How Long Will It Last - 01/26/09 09:48 AM
What is the lifetime of the elements of your home? In part, that depends on the quality of installation and the maintenance it receives but a new study by the National Association of Home Builders provided the following list and I've included comments from my personal experience which is probably effected by the local climate conditions.
100 Years or moreBrick siding should last the lifetime of the homeAll wooden floors should last the lifetime of the home and will be more beautiful with proper careCellulose insulation materials should last 100 years or more
50-100 yearsRoofs of copper, slate, clay or concrete- … (0 comments)

Now for Lease in Cental Austin - 1204 W. 43rd. St., Austin - 01/20/09 09:51 PM
Location, location, location. This is a great opportunity to live in one of the hottest & coolest areas is Austin in a new home - no rehabbing for you. Just move in and enjoy being walking distance to Central Market, 10 minutes to the medical center and 15 minutes to downtown Austin, Zilker Park and all the special events that take place.  This is a new 3-story home with tons of upgrades: handscraped wood floors in living area, tile in baths, Siilestone countertops throughout, stainless appliances, custom doors, crown molding, 6" baseboards, tankless waterheater, sprinkler system, designer colors and fixtures and … (0 comments)

In Texas, File Your Homestead Exemption - 01/19/09 09:22 AM
In Texas, you may claim your primary residence as your homestead and file a homestead exemption with the county appraisal district for a reduction on your property taxes of about 12%.
Who: Any homeowner who is claiming the home (and only one home) as a primary residence.
Where: The form can be found on your local county appraisers Web site or you may call or visit for a copy.
When: This may be filed the January after you have owned the house and you have until April. If you miss the deadline for a previous year, you can file the next … (1 comments)

AUSTIN AREA MARKET STATISTICS - November - 01/19/09 09:06 AM
Quick and easy to understand market statistics for the Greater Austin area.
Statistics from NOVEMBER 2008 Compared to NOVEMBER 2007
Homes Sold 990 - down 40%
Median Sales Price $180,000 - down 3%
Active Listings 9,243 - down 11.5%source: Austin Board of Realtors
Robin Scott, Broker. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.
… (0 comments)

Austin Gets a Rail Line - 01/19/09 09:03 AM
THE CAPITAL METRO RED LINE RAIL
Service is planned to begin on the Capital MetroRail Red Line on Monday, March 30, 2009. The sleek trains, designed for commuter convenience will be equipped with high-back seats, bicycle and overhead racks,Wi-Fi connections and some will feature tray tables. Initially the service will be during morning and afternoon peak hours with regular and shuttle buses available to carry you to your final destination.    The Red Line will run between Leander and Downtown Austin on 32-miles of existing freight tracks. Future connections are being studied .    The downtown station is complete andThe MLK, Jr. Bus … (0 comments)

A Look at Pending Statistics in Austin - 01/19/09 08:46 AM
An interesting article in the Austin American Statesman this past Sunday shows research from austinhomesearch.com about what price range is selling in Austin based on pending sales January 5-11.
How many homes have pending contracts:
$1 million and up   11
$900k-$999,999   3
$800k-899,999      5
$700k-799,999      6
$600k-$699,999   16
$500k-599,999      16
$400k-$499,999   40
$300k-399,999      84
$200k-299,999   184
$100k-199,999   386
$0-$99,999               58
The most interesting thing is that people we assuming that the mortgage crisis was going to make it more difficult for lower income buyers to buy but this doesn't seem to be the case … (0 comments)

Sometimes a Low Price Isn't Enough - 01/13/09 11:31 AM
While the second house was immaculate and beautifully staged, the first house I showed my new buyers was just too gross even for it's reduced price. I know it's difficult when you have a seller that's not inclined to clean or stage and even harder to get them to lower the price but when you have sandwiches ground into the floor dirty and a smell of urine, you are not going to attract a homestead homebuyer with a slightly below market value home. You are going to have to drop the price low enough to attract an investor who can make … (1 comments)

