Austin Texas Real Estate Podcast

Here are four steps that you can take right now to make sure that you’re ready to buy a home in 2019:

1. Check your credit score. This will range anywhere from 300 to 850. To qualify for the absolute best mortgage rates, you should aim to have your score be 740 or higher.

2. Resist the temptation to open new credit cards or lines of credit. Even though you’re bombarded with applications to get a new card on a daily basis, not doing so will help you in the long run and make sure that you’re the most qualified candidate to get a great loan with a great rate when the time comes to buy.

3. Find out what you’ll need for a down payment. Talk with your mortgage lender and determine just how much you’ll need to buy. If you’re going to be a little short, consider asking families for monetary gifts for this purpose during the holiday season. Most of them will be so excited to get in on the process of helping you buy a home and would love to contribute to that goal in lieu of presents.

4. Hire the right agent. This is probably the most important step. When you hire the right real estate agent, they’ll be able to counsel you and take you all the way through the loan process. They can connect you with the right mortgage lender, make sure you get approved, and take you step by step through the rest of the process. That’s exactly what we do on The Smith Team.

When you work with us, you’re in good hands. We would love to help you with your home purchase in 2019. If you have any questions for us or want to learn more about what we can do for you, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email today. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

When you think of the Smith Team, we definitely want you to think of us as agents who help you buy and sell real estate. However, we also want you to think of us in other ways—we want to be your real estate resource.

If you have questions about a lender, call me. I’m in the business daily, and I have access to some of the best lenders available. I’d be happy to refer you.

If you’re looking for an insurance agent, call me. I’d love the opportunity to get one of the many agents I know in touch with you.

If you’re looking for a hairdresser—I’m not joking here—I can refer you. Just the other day, I referred mine to someone who had just moved into town.

"Our tagline is 'Smart. Service. Sold.'"

If you’re in need of a handyman or some other trade service to make a repair at your home, think of us. 

Our tagline is “Smart. Service. Sold.” We want to educate you on the Austin market and provide you the best service possible during the home buying process, and in general. We want you to be sold on us, but we also want to make sure your home is sold for as much as possible.

So, ultimately, if you’re in need of any referrals in the Austin area, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re happy to help you in any way we can. Hope to hear from you soon!

Many homeowners have lived in their home for at least a decade, but buyer preferences come and go faster than that. If you’re planning on selling your home in the near future, here are some features that you should consider replacing or upgrading if your home has them:

"If your home has some of these features, don’t worry—I can help. "

1. Laminate countertops. Buyers nowadays want to walk into a kitchen and see a granite countertop or some other natural stone countertop. They’re no longer a luxury item—they’re a must- have.

2. Outdated bathrooms. Buyers want to move into a home where they don’t have to make many updates. Fixing your bathrooms and giving them fresh looks really appeals to buyers.

3. A carpeted main level. Buyers don’t like carpet on the main levels of homes anymore. They prefer either hardwood or tile because it’s easier maintenance.

4. Energy inefficiency. Buyers pay attention to whether the home they are going to live in is energy-efficient or not. They want to be comfortable in their homes and not have to pay extra on utility bills. Making your home energy efficient can go a long way in making it appeal toward buyers.

If your home has some of these features, don’t worry. Just give me a call and I’d be glad to speak with you about how you can fix these items up and get the highest return on your investment when you’re ready to put your home on the market.

As always, if you have any other questions or real estate needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear from you!

What is a home inspection? Why is a home inspection important? Why is it important to hire a good inspector? Here are your answers to these questions:

1. What is a home inspection? A a home inspection is simply a process designed to verify the condition of your property. Once they’ve inspected everything, they’ll give you an itemized report of the home’s condition.

2. Why is a home inspection important? Homebuyers want to know exactly what shape a property is in before they purchase it. And while sellers will provide a disclosure concerning its condition, it’s still a good idea to have an independent third party working on your behalf so you can make an informed decision.

"It’s important to hire a good inspector who will do a thorough job and give you a full report on the house you’re buying."

3. Why is it important to hire a good inspector? A home inspection is like anything else—you want the best people working for you and representing your interests. Your inspector should be licensed, they should know what they’re doing, and they should know what they’re looking for. They should also be able to walk you through everything that’s on the report they give you. 

If you’re thinking of buying a home and you have any more questions about home inspections, give me a call or shoot me an email. My team and I would love to help you.

Today we're going to talk about housing inventory. You may be asking, “Why is this such an important statistic when you're looking to sell your house?” I am here to answer just that.

What is housing inventory? Housing inventory is the number of homes on the market at the time you're looking to buy or sell your home.

What is considered good inventory? Good inventory varies depending on if you are looking to buy or to sell.

If you are looking to buy, six months’ worth of homes (or more) on the market is ideal. This means it would take six months or more to sell every home on the market at the time. When the market is shifted this way, it is called a buyer’s market, and it tends to favor the interests of buyers.

If there are fewer homes, buyers have fewer options and, therefore, they may have to pay more for your home if they want it.

If you're looking to sell, six months’ worth of homes to be on the market is the sweet spot, since this means that there are fewer homes than there are buyers.

Does the number of homes on the market affect your home’s value? Absolutely, it does.

More homes on the market means that there are more homes for buyers to choose. This can impact the value of your home, causing it to go down a little.

If there are fewer homes, buyers have fewer options and, therefore, they may have to pay more for your home if they want it.

What does the current inventory mean if you're looking to buy a new home or sell your home? This means that if there are six months’ worth or more of homes on the market, it would take six months or longer to sell every home on the market at the time that you're looking. Again, this is called a buyer’s market. The buyer is in control and could potentially pay less for a home since they have more choices. If you're a seller, then you want six months’ worth or less. This can increase the value of your home and could create a multiple offer situation, which could increase how much you net for your home.

