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Real Estate - Austin TX - How Long Does it Take to Buy a House? It Depends on You...

By
Real Estate Agent with Donna Homes, powered by JPAR - TexasRealEstateMediationServices.com 0480809

I get asked a lot, "How long does it take to buy a house?" My response? "That depends on you!"

I usually get strange looks or silence if they're on the phone...

calendarIn the past year, I had some buyers that took 8 months to find a house. Yes, 8 months!  Yet, I had buyers that took a week... you never know until you start the process.

These buyers contacted me on a Friday, we scheduled to look at houses on the next Tuesday, and we submitted an offer on Thursday.  From contact to contract was less than a week!!

The 8 month buyers... He wanted a newer two story home and she wanted an older one story home. Their price range started out under $250k and as the months went on, they were looking at $425k as they couldn't agree on things.

I didn't want to push them because I'm not a "salesman". I'm a consultant. I kept pointing out the differences in what each other were looking at, and we had several discussions about it, but nothing sunk in and I was getting no where in helping them narrow things down, except for the feeder elementary school for their kids.  It finally took seeing the right home for one to compromise and realize what they wanted wasn't really what they wanted.  Contract, closed, and for under $300k!

Another example is some buyers that weren't sure when they wanted to relocate here, but wanted to see what the area had to offer and they were aiming for November.  They came in town in May, and I showed them 6 houses. They went back home. I got a call two days later, "We want to know what we need to do to put an offer on that house."

So, how long does it take to buy a house?  "It completely depends on you and what you want to accomplish!!"

If you're a buyer in the Austin TX and surrounding areas, please call me TODAY as we might find a house for you tomorrow... or next month. With me, even a quick transaction can be stress-free!!

**Are You Packed Yet?** 

donna harris Realtor Austin TX blog

Donna Harris, REALTOR®
RE/MAX Austin Skyline
www.DonnaHomes.coma
Donna@DonnaHomes.com

Austin TX Real Estate and the surrounding areas of Lakeway, Bee Cave, West Lake Hills, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Spicewood, Circle-C, Steiner Ranch, and everywhere in between... Hill Country Austin TX Real Estate and beyond. Whether you're buying or selling an Austin home, I'll be with you every step of the way. 

For real time Austin TX listings, click here.

** #1 Agent in my Office for all of 2008 **

Copyright© 2010 By Donna Harris, All Rights Reserved. You may re-blog with links back to this post.
* Real Estate - Austin TX - How Long Does it Take to Buy a House? It Depends on You... * was first published on donnahomesblog.com

Comments (9)

Sam Chapman
Lakeway, TX

"You may re-blog with links back to this post."  Do you get many takers for this?

Sep 01, 2010 04:13 AM
Donna Harris
Donna Homes, powered by JPAR - TexasRealEstateMediationServices.com - Austin, TX
Realtor,Mediator,Ombudsman,Property Tax Arbitrator

Sam, Thank you for commenting on the topic of the post and adding to the discussion. To answer your question, yes, my posts are reblogged quite often, and since they're my own thoughts and opinions, someone cannot reblog without acknowledging that I wrote it. It's simple copyright 101.

Sep 01, 2010 04:31 AM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

I tell people that that are building a house? Depends...

But we don't start the clock ticking until the basement is dug.

 

Sep 01, 2010 04:42 AM
Donna Harris
Donna Homes, powered by JPAR - TexasRealEstateMediationServices.com - Austin, TX
Realtor,Mediator,Ombudsman,Property Tax Arbitrator

Missy, Yes, building is completely different, but how long did it take them to find the right community and builder and floorplan to build?

Sep 01, 2010 05:08 AM
Rita Fong
RE/MAX REAL ESTATE TODAY, Executive Broker 901-488-9590 - Marion, AR
Realtor - Marion Arkansas Homes for Sale

I don't think there is one size fits all when it comes to work with public.  We have some easy ones, but mostly not so easy ones.  My shortest time for a buyer from getting pre-approved, finding a house and put an offer on a house and got accepted in 3 days.  That's easy.  Some just takes longer to decide on anything, I think it is a personality thing.  I am glad I was the one to make the decision when we bought our house, instead of my husband.

Sep 01, 2010 05:47 AM
Aaron Vaughn 830-358-0455
Conifer Builders LLC - Canyon Lake, TX

Donna:

Nice post! I've had those couples, too, who seem to want completely different things and don't seem to listen or to budge. Then they find a house they both love that was nothing like they said they wanted! It's a crazy world.

Sep 01, 2010 07:13 AM
Donna Harris
Donna Homes, powered by JPAR - TexasRealEstateMediationServices.com - Austin, TX
Realtor,Mediator,Ombudsman,Property Tax Arbitrator

Rita, Definitely not a one size fits all, which is why it all depends on the actual buyer themselves. When my husband bought our first mutual house together, it took HIM 7 months to find a house he liked. I wished I could have fired him, it was ridiculous!

Aaron, Multiple times, I've had buyers say "no 2 stories and if it is a 2 story, master must be downstairs" and then they buy a 2 story home with the master upstairs. They don't always know...

Sep 01, 2010 09:27 AM
Shelley Rowton
Move To Realty - Austin, TX
ABR, RSPS - (512) 507-5779 MoveToRealty of Austin

I closed on a house on Spillman Ranch Loop last month with buyers that have been with me for three - yes, three - years.  They really looked in earnest for about 27 months. 

I dropped off their closing gift today - three framed Austin cityscape/point of interest black and white photos.  I told them I bought them one for every year we had spent together.  They thought it was hysterical.  Guess I'll have to comemorate each year that follows with another one!

Sep 03, 2010 04:18 PM
Donna Harris
Donna Homes, powered by JPAR - TexasRealEstateMediationServices.com - Austin, TX
Realtor,Mediator,Ombudsman,Property Tax Arbitrator

Shelley, I live in Falconhead West so they're right down the street...

Sep 04, 2010 01:04 PM