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austin real estate: Austin market update September 07 - 09/19/07 04:55 PM
Take a close look at the numbers for the Austin market now. When I say close, I mean CLOSE! What's happening? Well, that depends.
Remember that any and all markets are made up of many sub-markets or even micro markets. Real estate is INTENSELY local. Also remember the old adage, there are three kinds of lies, 1. Lies, 2. Damn Lies, 3. Statistics. The last thing I'll ask you to remember is the purpose of the media and in particular the big national media outlets. If you think they're in the news business, you're wrong. They are in the business of … (3 comments)
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austin real estate: Reduced 10K! Lake Pointe Beauty with Hardwoods over entire downstairs! - 08/09/07 10:53 AM
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austin real estate: If the phone doesn't ring, it's me... - 07/27/07 01:05 PM
Thanks to Jimmy Buffett for writing that classic line. What's that sound you're not hearing? The lack of a warble out of your phone may be signaling the Austin market is changing. It was a week ago today that ABOR (Austin Board of Realtors) released numbers indicating that home sales FELL 6% in June for the first time in over 5 years.
In local mastermind groups that I belong to, the anecdotes that I'm hearing from other agents support the statistics. Listing inventory is up an has continuted to rise over the course of the summer which is pretty unusual. One title rep … (0 comments)
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austin real estate: Fantastic French Place / Cherrywood Remodel For Sale $469,000 - 07/09/07 04:39 PM
Fantastic Remodel For Sale $469,000Location: Cherrywood / French PlaceIncredible gourmet kitchen, wine cellar, open floorplan. Huge backyard with giant trees. Walk to the hippest restaurants, near Mueller redevelopment, UT, downtown. This one has it ALL!! Just steps from the proposed Manor Rd streetcar line. New commuter rail line stop is just a few short blocks away too. Owner AgentInformationContact InformationMaxwell McDaniel512-236-0223Contact Reply FormForward to a FriendView Other FlyersPricingAsking Price: $469,000Property Location3203 Walnut AveAustin, TX 78722View MapLinksHome's websiteFeaturesBedrooms: 4Bathrooms: 2Parking: 2+Year Built: 1952Subdivision: Cherrywood / French PlaceLot Size: .27 acresGarage Size: 2School District: AISDSquare Footage: 2080Agent Name: Maxwell McDanielBroker: Keller WilliamsMLS #: … (0 comments)
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austin real estate: Lake Travis Living - 06/29/07 10:51 AM
In case you've missed all the headlines, we've gotten a bit of rain here in central TX over the last few days. 19 inches (yes I said "nineteen") in one night alone in Marble Falls. Those poor people out there are going to need a lot of help.
Since Marble Falls is just upstream from Lake Travis, all the water that falls there makes it's way into 65 mile long Lake Travis. Can you guess the impact that will have on a lake that large? It's HUGE! The lake rose from it's "pool level" meaning full, at 681 feet to 696 feet … (0 comments)
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austin real estate: Staging a home-how important is it? - 06/26/07 03:55 PM
Okay, that's a bit of a trick question, I think we all know that staging is important. The better question would be "how far do we go with staging?"
My professional experiences lead me to believe that a properly staged home is the difference between a home selling and not-with everything else being equal. I can't even count the number of buyers I and my team have carted around to homes that were not well staged, but were otherwise good homes, that I couldn't get the buyers interested in. It's sad to say that the vast majority of people don't have … (2 comments)
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austin real estate: More Mueller Musings - 06/16/07 01:27 PM
Since I live basically next door to the Austin Mueller redevelopment project, I get to drive through it regularly and see the progress that's been made. Builders are still claiming that some houses will be on the ground and ready for occupancy by the end of 2007. Frankly, I think it's a pipe dream since the streets aren't even paved yet and not one slab has been framed yet. The site is as busy as a beehive though with trucks and workers heading out in every direction.
A couple of new retailers have been spotted getting ready to open. There is a … (1 comments)
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austin real estate: Surveys and why my buyers will ALWAYS get a new one - 06/16/07 12:21 PM
A few years ago in TX, a change was made to the way we could do business. When a buyer was purchasing a home, they were given the option of using the existing survey or obtaining a new one. On the surface, this seemed like a great idea for consumers. Buyer's would be able to save the $300-$500 cost of a new survey.
Guess what? The survey companies suddenly lost a great deal of business, as everyone was using existing surveys and not ordering new ones. So, in order to protect their business, if there was a dispute about the existing survey, … (0 comments)
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austin real estate: Investor tips for the hot Austin Market - 06/16/07 11:56 AM
The Austin market is SMOKING HOT right now. With both coasts taking a 40%-60% hit in values, investors are pouring in to Austin. To that end, I thought some general education about our market would be appropriate.
