August Newsletter

For most children in Texas, school starts next week, signaling the official end of our summer home buying season. As with previous years, the summer months were some of the busiest of the year. However, this summer, the home buyer tax credits got buyers out early resulting in record home sales volume in May and June. When the tax credits expired, sales across the nation fell substantially, giving us our own 'Cash for Clunkers' hangover effect.

Unfortunately, Austin was no exception. When compared to July of 2009, the number of homes sold in the Austin area dropped 31.5% from 2,285 to 1,565. Meanwhile, the number of homes for sale increased 18% to a record high of 13,638.

Despite the lower sales volume, compared to last July, the average price of homes sold actually increased 17.3% from $238,270 to $279.521. The average time it took to sell a home dropped 3.7% from 73 days to 70 days and, on average, sellers received 96.5% of their asking price.

If you are thinking about buying a home in the Austin-area, the good news is there are lots of homes to choose from, interest rates are in the low 4's for well qualified buyers, and sellers are more negotiable now that the market is taking a breather. Email me your criteria and I will get you setup on a saved MLS search that will send you daily emails of the latest listings that match your criteria.

If you are thinking about selling a home in the Austin-area, you may have to be patient as the number of buyers that are normally in the market has decreased substantially due to the after effect of the government incentives. There are still 1,500 to 1,800 homes selling per month, but with over 13,000 homes on the market, and more coming on each month, it may take awhile to find the right buyer. Email me your address and I can analyze the recent sales activity and help you determine what the market is doing in your area.

Austin Home Buyer's Guides

Austin Seller's Guides

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Although Austin, Texas may be best known as “The Live Music Capital of the World”, the rest of the country is taking note of its booming economy, quality of life and thriving real estate market. With a high-tech, yet free-spirited atmosphere, the Austin area offers you the perfect opportunity to relax and unwind while enjoying all of the modern conveniences of a metropolitan city. There is so much to discover in Austin. From high-rise downtown condos, to sprawling hill country ranches, to funky Zilker Park bungalows and everything in between, the Austin Tx area has something for everyone. Don't get lost with all of the available options. Let a top Austin Realtor show you all that Austin has to offer so you can make the best choice to suit your Austin lifestyle! Call us today at (512) 743-7820 or email us directly at romeo@romeom.com to begin your Austin homesearch!

Search Austin Real Estate with a Top Austin Realtor

When searching for Austin listings or an Austin Realtor to assist you with finding just the right property, you should always "Expect Results!" This is a motto that I not only promote, but one that I live by. By offering the latest and most up to date home search technologies available, timely statistics and market reports and buyer's and seller's guides, my Austin real estate site will provide you with the best possible experience and direction when searching for homes in the Austin area. Not all real estate websites and Austin Realtors are the same. Here is how we're different........

Powerful Austin Home Search Tools

Search for available homes for sale Austin directly from our site by using our Advanced Property Search System to search for homes for sale austin by city, area, map, waterfront homes, golf course homes, schools or even foreclosures. Our home search tool features such technologies as Google Maps, Bird's Eye and Street Level View to let you know what are the closest schools, shopping and entertainment options available. You can easily save your favorite properties as well as create customized searches to automatically email you properties that meet your home search criteria.

Let Us Find A Home for You

Use our Perfect Home Finder to describe the home of your dreams and let us do the work to find it. You can specify such things as an the area, property features and budget and we'll work hard to find the perfect home for you. We'll provide you with real time updates of homes that could be just what you're looking for.

Market Information and Statistics

Read our blog for special insider information and comments about the current state of Austin Texas Real Estate. With our Austin Market Statistics page, we'll show you both home buying and selling trends as well as how the Austin Tx real estate market compares to other markets. If you need market statistics on a particular neighborhood or area, we'll be glad to provide the same detailed charts and stats for anywhere in the Austin area including all of Travis and Williamson County.

Detailed Austin Area Information

We have created a section to explain all of the different Austin areas. These areas include the Northwest Austin, Central Austin, East Austin, South Austin, Downtown Austin, Lake Travis,Westlake, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Leander and Georgetown areas including Sun City Texas. We'll provide you with all of the information you need to decide where in the greater Austin Tx area you'll look for your next home and what popular subdivisions are in each of the different areas.

Austin Home Marketing System

We use a tried and proven Home Marketing System to sell your home for the highest price possible. No more flying by the seat of your pants marketing! Utilizing the latest technologies we are able to syndicate your home listing to over 50 other real estate sites including AOL, Zillow, Trulia, Google Video, Facebook and YouTube and many more to maximize your property's exposure. We also use automated feedback systems to keep you in the loop about showings and visitor comments as well as provide you updates about your competition. We work hard to keep you informed and get your property sold. Compare our marketing system to that of any other Austin Realtor and you'll see why our homes sell faster and for a higher price!

