austin real estate: My funny and intriguing son
- 01/27/08 03:50 PM
My nine-year old son, Brandon, is one of the most interesting and witty kids that I have encountered. Sometimes, he says things while joking around with us that make my wife Pam and I double over in laughter. Other times, he is able to do this unintentionally. Over the past few weeks since his birthday (mid-December), he has had a few moments that I thought were worth documenting here.
The other day, Pam asked Brandon to help get some cereal for his little sister. He prepared the bowl, and Pam remarked, "That's great, Br.." when she was interrupted sharply by Brandon:
"Well, … (35 comments)
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austin real estate: Do you ever feel like the Gilligan of real estate?
- 01/16/08 08:26 AM
My wife and I have had a long-standing joke about Gilligan's Island (which I mentioned on a previous post): "Do you remember that episode of Gilligan's Island when they were poised to get off of the island, but then Gilligan screwed something up and they were forced to remain there?"
If you have seen this show, and I think I saw every episode multiple times when I was growing up, then you know that almost every one of the shows revolves around the premise in the question above. Basically, Gilligan ALWAYS managed to find a way to mess up their plans of … (111 comments)
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austin real estate: So, You're Going on a Listing Appointment? How to Win Almost Every Time
- 01/13/08 07:35 AM
Over the years, I have gone on hundreds of listing appointments. These days, it seems as though I am competing less and less often, since they probably found me through a friend of mine or a past client. When I do compete, I haven't really kept track of the percentage of times that I win the listing, but I would estimate that about 9 out of every 10 choose me. No, I am not exaggerating.
Why have I had such a strong track record with listing appointments? Hey, I'm glad you asked. You did ask, right? Well, either way, you … (164 comments)
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austin real estate: North Austin Home for Sale - 1104 Neans Drive - $164,900
- 01/12/08 11:25 AM
I just listed a home today for some clients who are looking to move closer to work. It's located at 1104 Neans Drive. The home features over 2400 s.f. per the tax records, all on one level. It sits on a large .38 acre lot near Lamar and Braker. The listing price is only $164,900.
It features 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, and a HUGE family room with fireplace and lots of windows overlooking the back yard. There is also a formal living area at the front of the home, and a true study with pocket doors. The kitchen was expanded and … (3 comments)
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austin real estate: WOW! Ringing in the new year with new business (some of it is from Active Rain!)
- 01/10/08 11:29 AM
I met today with another client that came from my blog here at ActiveRain. They found my blog about two months ago and called me directly. They are looking to build a home, probably in the $500-600K range. We looked at a number of builders, and I gave them a brief tour of Austin and the hills to the west of town so that they could get a feel for the area.
I think it was one of the seamless outings that we could have had, along with being very productive. We spent about 3-4 hours together, and I developed a … (35 comments)
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austin real estate: "I am a People Person. Right?" - Some Red Flag Phrases
- 01/08/08 04:28 AM
Disclaimer: This post is not meant to be taken too seriously.
I have noticed an odd and somewhat disturbing trend in my real estate career, both when dealing with clients and with fellow agents. If you do not agree, that is certainly your prerogative. This is not a hard and fast rule, but rather a personal observation.
Here it is:
If someone proclaims that they are a certain type of person, they probably aren't like that at all.
What?!? What are you talking about, Crouch?
Perhaps a few examples will help to flesh out this idea a bit more.
Sometimes, buyer clients say … (78 comments)
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austin real estate: Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes! Looking back over my 11-year career in real estate
- 01/07/08 07:00 AM
This month marks my eleven-year anniversary in full-time Austin real estate. When I started in January 1997, things were far different.
Here are some of the key differences, both in our market and in my life:
THEN: We about 2,700 agents in our local board.
NOW: There are over 9,700 agents in Austin.
THEN: The average price in the Austin MLS was just $135,000, and the median price was $110,000.
NOW: Current average sales price in our market is $249,300, and the median is $182,000.
