5 Tips to Save Money for First-Time Home Buyers

RISMEDIA, May 25, 2010—Those who missed taking advantage of the first-time buyer tax credit but who are still planning the purchase of their first home, continue to have a wealth of opportunities in today’s marketplace. A few smart steps can save first-time buyers thousands of dollars. Here is a look at some of the ways how:

1. Don’t buy if you don’t plan to stay
If you can’t commit to remaining in one place for at least a few years, then owning is probably not for you, at least not yet. With the transaction costs of buying and selling a home, you may end up losing money if you sell any sooner – even in a rising market. When prices are falling, it’s an even worse proposition.

2. Start by shoring up your credit
Since you probably will need to get a mortgage to buy a house, you must make sure your credit history is as clean as possible. A few months before you start house hunting, get copies of your credit report. Make sure the facts are correct, and fix any problems you discover.

3. Choose carefully between points and rate
When picking a mortgage, you usually have the option of paying additional points- a portion of the interest that you pay at closing- in exchange for a lower interest rate. If you stay in the house for a long time- say three to five years or more- it’s usually a better deal to take the points. The lower interest rate will save you more in the long run.

4. Hire a home inspector
A home inspector can let you know if you’re about to buy a lemon of a house or warn you about potential problems. At best, you can move into the house confident that it’s in good shape; at worst, the inspector’s report can let you back out of the deal if the house has major, unexpected problems. Most typically, the home inspection can allow you to negotiate the home price to account for necessary repairs.

5. Get professional help
Even though the Internet gives buyers unprecedented access to home listings, most new buyers (and many more experienced ones) are better off using a professional agent. Look for an exclusive buyer agent, if possible, who will have your interests at heart and can help you with strategies during the bidding process.

6. Bonus Tip: Be patient
Buying a home is one of the largest purchases most people will make in their lifetime. The key to avoiding buyer’s remorse is to be completely comfortable before signing on the dotted line.

Know somebody that could benefit from even more professional advice when it comes to buying and selling Real Estate? Please, don't keep us a secret!

Kiplinger: Best Cities 2010: Austin, Texas

This just in from Kiplinger:

Everything may be bigger in Texas, but Austin’s genius is nurturing the power of small. Just ask Rob Neville, who wants to develop his biotech firm, Savara Pharmaceuticals, into a major player in the field of inhaled-drug therapy. The firm started in Kansas, but Neville transplanted it to Austin because the city is arguably the country’s best crucible for small business.

Read the full article here.

Who do you know that needs our help buying and selling real estate in the Best City?? Please, don't keep us a secret!

Interested in the State of the Markets?

Then check out the latest edition of our Housing Trends Newsletter.

Each month, our Housing Trends Newsletter is full of market information along with tips and tricks to help you benefit from the market as it is today.

Questions about what you see and hear? Be sure to give us a call, and remember, we can help the people you care about buy and sell real estate in Austin and the surrounding areas, so please, don't keep us a secret!

Austin is on the lists again....

And it's more than one list this time!

RISMEDIA, May 5, 2010—The three most important things to remember when moving and buying a new home are: location, location, location. As potential home buyers start looking for new homes, RelocateAmerica.com, a leading website in providing relocating consumers access to resources for their upcoming relocation, has released its 13th annual list of “America’s Top Places to Live for 2010.”

The “Top Places to Live” list features several breakout categories such as the Top 10 Recovery Cities, Retirement Cities, ‘Earth Friendly’ Cities, Recreation Cities and Small Towns.

New for this year, the Top 10 Recovery Cities focused on areas poised for swift economic recovery. Many of these communities did not see the massive real estate bubble that formed in other areas and have a more diverse economy.

To be considered for the list, a community is nominated at RelocateAmerica.com. From the thousands of submissions, RelocateAmerica.com’s editorial team reviews the nominations and selects the top places to live, as well as the Top 10 for each smaller category, based on interviews with local leaders; feedback from residents; and economic, environmental, education, crime, employment and housing data for the past year.

