A great article in the Statesman this Sunday provided insight into the economics of Texas and how we compare to other areas. Here is the scoop:
Leading indicators that are used to track the progress of an areas economic situation show a downward fall in November for Texas of 4.5% from the previous year and the national average was down 3.3%
For new home starts, Texas was down 33% from last year and the national statistics were down 41%
Existing home sales were down 16% with nationwide sales down 13%
Foreclosures showed that as of December one in every 971 mortgages in Texas was a foreclosure. In Nevada 1 in 71, in California 1 in 147 and in Arizona 1 in 163.
Texas unemployment rate in December was 6%. In Michigan 10.6%, in California 9.5%. While other large states lost jobs, Texas added 153,000 jobs in 2008.
For the last seven consecutive years, Texas has lead the nation in exports.
Although Texas has some of the highest electricity rates, gasoline prices tend to be lower.
The consumer price index rose for Texas in December to 0.2% which was double the national gain but overall the Texas index remains lower which usually means a lower cost of living
Consumer confidence fell in Texas last month to 64.1 from a year ago and nationally it's down to 37.7.
Robin Scott, Broker. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. Amelia Bullock Realtors. 512.589.7988.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Austin Crime Statistics - Homicides Are Down
Clients often ask me about crime in the area they wish to purchase and I direct them to the Austin Police Department site. In the Sunday Statesman, there were some great statistics about homicides. Great because in 2008 they are down from the previous year. Here's the scoop:
In 2007 there were 30 homicides, in 2008 only 23
61% of the homicides occurred in the am hours with 1:00 am being the deadliest
The largest number (5) occurred on Monday
The most common age of the victims (9) was between 21-30 years of age
As of February 5, 2009, arrests had been made in 17 of the cases, warrants issued in 3 of the cases and 3 of the cases were still unsolved
19 of the 23 victims were male
18 of the victims were Hispanic, 3 were black and 2 were white
14 of the victims were killed by someone they knew
18 of the homicides were gun related
9 were a result of personal insult or revenge, 5 of family violence, 3 of robbery, 3 of drugs, 3 are unknown
For 2009 there has only been one homicide to date.
And, I want to be your REALTOR®! If there is any information you would like regarding relocating to the Austin area, let me know. You can contact me at robin@robinscottrealtor.com, 512.589.7988 or just comment on this blog entry.
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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In 2007 there were 30 homicides, in 2008 only 23
61% of the homicides occurred in the am hours with 1:00 am being the deadliest
The largest number (5) occurred on Monday
The most common age of the victims (9) was between 21-30 years of age
As of February 5, 2009, arrests had been made in 17 of the cases, warrants issued in 3 of the cases and 3 of the cases were still unsolved
19 of the 23 victims were male
18 of the victims were Hispanic, 3 were black and 2 were white
14 of the victims were killed by someone they knew
18 of the homicides were gun related
9 were a result of personal insult or revenge, 5 of family violence, 3 of robbery, 3 of drugs, 3 are unknown
For 2009 there has only been one homicide to date.
And, I want to be your REALTOR®! If there is any information you would like regarding relocating to the Austin area, let me know. You can contact me at robin@robinscottrealtor.com, 512.589.7988 or just comment on this blog entry.
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!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Texas Homebuyers Statistics
Interesting statistics were revealed in the February issue of Texas Realtor magazine about homebuyers.
33% of homebuyers found the home they purchased through a real estate professional.
29% of homebuyers found the home they purchased on the internet.
41% of homebuyers considered buying a foreclosed home but only 4% actually did.
80% of homebuyers used a real estate agent, up 7% from the previous year.
71% of home sellers only contacted one agent before deciding with who to list.
And, I want to be your REALTOR®! If there is any information you would like regarding relocating to the Austin area, let me know. You can contact me at robin@robinscottrealtor.com, 512.589.7988 or just comment on this blog entry.
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!
33% of homebuyers found the home they purchased through a real estate professional.
29% of homebuyers found the home they purchased on the internet.
41% of homebuyers considered buying a foreclosed home but only 4% actually did.
80% of homebuyers used a real estate agent, up 7% from the previous year.
71% of home sellers only contacted one agent before deciding with who to list.
And, I want to be your REALTOR®! If there is any information you would like regarding relocating to the Austin area, let me know. You can contact me at robin@robinscottrealtor.com, 512.589.7988 or just comment on this blog entry.
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!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Amelia bullock Realtors Score High in Sales
Number of Closed Units Per Agent
1. Amelia Bullock Realtors 7.37
2. Coldwell Banker 6.90
3. Avenue One 6.37
4. Moreland Properties 5.38
5. Prudential Texas Realty 5.02
6. Keller Williams 4.56
7. Gottesman Residential 4.37
8. J.B. Goodwin 3.42
9. Turnquist Partners 3.41
Robin Scott, Broker. Amelia Bullock Realtors. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.
