Are you looking for small town living but also want to be close to a city? Maybe you can't decide between San Antonio and Austin? If so, La Cima Master Planned Community in San Marcos Texas might just be the perfect community for you. La Cima San Marcos - Location La Cima is located at the start of the Texas Hill Country, in the small small town of San Marcos, and lies just about midway between Austin and San Antonio. Stroll the River Walk one weekend... Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/TheSanAntonioRiverwalk   And go kayaking on Lady Bird Lake the next! Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/RowingDock/   Living in San Marcos, you get the best of both worlds, as a drive into either city is under an hour. La Cima Community Builders & Amenities La Cima's home builders include Coventry Homes, Highland Homes, Perry Homes and Taylor Morrison. Currently, all home builders have model homes open for tours (contact us if you'd like to schedule a tour!). This community is 2400 acres, 800 acres of that is for open space and Parkland. There are 10 miles of trails and a 45 acre central park area in the center of the community. It's perfect for gathering with neighbors and friends. It's also going to serve as a hub of the community, with a planned elementary school on one side and the recreation center at the other side. The recreation center will offer an activity room, workout room, meeting room and family and adult swimming pools. The unique playscapes are great for younger family members. Bring them out to play, climb and slide on the latest playground equipment. La Cima San Marcos - Schools The La Cima community is served by the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District, and also has several private schools nearby, along with Texas State University just 5 minutes away. It currently feeds into Hernandez Elementary School, but the community has dedicated a 15-acre school site to San Marcos CISD for a brand new elementary school to be located right in the middle of La Cima. Praise for San Marcos Texas And if location and national recognition is important to you, you'll want to know that San Marcos is nationally recognized as: "Best place to retire." "One of America's best small cities to move to." "One of the 25 coolest cities in all of America." "One of the ten most relaxed cities in all of America." The San Marcos region is building more infrastructure and continually investing in their communities, and Forbes even named San Marcos and the I35 corridor as "The Next Great Metropolis in America". The Texas Hill Country is just a few minutes west of La Cima, which will have you floating down the San Marcos river or taking a scenic drive to nearby Wimberley or Canyon Lake. As mentioned earlier, Austin and San Antonio are an easy 30 to 45 minutes away, which is awesome when you're craving that nightlife that a big city offers you. So if you're looking for a small town feel, but you still want that fun, active lifestyle, the La Cima community in San Marcos Texas might be just the one for you. Let us know if you'd like to learn more about this community, get alerted when new home become available here, or would like help in your home search :)   Karla & Victor's Austin Local's Guide We were new once too - here's our guide to what to DO, EAT and SEE once you move to Austin!       Download Your Free Guide We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time. Built with ConvertKit

What is the best time of year to buy a house? The answer may surprise you. Buying a home isn't just kind of a big deal. In fact, it's oftentimes the biggest deal you will ever do in your life. You want to find your dream home, but you also want to make a smart financial decision... it's a delicate balance. Now, of course, the best time of year to buy a house is when the time is right for YOU and your circumstances. However, if you have flexibility and you want to be strategic about things, then there actually IS a "best month to buy a house". To get the best deal and the most bang for your buck, consider buying a house in the Fall. October, in particular, is one of the best times of the year to buy a home. Here's why. 5 Reasons Why Fall is the Best Time to Buy a House #1: Increased Housing Supply Statistically, the number of homes for sale should increase this month. The findings estimate that we will see roughly a 17 plus increase in home inventory. So if you're a buyer, that means you may just have more options to choose from. Which is a welcome relief to those who have been searching for a while. #2: Fewer Bidding Wars With more homes available in the market, you should also see fewer bidding wars. Having more options obviously means less competition because there are more choices to go around. That means that when you find that home you want, there's probably going to be fewer buyers competing with you. Just remember, if you want to make sure you win that home - especially here in the Austin area where things are still hot - you should still make that offer strong. Very strong. #3: Adjusted Home Prices As we move towards the end of the year, you might even see some price reductions. Data shows on average, 7% of homes have a price reduction. Why, you ask? Because sellers know if the inventory in homes goes up, they have to find ways to make their house stand out above all the other ones. Now, while home prices overall are still appreciating, you may see some anxious sellers wanting to compete more, so they might drop the price of the home. As you may know, process of actually buying a home can't take some time. So you're going to see more sellers eager to sell their home if it's approaching