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Austin, TX Real Estate News

By Jude Galligan
(Downtown Austin Blog)
You might have seen this article recently.  It’s an interesting read.  Filled with quotes and bold statements.  You might have also seen my recent article about the actual number of dwellings in Downtown Austin.  As your loyal Downtown Austin Realtor (plug!), I thought I would dissect this article and give you the scoop from the trenches of Downtown Austin Real Estate. Downtown Austin is growing I’m going cut/paste a handful of quotes from the article, and then explain if that quote is, generally speaking, true or false.  Let’s begin… “If people are waiting for the crash to come and for people to give away condos downtown, it’s not going to happen,” Spring developer, Perry Lorenz True.  Perry is right about this.  The sky is not falling as some local papers would have you believe (coug...
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By Stephanie Zellous (512) 971-4875, Stephanie Zellous
(Keller Williams Realty)
Green Builders, owned and run by the much beloved Austin area builder Clark Wilson, has recently introduced Green Remodeling services which help you make energy  efficient upgrades to your home or complete an energy efficient remodel. Starting in June 2009 Austin homeowners will be required to get an energy audit on residential and possibly (highly likely) commercial properties prior to the sale of the property, I can't think of a better opportunity to get a head start than consulting with one of my favorite home builders.   Click here to visit the Green Remodeling website.
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By Stephanie Zellous (512) 971-4875, Stephanie Zellous
(Keller Williams Realty)
Here is the November 2008 report on the national real estate market. There is some good news; the market should improve in 2009 but on the flip side interest rates are expected to increase. Market statistics for you area are also available, contact your preffered Realtor today to find out what's happeneing in your neighborhood. Click on the link below to review the report. View Report.
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By Stephanie Zellous (512) 971-4875, Stephanie Zellous
(Keller Williams Realty)
Months of inventory explained. Months of Inventory estimates how many months it would take to sell all of the current listings. Months of inventory under 6 months means that you are in a seller's market, anything over means that you are in a buyer's market. Price range is a factor as well as location. If you would like statistics for your area contact me.
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By Robin Scott, Broker, REALTOR® - Austin Texas
(Robin Scott, REALTOR®)
Often we encounter those who don't recognize the value a professional Realtor brings like the for-sale-by-owner I dropped in on yesterday. But, I have a buyer client who appreciates my value so much that she checks with me about all decisions and where some new home buyers don't even let me know when there is a final walk-thru of the property, this client wants to make sure I can be there. Through my professional abilities and experience I was able to negotiate a favorable price for the house, support the buyer in upgrade and design decisions, explain the credits and debits and find and have corrected an error on the part of the builder, provide vendor information and connect the buyer with others in her community.  It's great to be appreciated and that's what will bring referrals. I ap...
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By Kathy De La Cruz, Realtor®, ABR, CRS, SRES
(RE/MAX Austin Associates)
I partnered with Gehan Homes last weekend to host an open house at Amberwood in Kyle, Texas. We opened three homes with different floor plans for people to look at and knocked around $10,00-$15,000 off the sales price of each home. Kyle is a fast growing area and we had a great turnout ! I had the opportunity to do some awesome networking and even ran into an old friend from high school! Small world! I would suggest this to any realtor, it was a lot of fun. I will post more on the open house as well as pictures very soon!
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By Jude Galligan
(Downtown Austin Blog)
One of several designs for Brad Kittel's Tiny Texas House I think many downtown residents, musicians, artists, and anyone searching for something off the beaten path will appreciate this. Brad Kittel constructs and sells period-style dwellings — dubbed Tiny Texas Houses because they range from 100 to 500 square feet — as an answer to sprawling mansions and the myriad forms of exorbitance that come with them. (source: Statesman).   Prices range from $40-90k. Brad uses mostly reclaimed materials included siding, flooring, windows, hardware, and fixtures.  You can see photos of his workshop on his website.  The period-style dwellings are, in fact, modular and therefore could appeal to those already interested in the modular concepts of Rocio Romero or local firm KRDB’s Ma Modular. origina...
