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Austin, TX Real Estate News

By Robin Scott, Broker, REALTOR® - Austin Texas
(Robin Scott, REALTOR®)
Forbes Magazine has ranked Austin number 1 in several different categories over the years. After all, this is a great place to live. Most recently Forbes has ranked Austin number in in "the place where you can get the most bang for your bucks." The analysis was based on job growth and cost of living. Plus this is still a great place to buy and home. If you are interested in finding out more about Austin, living in Austin, real estate or buying or selling a home, I want to be your REALTOR. Call or email to find out how I can help you. 512.589.7988 or robin @robinscottrealtor.com Austin, Texas Homes for Sale. Robin Scott, BROKER Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.  
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By Robin Scott, Broker, REALTOR® - Austin Texas
(Robin Scott, REALTOR®)
Recently, I helped a couple from Michigan relocate to Austin and they purchased a home in a new subdivision with community mailboxes. It's a great concept for the post office because the mail carrier can drive to a universal location, deliver the mail and move on. Very efficient. My buyers were concerned because in the area they came from, community mailboxes were being pried open and robbed. I was shocked. I had not heard of such a thing and assured them that that didn't happen here. But it did. Last night on the evening news, there was as a story about a south Austin neighborhood whose community mailboxes had been robbed. What next? If you are interested in finding out more about Austin, living in Austin, real estate or buying or selling a home, I want to be your REALTOR. Call or emai...
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By Robin Scott, Broker, REALTOR® - Austin Texas
(Robin Scott, REALTOR®)
And this is not the first such case in Austin. Sellers: Please be safety conscious. In 2001 a woman who had her home for sale in the Great Hills, Austin neighborhood was strangled to death by a man who knocked on her door and asked if he could come in and see the house. IF THEY AREN'T ACCOMPANIED BY AN AGENT, DON'T LET THEM IN. In addition, this same man had previously strangled 4 other women with the same rouse. One of them had survived to identify him. I don't recall why he was not in prison when the Great Hills murder happened but I do remember the eerie feeling when I toured the home a year later on a property tour. Most recently, a woman in Austin was assaulted and robbed by a man whom she admitted to her home under the same circumstances. Her home was for sale. He knocked on the d...
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By Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)
(Austin Texas Homes, LLC)
When I first started here on ActiveRain last August, I was hoping to become well-known enough to garner referrals from agents and brokers in other markets around the state and across the country.  What I never bargained on was the chance that I could get referrals from other brokers right here in Austin. That changed for me recently. Back in early August, I met Russell Lewis in person for the first time.  He called me to ask if I would have 15 minutes to spend with him at my office to answer some questions he had about ActiveRain.  Two or three HOURS later, he and I wrapped up our meeting having become fast friends.  I will readily admit that until 2007 I considered other agents to be "the competition" here in Austin for the most part.  That, too, has changed, since I have made some ter...
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By Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)
(Austin Texas Homes, LLC)
According to Business Week magazine, East Austin is one of the very best possible places to purchase a home in the United States.  This one even managed to surprise me, and I have been selling homes in the Austin area since 1997.  In the article they published a couple of weeks ago, Business Week made an interesting point: home prices tend to skyrocket in areas where artists buy and rent first.  In other words, when artists flock to an area, it is generally because the prices are affordable (hence the term "starving artist", right?).  After they have been there awhile, cool businesses sprout up to serve the artist community, then everyone wants to live there because it has become artsy.  Make sense?  It did to me. When I first started selling real estate, east Austin was an area that mo...
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By Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)
(Austin Texas Homes, LLC)
I want to thank my friend Robin Scott for writing a post about Frugal Media yesterday.  I even asked if I could steal her photos for this post, and she agreed.  She is friends with the owners of this terrific new store, and since I am an admitted book addict, I was compelled to go check it out since I was in the area.  Yes, I really was in the area, so it didn't even require a special trip.  I don't have many vices, but books are something difficult for me to resist.  I had to run an errand, and I was dressed pretty casually (okay, VERY casually), but this is Austin, so who cares, right? I was very pleased with what I found when I arrived.  I was warmly greeted by two of the workers (one of whom turned out to be the co-owner, Erik Franks).  I met the other owner and CEO, Rob Canuelle, a...
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By Sarah Sutfin
(Keller Williams/Bartlett RE Group)
Have you notice the flurry of activity around the Four Points/River North area lately?  Concordia University is finally here...welcome students and faculty! Concordia University moved from its downtown location to a 385 acre campus formerly owned by Schlumberger, a French oil field services company.  Their grand opening and Campus Dedication will be held on Sunday, October 26th, from 1:30 pm to 6 pm.  The public is welcome to come tour the campus and join the celebration.   Concordia is affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod although they are quick to point out that all faiths are welcome.  The university began in 1926 as a high school and grew into a junior college in 1951.  By 1980 it was four-year college and in 1995 Concordia became a university.  Today, Concordia offers...
