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Housing Trends – February

asparks — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:57:20 +0000

Interested in local and national housing trends?

View my Housing Trends Newsletter for February for a one minute housing market video report from Chief Economist Ted C. Jones and view US home statistics.

Looking to buy? Search all Austin homes here.

Want to buy, but can’t get approved through a lender? Ask me about available owner finance homes in the Austin area. Call 512.762.0923 today for a list of Austin owner finance homes.

Highlights from the 2009 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

asparks — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:11:04 +0000

NAR has recently released the 2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. This annual report compiles the results of 9,138 surveys returned by buyers and sellers who sold or purchased a home between July 2008 and June 2009. The complete report is available for purchase at www.realtor.org . Here are some highlights:

47% of all buyers were first time buyers
62% of first time buyers reported that the primary reason for buying a home was the desire to be a homeowner, 35% of all buyers reported that as the number 1 reason.
The median age of all buyers was 39, same as last year
83% of all first time buyers are under the age 44
62% of all buyers are under age 44
90% of all buyers used the internet to search.
84% of buyers reported the photos to be the most useful information
The number one action taken after viewing a home online was to drive by or visit the home
36% of buyers found the home they purchased through an agent, 36% found the home they purchased online, less than 3%found the home they purchased in a print ad
77% of buyers purchased their home with an agent
85% of sellers sold their home with an agent
39% of the mortgages were FHA loans

Hyde Park

asparks — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:55:06 +0000

Hyde park is a neighborhood consisting of 1940’s and 30’s houses. This well known Austin neighborhood is close to campus and has many shops and restaurants in walking distances. A small specialty grocery store, coffee shop, and other quaint shops are local favorites.

Hyde Park runs from 38th to 51st Street between Duval and Guadalupe.

Barton Hills

asparks — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:49:54 +0000

With its proximity to Zilker Park, Barton Hills is one of the most desirable areas of Austin. With rolling hills and tree lined streets, home owners in Barton Hills are walking distance to the numerous and varied unique Austin festivals and events such as the Austin City Limits 3 day music event. On nearby Barton Springs Road there are many local restaurants, including Austin Java, Flipnotics, and Shady Grove Cafe.

Rebates From Electric Companies

asparks — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:25:17 +0000

Take advantage of rebates offered by your electric company. Click the provider names below to visit their rebate pages and see how you can save.

8 Reasons to List with a Seller Representative Specialist (SRS)

asparks — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:22:55 +0000

8 Reasons to List with an SRS

1. SRS designees are members of an elite group of trained seller client advocates that know the importance of their client’s specific needs by using Seller Counseling Sessions to insure all needs are addressed.

2. SRS designees concentrate their efforts on the seller client’s ultimate goals to insure the client is at the center of the sale.

3. SRS designee is extensively trained in a wide variety of manual and electronic marketing methods to uniquely promote your property to the widest range prospective purchasers.

4. SRS designees understand that negotiation skills are critical to a successful transaction and are trained to position their client to receive the best possible outcome during negotiations of the sale.

5. SRS designees adhere to the highest level of professional ethics and business practices in delivering Client Level services with integrity.

6. SRS designees are uniquely qualified to exceed the expectations of their clients yielding client trust.

7. SRS designees know the importance of staging your property for best results. Staging is a critical component, along with accurate pricing, to attain desired results within a timely manner.

8. SRS designees have an advanced level of understanding on how to collaborate with a variety of cooperating agents of all skill levels in the marketplace to insure that the best buyer has an opportunity to purchase your property.

Yours in Excellence, Angela Sparks REALTOR, GRI, CHMS,SRS

Green Your Home and Save

asparks — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:18:33 +0000

Why go green? Better health – greater comfort – lower utility bills – less maintenance – lasting value

Some interesting facts… -Residential properties are responsible for 21% of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions. -Residential properties built to U.S. Green Building Council standards usually save people 30-50% on their energy bills!

