May 2010

What will be the Carbon Footprint Impact of Formula One Racing in Austin?

May 31, 2010

You may have read the news that Austin has been selected as the location for Formula One Racing in the U.S. A brand new 3+ mile Formula One Racetrack will be built probably somewhere near the airport that will seat 100,000+ fans. I’m thrilled about F1 coming to Austin, but I have one simple question: [...]

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Is Rental Property Investing in Austin Still Profitable?

May 30, 2010

As someone who’s bought and sold a bunch of rentals, and helped other investors buy, sell and manage investment property in Austin for a number of years, I’m about to ask a question that might seem counter to my professional mission of being in service to real estate investors. Is rental property investing in Austin [...]

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Tax Credit Effect on Austin Real Estate Market

May 16, 2010

The $8,000 buyer tax credit ended April 30, 2010. Take a look at the following graph to see the effect the tax credit had on buyer activity in Austin TX.  This shows Pending activity for Austin MLS listings going back to Jan 2005 through April 2010. The green line is 2010. The previous years of [...]

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Travis County Property Tax Protest Season is Here Again

May 5, 2010

I just received my property tax appraisals from Travis Country Appraisal District (TCAD)  and Williamson County Appraisal District (WCAD) for 2010. Doesn’t look like I’ll need to protest any property values this year. Some properties are borderline high, but not worth the time and effort to dispute because a) they are close enough, within a [...]

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With Buyer Tax Credit Over, What’s Next for Austin Real Estate

May 2, 2010

With the April 30th expiration of the home buyer tax credit, it’s time for buyers, Austin sellers and Austin Realtors to figure out what happens next. Austin Sellers who didn’t get offers might wonder, “are the buyers all gone now?” Austin Buyers who didn’t get their act together and claim the tax credit might wonder, [...]

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