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By Donna Harris, Realtor,Mediator,Ombudsman,Property Tax Arbitrator
(Donna Homes, powered by JPAR - TexasRealEstateMediationServices.com)
Here's another example of why it doesn't usually pay to use a discount broker just to save their fee.  I have some clients whom I sold a house to a few years ago.  For the past couple of years, they've been wanting to sell and buy something with a pool.  We finally accomplished that last month. When it came time to list their home, I treated them like any other seller.  I went over and presented the new comps since I would run them every few months since they couldn't decide to sell or not.  I also showed them all my updated marketing information including the free trip I offer to the buyers and their agents upon a successful close. Since they were repeat clients and I already sold them their new home, I offered them a small discount as my way of saying "Thank you". I had staged the hom...
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By South Austin Real Estate Blog
(Sky Realty South Austin)
I just heard on the local morning news over at KEYE-TV, that the mega tech company GOOGLE is having an OPEN HOUSE Today.  They are showing up at the Scarborough Building and are employing 100 engineers and support staff. Welcome GOOGLE to "Silicon Hills".  A tag that Austin Texas has earned over the years with many silicon chip makers moving here, AMD, MOTOROLA, SAMSUNG, INTEL, and many I don't know but who help to make up our local economy.   Austin has a growing economy because of its diverse and varied industries and jobs.  We have a large music (Austin City Limits) and entertainment sector, (Last week I was driving thru the Onion Creek Golf Community and another film company was setting up shop)  the computer fields to include dot.commers, medical fields with the New Dell Childrens ...
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By Stephanie Zellous (512) 971-4875, Stephanie Zellous
(Keller Williams Realty)
  Travis Country is one of Austin's most popular neighborhoods. With an average home price of $326,935 (based on sales from 8/1/2008-10/14/2008), and three well rated public schools, plus three parks and a pool and tennis court Travis Country offers you the good life.   Travis Country located in Southwest Austin 7.2 miles away from Downtown, which you can access via Loop 1/ MoPac. Shopping and dining is within 1.5 miles, The Hill Country Galleria is located within 10 miles.   Schools Ratings: Oak Hill Elementary: Recognized Clint Small Middle School: Recognized Austin High School: Acceptable Private Schools: Regents School St Andrews Episcopal   Check here often for details on Open Houses and Deal Alerts in this neighborhood.
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By Robert English
(Texas Mortgage Concepts)
Pre-qualification is the first step in obtaining mortgage financing. A potential borrower answers a few questions to provide the loan consultant with a quick snapshot of the borrower's income, existing debt, accumulated savings and whether or not there is a co-borrower. Signature(s) allow the loan consultant to run a credit report and begin to determine what loans are good candidates for this particular client. However, there are literally thousands of loan programs available. It is important for the loan professional to know the long-term financial objectives of the prospective homeowner. Pre-approval is a written documentation that proves the borrower has full support of a lender. It means the form 1003 Uniform Residential Loan Application has been completed and reviewed by an underw...
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By Garreth Wilcock, Sherlock Homes Frisco
(Sherlock Homes Frisco)
What do you think the better listing price is for a home in the $400,000 range? Vote here! I did some research into Austin MLS data and found some interesting results. Read more Austin home pricing strategies
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By Scott Carson, The Note Guy
(WeCloseNotes.com Inc)
What to Invest In? I often get asked by other investors (often very new or green investors) what do I invest in or buy in the Awesome real estate market that is available in Austin, Texas. Well, that is not an easy or one sentence answer especially in this market. With the Austin real estate market avoiding the dramatic hits that have hit the East and West Coasts with property values decreasing, we've been lucky enough to still see a steady appreciation of values ranging from 5-10% in areas. While we haven't been immune from the rash of foreclosures like a lot of the other areas of the country, at least most of our foreclosures are at or below in value making them ideal deals for short sales or equity deals. Along with the foreclosures, Austin was home to one of the best rehab and flip ...
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By Debbie Barrera, Your Austin Texas Connection
(REALTY AUSTIN-Austin, TX www.RealtyAustin.com)
My 2006 VW Passat was running low on gas a few days ago and I passed a station on Cesar Chavez In East Austin that said $2.79 and and I was like, wow, I'm going to fill up there, however, time was slipping away so I decided to come back another time. And lo and behold, 2 days later it's now $2.59!! The Major Brand Gas store is a big yellow building with American flags on top of it. I waited in line about 7 minutes for my turn in line (there were quite a few cars already there) and then it was my turn. It felt so good to spend less than $45 to fill my tank, when just months ago I was spending over $60 of my hard earned cash. The VW is great on gas mileage, it gets about 26-33 MPG. Take note of this website www.austingasprices.com and check your neighborhood for the cheapest gas. I posted...
