Texas real estate

Austin is a city in Central Texas located at the bend of the Colorado River, and at the edge of the Hill County, Austin is on the Edwards Plateau at a longitude of 97?75′W and a latitude of 30?30′N. Being the capital city, Austin still retains the small town air blended beautifully into metropolitan culture.

Moving into a new city causes certain apprehensions and the major one is regarding the kind of place that would be available to live in. Before moving into a city, it is wise to do a small survey and understand the general living conditions, weather conditions, standard of living, and other key aspects. Austin can be primarily divided into North Austin, Northeast Austin, Northwest Austin, North Central Austin, Downtown Austin, South Central Austin, South West/West Austin and South Austin. The rents of these apartments may range from $350 to $2200 depending on the area as well as the size of the apartment (1 bedroom/2bedroom/3-4bedroom). These apartments can have various apartment features like air conditioning, a deck/porch/patio, dishwasher, fireplace, hardwood floors, loft layout, internet, washer/dryer, and yard. They may also have community features like a clubhouse, business center, doorman, elevator, garage parking, health facilities, laundry on-site, parking, pool, sauna, storage space, vintage building, wheelchair access etc. Rents of Austin apartments also vary according to the availability of these facilities. The apartments themselves are of various kinds including furnished, unfurnished, condo, town home, andduplex.

Apartments in the city of Austin are available in a very extensive range. There are various issues to be considered while choosing an apartment, including the area where you would like to live, the crime rate in the area, the school system in the area, conveniences in the area like hospitals, shopping malls, services, and recreation facilities.

Coming to the apartment itself, the aspects to be considered are the floor on which the apartment is located, the parking place, amenities like a swimming pool, tennis court, recreation facilities, laundry service, the condition of the building and the grounds around, the security service, the management’s responsiveness to problems, and the rent/leasing conditions. The standards lease terms are from 6 to 12 months. Formalities include an application fee, a security deposit, a pet deposit (pets less than 20 pounds in weight are only accepted in most apartments), and a few others.

There are many associations in Austin that provide information about apartments, either for rent or for sale. Besides these associations, there are also locators, also known as real estate agents, who help in locating a good apartment. There are also apartment guides that offer information about Austin apartments. The Internet is also a great source for finding Austin apartments for rent. There are several websites of locators, which offer very comprehensive information about Austin apartments for rent or for sale.

By: Alison Cole

Are you buying a home in Austin, Texas? Did you know that the seller is required to provide you an energy audit? This is a requirement of the Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) ordinance, whose purpose is to make all Austin homes more energy efficient. The goal is to save enough energy that Austin does not have to build more power plants. The program is administered by the city owned utility, Austin Energy.

An ECAD audit is performed by an Austin ECAD auditor who is registered with Austin Energy. The auditor analyzes energy use of the home using official forms provided by the City. The Austin ECAD auditor looks at a number of different areas of the home that effect energy use. He or she will analyze which windows should have solar screens on them as solar heat gain is major contributor to energy use in the summer. The ECAD auditor will measure the attic insulation and estimate its effective R value. The Austin Energy auditor will analyze and describe the duct system and the HVAC system as well as run a Duct Blaster test on each HVAC system. The Duct Blaster is a calibrated fan and manometer that will measure how much the ducts leak air, typically into the attic.

With this and other information collected on the official ECAD form, home buyers have a snapshot of energy use of the home they are purchasing. However, ECAD audits are a subset of more comprehensive energy audits that all registered energy auditors are trained to perform. To qualify to perform ECAD audits, all energy auditors must either be certified through BPI or RESNET, the two energy auditor certification organizations.

Currently, sellers are required to provide the ECAD audit by the time the real estate paper work is filed in the county’s offices as a result of closing. Austin Energy’s program managers realize that the current deadline comes too late for energy considerations to be part of the contract negotiations, so they’re seeking to change the administrative rules. They would like that the Austin energy ECAD audit be required by the end of the option period. Check with your energy auditor on the current rules.

You the buyer benefits from this Austin energy audit. How? You’re getting information you probably wouldn’t otherwise know. Energy use is part of Total Cost of Ownership of any home. As energy prices rise, energy use becomes an important consideration. The Austin ECAD energy audit report gives you baseline knowledge of energy use.

You may be able to use this knowledge in negotiations. If you’re looking at two similar houses, energy use may provide an edge of one over the other. Or, you can negotiate energy upgrades as part of the punch list of things you want the seller to fix prior to the sale. Many energy upgrades not only provide a financial benefit, but a comfort one as well. For example, adding cellulose insulation in walls not only lowers utility bills, but it also makes homes quieter. More insulation in the attic can make homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer as well as save money in utility bills. Duct sealing can provide more A/C to the living space instead of having conditioned air leak into the attic. The worse a house is in terms of energy efficiency, the quicker the payback on energy efficiency upgrades.

