Keller Williams' Lake Travis' Most Wanted Leaders

The 2011 Agent Leadership Council has been announced last week.  Here are the current leaders of the Keller Williams Lake Travis office on 1921 Lohmans Crossing, Lakeway.  I have been appointed to this council.  It is my pleasure to be a part of this team!  Already, I have co-chaired the Educational Committee and can't wait to get started. Thank you everyone for your support!

Should you sell your home during the holidays?

I know, I know, who wants to be bothered during Thanksgiving or Christmas during showings?  The decorations are out, the Christmas tree is in the middle of the living room and the room looks awfully tight with the large tree in the corner.  Under the tree is a big pile of wrapped presents that look like such a mess.  What a hassle!

So do you think that people don't relocate to Austin during the holidays?  Think of it this way, an employer is most likely to hire someone during the holidays to fill up positions before their year end.  So where will that new employee live?  They need to find a home right?

Here are some other  reasons why you should list your home during these busy holidays:

1) The inventory is lower than that of spring.  Let's face it, the spring time is the buying season, hence, it is also the selling season.  Think of the abundance of inventory during that time.  You may have more competition and who knows if the competition will list less than your asking price.  Your competitor may also be thinking that they don't want to list during the holidays either.  So take advantage of the inventory and list now.
2) Prices are most likely to be higher since there is less inventory.  Oh, supply and demand.  Wouldn't you want more money in your pocket?
3) If you are worried about being disturbed during family visits during the holidays, you can restrict showings during the times your family is over.
4) Some people may want to buy before the end of the year for tax purposes.  Think of an investor who needs to write off some income by purchasing investments.
5) Some people feel the warmth of a home when it is decorated with holiday stuff!  Oh you mean a home feels cozier?  Just think of the smells of cinnamon and pine cones as you walk in a home!
6) People who will view homes during the holidays are most likely serious buyers.  That means looky loos won't be looking, their more likely to be shopping.  I remember a seller who got mad at me when I wanted to show their home on New Year's Day.

So next time you want to list during the holidays, please consider the above reasons.

Lakeway Elementary School Carnival Sponsor for 2010

For 2 years, I co-chaired one of the biggest fundraiser for Lakeway Elementary School's Fall Carnival.  This year, I have decided to play a smaller role, a corporate sponsor instead.  I am a cake walk sponsor and a PLATINUM sponsor for the Carnival.  I want this fundraiser to be successful because all the monies raised goes BACK to the school for our classrooms.  Unlike the taxes the community pays for the school, the school shares the taxes to other less fortunate schools in Texas as part of the Robin Hood program, and that is gazillions of money.

Our carnival is ran by parents and volunteers and kudos to this year's organizer, Tara!  You rock!  Good luck this Saturday and we hope this carnival brings alot of smiles to our kids.

Search Properties in Austin by School District

Last week a visitor commented that there were no websites to search via School District!  Come to think of it, when I moved to Austin, TX, schools were an important factor to me, hence, I needed to search for homes via School District while I lived out of state.  I have found a great property search tool to find homes in a specific School District.  The information here in from my MLS and uptodate!

Here are a few links for your convenience. 

To search for properties in Eanes School District.
To search for properties in Lake Travis School District.
To search for properties in other school districts in Austin.

Hope this helps, your comments are important to me so please post them!

How to block that Western Austin Sun

Okay, face it, we live in Austin, TX and we get probably 325 days of sunshine a year.  The sun is unavoidable. Do you have a home that has the backyard facing West and it's unbearable to sit in your family room (which also faces west) due to the sun?  What if you have a home where the buyer's most common objection is that the backyard faces West?  Or the buyer's want to enjoy the deck but it's too hot?  The SOLUTION is Build A Pergola!  The pergola on this home blocked much of the sun exposure in the family room.  It's amazing!  Not only that, the family can enjoy the top part of the deck where it is also shaded!  As you can see, the time the photo was taken, the sun was beating on the house at a good time.  Look at how much shade the pergola contributed in the top part.
So next time you've found a home that meets all or most of your criteria, don't let the western exposure of the back of the home stop you from making an offer!  There is  usually a solution but explore building a pergola before you give up!
Speaking of solutions, I always have a solution to an objection so if you want a great home seller come the time you list your home, call me!

Find SHORT SALES in Austin, TX

I've been getting alot of emails and phone calls asking where do I find short sales in Austin?  I've been working on finding a good site to search short sale properties and finally.  This is a property search tool where it Searches live date from my Austin MLS and only see Short Sales! I have verified that my short sales are in this link so here it is.

It is very important that you have a buyers agent to represent you who knows how short sales work.  So please give me a call when you find that awesome short sale deal online.

4 Muirfield Greens, Lakeway - SHORT SALE

Someone is going to get a great deal on this Short Sale.  The lienholder has approved the price of  $218K or $99.63/sq ft! The average price per sq ft home SOLD in this community since March of this year was $123.98/sq ft. This home has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2 car garage PLUS and OFFICE and a LOFT and a Formal Dining Room.  Home comes with a family room with fireplace, breakfast area and a large kitchen.  Home is located on a quiet cul-de-sac and has a very nice backyard fenced for privacy.  This is in the St. Andrews Section of Lakeway.  This was a great opportunity for a family who wants to be in the Lake Travis ISD or someone who wants to downsize or for investment.  We anticipate to close on this deal next week.

I have other short sale listings, so select the link to view what other great deals are out there.  If you wish to search for short sales, go to this site to see all short sale listings in the Austin area.