FREE Relocation Guide

If you are considering a move to the Austin Texas area including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Lake Travis or one of the many golf course communities such as Avery Ranch, Steiner Ranch, Twin Creeks, Great Hills, Crystal Falls or Austin Country Club, send us your mailing address and we'll happily send you the latest Austin Relocation Guide full of information about life and events in Austin as well as information about the different areas, schools and major employers. You'll find this an invaluable guide when planning your move to the Austin Tx area.

Short Sale Assistance
If you are facing foreclosure on your property, we can assist you with doing a short sale. Contrary to popular belief, a short sale benefits not only the seller but the mortgage company as well. Visit our Austin Tx Short Sale page to learn about what designations and certifications you should look for when dealing with a short sale Realtor. Not all real estate agents are trained to deal with the complexities of the pre-foreclosure / short sale process. In order to try and avoid or prevent a foreclosure, make sure to deal with a National Association of Realtors (NAR) Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) specialist to maximize your opportunity for a successful short sale. Let our experience be your saving grace.

Simply put, no matter what you are looking for, you'll find it here. Let us be your Austin Realtor.

READ OUR TESTIMONIALS to learn how we can help you!

Austin Texas Real Estate Blog

Being a Realtor on Facebook with sounding like a Realtor

This is the challenge that you’re faced with when you’re an Austin Realtor and you’re competing with 9,000 other local Realtors for the same client pool. With the evolution of social media such as Facebook and Twitter, businesses, including...(read more)

I can put you on the first page of Google......

As an Austin Realtor I hear this promise at least 3 times a week from different telemarketers calling me to GUARANTEE that my website will be found on the first page of Google's organic search results for a low monthly fee or a one-time up-front charge. Most often than not, they leave out the fact that it may take years or maybe even never before that goal is realized. What might you ask; does this have to do with Austin real estate? The truth of the matter is that the more importance Google places on a website, the more likely users are bound to find it when searching for key terms such as homes for sale in Austin Texas or who is the best Austin Realtor? In terms of exposure for real estate listings, more potential buyers will view the featured listings on my website and will be more likely to view the pictures and virtual tours if Google likes my site and puts it on the first page of its search results.

The real estate market in Austin is highly competitive. With over 8,000 licensed Realtors in Austin, each with a website and in most cases, multiple websites, trying to dominate Google rankings along with Yahoo and Bing can be a full time job. Knowing that currently 70% of all internet users use Google as their primary search engine makes online search engine optimization (SEO) to be more geared toward making Google happy with your site to appear on the coveted "first page of Google". Most of these companies that offer these guarantees of putting your web site on the first page of Google are either trying to sell you paid advertisement space or pay per click as it is commonly known or they are utilizing "Black Hat" techniques which will only yield short term results and may ultimately get you banned from Google altogether, commonly known as the "kiss of death" in SEO terminology. Even worse, some of these companies are located overseas and are trying to obtain your personal financial information to steal your identity. Definitely, the old adage "if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is" rings as a truism in this situation.

As I mentioned before, competition in the Austin real estate market is extremely fierce. Only a steady stream of relevant information on your website, useful blog posts, timely Twitter tweets and interesting Facebook posts will gain you any favor with Google so that you may one day find yourself on the first page of Google!

For more Austin Real Estate information visit my Austin Realtor site.

Setting realistic expectations when purchasing an older home.

I love being an Austin Realtor and working with all types of homebuyers, but I have to say that sometimes it’s hard to work with first time home buyers who have spent too much time watching HGTV and feel like they know everything there is to know about purchasing a home and real estate in general. I just had a listing of mine fall out of contract because the homebuyer expected the 25 year old home with amazing panoramic views to be in near perfect condition based solely on the sales price. If you’ve ever purchased a home before, especially a resale home, you know that it is always a good idea to have the home inspected prior to closing to identify issues and safety and health hazards that may exist. The home inspection is critical in being able to obtain insurance coverage as well as qualifying for a home service contract to further protect your investment. One thing to keep in mind during the inspection and reporting process is that no home is perfect. Even new homes that are inspected by a third party inspector will rarely be 100% issue free. The primary role of the inspector is to find things wrong with the home and report those deficiencies to the homebuyer. The list of deficiencies are then used to either renegotiate the terms of the contract, or if bad enough, to simply walk away from an unsafe or problematic home by exercising the unrestricted right to cancel during the option period. The way the information is presented by the inspector in the inspection report and in person is very similar to the bedside manner of a doctor delivering their diagnosis. It can be truthful and informative, yet shouldn’t make a mountain out of a molehill. An example of this would be that homes built in the 1980’s were not required to have GFI outlets in the kitchen, but under current code standards, new homes are required to have those installed. Inspectors are required to report this “deficiency” on their report, but they should make it a point to express to the homebuyer that this is typical when purchasing a 25 year old home. Though this does present a minor concern, this is a relatively easy fix that can be negotiated into the revised sales price, a repair allowance or the seller can have it updated or repaired prior to closing. To simply walk away from the house because the inspector made it seem that the house is a possible electrical fire death trap because of electrical outlets not being compliant with current codes is neither reasonable nor a wise expectation when searching for an older home. Unfortunately, some property inspectors have gotten a bad reputation and are no longer recommended by Realtors or other real estate professionals not because they are too accurate or honest, but because they feel it necessary to justify their inspection fee by pointing out truly useless deficiencies such as missing door stops and chipped wall paint. Again, I’m all for making sure that the buyer has accurate and complete information in making a decision, but sometimes too much information can cause undue worry and kill an otherwise great deal.