If you have any questions about your home or the inventory available in your area, feel free to reach out to me. I would love to speak with you about the current market in Austin.

How do you live in your home while it’s on the market? I have a few tips that will make things easier and help sell your home quickly.  Selling in the Austin area? Get a market analysis reportPurchasing in the Austin area? Get full MLS access When you are selling your home and it’s priced correctly, agents will be knocking on your door and trying to get their buyers in to look at the home as quickly as possible. Of course, all of this is happening while you’re still living in your home. How do you handle this? How do you live there while your home is on the market? The first thing you can do to minimize the amount of time your home is on the market while you’re living there is to make sure that your home is squeaky clean at all times. We don’t live in our homes like we do when it’s on the market. Make sure your home is five-star-hotel clean. Doing so can add $5,000 to $10,000 of value to your home. Isn’t it worth it then to make sure your home is clean? It’s important to maintain some level of privacy when your home is on the market. Of course, you do want to maintain some level of privacy when your home is on the market. Make sure that people can’t see things like medication or fine jewelry. When people come to look at your home, they will go through your cabinets, your drawers, and your pantry. Lock up any personal items you wouldn’t want someone to see. If you have kids, get them involved. Make sure that it’s a game for them. See who can make their bed the fastest each morning, or who can put their toys away quickest. If you have any other questions about selling your home or would like to know what’s going on in the market, give us a call or send us an email. My team and I would be happy to help you!

Today we’re going to be discussing five important things that you want to know when buying a home inside a homeowners association.

1. What is the cost? Location will play a key factor, and the cost can vary greatly from one HOA to another. You want to know your starting costs and your monthly costs prior to making an offer.

2. What does the HOA cover? The scope of this also varies. They might cover maintenance or insurance. You want to know exactly what you’re paying for each month.

3. What are the rules? HOAs tend to have restrictions and some are more strict than others. It’s important to know the rules, the penalties, and everything else.

The scope of what an HOA will cover can vary greatly.

4. Are you happy with the home’s exterior? You might love the inside and the floor plan, but maybe you aren’t as fond of the color of the home. If you’re buying in an HOA, many times they will dictate what color your home can be. Make sure you know about this up front.

5. Can you get involved with the HOA? Many times, the answer is yes. It’s a great way for you to know exactly what’s going on in your neighborhood.

If you have any further questions about buying a home in an HOA, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Selling your home can be a bit daunting. That’s why I want to make it a little simpler for you by going over the top three home features that attract buyers.

1. Curb appeal. You want to make sure when a buyer drives up that they have a good first impression. Your yard should be well-maintained, your walkways should be free of debris, and the exterior should look fresh, overall. Power washing can be a great, quick way to make a big difference.

2. Space. Most buyers are looking to buy a new home because they want more space. When you are showing your home, you should make it appear as spacious as possible. Put away personal items or anything else that could clutter up the home. Buyers should be able to see themselves living in your home.

Buyers should be able to see themselves living in your home.

3. Updates. Buyers love a modern home. Updates, especially to the kitchen and bathroom, will make buyers feel as if your property is more move-in ready.

If you have any other questions, would like more information, or would like to talk more about how we can help you sell your home, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sometimes, listing your home can be a daunting process. You might have been living in your home for 10 or 15 years, and now, you’re ready to make that next move. What are some simple things you can do to simplify your next move?

1. Start sorting your belongings. Put them into piles according to the things you plan to give away or discard, things you might keep, and things that you are for sure going to keep. If you start this process of purging, I promise that it will make your move so much easier.

2. Give yourself plenty of time. It can be a long process to sort through a decade’s worth of stuff. Be patient with yourself and give yourself plenty of time to do it.

Starting today just means that your home will get on the market sooner.

3. Store your belongings in clear plastic bins. When you move to your next home, you’ll want to be able to see what’s in each box. This will make unpacking easy since you’ll know exactly what’s in each bin.

4. Do it now! Starting today just means that your home will get on the market sooner, meaning that you’ll be on to your next home that much quicker.

If you have any questions or you need any help, feel free to contact us. We’re happy to help you in any way we can.

Today I have a special guest with me, Brett Dyer of Greenway Insurance, to talk about assessing your insurance needs for the year. Brett is actually my own personal insurance agent who we recommend here on the Smith Team.

Since we’ve had a lot of floods in the US this year, I thought it would be a good idea to cover the topic of flood insurance first. 

Especially in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, you can never be too careful when it comes to flooding, regardless of whether you’re in a flood zone or not. I recommend that all my clients purchase a flood insurance package, which comes at a state-regulated rate of $450 per year. There is a 30-day grace period from the time you pay.

I recently contacted Brett about replacement costs on my home. What exactly are replacement costs?

A lot of insurance companies are starting to veer away from insuring homes with roofs that are older than 15 years.

A replacement cost is the amount that the insurance company will reimburse you in the event that you sustain a loss. For example, if you were unfortunate enough to go through a house fire after which you were forced to rebuild some or all of your home, you would need to find a builder and a team of construction workers. Depending on the amount of damage and the type of coverage you had, you would be reimbursed some or all of the amount needed to fix it. This is why it’s so important to regularly reassess the value for which you’re insured.

Lastly, how important is the roof of a home?

It’s important to know how old the roof of a home is, so make sure that you work with an inspector to determine the exact age of your roof, because a lot of insurance companies are starting to veer away from insuring homes with roofs that are older than 15 years. If you can’t get insurance, then you can’t get a mortgage, either.

If you have any further questions about insurance, please contact me and we can get you in touch with Brett. For any questions about real estate in general, feel free to reach out to me as well. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you with your real estate needs.