Alan In Austin: August 2007

There are some who believe what is happening in Austin, Texas is a type of mini mee! Southern California giving birth to a Texas baby silicon valley, movie making, live music clone. It is still too early to tell for sure but there are some interesting things happening in and around Austin that have SoCal connections... http://www.villamuse.com/

For years the Southern California Real Estate market has defied the national trends. The market could rise and fall all over the country but in California it just seemed to rise. Now that even California is experiencing a slow down it is interesting that Austin is not.

SALES SIZZLE IN CAPITOL CITY

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal - 6/22/07)

Area home sales last month increased for the second month in a row.

Marking a record for May, single-family home sales (2,679) were up 2 percent compared with May 2006, according to the latest Multiple Listing Service report from the Austin Board of Realtors.

Last months single-family home median price ($183,160) was up 5 percent from a year ago. Active listings (8,821) also rose, up 8 percent from last year. The average days on the market decreased 7 percent to just 55 days.

Home prices appreciated more than 10 percent, more than double the national appreciation rate in this years first quarter, according to figures from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.

Across Texas, homes prices rose nearly 7 percent year-over-year.

In the last 5 years several electronic and tech firms have taken up residence in the Central Texas area.

I have lived in 4 different States and about 20 towns and cities in the United States and I have to admit moving to Austin was one of the best moves of my life. You should come for a visit or let me help you find a vacation home or investment property.

 There are exciting things happening here Ya'll Come See us!

Alan in Austin: alanmaz1@earthlink.net

In every job there are those annoying questions you get ask daily about a hundred times or so it seems. When I worked for BOSE we had a surround sound system that had four speakers that you could fit in your hands. To top it off the sound quality would blow you away. These small speakers would almost disappear in the room. You would think that in itself would have been enough to make buyers happy. But each day we would be asked this question: "Do you have it in Wireless?"

We would hear that question everyday. At first I would give an elaborate answer as to why we did not have wireless speakers such as: all speakers need to have power in order to operate so there would be a need to either plug them in or have batteries in them to keep them powered. I would explain that BOSE was working on a wireless solution and one day soon it will be available.

After several such conversations my answers grew shorter like....NO.

I was curious as to what are the most annoying questions you are asked by buyers and sellers?

How do you deal with Rejection? If you are like me you probably don't do so well with it. I would like to believe that it is just business and I do not need to take it personally but in fact I have lain awake many a night replaying how I might have handled the situation differently and then they would have loved me. They would have thrown a parade in my honor and distributed my business cards to every person in their little black books.

Alas. it was only a dream and I am still dejected because I was rejected. I always admired the people who seemed to be untouched by rejection. Almost as if they welcomed it. A door slams in their face and the turn undaunted and move to the next door.

I have a sister in law like this. It is impossible to hurt her feelings. I wonder at times if she has any. She is so focused on tasks that she does not see, hear or feel people. Guess what she does for a living? Yes. she is a very successful Realtor. Don't get the wrong impression. I admire and love her but I am still amazed at her response to rejection.

A few years ago and one career ago, I sat in a conference with about 1000 other church leaders. The host pastor began to talk about leadership. He said something that has helped a bit with rejection. He began to tell us how that in his church of about 2000 members there were about a 100 or so people who did not like him. Some of them had banded together to tell him so. His response was this: "I had to choose that day whither I wanted to be liked or respected".  With some people you will not be able to be both liked and respected so you have to choose one.

That really hit home with me. If I have to choose, I would rather be respected over being liked. My people pleasing nature wants to be liked and that is the battle when it comes to rejection. R-E-S-P-E-C-T tell me what you think of me and I will survive it. Because I choose to be respected.

Teravista is an outstanding master planned community featuring some of the finest builders in Texas. An 18 hole golf course and clubhouse. Direct access to the New Round Rock Premium Outlets. Just off the I-35 only 20 minutes to downtown Austin. Ground has broken in Teravista for our new RRISD Elementary school. It features two community pools a workout center. Close to Dell, Dell Diamond, new hospital, and the first IKEA store in central Texas.

