Real Estate Update

Posts Tagged ‘Austin’

According to ABC news, more than 2.3 million American homeowners faced foreclosure proceedings last year, which was an 81 percent increase from 2007. And as of March 2009, about 5 million are currently in default, or at least one month behind, on their mortgage.

So does it have to be all “Doom and Gloom” or are there REAL solutions for homeowners facing this stress? The truth of the matter is there are several solutions to this problem, but it is very common for homeowners to not be aware of all their options. Foreclosure is NOT the only possible outcome. Neither is listing with a Realtor to try to sell fast. Neither is trying to get refinanced.

So if payments are behind on your Austin Texas home, what are your options?

In times like these, most homeowners believe they only have 4 options:

List with a realtor (But do you have time to wait for it to sell? What if it doesn’t sell? No Equity?) Refinance (Thousands of homeowners try only to be turned down because they are behind in payments, have less-than-perfect credit, or have little-to-no equity! And it would cost at least ,000-5,000 to refinance the average Austin Texas home.) Reinstate your loan (Do you have the amount of $ $ $ your lender is asking for?) Do nothing and just let the bank foreclose on it (There are many better options, and they can be EASY, too! Plus, if the foreclosure sale is not enough to pay off the mortgage in full, the lender can still come after the borrower for the difference. Yikes!)

But WAIT! There’s a 5th option! = Sell your Austin Texas house to us! We are THE fast Austin Texas Home-Buyers, RedBuysHouses.com. We’re a local, professional real estate investment group that buy houses all over Austin, TX in any area, condition or price range (even no equity) and in virtually any situation.

We can pay all cash and close fast! We don’t care if the house needs repairs because we buy houses in “as-is” condition (so we won’t beat you up about making repairs before closing like other buyers do!). We buy houses in Austin, Texas and the surrounding areas such as Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Lakeway, Buda, Kyle and more. We specialize in finding several CREATIVE solutions to real estate problems that others won’t touch. The fastest way to see if your Austin Texas house qualifies for our “Quick House Purchase Program” is to complete our confidential “Seller Questionnaire” and we will contact you within 24-28 hours.

So, if your payments are behind, the last thing you’d want to do is NOTHING!…Sadly, when times are tough, many homeowners don’t know what to do. Many, many houses have been foreclosed on in recent months because homeowners are not aware of the many alternatives to foreclosure or because:

they expect some money will be found/earned/won/inherited/borrowed to make up back payments in time (Since this isn’t likely, why not at least learn what the other, readily available options are to have a Plan B ready?) they’re embarrassed by the situation. (PLEASE…Don’t let this be the reason you don’t do anything. Things happen in life that can make payments late, and RedBuysHouses.com understands that and wants to help!) they’re afraid and unsure of who to trust (Again, there are trustworthy people out there who want to help…RedBuysHouses.com is an Accredited business with the Better Business Bureau and works with an experienced team of house-buyers who have helped THOUSANDS of homeowners during tough times!) their lenders don’t return any of their phone calls. If they send in any partial payments, it is very common for the lender to send it back. (Dealing with lenders can be very frustrating and confusing!) they didn’t think the bank would “really” foreclose on their house. (Remember, if you get behind on payments and do not do anything, your lender WILL foreclose on your house, even if you have a good relationship with them.) they were not aware that there was help available. (If you remember anything from this article, know that there is help available for you.)

So, if your payments are behind, the last thing you’d want to do is NOTHING! Call us today for a free, risk-free consultation to learn what your options are: Local 512-945-6006, and please leave message if a representative cannot be reached. We may even be able to help you find a solution to stay in your home at a payment you can afford!

We Buy Austin Texas Houses Fast (and we want to buy yours)! If you have an unwanted house you need to sell quickly for any reason whatsoever, call locally 512-945-6006 or visit Red Buys Houses for more information, to receive a free consultation, or to get an offer on your house fast.

We all know it’s bad out there…With the severe credit crisis and the declining housing market, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, and even the President remind us of our struggles daily. Home foreclosures are at an all time high, even in my neighborhood in Austin Texas with many more foreclosures predicted to come. Housing resale values are at all time lows with no end in sight. Even the banks are going bankrupt as many Americans no longer qualify for credit.

Because of the recent credit crisis, many people don’t qualify for a new loan to buy a house right now, despite the incredibly low housing prices. Many home sellers can’t sell their unwanted houses because they owe more than their house is worth due to falling house prices. Many sellers can’t even rent their houses out for enough to cover their mortgage payments, taxes and insurance resulting in severe negative cash flow that bleeds then dry month after month. To make matters worse, many tenants end up trashing the house when they move out making it even more difficult and expensive to sell.

