0.6 months year over year to 1.6 months of inventory. Continue reading

New Year – New Home

As we ring in 2020, many buyers have a new house on their list of new year’s wishes. Historically, December 28th and New Year’s Day are two of the busiest days of the year for real estate searches. One of the benefits of looking at homes this time of year, is with school out of session – it’s much easier to get around town. Continue reading

Real Estate News for December 2019

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For data lovers out there, here are some numbers to know whether you are moving to Austin or within Austin. The Central Texas real estate market is headed for record-breaking sales this year. November home sales throughout the five-county Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) pushed the year-to-date total to 30,561 sales, which is approximately 300 homes shy of last year’s total sales volume.

From the Austin Board of Realtors – Each county experienced a double-digit increase in home sales; the city of Austin slightly rose 4.5% to 670 sales, according to the Austin Board of REALTORS® latest Central Texas Housing Market Report. Continue reading

Real Estate News for November 2019

Before we get into the news, I wanted to take a moment to say I’m thankful for you! Support Local Austin will be hitting 14 years soon, and that would not have happened without your loyalty. I am thankful for your business, friendship, referrals and support over the years. I have helped some families through 3 generations which is an amazing blessing and connection to have.

I wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Now onto the news….. Continue reading