THEN: In 1997, there were only 13 homes that sold for over $1 million in Austin.
NOW: For 2007, there were 372 … (55 comments)
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austin real estate: Austin Texas Multifamily Properties - Fourplexes for Sale
- 01/05/08 11:32 AM
Austin real estate remains a solid investment, with a terrific outlook for 2008 and beyond. I get a lot of requests for multifamily properties, so I thought it would be helpful and illustrative to spotlight a few current Austin fourplexes for sale in order to give you an idea of what is available in Austin right now. Please feel free to call me anytime at 512-796-7653 (cell) or email me at jason@austintexashomes.com. I hope to have the opportunity to help you find the right property for your needs.
Each of these properties are fully leased and seem to be priced well … (2 comments)
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austin real estate: This Post Contains 7 Essential Vitamins and Minerals!!!
- 01/03/08 10:05 AM
A few mornings ago, I was getting some cereal for my six-year old daughter, and she said something that stuck with me, both because it seemed very observant and because it provides an interesting lesson for all of us in real estate.
"Dada, did you ever notice that every cereal box talks about how its cereal tastes the best?"
"Yes, I did. What do you think about that?", I replied.
"I guess they want everyone to buy their cereal." True enough.
I thought about this brief conversation a little bit, and I realized that the approach that these companies use to sell children's cereal … (29 comments)
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austin real estate: Top Employers in Austin Texas - Looking for a job? These may be worth considering
- 12/27/07 01:09 PM
Occasionally, we have potential home buyers who are considering moving to Austin, and they ask about the primary employers here in this area. Each year, the Austin Relocation Guide releases a list of the top Austin employers, both public and private. Here is the latest list:
1. The State of Texas - 65,688 employees - http://www.governor.state.tx.us/
Top agencies include the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Water Development Board, and the Texas Department of Health.
2. Dell Computer, Inc. - Approx. 17,000 employees - http://www.dell.com/
Dell was started by Michael Dell in his dorm room … (27 comments)
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austin real estate: Join Me and My Family on Our Recent Trip to the Mall - You Won't Regret It!
- 12/22/07 04:46 AM
We went shopping at Lakeline Mall in Cedar Park a couple of nights ago with all three kids in tow. We first visited JC Penney so that my wife could pick out some clothes for her mom. Since I was on kid duty, I watched the kids play "hide and seek" in the clothes racks and throughout the department. I remember doing the same thing when I was little, but I didn't have any siblings, so my version basically consisted of me hiding until my mom was in a near panic looking for me, then popping out. Surprise! Why are there … (15 comments)
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austin real estate: Transported by Song - A Look Back on My Collection of Records from 1977-1978
- 12/21/07 01:16 PM
In honor of our recently formed group Inspired by Song!, I wanted to talk about a few songs that will literally transport me in time whenever I hear them. A couple of these could also be considered guilty pleasures, but they really are a part of my personal history.
When I was a kid, I used to spend hours in my room listening to music. I had stacks of 45's that I enjoyed. Has it been 30 years already? I was an only child, so I had a lot of "alone time" and my mom would usually indulge me when it came … (38 comments)
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austin real estate: Austin Texas is one of the "Greenest" Cities in the Country
- 12/20/07 02:17 PM
Recently, Austin, Texas was named one of the "Top 10 Greenest Cities in America" by MSN City Guides. This comes as no surprise to those of us who live and work in this great town. I would like to thank Margaret Woda for bringing this to my attention.
Serving both as headquarters for Whole Foods Market and Dell Computer and home base for Lance Armstrong (at least part of the year)and Sandra Bullock, Austin also leads the entire country in wind power and biodiesel production. Additionally, it has built advanced plug-in hybrid vehicles into its energy strategy. Austin Energy offers one of … (4 comments)
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austin real estate: Time-Traveling Real Estate Broker Visits 1987!
