austin condos: Downtown Austin – Urban Living - 08/10/08 10:12 PM
One of the more recent developments in the Austin real estate market are the multitude of loft condominiums springing up smack-right in the middle of downtown. This new push towards urban living reflects an interest in a pedestrian-oriented community, optimal for those who work in Austin's business center, but also attractive to others who appreciate an abundance of amenities offered within walking distance. Downtown Austin has much to offer Austin residents, whether they work, live, or visit this area which truly represents the cultural heartbeat of the city.
Austin's downtown is bursting with shops, cafes, galleries and nightlife. Whether looking … (0 comments)

austin condos: why Modern Housing is on the Rise in Austin - 04/09/08 06:30 PM
Many modern homes and condos are going up left and right in Austin, with local design and build companies behind the new residences. It is hard to pinpoint exactly why modern design is becoming so popular, but several factors possibly play a role.
One of the reasons Austin draws so many people to town is because at its heart, it is “different”. It is very different from big cities like Dallas or Houston, and also different from a standard cookie cutter town found all over the state. New modern homes are also different from traditional homes in both their exterior … (1 comments)

austin condos: Austin's Identity Crisis for downtown Austin Real Estate - 09/14/07 03:51 PM
I don’t know if you’ve noticed— it’s certainly hard to miss— but the landscape around Austin is changing. As is the skyline. As is the... well, the feel of the city. The flavor.
Some Austinites are not excited about the changes going on. The corporations moving in, the family-owned and operated businesses go down while the thirty-six story condos go up. People who have lived here all their lives (or even just more than ten years) say that this is a different city than the one they remember. Back when they might not even have called Austin a “city.”
… (0 comments)

austin condos: Why Use a Realtor? - 09/08/07 03:45 PM
I hear from a lot of people we work with that they initially did not want to deal with Realtors when purchasing a property because they can sometimes be pushy or just a pain to deal with. This can be true, as it would be with any position that is involved in sales transactions, but if you find the right Realtor to represent you, then they can be an invaluable consultant and guide through the purchase transaction.
For one, a good Realtor has the experience and understanding of the real estate market beyond what you can pick up in 1 … (3 comments)

austin condos: Mansion Impossible Real Estate Game - 09/05/07 08:29 AM
So this game is pretty addictive. Basically you start off with 100k and have to build up to 10 million buying and selling houses as they pop on and off the market. So far my best time is 11 years and 3 months. I found this over at the The Phoenix Real Estate Guy Blog. Its way too addicting but cool.

Ki Gray is a realtor working for Escapesomewhere Austin Real Estate. He spends time doing stuff like writing pages about Austin Condos and playing wierd little real estate games. … (6 comments)

austin condos: What to Look for in a Real Estate Loan - Part 2 - 09/02/07 08:55 PM
In Part I, of What to Look for in a Real Estate Loan, we discussed the components of the loan that do not require lenders' quotes. The following components of the loan, including interest rate, points, and closing costs can get pretty involved and you will probably need to discuss the different loan options with a mortgage lender. Each lender will have different rates and fees, so I call around to a couple lenders and compare.
5. Interest Rate: The interest rate is variable depending on your credit score, income, and loan type. The higher the credit score, the better … (3 comments)

austin condos: What to Look for in a Real Estate Loan - 09/02/07 02:05 PM
When you decide to buy a house, one of the first tasks is to talk to a couple lenders and choose which lender & loan is best for you. With all the loan variables, it's tough to compare one lender to another. In this blog, we'll go through each of the loan variables. In Part I, we will discuss the loan components that you can determine independently of a lender. These include down payment, loan life, property taxes, and insurance rates. In Part II, we'll continue to discuss the components that depend on lender quotes and input.
1. Down Payment: … (0 comments)

austin condos: New 21 acre park in Austin - 08/31/07 07:49 AM
So I love parks. And being in Austin I am not alone. Alot of people in Austin enjoy the wide number of parks scattered throughout Austin. Working in the Austin Real Estate market is nice because when people ask if their home is near a park the answer is usually yes because there are parks all over Austin. Anyway we are getting a new park in central Austin. Its a little surprising because most of the real estate that has been recently designated as parks has been on the outskirts of Austin.
The park is 21 acres and is near … (2 comments)

austin condos: Has anyone seen changes in Countrywide's processes in the last few weeks - 08/30/07 06:20 PM
So we have watched Countrywide go through some turmoil over the last few weeks. I wrote about it last week over here Countrywide turmoil. Anyway I was wondering if anyone has seen any changes in countrywide in the last few weeks. Are they still offering the same loan programs? Also does anyone see a risk with getting a Countrywide loan given the current issues with Countrywide?
Ki works as a realtor with Escapeso Austin Real Estate. His website provides a description of the Austin Condos coming up in downtown Austin. … (2 comments)

austin condos: Earn Millions in Real Estate and then Give it to your Dog - 08/29/07 10:56 AM
Does anyone remember Leona Helmsley? She wasn't exactly the most beloved woman in the world. After getting indicted for tax evasion, an employee quoted her as saying "Only the little people pay taxes." Kind of makes you all warm and fuzzy.
Anyway while she apparently didn't like "little people" she did love her dog. It appeared with her everywhere including ads for the Helmsley hotels.
Anyway for people that keep up with the world of real estate billionaires might already know Leona died recently and her will was released. She has 4 grandchildren. Two grandchildren received 5 million each … (8 comments)

