From the monthly archives:

February 2007

Austin McMansion Ordinance May Be Undone by TX Leg

February 28, 2007

This article below is from the Austin Business Journal today. It’s a recurring scenario for Austin, where those who don’t like the local Austin laws or ordinances passed by Austin Lawmakers take their case to the State Legislature and push for laws that supersede or nullify local Austin laws. The Texas Legislature is forbidden by [...]

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What Price Constitutes a Luxury Home in Austin?

February 26, 2007

I was reading the news short posted below, regarding falling Luxury Home prices in California, and noting that the “average” prices of “Luxury Homes” in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego range between $2M and $3M (see article below)
What is considered a Luxury Home in Austin? $750,000 and above if you talk to agents [...]

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Why I Like Expensive Plumbers

February 23, 2007

When it comes to house repairs, nothing is more frustrating than a problem which can’t be remedied. One of our Buyers made a request for the Sellers to “have a licensed Plumber locate and cure leak at Master tub exterior wall as noted on inspection report”.
This was a leak that was showing up outside the [...]

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Austin Real Estate Sales Update – Jan 2007 Stats

February 22, 2007

The Average Sales Price for single family homes in Austin was up 4.8% from the year before, to $246,595. The number of homes sold sales was down 5.4% from January a year ago, probably due at least in part to freezing weather that shut the city down for several days, and otherwise cold weather in [...]

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The Joy of Hauling Junk to the South Austin Dump

February 19, 2007

I made 3 trips to the South Austin dump today, helping a dear friend clear junk in preparation for a move. It’s one of the obligations of being a truck owner – helping friends with no truck get things done which require a truck.
I have a confession to make. I have a charge account [...]

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Keller Williams Austin

February 18, 2007

Last week at the Keller Williams Family Reunion in Las Vegas the Austin Southwest Market Center was again named the Number One Real Estate office in the WORLD for Closed Units! That is for all real estate offices in the WORLD, not just Keller Williams!
Sylvia and I are proud to work out of the Southwest [...]

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Can Dobby the House Elf Sell Your Home?

February 16, 2007

Sylvia and I were on a small South Austin property tour yesterday with about 10 other Realtors. In one of the homes there was a prime example of the sort of thing that ought to be put away when trying to sell your home. As we entered the home, and looked into the study [...]

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Pushing Back Against Small But Annoying Junk Fees

February 10, 2007

I always review the settlement statement for our buyers and sellers to make sure everything looks correct before closing. There are often corrections that need to be made.
While reviewing the HUD1 (settlement statement) on a deal we closed today, I noticed a new junk fee I had not previously seen on the Buyer’s side. It [...]

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Austin Rental Market Update – Jan 2007

February 7, 2007

The Austin Rental market keeps chugging along, not burning up any records, but a slow march back toward the better rental rates Austin landlords once enjoyed. Below are the rental stats for January 2007. Since we’re at the start of the year, I’m not doing a Year-to-Day, as obviously that would just be January anyway, [...]

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Exurbs Hard Hit by Slowing Market

February 7, 2007

The article below supports what I preach constantly to buyers in Austin, notwithstanding our strong current market – stay out of the far-flung areas and instead buy the best home you can afford closer in. And from the article below, this instructive quote: “But speculative investors — rather than buyers who planned to occupy the [...]

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