STAGING YOUR HOME TO SELL

To get the best price for the most money, hire a professional stager. Your REALTOR® should be able to refer someone. If that doesn't fit your budget here are some things to do:

1. Clean. Clean, clean and clean again - even the baseboards!
2. Walls. Paint any walls that are loud colors or dirty. White is out so use a neutral beige or tan.
3. Carpet. Steam clean the carpet. If it is too worn or stained, replace it. Carpet allowances are no longer acceptable to buyers.
4. Furniture. Remove as much extra furniture as possible and all your decorative stuff too. Especially fake ivy and dried flowers.
5. Odors. Your REALTOR® doesn't want to insult you so ask someone who isn't afraid to be honest if there's an odor and get rid of it.

Visit a model home for ideas on how your's should look.

I want to be you REALTOR®. If you are thinking about selling your house in the greater Austin area, call me at 512.589.7988 and I can walk you through getting your house ready to sell, marketing your house and represent you to the end of the transaction.

Homes sellers are also homebuyers. If you are in the Austin, Texas area and are planing to sell and/or buy a house, contact me for a FREE home market analysis and marketing plan or help finding and purchasing your new home. Robin Scott, REALTOR® 512.589.7988 or robinscottrealtor@gmail.com

Austin, Texas. Robin Scott, BROKER. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.

Search for homes through Austin MLS
Find your home's value
Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

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PURCHASING NEW CONSTRUCTION

In the Austin area, builders expect to pay your REALTORS® commission and usually won't reduce the price of the home by the commission amount although they may negotiate on the price. Ask your REALTORS® for help in negotiating the price. Remember, the friendly sales person in the model home represents the builder, not you. Take your REALTORS® with you. He/she is there to protect your best interests and guide you through the process.

Also, keep in mind that the property taxes are based on unimproved property (before the house was built.) Once you purchase, the property will be reassessed and the taxes will go up. Be prepared by saving enough to cover the shortage in your escrow account and the increase for the following year.

Homes sellers are also homebuyers. If you are in the Austin, Texas area and are planing to sell and/or buy a house, contact me for a FREE home market analysis and marketing plan or help finding and purchasing your new home. Robin Scott, REALTOR® 512.589.7988 or robinscottrealtor@gmail.com

Austin, Texas. Robin Scott, BROKER. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.

Search for homes through Austin MLS
Find your home's value
Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

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10 THINGS TO DO IN AUSTIN

1. Watch the bats fly from under Congress Ave. bridge. 416-5700 x3636
2. Tour the State Capitol. 463-0063
3. Enjoy the nightlife on 6th street.
4. Swim in Barton Spring Pool. 68 degrees F. 478-0098
5. Enjoy the water sports and restaurants around Lake Travis. 263-3188
6. Ascend 99 steps to the top of Mt. Bonnell. 478-0098
7. Explore Austin’s 12 National Register Districts. 478-0098
8. Jog, bike, picnic & play at th 351 acre Zilker Park.499-6700
9. Take the kids to the interactive Austin’s Childrens Museum. 472-2494
10. Tour the University of Texas.

Homes sellers are also homebuyers. If you are in the Austin, Texas area and are planing to sell and/or buy a house, contact me for a FREE home market analysis and marketing plan or help finding and purchasing your new home. Robin Scott, REALTOR® 512.589.7988 or robinscottrealtor@gmail.com

Austin, Texas. Robin Scott, BROKER. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.

Search for homes through Austin MLS
Find your home's value
Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

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How Do Mortgage Payments Work

Rents are paid in advance and mortgages are paid in arrears. If you are buying a home, your first payment is not due until the 1st of the month after you've owned the house for one month. For example: if you close on June 20th, your first payment will be August 1st. It feels like getting a month free.

Mortgage payments are due on the 1st and late on the 15th. That doesn't mean you should wait until the 12th to send in your payment. To insure the highest credit rating, make sure your payments are in by the 1st.

To pay down your mortgage quicker, you may add $50 or more to each payment but be sure to write a separate check and mark it to be "applied to the principal. " The rule is that if you add $50 with each payment, you'll pay off your loan 15 years sooner saving a lot of money on interest.
     Your mortgage company may offer a program that allows you to divide the payment in half and pay twice a month to pay down the loan fast. They charge small processing fees but you don't have to pay them extra fees and you can pay down faster at your own pace by using the method in the paragraph above.

