Austin Real Estate Expert

Many people consider home renovating to be an inside affair, but there are also many exterior renovations that can help beautify a home and encourage spending more time outdoors. Like interior renovations, with the proper planning, and research, fixing up the exterior of a home and its surroundings can be accomplished by the do-it-yourselfer while also saving money.

If a major renovation, such as replacing siding or roofing, is not urgent, taking the time to search for the best deal is advisable. Putting up siding, and replacing a roof might be best left to a professional contractor, unless the homeowner has some prior experience. One great way to get experience, and help out someone in need at the same time, is to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers can ask to learn a certain skill, and gain valuable experience. Also, try stopping by the Habitat Re-store to find deals on a variety of home improvement items for the interior and exterior. A good way to spruce up the home’s exterior, without contractor skills, is to apply a new coat of paint- just remember to prep the surface first with a good wash, or by sanding off old paint.

Improving a home’s lawn can do wonders for its appearance and curb appeal. Though some signs of improvement can be seen within a few months, know that the lawn may have to go through a couple growing seasons to see vast improvements. First remove thatch from the yard. Thatch is the dead layer of turf grass between the soil and the green grass. This is done by mowing the grass and raking out the thatch. If it is really thick, you may want to rent a power rake. Remove weeds with a hoe, and treat serious areas with weed killer. Eventually, the grass with grow thick enough to choke out the weeds. If there are unlevel areas in the yard, fill them with topsoil and compost, and rake until it’s level. Add new grass where necessary, either with grass seed or new sod. Fertilizing the lawn four times a year will help in grow strong and stay healthy.

Installing plants and trees can add new color and texture to a yard, and can also be used as a natural screen or fence to block out any undesirable views. Shrubs generally come in 1, 2, 3 , 5, 7, and 15 gallon sizes, with trees coming in the 7 and 15 gallon sizes. Trees larger than 15 gallons should be installed by a professional, and will usually involve heavy duty equipment. Dig a hole twice the size of the root ball, while keeping the depth of the hole the same as the height of the root ball. Loosen the roots, and place the plant or tree in the hole, and fill the hole halfway, then water it. Fill up the rest of the hole, and add mulch around the plant to preserve moisture and keep weeds from growing.

To create a nice outdoor area for entertaining, making a patio out of pavers is a good task for the do-it-yourselfer, and more pleasing to the eye than a professionally poured concrete slab. First, remove grass from the area which is easily achieved by renting a sod cutter from a home improvement store. Level out the area, and define the patio’s perimeters with plastic edging or treated wood. Spread about 2 inches worth of coarse sand inside the form, and lay down the pavers snuggly against each other. Once all the pavers are in place, spread sand across the top of the patio, and work it into the spaces between the pavers with a broom, and the new patio is complete.

After a nice renovation to a home’s exterior and its surroundings, coming home will be a pleasure before the front door is ever opened.

Ki runs a website dedicated to Austin real estate. His site has a Austin Homes search along with information on current mortgage interest rates.

Mortgage Interest Rates Historical Mortgage Rates

So what happened with mortgage interest rates this week? Not much. For the second week in a row mortgage rates pretty much stayed the same.

May 8, 2008
30-yr 6.05 15-yr 5.60% 5-yr ARM 5.67 1-yr ARM 5.29

May 1, 2008
30-yr 6.06 15-yr 5.59% 5-yr ARM 5.73 1-yr ARM 5.29

April 24th, 2008
30-yr 6.03 15-yr 5.62% 5-yr ARM 5.68 1-yr ARM 5.29

April 17th, 2008
30-yr 5.88 15-yr 5.40% 5-yr ARM 5.48 1-yr ARM 5.10

Using our free mortgage calculator lets take a look at what the mortgage payment would be for a 200k loan. The mortgage payment is $1.29 less than what it would have been last week. Considering that the FED cut rates I was a little dissappointed. I was hoping for rates to drop a little more this week.

May 8th, 2008
30-yr $1205.53
15-yr $1711.46
5-yr ARM $1157
1-yr ARM $1109.36

May 1st, 2008
30-yr $1206.82
15-yr $1643.73
5-yr ARM $1164.60
1-yr ARM $1085.89

At this point I don’t expect rates to drop in the near future. The FED basically said at the last meeting that they didnt plan on making any more rate cuts. So until banks start to develop a more positive outlook on the economy I would not expect rates to come down any more. So if you are thinking of doing a refi or locking in an interest rate on a house this might not be a bad time.

Ki works as an Austin realtor helping clients look for homes in the Austin Texas real estate market. His site provides a free search for Austin homes.

