Archive for the 'Sawyer Ranch' Category
NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY IN DRIPPING SPRINGS TEXAS!!!
January 24th, 2008 Categories: Austin Area News, Austin Real Estate News, Buda Area News, Dripping Springs Area News, Dripping Springs Real Estate News, Dripping Springs School News, Hill Country Wineries, Sawyer Ranch, Sunset Canyon
We are at ALL TIME LOWS FOR MORTGAGE RATES!
This is a great time for people to lock into a Fixed Rate program!
30 yr Fixed in the low 5’s.
15 yr Fixed in the high 4’s.
We have now surpassed the Lowest Rates in recorded history!
For more information on how you can obtain low financing for your next home purchase or even to refinance your current home mortgage please feel free to contact :
Jeremy K. Frost ~ REALTOR & Real Estate Blogster (512) 636-2746
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Looking to dispute your property taxes in Hays County Texas?
January 14th, 2008 Categories: Dripping Springs Area News, Dripping Springs Real Estate News, Dripping Springs School News, Sawyer Ranch, Sunset Canyon
Do you live in Hays County?
Do you think you are paying to much for your property taxes?
Check out the new site www.DisputePropertyTaxes.com for a professional market analysis on your home today!
~ Jeremy K. Frost REALTOR & Real Estate Blogster 512-636-2746
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Time to winterize your lawn in Dripping Springs Texas
December 17th, 2007 Categories: Austin Area News, Dripping Springs Area News, Dripping Springs Real Estate News, Sawyer Ranch, Sunset Canyon
I am sure by now you have cranked up the heat, stoked the fireplace or turned on the furnace. Of course you want your home to be ready for the winter season. Which brings we to the question…is your lawn ready for the winter?
Here are a few helpful hints that will keep your lawn looking great this winter season.
- December is a prime time for lawn fertilizing; if you have problems with moss, choose a fertilizer that includes moss control.
- Help grass keep its health over the winter: Don’t walk on it if it’s frozen.
- Precipitation will take care of the moisture needs of most plants, but do check those that might be missing out on moisture because they’re located under eaves or evergreens; they may die if they get too parched.
- To keep carrots, parsley, leeks, potatoes and parsnips into the winter, give them a layer of nice straw mulch now.
- In ultra-cold weather, tender plants and early-flowering plants such as camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons and daphne will need some extra help. Put a few stakes around their perimeter, then drape a cloth covering such as burlap or flannel over each plant without touching its leaves. Remove as soon as weather lightens up.
- If you applied dormant spray in November, give plants and deciduous trees a second application this month; then when you first notice new buds popping out — typically in late January or early February — apply the third and last winter coat
- Tune up your lawn mower: Run the engine dry, drain and replace the oil, and replace the air filter; if blades need sharpening or other repairs are needed, take your mower to the shop during this slow season.
- Disconnect nozzles from hoses, and hoses from their spigots, then stretch them out to drain all water before storing them, preferably under cover, for the winter.
- Put pipe wrap or other protection around your outdoor spigots to prevent freezing.
- Straighten up your utility area or garden shed for a fresh start in the spring; store pesticides and other hazardous materials in a locked cupboard out of reach of children.
Your home is your biggest investment and your lawn & landscaping make up a big portion of that investment so take care of it!
Jeremy K. Frost REALTOR & Real Estate Blogster 512-636-2746
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Thinking of selling your home…leave it to the professionals!
December 3rd, 2007 Categories: Austin Real Estate News, Dripping Springs Real Estate News, Sawyer Ranch, Sunset Canyon
When you make the decision to sell your home, you are under no obligation to hire a Realtor to help you with the sale. Nonetheless, most people prefer to hire a Realtor in order to better protect themselves. And, it also puts them in a better position to successfully sell the home in a short amount of time.
When you hire a Realtor, you gain access to a wealth of knowledge that can help keep you out of trouble and will help provide for a smooth transaction. Here are just a few things your Realtor knows that you probably do not.
