Kimberly Olson

Looking for a home in a great neighborhood? Check out Georgetown Village. This weekend, 4 builders are putting on a Home Tour where 7 model homes will be on display.

The featured builders are:

Green Builders, from the $190s
Perry Homes, from the $240s
Origin Homes, from the $240s
Bowen Family Homes, from the $180s

There are also 5 resale homes available with prices ranging from $175,000-$240,000 (these homes will not be open - but I'd be happy to show them to you by appointment).

A home is one of the best long-term investments you can make, and with interests rates so low, now is a great time to buy! (100% financing is still available for homes priced under $288K for those who qualify)

As a Village resident myself, I'd be happy to give you a personal tour of the neighborhood and the homes available here. I just can't say enough positive things about this fantastic community!

Once again the folks over at the Williamson County Assoc. of Realtors have provided us with a great visual of how the Williamson County housing market is doing. Home sales will definately be lower this year than they've been over the last 3 years but likely higher than they were back in 2004. The seller's market has changed to a buyer's market. (see below)

What does this mean to you? Well, it depends if you're buying or selling residential real estate.

If your buying - you'll have more choices and more time to make a decision. You will also have more negotiating power because if a seller won't lower their price to one you're happy with, you can find another who may be able to. But remember, if you really love a home, and you're planning to live in it for at least 3-5 years, don't let a great home pass you by because it costs more than another.

For sellers - you'll have to be more competitive. Because buyers have more negotiating power than in the past, you'll have to step up what you are offering to them. Maybe its paying for their closing costs, or offering a decorating allowance, but the best offer is one of a lower price. You don't have to give your home away, but you do need to be realistic in your home's price and your bottom line. If a buyer really wants to buy your home, they should be happy to pay market value.

The Williamson County Association of Realtors recently compiled the last 8 years of residential sales statistics for Georgetown. Despite a small blip in 2002, Georgetown home sales have been climbing steadily. In 2005 there was a substantial jump in home sales, which, unfortunately, I don't think will continue at the rate it has been. Although I predict home sales to slow in 2008, I do think that the residential market will remain strong.

Thanks to good national press (see blog posting below) and all the great things Georgetown has to offer (including its proximity to Austin), I believe Georgetown will continue to see steady growth in home prices. Just be ready for your home to stay on the market a little longer than it would have 9 months ago.

Overall, I'm confident that Georgetown will weather the national housing woes and come out on top. And this is a great time to be a buyer! There are plenty of choices when it comes to available housing in this area for all price ranges and tastes.

Once again, Georgetown has made the headlines!

This time we're #2 on Money.CNN.com's list of "100 Best Places to Live and Launch". What does that mean? It means we're a great place, not only to live, but to start a business.

It touts a business-friendly tax structure, entrepreneurial camaraderie, low utility prices, and scenic spaces as reasons that Georgetown tops the list.

For its cons, it advertises higher housing costs. Here's my take on it:

Although there are areas in Georgetown that have high-priced homes, there are still plenty of available and affordable homes (under $150k). According to the Williamson County Assoc. of Realtors, in 2007, The average home price in Georgetown East was $136,200 and $218,000 in Georgetown West. With those statistics, and knowing the local housing market, I think this article overstates that Georgetown's current housing cost is high. But if that's the worst they can come up with, I think that's pretty great.

Way to go Georgetown!

For the full CNN article, click here.

If you already live in Williamson County, then you know that there are many new roads in the county, and many more are on the way.

But if you don't live here yet, or haven't lived here very long, finding your way around may be more challenging than it was just a few years ago.

With many people now counting on GPS or maps from sites like Mapquest or Google, I just want to throw out a little word of caution. Don't rely on them too much!

Because of the rapid growth in this area, not all of these programs are up-to-date. Although they do show all of the older roads and highways, they don't show all of the newer roads that criss-cross the area (DB Wood for example hasn't been updated on either of the aforementioned mapping sites).

To help you get around I recommend printing off a map from the city (or swinging by their office for a nice, large, colored map). You can also go to http://www.georgetown.org/departments/ds/maps/ to find all the maps Georgetown has to offer.

Good luck & drive safely!

**Realtors & other real estate professionals: Maps of the Georgetown/Williamson County area are great for new home buyers!