As the buyer, you can suggest the Austin ECAD auditor the seller should use. You can find registered ECAD auditors on the Austin Energy website. Interview them and find the one that will do the best job for you. Ask about additional services like Blower Door testing, which tests air leakage through the building envelope; infrared thermography, which provides a visual record of many insulation failures (conditions permitting); air balancing, which tunes the HVAC system for maximum performance; etc. An Austin ECAD audit is a minimum energy audit. There’s more to learn about your future home in order to make it as energy efficient and comfortable as possible. The Austin ECAD energy audit is good place to start.

By: Joel Greenberg

Listing real estate online can be a great way to let buyers know what is out there and it gives sellers a chance to show their home to people all over the world. However, the problem lies in the fact that most people still want to tour the home, inside and out, before buying it. This fact gives a disadvantage to homes you can buy online. However, you can still monitor your websites and virtual real estate listings to determine if they are worthwhile and working or not.

For example, if you have you a variety of real estate listings listed on your web site, all you have to do is trace the total hits to your website as well as total clicks on each individual link. The links that have the most clicks will give you some valuable information to work with.

Evaluate the top virtual real estate links on your web site. What are their similarities, what are their differences, and what about them attracted people to those particular listings? When you have a basic understanding of why people click on particular virtual real estate homes, you will have a better idea of how to market other homes on your website.

For example, if all the virtual homes listings that were most popular were under a certain price range or above a certain price range, then you will know the market you are catering to and will need to list more homes in that particular price range.

Or, it could be the style of house that interests people the most. Evaluate this and figure out if you should only list this style and size of home or whether these are contributing factors only. If visitors are only interested in a certain size home, with a certain number of bedrooms and bathrooms, you will know what is most popular and the majority of types of listings you need.

Another important aspect to consider is how the actual link and listing appears on the website. If there is something more attractive or easy about this particular listing, or it has more information available, then this is important to know.

In order to adequately evaluate what real estate listings are successful and which ones are failures you will need to keep up with the information regarding each virtual listings, links, hits, and more. You can also use software that is designed to help you keep track of similar results. By doing this type of research you will be doing your business a favor because you will know what types of virtual real estate are successful as well as the types that are unsuccessful, and why. This will help you grow your business more effectively and provide customers with what they want.

By: Michael Turner

Anyone who has ever lived in an apartment complex knows that some sort of security deposit is required.? Private landlords usually request up to one months rent while large corporate apartments require one smaller flat fee.? Many renters have experienced situations where after the leave their apartment their deposit is never returned to them.? In Texas it is a law that your deposit is returned to you by a certain date. We have listed below what actions you should take to receive as much of the deposit back as possible.

1) When you first move into your apartment home the leasing agent or manager should provide you with a questionnaire.? This is the form you use to fill out any damages that you may find in your new apartment home.? Some of these forms are broken up based upon room in your apartment home.?Make sure you go over your apartment with a fine tooth comb.? Stains on the carpet, scratches or holes in the walls, a malfunctioning light, or anything that may catch your eye should be notated.?This is your chance to protect yourself so spend adequate time filling out the form thoroughly. And make sure you make a copy for yourself when your turn the form in.

2) Maintenance is usually included in your rental fee.? Replacing the air-conditioning filter monthly is a regular maintenance issue and should be done.? Remember this is free.? Clean you apartment regularly and if you damage the property see if the maintenance crew will repair it for free.? They will normally repair minor damages free of charge while you are still occupying the unit.

3) When your lease ends make sure you either hire a professional cleaning service or clean the apartment yourself.? Make sure you ask the manager what type of shape the apartment must be returned in for you to receive your entire deposit back.? Ask the leasing agents who they use to clean vacant apartment homes.? That way if you decide to hire the same service they will be aware of the condition the apartment home must be in.

4) Within in 30 days the apartment must send you your deposit or a portion of your deposit back. If they deduct any monies it should be notated what the reasoning is.? These steps should ensure you receive as much of your security deposit back as possible.

By: Andrew Reichek

Not to far from Downtown Atlanta, up I575 north, sits the unique suburb of Woodstock, Georgia. Once an old rail city in the southernmost region of Cherokee County, Woodstock is now one of the fastest growing cities in the Atlanta real estate market. Like many suburban areas across the United States, Woodstock was mainly a town for first-time home buyers, and middle class families. Recently that has begun to change. There are Woodstock homes for sale to fit every type of buyer.