“Given the tough economic times our nation is facing, home buyers have re-evaluated their priorities and are looking to relocate to communities that offer plenty of perks, but minimal hassle and cost,” said Peter Meyers, Vice President, Research and Content Development, at RelocateAmerica.com. “While some cities are facing a road to recovery that could take years, others are poised for a quick rebound – and already have seen growth. We wanted to highlight those cities that are on the road back to economic health.”

Top 10 Overall Cities:

1. Huntsville, AL
2. Washington, DC
3. Austin, TX
4. San Diego, CA
5. San Antonio, TX
6. Tulsa, OK
7. Charlotte, NC
8. Raleigh, NC
9. Boulder, CO
10. Minneapolis, MN

Top 10 Recovery Cities:

1. Huntsville, AL
2. Austin, TX
3. Las Cruces, NM
4. Washington, DC
5. San Antonio, TX
6. McAllen, TX
7. Billings, MT
8. Albuquerque, NM
9. Everett, WA
10. Boulder, CO

Top 10 Retirement Cities:

1. Ashville, NC
2. Bella Vista, AR
3. Green Valley, AZ
4. Sarasota, FL
5. Prescott, AZ
6. Tampa, FL
7. Greenville, SC
8. San Antonio, TX
9. Hot Springs Village, AR
10. Colorado Springs, CO

Top 10 ‘Earth Friendly’ Cities:

1. Portland, OR
2. Boston, MA
3. Madison, WI
4. Boulder, CO
5. Austin, TX
6. Chicago, IL
7. Minneapolis, MN
8. Fort Worth, TX
9. Ann Arbor, MI
10. Huntsville, AL

Top 10 Recreation Cities:

1. Boulder, CO
2. Santa Cruz, CA
3. Flagstaff, AZ
4. St. George, UT
5. Ithaca, NY
6. Corvallis, OR
7. Salt Lake City, UT
8. Stevens Point, WI
9. Wilmington, NC
10. Portland, OR

Top 10 Small Towns (<40K pop.):

1. Grinnell, IA
2. St. Augustine, FL
3. Fairhope, AL
4. Stillwater, MN
5. Summit, NJ
6. Ashland, OR
7. Batavia, IL
8. Ithaca, NY
9. Peachtree City, GA
10. Trumbull, CT

For more information, visit www.RelocateAmerica.com.

My birthday is on July 21.....

And this is on my list...

In one of the recent issues of MacWorld there was a story about the Book Book from Twelve South (www.twelvesouth.com). This is a super cool case for a macbook - they have models for the 13 inch macbook and the 15 inch macbook pro (if you're taking notes, please note I need the one for the 15 inch macbook pro - classic black or red is fine, you can choose!).

The cover makes your laptop look like a fancy old book. This makes me think about the other product I'd really like - maybe it exists and I just haven't found it? I would love to be able to purchase simlar covers for actual books....so when you look at the book shelf it is lined with beautiful leather bound books (I don't even care if it is leather, just want it to look like it). Seems like it would be easy to have a few basic sizes available that you could just stick your ugly paperback book in and presto, a really pretty book.

ANYWAY, check out the Twelve South website and let me know what you think. And again - my birthday is July 21... ;)

10 worst ice cream treats in America

I've been really trying to better my diet over the past several weeks. Occasionally I have a huge craving for ice cream. Often it has something to do with peanut butter or peanut butter cup.

This story was in my inbox today from Men's Health, so I thought I'd share with you. The link at the very bottom of the page will take you to the full article.

Ice cream is as American as apple pie (it's no wonder the two so often go hand-in-hand). Unfortunately, so is obesity—a 2009 report found that overweight and obesity rates remained steady or increased in every single state of the nation. The good news is that you can help fight this epidemic without sacrificing life's small indulgent pleasures. Learn how to indulge more often but with less damage—read The 10 Worst Ice Cream Treats in America. Avoid them, and choose their equally delicious—but much healthier—counterparts, and you'll be able to indulge AND lose weight!

See the entire Men's Health article here.

5 Costly Mistakes First-Time Buyers Make

Here's a great set of pointers from CNNMoney's Les Christie. These are great things to remember - we work very hard to educate our clients, and every bit of reinforcement we can get helps.

