Kopa Real Estate Blog - real estate

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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Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

I’m not talking about the classic 80’s song from the London band The Clash.

Instead, this is a question I get asked by homeowners 2-3 times per week. For the most part it’s not a real estate question, but I thought I would share some of the things I would think about if I were asking that question myself.

The Part That Is A Real Estate Question

If you ask me if you should stay or go, I think what you’re really asking is if you decide to move today and sell your home will you miss out on a huge home price appreciation that’s coming right around the corner.

It’s understandable to have some anxiety about that because who would want to miss out on you home being worth 20% more next year?

Nobody would like to…

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It's Not As Spooky As You Think

Almost every day I get calls or have people attend our seminars thinking they can’t sell their house because of what they are hearing in the news. I assure you we are still helping people like you sell their homes and If what you are hearing has stopped you from making a move contact us to talk about your plans. Many people have benefited this year from scheduling a buying power and home improvement audit. I’ve found that even if what I tell them isn’t what they want to hear it allows them to make better decisions and move forward with their life. I’m not saying it’s easy but in the end our clients always say it’s worth it to move on to a better place.

Who Is Moving Right Now?

One of our recent clients were the original owner of their home. They…

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Avery Ranch 2023 Fall Community Garage Sale!

Hey there, Avery Ranch Residents!

Are you ready for a day of bargain hunting and treasure hunting? Mark your calendars for an event that's become a beloved tradition in our community—the Avery Ranch Fall Community Garage Sale! Clear out those garages, sheds, and closets because it's happening on Saturday, September 16th, from 7 AM to 1 PM. 

It's that time of year again! In the days leading up to the garage sale, watch for signs posted by the HOA at the four corners of our community announcing the event.

Homeowners are encouraged to put up their own signs on the day of the garage sale to help shoppers find their location with ease. Just remember, these signs should be promptly removed once the garage sale concludes. Let's keep our beautiful…

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Why You DON'T Want A Hungry Agent

Sometimes I’ll hear someone saying they want a “hungry agent”. In reality hiring a hungry agent is your biggest risk in this market.

The number of homes in our area being listed and sold is down about 30%. Realtors are leaving the business left and right because there aren’t enough homes for everyone. If you’re looking for a hungry agent you will have a lot to choose from.

What you don’t realize is how much that will hurt you. When listing your home, the biggest risk you have is hiring someone who will tell you what you want to hear so you hire them. When an agent is that hungry you have to wonder if the advice they are giving is benefitting you or them.

I recently had a buyer’s agent on a sale tell me she personally needed that deal to…

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Why The Market Is Like A Microwaved Frozen Burrito

Lance Lambert, real estate editor at Fortune Magazine, called Austin the most interesting real estate market in America.

Prices went up like a rocket and came back to earth, but still up 43% since March 2020. Some people can’t get over missing out on timing the market. The truth is few people did because even those who sold at the top had to buy in the same market at the top.

If I told you in March 2020 your home would be worth 43% more in 3 years you would have been over the moon happy about that. If you’ve allowed yourself to get stuck because you missed out on the peak perhaps a change in perspective to thinking about how much better off you are than 3 years ago will help you get unstuck. Otherwise using 2021 and early 2022 as your baseline…

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How To Transfer Your Over 65 Exemption

Does the school tax ceiling transfer when a person who is age 65 or older or is disabled or is the surviving spouse (age 55 or older) of the individual moves to another home?

A percentage of the school district tax ceiling may be transferred.

The ceiling on the new residence homestead would be calculated to give you the same percentage of tax paid as the ceiling on the original residence homestead. For example, if you currently have a tax ceiling of $100, but would pay $400 without the ceiling, the percentage of tax paid is 25 percent. If you move to another home and the taxes on the new residence homestead would normally be $1,000 in the first year, the new tax ceiling would be $250, or 25 percent of $1,000.

To transfer the school district…

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How To Determine The List Price For Your Home?

Determining the list price of your home in the Austin area is a delicate balance that involves taking into account a variety of factors. The perfect balance can be achieved by considering the following:

1. Comparable Sales: Researching recent sales of similar homes in the area (comparable sales) can provide a good starting point for determining the list price. This will give you an idea of what similar homes in the area are selling for and can help you set a realistic price for your own home.
2. Home Condition: The condition of your home is also an important factor to consider when determining the list price. A well-maintained, move-in-ready home will generally command a higher price than a home that needs repairs or updates.
3. Market…

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24 Open House Visitors At Our 1st Open House of 2023!

Early indications are the Austin area housing market is heating up again for the spring.

Each week we get a slightly better view of the 2023. Of course, in between when I am writing this on February 2nd and when it hits your mailbox things may have changed so get in touch with us to find out exactly what’s happening at that time.

Here are some of the early signs of a stronger real estate market this spring.

Open Houses And Showing Activity

We had 24 guests at our first Open House of the year which is much higher than I expected. The owners asked for buyers to remove their shoes. Here’s a picture I took of outside the home that shows how many people were inside at that time.

That home went under contract in only 6 days. With the…

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What To Expect From The Housing Market In 2023

The 2022 housing market has been defined by two key things: inflation and rapidly rising mortgage rates. In many ways, it’s put the market into a reset position.

Last January I talked about how we needed to watch the inventory of homes for sale and interest rates. As the Federal Reserve made moves this year to try to lower inflation, mortgage rates more than doubled. At the same time, we saw huge jumps in the number of homes for sale. This was a double whammy for the real estate market and had a cascading impact on buyer activity and ultimately home prices.

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates In 2023?

Interest rates shot up to over 7% and as of the end of 2022 have settled back closer to 6%. Moving forward, experts agree it’s still going to be…

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