Year-end Financial News Just Released by Sun City Texas   I know financial reports can seem pretty boring. On the other hand, the financial health of a Home Owners Association is critical in its long range sustainability.  That said I’ll try to give you the highlights for the financial news just released by the board of directors here in Sun City Texas: ·         The Sun City Texas HOA ended the year with a $225K surplus before accruals. ·         New Home Sales for the year were up 14% to a total of 285 units sold, 35 more than the budgeted amount of 250. ·         Golf for 2013 turned in surplus of $43K against a budged loss of $100k.  The surplus is earmarked for future Golf projects. ·          Final approval of the budget and year-end financials will occur at the March 6, 2014 bo... 02/17/2014

Happiness Is Not a Math Equation In a featured post this morning from Jeff Fritzson titled, “Helping Your Buyer Prioritize Their Criteria“ he introduced an empirical tool to help buyer prioritize their want to have list in buying a house.  As a professional marketer, I used Con-Joint analysis to help customers decide what they really wanted, and what were they willing to pay for. I’m on board with using the numbers to tell the story, in most instances.   However, buying a home, the place where we are going to live, is still 90% an emotional decision.  We choose the house where we feel good, not necessarily, where the spreadsheet tells us where the best deal may be.  Buyers may begin their search with the most analytical approach possible, and many do.  After they have had a chance to se... 02/12/2014

Sun City TX 13 Month rolling total $/Sq Ft Jan. 2014 Authored & Published by Rugg Realty LLC   Call Brian Rugg 512-966-3200 for more detailds 02/09/2014

Text version Sun City Texas Real Estate Report© & Home Sales Summary January, 2014 Results    See online at www.SunCityTexasRealEstateReport.com      January-14 January-13   Summary Sale Price Sale Price Change from prior year Low $165,000 $135,000 22.2% High $760,000 $382,500 98.7% Average $275,335 $219,766 25.3% Median $257,000 $192,000 33.9% Units Sold 24 31 -22.6%  Data gathered from ACTRIS MLS February 7, 2014     Month of January 2014 – Happy New Year! Sales are off to a mixed beginning this year with some interesting developments.  Prices continue to move up in all price ranges.  Average prices have jumped from the $220k range all the way to the $275 range, a 25.3% increase over prior year.  Median prices also took a big jump, up 34% vs. one year ago. The biggest movement is the ... 02/09/2014

New Rugg Realty Web-Site For Sun City Texas, One Year In The Making   I am pleased (and relived) to announce that Rugg Realty LLC has a new web site that showcases our exclusive market of Sun City Texas located in Georgetown, TX.  We did not set out to take a year to do this, but as they “Stuff Happens”.  We are a smaller boutique type brokerage, but with big reach in our laser focused market area of Sun City Texas.  More to the point, we had to go through multiple different web designers, SEO experts, and IDX providers before we found ones who could actually deliver what we wanted and knew we needed.   This process has reminded me that a web site is never really finished, but more of a perpetual work in progress.  So, off I go to tweak something important and write a blog to be posted ... 02/04/2014

Homes near The Village Elementary School in Georgetown Texas 400 Village Commons Georgetown, TX 78633 Shopping for a new home is exciting! It's also a great time to make some really positive decisions about where and how you want to live.  Find all for sale homes near The Village Elementary School in Georgetown Texas.     Is it time to sell?  Please review our Property marketing plan for homes in Austin Texas. Request a free custom evaluation for your Texas Home in Austin. Subscribe to our FREE Market Insider to gain valuable insight into the communities that are served by The Village Elementary School and use our interactive map to locate points of interest like shopping, restaurants, and healthcare services.   Drive Time to Nearby Destinations Homes near The Village Elementary School... 02/02/2014

Is it unethical to refer to an agent as a Doofuss? I was working with out of town buyers this weekend and recommended they see a particular home that was not on their must see list.  Based on my description they agreed to see, so I went about  arranging  the showing. I happen to know the listing agent and had past dealing with him on another property. I mentioned to my client to be prepared of an agent who was a Doofuss.  They were intrigued with my description and couldn’t wait to meet the gentleman. The listing agent for this property does not live in Sun City and has made it clear in past meetings he thinks it’s a lousy place to live. (Doofuss 1).  He has also arranged it so the home can only be shown with him present and no lock box, or key is available elsewhere (Doofuss 2).  The l... 01/21/2014

  Just Released Sun City Texas New Home Inventory List 1/15/2014     Rugg Realty sells new homes in Sun City Texas too, not just re-sale homes.  If you do have an interest in new homes, be certain to register Rugg Realty LLC as your buyer’s agent at the new home sales center when you check in.  Even if you have already visited the new home sales center, it is never too late to be represented by Rugg Realty LLC before you make a purchase.   Many buyers do not realize they can have a buyer’s agent in the purchase of a new home too.   Not only will you be represented in the process (since the sales person only works for the seller, not you), Rugg Realty is offering a rebate to buyers of $500 on Garden Homes, $750 on Classic Series, or $1000 on Estates Series.   This really is the best of a... 01/19/2014

Homes near Douglas Benold Middle School in Georgetown Texas 3407 NW Blvd Georgetown, TX 78628 Find all for sale Homes near Douglas Benold Middle School in Georgetown Texas.  Information for property that is for sale/rent is a direct feed from the AUSTIN MLS and is updated several times daily. Homes near Douglas Benold Middle School in Georgetown Texas have an easy access to schools, parks, shopping, entertainment and restaurants. It has everything you need to live and play.  Living near Douglas Benold Middle School in Georgetown Texas every day can be your dream come true too!   Conveniently nearby Georgetown Locations Homes near Douglas Benold Middle School in Georgetown Texas have the perfect balance of "small town charm" with all the conveniences of larger cities. Those moving from ... 01/11/2014