the end of the year. You may even see some price reductions if a house hasn't sold quickly after its listed. #4: Less Buyers at Open Houses You'll likely notice if you go to open houses that there's a lot less people perusing around the homes, which could signal less demand and an opportunity for you to get your offer accepted. #5: The Holidays In general, people are already in holiday mode by the time October rolls around. I know we are... Halloween! People are planning festivities and travel for the next three months, and many don't want that extra stress of moving during the holiday with so many other things going on. And here's a BONUS reason for ya: If the home hasn't sold by November, it is likely that you'll see more motivated Sellers. Not many Sellers like showing their home during the holidays. (Can you blame 'em?) --- If you want to see what homes are available in the Austin area right now, search our site here. We have THE most up to date and accurate home data in the area. You can also set up a saved home search, and sign up to receive automatic e-alerts whenever a new home comes on the market that matches your search. Happy house hunting!

Home foreclosure can happen to the best of us, even here in Texas. Unexpected job and financial circumstances can put us in a tough place, and it might seem like going into foreclosure is your only option when you can't pay your mortgage... but it's not! You have other options that will help you avoid foreclosure in Texas. First, we'll share what we feel is the best route to take: Selling your Texas home. Especially while we are still in a Seller's Market.Molly Boesel,  Principal and Economist from CoreLogic puts it plainly: In contrast to the financial crisis, when roughly 25% of borrowers were underwater, most borrowers today who are behind on mortgage payments can tap into their equity and sell their home rather than lose it through foreclosure. (emphasis added) Let's take a look at what this means and how it works. How To Use Your Texas Home Equity to Avoid Foreclosure Before you pursue any complicated methods for avoiding foreclosure in Texas, it’s worth seeing if you have enough equity in your home to sell it and protect your investment. A quick home value report will give you a general idea of how much equity you might have. Put simply, equity is the difference between what you owe on your home and its current market value. In today’s Texas real estate market, many homeowners have way more equity in their homes than they think. Over the last year, buyer demand has been high, but housing supply has been low. That’s led to a BIG increase in home values. Because when prices rise, so does the amount of equity you have in your house. On average, homeowners gained $33,400 in equity over the last 12 months (source: CoreLogic). See the map below: Keep in mind, if you live in the Austin area or near one of the major metro areas in Texas, your home equity may be much higher than the map shows. So, what does that mean for you? Over the past year, chances are your home’s value (and therefore your equity) has risen dramatically. If you’ve been in your home for a while, the mortgage payments you’ve made over time chipped away at the balance of your loan. If your home’s current value is higher than what you still owe on your loan, you may be able to use that increase to your advantage. To find out what your house is worth in today’s market, it's as easy as filling out a free Home Value Report (takes about 2 minutes). Once submitted, we'll reach out to give you a more customized valuation and help with next steps. If you are thinking of selling your home or would like to chat about your options, contact us here, and be sure to check out our video where we go into detail about all of your options to avoid foreclosure: Other Options to Avoid Foreclosure in Texas If you find out that you have to pursue other options, we can help with that too. We're happy to connect you with other professionals in the industry, who can look into your unique situation and offer advice on next steps if selling isn’t the best alternative. 1) Loan Reinstatement Federal law requires that lenders wait 120 days before starting the foreclosure process. If you are able to pay the total amount past due from your missed payments BEFORE this time period ends, you can avoid foreclosure. The loan reinstatement (also called the mortgage reinstatement) process provides an option to avoid foreclosure by allowing you to catch up on your payments and cover any late fees to restore the mortgage. Once you are caught up, the defaulted mortgage will receive a clean slate, and you will continue to make regular monthly mortgage payments. 2) Loan Modification Investopedia describes loan modification this way: Loan modification is a change made to the terms of an existing loan by a lender. It may involve a reduction in the interest rate, an extension of the length of time for repayment, a different type of loan, or any combination of the three. Most experts recommend that you reach out to an attorney or a settlement company to assist with your loan modification negotiations. 3) Opt for a Short Sale In a short sale, you sell your home for less than the balance remaining on your mortgage. You should call your mortgage servicer to explain your situation and ask if this is an option. If they agree to a short sale, you can sell your home and pay off the necessary amount with the profit from the sale. Once the short sale is complete you’ll be relieved of your responsibility to pay any remaining balance—called a “deficiency waiver.” Next Step If you are facing hardships, live in the Texas, we can help. Reach out anytime.