1. What's the play? Buy and hold, fix and flip, cash flow?
Austin's rental rates have not increased nearly as dramatically as have home values. In investor terms, that means you're going to need a big downpayment if you hope to cash flow at all. Think in terms of 30% + most of the time. Although, I did come across some fourplexes last week that … (0 comments)
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austin real estate: Why the market in Austin is strong - 06/16/07 10:45 AM
Many factors come into play when looking at the long term viability of the area's housing market. Austin is fortunate to have one of the largest universities in the country located smack dab in the middle of the city. The city is consistantly ranked as one of the most desirable places to live, the best city for dating, the live music capital of the world, and many other honors.
These are all great things about our fair city, but the bottom line of what keeps our housing market humming is the economic engine. Austin's unemployment rate is at 3.2%, which is the … (0 comments)
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austin real estate: Coaching - Is it worth it? - 06/06/07 05:02 PM
Looking over my calendar for tomorrow and I noticed that I have a call on tap with my coach from Brian Buffini's company. Then I pick up my credit card statement and see the charge ($500/month) that I pay for the privilege of having someone else tell me how to run my business.
So, I had to ask myself "Self-Is it worth it?". The answer is an emphatic yes!
I can't speak to any other coaching programs except the one at Buffini and Company. I've been a participant in coaching for a number of years and it just keeps getting better and … (3 comments)
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austin real estate: Austin Weather, Cowboy Boots and Why We Were Behind Schedule - 06/02/07 09:28 AM
The weather in Austin this spring has been somewhat unusual. We've gone from a 3 year drought to a plethora of water in just a few days. I think we're up between 8-12 inches over normal, which is GREAT! Our lakes are full again, everything is lush and green. My water bill is almost non-existant which makes me awfully darned happy. We live in Cherrywood in east Austin on a lot of about .25 acres. It's pretty unusual to find lots of this size in central Austin. Most "city lots" are about 50'x100'. As you can imagine it takes a lot … (3 comments)
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austin real estate: Cultural Differences - 06/02/07 08:14 AM
I was working with a client today who called on one of my listings. He was from another country with an vastly different culture than the US. It just goes to show you, no matter how long you do this, there is always more to learn about your job and your clients.
This particular client, as we were walking through the home, was very concerned about the direction that the front door was pointing and where the kitchen was in relation to the front door and on what side of the house (NSEW). He finally announced that he would need to bring … (4 comments)
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austin real estate: Standard Pacific Pricing - 05/29/07 05:40 PM
One other item of note on the SP pricing at Mueller. For every 10 contracts they write, they reserve the right to change prices.
The thing is, I'm number 62 in line, so that means that they can raise price six times before I even get to sit down and officially write a contract. That doesn't seem right to me.
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austin real estate: Mueller pricing-Standard Pacific - 05/29/07 05:35 PM
Well, here it is, hot off the press! If you are buying a Standard Pacific home in Mueller, this is where your pricing starts.
If you can't read it and want a full sized copy, feel free to send me a mail and I'll forward you a hi res scan.
It doesn't say copyright or confidential and I believe it to be a public pricelist, so here you go!
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austin real estate: Mueller update--We're IN! - 05/29/07 03:09 PM
For those interested in moving to the Mueller redevlopment, things are happening. We were notified by our "preferred" builder that we had been one of the lucky lottery winners and would be among the first to be able to buy a new home in the Mueller redevelopment. We selected Standard Pacific, whom I believe to have a good product and a fair price.
Standard Pacific certainly wouldn't be my first choice in a builder, but then virtually no production builder would be high on my list. I'd much prefer to go custom all the way, but alas that's not going to happen in … (0 comments)
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austin real estate: Austin market update and affordability - 05/29/07 02:54 PM
The market is holding strong and we're not seeing any sign of things cooling off. Why would we really when we're heading into the busiest season of the year? Austin's real estate market is consistently cyclical. In a "normal market" we can expect business to increase over the summer months with a peak in early fall as families get settled in to their new homes in time for the next school year. Things really slow down in November and don't get going again until after the new year.
One of the big issues facing Austin right now is housing affordability. The … (0 comments)
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austin real estate: Flipping - 05/24/07 09:54 AM
I think I'll take this opportunity to talk about the latest book from Millionaire Systems. It's called FLIP and it's written by Rick Villani and Clay Davis of our home town Austin TX. I've read the book and it's very interesting and informative. It includes step by step instructions on how to identify, purchase and rehabilitate homes for profit, (also known as "house flipping"). If you're considering this type of investment, the book is a MUST READ. While it can be a fun and quite profitable venture, you can also lose you shirt if you don't have proper systems in place … (1 comments)
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Maxwell McDaniel
Austin,
TX
More about me…
Austin A Plus Homes
Address: 7719 Wood Hollow, 102, Austin, TX, 78731
Office Phone: (512) 799-3296
Email Me
Representing Buyers, Sellers and Investors of real estate Austin TX.
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