You packed. You moved. You unpacked. Now all those boxes are sitting there, empty, taking up space, getting in your way. Moving boxes are great—when you’re moving—but afterward, the only purpose they seem to serve is filling up the trashcan. There are a few alternatives to a landfill, however, so before you send those boxes to the curb, consider these options.

Good, quality moving boxes are expensive, and it’s a shame to just throw them away. Businesses such as Eco Boxes will take those unwanted boxes off your hands and sell them at a greatly reduced price, saving the consumer money and saving the environment at the same time. Eco Boxes provides pick-up service if you have large quantities of boxes, and will either pay you a few cents for each box (those pennies add up when you have a lot of boxes!) or they will donate that money and match it penny for penny to charity. They will also accept packing paper, so you won’t have to throw that away, either.

Another option is to list your moving boxes in a newspaper want ad, or on a website such as Craigslist, which allows you to list an ad for free and target your local area. There are always people looking for boxes, so pass your unneeded ones along and help a fellow mover while at the same time keeping those boxes from cluttering up the garbage bin. You can either list your boxes in your own ad or check the “wanted” section for ads specifically looking for boxes. Someone will be more than happy to give your boxes a new home!

Of course, some boxes are beyond reusing, so if that’s the case, recycling is your next best bet. Many cities offer curbside recycling services, so check with your waste management office to find out their policies (most require that the boxes be broken down and stacked flat for pick-up). If recycling service is something that isn’t available in your neighborhood, don’t give up! There will undoubtedly be a recycling center nearby that accepts cardboard. Finding and using one is just a matter of checking the phonebook or the internet and then hauling the boxes to their location.

Remember, one person’s trash is another’s treasure. So reuse and recycle, and get those bulky boxes out of your way!

Escapeso Realty is a small company working in the Austin real estate market. They provide a free map based search of the Austin Homes along with a mortgage interest rates widget.

Putting in a flowerbed is a great way to add a splash of color and charm to your lawn, and turn an ordinary yard into a place to stop and smell the roses. All it takes is a little dirt work and a weekend afternoon, and you’ll be ready to plant azaleas and daisies to your heart’s content.

The first step is to decide the “where and how big?” question. There are a few things to keep in mind when making these choices, such as proximity to a water faucet (Or whether you need to buy a new, longer hose), what types of flowers you want to plant (Do they need full-sun or shade? Keep in mind that if your location will receive less than six-hours a day of sun, you will need to choose shade varieties of flowers, while more than six hours of sun requires sun-loving varieties), and how much time you want to commit to maintenance (Weeds love flowerbeds, too, and a smaller flowerbed means less to weed). Once you have chosen a location, you can mark the perimeter of the flowerbed using string or a hose. This provides a great visual that can easily be adjusted before you commit to digging.

After you have the flowerbed marked out exactly how you want it to be, it’s time to start digging. Use a shovel or spade to cut through the sod and remove the grass and roots from the flowerbed area. Take your time–this can be backbreaking work! Make sure you put all the sod into a wheelbarrow or bucket and dispose of away from your work-zone, or your flowerbed will inevitably revert back to its origin as part of your lawn.

Once you have the sod removed, surround the flowerbed with whatever edging you have chosen. There are lots of options, from brick, stone, and pavers, to landscaping timbers and vinyl. You will need to dig down a few inches to install your flowerbed perimeter, depending on your edging choice, in order to imbed the edging and ensure stability. If the soil is especially bad in your yard, it can be easier to build your flowerbed edging up and add garden soil, creating a raised flowerbed, than to dig the existing ground and amend the soil.

Now that the edging is installed, it’s time to prepare the dirt. If your flowerbed is raised, this is just a matter of filling it in with garden soil, humus and organic compost, and mixing with either a tiller or turning it over by hand with a shovel. If you have a lower flowerbed, or if you want to use some of the native soil in your flowerbed, it’s digging time again. You will need to dig down approximately eight-inches to a foot, loosening the soil and removing any rocks. Once you have dug up the entire flowerbed, add soil amendments and mix well. A consistently good amendment choice for flowerbeds is organic composts and manures, in addition to whatever amendment you may need for your soil type.

Now, the only thing left to do is add flowers and enjoy. (A little mulch for weed control wouldn’t hurt either).

Ki helps buyers looking to invest in Austin. His site provides a search of the Austin MLS along with statistics and neighborhood descriptions about Austin real estate and a mortgage calculator for visitors to use.

