At this time of this article Kopa Real Estate is representing 3 buyers under contract with homes that were not listed for sale in the MLS. As the inventory of great homes for sale has shrunk it is more and more important you find out about homes for sale before anyone else. The special homes sell fast and once they’re gone they are gone for good! 

Kopa Real Estate has 8 ways to find off market deals for our clients. Let’s talk about what our company does and let me know how we can help make your home search easier and more successful. Here are some of our tips and tricks.

1.    Monthly Newspaper – We mail out over 10,000 real estate newspapers. Included in each issue is a list of clients we represent and their criteria for a home. Each

Property tax appraised values have been mailed out in Williamson County and we have already received a lot of questions about how to protest your property tax value.

I used to think the process to protest my property taxes was confusing. Then I figured out the tax office has a system and by following directions it has been much easier for me. Hopefully a few of these tips will help you.

Here are a few quick tips I will explain later in more detail.

1. There is no advantage to being the first person in line to protest your taxes. In fact that makes you “fresh meat” and puts you at a disadvantage.
2. If you ask the tax office will provide you with the list of properties they will be using in your hearing. Once you know the data they are using

You Will be Angry But I Have Good News 

On April 1st Williamson County Appraisal District is scheduled to mail out 2019 property tax appraisal notices.  Based on the sale prices you are not going to be happy with your home’s value going up. 

But I have good news! Most homeowners when they receive their tax value say something like “If someone would pay me that much for my house I would sell it to them.”

If that’s your reaction when you open the notice for your property chances are we can sell your home for the tax value or even more. In fact last year our average sales price was 4.1% ABOVE tax value. That comes out to an average of almost $17,000 OVER the tax value.

When you get your notice in the mail don’t be angry. Instead contact

When selling your home one of the many aspects to consider is whether or not to utilize staging to bring in those prospective buyers. Staging has proved to draw in potential home owners, attract attention on MLS listing photos, and inspire a connection with the home so buyers feel like they could live there. Until recently the only way to stage your home was to bring in carefully coordinated furniture, accessories and hire a photographer to take photos of a beautifully staged home.

The problem with home staging is it is expensive and many Realtors and home sellers don’t have the budget to pay the rental fee. Renting staging furniture in Austin is expensive. For an average sized home it will cost over $3,000 for the first month and close to $2,500

If the IRS considers you a “foreign person” and you are selling real estate your sale may be subject to FIRPTA withholding.

 FIRPTA is short for The Foreign Investment In Real Property Tax Act of 1980. FIRPTA is a tax law that imposes income tax on foreign persons when selling real estate. Read more about FIRPTA at the IRS website. https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/firpta-withholding

This sounds scary and can be confusing to both sellers and buyers. Buyers can be especially frightened by the FIRPTA process because there are forms buyers have to sign that say the buyer is responsible for paying any taxes due if they are not collected at closing.

Many real estate agents do not understand FIRPTA and they do not ask

If you are planning to sell your home but worried about having to move twice a leaseback may be a great option for you. Last year we helped 17 sellers negotiate a leaseback on their home so it is a process we are experienced with and can explain how it works in more detail regarding your particular situation.

A leaseback is where the seller of a home is allowed to remain in the property for a period of time after closing and is something that can be negotiated between the buyer and seller as part of a real estate contract. Not only is the option to have a leaseback negotiable but also the terms of the leaseback are negotiable.

To add a leaseback to your home sale there is a 2 page addendum attached to the standard contract. In the addendum the

Are you planning to sell your home in the Austin area that needs home staging? Many of today’s buyers in the Austin area are looking for move-in ready homes. Maritz Research Staging poll shows that 63 percent of buyers are willing to pay more for move-in ready homes. So why not get your home ready to attract its new owner?

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) your home may sell for up to 17% more money if it is staged professionally. According to the report, 62% of the seller’s agent said that staging a home decreases the amount of time the home spends on the market. One of the best ways to get your home to stand out amongst the competition is to have your home staged.

Most home sellers and the best real estate agents know

This month’s success story is about a family who won’t be able to move up to another home for about a year.

How can that be a success story? Whenever someone wants to make a better life for their family and they finally put a plan together to make it possible I consider that a success. Often I talk with people who say they want to make a move; either buying their first home, moving up to a larger home or even downsizing, but they never want to take the first step to make a plan. They will likely be in the same situation years later. 

In January a neighbor called me and asked if I would come over to talk about his house. His wife has always wanted a larger home with a pool. We looked at the market value of their home and their current

 It’s said most people move about every 5 years. The real estate market has seen dramatic changes in the last 5 years. If you are planning to sell your home this year you should be aware of 5 changes and how these changes will affect your sale.

1. Buyers Have More Data Than Ever Before       

Buyers are often searching for a home years before they are ready to buy. There is so much more information about neighborhoods, upgrades and home values compared to 5 years ago. Buyers often have a better understanding of the real estate market than people who are selling their home.

How it affects you is buyers will be comparing features, upgrades and condition of your home to other homes they have seen. They often make spreadsheets including

AUSTIN, TX–As single-family home sales continue to rise, another record-breaking year is expected for the Austin-area housing market, according to the latest monthly report from the Austin Board of REALTORS®. The November 2018 Central Texas Housing Market Report released today suggests another strong showing for the region.

"Sales are up 3.3 percent year-to-date for 2018,” Steve Crorey, president of the Austin Board of REALTORS®, said. “Pending sales volume in December, the Central Texas housing market is on track to have one of the highest-grossing years on record."

Austin-Round Rock MSA

In the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), sales volume slightly increased 0.7 percent year over year from 2,185 sales in November 2017