For more real estate information, visit my Austin Real Estate website at www.romeom.com

Fact and rumors about new commercial developments in Austin Tx

As an Austin Realtor, I try and stay up to date with all of the news and information regarding economic developments that will affect Austin real estate values. Over the last couple of years, there have been many rumors regarding several large companies relocating to Austin and several large scale commercial developments that would help bring Austin into the nationwide spotlight. Some examples of confirmed projects that started as rumors include the new $360 million Schlitterbahn water park resort that is due to begin construction next year in the Cedar Park area that is expected to be built in four phases and will include a convention and retail center. Another verified planned development includes a $250 million Formula 1 (F1 Racing) facility to be constructed in time for the 2012 race year. Though the location for the facility has not been announced, rumor has it that it will be in the Dripping Springs area. Other rumors about projects that have come and gone or might still be in the works include a Six Flags amusement park in the Liberty Hill area. A good friend of mine that works as an estimator for the largest fencing company in the area had told me that the Six Flags corporation had already purchased the land and was getting bids on various phases of the buildout. This was before Six Flags filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy which more than likely killed those plans. Another more recent rumor is that Disney has been looking at a tract of several hundred acres in the Bastrop area in consideration of building a Disney amusement park. Again, these are rumors that have not been substantiated by any official information from Disney or government officials. The fact that Austin is only 1.5 hours from San Antonio, and 3 hours from the Houston and Dallas areas makes Austin an ideal location for major commercial developments that residents from the entire state can enjoy. So you might ask yourself why would I as a realtor in Austin make an effort to fuel some of these rumors that are floating around? It's not to try and speculate on the potential increase in local property values or to cause people to want to move into the Austin area, but rather, my intent is to provide a different perspective to those living in Central Texas that may have never considered the possibility or probability that Austin is on the verge of becoming a major influence on the economic growth of not only Texas, but the U.S. as well.

To learn more about Austin real estate visit my Austin Realtor website.

Life as an Austin Realtor

As I'm watching the television show "Two and a Half Men", I can't help to laugh how Evelyn Harper, the main characters' mother is portrayed as a blood sucking Realtor. In this particular episode, her son Charlie, played by Charlie Sheen, is trying to connect with her emotionally, but shortly into the conversation, she receives a call from a local cardiologist letting her know that his patient, who lived in Beverly Hills just died. Without delay, Evelyn cuts the conversation short and flies out the door before "the rest of the blood sucking vampires" hear about the potential listing. Though, my life as an Austin Realtor may not be as glamorous or dramatic or even comical as a Realtor in Beverly Hills, I have to ask myself "Do I cut people off or put important conversations on hold or miss important events for the sake of a potential client?" In all honesty, I more than likely have missed some of my son's school events or rescheduled lunch with my wife in hopes of getting a new listing or client. I've even come to accept that Sundays and evenings are part of the "normal" working hours as a Realtor in Austin. I know that many other Realtors will argue or comment that boundaries must be set, and I completely agree with them, but the trouble I have is finding where those boundaries are. Trying to find the definition between "work" time and "personal" time is something that I've always struggled with. Part of my coping mechanism has been to befriend all of my clients so that the time I spend with them either on the phone or in person feels more like recreation than work. Don't get me wrong, there is no replacing spending time with my family or close friends, but I find that by really getting to know my clients, I better understand their needs and wants as well as it helps build a lasting relationship, far beyond the closing of the sale. As my son gets older (he's currently 4) I know that he is going to demand more of my time to make sure that he never feels neglected or ignored. I don't think that he's going to understand when I try to explain to him that Daddy has to go to the sports bar for a "networking" event or that I am constantly on the computer working on a deal or making sure that my website is the best that it can be. Austin is a highly competitive and technologically advanced business center. In the Austin real estate market, it is a constant effort to make sure that you are on the leading edge of technology in reaching prospects, promoting your listings and making yourself "relevant" to not only the general public but to Google, Bing and Yahoo as well. I used to think that being on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube was for solely for social and recreational enjoyment, but I've come to learn and incorporate those sites as a new channel of communication to reach my family, friends, clients and associates to let them know that I do have interests and a life outside of real estate. All in all, I love being an Austin Realtor, I just hate having to call it work.

Call me at (512) 743-7820