What’s a homestead exemption? The Texas Tax Code allows owners to apply for a discount on their property taxes. Since Texas doesn’t have state income tax, property taxes are at a larger rate than in other states. Relief on property tax is often welcomed - both County and School District.
This is how it breaks down in Travis County: A homestead is eligible for a 20% discount (of its appraised value) on County property tax, and a maximum of $15,000 on school taxes. There are bigger exemptions for disabled residents and those over 65.
He didn’t say trendsters, hipsters and transplants, but he might as well have.
If you look at the chart on the left, you can see that compared to the rest of Austin, East Austin is home to a higher proportion of lower priced housing options.
Garreth Wilcock is a Realtor® who lives in East Austin. He wrote this article in Clementine Cafe on Manor Road surrounded by hipsters. Search for East Austin real estate at his website, or comment if you have a different feeling of the area.
I put my Patterson Heights / Hyde Park listing on the Austin Area 4 Realtor tour this morning. I got some valuable feedback from agents who work in Rosedale and Hyde Park.
There were 9 agents on the tour - all of whom had homes for sale in the area. It's harder to find a more experienced group of agents in the area than by looking at who is helping sellers there right now.
So the Realtor tour provides micro-targeting - marketing to people who have active clients in the area.
The Realtors on this tour all filled in feedback forms. Feedback is like gold dust when it comes to selling your home. And feedback from qualified professionals is more like gold nuggets.
So we got feedback on our staging, decoration and upgrades, and also 9 more price opinions. It turns out that my listing in Hyde Park is well priced and people really liked the kitchen, yard, deck, original wood floors and really lke the curb appeal. Which is great news for the sellers - they got feedback before the market really hits them, and can act on any negative items (I think we're going to put brighter lights in the study / bedroom).
So we get feedback and exposure. It took 3 hours of my day, and as a full service Realtor in Austin, I find it invaluable to my sellers.
Cedar Park, Tx has a diverse range of homes to choose from. There are homes for first time home buyers, and for larger families The current market has homes above $1m and below $150,000, with a median list price of $263,778.
The Agave Design Series is a popular range of homes out at Nine Sixty Nine. What’s changed that has made them all start selling? To my mind there are two stimuli right now - builder incentives and the tax credit.
. . . Check out the article on the green homes at Nine Sixty Nine for more details on these rapidly disappearing green homes under $250,000.
Garreth Wilcock is a Realtor® who expertly represents buyers of Agave Homes in Austin. He specializes in Central and East Austin Real Estate. Call 512 694 8873 if you want to learn more or contact Garreth.
Helping buyers and sellers in the Austin area with their residential and investment real estate needs.
Central and East Austin Real Estate specialist.
Mueller's Resident Realtor®!
Photos from Garreth Wilcock Central East Austin Real Estate
About Austin Realtor® Garreth Wilcock:
Things in Austin are constantly changing, including the population, the landscape, and the way the two interact. This is my forum to share the things I find along my path as a real estate agent in Austin, Texas. Here’s a little information about who I am.
I Talk a Little Differently
Firstly, I’m like around 90% of Austin residents - I moved here within the last 10 years. I was born in Nottingham, England, and after two masters degrees (from Oxford University and the London School of Economics) and some globe trotting, I started investing in real estate in London and working at a technology startup. I visited Austin in 2003, and liked it so much that I planted roots. After my first experiences purchasing real estate here, I decided that the consumer deserves more. I took my knowledge of technology and my enthusiasm for real estate and became a REALTOR® who is determined to do the most I can do, and move forward to a new era of real estate while building on traditional real estate wisdom.
I Think A Little Differently
As a child, I moved home every few years, and I know that moving and the home-buying and home-selling process can be a challenge. My goal is to make that process as stress-free as possible. After years managing multi-disciplinary projects for a technology startup, I’m committed to being your trusted project manager once the transaction is underway. I Behave Very Differently For me the word REALTOR® came with many misconceptions.
I am not a traditional REALTOR®. I like online marketing. I like marketing homes online, and I like keeping ahead of traditional real estate practices. There are around 10,000 REALTORS® in Austin right now - not all of them are keeping up.
I stay educated, I stay up to date on what’s happening in our market and I make myself available to answer questions and to find solutions. Transparency is important to me - I happily explain what I’m doing to best represent my clients. Personal and professional integrity and my fiduciary duties are paramount to me.
My first duty is to listen, and then to work hard on my clients behalf - researching, negotiating, co-ordinating and giving advice.
I Live Differently
I spent 10 years living in London, and moved around Austin settling first on the Upper East Side, and then in Mueller. If you want someone who understands urban living, look no further. I didn’t have a car for eight years in London and never missed it. I’m looking forward to the city that Austin is becoming, and I enjoy what it has been. I appreciate Austin today, and love helping people get what they want from real estate here.
I am a full time REALTOR® with The Pinnacle Group at Keller Williams. Comment on my blog by all means, or get in touch:
Garreth Wilcock :: cell :: 512 694 8873
What Else Do I Do?
I could never make sense of “Think local, act global” - it makes as much sense to me as “Think global, act local”. I like to look at things from different angles - it’s what helps me find the best solutions. I’ve been fortunate to travel and experience many different cultures. It gives me the opportunity to appreciate other people’s values. I enjoy making accessible art for festivals and First Night Austin. I practice aikido to stay balanced, run to enjoy the city, and write to share..
Move-up programs for buyers of new homes - to net you more on the sale of your old home
Testimonials
"Garreth helped us look for houses and we ended up making an offer on our house, all while our primary agent was away on vacation. As this was our first house-buying experience, I occasionally became a little too excited and wanted to view a house I'd found immediately. Garreth always made himself available so we could view those homes in a timely manner. He was an invaluable source of information when it came time to put an offer on our house and get the process started. Overall, working with Garreth was an easy and exciting experience"
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