Even if you’re not in the business of Real Estate, it’s likely you’ve heard the term “Sellers’ Market”. And here in Austin, we are in an Extreme Sellers’ Market. Austin has been hot for decades, but with each passing month, a new unprecedented number of people are moving into the city and surrounding areas, creating an extremely high demand for housing. So, what is a Sellers’ Market, anyway? Put simply, the definition of a sellers’ market is when there are not enough homes for sale to meet the demand of the number of people who want to buy. Yep, it’s the old economic principle of Supply and Demand going to work in the housing market. If you’re a BUYER in a Sellers’ Market, you can typically expect to pay a premium for your new home. On the other hand, if you’re a SELLER in a Sellers’ Market, you are at a big advantage, and can typically get top dollar for your home if you have the right agent to help ensure this happens. Hence the term, “Sellers’ Market”, because the seller has the upper hand in the negotiations. Take a look at this quick video we recorded that explains a bit about this Extreme Sellers’ Market in Austin: So if you’ve flirted with the thought of selling your house, or wondered what it might be worth, there has been no better time in Austin history – financially speaking – to turn that thought into action. Here in Texas, most dramatically in the Austin area, we are in the Ultimate Seller’s Market. Just take a look at chase the latest Existing Home Sales Report from The National Association of Realtors (NAR), which shows the inventory of houses for sale is at a 2-month supply at the current sales pace – which is EXTREMELY low. Historically, a 6-month supply is necessary for a ‘normal’ market. So when the supply of houses for sale is as low as it is right now, it’s much harder for buyers to find homes. As a result, competition among purchasers increases and more bidding wars take place, making it essential for buyers to submit very attractive offers (read: top dollar offers). As this happens, home prices rise and sellers are in the best position to negotiate deals that meet their ideal terms. If you put your house on the market while so few homes are available to buy, you are more likely to get competing offers and the highest possible sales price. With all of the attention that the Austin area is getting – businesses moving here, desirable lifestyle, great schools, etc. – combined with low interest rates, buyers are flocking to the area and there are simply not enough homes to meet the demand. What This Means For Sellers Home prices are continuing to increase in this Austin Sellers’ Market. There is a lot of speculation about whether this will continue, for how long, and what will happen in the aftermath. The truth is, however, no one knows for certain what will happen in the future, and putting your house on the market in the coming weeks and months will give you the best chance at competitive bidding, and in turn, the highest price for your home. What Should You Do Next? If you are wondering what your home can sell for in this Extreme Sellers’ Market, contact us here to start the conversation! Or simply text or call us (Karla and Victor) at 512-909-1532. We’re happy to chat with you and answer any questions you have, no obligation.