If they list their house with a real estate agent, their house will likely sit on the market for a long, long time waiting to sell since the buyers seem to have magically disappeared. Even if the house does finally sell one day at a greatly REDUCED price to get it sold, the owner has to pay a 6% real estate commission plus the majority of the closing costs. This often results in the seller writing a big, fat check at the closing table to finally get their house sold.

So what are my options to sell my house in Austin Texas fast in this depressed economy and housing market when many folks can’t get a loan? By trial and error, I discovered the following 3 alternatives to try to sell my Austin TX home quickly…

1. I tried to sell my house in Austin “For Sale by Owner” aka “FSBO”.

At first, selling my house by myself sounded easy enough, but it soon became my worst nightmare! What went wrong:

At first I didn’t know how to attract buyers that might be interested in purchasing a home in Buford Georgia…The For Sale By Owner sign in the yard wasn’t working. I ended up spending a fortune placing classifieds in the local paper which resulted in few potential buyers. Those that did respond wanted to see my house at all different hours of the day or night. I was afraid to say no in fear of losing a potential buyer. I would have to keep my house clean and all picked up, only to have them flake out and not show up! Other times I had some pretty scary people show up with their rowdy kids in tow, trampling through my home.

I never did find my ideal buyer. Even if I did, I had no idea how to get them qualified, how to handle all the purchase and sale paperwork or how to get the house closed. I said “There has to be a better way to sell my home!” and I was determined to find it.

2. I listed my house for sale with a local Austin real estate agent.

I called an agent from a local, seemingly reputable, real estate agency and made an appointment for her to come out and see the property. The agent sounded like she really knew what she was talking about and got me really excited about the prospect of selling my home quickly. She said she would list my house in the MLS, on dozens of real estate sites throughout Texas, advertise my house in the local paper and other print publications, do multiple open houses, put out signs, balloons, flyers in an information box and went on and on about how she could sell my home and still get top dollar. How could I refuse? I didn’t.

I listed my house and waited, and waited and waited. The agent put the house on the MLS, but the market was pretty tough and, despite her best efforts, six months later, I still didn’t have a buyer. Meanwhile, my house had not only decreased in value because it would not sell for the list price, which had been reduced repeatedly, but also because of all the other listed houses and foreclosures on the market in my area of Austin. At this point, I was all out of ideas and praying for a solution. About that time, someone at my church told me about RedBuysHouses.com.

3. I contacted a local, professional home buyer from Austin, Texas.

My friend from church told me that she had similar problems selling her Austin house, but that she had contacted a local professional home buyer who bought her house in under a week! What? Is this possible? Could I sell my Austin Texas house in 7 days or less, too? She said there are professional house buyers out there, also known as “real estate investors”, who buy and sell real estate for investment purposes. You’ve probably seen their “We Buy Houses” advertisements around town but never gave them much thought. These are people who buy houses professionally and are always actively looking for more houses to buy. She gave me their phone number and web address (Locally 512-945-6006, website: www.RedBuysHouses.com) and I contacted them ASAP. A local Austin home buyer from there called me and said that if my house qualified and if I was flexible on price or terms, that they may be able to buy my house in the next 7 days or less. She said depending on my situation that they may be able to pay all cash, pay some cash now and some cash later or take over my mortgage payments giving me immediate debt relief. At this point I was definitely flexible and had nothing to lose by scheduling an appointment for them to come see my home and possibly allow me to sell my Austin Texas house fast!

So I scheduled the appointment with the Austin home buyer and she came out and inspected my home. She said it was just what they were looking for and that she had several buyers looking for a similar home. I was ecstatic! She made me several offers to buy my house as promised. I chose the offer that best suited my needs and we scheduled a closing the following week with a local real estate closing attorney. It was that fast and that simple to finally sell my house in Austin! I still can’t get over it. After waiting two years trying to sell my house on my own and through a licensed agent, I was able to sell my house in less than 7 days to a local professional home buying company!

If you have an unwanted Austin Texas house you need to sell fast, call 512-945-6006 or visit www.RedBuysHouses.com and complete their online Seller Questionnaire for a FREE, no obligation consultation. You have nothing to lose by contacting them and everything to gain. I was able to sell my Austin home fast and you can too!

Think listing your home with a Realtor is the only way to sell?

Think again! With today’s glut of underpriced foreclosures on the market and house values dropping steadily, there is not only a lot of competition out there, but houses must be priced right to compete! In reality, in Austin Texas it can take many months to sell a house through a Realtor. After all, it is a “Buyer’s Market” right now.

But what if you don’t HAVE months to wait to sell your home?

What if your Austin Texas house needs repairs or updating to attract buyers your Realtor brings over?

