There is more positive news for Austin real estate, the office market is upbeat.  Numbers at the end of the year showed good occupancy rates for the Austin area as well as a slight increase in rents.  As Austin has gained recent attention for having a positive outlook for the New Year with regards to real estate, the news for office space only adds to the overall optimism here in Central Texas.
 
Low vacancy rates in Austin Texas are a sure sign that the business climate is getting healthier.  Employment is expected to continue to improve in Austin in 2012, which will in turn have a positive effect on real estate.  As companies continue to expand and more new business comes to Austin the office market should continue on its positive path.

Employment and real estate are tightly connected and Austin real estate continues to benefit from a bright employment picture.  Please contact us today to learn more about Austin real estate and put our knowledge to work for you.

Click here to read “Austin-area office market ends 2011 with vacancies down, rents up” from The Statesman.

Contact the Fine Austin Living Team today for up to date information about Austin Texas real estate as well as free access to the Austin Texas MLS and all properties currently for sale in the Austin area.

Eyes will be on Austin real estate in 2012 according to some real estate professionals.  Trulia.com is a real estate tracking website and a recent published article on the site titled “5 Real Estate Markets To Watch In 2012” puts Austin real estate at the top of the list, a nice way to end 2011, as well as a great way to begin 2012.

What makes the Austin real estate picture so bright?  For one thing jobs.  Jobs and job creation are what is holding back the nation’s economic recovery, and Austin has them.  Austin is continually noted for its success in attracting new business and its ability to create jobs.

Austin Texas is an educated city, home to well-educated residents while at the same time offering top notch schools for families raising children here.  Perhaps it is because Austin is a smart city that it was able to avoid the huge real estate bust that affected the US and Austin real estate is faring quite well because of this.

Contact us today to learn more about Austin real estate.  An experienced Austin REALTOR® can provide more than just access to all Austin real estate that is currently listed for sale, he can also provide vast knowledge about the Austin area as well as market data that can help you locate the property that will best suit your needs.

Click here to read “5 Real Estate Markets To Watch In 2012” from Trulia.com.

Contact the Fine Austin Living Team today for up to date information about Austin Texas real estate as well as free access to the Austin Texas MLS and all properties currently for sale in the Austin area.

Fine Austin Living, Austin Real Estate

There is no doubt that Austin real estate benefits from low mortgage rates.  Low rates that are available today can save home owners tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars over the life of a loan.  This week the great news for Austin real estate was that mortgage rates hit historic lows for at least the third time this year. 

The average rate for a 30 year fixed rate loan is currently 3.91%, an incredibly low rate to secure for a home loan.  In addition rates have been hovering right around 4% for the past two months, great for anyone seizing the opportunity to buy Austin real estate.

How long rates will stay low is anyone’s guess but as the nation’s real estate market improves rates certainly will start to inch up.  Recent headlines show that inventories for the US have reduced from an average of 7 months to an average of 5 months, which is certainly headed in the right direction.

Contact us today if you would like to take advantage of today’s low rates and invest in Austin real estate.  We have access to all Austin real estate that is currently listed for sale as well as recommendations for lenders should you need one.

Click here to read “Record-Breaking Low Mortgage Rates for the Holidays” from Realty Times.

Contact the Fine Austin Living Team today for up to date information about Austin Texas real estate as well as free access to the Austin Texas MLS and all properties currently for sale in the Austin area.

Economic stability and real estate are closely related in Austin Texas.  Austin real estate was largely unaffected by the housing bubble that was seen popping all around the nation in recent years, and many people believe that this enabled Austin to ride out economic stress and continue to attract new business. 

Austin real estate is currently at healthy inventories, especially when compared to other parts of the US.  Other highlights of the Austin real estate market include that it has far fewer foreclosures than other parts of the country and home values have stayed more or less stable, as opposed to seeing the huge price drops seen elsewhere.

Real estate and jobs are very tightly linked and where real estate has suffered the most you will see a much tougher economy and significantly fewer jobs.  The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has long been shouting that an improvement in housing will be a catalyst for economic recovery.  If Austin real estate is an example than it is clear that a stable housing market and job creation clearly go hand in hand.

Click here to read “Housing market still a stabilizing force for Austin’s economy” from the Statesman.

Contact the Fine Austin Living Team today for up to date information about Austin Texas real estate as well as free access to the Austin Texas MLS and all properties currently for sale in the Austin area.

At Fine Austin Living, REALTORS….we say “ENOUGH, ALREADY!” to all the negativity saturating the media.  Austin is a great place to live, work and play, and here’s proof.

Take note of all the awesome statistics and accolades Austin’s economy has received, and while some of this pertains to 2010, the 2011 version will be available soon.

It’s a great time to be transacting real estate in Austin, Texas and we would love to be your Realtors of choice.  Our team of talented agents are ready to go to work or you in helping you market your property for sale and/or finding you a new place to live!  Relocating here…we can help?  Up-sizing or down-sizing…we do that too! Leasing real estate, whether it be apartments, homes, or multi-family properties…we’re your team!

There are an amazing number of ways we can help you achieve your real estate objectives.   Contact us today. We look forward to sharing the Fine Art of Austin Real Estate with you.

Austin real estate sales were up nearly 20% last month.  A headline in last Friday’s Statesman read “Austin-area home sales jump 19% in October”, music to home sellers’ ears.  The bursting of the nation’s real estate bubble sent shockwaves to millions of homeowners, yet Austin real estate appears to have fared better than most which is clear from the most recent data released from the Austin Board of Realtors.