Here's what Christie has to say:

Buying a first home can be a daunting experience. Here are five common and costly mistakes that novice home buyers make:

1. Ignoring the costs of having a low credit score. Lower-score borrowers pay thousands of dollars in increased interest rates over the life of the loan. (We can refer you to our strategic alliance partners that can help you bring your scores up, resulting in huge savings - ask us how!)

2. Muddying the waters by shopping for other things before closing. Lenders continue to check credit scores right up until the time of closing. Too much shopping could cause the lender to take back the loan.

3. Scrimping on an inspection. Being surprised by the need for expensive repairs can be financially devastating. (We always recommend an inspection. In fact, if a client chooses not to have a property inspected by a qualified inspector, we ask that they sign a waiver indicating that they have been advised otherwise and wish to skip this step.)

4. Buying without contingencies. Buyers should give themselves an out if the inspection turns up problems or the bank raises the interest rates. (In Texas, our option contract takes care of this for us. Normally we can negotiate a 7-10 day option period for $100-200 - a real steal for an unrestricted right to terminate. When we're representing sellers, we work to get a $300-500 fee for those same 7-10 days.)

5. No money for insurance. Insurance can be surprisingly pricey. Buyers who don’t budget for it can face a nasty surprise. (Again, we will refer you to several of our strategic alliance partners that can help save you tons of money on your insurance premiums.)

Source: CNNMoney.com, Les Christie (04/19/2010)

I've been looking for a computer desk...

Ok not really, but - this is kind of cool.

Meet the Victorian Organ Command Desk. Bruce Rosenbaum of Massachusetts home restoration firm ModVic literally pulled out all the stops when he built this baroque computer desk out of a demolished church's 19th century organ. He gutted the pump and innards, replacing them with three monitors, a 3GHz AMD Phenom II X4 945 processor running Windows 7 Ultimate, 3GB of RAM, a 1TB HD, and lots of other goodies including a Webcam, printer, scanner, and iPhone dock. The organ pipes were placed upside-down for effect.

Check out April's Housing Trends Newsletter

Check out the latest edition of our Housing Trends Newsletter for the most current information on the local and national real estate markets.

Have some questions? Be sure to give us a call or send an email!

By the way, who do you know that could use our help buying, selling, leasing or managing a property? Please, don't keep us a secret!

6 power foods.....

Men's Health shares six superfoods that we should be eating. I'm not there 100% on some of these - but thought you might enjoy reading what they have to say...

Celery

This water-loaded vegetable has a rep for being all crunch and no nutrition. But ditch that mindset: Celery contains stealth nutrients that heal.

Why it's healthy: "My patients who eat four sticks of celery a day have seen modest reductions in their blood pressure—about 6 points systolic and 3 points diastolic," says Mark Houston, M. D., director of the Hypertension Institute at St. Thomas Hospital, in Nashville. It's possible that phytochemicals in celery, called phthalides, are responsible for this health boon. These compounds relax muscle tissue in artery walls and increase bloodflow, according to nutritionist Jonny Bowden, Ph. D., author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. And beyond the benefits to your BP, celery also fills you up—with hardly any calories.

How to eat it: Try this low-carbohydrate, protein-packed recipe for a perfect snack any time of day.

In a bowl, mix a 4.5-ounce can of low-sodium tuna (rinsed and drained), 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion, 1/4 cup of finely chopped apple, 2 tablespoons of fat-free mayonnaise, and some fresh ground pepper. Then spoon the mixture into celery stalks. (Think tuna salad on a log.) Makes 2 servings

Per serving: 114 calories, 15 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates (3 grams fiber), 1 gram fat

Seaweed

While this algae is a popular health food in Japan, it rarely makes it into U. S. homes.

Why it's healthy: There are four classes of seaweeds—green, brown, red, and blue-green—and they're all packed with healthful nutrients. "Seaweeds are a great plant source of calcium," says nutritionist Alan Aragon, M.S. They're also loaded with potassium, which is essential for maintaining healthy blood-pressure levels. "Low potassium and high sodium intake can cause high blood pressure," Bowden says. "Most people know to limit sodium, but another way to combat the problem is to take in more potassium."

