Will Goodson

Will’s Weekly’s: An Assortment of Entertainment in Austin This Week – Nov. 9-15

A common problem I have found since starting this blog post is deciding between of number of great events each day of the week. There is never a shortage of great acts playing around Austin. This week is no different. The music scene never takes a night off. After much deliberation, I chose each night's show. I try to mix it up between local bands and touring artists. I am going to try to catch a few of these myself. I hope to see you out there!

Monday: Dale Watson @ Continental Club (10 pm)

Tuesday: Pictures of Them @ Beauty Bar (10 pm)

Wednesday: Langhorne Slim @ The Mohawk (8 pm)

Thursday: Grupo Fantasma @ Austin Music Hall (7 pm)

Friday: Monsters of Folk @ Stubb's BBQ (7 pm)

Saturday: Son Volt @ Antone's (8 pm)

Sunday: Peter Bjorn & John El Perro Del Mar @ La Zona Rosa (8 pm)

Have fun out there!

Will’s Weekly’s: An Assortment of Entertainment in Austin This Week – Nov. 2-8

Here's to another great Halloween in downtown Austin. It never ceases to amaze me how many incredibly unique costumes I saw on Saturday night. What better way to follow up an epic weekend than with another great week of live music! There are some great shows lined up, including the annual Fun Fun Fun Fest (see below).

Monday: Dale Watson @ Continental Club - 10 pm

Tuesday: Mimicking Birds @ Stubb's BBQ - 9 pm (cool band out of Portland, OR)

Wednesday: Rakim @ Emo's - 10 pm

Thursday: Marc Broussard & Charlie Mars @ The Parish - 8 pm

Friday: There are several options this Friday, so I decided to list a handful:

Topaz & Mudphonic @ Historic Victory Grill (10pm), Galactic @ Stubbs, Moving Matter @ The Parish, and Los Lonely Boys @ Threadgill's World Headquarters

Saturday & Sunday: Fun Fun Fun Fest

Fun Fun Fun Fest is in it's fourth year since stating in 2006. It has grown rapidly into one of the premiere music festivals in Austin. It takes place all day Saturday and Sunday in Waterloo Park downtown. It was created with an alternative approach to the festival scene. It features 4 stages with a blend of up-and-coming acts and local bands. Considering the festival is less than 5 years in the making, it has attracted some well known artists to the local event. Headliners Of Montreal and Ratatat make up a handful the better-known, marquee acts. Fun Fun Fun Fest draws a great crowd, and looks like the momentum will continue to build.

The Benefits of Getting Pre-Approved for a Loan When Buying a Home – Austin, TX

I have spent several hours of the last week doing a complete overhaul of my real estate website. I decided to go it alone this time, thus the drastic increase in time it has taken to get up and running (I think it looks good though – check it out!). While writing content for the site, I was writing about the lending process and why getting pre-approved for a loan is so important. Then I had an “ah ha” moment and decided it would make for a great blog post.

I have an announcement for first time home buyers and those thinking of buying a home in the near future. If you feel confused, scared, nauseas, overwhelmed, or stressed about the idea of buying a home in the coming months, you are in for some good news. That is completely normal, and you are not alone. Let’s face it – buying a new home (especially your first) is a catalyst moment in your life! These important moments in life will never be without doubt or uncertainty. Having those emotions present help you realize the magnitude of what you are about to do.

Now, the purpose of this post is not to scare the living heck out of you. It is to help prepare you. The most challenging part of the buying process in today’s market is the lending process. Changes are taking place nearly every month. I will admit – the process is confusing (most real estate agents won’t admit this but many are thinking it). Therfore, getting pre-approved for a loan is the best thing you can do early on. Ken Cook wrote a great article about understanding what “points” mean on a home loan. It is one aspect of a complex process. Let’s face it - there is a lot of information available today. The hard part is determining which is reliable, accurate and true.

The very best thing you can do prior to getting pre-approved for a loan is speak to an experienced lending professional. They will explain the process as in-depth as you require. But I want to share the benefits (and the actual topic of this post) of getting pre-approved before you even step foot in a home for sale.

