This change will be effective on loans issued on or after April 18, 2011. That’s just sixty days away — plenty of time to find and purchase the right home, but not much time to remain uncertain about whether to buy or not. If home ownership is in your plans, and if you can qualify for a mortgage loan today, now is the time to get busy. Continue reading
The difference between 5% and 6% mortage rates is about $125/month, or almost $20,000 in purchasing power. There is a real cost to delay while interest rates are increasing — an it looks like that’s the direction of change this year. Continue reading
I’ve posted a wide variety of rankings for Austin and Central Texas, but I haven’t noticed these kinds of recognition before. Continue reading
As the national economic recovery takes hold, Austin’s outlook will continue to improve, leading to more jobs, more in-migration, more builder confidence, and real growth in building permits. We may have another dip in front of us this year, but I expect the climb in the 12-month moving average shown above to be a sign of things to come this year and next. I believe that 2011 will mark our transition into another growth cycle in 2012.
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Apartment occupancy and lease rates are up in Austin. This does affect prices of other kinds of rental property, and there is still time to buy in the right areas. Continue reading
Price your house right the first time. Why spend more time on the market just to sell for less? Continue reading
When selling your home, accept the fact that some buyers just won’t make a strong first offer, but will negotiate reasonably. Others won’t budge. If you don’t respond, you’ll never know which is which. Continue reading
If increasing or maintaining your credit score is your top priority, though, you MUST read that article. Continue reading
This table ranks Austin’s eight MLS Regions purely on a “typical” property’s ability to generate rental income for a given level of investment, with Gross Rent Multipliers that range from 8.8 to 16.1. There should be something for almost any investor in that mix. Continue reading
Instead of discussing Austin employment statistically, sometimes it’s important to focus on specific employers. Here is a variety of success stories. Continue reading