austin condos: Seven Steps of the Loan Process - 08/24/07 01:10 PM
The first time you are getting a loan, it can be confusing what all is needed and how to start. This outlines the steps to getting a loan from picking a lender to closing.
1) Picking a Lender. Comparing lenders can be daunting. All the components of a loan including the interest rate, origination fee, points, and other miscellaneous fees are hard to sort through. Fortunately, you can get the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) from each lender for each of their programs. The APR is basically an interest rate calculated with the base interest rate plus all the closing costs, … (0 comments)

austin condos: Lowering Your Monthly Mortgage Payments - 08/24/07 11:42 AM
When you decide to buy a home, getting the best possible loan is important. It can save you thousands of dollars. How you can keep your monthly mortgage payments down? These are the different components of the loan that can affect your monthly mortgage payments.
1. Down Payment: The down payment is how much cash you will put down up front. The rest of the price is how much you will finance with the lender. For example, if the purchase price is $300,000, and you are putting 20% down, that means you will be putting down $60,000, and the loan … (0 comments)

austin condos: July Stats for the Austin Real Estate Market - 08/23/07 09:58 PM

The July stats are out. Compared to last year prices are up. We saw an increase in the median price go from 178k in July 2006 to 190k for July 2007. The amount of inventory compared to last year is also up.
Personally I never like to see the amount of inventory go up but the amount of inventory on the market last year was insanely low. If one considers that any average market has about 6 months of inventory Austin is still in a healthy market. Currently Austin has 3.57 months of inventory on the market which would … (0 comments)

austin condos: Austin Stats for June Released - 07/24/07 08:04 PM

So the stats for June were released today. Central Austin real estate is doing much better than the suburbs. While their are more houses in the greater Austin area on the market than last year if we look in central Austin their are less houses on the market. Here is a breakdown of the central Austin MLS areas.

Ki Gray is a realtor in the Austin Texas Real Estate. His webpage has a description of the different Austin Condos going up in downtown. … (0 comments)

austin condos: Apple Leasing more Austin Real Estate - 07/22/07 03:21 PM
Unless you live under a rock (or have Tivo [and hate commercials]), you know the Apple ads, with the Mac-a cool guy who seems so nice you could bring him home to Mom, and the PC-a nerdy guy who's bitter about not being as hip, and can't even begin hide it. And with the ipod and the new iphone (don't have one? How do you still live? I ask myself this question every day), chances are you are very aware of Apple Computers and their products.
Well, I‘ve got good news. Apple Computers, the "hippest" computer manufacturer out there is … (0 comments)

austin condos: What to Look For in a Condo Conversion - 07/20/07 08:51 PM
When you’re thinking about investing in an apartment that’s been renovated into a condo, there are several things to look for. A conversion isn’t as simple as it may seem on the surface—a lot of work (or lack there of) goes into making a place that was once leased out into a permanent home.
1)Common Space Many apartment complexes are designed for working people who commute—students who come home at night for school, dayshift employees who return to their rented one- bedroom in the evenings—thus many apartment areas don’t have a well kept common area. If you buy a condo … (1 comments)

austin condos: The Two Sides of Gentrification - 07/18/07 10:17 AM
Gentrification comes from the root of the word for “gentleness”, which isn’t quite what we think of when we imagine ripping down quaint old homes and displacing lower income families.
But what about when the old homes aren’t quaint so much as decrepit? And what about when your city has nowhere to go but take over those (often more centrally located) areas or expand into suburbs? What then?
In order to have a decent discussion about gentrification and to decide whether to buy in an area that is undergoing gentrification, let’s look at some issues.
1) Will the … (0 comments)

austin condos: Million dollar houses in Austin - 07/14/07 03:54 PM
So I have been noticing alot more million dollar houses for sale and selling in the Austin Real Estate market. I decided to run some stats to see what I came up with. So here is what I found.
2004 - 152 houses
2005 - 213 houses
2006 - 341 houses
2007 - 181 houses

It pretty interesting we have almost had as many million dollar Austin homes sold so far in 2006 as sold for the entire year in 2007. Alot of this trend is coming from more and more people from the east cost moving to Austin … (1 comments)

austin condos: Ninja vs Realtor - 07/03/07 06:57 PM
I'm a Realtor. I wanted to be a ninja. If you are currently deciding about whether to pursue a career as a Realtor or a ninja I have written a comparision. I have never been a ninja or know any ninjas. But that won't stop me from writing a review. If you were a ninja you could stop me but you're probably not.

Accessories:
Ninja - Ninjas have throwing darts. They have wierd bamboo poles they fight with. I even saw a ninja use his hair as a weapon.
Realtor - Realtors have PDAs. If you threw it … (5 comments)

austin condos: Evaluating the different options available for downtown Austin Condos - 04/08/07 04:43 PM
Downtown Austin is growing faster than ever.  Well, maybe not ever, but more than in the last 14 years I have lived here.  The city council and the community in gereral is pushing for growing the downtown into a live-work area with high density, shops downstairs, and living upstairs.  The term is "multi-use" and it is pretty much pretty much the montra for Austin real estate.  There are 10+ condo projects going up in the next couple years that cater to the different appeals of living in downtown Austin.
A couple condos are situated at the turn of the river in downtown … (1 comments)