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By Garreth Wilcock, Sherlock Homes Frisco
(Sherlock Homes Frisco)
Mueller Austin home sales may see a boost in these turbulent economic times due to the local emergency. The local emergency room that is. Dell's Children's Medical Center of Central Texas is one of the employers at the mixed-use development - it has a 32-acre campus in the Northwest Quadrant of the old airport redevelopment, part of the potential 4.2m sqft of non-residential real estate. The hospital announced an expansion of its Emergency Department by ten beds, bringing the total to 44 beds. Along with the new beds come new physicians and nurses according to the press release. The Mueller Home Depot is also opening the doors to its new store at Mueller on October 30th. Jobs are being created at Mueller as businesses move in or grow. Job growth means more demand for residential real es...
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By Garreth Wilcock, Sherlock Homes Frisco
(Sherlock Homes Frisco)
Foreclosure homes in Austin: as economic news runs rampant, investors are looking to the foreclosure market in Austin to find deals. There are many misconceptions which  separate the curious dabblers from those prepared to take advantage of discounted Austin real estate. In this blog I'll look at the basics of the Travis County Foreclosure Auctions - What, Where and When. What is available at the foreclosure auctions? Homes that are being foreclosed upon due to unpaid taxes, or liens in default. There are a mass of sites promising foreclosure lists, but I don't rely on any of them for up to date information. Preparation and research are key to making any progress at the auction. Read more about foreclosure homes in Austin Texas... Garreth Wilcock is a real estate consultant at Keller Wi...
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By Garreth Wilcock, Sherlock Homes Frisco
(Sherlock Homes Frisco)
Central Austin real estate is not a homogenous market, and it's important to consider local factors when pricing a home that you want to sell, or when analyzing the market value of a home that you are considering buying. Investors are keen to know what the trends are in a specific area. Many may say it's a great time to buy due to the following factors: Low (although volatile!) mortgage rates. For more information and analysis of local mortgage rates, check out John Schutze's Austin mortgage blog. Around 20% less sales in Greater Austin than last year and rising inventory. Increased pressure on homeowners with unfavourable loans to sell It pays to heed the area that you're looking at. The Austin Board of Realtors splits up Austin into MLS areas for analysis and reporting purposes, and I...
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By Garreth Wilcock, Sherlock Homes Frisco
(Sherlock Homes Frisco)
What's a good way to find out what life in a new development is like? Ask a resident! Imagine you're thinking of buying a home in a community like Agave in Austin. As a Realtor® serving the Agave community, I can give some input, but what I advise is to drive the area at different times, and get out and meet your prospective new neighbors. For those out of town, I have gathered some neighbor blogs: In this two part series on living in Agave Austin homes, I present some blogs.   Read more about Agave Homes in Austin...   Garreth Wilcock is a Realtor® who can expertly represent buyers of Agave Homes in Austin. He specializes in Central and East Austin Real Estate. Call 512 694 8873 if you want to learn more or contact Garreth. At his website you can search the Austin MLS.
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By Robin Scott, Broker, REALTOR® - Austin Texas
(Robin Scott, REALTOR®)
With upscale cuisine. Recently I wrote about my friends who opened a used book store on North Lamar in Austin - Frugal Media. So now I want to tell you about the restaurant my son-in-law's sister opened in South Austin - Olivia. Named after their adorable daughter, Olivia, James and Cristina Holmeshave opened a beautiful restaurant with an exotic menu created by Chef James himself. Olivia is located at 2043 South Lamar so stop in for dinner and tell Christina that Robin Scott sent you. It's really good and worth the drive if you are coming from Frugal Media. This is for you Jason.      If you are interested in finding out more about Austin, living in Austin, real estate or buying or selling a home, I want to be your REALTOR. Call or email to find out how I can help you. 512.589.7988 or ...
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By Betina Foreman, Realtor, C.N.E., with WJK REALTY
(WJK Realty)
Location, Location, Location! This great house in Travis Country is for sale and its just minutes from everything! The home has a grand two story entry which has art niches facing the formal living and dining. The floor plan is open and flows well for entertaining. Huge gourmet kitchen with granite counter tops. Oversized master suite with high coffered ceiling and a morning kitchen. The garage is finished out with epoxy floors and full of cabinets. Pleas join me this Sunday from 1-4pm. If you need directions please call my cell 512-771-6318 or scroll below photos. Sincerely, Betina               Driving Directions: Southwest Parkway to Travis Country West turn Right, to Fort Benton turn Right,  go to Medicine Creek and turn Left. If you are in the market for a new home and are not pres...
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