Leander, TX

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This afternoon I went by the Benbrook Ranch Skatepark and guess what? The good folks who are building this allowed some neighborhood kids to use the facility while it is still under construction. Here are a few pictures of what was going on. It sure was fun to watch.

Despite the rain, progress is being made at the Benbrook Ranch Skate Park located in Leander Texas as the corner of Bagdad Road and Halsey Drive. The bowls have been poured and some of the frames are being taken down. It looks like it won't be too much longer and we will have kids skating here. I cant wait to watch. Too bad CapMetro rail will not be running til sometime next year. I can envision kids riding the rail to get to this park.

Well, today I became an official Verizon Wireless customer. I've been a diehard Sprint / Nextel customer for almost 10 years. However, we currently live in a Sprint Dead Zone and I dislocated my shoulder on Tuesday. I can't live without cell service so the injury hastened the decision. Bye Bye Sprint, and Hello Verizon. The phones came at noon today and there are some slight differences in the handsets. The battery covers are of different design. The Verizon cover is matte and has a waffle pattern in the middle. The Sprint battery cover is shiny all over. The only other difference is that the Verizon version comes with a 2GB SD card and the Sprint ships with a 1GB SD card. So clearly I can handle more media with Verizon. Sprint has Sprint TV but TV is not currently an option with Verizon, although they do say it is "coming soon." I have switched out the handsets and I'm currently playing with the features. So far, so good!

Hey Mr. Seller:

My buyers didn't buy your house and they could have done so. We prepared for weeks for their trip to the Austin area. I sent them listings, we narrowed down the list. We had a full loan approval. All we needed to do was find the house. They flew in on Thursday evening to see 13 homes. I asked for permission to pick one listing myself. They agreed. I chose your house. It's a lovely home. It shows very well. It fit their criteria. We had seen 8 homes when we arrived at yours. My buyer stood in your doorway and smiled telling me this could be the one. We continued our journey and came back later in the day for a second look.

I did my market analysis on Friday evening and this is what I discovered. Your home is the largest in the subdivision. You chose to have it built there. You chose the amenities. You built at the top of the market in 2006. With approximately 1000 homes in the subdivision there are 2 builders still putting up spec homes. The new homes are significantly smaller than yours. They are less expensive. The builder is offering incentives.

I found numerous sales in your subdivision. I adjusted for the increase in square footage, but did not go outside your neighborhood for other comparables. My client is using VA financing. Where the money comes from should not matter. Money is money at closing.

I could not justify your price. We wrote a reasonable offer. I sent it to your agent on Saturday morning. You know, the person who has been doing this for 30 years and knows everything there is to know about pricing homes. I know that because she told me several times. You've been on the market for 90 days. You countered our offer. I asked your agent for the comparables she used to price your home. Wow. In order to justify your price she used comparables that were 10 miles away and in another city. I spoke to 3 different appraisers last night and was told that if there are sales in the subdivision I should use them and adjust for square footage. I should not consider anything older than 6 months and no more than 2 miles away. Hey Mr. Seller, there aren't any homes in close proximity like yours. My buyer decided to walk!

Today we found another home that is now their number 1 choice. It is not yours. You built a white elephant house that is 700 square feet larger than 99% of the neighborhood. Your home is beautiful but it is the top end in a neighborhood that has a lower price point. If you hold out long enough, you may get your price. I called your agent and discussed the situation. I was trying to make this a win-win situation for all involved. My client might budge a few thousand. Your agent told us not to bother.

Don't be mad at my buyers, be mad at all the people who saw your home and didn't write an offer. Apparently no one has told you that your first offer may be your best offer. It is sure better than the one you had yesterday.

Congratulations. You just bought a house, your own. My client will probably buy a home that is the lower end of a neighborhood where the average price is significantly higher. They won't make the same mistake that you have made.