Homes near Georgetown High School in Georgetown Texas 2211 N Austin Ave Georgetown, TX 78626 Find all for sale Homes near Georgetown High School in Georgetown Texas.  Information for property that is for sale/rent is a direct feed from the AUSTIN MLS and is updated several times daily. Homes near Georgetown High School in Georgetown Texas have an easy access to schools, parks, shopping, entertainment and restaurants. It has everything you need to live and play.  Living near Georgetown High School in Georgetown Texas every day can be your dream come true too!   Convenient Nearby Georgetown Locations Homes near Georgetown High School in Georgetown Texas are conveniently located just 26 miles north of Austin Texas. Georgetown has the charm of a small city with many of the perks of a large... 01/11/2014

What Are The Values of Sun City Texas Homes Over The Past 17 Years?   I began keeping keep these records for an investor friend of mine who want to purchase rental properties in Sun City Texas.  He knew the values were down, but was curious about the upside potential.  Once I had the background data assembled I have simply kept up with it since my clients first inquiry. This graphic really does tell the story about home values in Sun City Texas.  If you have questions about investing in Sun City Texas, or any question about buyer or selling here, give me a call.  Brian@RuggRealty.com or 512-966-3200.   01/09/2014

    What Is the Sales Process For Buying A Sun City Texas Home?       They say a picture is worth a 1000 words and I am hoping that the attached graphic explains the home buying process here in Sun City Texas, at least from a macro view.     Some noteworthy points include:   ·         All of the stages overlap.  None of them is separate and distinct unto themselves.  For example, one cannot expect to have a closing unless a home has been selected.   ·         The very best way to begin a search is with a broad outlook and then narrow the search as one progresses.  Too often a buyer will be so specific about a variable they become discouraged and eventually begin to consider homes previously rejected.   ·         Every choice is a compromise or a trade off in some way.  It is not possibl... 01/08/2014

What Was the Cost Per Sq Ft of Sun City Texas Re-sale Homes in 2013 As one can see for the above chart, the price per sq ft in Sun City Texas has steadily improved in 2013 from $120/sq. ft in January 2013 to $135/Sq Ft in December.  Please keep in mind these are averages and subject to up and down swings.  However the linear trend lines in the above chart also make it pretty clear that there has been an over all steady climb.   What do I predict will happen in 2014. Give me a call to hear the latest. 01/05/2014

 What Are The 2014 Golf Fees in Sun City Texas?      Golf is an integral part of the community in Sun City Texas.  We have three courses that are all open to the public as well as Sun City Texas residents.   The good news is that residents get a break on greens fees and almost everyone has their own golf cart.   01/05/2014

Sun City Texas Real Estate Report - Full Year 2013 Text Version     Sun City Texas Real Estate Report© & Home Sales Summary December 2013 Results See online at www.SunCityTexasRealEstateReport.com     December-13 December-12   Summary Sale Price Sale Price Change from prior year Low $166,000 $145,000 14.5% High $496,000 $625,000 -20.6% Average $244,683 $246,183 -0.6% Median $218,900 $221,265 -1.1% Units Sold 24 34 -29.4%           Dec YTD 13 Dec YTD 12   Summary Sale Price Sale Price Change from prior year Low $126,000 $110,000 14.5% High $750,000 $625,000 20.0% Average $235,445 $213,220 10.4% Median $219,975 $193,750 13.5% Units Sold 454 402 12.9%   Data gathered from ACTRIS MLS January 2, 2014    Month of Dec. 2013 – Results are a mixed bag, but mostly in the negative territory.  Entr... 01/03/2014

Sloppy Agent Input Makes MLS Data Useless   I am a “by the book” and a “buy the numbers” kind of guy.  Measuring and counting things are the foundation for us to understand almost everything.  Our experience gives us insight in a qualitative way, but it has to be built on quantitative analysis. Not surprisingly, I am the only broker in town, who bothers to write and publish the Sun City Texas Real Estate Report. I am in the process of getting yet another new web site off the ground and in particular focusing on the IDX portion to be certain Rugg Realty has the best search possible for our clients.   This effort has been much more difficult than I ever imagined and I have had to fire several different vendors who couldn’t get the job done.  I have also been reminded that the quality of s... 01/01/2014

Happy New Year From Rugg Realty In Sun City Texas Hope you have a happy, healthy & prosperous New Year!     Thinking of a move to Sun City Texas? Give us a call. 512-966-3200 01/01/2014

Sun Sets on 2013 in Sun City Texas As the sun sets on 2013 I thought you might like to see one of our spectacular Sun City Texas sun sets. This one was shot just yesterday and is ideally suited to say goodbye to 2013.   Happy New Year to All! 12/31/2013

All Sun City Texas Re-sale Homes Inventory Under $200k 12-29-2013      As you can see, this is a very short list, just 2 homes.  If you are considereing  Sun City Texas, contact Rugg Realty to be certain you are receiving the most recent information ahead of everyone else.  We are connected to this market better than anyone   12/29/2013

  Admittedly, A Big Deal   It is not the size of the transaction, or the total commission, but the testimonial I received from my buyer that made this a big deal for me.  Here are the particulars……….   My buyers Mark & Sharon had decided that Sun City Texas was the place they wanted to be. Their home was sold and knew our market was very busy and properties were going under contract in a matter of days and sometimes, just hours.  To put themselves into position to be here when the right property came available, they concluded it was best to rent and be ready to take action at a moment’s notice.  After searching for a rental more than a week, I contacted a former client who had a new rental he had just purchased, but not yet on the market and negotiated a short term agreement favorable t... 12/26/2013