Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The June Housing Trends Newsletter is here!


Check out the June edition of our Housing Trends Newsletter here! When you begin to think about buying or selling real estate, remember it is in your best interest to hire a qualified real estate professional. Pick up the phone and give us a call right away!

It's true!


We have been noticing a big shift in the rental market here in Austin for the past several months. Lease inventory is down significantly, landlords and property managers are becoming more and more difficult to work with and less willing to pay agents for bringing tenants, and the good lease properties are flying off the market.

Check out this article for a national perspective on this changing market. Typically when we see this shift in the leasing market we begin to see a positive shift in the sales market. The biggest challenge at this time is that buyers are having a very difficult time getting financing.

Do you know someone that is tired of making someone else's dreams come true by paying rent? Put them in touch with us and let's see what kind of progress we can make in helping their dreams of home ownership come true! Please, don't keep us a secret!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Another reason consumers need REALTORS®


It has been said that the internet would make it so REALTORS® are no longer needed. We learn every day that this simply isn't the case. The unfortunate part of this lesson, is that it usually comes at the expense of the public.

When there is a professional REALTOR® involved in a real estate transaction, whether it be a sale or a lease, you have a real person who is looking out for your best interest. As powerful as it is, the internet is just the internet. It doesn't care about your interests, your finances, your safety, or anything else having to do with you.

Check out this article from The Des Moines Register. The information posted on the internet was used to scam these folks out of nearly $2,000 dollars and could have resulted in even more problems for both the home owners and the family that wanted to least the home.

Stories like this make me consider eliminating all listing syndication from our company listings (listing syndication pushes our listings to dozens of real estate related websites). Yes the syndication gives "more exposure" for the listing, but I can tell you that in the six years of my real estate practice, not a single listing has sold because of this "exposure" - in fact, the "exposure" probably exposes our clients to scams like the one in the article.

If people would rely on the professionals, many of these scams would be avoided.

When you or someone you care about is about to buy, sell or lease a home, help them get the professional service they deserve by getting your phone out and putting them in touch with us right away. Because, they deserve to be taken care of, don't they?