The Federal Fair Housing Act
According to the Federal Fair Housing Act, you cannot discriminate against someone when selling a home. The act defines seven different classes of people who are protected against discrimination. These include:
- race
- color
- national origin
- sex
- religion
- handicap
- familial status
If you do not enlist in the help of a Realtor, you put yourself at risk of violating this act if you refuse to sell your home to an interested buyer who may be in a protected class. In addition, you might even accidentally violate these laws without realizing it. For example, there are certain words that cannot be included in your advertisements for your home because they are in violation of the Fair Housing Laws. Some of these words include:
- bachelor apartment
- children welcome
- couples
- gentleman’s farm
- golden agers
- handicapped
- integrated
- married
- mature
- mother-in-law quarters
- professional
- seniors
- singles only
- sports-minded
As you can see, some of these terms seem perfectly innocent. Therefore, it is a good idea to get the help of a Realtor so you can tap into his or her knowledge and experience in order to stay out of trouble.
State Real Estate Laws
Although there are similarities in real estate laws from one state to the next, each state has its own set of rules that must be followed. If you do not understand these laws, or are unaware of these laws, you can inadvertently break the law when selling your home. In addition, by not being fully aware of your seller’s rights, you might actually lose out on money during the transaction.
Taking Advantage of Connections
Aside from legal matters, a Realtor simply has a vast number of connections making it possible to sell a home more quickly and for a higher asking price. Similarly, because people come to Realtors when searching for homes, you are able to tap into a much larger market of interested buyers when you get the help of a Realtor.
Because a Realtor has experience with selling homes, he or she can also provide you with tips to help increase the market value of your home and to make the process go by more quickly. For example, small things such as painting a room a different color can go a long way when it comes to increasing the appeal of the home. By taking advantage of the Realtor’s expertise, you just might have a much more profitable selling experience.
Looking to sell your home?
Call me Jeremy K. Frost for a No Obligation Market Analysis and Market Snapshot.
512-636-2746
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5 Tips to picking a GREAT Home Builder!
November 30th, 2007 Categories: Austin Real Estate News, Dripping Springs Real Estate News, Sawyer Ranch, Sunset Canyon
When you decide to build a home rather than to buy a home you most likely intend to get the job done with the help of contractor. Unfortunately some contractors have earned a somewhat bad reputation because some have failed to live up to the buyer’s expectations .In order to keep yourself from being disappointed by your contractor, it is important that you follow these simple tips.
Tip 1: Realtors know the process
The single best way to select a contractor is to ask your Realtor. No one knows the ins and outs of the home construction like a Realtor. Whether it be purchasing the lot, negotiations, or obtaining financing, a Realtor can save you time and $$$.
Tip 2: Ask Your Friends and Family
If your friends or family members have worked with a contractor who did a good job for them, you should put that contractor high on your list. The more recently the friend or family member hired a contract to work on their home the better. After all, if a contractor just did a great job a few months ago, he or she is likely to still be able to provide the same level of service.
Tip 3: Check References
Of course, you may not know anyone who has recently purchased real estate. If this is the case, you won’t have much of a starting point when choosing a contractor. Therefore, it is essential to check the references provided by the contractor. Ideally, you should check into references for finished jobs as well as for jobs in progress. This way, you can check out real estate in varying levels of completion in order to determine the quality of the work.
Before you buy the services of a contractor, you should also talk with some of the references. Ask the references important questions, such as:
- How well did the contractor stay on schedule?
- How happy were you with your real estate when the job was completed?
- Did you feel as if the contractor listened to you when you ran into a problem?
- Were your concerns easily resolved?
Talking with past clients is an excellent way to get an idea of the type of work the contractor does as well as his level of commitment to customer satisfaction.
Tip 4: Check the Contractor’s License
If you are going to buy the services of a contractor, you certainly want someone who is properly educated. Before you sign a contract and buy materials for the job, check with your state’s Contractor’s State License Board. By checking with the board, you can confirm whether the contractor is licensed and you can also find out the contractor’s areas of specialty.
When checking on licensing, ask the contractor for his or her pocket license as well as another form of identification. Then, check the license against the other form of identification in order to make sure the names match up. Because it is illegal for a contractor to use another contractor’s license, a reputable contractor will have matching identification.