When Elon Musk announced that he was building his new Tesla Gigafactory that would employ 10,000 people NOT in California, but instead, near Austin, it turned a lot of heads and increased an already growing buzz about Austin becoming the next Silicon Valley. When Musk later announced that he himself was moving to Austin, that buzz started to grow even louder. And when he started tweeting about Austin, the buzz grew to a deafening roar from media outlets, social media influencers and bloggers speculating what would happen next with Austin (which is no surprise, considering Elon Musk’s tweets have the tendency to move markets and spur millions to take action).     But what Elon Musk said about Austin on the Joe Rogan podcast was particularly interesting to us, because it directly affects our business and our clients, whether they are buying a home in Austin or selling their Austin property. Here’s the quote: “Austin is going to be the biggest boomtown that America has seen in 50 years at least – megaboom.” – Elon Musk, Joe Rogan Podcast, Feb. 2021 If a business forecaster, TV reporter, or real estate mogul had said something like this, it would be interesting for people who were thinking of moving to Austin or already living in the area. But when Elon Musk says something like this, people across the country take notice… and start reacting accordingly. Some start talking, and others start moving. Important Note: Austin has been the #1 fastest growing metro area for more than a decade and tops every current list when it comes to the real estate boom, so it’s not as if Elon Musk created this momentum. In fact, Austin has long been attracting celebrities and families and tech moguls alike, with a recent report even showing that an average of 168 people move to the area per day. That was all before Musk came into the picture. But having such a high-profile billionaire, business influencer and market-mover take a definitive stance on the future of the city, catapulted Austin into a more mainstream discussion and growth trajectory than ever before. What This Means If You Want To Move To Austin Because of the extremely high and increasing demand for housing in the Austin area, it has caused a significant shortage in inventory. Put simply, this means that there are not enough homes available to satisfy the amount of people that want to live here. If you are planning to move to Austin, it is absolutely crucial that you have a local area real estate expert in your corner to help you navigate the ins-and-outs of the Austin market, local neighborhoods, and what motivates sellers to choose that winning buyer (hint: it’s not always about price!). For starters, I’d recommend that you browse here on our site to see the most recent local listings (spoiler: Zillow does NOT have the most current or accurate info) and set up a no-obligation E-elert to be instantly emailed when new properties that fit your criteria become available. In this intense Austin housing market, it’s important to act lightning fast to avoid missing out (we’ve seen homes on the market for mere hours before getting snatched up), so the E-alerts will give you an edge. To set up an E-alerts, simply click the “Save This Search” button beneath any search that you are currently browsing. BROWSE LISTINGS AND SET UP E-ALERTS HERE >>> Or, if you’re serious and need to move quickly (in the next 60-90 days), I highly recommend that you get in touch with us immediately to chat and get your personalized home search underway. You can text or call us at 512-909-1532, or send us a message on our contact page, and we’ll just start by listening. Why are you moving to Austin? What are you looking for in a home? What is your budget? Do you have an Austin area already in mind, or do you need recommendations? When would you like to be in your new home? We love the real estate business because we love people. We will listen to your needs and would love to help you find the perfect home. CONTACT US HERE TO CHAT >>>   What This Means If You Currently Live in Austin If you currently own a home in Austin or surrounding areas, you have an unprecedented opportunity – right now – to earn a significant profit from selling your home. (If you live here but do not yet own a home, please reach out to discuss your options. We love our first-time homebuyers!) Real estate is cyclical. It goes through cycles of “Buyers’ Markets” (where buyers have the upper hand and can negotiate for the best price) and “Sellers’ Markets” (where sellers have the advantage and can get more from the sale of their home). But what we are experiencing right now in the Austin housing market is an Extreme Seller’s Market, and one like we have never seen before. With the right representation, homeowners are getting top dollar for their homes, and in record closing time. Even if you’ve never thought of selling your home before, it’s worth it for you to at least consider what it might look like for your bank account if you were to sell your home in this market. This Sellers’ Market won’t last forever – they never do – and I would hate for you to miss out on an amazing opportunity to do something very exciting for your financial situation. Another quick note, speaking with us about your home’s value and what it might sell for is NOT an obligation to sell. It’s simply having a conversation and allowing you to choose your own path forward. If you would like to have that conversation – or if you already know you want to sell and take advantage of the hottest market Austin has ever seen – please don’t hesitate to reach out. We would be happy to chat with you! CONTACT US HERE TO GET IN TOUCH >>> What Will Elon Musk say about Austin next? Leave a comment below or share on social and tag us to share what you think!