Kopa Real Estate Blog - Eric Peterson

Afraid Of Negotiating? Fuggetaboutit!

At the closing of their home sale a couple of weeks ago, the sellers told me 10 of their neighbors stopped by to say goodbye, and they all said they are going to sell next year. What surprised me is all the neighbors asked if the sellers had to negotiate and brought up negotiating is one of their biggest fears about selling their home. 

Many people seem to be intimidated by the idea of negotiating in general and intimidated because they believe people buying homes around here have a reputation of being shrewd negotiators.  

They aren’t. At least not for those of us who have been around the block and can anticipate typical negotiating tactics and who aren’t afraid of being direct. 

Most people think I’m from Texas or maybe California. I’m…

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6 Real Estate Lessons For My Kids

I can’t wait until my girls are old enough to buy their first home. Whether they like it or not, I’m going with them to Open Houses just so I can ask all the Realtors, “Is the price negotiable?” This will be the ultimate dad joke, and they’ll be so embarrassed. Aside from that, hopefully I can give them some good advice. Here are 6 things I would tell them when they are old enough to buy their first home. 

1. Don’t buy a new house just to get a low interest rate. 

I saw a builder advertising 1.25% interest rates. That builder has disclosed their average incentive on sales is 13.3%. What that means is people are paying $500,000 to get a $450,000 house. That’s fine if you’re going to stay in the home for 10 years but otherwise, you’re upside…

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What Will Happen If President Trump Fires The Fed Chairman?

This morning, I saw a video of a Realtor in Dallas telling people that President Trump is going to fire Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and replace him with someone who will cut interest rates immediately. She indicated that buyers should buy before that happens and sellers should hold off on selling.

I’m not trying to get political, and nobody is a cheerleader for lower interest rates more than me. For the last 3 years, I’ve been pretty clear that I don’t know what is going to happen with rates. Over that time, a lot of people have been angry with me because I don’t give them an overly optimistic predictions.

In fact, back in January, 2024 someone came to one of my home selling seminars and told everyone to hold off on selling because rates would be…

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Be Kind, Not Nice: The Hard Truths Every Home Seller Needs to Hear

In real estate, there's a difference between being nice and being kind. “Nice” is telling you what you want to hear. “Kind” is telling you what you need to hear—even if it stings a little. If you’re thinking of selling your home, let me offer you something better than politeness: honesty, grounded in years of experience.

1. Your Home Is Not Special (To Buyers)

I say this with deep respect: your home holds sentimental value—for you. To buyers, it’s just one of many options. That wallpaper you love? The shelf where your kid took their first steps? The quirky vintage tiles you insisted on keeping? They’re not selling points. In fact, they might be the reason a buyer passes.

Being kind means telling you upfront: depersonalize and neutralize. Your…

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Realtor Commission Settlement One Year Later

It’s been a year since the Realtor commission settlement was announced and 7 months since it went into effect. So, what’s changed?

From a buyer standpoint, buyers and their agent should have some type of written agreement prior to viewing homes. It’s important to note that buyers can always visit our Open Houses or contact us about any of our listings without signing any agreement.

One intention of the settlement was for buyers and their agent to have a compensation agreement regardless of who is going to pay for that compensation. In my opinion that makes sense. From there the only question is who is going to pay, buyer or seller.

From a seller or listing agent side things get more complicated because in Texas we still have two ways to handle…

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April 2025 Avery Ranch Garage Sale

When is the next Avery Ranch garage sale? The next garage sale is scheduled for Saturday April 12, 2025 starting at 7AM.

Avery Ranch is destination master planned community in northwest Austin. With 4,000 homes in the neighborhood chances are you have a friend or colleague who lives in Avery Ranch.

We have been Avery Ranch homeowners since 2007. People love living in Avery Ranch because of the amenities such as 5 swimming pools, lighted tennis courts and pickleball courts, playgrounds, neighborhood events, the Avery Ranch Golf Club and proximity to the Brushy Creek Hike and Bike Trail.

Students in Avery Ranch attend award winning schools including Sommer Elementary and England Elementary in Round Rock ISD and Rutledge Elementary in Leander…

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So You’re Ready To Downsize...Now What?

Downsizing from a larger home into a smaller one is a major event in itself, and it often comes on the heels of a massive life change—like a child going off to college, retirement, a change in health or mobility, or a tragedy like the loss of a spouse. These disruptions tend to overshadow what would otherwise be an exciting, even liberating move. It can feel overwhelming before you even meet with an agent.

But it doesn’t have to be. I can’t guarantee it’ll be painless, but it’s never as gargantuan a feat as sellers make it out to be in their heads. I’ve helped many people successfully downsize, and once they’re moved in to their new home they often say they wish they’d done it sooner. If you’re considering downsizing, here are some strategies…

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Success Story - Avoiding Mickey Mouse Buyers

My girls love Mickey Mouse. But most of my clients are no-nonsense people and they don’t want to deal with Mickey Mouse buyers. 

In this area the number of homes that go under contract and then have the contract cancelled is at an all-time high. Last year we closed every home that went under contract. Only one cancelled but those buyers came back to buy the house so it was like getting divorced and marrying your ex again. 

One of the reasons our track record is so good is we don’t push our clients into bad deals. What you as a seller has to be careful about is 74% of real estate agents didn’t sell a home last year. You don’t want to hire an agent who needs you to sell your home more than you do. You’re likely to get pushed into accepting a…

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Reasons Why I'm Optimistic

Fannie Mae Housing Forecast: December 2024

There are two reasons I’m optimistic about real estate this year. 

First, the number of homes for sale around the country is increasing rapidly. So many people have told me they want to move but there are no homes for sale where they want to go. 

That’s no longer the case as many states are seeing more homes for sale than pre-pandemic levels. 

What that means is it is much easier to buy a home in places like Colorado, Florida, Tennessee and Florida. We have even had clients be able to buy a home in other states contingent on selling their home here before we put their home on the market. Contact me if you need a referral to a great agent anywhere in the country. 

The second reason I am…

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Tips to Make Your Move Easier On Your Pets

They say you attract what you are, and I suppose that explains why we have so many animal lovers; we are animal lovers, too.

Moving can be hard on everyone involved. Adults, kids, and yes…even your pets! While your pet may not understand exactly what is going on, they can sense the stress (good or bad) that the whole family is experiencing. Add to that the fact that animals are creatures of habit and do not like changes to their usual routine, and you can understand why they become so confused. They also become quite anxious when all of a sudden, they see their human family busily throwing everything around them into boxes.

Naturally, we always want to keep our pets happy and healthy because we love them…but we also want to lessen the chances of…

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