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By Dorie Dillard Austin TX, NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones
(Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899)
Canyon Creek tries to be a good preserve-side neighborhood.  This community is located off Hwy 620 between Hwy 2222 and Anderson Mill Road.  The residents enjoy a 57 acre City of Austin Park - Trail Head Park and their own Canyon Creek Park.  Many sought after streets in the community are surrounded by preserve areas. The community understands living next to, or near a preserve provides many benefits: natural beauty, interesting wildlife & quiet neighbors! Several guidelines residents try to follow to keep from destroying the preserves natural eco-system are: 1. They try not to plant "exotic invasive plants".  These kinds of plants spread from human settings into the wild, where they may out-compete and replace native plants. 2. They understand there are many resident wildlife to enjoy ...
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By Julie Nelson, Smart real estate.
(eXp Realty)
By our favorite South Austin contributor-Patti P.  One night last week I planned on cooking pasta for dinner-knowing what time the family would most likely be home and ready to pounce on their plates-and being that it was my turn to cook-I started the big pot of pasta water before everyone was home and let it simmer on the stove, figuring I could turn up the flame as soon as the front door opened to get the pot to a rolling boil quickly.  Thus dinner would be served, consumed, cleaned up in record time and we could hop right on to evening events.     Instead of being an organized time saver, I unwisely wasted quite a bit of energy keeping that pot of pasta water on simmer.  Yep, I'm a noodle head in more ways than one.     But simmering that pot of water is no different than the traditi...
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By Jude Galligan
(Downtown Austin Blog)
originally posted at Downtown Austin Blog Patagonia is a welcome addition to Downtown Austin This past weekend, Downtown Austin’s newest retailer, Patagonia, officially opened its doors.  Located at 316 Congress Ave (map), Patagonia is a milestone in the revitalization of Congress Ave by bringing 7,000 square feet of outdoor clothing that Austinites seem to love.  I make an effort to support businesses that make Downtown a better neighborhood.  So, even though you might be spending less this holiday season, you should consider making the effort to spend that money at local small businesses and businesses that are revitalizing downtown. According to the Statesman article, the store has shower facilities and bike accommodations for employees, supporting alternative commuting strategies a...
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I was reading a real estate publication the other day, and it had a little blurb about commercial brokerage.  Naturally, I was immediately drawn to it, as the majority of real estate writings tend to focus on the residential side of the business.  In the rather short blurb it said that commercial agents often cut their commissions in the negotation process in order to get a deal closed.   I have never done this, and I haven't talked to anyone who has specifically mentioned that they have (of course maybe we wouldn't want to admit to it).  That being said, there was a deal I worked earlier in the year where the other agent and I discussed using some of our commission dollars to fund some improvements in order to appease all parties.  Fortunately, it didn't come down to that.    I'm curio...
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By Robin Scott, Broker, REALTOR® - Austin Texas
(Robin Scott, REALTOR®)
According to a new survey by Consumer Reports, most buyers and sellers were satisfied with the service they received from a real estate agent.71% of sellers say they were very or completely satisfied with their real estate agent.86% of home sellers who had their homes listed with an agent did sell their homes.90% of listed homes that sold, the days on market were 6 months or less.66% of buyer's had a real estate agent and on average paid less than asking price. I'm an agent that would like to make a positive difference for you. If you are planning to buy or sell a home in the greater Austin area, please call me at 512.589.7988.Robin Scott, Broker. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist.
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By Russell Lewis, Broker,CLHMS,GRI
(Realty Austin, Austin Texas Real Estate)
This morning I had the pleasure of attending another fun and slightly "weird" Austin event involving local restaurant, Mangia Pizza's attempt to break the Guinness Book of Records, "Longest line of pizzas in the world". Along with my wife, Margaret and daughter Mattie we headed to Zilker Park to hopefully be a part of history. The event was held in conjunction with Meals on Wheels and More to celebrate the  20th anniversary of Mangia Pizza opening for business here in Austin, Texas. If successful, the company would break a world record and after the event, Meals on Wheels would deliver the pizzas to The Salvation Army to feed the homeless!                     On Wednesday of this week, I received an email from one of my best pals in the world who is kind of a Big-Shot with the Mangia P...
