Austin Texas Real Estate Blog

Austin home search will never be the same with the launch of HomeToAustin.com 1.0 powered by Realzi. The updated site launching later this month will feature a custom front-end CMS specifically tailored to meet the needs of Realtors® and a custom RETS client that allow greater flexibility and search engine relevance for property pages. Say goodbye to custom IDX, RETS is the future. During beta testing on our sister site, HomeToVail.com, Vail Realtor® Daniel Estrada was “amazed” how well the site performed. ABOR has hit a home run by introducing RETS compatibility for the Austin home search market.

The 2008 Travis County appraisals are now available online. It’s time to check your home’s value and file protests. Travis County deadline for filing a tax appraisal protest is May 31 or 30 days after the Travis County appraisal district mailed you a notice of appraised value, whichever is later.

Having a Greener Home

With all the concern about the environment, it is no wonder that more and more people are interested in making their home more green. The list below will provide you with several small changes that will make a big impact.

Green Home: Tip One

One of the easiest ways to make your home more green is simply turning down your thermostat. By lowering your thermostat one degree in the winter and raising it one degree in the winter, you can reduce your energy costs by almost five percent.

Green Home: Tip Two

Appliances use the more energy than anything else in your home; unless, of course, you have Energy Star-qualified appliances. These appliances answer to a higher standard of energy efficiency than non-Energy Star appliances. The qualification guidelines for these home appliances are set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Energy. Using these appliances will save you somewhere around $75 per year on your energy bill.

Green Home: Tip Three

At one point you will decide to pull up that wall-to-wall carpeting and want to put down some nice hardwood floors. If you choose to upgrade your home in this manner, make sure you use flooring that comes from rapidly renewable resources (i.e. bamboo) and is solid wood.

Green Home: Tip Four

You know that window your house, the one that you can feel the nice Austin breeze blowing through it even if it is closed. That window represents wasted money and energy if you are running the air conditioning or if your heat is on. Going around and checking the seal around your windows and doors is a great way to help make your home a green home. Save money and conserve energy by caulking all cracks and leaks in your house.

Green Home: Tip Five

The final tip for making your home a green home is replacing your light bulbs. All of your light bulbs. Using just five, that’s right five, compact fluorescent bulbs will reduce energy use by 75% and could save you up to $100 on your yearly electric bill. If you think that’s great, using compact fluorescent bulbs also helps in removing greenhouse gases from the air.

Austin’s Mayor, Will Wynn, has introduced the Austin Climate Protection Plan. The plan contains provisions to make Austin one the greenest cities in the US. However, part of the plan is raising eyebrows with Austin homeowners.

When a home is resold, an energy-efficiency inspection will be required to ensure the home meets minimal green standards. The improvements must be completed and a certificate of compliance must be obtained prior to closing.

Mayor Wynn explained, “We’re not talking about requiring a comprehensive retrofit. What we’re looking at are the top four or five things with the lowest cost and highest return. Things like ceiling insulation, weather stripping, duct sealing, and solar screens.”

In older homes, improvements could add as much as $10K to the cost of the home. In addition, these requirements could significantly complicate and delay closing. Being green shouldn’t cost so much green!

Perhaps the Austin city council should reconsider the “green inspection” and enhance current incentive based programs such as Austin Energy’s and Austin WashWise Rebate Program.

Downtown Austin Living: A Dream?

Downtown Austin addresses have been a hot debate topic in the last few years, especially since a flock of cranes alighted upon the skyline. People have been asking about these new mega-residences: will they or won’t they work out? The Austin Business Journal, a reputable local trade publication, recently reported a study by Texas economist Ray Perryman that hints at a healthy demand for downtown Austin living. He says that even though the nation-wide housing crisis is still a reality, the Austin housing market remains stable and the downtown Austin housing market will only strengthen.

Downtown Austin: The Numbers

Downtown Austin currently has 6,000 residents, and there is a combination of about 4,000 residential units either under construction or planned to be, which indicates that downtown Austin’s population will approximately double in the the next two years. Austin’s housing market accomodates more than 40,000 new residents each year, and with rising energy costs and increasing traffic troubles, a sizable amount of that market will flock to live in downtown Austin.

Skepticism towards downtown Austin living arises with the pricetag; most of these new downtown Austin units cost $500,000 and above. Perryman insists that a market of young professionals in growing fields will support such costs. He says that if even less than one percent of the current greater Austin population moved downtown, then all unfilled existing and planned downtown Austin residencess would be occupied.

Downtown Austin Resurgence Supported by Mayor Will Wynn

“We are seeing a remarkable resurgence in downtown Austin,” says Mayor Will Wynn. Wynn has always supported the expansion of downtown Austin, and developing the downtown housing market. In his view, a good mix of condominium developments (such as the 360 building and the Austonian) and rental buildings (most successfully AMLI and the Monarch) are a healthy combination for the downtown Austin housing market, but also cites lower income housing developments such as the revamp of the Green Water Treatment Plant as a representation of the other side of the downtown Austin living spectrum, affordable housing.

A smart move would be to jump on the downtown Austin housing opportunites before they dry up and demand that another flock of cranes land on the downtown Austin scene. But those opportunities that get snatched by the downtowners will leave spaces open for those uninterested in downtown Austin living. Either way, the Austin real estate market is a great place to home search.