First time home buyers: Did you know that the interest on the loan and the property taxes are tax deductible! Since most of your payment in the first 5 years is interest, that's a huge savings.

Homes sellers are also homebuyers. If you are in the Austin, Texas area and are planing to sell and/or buy a house, contact me for a FREE home market analysis and marketing plan or help finding and purchasing your new home. Robin Scott, REALTOR® 512.589.7988 or robinscottrealtor@gmail.com

Austin, Texas. Robin Scott, BROKER. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.

Search for homes through Austin MLS
Find your home's value
Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

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HOW TO SAVE WHEN IT'S A SCORCHER OUT THERE!

Summer may be drawing to a close but, the temperatures do not seem to be letting up. Triple digits take a toll on energy costs and your pocket book! Here are some quick tips to help you save money during the heat.

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy says:
• Turn down the temp of your water heater to the warm setting (120)
• Use energy-saving settings on refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, & clothes dryers
• Clean or replace furnace, AC, & heat pump filters

Austin Energy says: “Be a Power Partner” by cycling off your AC during peak demand. Austin Energy provides free installation & warranty (valued @ $200-$280) & you agree to allow them to cycle off your AC briefly when demand for electricity is highest. June-September 4:00 PM- 8:00 PM excludes holidays & weekends. No more than 10 minutes every half hour. Contact: http://www.Austinenergy.com or 1-877-549-2774.


I want to be you REALTOR®. If you are thinking about selling your house in the greater Austin area, call me at 512.589.7988 and I can walk you through getting your house ready to sell, marketing your house and represent you to the end of the transaction.

Homes sellers are also homebuyers. If you are in the Austin, Texas area and are planing to sell and/or buy a house, contact me for a FREE home market analysis and marketing plan or help finding and purchasing your new home. Robin Scott, REALTOR® 512.589.7988 or robinscottrealtor@gmail.com

Austin, Texas. Robin Scott, BROKER. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.

Search for homes through Austin MLS
Find your home's value
Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

Like us on facebook!

TIPS FOR BUYING A HOME

How much does that home really cost?
Here are some things to keep in mind when trying to determine the true cost of purchasing a particular home:
• Does it have a pool that requires maintenance?
• How much yard maintenance is required?
• Are there trees that should be removed?
• What are the utility costs? Your usage won’t be the same as the current owners, but you may be able to get the past years utility bills from the utility company.
• How soon will the roof need to be replaced?
• Does the house need repainting?
• Does the electrical system need upgrading to handle the load of electronic improvements?
• Does the house need new carpeting/flooring?
• What remodeling projects do you see as a must?
• Will appliances need replacing? What items convey?
• What are the estimated property taxes for the property?

Also, be sure to get a professional inspection to identify other potentially costly problem areas.

This information is brought to you by a proud member of the Texas Association of REALTORS®.

I want to be you REALTOR®. If you are thinking about selling your house in the greater Austin area, call me at 512.589.7988 and I can walk you through getting your house ready to sell, marketing your house and represent you to the end of the transaction.

Homes sellers are also homebuyers. If you are in the Austin, Texas area and are planing to sell and/or buy a house, contact me for a FREE home market analysis and marketing plan or help finding and purchasing your new home. Robin Scott, REALTOR® 512.589.7988 or robinscottrealtor@gmail.com

Austin, Texas. Robin Scott, BROKER. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.

Search for homes through Austin MLS
Find your home's value
Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

Like us on facebook!

NOT ALL REAL ESTATE AGENTS ARE REALTORS®

All Realtors® are real estate agents but not all real estate agents are Realtors®. In Texas, to be a real estate agent, one must fulfill educational requirements, pass a difficult licensing exam administered by Texas Real Estate Commission and be granted a license by the State of Texas. The term “Realtor®” is a registered trademark reserved solely for active members of the National Association of Realtors®. A Realtor® must swear to a higher code of ethics and this membership grants access to the local Board of Realtors® and the multiple listing service (MLS.)

        

I want to be you REALTOR®. If you are thinking about selling your house in the greater Austin area, call me at 512.589.7988 and I can walk you through getting your house ready to sell, marketing your house and represent you to the end of the transaction.

