One of the most important drivers of real estate values is the school ratings.

When I bought our current home in Avery Ranch Patsy Sommer Elementary which is now rated a 10 didn’t exist. I knew the school district owned land for the school and when it eventually would get built it would be great for the property values in the neighborhood.

In my opinion there are some good opportunities right now in neighborhoods that are being re-zoned to new schools.

For example this article shows the projected re-zoning of neighborhoods in the Leander school district.

Two of the neighborhoods shown in the map are projected to be re-zoned from an elementary school where the school rating is currently a 5 to a brand new elementary school.

Both…

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You may remember me talking about $/SF not being a reliable metric to use when pricing real estate in Avery Ranch.

I have a great example from 2 homes we sold in the Avery Ranch neighborhood in May.

The homes are of a similar size but the home on the right was 13 years newer, in much better condition and on a beautiful private lot compared to the home on the right, which backs up to Avery Ranch Blvd.

I’m often asked “What’s the average $/SF in Avery Ranch?”

If you used the average $/SF in the neighborhood to price the 2 homes you would have underpriced the home on the right (or made a ridiculously low offer) and overpriced the home on the left (or paid too much).

When estimating real estate value it’s important to consider all aspects…

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You may remember me talking about $/SF not being a reliable metric to use when pricing real estate.

I have a great example from 2 homes we sold in same neighborhood in May.

The homes are of a similar size but the home on the left was 13 years newer, in much better condition and on a beautiful private lot compared to the home on the right, which backs up to a busy road.

I’m often asked “What’s the average $/SF in a neighborhood?”

If you used the average $/SF in the neighborhood to price the 2 homes you would have underpriced the home on the right (or made a ridiculously low offer) and overpriced the home on the left (or paid too much).

When estimating real estate value it’s important to consider all aspects of a property and not simply…

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That’s right, we are buying another home and renting out our current house!

When I tell people we are buying another home they often say we have an advantage.

It’s true we do have an advantage but it’s not what you think. The advantage we had is we listened to our own advice. The same advice we give all our clients.

Here were the steps we took to buy a great home.

We were Pre-Approved

Before we started looking for a home we got pre-approved with a great local lender. Not pre-qualified but pre-approved.

We provided the lender with all our information including our tax returns. This is especially important for those of us who are self-employed and have a difficult time qualifying for financing.

An underwriter reviewed our information…

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One of the things Kopa Real Estate does very well is promoting our open houses.

Despite other Realtors saying open houses are not an effective way to sell homes many of our listings sell to buyers who visit our open houses. We have even sold several homes to buyers whose agents never visited the house. We sold the buyers the home and they had their agent write up the contract for them.

We always recommend our clients who are buying a home have us show them homes they are interested in but we know it’s tempting to visit an open house alone on occasion.

Over the years of holding open houses we have learned some helpful tips to pass on to our clients who may visit an open house without us.

This advice is for serious buyers in competitive…

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If you’re planning any home renovations you might want to look at this cost vs value remodeling report. The report calculates the return you could expect from most remodeling projects.

One of the nice things about this report is it is specific for the Austin area. A project in a home in New York might not recoup the same amount of money as a project in Austin or vice versa.

One warning to basing any remodeling decisions solely on this report is it doesn’t take into consideration your particular neighborhood or price range. Be careful not to over improve your home compared to other homes in your neighborhood.

Click here to go to the Austin remodeling report.

If you have any questions about a remodeling project you are considering call or…

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Owning investment property can be a great way to build long term wealth. For the right person becoming a real estate investor can be an enjoyable and profitable experience.

We often talk with homeowners who are considering renting or selling their home. We also talk with many people who have rented their home for one year and after that have decided to sell.

Over the years we have found some homeowners who decide to rent their home do not realize some of the expenses they will incur when converting an owner occupied home into an investment property.

If you are trying to make this decision for yourself here are a few things you may want to think about. As always you should consult a tax professional to go over your specific situation.

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Property tax appraisal values have been mailed out in Williamson County. I have seen a lot of questions about protesting property taxes because the values we have received from the Williamson County Appraisal District (WCAD.org) have gone up significantly again this year. 

I just lowered my property tax appraised value from $402,874 to $367,011 (if I choose to accept that value) in 2 minutes without leaving my home. You may not get the same result but it’s worth a shot and I thought I would pass on some tips that might help you.

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.

This isn’t intended to get you a below…

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One of the neighborhood events I look forward to is the semi-annual Avery Ranch garage sale. This event happens in both the spring and the fall. The fall 2016 Avery Ranch garage sale will take place on Saturday, September 10 from 7AM-1PM.

With almost 4,000 homes in the neighborhood there will be plenty of homes selling items. This is a great opportunity to find clothes, toys, bikes and furniture.

If you are having a garage sale at your home feel free to leave your address and a list of items you are selling in the comment section below.

One piece of advice is to get started early. Cars will be lined up at 7AM and the great items will sell right away.

We are Avery Ranch homeowners and real estate experts. If you are interested in buying or…

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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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