About Austin's Barton Hills

Barton Hills is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Austin, Tx. It has so many things going for it. It's close to Zilker Park. It's near some of my favorite restaurants - especially Uchi, Olivia's and now Torchy's Tacos mmmmm. Sorry Taco Deli, I have been cheating on you with Torchy's! In addition to how close it is to everything cool, hip and South Austin, it's just a 5-minute drive to downtown. It's just got a cool laid-back vibe that's hard to explain. Our neighbors include people that have lived there since the 1950s when the subdivision was built to professional couples with young children who want to sent their kids to the excellent public elementary school Barton Hills Elementary School.

Homes in this neighborhood generally range in price from $350,000 to $600,000 with a square footage of between 1,700 and 2,200 square feet. Most of the homes are 1950s and 1970s ranch-style homes. The reason for the big swing in price is that some of the homes are being sold by their original occupants and have not been updated, while others have been renovated from head to toe with contemporary or modern finish outs. Homes closer to Zilker or on a greenbelt lot tend to fetch a higher price. Some of the lots have views of the greenbelt and some lots are almost 3/4th of an acre, but most lots are around a quarter acre. Homes have appreciated considerably in the past decade and are considered a good investment since they are so close to downtown Austin.

Barton Hills is one of the most politically active neighborhoods in Austin, with more people here voting in all elections at a higher rate than any other part of Austin. The neighborhood is generally very liberal and it's bordered by the Barton Creek Greenbelt on one side and Lamar Blvd on the other. Most of the residents are active and neighbors tend to know each other very well. If Barton Hills sounds like a neighborhood you might enjoy living in, definitely check out some of these homes for sale in Barton Hills.

When I take on a new buyer client I talk to them about a great deal of things to prepare their expectations and to teach them about the buying process. One of them is that I’ll help them find properties offered for sale in the MLS System, I’ll keep my ears open for pocket listings (homes that are available for sale, but not listed) through my network, and if I see a FSBO (For Sale by Owner), I’ll look it up in the tax records to see if it fits their needs. We come to a clear understanding though, and we all sign a portion in the Buyers Representation Agreement contract that defines the buyer’s ‘Market Areas’. It essentially states where we will be searching for a property, and that I’m not going to be driving their market areas daily or weekly like I’m on a FedEx Shipping route looking for properties that pop up ‘For Sale by Owner’. If the buyer finds one and wants to see it, I ask that they tell me about it and I’ll line it up.
Below is a detailed dialogue of what I recently encountered trying to line up a showing from a FSBO on Zillow.com, it was listed under the option “Make Me Move”.

Client: Could you schedule 123 FSBO BLVD for us to see tomorrow, I found it on Zillow.com, I really like it’s location, and I did a drive by yesterday.

Me- Buyers Agent: Definitely, you’ve got it! As agreed in our ‘Buyers Representation Agreement’, you find the FSBO I’ll get us in. Remember, if the Seller is unwilling to pay my brokerage fees that we have agreed upon, then you will pay them at closing.

Client: Yes, of course I remember what we signed in the contract. I’ll be getting such a great deal on this FSBO that paying you your commission will be worth it to me! (End Call)

First things first, I always look up the property on the MLS, even if my clients finds it on another online resource. If it is not listed for sale I will then search the website it was found on. In this case it was listed on Zillow,com as a “Make Me Move” status- I’ve dealt with a handful of these, about 95% of the time I end up leaving a message and my call is never returned. This time the phone was answered by the owner.

Me- Buyers Agent: Hello, my name is Ryan Saul, I’m a Realtor® with Avalar Austin Real Estate and I have a buyer that would like to view your home. Are you the owner and if so is your home still available for sale? (You need to ask this because most of the time it is not for sale anymore).

FSBO Seller: Hi, Uhh, yeah I am, I’m, I’m the owner. [Pause as Days of Our Lives is turned down] [Papers being rustled around] I put my house on this site as a “Make Me Move” option though so you know..... dude, sorry I never got around to putting any photos online. But ahhh, yep it’s ahhh, $435,000.

Me- Buyers Agent: No, the website reads $425,000. Has the price changed?

FSBO Seller: Ummm, no. Yeah it’s $425,000.

Me- Buyers Agent: Is there anyway we could schedule a time to come by today or at some point this week to view your property?

FSBO Seller: Ahhhh, you know we just put it out there to see and...it’s not really clean...and you know I’d have to talk with you more about the buyer and what they’d want to pay...I mean, is your buyer serious?

Me- Buyers Agent: Mr. Seller, I can assure you that my buyer client is serious, pre-approved, and looking in your neighborhood to purchase a home in the next month. Is your home available?