What makes a home green? Energy efficiency -CFLs (compact flourescent lightbulbs) -Ducts in properly insulated areas -Solar screens, window film, and Low-E glass

Indoor Air Quality -Sustainable flooring: concrete, wood, tile

Water safety and efficiency -Low flow toilets and shower faucets -Rainwater harvesting -Xeriscaping

Renewable/recycled and durable materials -Recycled, non-toxic insulation materials -Cement products with new technologies such as Flex-Crete which uses non-toxic fly ash (a byproduct of coal plants)

Proximity to community resources -Access to public transportation, grocery, etc.

Using nature to our advantage -Placing vertical opening windows to take advantage of SE tradewinds -Special roof features to shade high-sun areas of the home

Where do I start? A good place to start is your local energy program websites. You will be able to read about many ways to save with rebates, loans, and also just the simple things you can do around the home. Check it out – you will be surprised by just how many resources are there. You can also visit our ‘Green Links’ page for other going green resources. Austin Energy Green Building Build San Antonio Green

Tips for Preparing Your Home to Sell

asparks — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:23:18 +0000

There are thousands of homes on the market right now. What do you need to do to make your home desirable and obtain top dollar? Below are some tips to make this possible. 1.De-clutter. Take a look around your house. Are there items you no longer need or use or piles of books, magazines, or other materials? The home should appear spacious so potential buyers can imagine the home with their belongings. Give away the unused items or have a garage sale. 2.Repair Sheetrock. Do you cracks or holes in the walls? Repair those professionally to give the home a well-maintained look. 3.Repaint/Touch up. Do the walls have fingerprints, marks, and other flaws? It’s time to touch up or repaint entirely. This gives your home a new home look that buyers like. 4.Fix Anything Broken. You have lived in the home and know which items are in need of repair. Get them in good working order so that the buyers will know they are getting a home that has all appliances in good working order. 5.Shampoo or Replace Carpet. Carpets, draperies, and furniture are the main sources of unpleasant household odors. If the carpets are less than 5 years old, a good steam cleaning may improve things. If they are older or stained, it may be time to replace them. A home with fresh or new carpets is appealing to buyers. 6.Replace Burned out Light Bulbs. This will assure the buyer that you pay attention to detail as well as making your home lighter and brighter. Light and bright are quality features. 7.Replace caulking around tubs, showers, and sinks. If the caulking has mold, is stained, or has missing pieces, replace it. It is a very cheap way to make the bathrooms begin to look new again. J 8.Thoroughly Deep Clean Entire House. Your home must be immaculate and smell pleasant. Give the home a deep cleaning. No buyer wants to move in to a dirty home. Pay someone reputable to clean. It will be worth the investment. 9.Clean UP the Yard. People love driving up to a well-manicured lawn with flowers growing in the yard. It tells them that even better things await them inside. 10.Keep up With Pest Control. Make sure there are no ants, cockroaches, or any other pests to distract buyers from the beauty of your home. 11.Call US to Be Your Realtor. We can give you additional tips, evaluate the market value of your home, and lead you through the entire process to a successful sale.

Buying New Construction – Get Representation

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:15:19 +0000

Many Austin home buyers may not realize that buyers are entitled to representation when purchasing a new construction home. Keep in mind that the friendly person in the model home represents the builder, not you the buyer. Builders actively market to agents and they regularly attend local real estate office meetings to provide agents with information on their communities. The builder pays the buyer agent commission out of their marketing budget. There is also a special publication that Realtors have as a resource that lists the Austin builders, their communities and available homes which can save you the buyer, the time of visiting website after website to see if a community is right for you. Your Realtor can quickly direct you to the communities that fit your needs. In Austin, it is sometimes required that the REALTOR® accompany the buyers(s) on their first visit. So, if you think you may like to build or buy a new construction home, ask your REALTOR® to accompany you on your search. After all, your agent is there to offer professional advice, negotiate on your behalf and to facilitate resolving any issues that may arise through the process. As an accredited EcoBroker, I also have a list of green Austin home builders, including custom builders, that incorporate energy efficiency and sustainable building practices for your cost savings and comfort. You can also ask me about the green building features of the ‘national’ builders in the Austin area. Call Angela Sparks at 512-762-0923 to learn more or build today!