Current Mortgage Rates

May 1, 2008

30-yr 6.06 15-yr 5.59% 5-yr ARM 5.73 1-yr ARM 5.29

April 24th, 2008
30-yr 6.03 15-yr 5.62% 5-yr ARM 5.68 1-yr ARM 5.29

April 17th, 2008
30-yr 5.88 15-yr 5.40% 5-yr ARM 5.48 1-yr ARM 5.10

April 10th, 2008
30-yr 5.88 15-yr 5.42% 5-yr ARM 5.56 1-yr ARM 5.19

Not much changed with mortgage rates over the last week. 30 Year and 5 Year ARM’s went up a tad and 15 Year Mortgages came down a bit. These rates were collected right before the FED cut interest rates they might fall a little more.

So lets see what these rates would mean for a 200k loan. Using our free mortgage calculator.

April 24th, 2008
30-yr $1202.96
15-yr $1646.93
5-yr ARM $1158.26
1-yr ARM $1085.89

May 1st, 2008
30-yr $1206.82
15-yr $1643.73
5-yr ARM $1164.60
1-yr ARM $1085.89

Ki is a realtor in Austin. He runs a site about Austin Texas real estate which hosts a free search of the Austin Homes along with a Austin real estate blog.

Central Austin is filled with pre-war homes commonly referred to as bungalows, and are sought after by many for their charm, coziness and attention to detail.

The word “bungalow” comes from the Indian word “bangla”, which used to refer to homes built in a Bengal style. “Bangla” were cottages with low roofs and large porches built around them. The British took the idea from the Indians, and began building their summer homes in a similar fashion, and the bungalow, as we know it, was born- all rooms on one floor, built around a central parlor. Once the first American bungalow was built in Cape Cod in 1879, the home style took off across the country.

During the early 1900s, there was a massive migration to the west, with many people settling in California. The architecture firm of Greene and Greene created the one and a half story bungalow, which became wildly popular, and soon could be purchased through mail order catalogs, such as Sears & Roebuck, and Montgomery Ward. The bungalows that now cover California are referred to as “California Bungalows”, though the style is popular across the country, including here in Austin.

Though there are different styles of the bungalow, such as the Arts and Crafts, Prairie Style, and Queen Anne, they all share similar qualities and features. Bungalows were built to battle the elaborate Victorian movement, and to return to warmer, family oriented housing where the craft of the homebuilder was showcased. Since bungalows were created for warm summer housing, they reduce heat with large, overhanging eaves, many windows, and rooms interconnected, without hallways, to create good airflow through the house. If the home has a second level, it’s much smaller in surface area than the first floor. Most bungalows also have large porches and stone chimneys leading to grand fireplaces inside.

Many Arts and Crafts bungalows can be found around Austin, with a vast number in the Hyde Park area. The Arts and Crafts movement was launched in the 1880s by a group of English designers, and it celebrated the use of handicrafts, simple forms, and natural materials. Arts and Crafts homes, or Craftsman homes, have low-pitched roofs, wide eaves with triangular brackets, large porches with thick round or square columns. Inside, most Craftsman bungalows have many windows, exposed beam ceilings, and built-in cabinetry and seating.

Other bungalows, such as the 1922 Norwood House on Lady Bird Lake (currently under disrepair) are built in the Prairie style. Prairie Style bungalows got their start in America in the early 1900s, and were developed by a group of architects in Chicago that became known as the Prairie School. Frank Lloyd Wright was the master of the Prairie Style home, characterized by broad, flat chimneys, the center of the home standing taller than the adjacent wings, and often with a Japanese flair.

The Queen Anne bungalow, also found within Hyde Park and elsewhere, is highly decorative and has an asymmetrical layout. These are often found with wraparound porches, and art glass windows, and sometimes one or two dormers popping out of a medium-pitched roof.

Though the architecture varies, the feeling of the bungalow remains the same- family friendly, and packed with hand-crafted style, and Austin is chocked full of them.

Escapeso Realty helps clients interested in Austin real estate. Escapeso runs a Austin real estate blog as well as hosting a search of the Austin homes.

The stats for the Austin market are out. So what is going on. Basically the same thing as we have been seeing for several months. The Austin market is doing worse than last year. Basically it slowed down in September when the subprime issues surfaced. But the Austin market is doing much better than markets like California and Florida which saw rapid appreciation over the last few years.

Here are the different submarkets in the Austin real estate market

The first thing that jumps out is Lakeway is doing really really bad. Central Austin West is doing better than the Austin market in general and East Austin is still doing pretty poorly.