Tip 5: Make Sure the Contractor is Insured
As the buyer, you shouldn’t be expected to buy insurance to cover the job. Rather, the contractor should have insurance in place. Check to make sure the contractor is insured against property damage, worker’s compensation and personal liability. Ask for a copy of the certificate of insurance to verify coverage, as this will protect you if something goes wrong while on the job.
Deciding to buy real estate in order to build your own home can be an exciting time in your life. Make sure you do your homework before selecting a contractor in order to prevent your dream from turning into a nightmare.
Thinking of building a new home?
Contact me Jeremy K. Frost 512-636-2746
~ REALTOR & New Construction Specialist
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Top 7 New Home Buying Mistakes
November 27th, 2007 Categories: Austin Area News, Austin Real Estate News, Dripping Springs Area News, Dripping Springs Real Estate News, Sawyer Ranch, Sunset Canyon
Buying a new home is great! You get to choose where your home will be built, add a sunroom here, third garage bay there and before you know it you are moving into your dream home. With all the options to choose from it is very easy to overlook crucial elements to your new home buying experience that could cost you greatly in both time and money.
1. Choosing upgrades with the lowest resale value or too many upgrades, period.
This is truly the most common mistake made by new home buyers who don’t consider the resale value of their home in the future. When buying a new home be sure to stick with the essential upgrades like two sinks in the master bathroom, high quality cabinetry and above all else, top quality padding under the carpeted areas.
2. Not examining your lot choice thoroughly enough.
A recent United Feature Syndicate by Lew Sichelman highlights some very important aspects to choosing a lot for your new home to be built on. Among them are: terrain, noting that people psychologically feel more secure looking down at the street rather than up, location and lot shape which can affect your surroundings including the possibility of facing the rear of a neighbor’s home.
3. Finding communities first, vitals second.
When you are buying a home you have to shop differently than you would if you were buying a car or shopping for clothes. To save yourself much heartache and frustration, be sure to hammer out your lifestyle requirements before even searching for a community to build a home in. For example, if you commute to New York City and have school age children you would want to find a school district that you approve of in an area with multiple mass transit options (train, bus, highway) and then locate new home communities within close proximity to both.
4. Overlooking the “inspection” clause in builder contracts.
A dirty little secret in the new home industry is the fact that some builders, national builders included, send out contracts with a clause stating that they don’t allow home inspections by an independent, third party home inspector until after you close on and own the home. They offer to do a walkthrough of the home with you before you close but chances are, unless you are a licensed home inspector with many years of experience, you won’t notice any red flags beyond the superficial.
5. Not using a buyer agent.
When looking for a new home, be sure to find a buyer agent who specializes in new homes. There are numerous important steps when buying a new home that a new home buyer agent will be prepared to work with such as price negotiation, lot choice, researching future development around the community and the pros and cons of building materials your builder will use in the construction of your new home. At present, the buyer agent’s services are paid for out of the builder’s marketing budget.
6. Using the builder endorsed financing company out of convenience.
Many large builders have their own in-house financing company and they often offer incentives on their products by tying in the use of the incentives to financing through their in-house lender. In some instances you will find that the builder’s in-house lender financing and incentives will cost you more money in the long run than if you had financed your purchase through an outside lender. Rule of thumb: Always check your financing options with the builder’s in-house lender, a mortgage broker and a loan officer for a direct lender before committing.
7. Believing everything you read in advertisements.
If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Always verify everything you read in real estate advertisements including newspaper ads and the community’s standard features list. Aside from the obvious typographical errors that occur I have also seen blatant false advertising. For example, I have seen new home community literature advertising the community’s short “less than an hour” drive to New York City despite the fact that it would take at least 90 minutes on a good day from that community.
Buying a new home is a wonderful, dazzling experience that will cater to your every need. By using reasonable care and professional guidance you will enjoy many great years in your new home and reap substantial rewards from your diligent buying efforts when selling your home in the future
New construction is my specialty and our MOVE UP PROGRAM is a great way to take advantage of The Steele Action Team’s superior marketing and professionalism.
Jeremy K. Frost ~ REALTOR & Real Estate Blogster 512-636-2746
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