I’ve got several investors looking for lease properties in Austin right now. It’s a FANTASTIC time to invest. Mortgage rates are unbelievably low, housing prices are down, and the cherry on top is that apartment complexes are at about 95% capacity. The number of single-family homes available for lease on MLS is down about 25% [...]

Or not!  Say what you will about the new health care law, it will not add ad additional 3.8% sales tax burden to the majority of home sales.  Brooks Jackson spells it out very clearly on FactCheck.org.  Among his comments: …Only those with incomes over $200,000 a year ($250,000 for married couples filing jointly) will [...]

When the current or former home of an entertainer goes on sale, we get to sneak a peek into the celeb lifestyle.  I love checking out the staging photos and such on Celebrity Real Estate Highlights. For this week, I’m partial to Sacha Baron Cohen & Isla Fisher’s house, though none of the listings is [...]

So the gossip sites are all a-buzz over Jesse James’ purchase of a $1.9M property here in Austin. I did a little digging, and checked out the virtual tour…which I can’t link for privacy reasons. Here’s what I can tell you.  In many ways it’s just an ordinary house, and not the “mega-estate” TMZ claims [...]

It’s late, but I’m a-bloggin’!  Without getting too political, I really loved this news today about a pit bull who rescued a family from a house fire. I realize that the issue of aggressive breeds is very polarizing, so I won’t even try to address it here.  But it is NICE to read a story [...]

Ahhh, Independence Day.  I took some time off to enjoy family, and to indulge in the age-old joy of shopping for furniture.  But I am back now, and better than ever.  Four days away from the blog refreshes a Realtor, don’t you think? Since my last update, I got tapped to contribute to Ask a Realtor on Realtor.com. [...]

This article states is best: The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved giving extra time to thousands of homebuyers trying to get a popular federal tax credit by the end of the month. The deadline is TODAY.  The Senate still needs to approve, and then Obama can sign it.  The article goes on: Critics say [...]

I’m a bit under the weather today, so I’m going to post a link to one of my biggest preoccupations right now.  Zach Anner.  I will be voting, voting, and VOTING for him (it’s legal to multi-vote as long as you’re not a bot) from now ’til this Saturday (July 3).  He is so utterly [...]

I heard a radio DJ say today, “Hey! Houses are the cheapest they’ve been since the 1950′s!  Wish my salary was enough to buy one!” Without commenting on his total lack of awareness about the housing and mortgage markets, he did have one thing right — apparently buyers aren’t lining up, even though interest rates [...]

Things have suddenly (or so it seems, based on conversations with colleagues) gotten ridiculously tight in the rental market for single-family homes in Central Austin.  Consider the evidence! Exhibit A: An unsolicited email blast from a fellow Realtor. Subject: Immediate Move-in, 2 or 3 bedroom house, not duplex, <$1800. I have clients looking  for a house for [...]