Here is a breakdown of the central Austin MLS areas

Ki is a realtor in the Austin real estate market. His site provides a free mortgage calculator and information on mortgage interest rates.

One of the most popular areas of a house to renovate is the bathroom. There are many different ways to renovate a bathroom, from small surface changes to completely gutting the room. With some forethought and elbow grease, there are renovating techniques the do-it-yourselfer can accomplish, while saving money at the same time.

The first rule in any renovation is to start with a budget, and stick to it. After a budget is set, one must decide on how serious of a project the renovation will be. Surface alterations can be done fairly quickly and cheaply, while rearranging the layout of the bathroom, such as moving the toilet to a new location, will be more labor intensive, and require a contractor to move plumbing lines. A complete tear out is the most difficult, as well as money and time consuming, but is sometimes necessary if several years of moisture has begun to rot the bathroom’s wooden framework.

Hopefully moisture hasn’t penetrated the bathroom’s joists and studs, but it’s quite possible that drywall will have to be replaced. Today there is moisture resistant drywall called greenboard. If a wall is being replaced inside of the shower, a cement backerboard must be used that moisture cannot penetrate.

Many bathroom renovations revolve around the shower or tub. For the do-it-yourselfer, installing a prefabricated shower enclosure or tub is possible. The other option is a tiled shower or tub, which involves building a frame from scratch, and is best left to a professional carpenter. Though prefab showers were once fairly basic, today there are a variety of styles, colors and textures from which to choose. The units can come in one solid piece, to minimize assembly, and also panels if the complete unit can’t fit through the bathroom door (which is the case with many older homes).

There are a wide variety of flooring options for bathrooms, but steer clear of wood floors which will warp from the humidity. Ceramic tiles are the most popular choice for bathroom flooring, as it’s completely waterproof when sealed properly. There are also almost limitless combinations of shapes, sizes and colors combinations of tiles and grout that will fit all tastes. All floors must be level before laying down tile, which can be easily achieved by mixing a self leveling compound that is then spread across the floor, evening out any inconsistencies.

A new sink or vanity can spruce up a bathroom as well. There are many popular styles, such as wall mounted sinks, pedestal sinks, and vessel sinks that are fairly easy to install. It’s often possible to use the current sink piping to reconnect to an updated sink which can drastically change a bathroom’s appearance.

Some of the most effective updating can also be the easiest to do. Changing all the hardware, such as drawer pulls, faucet handles, and shower heads, can make a great impact, especially when they are all pulled together with the same materials, such as stainless steel, bronze, or brushed nickel. The cheapest home improvement choice of them all- paint- can also give a bathroom a new feel. Ditching a bland, frameless mirror for a new, large one with a funky frame is also an easy fix.

Sometimes the cost of new bathroom features is the priciest part of a renovation, but looking beyond big box stores can save cash. The local craigslist may have a treasure being thrown out by another remodeler with a different taste. Ebay can work the same way. Buying discontinued tiles is another good money saving technique, but remember to pick up extras to replace damaged tiles in the future.

Most remodeling techniques can be learned, but a contractor may be necessary to deal with new electrical or plumbing lines- it will be worth the money for it to be done correctly, and they will follow building codes properly. Getting referrals from trustworthy friends is always advisable when looking for a good and efficient contractor.

Ki is real estate agent in Austin. He runs a website which provides a free search of the Austin MLS along with information on Austin real estate. His site also provides users with a free mortgage calculator to estimate monthly payments.

Some streets lead to wherever it is you want to go. Some lead to surprises both bad and good. Some streets are destinations in themselves, stretches of thoroughfare where the journey itself is all that matters.

South First Street between Riverside and St. Elmo’s is one of those streets, one of the last in Austin where , block after block, the old magic of the city that once attracted musicians, artists and other creative minds to move and settle down here, is still palpable, still crackling in the air.

Going south from Riverside, you pass shops and boutiques on the right, converted from 1930’s private homes, turned into artsy clothing and import stores. They sit across the street from the broad, green campus of the Texas State School for the Deaf. Further south, the Bouldin Creek Coffee house serves up its eclectic, health-hip food and drink to its neo-Bohemian clientele. Beyond that, Jovita’s, one of the city’s more venerable but less well-known music venues, beckons the eye with Joyce Dibona’s colorful, Aztec-theme artwork adorning the outside walls.

As you drive still further south, you pass more colorful buildings and businesses that crowd the four-lane street. Some are well-established and thriving, some look almost abandoned, decrepit even. All are obviously small operations, like the Resistencia Bookstore. At the corner of Oltorf and South First, one of the more eye-catching businesses houses what may be the perfect Austin enterprise for the times, Baby Green’s, a fast health food joint.

