UPDATED for 2021 So you've looked all over and can't find something that is just right for you and are now starting to think about building your own home from scratch. Buying off the shelf saves a lot of time, but if you just have to have the right sized living room for your Austin powers couch, then this is what it's going to take. I have permitted and built over 60 homes in Austin, TX since 2011. Since then the process has changed some, and the costs have changed signific

Pressure washing — check. Window cleaning — check. All light bulbs working and smoke detectors functional — check. Landscaping trimmed and front door painted — check. What else could sellers possibly need to do to get a home ready to fly off the market? If you want to crank things up a notch for a speedy sale, tackle these eight tasks that’ll have buyers racing to put in an offer: 1. Caulk and regrout Photo credit: Halfpoint | Shutterstock.com Take a look at all of the basebo

We're coming into the fall season and people are starting to ask where is the market going? Well I am here to tell you. We are starting to see just a little more supply in the market, but inventory is still lower than 'normal.' Normal is six months, and in Austin we are still around 2 months of inventory. Nationally we are still in low supply territory which has driven up prices since 2013 with no signs of stopping. Two major factors in supply in Austin are increased mate

Investor clients often ask me to find them a deal. The source of the question is simply to find them something that is under valued so the buyer can capture that value on the purchase. However, when you make those investments they often come with not so obvious risks and time commitments. So depending on your risk tolerance and how much time you want to spend maintaining your investments, choose your class carefully. Here are my opinions on a few asset classes. Single Fam

* I am not an investment adviser or accountant. This post is for informational purposes only around the context of a hypothetical investment. Please consult a Registered Investment Adviser before making any investments. There are a lot of variables that go into purchasing an investment property. To the uninitiated it might look like buying the house for a given price, collect the rents and calculate a return on investment. If it is above 8% it looks like a good deal and if

Negotiating can be one of the more stressful aspects of purchasing or selling a home. Many don't know where to start or simply don't know what the leverage points are for negotiating a transaction. If you've never done it before, you don't know what to ask for and what you are likely to get. Negotiating power depends a lot on the market and the level of need on both sides of the table. It is common for buyers and sellers to get emotional and passionate about offers and cou

With rising rental costs and the amount of student debt at an all-time high, it's no surprise that many potential buyers are unable to save up for a down payment. If you've found yourself in this boat, don't lose hope. With the help of technology and a little foresight, you can save for that down payment -- and probably sooner than you think. Here's how: Set up automatic deposits. Enable automatic deposits into your savings account. Schedule them right after paydays, when you