texas: How to Appeal to First Time Home Buyers - 08/04/15 03:10 AM

How to Appeal to First Time Home Buyers - Buying your first home is a big deal and something that won’t be taken lightly by anyone. As a seller, knowing how to update your home before putting it on the market and knowing how to stage your home before a prospective buyer comes in for a viewing, can put you ahead of the game. Here are 5 tips to help you appeal to a first-time home buyer.
Deep Clean
This might be an obvious one, but you’d be surprised! Give your home a deep clean, or hire a professional to do so. You wouldn’t want … (0 comments)

texas: Avoid These 5 Home Staging Mistakes - 06/09/15 08:04 AM

Home staging is a necessary component of prepping one’s house for the real estate market. However when staging, it is crucial to elude silly mistakes so that potential buyers don’t pass up your house. Avoid these 5 home staging mistakes when readying your house for the market.
Neglected nooks and crannies: While checking out the interior of your home, buyers are likely to poke into corners and closets that you may have forgotten. Never underestimate the clutter that can found beyond a first look.
Dusty or messy rooms: If your home is layered with dust, your tub is grimy, and your spaces are cluttered, … (0 comments)

texas: Things To Do In Austin, Texas – May 2015 - 04/20/15 08:02 AM

Things To Do In Austin, Texas – May 2015 - Springtime is finally here and it's a great time to get out and explore some of the great events and activities Austin, Texas has to offer. Whether you're a resident or just visiting, you're sure to find something for you and the whole family this May in Austin.
Old Pecan Street Spring Arts Festival 
Dates: 5/2/15-5/3/15
Location: East Sixth Street
A free, family event, the Pecan Street Festival is the oldest and largest art festival in Central Texas. Musicians, food vendors, artists and crafts people turn Sixth Street - historically called Pecan Street - into a … (2 comments)

texas: Price War: Tips For Pricing Your Home Right in 2015 - 03/12/15 02:54 AM

Price War: Tips For Pricing Your Home Right in 2015 – Pricing your home for the market can be a tricky task. You don’t want to set the price too high and detract buyers, but at the same time, you don’t want to set the price too low and lose money. It’s essential to come up with an appropriate price for your home when putting it on the market, and we’ve come up with several tips to help with this process.
Use Online Calculators – This is a good place to start your process. Online calculators are free, simple and quick tools that can … (0 comments)

texas: Turn Spring Cleaning Into Goodwill Donations - 02/18/15 11:57 PM

Turn Spring Cleaning Into Goodwill Donations
It’s that time of year again - spring cleaning time! Whether you like the actual act of cleaning or not, you still have to agree that the feeling you get after cleaning and purging some of your old belongings is great. What you see as an unuseful, inanimate object can really help someone else and inevitably make their lives easier or better. Here are some things to remember to help you turn your spring cleaning into Goodwill donations.
Where to Look:
Depending on the size of your home and how often you choose to … (0 comments)

texas: 5 Things To Do In Austin, TX This November - 11/07/14 05:59 AM

5 Things To Do In Austin, TX This November – November is already here! This year is flying by, what are your plans for this month? We’ve gathered our favorite upcoming events for November below, check them out!
Fun Fun Fun Fest, Nov. 7-9 – Austin has some of the best festivals around and this one is no different. Check out some progressive musicians and comedians at this creative festival. Veteran’s Day Ceremony, Nov. 11 – Celebrate Veteran’s Day in Austin with the Veteran’s Day Parade downtown to honor and remember our veterans. Dirty Dancing, Nov. 11-16 – Are you a fan of the movie? The … (1 comments)

texas: 5 DIY Tailgate Games for Football Season - 09/17/14 05:40 AM

5 DIY Tailgate Games for Football Season – Football season is finally here! Whether you’re rooting for your alma mater or cheering on your favorite NFL team, it’s time to get in the spirit of the season. Everyone loves a good tailgate, and besides the food the best part is the games! It doesn’t matter if you’re at the game or out in your backyard – these games are a great way to have some fun before rooting on your team.
The best part is that you don’t have to spend a ton to get these games. Many of them you can … (9 comments)

texas: 5 Things To Do In Austin, TX This September - 08/29/14 06:47 AM

5 Things To Do In Austin, TX This September - Happy September! Are you and your family back in the zone when it comes to your school and activities schedule? The weeks are probably packed with appointments, practices, activities and more, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had on the weekends! There are plenty of fun festivals, events and activities that will be great fun for your whole family during September. We’ve listed a few of our favorites below; check them out and get ready for a fabulous start to fall!
Here are our top picks of things to do … (1 comments)

texas: 10 Apps To Save You Money - 08/13/14 05:28 AM

10 Apps To Save You Money - Saving money doesn’t have to be challenging. With apps available for everything now, why not use apps for saving money too? We’ve gathered our favorite apps that will help you with your finances, check them out below:
1. Mint - This app allows you to securely track your account information, set a budget and monitor your financial goals. You can also receive alerts when bills are due!
2. RedLaser - Have you always wanted to know the price of an item at multiple stores? RedLaser does just that. This barcode scanning app provides price comparisons for other retailers … (1 comments)

texas: 4 Myths For First Time Home Buyers - 08/11/14 03:24 AM

4 Myths For First Time Home Buyers - There are plenty of myths out there about buying a home. For a first time home buyer, it can be confusing to separate fact from fiction. We’ve gathered our top tips to help home buyers through the experience.
1. You must have a 20% down payment - Buyers are encouraged to put down 20% or more on their home to avoid paying private mortgage insurance. However, there are loans available that require a much lower down payment, some even as low as  3.5%.
2. Renting is less expensive - While the current trend of renting is popular among young adults, … (0 comments)