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By Steve Crossland, Austin TX Real Estate
(Crossland Real Estate)
The number of residential single family home sales in Austin took a 28% dip for Oct 2008 compared to a year ago. The number of "Not Solds" (expired or withdrawn) took a big jump also, to 59% of all listings that departed the Austin MLS in October. These are grim numbers, but the remaining metrics that we track are again holding up pretty well nonetheless. In short, fewer homes are selling, but the ones that do sell are fetching prices near or or above last year's sales. Most sales currently are for homes selling below $200K. Let's look at the breakdown:  · Number of homes sold is down 28% (was down 14% last month) from 1,717 Oct 2007 to 1,227 Oct 2008. Last month (Sept) saw a decrease in the slowing of sales, but this month (Oct) headed back the other way again. I think the remainder of...
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By Ki Gray, Austin Real Estate
Zilker Metropolitan Park is perhaps the brightest jewel in Austin's golden crown of parks and other outdoor venues. It is 351 acres of endless amusements for all ages and interests. There is something for every season of the year, from the Trail of Lights at Christmas to a dip in the cool waters of the spring-fed pool on a steamy summer day. It can be hard to pick a spot to begin exploring, but Barton Springs Pool is probably the best known attraction in the park. The three-acre pool is an average sixty-eight degrees year around. The grassy hills sloping down to the pool's edge offer shady spots to put down a blanket for a day of swimming and picnicking with family and friends. The underground spring that feeds the Barton Springs Pool is part of Barton Creek, which winds its way to join...
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Austin's booming economy has always been a draw for restaurateurs and bar owners, offering tantalizing new opportunities and a constant desire for something new and different. The latest craze to hit the hip Texas capitol is wine bars "both older, established places that have been around for years, and newer, funkier alternatives are drawing in crowds like never before. This trend is particularly noticeable in Austin's popular downtown warehouse district, where several new wine bars and restaurants have cropped up in the past year, and have found success and popularity among Austin's young professionals and older patrons alike. But downtown isn't the only place you'll find excellent wine and gourmet food. Neighborhoods like Hyde Park and North Austin's Domain are home to their own wine-...
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originally posted at Downtown Austin Blog photo courtesy of www.shipmentoffail.com The most interesting presentation about parking in the history of the world (pdf). (Okay, this is about parking so it’s dry as your grandmothers turkey.  But, in the world of parking, this is a home run presentation.  I’ve heard from DANA board members that Patrick Siegman, the guy who wrote the presentation, is an amazing speaker on the topic of parking and new urbanism.) I’ll help out… below are three major reforms that could be applied to Downtown Austin parking. 1. Charge fair-market prices for curb parking 2. Spend the resulting revenue to pay for neighborhood public improvements 3. Remove the requirements for off-street parking Over the past 48 hours there’s been lots of discussion over at Austin Co...
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By Robin Scott, Broker, REALTOR® - Austin Texas
(Robin Scott, REALTOR®)
AUSTIN AREA MARKET STATISTIC SIMPLIFIED. Statistics from SEPTEMBER 2008 Compared to SEPTEMBER 2007 Homes Sold 1,670 - down 8% Median Sales Price $182,600 - unchanged Active Listings 10,217 - up 2% Average Days on Market 71 - up 18% source: Austin Board of Realtors 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®)
This morning was the STEPOUT WALK TO FIGHT DIABETES for the American Diabetes Association and my client and now friend Maureen wanted to volunteer because there is diabetes in her family so I offered to volunteer with her. I've been too busy to read the volunteer information so I waited until yesterday to find out that we had to be across town by 6am. Plus a cold front came in last night with high winds. At 4:30 I was up and getting ready to go. Maureen and I met in a parking lot at 5:30 and we made it to Fiesta Gardens in southeast Austin by 6am. I had never been to that park before and it was a wonderful  park on Lady Bird Lake. When we got there it was dark and colder than we expected or were dressed for. Much colder. I'm guessing with the blustery winds the chill factor may have bee...
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By Robin Scott, Broker, REALTOR® - Austin Texas
(Robin Scott, REALTOR®)
LEASED! Cute and clean 2-story condo in a gated community with easy access to shopping, medical, employers, on the UT shuttle route and only 15 minutes to downtown Austin. Downstairs is a large living/dining area open to the kitchen which includes refrigerator and full-size washer & dryer. plus a private patio. Upstairs is a loft bedroom, bath and walk-in closet. Private patio and community pool. Owner/agent. 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 Speciali...
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