2009 February

Archive for February, 2009

Open House in Driftwood Texas by Valparaiso Custom Homes!!!

February 28th, 2009 Categories: Dripping Springs Area News

Febuary 28th & March 1st from 11am - 5pm don’t miss your chance to see this stunning estate by Valparaiso Custom Homes!

This home offers a stunning rock and stucco exterior plus an inviting front entry. The open and spacious floor plan boasts of arches and alcoves with interior features, such as coffered beamed ceilings throughout. There are 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths and a 3 car detached garage. Divine family room has a splendid coffered ceiling, a built-in fireplace, two alcoves with built-ins and two French doors which lead to a fabulous covered patio. Gourmet kitchen with center island, a breakfast bar, granite countertops, Alderwood cabinets, a closet-type pantry and opens to the family room. There is a formal dining area with coffered ceiling and a breakfast area as well. A brilliant office, situated away from main traffic noise and offers plenty of room plus a closet, which could easily be converted into another bedroom. The master suite is phenomenal with arches, a sitting area, his and her walk-in closets, a separate shower, double vanities, a Jacuzzi-type tub and a French door that leads to the covered patio as well. The two extra bedrooms are could size with a Jack and Jill bathroom with pocket doors. Other spectacular features include: a wine room, Alderwood doors and cabinets throughout the home, Travertine flooring, high ceilings, energy efficient, numerous Oak tress and so much more!

For more information on this stunning home contact Jeremy K. Frost Realtor (512)636-2746

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What is my house worth? - Free CMA

February 26th, 2009 Categories: Austin Real Estate News

For most people their home is their single greatest investment.

Do you know your homes current value? Get a FREE CMA today!

A Comparative Market Analysis is a free service that I provide to homeowners in order to give them a good idea of the estimated value on their home.

A CMA is a detailed report that compares properties of the same attributes and parameters. To give you a more accurate analysis, viewing the home is imperative but this quick CMA should give you a good idea of what is going on in the current real estate market.Check out www.AnalysisOnTheHouse.com

Or feel free to contact me, Jeremy K. Frost directly at (512) 636-2746 with any questions, comments or concerns and I look forward to assisting you with all of your real estate needs.

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Free Automated Home Search - Austin Area MLS

February 26th, 2009 Categories: Austin Real Estate News

Looking for property in or around Austin?

Have properties that match your needs perfectly e-mailed directly to you.

Complete property profiles with pictures, virtual tours, mapping system, and so much more.

Visit www.FreeAutomatedHomeSearch.com now!!!

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Obama to unveil $75 billion mortgage relief plan

February 18th, 2009 Categories: Dripping Springs Real Estate News

The Blogster here with the latest on President Obama’s mortgage relief plan. Looks like the housing market is getting a boost from the white house…

President Barack Obama’s plan to tackle the foreclosure crisis will spend $75 billion in an effort to prevent up to 9 million Americans from losing their homes.

In tandem, the Treasury Department said it would double the size of its lifeline to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The government, which seized the mortgage finance companies last fall, said Wednesday it would absorb up to $200 billion in losses at each company.

The plan, which Obama is releasing later Wednesday, is more ambitious than initially expected — and more expensive. It aims to aid borrowers who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are currently worth, and borrowers who are on the verge of foreclosure.

The initiative is designed to help up to 5 million borrowers refinance, and provides incentive payments to mortgage lenders in an effort to help up to 4 million borrowers on the verge of foreclosure.

“All of us are paying a price for this home mortgage crisis,” Obama says in a prepared text of remarks scheduled shortly after 12 noon EST Wednesday at a Phoenix area high school.

Headlining the plan was a $75 billion Homeowner Stability Initiative, under which would provide incentives to lenders to cut monthly mortgage payments to sustainable levels. It defines this at no more than 31 percent of a homeowners income.

Another key component: a new program aimed at helping homeowners said to be “under water” — with dwellings whose value have sunk below the principal still owing on their mortgages. Such mortgages have traditionally been almost impossible to refinance. But the White House said its program will help 4 to 5 million families do just that.

Of the nearly 52 million U.S. homeowners with a mortgage, about 13.8 million, or nearly 27 percent, owe more on their mortgage than their house is now worth, according to Moody’s Economy.com

Announcing his plan in a state hard hit by the housing crunch, Obama said that stemming the tide of foreclosures is key to turning around the recession-bound economy.

“In the end, all of us are paying a price for this home mortgage crisis. And all of us will pay an even steeper price if we allow this crisis to deepen,” he said, according to the advance text.

The plan also seeks to bolster confidence in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage giants effectively taken over by the government last year. The White House said the Treasury will increase its funding commitment to the two using money Congress set aside last year, and will continue purchasing mortgagr-backed securities from them.

The Treasury said the increased support for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac didn’t reflect projected losses at the two companies, which were seized by government regulators last September. The two companies are currently projected to need a combined government subsidy of about $66 billion, well short of the new promise of up to $400 billion.

But Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a statement that the support “will provide forward-looking confidence in the mortgage market and enable Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to carry out ambitious efforts to ensure mortgage affordability for responsible homeowners.”

The biggest players in the mortgage industry already had halted foreclosures pending Obama’s announcement.

The president’s announcement was coming a day after he signed into law a $787 billion economic stimulus plan he hopes will spark an economic turnaround and create or save 3.5 million jobs.

