Sonoma

While preparing for a Basic Stage Coaching visit in Sonoma a few weeks ago, I was looking at some online photos of the listings in the area. It occurred to me that most of the homes on the market all suffered from a lack of Basic Home Staging help. Taking notes, I made some interesting observations. Here’s a list of some of the things I discovered were commonly found in Homes for sale in Sonoma.

10. Many of the Beds were not on “The Bed Wall” – believe it or not, most home built in the last 20 years have a bed wall. This is very important in the Master - pictures should be taken from the foot of the bed, not the side.

9. Smoke stains on the tiles over the fireplace – they are not that difficult to remove! Try Scrubbing Bubbles and a damp sponge. What message are you sending sellers by leaving this? "I almost burned the house down, but it's in great shape!"

8. Making Beds – it is not rocket science, but it seems some people think making a bed just means pulling the comforter up over the pillows. That works in the dorm, but not when selling your home. Go to Macys.com and look at their bedding - they make the beds to impress you. This is how you want the Master Bedroom to show when selling your home.

7. (Matching) Towels on Towel bars – if you have towel bars in your bathrooms, you should have towels on them. Matching Towels. You can find some good towels for under $5.00 each at H.E.B.+, Walmart, or Kohl's. Fluff them in the dryer with a dryer sheet and a damp wash cloth before putting them out... And, not to sound like Mom but, Don’t use the decorator towels!

6. Empty Kitchen Counter tops – another Staging Tip that goes too far: it is OK to have some items out on the counters. Removing everything is not what “Declutter the counter tops means.” Pick and choose, leaving the items you will need daily, like the coffee maker.

If you would like to see the rest of the list, or find out what The Stage Coach can do to help your home show better than your competition, Contact us!

Nestled on a cul-de-sac street in one of Round Rock's most popular communities, 2012 Solitude Cove offers a terrific, functional layout with nice space at an affordable price. 

If you get a home under contract by April 30th and close by June 30th, you may qualify for one of the federal homebuyer tax credits, too!

Details:

• 4 Bedrooms PLUS study with glass French doors
• 2130 s.f. per builder plan
• One-story floorplan flows well
• Wood floors through entry, kitchen, and breakfast areas
• Granite counters and nice tile backsplash
• Large master bedroom separate from other bedrooms for privacy
• Master bathroom with double vanity, garden tub, and separate shower
• Custom side door leads to stone patio and HUGE oak tree
• Enlarged back patio
• Professionally landscaped back yard
• Surround sound system to convey with home
• No neighbor behind you!  Backs to neighborhood street
• 10' Ceilings in main areas of the home
• Sonoma neighborhood was named, "Best Master Planned Community"
• Elementary and Middle schools are within easy walking distance of the home

If you have any questions at all or if you would like to set up a time to take a look at this home, feel free to give me a call anytime at 512-796-7653 (cell) or email me at jason@austintexashomes.com.  If you are interested in searching all Austin homes for sale, visit my website at www.austintexashomes.com.

Sonoma is a terrific neighborhood located in east Round Rock, just off Gattis School Road.  With two theme pools, two lakes, and a playground area, Sonoma is also located adjacent to the Round Rock hike-and-bike trail system.  It was awarded the prestigious MAX Award for "Best Overall Community" a few years ago.

Currently, there are 39 homes available on the MLS in Sonoma, with an average asking price of $254,061.  The average square footage for these homes is 2,840, for an average price per square foot of $90.46. 

Presently, there are 3 homes under contract in the subdivision, with an average listing price of $174.041 and an average square footage of 2,076, yielding an average price per square foot of $83.83.  This is about four dollars less than the first quarter of 2008. 

Over the past year (January through December 2008), there were 45 sales closed within Sonoma.  The average listing price was $236,819 and the average sales price was $225,583.  This means that homes sold for approximately 95.3% of the list price.  The average number of days on the market was 115, which is substantially higher than the average for the Austin MLS.  The square footage of the homes sold averaged 2,609, and the price per square foot for the sales was $87.40. 