In a Weak Economy, the Arts Suffer Too - 01/13/09 11:16 AM
The Austin Museum of Art has been trying for decades to build a downtown facility. Although they are currently leasing space downtown on Congress Ave., they own a block downtown at 4th a nd Guadalupe. Through a partnership with Houston based Hines Interests there was a plan to build a 30-story office tower which would house the museum. With the downturn in the economy Hines opted out.
Nevertheless, the Austin Museum of Art does have wonderful exhibits in it's current fcility so when downtown be sure to drop by.
This season Austin Ballet enjoyed a record turnout for their performance of … (0 comments)

Protesting Your Taxes in Austin - 01/09/09 11:41 AM
As soon as the new year began, a friend of mine asked me about protesting his taxes. He's really on top of things because the estimated tax appraisals don't come out until summer but there is a reason to his interest. Property taxes are paid in arrears so at the end of the year when you get your tax bill, the bill will be from January 1 and the appraisal district evaluates your homes value based on what it was worth January1.
If you think the tax appraisal district has over appraised the value of your property, ask your REALTOR to … (0 comments)

Interesting Statistics on Consumers Confidence in Housing - 01/09/09 11:31 AM
I love to quote National Association of Realtors (NAR) statistics to my clients because they are so absolute and a recent NAR survey showed some interesting results from questions asked regarding consumer confidence in the housing market.
Even though 2008 was a challenging year in real estate and home prices have continued to fall in some areas, the number of consumers who reported having concerns about housing affordability fell to 39% which is the lowest in the last 6 years and down from 48% in 2007.
The NAR 2008 Housing Pulse survey showed that 85% of Americans still believe purchasing a … (0 comments)

Remodleing Postponed - 01/07/09 06:00 PM
Online publisher remodelormove.com reports that the economic uncertainty has caused some homeowners, those who have declining home values or live in lower-valued homes,  to postpone their remodeling projects. Surveyed homeowners show that 84% say the country's economic problems are affecting their plans to remodel but 81% say they do plan to move forward with upgrades and 65% say they plan to do some of the work themselves to keep expenses down.
Robin Scott, Broker. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.
… (0 comments)

Residential Construction Fuels Economic Growth - 01/07/09 05:31 PM
According to the National Association of Home Builders, 15 cents on every dollar spent in the united States goes to housing. A recent study shows that on average in 2008:
1. Building of 1,000 single family homes provided 2,049 jobs and $89 million in tax and revenues for every level of government.
2. Building of 1,000 multi-family units provided 1,155 jobs and $33 million in tax and revenues for every level of government.
3. Residential remodeling activity worth $100 million provided 1,109 jobs and $30 million in in tax and revenues for every level of government.
Austin Board of Realtors reports … (0 comments)

Sales Incentives for Buyers - 01/07/09 05:20 PM
According to a customer satisfaction study of homebuilder conducted by J.D.Power and Associates, 92% of new home buyers say they received a sales incentive for making their new home purchase. The incentives includes reduced pricing and credit towards upgrades or closing costs averaging $16,500.
Although 75% of the buyers say the builder did not identify their home as a "green home," 28% believed their home to be environmentally friendly. The features in the home that buyers felt were environmentally beneficial were energy-efficient air and heating, energy-saving appliances, lighting and windows.
If you are considering purchasing new construction and taking advantage of … (0 comments)

For Sale! 1204 w. 43rd St, Austin Texas - 01/02/09 09:45 AM
This is a great opportunity to live in Central Austin in NEW CONSTRUCTION for only $399,000! This 2/2 with 2 mastershas all the bells and whistles plus conveniently located close to all the hip places and the medical center. For more information and a virtual tour visit http://www.robinscottrealtor.com
Robin Scott, Broker. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.

… (0 comments)

 
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Robin Scott - Broker CRS ABR SRS Austin Texas REALTOR®

Austin, TX

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Robin Scott, REALTOR®

Address: 7515 Windrush Dr., Austin, Tx , 78729

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