What if, like many Americans, the mortgage is a little behind and you want to see if you can “get out from under it”…and fast!

What if the property was 100% financed and you owe more than it’s worth?

What if the house is in foreclosure, an auction date has been set, and time is running out?

The good news is that there ARE ways to sell your Austin Texas home fast, and it may be even easier than you thought!

Yes, even in today’s market it is possible to sell your home fast, though it may not be through a Realtor.

There are alternatives that many folks are just not aware of. Believe it or not, there are ways to sell your Austin house fast, without having to use a Realtor, while paying ZERO fees, commissions, buyers’ concessions, or repair costs!

When you sell your Austin Texas house to us, you’re offered at least FIVE programs to ensure your house is sold FAST, and the anxiety is gone!

We can pay all cash to you. If you need us to, we can pay you all cash for your property and close quickly! How can we do this? Unlike a traditional buyer who is at the mercy of the banks trying to qualify for a loan, we’re a professional house-buying (investment) company, which means we have the ready funds to quickly buy your Austin Texas house ALL CASH. There is no waiting and wondering like there would be with a traditional buyer who needs to get qualified for a loan, cancel their existing lease, etc, etc.

Plus, we buy properties AS-IS, meaning even if it needs repairs (big or small) or updating, we don’t care! We buy houses in any condition, and we won’t try to make you pay us extra at closing toward repair costs, like you would with a traditional sale of a less-than-perfect home. What a hassle!

And we buy Austin houses FAST! If you simply can’t, or don’t want to, make another mortgage payment, we can close in as little as 24 hours! No more waiting and worrying when, or if, your house will sell! We can make you an offer immediately, and we close when we say we’re going to close, which is often lightning fast!

We can take over your payments. We can buy your house in Austin Texas by making the payments going forward and give you cash to move into a new place. We pay for any fix-up costs if needed and if payments are behind, we are responsible for catching up the payments to save your credit and relieve your anxiety.

We can buy your house for less than you owe (if you have little to no equity)! We do this by negotiating the mortgage balance with your lender on your behalf. If you wouldn’t be able to sell your house with a real estate agent without having to write a big, fat check at the closing, then this is likely your solution. We have an experienced team of negotiators who KNOW how to deal with tough banks! We know exactly what lenders are looking for!

We can help you with a house swap! If you want to buy another house, but you can’t until you’ve sold your house, we can help you with a “house swap.” Not only can we buy your house, but we’ll help move you into a new one that you like.

We can repair or update your Austin Texas house to sell it fast! And you get the satisfaction of knowing your house sold in great condition at a higher price.

We buy houses from people in every situation imaginable and we make the process fast, fair, and friendly. RedBuysHouses.com is a team of local Austin Texas home-buyers that purchase properties as investments. We can relieve you of your mortgage payments and give you money to move on and be free. RedBuysHouses.com – The fastest way to see if your house qualifies for our “Quick House Purchase Program” is to complete our confidential, risk-free “Seller Questionnaire” and we will contact you within 24-28 hours.

So remember, even if you owe more than (or almost as much as your house is worth), we are your best chance at getting you out from underneath your home and freeing you to get on with your life…We work with an experienced team that has helped over 900 homeowners sell their no-equity houses, and if that’s your position, we can do the same for you! Call us locally at 512-945-6006 so we can research the value of your property and tell you honestly what your options are. Call today – You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Summer is finally over and Apartment communities that maintained 90-100% occupancy levels throughout the summer have now been bombarded with new fall and winter time notices to vacate. Apartment communities pre-lease apartments based on their notices to vacate which are usually given 60-90 days out from the resident’s move date or lease end date.

Most long term tenants are being pushed out of their apartments with rental increases up to 0. Many of my clients recently call me discouraged stating that they have been a perfect resident for 5 years or more and dont understand why their aparmtent community is so anxious to “stick it to them” when it comes time to renew their leases.

The first question I ask them is how much they are paying currentlly ie; a client we’ll call Leslie that I am helping move currently. Leslie told me that she is paying 5 for a 740sf apartment in a community she has lived at for 5 years and is only 7 years old, and they want to raise her rent to 5. The first thing I told her was that the community wanted to raise her rent 0 due to the fact that since she leased there 5 yrs ago the market had completely changed. Unfortunately the only people that view long term occupants at an apartment community as an asset are the occupants themselves.

The truth of the matter is that Leslie and many others around Austin whom of which have been exemplary tenants are being viewed as a loss to their apartment communities. With a shortage of available apartments in Austin the market has changed. For example 5 years ago in South Austin you could get a nice apartmnet at an A class property for between 6-0. Now you cant even get near an A class property in South Austin for less than 0 and that would be for a 1 bedroom apartment. Availability pushes pricing. If a guy has 50 apartments available they lower prices and offer up a massive upfront concession ie; 1 month free 2 months free etc. But when a management company looks down and sees that they are 96% full which has been the case most of this summer and historically most summers then their rates rise to the market rates (the highest rates they can charge for a particular unit). Long term residents are being viewed as a loss and therefore pushed out.