Monday, January 19, 2009
THE CAPITAL METRO RED LINE RAIL
2014 Update: I rode the RedLine from the Howard Station to downtown. It was easy and fun. I highly recommend it as a transportation option.
Service is planned to begin on the Capital MetroRail Red Line on Monday, March 30, 2009. The sleek trains, designed for commuter convenience will be equipped with high-back seats, bicycle and overhead racks,Wi-Fi connections and some will feature tray tables. Initially the service will be during morning and afternoon peak hours with regular and shuttle buses available to carry you to your final destination.
The Red Line will run between Leander and Downtown Austin on 32-miles of existing freight tracks. Future connections are being studied .
The downtown station is complete and The MLK, Jr. Bus Transfer Plaza is expected to be completed in January.
The 9 stations stops are 1. Downtown located on 4th between Neches and Trinity, 2. Plaza Saltillo located on 5th and Comal, 3. MLK, Jr. located at MLK, Jr. and Alexander, 4. Highland located on Airport Blvd., 5. Crestview located west of Lamar between Justin and St. John's, 6. Kramer located near Kramer Lane east of Burnet, 7. Howard located on Howard Lane at Mopac, 8. Lakeline located on Lakeline Blvd. at Lyndhurst and 9. Leander located on Hwy 183 north of FM 2243.
And, I want to be your REALTOR®! If there is any information you would like regarding relocating to the Austin area, let me know. You can contact me at robin@robinscottrealtor.com, 512.589.7988 or just comment on this blog entry.
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!
AUSTIN AREA MARKET STATISTICS - from November
Quick and easy to understand market statistics for the Greater Austin area.
Statistics from NOVEMBER 2008 Compared to NOVEMBER 2007
Homes Sold 990 - down 40%
Median Sales Price $180,000 - down 3%
Active Listings 9,243 - down 11.5%
source: Austin Board of Realtors
Pending Sales Statistics in Austin
An interesting article in the Austin American Statesman this past Sunday shows research from austinhomesearch.com about what price range is selling in Austin based on pending sales January 5-11.
How many homes have pending contracts:
$1 million and up 11
$900k-$999,999 3
$800k-899,999 5
$700k-799,999 6
$600k-$699,999 16
$500k-599,999 16
$400k-$499,999 40
$300k-399,999 84
$200k-299,999 184
$100k-199,999 386
$0-$99,999 58
The most interesting thing is that people we assuming that the mortgage crisis was going to make it more difficult for lower income buyers to buy but this doesn't seem to be the case since the highest activity is between $100k-200k.
Robin Scott, Broker. Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyers Representative, Seller's Representative Specialist. 512.589.7988.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
New Construction and Buyer Incentives
According to a customer satisfaction study of homebuilder conducted by J.D.Power and Associates, 92% of new home buyers say they received a sales incentive for making their new home purchase. The incentives includes reduced pricing and credit towards upgrades or closing costs averaging $16,500.
Although 75% of the buyers say the builder did not identify their home as a "green home," 28% believed their home to be environmentally friendly. The features in the home that buyers felt were environmentally beneficial were energy-efficient air and heating, energy-saving appliances, lighting and windows.
If you are considering purchasing new construction and taking advantage of the benifits of buyer incentives and energy-efficient features be sure you have a REALTOR working for you to negotiate those advantages. Remember, the friendly salesperson in the model home represents the seller, not you. I've found new home salesman work well with buyer agents because they know that agents bring them a large percentage of their business.
If you are looking for a home in the greater Austin area, I want to be your REALTOR and negotiate the same great purchases for you as I have for my other buyer clients.
And, I want to be your REALTOR®! If there is any information you would like regarding relocating to the Austin area, let me know. You can contact me at robin@robinscottrealtor.com, 512.589.7988 or just comment on this blog entry.
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!
Although 75% of the buyers say the builder did not identify their home as a "green home," 28% believed their home to be environmentally friendly. The features in the home that buyers felt were environmentally beneficial were energy-efficient air and heating, energy-saving appliances, lighting and windows.
If you are considering purchasing new construction and taking advantage of the benifits of buyer incentives and energy-efficient features be sure you have a REALTOR working for you to negotiate those advantages. Remember, the friendly salesperson in the model home represents the seller, not you. I've found new home salesman work well with buyer agents because they know that agents bring them a large percentage of their business.
If you are looking for a home in the greater Austin area, I want to be your REALTOR and negotiate the same great purchases for you as I have for my other buyer clients.
And, I want to be your REALTOR®! If there is any information you would like regarding relocating to the Austin area, let me know. You can contact me at robin@robinscottrealtor.com, 512.589.7988 or just comment on this blog entry.
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!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Price Change on 1204 W.43rd. St.
MLS#2450879. Great opportunity to live in Central Austin for under $400K. New price of $379,000. This is NEW CONSTRUCTION with all the bells and whistles. Search my blog for more specifics or visit my Web site at http://www.robinscottrealtor.com for details and a virtual tour.
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