My family and I made Teravista in Round Rock our home. We love it and you will too. Call or email for floor plans and models. Also see homes in the Austin Area on my website at

http://alanmaz.actris.mlxchange.com/

Homes range from the 180's to the 400's.  For more information, please contact Alan Kirkpatrick at 512-709-3336 or email alanmaz1@earthlink.net. 

SALES SIZZLE IN CAPITOL CITY

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal - 6/22/07)

Area home sales last month increased for the second month in a row.

Marking a record for May, single-family home sales (2,679) were up 2 percent compared with May 2006, according to the latest Multiple Listing Service report from the Austin Board of Realtors.

Last months single-family home median price ($183,160) was up 5 percent from a year ago. Active listings (8,821) also rose, up 8 percent from last year. The average days on the market decreased 7 percent to just 55 days.

Home prices appreciated more than 10 percent, more than double the national appreciation rate in this years first quarter, according to figures from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.

Across Texas, homes prices rose nearly 7 percent year-over-year.

The Central Texas Market is still a hot market. Let me know how I can help you own a piece of Texas.

Alan Kirkpatrick Realtor alanmaz1@earthlink.net or 512-709-3336       

   Curious about the Title? No, I do not believe Realtors are headed toward the soup Kitchen lines and as you can tell by the picture this would be a pretty fancy soup kitchen. Yes, it is more difficult than in very recent years but lets face it the last 5 to 6 years in real estate are not reflective of any kind of normal market trends of real estate in past decades. There have always been a few Hot spots but for the most part we have experienced ups and downs.

     Fear, is an enemy of success. It paralyzes its victims. Everyone experiences it but we all react differently to it. I remember several years ago a friend of mine and me decided to help out a young boy whose bike had been stolen. We went to the dark apartment complex where the young thief lived as we neared his door a large dog stood up and growled. My friend responded immediately and was running down the road. I on the other hand was paralyzed and stood still. It appeared like courage to some observers but it wasn't. The young thief pushed the bike out the door and called his dog inside. I turned around and took the bike back to the rightful owner and went home and changed my pants.

     You are human if you feel fear but don't let it stop you from advancing. It is also important when we go through difficult times that we do so in community. There is a temptation for us to hide out and want to be alone. I fight that everyday. I need to be around others to network and to receive encouragement. Fear breeds in lonely places. Get out of your home office and go to the nearest FREE wifi place and work and listen to life as it happens all around you. Bring your business cards, strange things can happen when you are around people. some of them may need your help.

     The dog is growling, that is true, but he does not hold your future. Growl back and keep advancing!

Thanks to an ever growing government that devours our money faster than we can make it, wealth building is the game of the wealthy and surviving another day is the mandate of the masses. Regardless which side of the political Isle you may be coming from most all of us can agree that we are being Taxed to Death!! With every new program congress blesses they reach deeper into our pockets to finance them.

Each cause they tout as noble: health care for the children, more funds for the schools, welfare, medicare. Many of these causes are noble and few would argue that we are better off for funding them. Having said that there is a limit to how much we can do that limit is our personal pocket books for the government is only in business because you and I are. If we go out of business so does government.

When I was growing up in small town America (actually a small mining town in Arizona) few if any moms had jobs outside the home. One income kept food on the table and clothes on our back. It is rare now a days to see homes where the moms do not have at least a part time job.

How can we build wealth today if we are not already wealthy? Become a Lord of the land! Owning Real Property is a great way to build wealth and one of the few ways left that the government actually offers tax breaks if you will do it. You can depreciate rental property, every two years you can sell your residence and keep the profit  tax free up to 250000 for a single person and up to 500000 for a married couple.

Austin is a great place to become a Lord of the Land. Contact me and i will send you some listings that match your budget.

 alanmaz1@earthlink.net

Few things are as exciting as watching your home vaue double in about 9 months. Such was the case when we moved to Las Vegas in June of 2003. We had made several trips out ot Las Vegas to search for a home and finally narrowed it down to a 3300 sq ft home on a half acre in a gated community in North Las Vegas. The lines had already started to form we were number 30 on a list that would eventually be over 200.

As we sat in the new home builders office he took a call from some buyers who had changed their mind. The property and home they had picked out was the same one we loved. He drew up a new contract and over the next six months the builders built our home. Each time I came by the new home office to ask questions or get an update there was a new price sheet. The home we purchased at 320000 was now 400000 and then 500000 soon it was 600000 and on and on.