• You will know where you stand with your credit score. Credit score is one of the biggest factors in determining if you qualify for a loan. Whether you are using conventional lending, FHA, USDA - it matters. If your credit needs work, that’s ok! Your lender can help you improve it. Damaged credit is temporary and can be fixed (post that on your mirror so you see it every day)!
• Along with knowing your credit score, you will know how much you can afford. As mentioned before, buying a home is a big deal and you have to be serious about where you stand financially. If you are not where you want to be, then work with you Realtor and lender to create an action plan on what you need to do and set goals for getting pre-approved for a higher loan amount.
• It will help Realtor help you. Most agents have experienced working with a client who claims to afford homes in a certain price range, then finds out much later that isn’t true. Our job as real estate professionals is to make sure you get exactly what you need and want. Let us help you!
• A pre-approval letter will strengthen an offer you submit to a seller. It shows the seller you are ready, willing, and able to move forward and buy the home (after you have the home inspected, etc.). It is also a courtesy to those sellers whose homes you visit. No one wants tire kickers filing in and out of their home all day long.

The opportunities for buying a home in today’s market are incredible. If you are confused about what to do, you are in the majority. While the process is detailed and complex at times, there are people who want to help you. Find a Realtor and lending you trust and start putting a plan together. Getting pre-approved is one of the first phases, and will help you determine what your next move will be. You’re one step closer to your dream on owning a home!

Will’s Weekly’s: An Assortment of Entertainment in Austin This Week – Oct. 26-Nov. 1

Here are this week's picks:

Monday October 26: Andy Barham Trio @ MoMo's - 7-8 pm

Tueday October 27: Drop the Lime @ The Parish - 9 pm

Wednesday October 28: Charlie Mars @ Threadgill's World Headquarters - 9 pm

Thursday October 29: Drive-By Truckers & Hayes Carll @ Stubb's BBQ - 7 pm

Friday October 30: Widespread Panic @ Austin Music Hall - 7 pm

Saturday October 31: Moving Matter @ Sustainable Waves - 7 pm (Happy Halloween!)

Sunday November 1: Ray Prim @ One 2 One Bar (This place is great... live music, no cover!)

Being that this weekend is Halloween, you are guaranteed to find many activities going on. One festive event that started at the first of the month are the Austin Ghost Tours. The tour meets at Moonshine on Red River and runs to an hour and a half. Experience all the spooky events of Austin's past and learn first hand some interest events that have take place here in the capital city. To learn more about the tour and/or for tickets, visit Austin Ghost Tours.

Real Estate Market Statistics for September 2009 – Austin, TX

I have put together graphs of market statistics for the month of September 2009. It may seem odd to post last month’s information; however, this information was recently released from the Texas A&M Real Estate Center. I segmented most of the information into geographical areas. You may or may not know that the Austin Board of Realtors divides the entire region it serves into 25 Multiple Listing Service (MLS) areas. I have simplified it into more general geo-areas. The downtown area, for instance, includes proper downtown Austin along with the area south of Town Lake to Ben White (78704 area code). These graphs are meant to give a general overview of the market statistics.

This graph above shows an overview of the total sales of September by property type. It should be noted that leases and commercial leases are exactly that – leases. It is important to include rentals in the market statistics because rental occupancy and rates are as high as they have been in decades. I’m sure most current residential investors are reaping the benefits of the these rental rates. Another nugget to keep in mind is the commercial sales/lease market statistics is not 100% accurate. This is because many commercial transactions are not listed in the MLS. Overall, I find this info interesting, so I wanted to include it in the stats.

These market statistics above show a three overview of the 3^rd quarter from 2007-2009. I included this because the end of the third quarter of 2007 is when the initial shift occurred in the market. You can also see the yearly slowdown in transactions toward the end of the summer going into the fall. However, September 2009 saw an increase in sales compared with August 2009 and September 2008. The $8000 first-time home buyer tax credit played a significant role in this sales increases. I think we will see the same results for October and November 2009.

Below are graphs for the Austin City and Great Austin area market statistics. I divided them into separate graphs for two reasons: 1) the graph would have been way to big to post and 2) I like it better this way. As I mentioned earlier, the regions are broken down by geographical area. Some areas could be grouped in multiple regions. It is important to keep this in mind, especially when looking at the active listings. While it may appear that the number is active listings is high, the market as a whole is closely balanced. We actually saw a decrease in the number of active listings in September this year than in the same month a year ago. With the tax credit combined with the usual end of the year activity, we could very well see a strong ending to 2009.

I would greatly appreciate your comments or feedback. If you would like more specific market statistics for a neighborhood, subdivisions, etc., I would be happy to provide them. Please feel free to contact me directly at the email below:

Will@localaustinrealestate.com