Today real estate in Woodstock, GA is broken up into three main categories. The younger home buying crowd, who are usually single, married, or first time homebuyers. Next would be the largest demographic, which includes home buyers with children, and/or married couples that desire to live in a medium to large size home community. And last but not least would be the retirees who seek the prospering active adult communities.

Over the last 10 years Woodstock has had an appealing real estate market for first time homebuyers. Adults who grew up in neighboring suburbs such as Alpharetta, Roswell, and Marietta, figured out really fast that their money could go much farther. Over the last decade, lower property tax, sales tax, and association dues have helped fuel the growth within this demographic.

With plenty of quality, affordable housing, first time home buyers have flocked to this city. Communities such as KingsGate, Weatherstone, and Brookshire are good examples of what Woodstock, GA real estate has to offer. With Hedgewood Properties new “Downtown Woodstock” development nearing completion, the city now has even more appeal to the younger demographic. Complete with lofts, condos, and town homes, downtown living has been brought to the suburbs.

For small, medium, and large sized families, Woodstock real estate is where it’s at. Subdivisions such as the Woodlands and Serenade offer amenity rich living. The Woodlands provide many homes priced from the low 200s to the high 300s. Miles of green space with wooded nature trails, creeks, and more, make this community one of the most sought after family neighborhoods. The area also has a good amount of luxury homes available. Golf course homes within Bradshaw Farms, and Eagle Watch, are always very popular.

The empty nesters and retirees now have a solid stake in the area’s real estate market. Communities such as The Cottages of Woodstock offer more amenity rich living. These 55 and older communities, although new to Cherokee County, have received much praise. Modeled after the prestigious Florida retirement communities, these Woodstock GA homes are sure to please. Why move to Florida, when you can stay in Woodstock with your grand kids?

As you can see, the Woodstock, GA real estate market has homes available for everyone. No matter your age, activity level, or family situation, Woodstock is the place for all.

By: Jennifer Giraldi

The findings of a demographic study, commissioned by Superintendent Robert Dur?n last fall and conducted by Harner and Associates, was presented to the San Antonio schools’ trustees in February. The study cost $51,000 and will help San Antonio schools’ officials to handle their declining enrollment problem.

The study findings were not positive, expecting declining enrollment within the San Antonio schools to continue over the next ten years with no discernible improvement. It was found that enrollment has been on the decline for a decade with recent years seeing the most student departure. Between 2001 and 2002 school years, the San Antonio schools lost 864 students. Between 2005 and 2006 school years, they lost 1,340 students, representing about 18 percent of its student population. Some new student enrollment did help to offset these departures.

The study notes that the increasing enrollment decline is not unusual for urban school districts. San Antonio schools, in particular, have a shortage of new developments for those families exiting to the suburban areas. San Antonio schools also must improve their programs to attract new families — and new housing cannot take care of the problem alone.

The current San Antonio schools’ enrollment is 55,364 students. The study predicts a worse case scenario of 51,669 students by the 2016-2017 school year. The best case scenario is 54,574 students by the 2016-2017 school year. The average scenario of the worse and best case is 53,122 in ten years, which is the figure the San Antonio schools’ officials will use for planning purposes.

Some proposals currently up for discussion by the San Antonio schools’ officials are:

o School closures and consolidations, using the study findings. With the continual departure of students from the San Antonio schools, this avenue is a given for future planning.

o San Antonio schools board Vice President James Howard has recommended consolidating with neighboring school districts with enrollment declines, including Edgewood, South San Antonio, and Harlandale. Such suggestions in the past have been met with controversy within Bexar County, which has 16 school districts. As Howard pointed out to the San Antonio schools board, however, growth is to the north of the city. It needs to happen for everyone’s benefit.

o Lastly, Superintendent Dur?n and his staff are developing a new office within the San Antonio schools at a preliminary estimated cost of $200,000. In the past, the San Antonio schools’ officials had made no effort to track departing students, though the Texas Education Agency has available resources for them to use. They knew that many of their students were leaving the San Antonio schools for Northside, North East and Judson school districts, as well as abandoning the traditional public schools for charter and private schools. The new office will help the San Antonio schools do a better job of tracking student departures, gather data on families leaving the district, and survey those who remain. The purpose is to gain a better idea of what families need and want from the San Antonio schools. This proposal has yet to go before the San Antonio schools’ board.

By: Patricia Hawke

Located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, California’s Central Coast is a highly desirable place to live. Without the traffic and congestion of the major cosmopolitan areas yet with a Mediterranean climate and plenty of sports and cultural activities, this region is perfect for retirees or families. Today’s real estate market makes owning a piece of Central Coast California real estate a feasible reality. Various properties exist from condos or townhomes to full scale luxury estates. The region known as the Central Coast in San Luis Obispo County consists of five distinct areas.

