The Williamson County and Travis County Appraisal Districts have sent out their notices of appraised value. If you feel like your appraisal is too high you may want to protest the value this year.

For those of us who have been given the option to protest online that is the best place to start. In this short video I recorded a screencast showing myself completing an online protest. If you have any questions please let me know.

What are the steps to complete an online protest in Williamson County and Travis County?

  1. Make sure your “Notice Of Appraised Value” form has a watermark that says “Online Protest Available.”
  2. Type in your Quick Ref ID and Online Protest ID.
  3. Be sure to check the value is over market value AND unequal.
  4. Type in a…

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1. Someone who loves the neighborhood will represent your home

Wouldn’t it be great to have a Realtor who loves the neighborhood as much as you do answering calls from buyers or talking to possible buyers at your open house? Wouldn’t you like to have someone representing your home that knows where the trailheads are located, how many pools are in the neighborhood, what type of social events occur and who has the best pizza? We have been Avery Ranch homeowners for over 7 years and love living here. Nobody loves living in Avery Ranch more than we do and our enthusiasm for the neighborhood will make it easy for us to sell the neighborhood and your home to any buyer.

2. Your agent will know the schools and school zones

Most people are attracted…

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According to the Zillow 2014 Nationwide Survey of Real Estate Agents and Interior Designers, the number 1 investment for a home seller is Curb Appeal. And the second best investment a home seller can make is hiring a professional home stager.

You’ll never get a second chance to make the first impression. Buyers begin to make assumptions about the property right from the curb-side … even before they step in. So creating a strong first impression is a very important step in the process of selling your home.

Here are a few tips that will help you create a great curb appeal:

De-Clutter And Clean

A clean entrance can go a long way toward establishing a positive first impression. Remove extra objects from the entrance like kid’s toys and bikes.…

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We are in an interesting time for Austin real estate. There has been a lack of good homes going on the market over the winter. That lack of good homes along with a backlog of buyers who had been losing multiple offer bids last year have caused prices to go up significantly in some areas of town, particularly central and south Austin.

Inventory of homes is even lower than the statistics indicate. There are many homes on the market that are overpriced or in poor condition and therefore may never sell. The number of good homes, priced close to market value is significantly lower than market statistics would indicate.

All buyers need to be ready to view homes as soon as they come on the market. Even in the suburbs such as Cedar Park the great homes…

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If you’ve listened to talk radio in Austin you’ve heard a commercial for a Realtor sales guarantee. Some version of “If I don’t sell your home in 37 days I’ll buy it.”

How does that work and is that a good deal or a gimmick? Here’s how the Realtor sales guarantee has been explained to me.  

If I were to offer this guarantee first I would make you pay for an appraisal. Then I would make you pay for an inspection and make any repairs suggested on the report. After that we would come up with a guaranteed price that would be somewhere around 20% less than the appraised value. If your home is worth $300,000 I would offer you around $240,000 for a guaranteed price.

Is that a good deal or a gimmick? I’ll let you decide.

Would I buy your…

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As we headed into the year I was interested to see what would happen to our real estate market. There has been talk that the drop in oil prices and that effect on the Texas economy combined with Austin real estate becoming what some believe is unaffordable would cool off the market. That has definitely not happened.

At the end of December our inventory of homes was up .2% over December 2013. That may have indicated the real estate market would ease up a little in January. It doesn’t look like that is a long-term trend. As of today the inventory of homes is back under 2 months. Homes that are in desirable areas are still selling quickly with multiple offers just like last year, if not even faster.

As an indication our first listing as a new…

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Why You Should Have A Realtor When Building A New HomeMost people are surprised when I tell them their choice of a mortgage company can be the deciding factor in whether or not their offer is accepted in a multiple offer situation. The truth is the Austin real estate market is so competitive the mortgage company and the type of loan can make or break an offer.

I’ll often hear advice given that a buyer should write a letter to the seller to gain an emotional advantage. In reality a strong pre-approval letter is much more important than showing a picture of your family and telling the seller how much you love the home.

  1. The Mortgage Companies Reputation Among Realtors Is Important
      2. Make sure the lender has a great reputation with Austin real estate agents. Real estate agents talk to each other…

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So you’ve found a home you love, now the big question is what should you offer? Do you offer asking price? Take 5% off, 10% off? There is no set formula. You need to look at several things before deciding on an offer price.

Find similar homes that have sold recently.

Compare them to the property you want to buy. Find homes in the same area, of similar size with the same upgrades. Is this home priced much higher than other homes that sold recently? In today’s market sellers are trying to take advantage of higher prices. You need to compare those prices to recent sales determine you offer and not just rely on their list price.

Look at the homes that are under contract.

Especially in an appreciating market like we’re in right now you can’t rely…

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78745 Coming Soon Listing

Now is your chance to own a home in this charming, highly desirable neighborhood! Great close-in location near Central Market, Westgate Shopping Center and just minutes to downtown. This 2/1 home with adorable curb appeal sits in the heart of the south Austin’s 78745 zip code. Built in 1949 you will fall in love with this home’s hardwood floors, fresh paint and screened in covered patio. The oversized 2 car garage with upgraded electric service is insulated and climate controlled to be used as a workshop. Extra space behind the garage is also insulated and climate controlled, great for a wine fridge or extra storage.

The 1,026 sq ft house sits on a pier and beam foundation recently repaired by Douglas Foundation Repair. The…

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Austin real estate is moving fast. What if I told you using one of the national websites for your Austin real estate search might keep you from finding the perfect home until it’s already sold? A recent study by WAV group showed the best way to find up to date real estate listing information is to search with the local real estate websites and not Zillow or Trulia.

Previously, we talked about sellers not relying on Zillow for market values. In the WAV group study they talk about how using national websites like Zillow and Trulia buyers may not find timely or accurate information to help them in their home search.

Here's what the WAV group report found:

1. Local real estate websites display new listings 7-9 days earlier before national sites.

…

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