Homes sellers are also homebuyers. If you are in the Austin, Texas area and are planing to sell and/or buy a house, contact me for a FREE home market analysis and marketing plan or help finding and purchasing your new home. Robin Scott, REALTOR® 512.589.7988 or robinscottrealtor@gmail.com 

Austin, Texas. Robin Scott, BROKER. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.

Search for homes through Austin MLS
Find your home's value
Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

Like us on facebook!

Selling a Home With Pets

Crate them, board them or remove them at every showing. It shouldn't be the buyers or agents responsibility to make sure your cat or dog doesn't run out the door. And buyers can't see the condition or assets of the backyard with dogs in the back. Plus many buyers are afraid of dogs or adverse to cats and you're limiting your market by excluding these opportunities. This isn't my personal opinion about pets. I'm just being honest with you about how buyers react.

 I want to be you REALTOR®. If you are thinking about selling your house in the greater Austin area, call me at 512.589.7988 and I can walk you through getting your house ready to sell, marketing your house and represent you to the end of the transaction.

Homes sellers are also homebuyers. If you are in the Austin, Texas area and are planing to sell and/or buy a house, contact me for a FREE home market analysis and marketing plan or help finding and purchasing your new home. Robin Scott, REALTOR® 512.589.7988 or robinscottrealtor@gmail.com

Austin, Texas. Robin Scott, BROKER. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.

Search for homes through Austin MLS
Find your home's value
Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

Like us on facebook!

Tips for Selling a House - Cleaning

In Austin, Texas there are too many homes on the market which look good for a buyer to consider a home that is not move-in ready. Unless you are looking for an investor, your home must appeal to a buyer as a place he/she wants to live. It also must appeal to the REALTOR® who is looking at the photos in MLS and deciding which homes to show.

As a REALTOR®, I scrutinize those photos. It's hot out there and gas is expensive. I don't want to waste my buyers time or mine looking at homes that don't cut it. Clean, repair, remove and stage! And clean again.

P.S. No longer will a carpet allowance do. Replace them.




I want to be you REALTOR®. If you are thinking about selling your house in the greater Austin area, call me at 512.589.7988 and I can walk you through getting your house ready to sell, marketing your house and represent you to the end of the transaction.

Homes sellers are also homebuyers. If you are in the Austin, Texas area and are planing to sell and/or buy a house, contact me for a FREE home market analysis and marketing plan or help finding and purchasing your new home. Robin Scott, REALTOR® 512.589.7988 or robinscottrealtor@gmail.com 

Austin, Texas. Robin Scott, BROKER. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.

Search for homes through Austin MLS
Find your home's value
Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

Like us on facebook!

JUNE AREA MARKET STATISTICS - June 2007

Market Summary from June 2007 as Compared to June 2006
ALL SINGLE FAMILY SALES 2,800 - DOWN 6%
All Active Single Family Listings 9,159 - UP 8%
Single family Median Price $191,050 - UP 7%
Single Family Pending Sales 2,789 - DOWN 15%

JUNE HOME SALES SHOW DECLINE
June saw 2,800 single-family home sales, representing the second highest home sales ever recorded for the month of June and a 6 percent decline compared to a year ago. The median price for home sales in June grew 7 percent to $191,050. Altogether, single-family home sales contributed $727,843,200 to the local economy.

The 9,159 active single-family listings in the MLS represent an 8 percent increase from 2006. At an average of 53 days, the amount of time these listings sat on the market decreased by 7 percent.

Source: Austin Board of Realtors

I want to be you REALTOR®. If you are thinking about selling your house in the greater Austin area, call me at 512.589.7988 and I can walk you through getting your house ready to sell, marketing your house and represent you to the end of the transaction.

Homes sellers are also homebuyers. If you are in the Austin, Texas area and are planing to sell and/or buy a house, contact me for a FREE home market analysis and marketing plan or help finding and purchasing your new home. Robin Scott, REALTOR® 512.589.7988 or robinscottrealtor@gmail.com 

Austin, Texas. Robin Scott, BROKER. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.

Search for homes through Austin MLS
Find your home's value
Buying or selling? Hire an experienced professional. Call Robin Scott, Broker at 512.589.7988.

Like us on facebook!