The good news is that in the last two or three months there have been at least twenty new apartment communities open.  There are also at least 100 more on the horizon. This type of news and the historically slow fall and winter months are forcing apartment communities to drop their prices and drop them fast. There are at least twenty communities that I can think of right now that have dropped their prices – in the last month from August pricing to compete with the new properties that have opened or are opening up in their vicinity.

For example the Wyndhaven apartments on Wells Branch. For years wyndhaven was only one of two A property options in the Wells Branch area. Their smallest 1 bdrm apartment 630sf was going for 9 a month. Then comes the Verde Oak Park apartments that opened a month or two ago right next door. The day Verde Oak Park opened their doors Wyndhaven went to 9 on the same floor plan. It still didnt help them though Verde Oak Park has a similar square footage for 0 Brand New Never Been Lived In! Then they were offering two months free upfront. Well if you average out the two months free over the lease term which was 13 months (aka a prorate) 20 is the total concession or (special) divided by the minimum lease term which was 13 months thats 20 divided by 13 months equaling 9.23. The 9.23 is your average monthly concession. You then subtract the 9.23 from the monthly rental rate. 0 minus 9.23 equals 0.77 a month for 13 months. Plus these apartments contain granite countertops, washer and Dryer etc and are BRAND NEW and have NEVER BEEN LIVED in.

So, yes rental rates are dropping dramatically with the rise of new communities you just can’t be fooled by upfront numbers anymore. My advice is that you always contact a Real Estate professional procurement of leasing transactions for the consumer are always 100% FREE. And recommended. Yes rates are higher but if you look past the first picture of the rate being 0 when you’re pricerange is 0 and you end up at Wyndhaven which is over ten years old and a much lesser quality class A property at 9 then the only one to blame is yourself. With the newer communities trying to fill up their properties they are offering great upfront concessions that will bring the rates back down.

You should always contact an apartment locator before looking at apartments on your own. If that apartment locator dosent find you the best deal available and you are not happy enough to move in then they dont get paid that is your insurance. Austin Apartment Guy would be glad to either help you find an apartment or counsel you on the leasing process. You can contact us through our website http://www.austinapartmentguy.com . 

Austin has long been a home for friendly folk- friendly to each other, friendly to animals, and friendly to the environment. What used to be considered as only the concerns of hippies and the bohemian sect, environmentalism is now at the forefront of commercial and residential design, and “green” businesses are popping up nationwide. Austin, however, was the first city in the United States to establish a local green-building program, laying out environmentally friendly and sustainable guidelines for home builders and its interested citizens back in 1991.

Since the Austin real estate market is known nationwide as the leader of these green building methods, the National Association of Home Builders chose the city as its hub to launch an industry-wide effort to establish green-building guidelines in 2004. These guidelines now provide a practical nationally recognized framework for builders to follow to reduce a home’s environmental impact by making them more energy efficient, improving indoor environmental quality, and so on. Though Austin has already been using similar guidelines for over a decade, now the rest of the country is following suit.

The City of Austin and Austin Energy provide a great resource to owners of Austin homes, and new home builders, who are looking for ways to conserve energy, and build an environmentally friendly home. The city’s website offers a list of companies willing to do an energy analysis of a home that will determine possible options to help the house conserve more energy, with suggestions ranging from air conditioning repair to weather stripping doors. The city then will offer a 20 to 75% of that cost.

For those Austinites building a new house or commercial building, the city created the Austin Energy Green Building organization to promote the construction of high quality, more sustainable buildings, and has even zoned sections of the city’s real estate to require an Austin Energy Green Building rating. Four times a year, the organization also holds a one day “Green By Design” workshop open to the public. The workshop provides an overview of the green building process, and brings in design, building, engineering, landscaping, and Austin real estate professionals with many years of experience in homebuilding and remodeling, to help make sense of it all.

In March of this year, Austin was named as the city leading the country in “cleantech” by SustainLane, an online resource center that offers sustainability tips to state and local government. The term “cleantech” refers to venture capital-based startups based in green technology, with Austin as the front runner with seven such startups, ranging from internet-controlled irrigation to geothermal energy technologies. To keep Austin on the cutting edge of green technology, the Clean Energy Incubator program was set up to help young clean energy businesses succeed by commercializing their ideas. With citizens, government, and forward thinking businesses, Austin will likely be the city to follow in the environmental battle for years to come.