texas: 5 Things To Do In Austin, Texas This August - 07/29/14 05:15 AM

5 Things To Do In Austin, Texas This August - Summer has flown by! Can you believe back-to-school season is almost upon us? Your kids are probably experiencing the end of summer blues, dreading leaving summer vacation behind. Don’t you want to make the last days of summer extra fun for them? Luckily, there are plenty of great events and activities going on in Austin to get the kids out of their slump. Below are a few of our favorite things to do during the month of August; check them out and enjoy the rest of your summer!
Here are our picks for … (0 comments)

texas: 5 Home Luxuries For Less - 07/22/14 02:02 AM

5 Home Luxuries For Less – Everyone wants more luxury in their life, right? While many home upgrades can tend to be expensive, there are affordable improvements out there that can add extravagance without breaking the bank! From at home spas to sound systems, we’ve gathered the best options to create home luxuries for less:
1. Spa Shower - The bathroom is one of the best places to add more luxury in your home. Switch out your regular shower head for a “rain” shower head which can either be attached to the ceiling or the wall with an extension arm. This simple change will make your … (0 comments)

texas: 5 Things To Do In Austin, TX July 2014 - 07/01/14 02:57 AM

5 Things To Do In Austin, TX July 2014 - Can you believe it’s already July? This summer is flying by! This month always seems to go quickly with the holiday, vacations, and all of the fun events and activities going on in the area. This is also the part of the summer where the newness of having no school leaves kids in a bored state of mind. Get them out of it by shaking up the routine! There’s plenty to do in Austin to keep your whole family active and out of the house, and have a ton of fun. Below we’ve listed some of … (1 comments)

texas: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Becoming a Homeowner - 06/24/14 06:31 AM

5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Becoming a Homeowner – The decision to become a homeowner is exhilarating but it ultimately is a major commitment. Before you decide to move forward, it’s crucial to know if you’re absolutely ready for home-ownership. Check out the following questions to guide you in your decision making.
1. Why Do I Want A Home?
You need to question why you are buying a house.  Are you doing so because it’s part of your dream or because you are ready for it?  Home-ownership is a full-time job.  Can you handle it?
2. Can I Afford It?
Houses … (1 comments)

texas: 9 Questions To Ask Yourself About Your Home - 06/12/14 06:46 AM

9 Questions To Ask Yourself About Your Home  - There are several aspects of our homes that we don’t think about regularly- that is until they stop working. Read our 10 things you didn’t know about your home that may be in need of some extra attention.
1. Do you have access to your garage without power? Many garages do not have side doors-   which can make getting to your vehicle very difficult should the power go out. Make sure you have a plan to access your car if this happens.
Do you know how to shut off the main water, as well … (6 comments)

texas: 3 Tips To Set Your Home Selling Price - 06/05/14 05:03 AM

3 Tips To Set Your Home Selling Price – One primary concern when selling your home is getting the highest return on your initial investment. First-time sellers may think the best way to accomplish this is to set a high asking price, but that may not be the best idea. A high initial selling price can discourage potential buyers who otherwise would be willing to negotiate on price, and a low initial selling price can create disappointment. So how do you determine your home’s selling price? We’ve gathered the top tips for setting the right selling price for your home. Use these suggestions … (0 comments)

texas: 5 Helpful Apps For Moving in Texas - 05/22/14 12:00 AM

5 Helpful Apps For Moving in Texas- If you’re planning on moving this summer, one of the hardest seasons to move, you know it’s going to be a stressful process. But, if you had apps to help you move it could make the process a little bit easier…
Here are 10 helpful apps to help you start your moving process….
MyMove is a moving organizer for IPhone’s. It is a complete moving planner for your upcoming relocation. It allows you to calculate the weight of all of your house hold items and helps you plan to hire a professional moving company. MoveMatch allows … (0 comments)

texas: 8 Ways To Save Money For A Down Payment - 05/14/14 04:00 AM

As if searching for the right home isn’t stressful enough, new homeowners also have to plan on coming up with enough money for a down payment on their new abode. When you’re a first-time home buyer, this task can seem to be especially daunting. But don’t worry – we’ve come up with eight ways to drum up enough funds for a down payment on the house of your dreams.
Here are a few tips for saving for a down payment:
Crunch some numbers. Start by doing some math to get a general idea of what kind of sum you’ll need to begin saving … (0 comments)

texas: Home Buying: Negotiating An Offer In Texas 101 - 05/12/14 01:09 AM

Home Buying: Negotiating An Offer In Texas 101 - You have found the home of your dreams and are ready to make it yours. It's time to write an offer and as you are reading through each paragraph and negotiating point you start to feel overwhelmed, unprepared, and questioning, "Am I ready for this?" Whether you have purchased a home or not, preparing an offer and negotiating a contract can get overwhelming if you are not ready. Your real estate agent can help prepare you for this big step and also help you negotiate the contract, but here are some tips for you as well.
… (0 comments)

texas: 10 Ways To Spruce Up Your Home - 04/17/14 04:01 AM

10 Ways To Spruce Up Your Home - Sprucing up your home can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it. Whether you want to spruce up your home for the summer season or you just want to change things around a bit, here are 10 helpful tips for you!
1. Let’s start with the entrance to your home: the front door. Throw a fresh coat of paint or a new knocker. While you’re at it, make sure the door bell works properly!
2. Whether you live close to the water or not, a beach atmosphere … (1 comments)