Continuing on, you pass one of the less visually appealing buildings, which however happens to be the home of the GHS Lounge, an old neighborhood drinking establishment with street cred to burn. Boot repair shops, used book stores, bicycle shops, art galleries and a nursery in a converted private home line the street as you head towards the intersection with Ben White. Before arriving there, you may notice the Summermoon Coffee house on the east side of the street, one of the coziest and most intimate of neighborhood coffee shops in the city. The surrounding neighborhoods of Barton Hills and Travis Heights are populated by people that have a steadfast devotion to their local businesses neighborhood businesses.

Next door is the SHAC, the Self Help and Advocacy Center which is run by the Austin Area Mental Health Consumers, an organization of people with a mental illness. This community center provides services and information to people suffering from mental illness and to the community at large. The mostly volunteer staff here has helped many people to find housing, jobs and renewed hope to re-integrate them selves into society.

Of course, along the way there has been a colorful liturgy of Mexican food restaurants: Aranda’s, Polvo’s, Little Mexico, Mexicana Panderia, Evita’s Botanitas. Even San Antonio would be hard pressed to present a street with so many colorful and deliciously promising establishments in a stretch of so few miles.

And all up and down this road which has somehow escaped the clear-cut style of development that brings condos and super-centers and grid-locked traffic, there is still the green of the Austin hills. From a long stretch of the street, if you’re heading north, you can see the towers downtown floating in the hazy distance. This is indeed Austin without the cookie-cutter architecture of anywhere USA. It’s local in character, content and color, a true reflection of the creativity and productivity of the people who live here.

It may only be a matter of time before this fine old street cedes to the pressure of development and big money, like so much of the rest of the town has. But for now, it’s still Austin the way it used to be, or nearly, ready for a road trip with no clear destination when the trip itself was all that mattered.

Ki lives in Austin as a realtor in the Austin real estate market. His site provides a free mortgage calculator along with a search of the Austin MLS

Many modern homes and condos are going up left and right in Austin, with local design and build companies behind the new residences. It is hard to pinpoint exactly why modern design is becoming so popular, but several factors possibly play a role.

One of the reasons Austin draws so many people to town is because at its heart, it is “different”. It is very different from big cities like Dallas or Houston, and also different from a standard cookie cutter town found all over the state. New modern homes are also different from traditional homes in both their exterior curb appeal, with large walls of glass, concrete and wood, as well as their modern and minimalist interiors. Those moving to Austin looking for a change could find themselves hunting for a home that reflects their personality. It’s also the same reason that most of the new modern housing is located in and around central Austin, where the vibe of the city is felt the most.

Though many builders are currently trying to take on green standards in their building practices, the local companies building these modern homes thrive on doing so, which appeases the home buyer who is also environmentally conscious. Modern homes often use renewable resources such as bamboo or cork flooring, and double paned windows, rain cisterns and tankless water heaters to conserve resources, and low VOC paint, which is less toxic than traditional oil and latex based paints. Even the majority of modern homes are xeriscaped, using landscaping plants that are friendly to the often harsh Texas environment, and cutting down on excessive watering.

Many new Austin transplants have come from large cities on the east or west coast, or possibly artsy cities like Portland or Seattle, and have a wide and eclectic taste. Others went to the university, and moved away, but are coming back to settle in central Austin. Those looking for a modern home are more into architecture and would prefer a home that makes more of an artistic statement than a traditional home. Also the growing popularity of magazines like Dwell, and house and home decor websites and blogs like Apartment Therapy, cultivate interest in unique modern homes and modern Austin condos.

In general, large home builders are sticking to traditional housing, since the demand for such homes hasn’t gone away, and much of the population would consider modern homes ugly, uninviting, or resembling a dentist’s office. Also building tract homes is easy and fast, since there are limited floor plans, and building sites are already plotted out.

Luckily, Austin has several small and medium sized firms who are willing to create more unique homes, and is another possible reason many modern dwellings are on the rise. Also, since many of the firms design and build their houses, the home buyer can have input on its design from the beginning, and feel assured that there won’t be anything lost in translation when their house is under construction. These firms also take the land and the surroundings into account, and “bring the outside in” with touches such as exterior brick walls forming interior walls, and well placed windows to capture site specific views. For those Austinites that can’t seem to find that perfect modern dwelling, a word into a local design/build firm can get the ball rolling.

Ki works in Austin. He has a site about Austin real estate where he provides a free mortgage calculator and a Austin MLS search.