To be perfectly honest, we were more focused on paint, window treatments, landscaping and sneeking in after the builders were gone to do surround sound throughout the home than we were on what was happening to the price. The builders were making subtle changes to the new homes they built but by and large we watched people pay 600000 dollars for what we had purchesed 5 months earler for half the price. It did not seem real.

It was not until we made the decision to move that price point came up again. It was the end of 2006 in September that we put our home on the market. The market was flooded with properties. Over 22000 on the secondary market not including new homes standing inventory. Just 2 years before if you wanted a property with a half acre or more in Vegas you would most likely be out of luck or pay a premimum. Now there were literally thousands of half acre properties and 1 acre properties on the market.

How did we sell our Home just after Christmas for 675000? You may be thinking by now that the lesson I learned while in Vegas was to sell sooner in a good market. That could be a lesson. You may be thinking the lesson I learned was to risk more in a good market buy more properties.

The real lasting lesson, we took away from our experience in Las Vegas was this: How to make your property stand out and sell in what many people would call an impossible market.I have scarcely touched on the difficulties of that market, sub prime loans dissapearing, builders  one block over from my home offering incentives like FREE swimming pools with the purchase of a new home on 1/2 acre (asking significantly less than we were asking for our property). Real Estate agents giving away a new car with he purchase of a home. Prices were rock bottom in some places. I watched people put a property on the market for 500000 and drop it to 350000.

So how did we do it? We sold our home when we bought it! Stop scratching your head and I will explain. In over 10 years of investing in real estate we have learned how to buy the home you want. I still have one property in Vegas that I believe would sell right now in about 6 weeks. Why? Because it is in a super location, close to the strip and easily accessible to freeways, It is private, it is roomy and  I am keeping it because I like to visit Vegas too.

Some things can be taught and somethings have to be caught. I love to hang out with people who have incredible gifts. In some cases they can teach me things. In other instances hanging around them and seeing how they live through challenges is the best teacher.

The link above is help for you if you need it but especially for your clients.

 The lakes and rivers are full thanks to a summer of rain that has eliminated the drought of central Texas and decorated it with beautiful wildflowers and lush green trees. One visit and it is easy to see why so many people are moving and investing in Central Texas.

Recently I took my family and some of our friends from out of state to downtown Austin along the famed 6th street. We took the Duck Boat tour http://www.austinducks.com/ it was a blast. You will learn all about the history of Austin and how it became the capitol of Texas. We finished the evening off at Bess Bistro http://www.bessbistro.com/ Bess is owned by Sandra Bullock and is a great way to get the Austin Flavor. A stroll down 6th street will put you in ears shot of some of the best music in the country. Each cafe, bar and restruant have live music as Austin loves to proclaim itself as The Nations Capitol for Live Music.

The Real Estate Market in Austin remains strong despite what has happend in other parts of the country. This can be attributed to a strong economy in Texas especially in central Texas. Where people work they also must have homes to buy or lease. The strong economy has attracted both investors and new residents from Las Vegas, California and Arizona where the real estate market booms have created wealth for home owners in a short period of time. To protect their gains they have migrated to a more solid market where their money has incredible purchase power http://alanmaz.actris.mlxchange.com/ 

Here is what the Business Journal had to say about the Central Texas Market:

SALES SIZZLE IN CAPITOL CITY

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal - 6/22/07)

Area home sales last month increased for the second month in a row.

Marking a record for May, single-family home sales (2,679) were up 2 percent compared with May 2006, according to the latest Multiple Listing Service report from the Austin Board of Realtors.

Last months single-family home median price ($183,160) was up 5 percent from a year ago. Active listings (8,821) also rose, up 8 percent from last year. The average days on the market decreased 7 percent to just 55 days.

Home prices appreciated more than 10 percent, more than double the national appreciation rate in this years first quarter, according to figures from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.

Across Texas, homes prices rose nearly 7 percent year-over-year.

If you want to find out more about owning a piece of Austin feel free to contact me: 512-709-3336 or just email me your questions at alanmaz1@earthlink.net Send your clients get a comission check.

 Alan in Austin