VA Loans are hotter than ever. Over the last six years, more and more veterans and their families have flocked to the security and unmatched buying power of these government-backed loans. VA purchase loan volume continues to climb, jumping to $271,804 loans in 2014 from just 180,758 in 2009.

A tighter credit market and sagging housing industry have fueled renewed interest in this long-cherished program. VA loans feature more flexible credit and underwriting standards than conventional loans. Qualified military personnel and veterans can purchase a home with no money down or private mortgage insurance.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, VA loans remain the safest lending option on the market. That combination of purchasing power and…

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Most people believe for a room to be counted as a bedroom it has to have a closet. That’s not true! The International Residential Code does NOT mandate a bedroom to have a closet.

Here is the definition of a bedroom we have to follow when entering data into the MLS with the Austin Board of Realtors.

“A bedroom needs at least two methods of egress, so it should be accessible from the house with a latch to afford privacy and then have one other exit (window or door), ceiling needs to be at least 7 ft tall and the room should be at least 70 SQFT, and more specifically the room cannot be smaller than 7 feet in any horizontal direction. Most bedrooms contact a closet: however rare exceptions do exist such as historical homes.”

If you have…

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How are the schools? That’s a common question parents and even people with no kids who are thinking about resale value ask us.

One way people evaluate schools is by looking at the website greatschools.com. The website Zillow also includes greatschools.com ratings on each property listing.

Greatschools.com takes information about a school and boils it down into a singular score with 10 being the highest score possible.  A problem with evaluating schools this way is the information used may be outdated or inaccurate.

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An example of outdated information being used would be with one of the elementary schools in our neighborhood, Rutledge Elementary. For as long as I can…

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Buying a home is a precious event. The home you choose is going to shape your daily routines and memories for years to come. The process of finding and purchasing a home can be an exhausting one. For this reason, it is best to find a Realtor to help guide you through the process and protect your interests from start to finish.

Some homebuyers make the mistake of asking the listing agent to show them the home that they are interested in. I’ll explain why this is a bad idea throughout the rest of this article. Sometimes these buyers will also enter into a real estate contract with the Realtor who is representing the seller as well. This is called Dual Agency”; when one real estate agent represents both sides of a transaction.

Some buyers feel that…

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