Austin real estate sales volume has in fact been up for five months in a row, anchoring the belief that Austin real estate could be on the rebound.  Inventory is a big indicator of where a real estate market is at and inventory of Austin real estate is currently at roughly 5 months which is very close to ideal.

Contact us today to learn more market statistics.  An experienced Austin REALTOR® can be an invaluable asset in not only locating the ideal Austin home but also connecting you with lenders and other necessary professionals to complete a successful real estate transaction.

Click here to read “Austin-area home sales jump 19% in October” from the Statesman.

Contact the Fine Austin Living Team today for up to date information about Austin Texas real estate as well as free access to the Austin Texas MLS and all properties currently for sale in the Austin area.

Welcome Marc Pulver!

Fine Austin Living, REALTORS is proud to welcome Marc Pulver to our growing firm of talented agents.   “Marc is a wonderful addition to our team.  He brings a positive, take charge attitude” says Todd Smith, Broker/Owner of Fine Austin Living, currently located in Westlake Hills and soon expanding to a second office in Central Austin, now under construction.

Marc was raised in Colorado, moved to San Diego in 1987 where he graduated from high school and worked for Hewlett-Packard for 15 years.  He came to Austin on a vacation and immediately fell in love with the city and the people here.

After working in the corporate world for over 19 years he decided it was time to make a career change and follow his heart and passion and start a new venture in the world of real estate.  In July of 2011 he enrolled at the Champions School of Real Estate.  He took and passed the exam in September and decided to join the Fine Austin Living team in October 2011.

“It is my ultimate goal to provide my clients with the maximum amount of information to help them in making sound real estate decisions, and to provide them with service beyond their expectations!” states Marc.

Central Austin office remodeling is finally underway!

After several months of delay in securing the necessary building permits from the City of Austin, construction is finally underway on the new Central Austin office location for Fine Austin Living, REALTORS.  In less than two short years, notwithstanding a sluggish economy, Fine Austin Living is bringing its signature level of service to commercial and residential property buyers and sellers to Central Austin!

Currently, the company’s primary location is in Westlake Hills,  and features an open-concept working environment accentuated by a rotating display of fine art from Central Texas artists.  The new location, coincidentally a renovation of a former art gallery and studio, will offer a variety of dedicated and shared workspaces, furnishings custom-built for the professionally-designed space, gallery-style art displays and state-of-the-art technology to support the growing team of real estate professionals and their clients.

Broker/Owner Todd Smith adds “our new location in Central Austin is ideally situated to serve the needs of homeowners and prospective homebuyers in the Allandale, Brentwood, Rosedale, University Heights and Mueller communities, along with other areas of Central Austin. We will also offer commercial representation services, as well as home-leasing and apartment locating services.  As members of the Austin Independent Business Alliance, we look forward to opening our office and serving the local community in 2012 and beyond with a new caliber of real estate consulting services.”

The company’s original business plan is ahead of schedule, and Smith hopes to secure a location for an additional office to open sometime in late 2012.

Contact Fine Austin Living for all your Austin real estate needs

Drought isn’t stopping progress in Austin Texas.  While our Central Texas area is experiencing one of the worst droughts in recent history, and could certainly use many days of rain, we are benefiting greatly from job creation and low employment numbers.  Apparently the economy in Austin is improving enough to attract new housing development as well.

A recent headline in The Statesman read “Good sign for Austin market: Home starts up 27 percent in third quarter”.  Wow, 27%!  That is an amazing statistic when compared with the rest of the nation which is experiencing quite the opposite.  Austin is clearly benefiting from its ability to attract new business and keep its unemployment levels low.  In addition for there to be a need for new homes, Austin real estate is clearly in demand.

Contact us today to learn more about what is going on with Austin real estate.  In addition to having access to all Austin properties that are currently listed for sale we have access to all Austin real estate data, and can help you understand our current market conditions.

Click here to read “Good sign for Austin market: Home starts up 27 percent in third quarter” form The Statesman.

Contact the Fine Austin Living Team today for up to date information about Austin Texas real estate as well as free access to the Austin Texas MLS and all properties currently for sale in the Austin area.

If you are considering investing in Austin real estate you may be wondering if being a landlord is right for you.  Certainly there has not been a better time to be a buyer in years.  Mortgage rates alone are at 60 year lows, adding to exceptional affordability levels.  Another cause for investing in Austin real estate for the purposes of renting it out would be the recent attention to rental markets. 

Renting is currently in demand, creating a shortage of housing in many areas and helping landlords make more money through the increase of rents.  One of the great things about investing in Austin real estate with the intent to rent is that your investment can help pay for itself over time, both from rental income and tax write-offs, something investing in stocks does not allow for.

So, is becoming a landlord right for you?  Can you afford the costs associated with buying Austin real estate?  While your goal is to have your property rented at all times this is not always the case and you need to know that you can cover your monthly payments should your property be empty for a period of time.  You also need to have money set aside for unforeseen repairs.  If you have the money to invest in Austin real estate, now could just be the perfect time.

Contact us today to learn more about Austin real estate opportunities.  We can help you get to know our local market and where the best value for your dollar is located.

Click here to read “Cashing in on rental property” from CNN Money.

Contact the Fine Austin Living Team today for up to date information about Austin Texas real estate as well as free access to the Austin Texas MLS and all properties currently for sale in the Austin area.