Five Cities Area

The Five Cities area (Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Grover Beach and Avila Beach) boasts ocean view and ocean front real estate property. Many homes in Avila Beach also have canyon views, acreage and small ranch properties. In the village of Arroyo Grande, historic Victorian homes are for sale and east of town, vineyard acreage and custom homes exist. West of town, gated communities such as Cypress Ridge offer golf course views and ocean view residences. The other beach cities combine small beach cottages, condos and newer tract developments. Some of the most prime Central Coast California real estate can be found in Shell Beach, a subdivision of Pismo Beach.

San Luis Obispo

The city of San Luis Obispo has a slightly warmer climate than the beach towns and the topography consists of rolling hills and farmland. On the outskirts of town, Edna Valley is a renowned wine region with large vineyard acreage and estates reminiscent of Italy and France. In town, historic homes dating from the 1860′s line streets shaded by stately California oak trees. Newer townhomes and smaller single family residences in contemporary designs can be found. Cal Poly student housing has an influence in some parts of San Luis Obispo.

North Coast

The North Coast area consists of Morro Bay, Cayucos and Cambria – all cities with real property along the coastline. Each town has its own character and ambiance. Morro Bay has a working harbor for commercial and charter fishing and many homes there have ocean views. Cayucos is known for its beautiful beach and pier with hillside homes that overlook the Pacific. Cambria is a combination of pine forested bungalows and cliffside homes along Moonstone Beach or art studio cottages in the village. The San Simeon section of Central Coast California real estate, near Hearst Castle, is a premier location.

North County – Inland

Hotter days and colder nights make the cities of Atascadero, Templeton and Paso Robles perfect for vineyard real estate. Hillside homes characterize Atascadero and Templeton has a western themed village and newer housing tracts. Early California architecture dominates downtown Paso Robles and many new shops and restaurants have arrived with the increase in wine popularity.

The Central Coast California real estate market continues to be a worthwhile investment. Slow development, stunning ocean and rolling hill/vineyard scenery make this area one that will continue to be sought after for future generations.

By: Wendy Pan

Many new investors are easily confused by the concepts of “Subject-Tos” and “Wraparound Mortgages.” Both are very useful types of financing that can help you get a deal done when conventional financing isn’t possible, without having to use expensive hard money.

Subject-Tos or “Sub2s” are deals where the buyer purchases a property subject to the existing mortgage. The buyer will obtain the property and continue to make the payments of the existing mortgage. The seller will often times just hand over the payment booklet to the buyer. There is no new mortgage. Sub2s are often used when the seller is behind on their mortgage, and typically the buyer will pay the seller a small amount to cover moving.

One thing to be aware of when buying a property Sub2 is the Due-On-Sale clause. Most mortgages have a due-on-sale clause that states the balance of the loan is due if the property is sold. Normally, this would mean the seller has to payoff the loan when the property is sold. However, banks rarely enforce this clause. As long as the mortgage is still being payed, the banks are usually happy. Remember: banks don’t want homes to go to foreclosure, as they are not in the business of buying/selling real estate. So, while you need to be aware of the Due-On-Sale clause, it usually isn’t an issue.

“Wraparound Mortgages” or “Wraps”

A Wraparound Mortgage is commonly used when you sell a property that you have an existing mortgage on and are willing to owner finance. You set the terms of the new loan so that the buyer is making you a monthly payment that is higher than your current payment on your existing mortgage. So the buyer is making you a payment which you will use to make your payment, thus the “Wraparound.” The difference between their payment and your payment is your monthly cashflow.

So the takeaway from this is, use Sub2 when you buy and use Wraps when you sell.

By: Braxton Beyer

Home Staging for Real Estate Sales is not a new concept in most of the United States; however it is a bit of new tool in some part of the country.?Home Staging is the process of preparing your property for sale by setting the scene throughout the house to create immediate buyer interest in your property. It is also a proven way to increase the chances of your property selling in a timely manner.?It has been around since the late 1970′s when the real estate market on the west coast took a dive into the deep end of the pool.?Staging helped sell listings that had previously been on the market for a lengthy time. ?

The latest statistics from the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) indicates that occupied homes not previously staged were on the market for around 57 days, but when staged were only on the market on average for 6 days, a significant reduction.?Vacant homes not previously staged were on the market for around 190 days, but when staged were only on the market on average for 28 days. ?