How to eat it: In sushi, of course. You can also buy sheets of dried seaweed at Asian groceries, specialty health stores, or online at edenfoods.com. Use a coffee grinder to grind the sheets into a powder. Then use the powder as a healthy salt substitute that's great for seasoning salads and soups

Hemp Seeds

Despite the Cannabis classification, these seeds aren't for smoking. But they may provide medicinal benefits.

Why they're healthy: "Hemp seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke," says Cassandra Forsythe, Ph. D., a nutrition researcher at the University of Connecticut. What's more, a 1-ounce serving of the seeds provides 11 grams of protein—but not the kind of incomplete protein found in most plant sources. Hemp seeds provide all the essential amino acids, meaning the protein they contain is comparable to that found in meat, eggs, and dairy.

How to eat them: Toss 2 tablespoons of the seeds into your oatmeal or stir-fry. Or add them to your postworkout shake for an extra dose of muscle-building protein.

Scallops

Perhaps these mollusks are considered guilty by association, since they often appear in decadent restaurant meals that are overloaded with calories. (But then again, so does asparagus.)

Why they're healthy: Scallops are more than 80 percent protein. "One 3-ounce serving provides 20 grams of protein and just 95 calories," says Bowden. They're also a good source of both magnesium and potassium. (Clams and oysters provide similar benefits.)

How to eat them: Sear the scallops: It's a fast and easy way to prepare this seafood.

Purchase fresh, dry-packed scallops (not the "wet-packed" kind) and place them on a large plate or cookie sheet. While you preheat a skillet on medium high, pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and season the exposed sides with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. When the skillet is hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil to it. Being careful not to overcrowd, lay the scallops in the skillet, seasoned-side down, and then season the top sides.

Sear the scallops until the bottoms are caramelized (about 2 minutes), and then flip them to sear for another 1 to 2 minutes, depending on size and thickness. Now they're ready to eat. Pair the scallops with sauteed vegetables, or place them on a bed of brown rice.

Dark Meat

Sure, dark meat has more fat than white meat does, but have you ever considered what the actual difference is? Once you do, Thanksgiving won't be the only time you "call the drumstick."

Why it's healthy: "The extra fat in dark turkey or chicken meat raises your levels of cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone that makes you feel fuller, longer," says Aragon. The benefit: You'll be less likely to overeat in the hours that follow your meal. What about your cholesterol? Only a third of the fat in a turkey drumstick is the saturated kind, according to the USDA food database. (The other two-thirds are heart-healthy unsaturated fats.) What's more, 86 percent of that saturated fat either has no impact on cholesterol, or raises HDL (good) cholesterol more than LDL (bad) cholesterol—a result that actually lowers your heart-disease risk.

As for calories, an ounce of dark turkey meat contains just 8 more calories than an ounce of white meat.

How to eat it: Just enjoy, but be conscious of your total portion sizes. A good rule of thumb: Limit yourself to 8 ounces or less at any one sitting, which provides up to 423 calories. Eat that with a big serving of vegetables, and you'll have a flavorful fat-loss meal.

Lentils

It's no surprise that these hearty legumes are good for you. But when was the last time you ate any?

Why they're healthy: Boiled lentils have about 16 grams of belly-filling fiber in every cup. Cooked lentils also contain 27 percent more folate per cup than cooked spinach does. And if you eat colored lentils—black, orange, red—there are compounds in the seed hulls that contain disease-fighting antioxidants, says Raymond Glahn, Ph. D., a research physiologist with Cornell University.

How to eat them: Use lentils as a bed for chicken, fish, or beef—they make a great substitute for rice or pasta.

Pour 4 cups of chicken stock into a large pot. Add 1 cup of red or brown lentils and a half cup each of onion and carrot chunks, along with 3 teaspoons of minced garlic. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the lentils until they're tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the lentils from the heat, add a splash of red-wine vinegar, and serve.

Read more on the Mens Health website.