Can You Sell Your Home In The Fall? You Can This Year!

Every year I keep track of trends and make notes to avoid making the same mistakes again. Last year I made a note that sellers needed to have their homes priced to sell by the end of July. Even though our market isn’t as seasonal as you might expect we can’t blame buyers for wanting to take a break and get out for a last summer vacation when it’s 105 degrees.

This year has been different. We have never seen the amount of traffic at our listings, the number of buyers visiting open houses and the offers from motivated buyers in Augusts as we did this year. Perhaps it’s simply supply and demand or buyers are motivated by the drop in interest rates this year. Whatever the reason, based on the…

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Every year I keep track of trends and make notes to avoid making the same mistakes again. Last year I made a note that sellers needed to have their homes priced to sell by the end of July. Even though our market isn’t as seasonal as you might expect we can’t blame buyers for wanting to take a break and get out for a last summer vacation when it’s 105 degrees.

This year has been different. We have never seen the amount of traffic at our listings, the number of buyers visiting open houses and the offers from motivated buyers in Augusts as we did this year. Perhaps it’s simply supply and demand or buyers are motivated by the drop in interest rates this year. Whatever the reason, based on the number of buyers and agents calling us to ask about coming soon…

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Homeowners often ask our opinion about home improvements they are planning to make and if they will increase the value of their home. Before I consider any home improvements at my own home I like to step back and think about them at a higher level and here is the thought process I go through before I get in my car and head to Home Depot.

Will It Solve My Problem?

Especially before starting a large project I ask myself if it will solve my problem.

The best example of a mistake I have seen is a homeowner who was told by a different Realtor his house isn’t worth as much as another home because the master bedroom was upstairs. Based on this information the homeowner spent $90,000 to add a 2nd master bedroom downstairs. In the end the…

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When the owners of 15909 Dink Pearson Ln called us they were concerned about the price we could get for their home because there had been several recent sales nearby for much lower prices. Because home prices in our area can vary based on unique criteria of each home it is important when pricing your home you work with a Realtor who has experience selling homes here. Everyone has access to data but there is a huge difference between data and knowledge.

After reviewing the market and what our experience told us about the market the owners trusted our suggested list price. The owners also believed in our proven marketing system that exposes our listings to the maximum number of buyers. Our marketing system gives us the best chance to…

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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…

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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…

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Whenever I look at the real estate market statistics I like to pick out a few interesting things you might not know simply by looking at the numbers.

It is often difficult for me to explain how dollars per square foot works when trying to price real estate. Sometimes homeowners with beautiful homes will want to take the average $/SF and multiply that by the size of their home and then add their upgrades. In reality, when using the $/SF statistic for all of Austin, the numbers will skew more based on size than condition of the home.

A great example of this is the home in Austin that sold for the highest $/SF was also the smallest home and the home that sold for the lowest price. It is counterintuitive that your home which is likely much nicer and…

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YES, an open house will help sell your home. 72% of our homes have sold to a buyer who visited an open house.

Sometimes that means a buyer who visits the home only during the open house. It can also mean someone who came to view your home with their agent and wants to come back for a 2nd look. Other times a buyer attends an open house and then wants to come back with their agent.

One of the many things that make Austin real estate different from other areas is half the buyers are not committed to working with a real estate agent until the find a home they want to buy. If you don’t have an open house you are missing out on half the buyers in the area. Not having an open house means not fully exposing your home to the market.

Because we have…

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When selling your home it’s tempting to overprice your property. Of course selling your home for the most money is the goal of most people. However, what we have found is much like a baseball player who swings for the fences you are more likely to strike out than hit a home run by significantly overpricing your house.

A great example of what can happen to a seller that overprices their home recently played out in our neighborhood.

Last summer we were hired to help a couple sell their home. We suggested they price their home at market value, which was $485,000. After being on the market for 3 days we received 2 offers for the home and settled on a price of $486,500. We were also able to negotiate a free 2 month leaseback for the sellers to stay in…

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