- 12/20/07 10:03 AM
I was ready at last. Time to fire up the DeLorean. The flux capacitor is working properly and fully charged. I have to get it up to 88 miles per hour in the mall parking lot before I slam into the department store. Let’s set the dial here…DECEMBER 20, 1987I was a senior in high school that year. Wow! This will be an interesting experience. I don't look forward to seeing how young I looked back then compared to now.Here we go…let’s get this baby moving. We are at 78….80….84…86….87…..88!(BOOM!)Whoa! I forgot that the mall and the parking lot didn’t exist … (28 comments)
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austin real estate: Get Your Hand Out of my Pocket! - Handling Commission Beggars
- 12/18/07 02:02 PM
In the course of my real estate career, I have had many people try to reach into my pocket and ask for a piece of my paycheck. I recently wrote a post about this subject: A Lesson Learned in my Real Estate Career
Though it is not always the case, I often feel like the people who ask for my money through rebates, discounts, etc. are trying to bully me. I learned a long time ago that the most effective way to deal with a bully is to confront him. Am I advocating punching a client in the face? No. … (166 comments)
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austin real estate: A Lesson Learned in my Real Estate Career
- 12/07/07 05:59 AM
I am thankful to have been in this business for over a decade, and I still truly enjoy what I do for a living. Although I don't really consider myself a graduate of the School of Hard Knocks, many of the lessons that I have come away with during my career have been difficult to swallow. Thankfully, I try to take these tough times and use them going forward, both in my own transactions and as I train other agents who work with me.
I have come to realize that any client who asks for part of my commission in the … (16 comments)
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austin real estate: A Couple of Tips when dealing with Difficult Personalities...
- 12/03/07 05:03 PM
Your cell phone rings. You check the caller ID. Oh, great. It's that agent you are working with trying to get that luxury home under contract. Uh oh. Although you want to get the deal done, you already don't like talking to him, since he is almost invariably rude and abrasive.
YOU: Hello, this is _______.
OTHER AGENT: Hi, this is Rudy McRude. I was calling to let you know that I had to use smelling salts on my client when I went to present your offer.
YOU: Really? I thought it was pretty reasonable.
OTHER AGENT: Well, I had … (58 comments)
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austin real estate: Austin Texas Real Estate - Nationally Known Expert Cites Austin as #1 Up-and-Coming Market
- 12/02/07 10:49 AM
On ABC's "Today Show" on Friday, nationally renowned real estate expert Barbara Corcoran gave her opinion on the top five up-and-coming markets in the country. She named Austin as the top up-and-coming market nationally, and she stated that it is currently a terrific time to buy Austin Real Estate, specifically in the SoCo (South Congress) area, just south of downtown.
The Austin Business Journal also featured a recent article about Austin's appreciation over the past year, which was almost 10%. This places Austin at seventh in the country for 2006-07. Clearly, it is a great time to buy property in this area!
Ms. Corcoran … (18 comments)
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austin real estate: Cavalcade of Crouch Christmas Characters
- 11/26/07 02:25 PM
I hope that you decided to click on this one because of the incredibly clever alliteration that I used in the title above. I heard once that this helps make things more memorable. Just ask Chubby Checker or Tiny Tim - they know.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at my house. Around this time of year, our family welcomes a host of colorful and happy Christmas playthings from their storage place in the attic, where they have patiently waited for the previous eleven months. I wanted to take a minute to share some of them with you, my loyal … (34 comments)
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austin real estate: What Can I Buy in the Austin, Texas Area for $1 Million?
- 11/23/07 10:41 AM
In this week's portion of my series about the affordability and desirability of Austin real estate, this week I focus on homes priced just under $1 Million:
This terrific Stadler custom home built in 2004 is located on a one acre lot in west Austin. It features over 5000 square feet, with 5 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms, awesome views, and tons of upgrades! Offered at $999,000.
Built in 2003 and located one mile from Lake Travis, this home features almost 5600 square feet with 5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, all on a 1.73 acre lot. Ultimate privacy. Tropical landscape, pool & hot tub, many outdoor living areas. … (39 comments)
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