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Curb Appeal: 7 Tips for Lasting First Impressions for Austin Texas Home Sellers

06-09-11
Alison Shuman
Alison Shuman: Real Estate Agent in Austin, TX
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  • Office: (512) 434-7500 x512 5
  • Mobile: (512) 585-4758

Curb Appeal for Selling Your Austin Texas Home

Curb Appeal in Austin TexasYou only have a few seconds to make a first impression on buyers who see your home. Make those seconds count.

Two Places Homes Buyers Will See Your Austin TX Home

Home buyers in Austin Texas will see your home in two ways:

  • Online: Most home buyers start their search on-line. Make sure your photos show your home in the best possible light. If your home doesn't look good on-line, most buyers won't even bother to see it in person.
  • When They Visit: If you've already made a good on-line impression, you get another chance to WOW them when they come see your home with their Buyers Agent.

Curb Appeal: 7 Tips for Lasting First Impressions

Close your eyes. Imagine you are pulling up to your home for the first time. What do you see? These are the hot spots you need to hit to make first impressions count.

  • Landscaping: Make sure your front yard is neat, clean and the edges of the grass are trimmed. Prune bushes to let light in the windows and clear out any old, dead stuff. You can do more extensive landscaping later but make sure to take care of these basics, first.
  • The Front Porch: Make sure your front porch or outside your front door is well-lit, and swept clean. Replace burned-out or dim bulbs, and replace fixtures that are old, or the glass or the finish looks less-than-fresh.
  • Porch Railings: Many older homes have metal porch railings that are rusty or the paint is peeling. These can usually be cleaned up with a wire brush and painted with paint made for priming and painting over rusted surfaces. All of the tools and paint should cost less than $40.
  • The Front Door: Does your front door disappear? Step back and take a good look. You can sand it and paint it in a short afternoon, and that alone will make a huge difference in how people see your home. If the lock set is outdated, you can replace it yourself for under $200 and in about an hour, usually with very basic tools.
  • House Numbers: Unless your house numbers are really new, replace them with fresh ones that are easily seen from the street.
  • The Garage Door: Clean the outside of the garage door. This is a prime place for making a house look old and dirty. If necessary, paint it but make sure to caulk all of the cracks with exterior caulk, first, to keep the new paint from cracking.
  • The Driveway: Power wash it (unless we're still in the terrible drought), and get rid of all of the weeds. Make sure the grass is edged neatly along the driveway and any ratty plantings are trimmed or pulled out.

Curb Appeal is Home Staging for the Outside

Done right, the curb appeal for the outside of your home will work magic just like home staging does for the interior of a home: it makes buyers feel comfortable and more likely to stay a while and really take a good look around.

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Hidden Seafood Treasure

05-11-10
Allen Shipman
Allen Shipman: Real Estate Agent in Austin, TX
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  • Office: (512) 501-6255
  • Mobile: (512) 659-5506

Pacific Star Pier

The next time you are in NW Austin and get a hankering for some great seafood and nostalgic atmosphere, stop on by Pacific Star Oyster Bar. No need to get dressed up, flip flops and tee shirts are welcome.

They have excellent prices and great fried seafood. If you like oysters, order yourself up a dozen and enjoy some of the largest and freshest you will find anywhere Austin.

Conveniently located near the intersection of Hwy 183 and Anderson Mill Rd, this little treasure is tucked away between B&M transmission and McDavid Acura. Don't blink or you'll miss it.

Stop by sometime and check out this little treasure. This is the way NW Austin is suppose to feel.

And remember; It's Always Happy Hour at Pacific Star Oyster Bar.

Map to Pacific Star Oyster Bar

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Attention Austin-Area Friends: Would you like to be my best friend for a day? It's for a good cause. :)

02-19-10
Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)
Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653): Real Estate Agent in Austin, TX
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  • Office: (512) 796-7653
  • Mobile: (512) 796-7653
  • Secondary: (512) 796-7653

I'm curious to see if this will bring results or not. If not, no harm done. If so, I can help out a good cause and my daughter at the same time.

If you live in the general Austin area, let me know if you would like to buy some Girl Scout Cookies. My 8-year-old daughter is selling them for the first time this year.

If you buy at least three boxes ($10.50 or more), and you live/work in the Austin metro area, my daughter and I will deliver them to you at your home or office (your choice).

By the way, I already know what you're thinking. YES! They are still just as delicious as you remember them. In fact, you might be doing my waistline a service by getting them out of my house. They are really, really good.

The cost? $3.50 per box.

The sale is still going on for almost two weeks, from what I understand, so time is of the essence. They've even added some new cookies to the old favorites. Meet the cookies here (but buy them from us if you are in/near Austin): http://www.girlscoutcookies.org/

Help me demonstrate the power of social media and blogging. :) They also make great gifts.

Quick update: If you are dieting, or you live too far away to take advantage of this, you can also donate to help the cause, and the cookies will be sent to our troops stationed overseas:

Do you want to help my daughter AND our troops? Read on...

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Will’s Weekly’s: An Assortment of Entertainment in Austin This Week – Dec. 21-27 (Christmas Edition!)

12-21-09
Will Goodson
Will Goodson: Real Estate Agent in Austin, TX
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  • Office: (512) 524-8880
  • Mobile: (512) 567-1603

Will’s Weekly’s: An Assortment of Entertainment in Austin This Week – Dec. 21-27 (Christmas Edition!)

So I have been on hiatus for the last few weeks with the weekly updates. I offer my condolences for those who have been waiting in nervous anticipation for an update. Well, here is a Christmas week breakdown that is sure to get you into the yuletide spirit!

Monday 12/21: Bob Schneider @ Saxon Pub – 8:30 pm (always a local favorite)

Tuesday 12/22: Uncle Lucius @ Sax Pub – 10 pm (my friend is in the band & they are amazing – go see them!)

Wednesday 12/23: James McMurtry @ Continental Club – 12 am (a local legend)

Thursday 12/24: Brent Allen @ Shiner’s Saloon – 10 pm (Merry Christmas Eve!)

Friday 12/25: Dale Watson’s Annual Christmas Show & Dance @ Continental Club – 10 pm (Merry Christmas!)

Saturday 12/26: Joe Ely @ Saxon Pub – 8 pm (Wow, what a great post-Xmas gift!)

Sunday 12/27: Hayes Carll @ Antone’s – 10 pm (He’s also playing again on Monday 12/28 – in case you miss it!)

I’ll be picking back up the first week of 2010. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, etc! Be sure to go see some great live music before this year kicks the bucket. Happy New Year to all – see you in 2010! Now go have some fun!

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The Zilker Tree returns for its 43rd year as an “Austin icon”

11-04-09
Jeremy K. Frost
Jeremy K. Frost: Real Estate Agent in Dripping Springs, TX
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  • Office: (512) 636-2746
  • Mobile: (512) 636-2746
  • Secondary: (512) 829-2000

The Zilker Tree, an 152-foot "Austin icon," went up this morning for its 43rd straight year.

About two dozen workers put up the tree, which is comprised of 39 streamers of 3,309 multi-colored 25-watt lights strung on a metal moonlight tower. The lights are red, yellow, green and blue. Every tenth bulb is yellow, which creates the tree's swirl design.

Visiting the tree is something of "a rite of passage for any kid who grows up in Austin," It is also the centerpiece for the Trail of Lights Festival, which traditionally begins in early December.

This blog was brought to you by Jeremy K. Frost ~ Realtor

For all your real estate needs

512-636-2746 or Jeremy@FrostFinds.com

For this blog and many more just click here: The Zilker Tree returns for its 43rd year as an "Austin icon"

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