August 2005

What your real estate offer really buys you

August 29, 2005

Once your real estate offer in Austin TX has been accepted, have you just purchased a home? If you are a seller, and have just accepted a real estate offer, have you just sold your home? The answer to both questions is, not necessarily. Let me explain. Buying real estate in Texas is a two [...]

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Austin Home prices on the upswing

August 28, 2005

The article below, from this morning’s Austin American-Statesman, does a good job of articulating what I have been noticing as the Austin real estate market starts to awaken from the past 3 or 4 years slumber. The last two offers I wrote were multiple offer situations – 3 offers on one home and 4 on [...]

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Rental rates, occupancy to rise in local Austin rental market

August 24, 2005

Although the article below specifically references apartments, the single family and duplex rental markets generally run parallel to whatever is happening in the multi-family rental market in Austin. Rental prices in turn have an effect on home prices. In general, this is more good news for Austin real estate investors and sellers alike. Source: Austin [...]

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Another Real Estate Bubble Prediction

August 24, 2005

Robert J. Shiller is arguing that the housing craze is another bubble destined to end badly, just as every other real-estate boom on record has. Lately, most of the news I read, hear and see about the Austin economy and Austin real estate market is positive. I write about and quote this information here online [...]

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Responding to Lowball Real Estate Offers

August 20, 2005

Real Estate Agents disagree on the best negotiating strategy for responding to lowball offers. There are two general camps of thought. One philosophy says that the amount of an initial offer doesn’t matter, and that the seller should always respond to any offer with a counter-offer of the lowest ‘bottom dollar’ price she is willing [...]

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Austin-area home sales still robust

August 18, 2005

From today’s Austin Statesman, more good news for Austin sellers who have been waiting the past several years for the market to rebound. By Kate Miller Morton AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Thursday, August 18, 2005 Central Texas homes are selling in record numbers so far this year, and the buying boom shows no sign of waning. Sales [...]

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Austin Texas Homes Appreciate Modestly

August 16, 2005

Austin real estate prices are still not exactly on fire. But they are rising and inventory is shrinking while the number sales increase. This is a recipe for better appreciation, but as the report below outlines, Austin is still seeing modest real estate price gains relative to other parts of Texas and the U.S.

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No Signs of a Slowdown in Real Estate

August 16, 2005

Reported by Realtor.org NAR Chief Economist David Lereah expects U. S. home sales to hit another record high in 2005, with price gains slower, but still above historical norms. Mortgage rates will reach 6.1 percent by the end of the year and move to 6.5 percent by 2006, still an historical low. “Relative to inflation, [...]

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Wall Street Journal delivers scathing attack on Real Estate commissions.

August 15, 2005

A recent Wall Street Journal Editorial (entire text below) takes Realtors to task for what the WSJ claims is “a price-fixing scheme” made possible by bad politics and a protectionist Realtor industry. The article claims that commissions should be much lower than those that consumers currently pay in the US. Are consumers trapped in a [...]

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Always Have Your New Builder Home Inspected, Always!

August 11, 2005

This morning I met with the Buyer’s inspector and Builder’s rep at a new home being purchased by one of my out of state buyers. I strongly believe that it’s always a good idea to have your new builder home inspected before closing, and I would never let one of my buyers make the mistake [...]

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