Let’s agree, buying a home can be emotional, unnerving and bewilderingly complex; avoiding the most expensive first time home buyer mistakes will make it less so. Here you’ll find the five most expensive mistakes Austin first time home buyers make and some tips for how to avoid making them in your home search. Mistake #1: […]
Buying a Home in Austin
Considering buying a home in Austin? Check out our home buyer tips, multiple offer strategies, how-to guides, home buyer mistakes and more in our Austin Home Buyer Blog.
Don't miss our Austin Home Buyer section, our Austin Neighborhood Guides and our Guide to Relocating to Austin for more insider home buying tips!
What is a Seller Looking for in a Multiple Offer Situation?
As we head into the busy Spring home buying season in Austin, we’re starting to see more multiple offers. As the season progresses, I would expect to see more. Buyers who want to eliminate the frustration of losing a home to another buyer need a carefully thought out multiple offer strategy. To be successful, the […]
What are Closing Costs and Who Pays Them in Austin?
Whether you are selling or buying a home, apartment building or vacant land, there will be closing costs associated with the transaction. That is, money due over and above the cost of the property. Closing costs are fees or charges imposed by certain 3rd parties – entities other than the buyer and seller – who […]
Best Historic Neighborhoods in Austin
Whether you’re looking for an historic home in one of Austin’s designated Historic Districts, or just an older, unique home that can’t be replicated, there are certain neighborhoods in Austin where you’ll find more than others. Here we’ll list the best historic neighborhoods in Austin, show you where you can find them and give you […]
What Does Closing Escrow Mean?
Closing escrow is a big, important and essential step along the road to buying a home in Austin. For those who have never bought a home, closing is often viewed by many as an unexplained and overwhelming experience. It’s the final step in the process of transferring title (ownership) to the buyer. Become Familiar with […]
5 Essential Questions to Answer Before Starting Your Home Search
The Holidays are over and you’re ready to start looking for your next Austin home. But, are you really ready to buy a home? Lots of folks forget to get their ducks in a row before embarking on their Austin home search and it can make things really hard for them. Sometimes ignoring simple things […]
Why I Tell All My Buyers to Ignore Square Footage
Square footage is one of the metrics most buyers focus on when buying a home in Austin. They think about the places they’ve lived, how big they were, and come up with an arbitrary number as to the minimum square footage they can live in. Though this works to a point, it is not a […]
Do I Really Need a Survey?
Those of you relocating to Austin from other parts of the country might not be familiar with the idea of getting a property survey as part of your purchase documentation. Invariably, usually because of the cost, the question arises whether or not you really need a survey when you buy a home in Austin? The […]
What Does Backup or Contingent Listing Mean?
In our Austin Home Search tool, you’ll sometimes come across “Backup or Contingent Listing” written in blue underneath the address of a home for sale. Just what does backup or contingent listing mean? Backup or Contingent Listing Status When a property is in “Backup or Contingent Listing Status”, it could be either in Backup Status […]
How Much are HOA Dues in Austin
HOA’s are becoming more and more popular in Austin. In the 1980s and 1990s, few new single family home developments belonged to mandatory HOA’s. Today, virtually every new development has a mandatory membership in an HOA. Which usually begs the question from most buyers, how much are HOA dues in Austin? HOA Dues Vary by […]