Overall, home prices appear to have dropped slightly in the area since the beginning of 2008.  Demand appears to be up overall, so this could change as we move into the spring months of 2009.  

In other area news:

Located at the intersection of the aforementioned toll roads (45 and 130), Stone Hill Town Center is partially open now (Home Depot, Verizon, and Mattress Firm), and it promises over 1,000,000 square feet of shopping and entertainment when complete.  Super Target and Best Buy are slated to open next month.  Chili's, several retail clothing stores, a large Cinemark theater, and a fitness center are among the other anticipated tenants.

Here is a link to the developer's map, showing the stores and restaurants committed to open there:

http://www.newquestproperties.com/property_retail/property/Stone%20Hill%20Town%20Center/SitePlan/pfu5-07.pdf

If you are a consumer living in another neighborhood in or near Austin and you are interested in seeing the trends in your particular neighborhood, please don't hesitate to contact me, and I can create a custom report for you.  All of my contact information is below.

If you are considering selling your home in Sonoma (or anywhere in the general Austin area), please feel free to give me a call.  I would love the opportunity to help you get it sold quickly.  You can visit my primary Austin Texas real estate website at www.austintexashomes.com.  You can also reach me anytime on my cell phone at 512-796-7653 or via email at jason@austintexashomes.com. 

Thanks for checking out this brief analysis! 

Sonoma is another beautiful subdivision where I always welcome the opportunity to show and sell homes. This bustling master-planned community is located in a growing and popular area of Round Rock, Texas.

Beginning with first-phase development in 2001 and still growing, Sonoma is the result of the coming together of several nationally known and award winning builders who developed ‘localized' sections within the community. In doing so, buyers have a variety of housing options - building styles, house floor plans, lots sizes, and, of course pricing options throughout the community.

Homes here range in size from 1426 to 4510 square feet with most being 2300 to 2800 square feet.

Designed with livability in mind, Sonoma offers residents some of the finest amenities around.

2 Community Pools Children's Splash Center
2 Lakes
Playgrounds
Pockets of Greenbelt and Picnic Areas.
Neighborhood Trails that Adjoin Brushy Creek Hike & Bike Trail System

This welcoming neighborhood encourages lasting friendships by maintaining an active social calendar for its residents including Pool Parties, Walking Groups Easter Egg Hunts, Children's Play Groups, Yard of the Month, Meet Santa, Holiday Season Decorating Contest and more.

Children who live in Sonoma attend highly acclaimed Round Rock Schools. In the neighborhood are Blackland Prairie Elementary and Ridgeview Middle School and Stoney Point High School is close by.

Sonoma offers convenient access to major thoroughfares including IH-35, SH-45, and Toll Road 130, a time saving alternative for traveling north-south to Austin and other locations. Outside of Sonoma you'll enjoy everyday conveniences of shopping, dining, fun and just a few short minutes from Forest Creek Golf Club and Dell Diamond, home to the Round Rock Express triple-A minor league baseball team.

There are currently 31 homes for sale in Somona between 1714 and 3583 square feet priced from $164,000 to $305,000 with a median price of $247,000 and an average square footage of 2818 square feet

Below is a link to view homes currently for sale in Sonoma Subdivision

Here's more great news about Round Rock Texas!

· Round Rock ranked 13^th Among Safest Cities to Live (2007 & 2008)
· Round Rock ranks No. 4 among the Best Large Metros for Public Schools
  (Expansion Management,2007 Education Quotient)
· Round Rock ranked No. 6 in best places to live, work and play.
  (Kimplnger's Personal  Finance, May 2008
· Round Rock ranks No. 5 on the list of Best Cities for Relocating Families
  (2007 Worldwide ERC and  Primary Relocation Report)
· Round Rock ranked #7^th Among Top 100 Cities To Live (Money Magazine 2008)

Round Rock really is one of the nicest places to live in Texas! I know - I've lived here! With great job opportunities, plenty to do, some of the best schools around, and a stable real estate market in diverse price ranges, I can see why people want to make Round Rock their home.