FSBO Seller: Well.....I mean it is, but...you know we wouldn’t want to move for a while, they would have to understand that, and it would have to be a good price, you know to “Make Me Move”!

Me- Buyers Agent: So your telling me your home is unavailable to show this week, that you are not prepared to move anytime soon, and that we need to talk more about how seriously my buyer wants to purchase your home before they have even been inside?? Ok, thank you for your time. (End Call)

This is really is a tough one because you want to provide your clients with the best possible service and assist them in purchasing any home they choose. I mean technically every home is for sale!! If my client falls in love with a certain house and it is not for sale you better believe I’m going to knock on that door to see if the owner is willing to sell! But for a seller to place their home on a real estate website, then beat around the bush about wanting to show it to a buyers, and tell me their not really wanting to move soon??

Rule #1 of Real Estate Club: Don’t list your home unless you want to sell your house!
Rule #2 of Real Estate Club: Don’t list your home unless you want to sell your house!
Rule #3 of Real Estate Club: The consumer must see the product before they will offer to buy it!

Barton Hills Neighborhood - Eclectic Central Austin Community - Austin, TX 78704

As a follow up to last week's post a great south central Austin community, I wanted to describe a very popular 78704 neighborhood - Barton Hills. It is a unique community found in Central Austin west of South Lamar Boulevard between Barton Springs Road to Ben White (Hwy 71/290). The first thing that comes to mind when discussing Barton Hills is the lush green landscapes. Drive any of the rolling hilled streets and you'll notice the large, mature streets through the neighborhood. Owners take a lot of pride in the curb appeal of their homes. You'll be surprised as you drive up a hill to be met with a clearing in the trees and see a breath-taking view of downtown Austin.

The access to green spaces, parks and trails is nearly limitless. Barton Hills is wedged between the Barton Creek Greenbelt and Zilker Park. There are loads of trails that lead to these local hot spots. During the spring and summer, Austinites flock to these locations to get a taste of the great outdoors. Perhaps the best spot to spend a hot summer afternoon is Barton Springs Pool, literally right down the street in Zilker Park. For those who want to enjoy a jog around Lady Bird Lake, they can access one of the many nearby entrances in the neighborhood. The trail encircles the lake and provides over 10 miles of trails, and it filled with people year round. Green thumbs enjoy afternoons at Umlauf Sculpture Gardens and the Zilker Botanical Garden.

The second great features of Barton Hills are diverse home styles throughout the community. This is where the eclectic nature of the area really comes out. Most of the traditional homes are small bungalows, colonials, and ranch-style. However, much of the Austin funky taste are seen in newer, more modern and contemporary styles. Some residents have remodeled or torn down older structures to create a more updated feel. It's not uncommon to see a hip bungalow next door to a small modern condominium. Accompanied with the rich landscape, it really makes this neighborhood one of a kind.

The prices on homes for sale certainly reflect the popularity and great location of Barton Hills. Most start out in the low $300's and rise well into the half a million to over a million range. Most homes tie in with great schools like Barton Hills and Zilker Elementary, Fullmore and O. Henry Middle, and Austin High School. The location cannot be underestimated. Few neighborhoods in Austin offer the great access to parks and recreation while being minutes for the downtown area. If you like to learn more about Barton Hills, and homes for sale in the neighborhood, I would be happy to discuss it with you. I encourage anyone looking for an area loaded with amenities and unique qualities to consider this area. Drive through one sunny afternoon and you'll understand what I mean.

I am always amazed at how Austin, Texas shuts down with the slightest amount of snow. The day was perfect. Big Snow flakes falling throughout the day, but none of it sticking. The roads were seemingly very safe, (because our ground temperature is still pretty high), but schools, businesses, and one of my favorite restaurants for happy hour, Freddie's Place on South First, were all shut down. Their sign, (Freddie's Place), posted on the front door, read something like, "closed because of crappy weather". Ok, how crappy can the weather be, when me and a friend are seeking out the best margarita happy hour?? There was virtually no traffic at 530pm, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Spent the better part of the morning at my place, Downtown, at the 360 Condominiums, watching the snow fall past my windows and the other buildings in my view. I truly feel blessed. And then spent the afternoon, with my friend and fellow Realtor, Debbie Barrera, learning how to blog. So please forgive the random thoughts about Real Estate and this second of all posts, all to sharpen my writing skills.

At any rate, settled at Chuy's on Barton Springs. Apparently they have a free nachos bar, complete with beans, ground beef, and queso. Simple, but oh so bueno. But not Taco Bueno. And the margaritas at the bar were very satisfying. So, tell 'em I sent ya.