America’s Best Taco Cities
Tacos are, of course, a staple here in Austin. But how does Austin rank when searching for the best cities in the US for tacos? That ranking and even more taco data can be found here.
Austin Market Facing Pandemic Correction
So where are we now? What goes up must come down? We were among the leaders of home appreciation during the pandemic era, and now we’re one of the areas with the biggest correction happening. As a smaller city, smaller changes in migration and investor participation make a bigger difference in
The Smiths in 2022
With an eye injury, a month as a pirate, and three surgeries to follow, 2022 took off from a bit of a low point. Not having to wear a mask anymore–definite high point. Real estate was also surging and was keeping us busy. The Austin market is a roller coaster, though, now down about 20% from th
State of the Market
Since we’ve taken a short blog sabbatical, the entire real estate world has changed. Although the evening news will sometimes say trite things like “Finally an opportunity for homebuyers…” everyone trying to buy knows the truth. Buyers have all lost 20-30% of their purchasing power from interest ra
UpNest Top Agent
We’re excited to share that our agent, Jeremy Smith, has earned UpNest’s Top Winning Agent Badge! This recognition further displays an agent’s credibility and expertise working with home sellers and buyers.
Jeremy Smith – Awards and Accolades
In real estate, it’s an awkward position to have to promote one’s awards and accolades, but in a competitive market where people want to only work with the most experienced, competent, and high performing agents, it becomes necessary to present our job resume. It’s just a part of applying for t
Austin Price and Inventory Trends
There’s a lot of economic uncertainty in the air, what with souring inflation, the fed about to raise rates, stock and crypto market turmoil, etc. I’m frequently asked the question as to whether their investment (their home purchase) will be safe. I know I’m biased, but I have to be honest and say
What a Year, and What’s to Come – December Newsletter
Samsung To Build $17 Billion Chip Plant in Taylor This investment is going to give the northeast side of the metro a real boost… Read More Rising Prices Driving Some Families Away From Austin As housing costs in Austin rise, some residents may be looking to leave Austin…
The Smiths in 2021
Although we’re in covid round two year, we’ve still found lots of ways to make the most of it. We’ve been able to make our yearly trips to Enchanted Rock as well as other novelties like Natural Bridge Caverns, Dinosaur Park, Austin’s Revel, the Texas Capital, Washington DC and more. I know not
5 Year Trend Analysis
Below, you can find a comprehensive analysis of the market trends from 2017 to 2021. Also included in this analysis, is the historical average months of inventory.
Are Austin Homes Overvalued?
According to this article, the answer is yes. It’s suggested that the Austin housing market is overvalued and that, instead of buying a new home, potential buyers should invest or rent for the time being. Let’s look at what they’re actually saying, though. They didn’t tell us anything we didn’t
June Newsletter
Although Austin is FINALLY beginning to show some signs of cooling, this doesn’t mean that Austin won’t continue to lead the pack nationally for quite some time, nor does it even mean that sales prices will slow down yet. Sold prices are lagging indicators that only tell us about what happened
The Soft Spots in the Austin Market
Even in the hottest market in America, not every home actually gets multiple offers! Not every home even goes under contract the first weekend, believe it or not! For those of you who don’t have the stomach for 100k over bidding (myself included) or a lot of the other madness associated with th
MLS Coverage
I want to highlight yet another reason to work with HomeSmith. Sure, you can use Zillow and Realtor.com for some things, but to do in-depth comp analysis, have access to private agent notes about a property, or get attached documents like disclosures, surveys, etc., you need an agent with MLS a
April Newsletter: Austin Leads the Nation??
I was telling everyone in January to stay tuned: “Although no one has the data yet in order to write credible articles, once these homes start closing you’re going to see Austin all over the national news.” Boy was that true. We’ve been the hottest market in the nation for the past few months.
How To Navigate This Market
Well, first of all, if you’re a buyer we have a proprietary, exclusive designed way to help you get to the top of the offer pile. We can also help you look for softer targets. They do still exist! Even though rampant over-bidding is the norm, every weekend there are still some homes that don’t
2020-2021 Median Map and Chart
March 2021 Statistics
Here’s a good in-depth look and breakdown of what the Austin market is looking like right now compared to last year: Thanks to Bramlett Residential for data crunching.
A Ridiculously Buyer Favored Process (Part 2)
I’ve said this many times, but I want to expand on this idea a little more… Even though this is an EXTREME seller’s market, and the seller gets to have most of what they want, still, it’s the buyers who have the upper hand as far as the contract process goes. The seller has practically no way t
Appraisal Waiving
One major part of the process these days is what we call “waiving appraisals.” When we say that, what we mean is actually waiving the right to drop out if the home doesn’t fully appraise up to the contract value. Backing up a bit, this is how the process works. Once under contract you
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