Erika's Austin Insights Blog

  If you are purchasing a home using a loan, the bank will require an appraisal.  The appraiser visits the home, looks at comparable recent sales, and determines a value for the property.  If the appraiser’s value is less than the agreed upon sales price, you have what is commonly referred to as...

  As we approach the high season in the land of real estate, more and more properties are experiencing multiple offer situations.  When two or more parties have submitted an offer on the same piece of property, it becomes a multiple offer situation.  This is often referred to as a bidding war.  ...

  There’s nothing better than being able to wake up in the morning and enjoy a cup of coffee while you look out at the lake and see the sun reflecting off the water.  If this sounds like a little slice of heaven to you, you may be considering purchasing a home with a lake view.  In Austin, there...

  As someone thinking about a move to Austin, I’m sure you may be curious about how much you should expect to pay in property taxes for any given home. Property tax rates vary drastically across central Texas, and it’s important you have a good estimate of what this cost will be before you buy a...

Well, that was quick!  I listed this beautiful home on Thursday, and almost immediately, we had multiple offers.  Last night, I took all of the offers and put them on a spreadsheet.  I ran netsheets for each offer and simplified the terms into an easy to interpret spreadsheet for my clients.  The...

In real estate, a right of first refusal is a contractual right that gives the holder the option to purchase a specified property when the owner decides to sell.  This right of first refusal is usually written up by a lawyer, and the terms are agreed upon by the owner of the property and the hold...

If you’re planning to sell your home in Texas, you almost always need to provide a seller’s disclosure form.  This form is provided to buyers informing them of any known defects to the property, previous repairs, and general property conditions.  There are a few exceptions for the mandate to prov...

  If you’re considering buying a home in Austin, it’s a smart idea to consider the property tax rate of prospective houses.  Property tax rates can vary significantly throughout central Texas, and oftentimes your property taxes are going to make up a significant portion of your monthly mortgage ...

When you are buying a property, it’s always a good idea to obtain a home inspection.  A home inspector will test all of your major home systems, assess the home’s condition, and point out any areas of concern.  A great home inspector will make all of this information easy to understand, and give ...

On the national scale, there are rumblings of a market shift in the real estate market.  However, at the local level, real estate sales remain strong. According to Steve Crorey, President of the Austin Board of REALTORS, "Sales are up 3.3 percent year-to-date for 2018”. The Austin-Round Rock MSA ...