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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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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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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When you want to sell your Austin area home, you don't want to fool around. You want to see that SOLD sign in the front yard and you want to realize the highest possible selling price. This is why having a Realtor® with a strong marketing strategy is so important in real estate.

Kopa Real Estate uses a multi-step process to do just that.

It all begins with choosing the correct price, so the first step in our service to you is the preparation of a comprehensive market analysis, based on the most recent sales of homes most like yours in your neighborhood – or neighborhoods much like yours.

After that, we focus on:

  • Preparation
  • Marketing
  • Follow-through
  • Negotiation
  • Follow up

Preparation:

More than 90% of all home buyers…

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Weather and the time of year have a big impact housing activity, and in every housing market there are times of the year when fewer homes sell. For most, that time of year coincides with the winter months, and in much of the U.S., that’s the case right now.

But no matter where you live, it’s important to know how seasonality affects the housing market. So let’s look at the current housing numbers, how seasonality affects them, and what it means for you if you’re looking to buy or sell.

With few homes available, sellers are in pole position

Last year, limited inventory dominated the headlines for the real estate industry, and that trend looks to continue this year. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), inventory dropped…

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