I am happy to provide you with more details about Sonoma or other neighborhoods, or, if your relocating to Texas or already here and would like more information about buying or selling a home in Round Rock or surrounding areas , I welcome your call or email.

Karen Staha, CRS,GRI,ABR, REALTOR - Selling Texas Since 1995 - Gaston & Sheehan Realty, Call me direct: 512 217-2435 email: kmstaha@aol.com   web:  www.karenstaha.com  

Sonoma is a terrific neighborhood located in east Round Rock, just off Gattis School Road.  With two theme pools, two lakes, and a playground area, Sonoma is also located adjacent to the Round Rock hike-and-bike trail system.  It was awarded the prestigious MAX Award for "Best Overall Community" a few years ago.

Currently, there are 34 homes available on the MLS in Sonoma, with an average asking price of $254,778.  The average square footage for these homes is 2,794, for an average price per square foot of $92.03.  This is a drop of over $6/square foot from the previous quarter.

Presently, there are 4 homes under contract in the subdivision, with an average listing price of $265,972 and an average square footage of 2,997, yielding an average price per square foot of $88.75.  This is about a two dollars less than the first quarter of 2008. 

Over the past quarter (April through June 2008), there were 18 sales closed within Sonoma.  The average listing price was $237,026 and the average sales price was $224,290.  This means that homes sold for approximately 94.62% of the list price.  The average number of days on the market was 143, which is almost double the average for the Austin MLS.  The square footage of the homes sold averaged 2,575, and the price per square foot for the sales was $88.  This is a decrease of about $2/sq. ft. over last quarter.

Overall, home prices appear to have dropped slightly in the area, but there was more sales activity (18 homes vs. 12 for the first quarter).  Some of this is assuredly due to the seasonal nature of the Austin real estate market.

In other area news:

Located at the intersection of the aforementioned toll roads (45 and 130), Stone Hill Town Center is slated to open within a few months, and it promises over 1,000,000 square feet of shopping and entertainment.  Home Depot, Best Buy, Chili's, several retail clothing stores, a large Cinemark theater, and a fitness center are among the anticipated tenants.

Here is a link to the developer's map, showing the stores and restaurants committed to open there:

http://www.newquestproperties.com/property_retail/property/Stone%20Hill%20Town%20Center/SitePlan/pfu5-07.pdf

If you are a consumer living in another neighborhood in or near Austin and you are interested in seeing the trends in your particular neighborhood, please don't hesitate to contact me, and I can create a custom report for you.  All of my contact information is below.

If you are considering selling your home in Sonoma (or anywhere in the general Austin area), please feel free to give me a call.  I would love the opportunity to help you get it sold quickly.  You can visit my primary Austin Texas real estate website at www.austintexashomes.com.  You can also reach me anytime on my cell phone at 512-796-7653 or via email at jason@austintexashomes.com. 

Thanks for checking out this brief analysis!

Sonoma has quickly  become one of my favorite communities to show to my buyer clients, because of its numerous amenities, proximity to 45 (toll road), and reasonable prices.

Features:

• 2 Theme Pools!
• 2 Lakes
• Playscape
• Adjacent to Round Rock hike & bike trail system

If you are considering this area, you might be interested in seeing the current inventory of homes available there right now:

Homes for Sale in Sonoma - Round Rock

The current average price for Sonoma listings is $269,587.  The average square footage for the available homes is 2808, which yields an average price per square foot of $96.45. 

If you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule an appointment to see these properties or any others in the Austin MLS, please give me a call anytime at 512-796-7653 or email jason@austintexashomes.com. 

If you are looking to relocate to the Austin area, you might be interested in checking out my online relocation package here:

Austin Texas Relocation Package

Our Austin real estate website is at http://www.austintexashomes.com/.  I look forward to hearing from you soon!