In a ceremony at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, he hailed the plan’s spending on green technology, education and health care, as well as badly needed repair of roads and bridges, and said those, plus middle-class tax cuts, represent the “essential work of keeping the American dream alive in our time.”

Obama cautioned that the initiative isn’t “the end of our economic troubles. Nor does it constitute all of what we are going to have to do to turn our economy around. But today does mark the beginning of the end.”

By MARK S. SMITH and ALAN ZIBEL, Associated Press Writers Mark S. Smith And Alan Zibel, Associated Press Writers

Things are looking up in current market and we are seeing a lot more activity recently!

Don’t let the great opportunities in today’s market pass you by!

Call Jeremy K. Frost & The Steele Action Team “For all your real estate needs”

512-636-2746 or Jeremy@AustinHomeAndLand.com

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Gorgeous Home in Driftwood Texas With BUYER BONUS!!!

February 16th, 2009 Categories: Driftwood, Texas

Priced to sell at $545,000 including a $10,000 Buyer’s Bonus with a contract by 2-28-09 for closing cost or additional appliances!!!Superbly designed home offers a stunning rock and stucco exterior plus an inviting front entry, that is located in the subdivision of Rim Rock which is off of Ranch Road 1826…very close to Austin!

The open and spacious floor plan boasts of arches and alcoves with interior features, such as coffered beamed ceilings throughout. There are 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths and a 3 car detached garage.Divine family room has a splendid coffered ceiling, a built-in fireplace, two alcoves with built-ins and two French doors which lead to a fabulous covered patio.

Gourmet kitchen with center island, a breakfast bar, granite countertops, Alderwood cabinets, a closet-type pantry and opens to the family room.

There is a formal dining area with coffered ceiling and a breakfast area as well.

The master suite is phenomenal with arches, a sitting area, his and her walk-in closets, a separate shower, double vanities, a Jacuzzi-type tub and a French door that leads to the covered patio as well. The two extra bedrooms are could size with a Jack and Jill bathroom and pocket doors. A brilliant office, situated away from main traffic noise and offers plenty of room plus a closet, which could easily be converted into another bedroom.

Other spectacular features include: a wine room, Alderwood doors and cabinets throughout the home, Travertine flooring, high ceilings, energy efficient, numerous Oak trees and so much more!

For more information on this stunning estate or for a personal tour please contact Jeremy K. Frost @ 512-636-2746 or Jeremy@AustinHomeAndLand.com

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Recent Trends In Austin Real Estate … “This Ain’t Your Daddy’s Market”!

February 9th, 2009 Categories: Austin Real Estate News

Hello Readers,

It’s the Blogster here once again to share with you some recent trends we have been seeing in the local real estate market. People are looking for ways to stretch their dollar in today’s economy and things are no different when it comes to housing.

A survey was conducted to find out what home owners are looking for.

Check out some of these recent trends we are seeing lately in the Austin Market…

Green elements. A wide majority — 90% — said they’re planning to have energy-efficient heating and cooling systems in their next home, and 31% would like to have geothermal heat, Butler said. There has also been increased interest in home gardens, with more people wanting to know where their food is grown. “The green theme touches everything in the home, from the food we look to consume, our health concerns in the home, building — even our furnishings in the home”.

Getting organized. With smaller spaces, organization systems are continuing their popularity. More entryways are being outfitted for storage, and homeowners often want more functional use of wall space. The survey found that 69% of survey participants said no-space-wasted design and ample storage will take on more importance in their next home.

Practical appliances. Although sales of appliances have been down, freezer sales have been up. The reason: More people are shopping for bargains and freezing what they won’t use right away. “Appliance sales have taken a hit … except the freezer. Which is really all about going back to basics, a very practical kind of living,” Avni said. “If you look at your parents and your grandparents, they used to have a freezer — they used to buy stuff on sale and put it in the freezer and use it for later. It wasn’t just run out and buy something that day.”

Fewer luxuries.Consumers say they need fewer luxuries in their next home, Butler said. In the magazine’s survey, 20% or more of the participants viewed upgraded landscaping, upgraded finishes such as granite countertops and luxurious master suites as less important in their next home, she said. High ceilings in main living areas were less important to 35% of those surveyed. There are also fewer fireplaces in new homes: While 62% of new homes completed in 1991 had at least one fireplace, 51% had a fireplace in 2007, according to Census statistics.

This blog was brought to you by Jeremy K. Frost ~ REALTOR & Real Estate Blogster!

Do you have any Real Estate needs?

Contact Jeremy today 512-636-2746 or Jeremy@AustinHomeAndLand.com

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The National Perception is WRONG…Austin Texas is still red hot!

February 2nd, 2009 Categories: Austin Real Estate News

Hello Readers,

The Blogster here with some great information on our local real estate market. I am so tired of turning on the television and hearing the doom and gloom. Things are looking great here in the Austin area and we are seeing a lot of activity lately!

Here are just a few great facts about our current real estate market…

Month-of-supply of new homes in Austin is a healthy 5.3 months, vs. an average of 115 months nationally.

Austin leads the country (all Metro Study Areas) in home appreciation, at 5.5% in 3Q 2008.

Interest rates are at their lowest in 30 years. It’s important for home buyers to understand how powerful a factor interest rates are in terms of their buying power. For example, at 5.2% on a conventional loan (10% down, $60K household income), borrowers have the buying power for a $224K home. At 6.5%, buying power drops to about $180K.

Texas remains #1 in job growth, although job creation will decline in 2009. We need news ways of marketing and selling homes, other than via relocations.