Garreth Wilcock Central East Austin Real Estate

The Stimulus Package gave us the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers in February. It looks like now that buyers in Austin can use this tax credit for their downpayment. Is this the return of the zero-down home purchase in Austin?

Since February, home buyers have been able to claim a true tax credit of up to $8,000 when they purchase their first home (over $80,000 with income qualifications on the buyer). This credit could be applied for at the next tax filing.

Garreth Wilcock is a real estate agent in Austin, Tx. You can search Austin homes for sale at his website. Call or email for more information about buying a home with no downpayment and no closing costs.

The residential development at the old Mueller Airport in Austin, TX is in its second phase as we move through Spring of 2009. Are we going to run out of homes here soon?

To say that home sales have been brisk here would be an understatement. Here are a few statistics that might shed some light on the interest in Mueller:

• David Weekley hit 114% of there sales targets in April (according to their project board which I noticed when I visited their project office last week). More on this later.
• Meritage have just nine homes in inventory and four homes that can be built in this phase.
• Standard Pacific had four inventory Andrews / Duren plan homes three weeks ago - now they are wrapping up contracts for all of those.
• Streetman sold four of their flex homes in eight days about two weeks ago.
• Muskin have sold out in the second garden court, and Saldana homes have two garden court homes left that are currently under construction.

...Read the rest of the article on Mueller Austin Homes here.

Garreth Wilcock is a Realtor living and working in Mueller. He helps sell homes at Mueller and buyers find homes at Mueller.

Austin home selling: staging your home is a key part of the home selling process regardless of whether your part of the Austin real estate market is faring well or poorly. A February 2009 study from the Real Estate Staging Association claimed that vacant homes sold in 85% less time when staged.

This number seems quite alarming, and I don’t have insight into their methodology or how they chose homes to base their statistics on. Suffice it to say that I’m a firm believer in staging.

There’s more to staging than decluttering and moving furniture around. It takes a keen sense of design to adapt a room to a target buyer. It can involve removing furniture, renting furniture and changing key elements of decor. A good staging will result in much better photos, and hence more buyer interest.

I performed a brief interview with Knisely Gee - the interior designers I use for home staging to get their take:

...Read the rest of the article for Knisely's tips about staging your home to sell your Austin home faster here.

Garreth Wilcock is an Austin EcoBroker®, and provides a free third party staging consultation to qualifying sellers. Get in touch for a FREE consultation on the value of your Austin home.

One of the challenges a home seller in a new development faces is competing with the builder, and the first resale home at Mueller Austin is available on the Austin MLS.

The Meritage 1901 home is close to the park and pool at Ella Wooten. Here are a few vital statistics:
4121 Lawless St, Austin Tx, 78723

• 3 Beds, 3 Baths
• Single Story
• 1720 sqft
• Austin ISD
• MLS# 7648939
• $320,000

A very popular Meritage floorplan with upgrades like diagonal tile backsplash in the kitchen.

[listing courtesy of Horizon Realty]

Read the rest of the article to find out more about the resale market in Mueller.

Garreth Wilcock is a Realtor living and working in Mueller Austin, TX, and represents buyers and sellers there. Read more about selling your home at Mueller in this 3 part series. Call or email to set up a viewing of the home above, or any other home at Mueller.

Travis County has just released it’s updated property appraisal values, and the complaints are already being heard in the streets. In an attempt to avert an Austin Tea Party, here’s how to protest your property tax bill.

1. Know your appraised value. This is as simple as going to the Travis County Appraisal District website and searching for your home address. Or your neighbors address if you’re curious about their appraisal value.
2. Find your actual value. The appraised value and market value are two totally separate numbers. Getting an estimate of your home’s value by asking an appraiser or Austin Realtor® to provide comparable sales data will give you some reference data points.
3. Register a protest against your tax appraisal value. You typically have until the end of May to file a protest (unless you haven’t received your appraisal by that point, in which case the deadline extends). You protest to the appraisal review board who will review your case based on the evidence you bring along to the hearing.

Garreth Wilcock is a Realtor® in Austin, Texas and regularly assesses the value of homes in Travis County.