Home owner’s have previously been left to their own devices in preparing their homes for the real estate market.?Sometimes Realtors will stage a home or make suggestions, but most of the time the owners choose to ignore their suggestions.?Some home owner’s think it is the job of the Realtor to Stage their home.?It’s not the Realtor’s job, their job is to MARKET the home to potential buyers and other Realtors in an effort to secure the sale.?Many times I am told by Realtors in the New Orleans region that they are truly afraid to tell the home owner to do certain things to improve the chances for a sale.?They are afraid of offending or hurting the client’s feelings because of fear they will loose the listing.?That is exactly when a Stager can come in handy.?A Stager can perform an assessment of the home that will inform the owner and the Realtor of all the things that need to be done to the home prior to listing.?Now the Realtor is off the hook and doesn’t come off as the bad guy to the home owner. ?

First impressions are everything in real estate sales.?A seller has four opportunities to grasp a buyer’s attention; when they drive up to the home, as they walk toward the front door, at the front door and in the entry.?If you haven’t gotten their attention by the entrance to the home they probably will have little interest for the remainder.?Buyers are more attracted to houses they have to do very little to in order to be at home in them.?Today’s buyers are more savvy than ever before and the choices in the New Orleans region are significant.?Realtors and home owners can no longer afford to do business as in the past, it’s a new day in New Orleans and business practices have to change to accommodate the situations we are presently in.

The cost of Staging an occupied home can be as little as $400 and range into the thousands for vacant homes where furniture rental is involved.?A little known benefit is that Staging is considered tax deductible as an expense to sell the home.?It is tax deductible for both the home owner and the Realtor, so either one could Stage the home and it would be an expense to sell the home, it is considered marketing fees for the home owner and a cost of doing business or advertising fees for the Realtor.?For additional information, check IRS Publication 523 and talk with your accountant.?

There are a number of ways to locate a Stager in your area.?There are website online directories you can check and?the Interior Redesign Directory is just one of them.?Each of these websites has a directory for you to locate a Stager.?You can also perform a web search for Home Staging and then further refine your search for your area.

The next most important tool is to properly price your home.?We are all emotionally invested in our homes and a lot of times we think they are worth a lot more than they really are.?Trust your Realtor when they suggest that the home should be priced lower than you want.?Selling real estate is what they do as a profession and they have access to a lot more information and experience in that arena than we as home owners. ?

If you are thinking about Staging your property remember that you, your Realtor and the Stager are a team.?The team is like a three legged stool, if one member fails then the stool can’t stand upright.?You are all working toward the same goal, to post that SOLD sign. ?

By: Jo Ann Coulter-Wientjes

The new year promises more great prices and continued high inventories on Charleston area homes.

Although the market momentum was building throughout 2009 the supply of homes for sale remains too high to say the Charleston area real estate market has stabilized or corrected. The prime indicator of what direction future prices will take is the “absorption rate” which is simply the number of months that it would take to “absorb” the current inventory of homes for sale at current sales levels. A six month absorption rate represents a balanced market with stable prices and an absorption rate over 10 months represents a solid buyer’s market with further price declines to come. Thecurrent absorption rate area wide stands in excess of 15 months. All forecasts suggest even more shadow inventory (foreclosed homes being held back temporarily by the banks) will hit the market in the first half of 2010 priced below current market value.

The combination of low mortgage interest, homebuyer tax incentives and huge inventory of homes for sale in 2010 makes this year the best time in a generation to buy a home for those that plan to remain in the home for at least several years. It is highly unlikely the tax credits or mortgage backed security purchases by the Fed will survive past the first half of the year. This takes $8,000 off of the table from the tax credits and cheap mortgage money evaporates as well. It is very likely that interest rate increases will offset home price declines increasing the cost of owning the same home even as the price declines.

It looks as though the last half of 2010 should have the best opportunities for real estate investors. After the incentives discussed above have ended the remaining inventory will need further price reductions to attract remaining buyers. The recent announcements regarding Boeing’s 3,800 employee manufacturing facility, the Wind Turbine Test Facility, and Maersk Sealand’s renewed contract at the port creates thousands (perhaps tens of thousands) of new jobs. Savvy investors should buy homes in areas near manufacturing facilities, especially Boeing, because employees relocating to Charleston will need to buy or rent homes close to work.

Real estate closings after July 2010 will predominantly consist of capital rich buyers that can afford to purchase homes in cash or put down large down payments as interest rates will likely have risen dramatically by late in the year. Many people living in other states or countries that have been waiting to buy a second home in Charleston for vacation or retirement will take advantage of incredible opportunities beginning to appear in high end homes and exchange rates favorable to foreign buyers as the government continues to debase our currency.

By: Adam Rodgers