Central Texas Homes Are the Best Buy in 2008

Central Texas homes are the best residential real estate investment in 2008, according to a recent projection by real estate expert and investor Danielle Babb. Killeen resides at the top of the industry’s lists due to its lowest average home price and best quality in any market in the country. Round Rock and Austin’s job growth rates and stable housing prices–despite the national downturn–make these Central Texas cities particularly appealing to real estate investors. The area’s continued job growth is a major contributor to its low inventory and stable prices, factors that sustain a good housing market.

Home Market Always a Good Investment

Nationwide, an excessively high inventory has damaged home prices, especially for resale homes over the last ten months. Yet home-buying remains an excellent investment. Owning a home is only slightly more costly than renting, but the tax benefits of owning far outweigh those of renting. No matter what the housing market outlook, buying a home is always a good economic choice.

Housing Market Statistics

Some key statistics to look for when you examine a housing market:

-Job growth. Is the area’s job growth stable? Has it fluctuated over the last few years? Is it projected to remain strong or falter?
-Income/inflation ratio. Has the area’s average income kept in step with inflation?
-Crime rate. An area’s crime rate is an obvious concern for everyone looking to buy a home, but especially for new families. Families should also check on the area’s school districts.

-Foreclosures. What is the rate of foreclosures in your prospective home buying area?

Austin, Round Rock, and Killeen all test positively against these common real estate questions. Since they’re at top of the real estate industry’s lists, good homes could quickly go to real estate investors. For a good home and a good investment, check out some of the best buys on the Central Texas housing market today!

RodeoHouston Is Here!

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo — aka RodeoHouston — is right around the corner, so it’s time to start planning! This annual celebration of agriculture, education, cowboy boots, the open range, and Western heritage in general will take place March 3rd through the 22nd at Houston’s Reliant Park, the home of the Houston Texans football team and just three hours from Austin and our beautiful Austin homes.

As usual, the Houston Livestock Show brings with it a star-studded cast of country music stars and entertainment luminaries. This year, the cast includes Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, John Legend, Martina McBride, John Fogerty, Toby Keith, Fergie and Brooks & Dunn. And yes, the Houston Livestock Show lineup is so dense with talent that we’re not listing everyone in the full RodeoHouston lineup!

Teen Dominates the Houston Livestock Show

Arguably, though, the true headliner of the 2008 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a one-girl, two-personality entity known to thousands of screaming teens as Hannah Montana. The singer/actress who plays Montana, Miley Cyrus, will be performing a split set at the Houston Livestock Show, half Montana songs and half her own. Last year, Cyrus opened for the Cheetah Girls, set records for fastest sellout, biggest crowd, and most frantic scalper activity. All for a half-hour-long Houston Livestock Show performance that suffered technical problems thanks to a faulty lug nut at Reliant Stadium.

The third-largest festival in North America, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a world-renowned phenomenon that brings some 1,800,000 attendees, 1,800 foreign visitors, and almost $345 million to Houston. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is also the world’s largest livestock show and a charity that has historically sent more than $200 million to scholarships, research, youth programs, and young participants.

Living in Austin exposes you to a wealth of great diversions and attractions like the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. If you don’t already live in Austin, why don’t you search for an Austin home at our easy-to-use website?

Austin Real Estate: Slump or Surge?

It’s sweeps time again, and if you pay attention to national and local network news lately, you have surely been inundated with shocking lead stories about the current “real estate crisis”.

The “crisis” began as an issue with defaults on sub-prime mortgage which accounted for a very small percentage of overall mortgages. The issue has now impacting mainstream mortgage brokers and home builders. Stock prices are falling and corporate executive are knee-jerk cost cutting to improve earnings ratios. This has slowed new home construction and tightened mortgage requirements.

Don’t Let the Austin Real Estate Slump Talk Dissuade You

In reality, interest rates are still very attractive and the Austin real estate inventory is high. Prices are falling as sellers are becoming anxious with all the negative press, even though most sellers are still making considerable profit. These market conditions make Austin a buyer’s market - ideal conditions for aspiring home buyers to find an Austin home.

Austin new home builders remain optimistic on the real estate market for the second quarter of 2007. For new home builders, Austin remains a much stronger real estate market than most of the country. New home inventory in Austin is only 2 months, compared to 6 months of inventory nationally.

New home builders have been focusing their effort on Austin’s higher end housing market, which remains strong. While new home starts below $150,000 dropped by almost half compared to last year, new home starts from $250,000 to $600,000 rose by almost 20%. The strongest part of the Austin real estate market is in homes priced from $300,000 to over $1 million, where sales of new homes rose in the second quarter.

New home builder discipline is credited with helping the Austin real estate market remain healthy. According to industry source Residential Strategies, Austin has not been overbuilt as has much of the rest of the country.

The City of Austin Green Building Program offers a Green by Design Workshop to assist Austinites to improve the energy and water efficiency of new home construction, home remodeling, and landscape projects. The $35, one-day workshop is offered 4 times per year and is taught by Austin Green Building Program experts in the fields of design, building, engineering, and landscaping. The Austin Green by Design Workshop will cover topics such as selecting a green builder or green contractor, selecting a green building site, reducing utility bills, selecting green building materials, selecting green home appliances, and selecting native Texas landscaping that requires less water and maintenance.

Check the Austin Green Building Program website for details about upcoming workshops.