It's easy being green!

Green is good.
This is a topic most of us think about at least once each week, if not more. It comes to mind almost daily for me, as I separate recyclables (as determined by Austin’s single stream effort) from garbage. With the hot summer hitting hard in the late summer (and despite the rain this week), I’m feeling the sting of the higher utility bill as well. Anyway, it’s a good time to share some tips*, if only to remind yours truly to do a little more each day. And if I missed something obvious, easy-to-adopt or, simply, a good idea worth sharing with a bigger audience, please send it to me.

Recycle. Of course this is #1. It’s free, reduces consumption and increases energy efficiency.

Replace Light Bulbs. Use compact fluorescent lighting, which require 30% less energy and last longer. Two free bulbs for Austin Energy customers.

Save Water. 100 tips here, including turn off faucet when brushing teeth and shorten shower times.

Reduce Electricity. Turn off lights when you leave a room, unplug energy vampires (ie computer, cell phone charger and other appliances) when not in use.

Drive Less. Self-explanatory. Good alternative is Car2Go.

Adjust Refrigerator Temperature. Refrigerators use the most electricity in the house, so adjust to the average temperature of 37 degrees F (fridge) and 0 degrees F (freezer).

Support Local Farms. You will be cutting back on gas and decreasing our dependence on oil with the trucks that are used to ship produce.

Hope you caught the story in the Statesman this week on what green building really means to Austin Energy. Congratulations on 20 years!

Need more information? Give me a call.

*Thanks to RISMedia

Austin Snapshot - August Numbers

August numbers revealed, courtesy of the Real Estate Center:

• 1,670 sales (1,959 in August 2009)
• $260,100 average sales price - $278,200 in July, $267,300 in June ($237,000 in August 2009)
  
• $196,500 median sales price - $214,400 in July ($187,800 in August 2009)
  
• 12,575 total active listings - 13,336 in July (10,940 in August 2009)
  
• 7.1 months of inventory - 7.4 in July, 7.2 in June (6.8 months in August 2009)
  

I have seen more activity lately, not sure what to expect. Buyers looking to steal a deal? Slight rate movement upward getting them off sidelines? Seller prices reasonable? Market nearing (at?) bottom? History will tell!

www.crowehomes.com

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Is Austin on your list?

If not, it may be a good time to add it. Check out these links, showing how well Austin stacks against the rest of the U.S.:

1) Most recession proof cities

2) Best markets for investors
3) 25 best places to retire

This is a quick snapshot of stories hitting in the last week. Many more publications and media outlets can attest to Austin's strengths as a great city - for young and old, both business and social minded; you name it, ATX has it.

www.crowehomes.com
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August Condo Sales - Austin, TX

This local real estate information brought to you by John Crowe

Condo/Townhome
	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC
Average Active Homes (per week)	0	0	0	0	0	1,291	1,287	1,221	0	0	0	0
Homes Sold	110	116	186	178	187	142	96	124	0	0	0	0
Avg. Days on Market for Homes Sold	90	63	74	75	78	76	78	70	0	0	0	0
Average Sales Price	$154,000	$156,581	$204,365	$187,814	$199,238	$206,807	$226,835	$219,174	0	0	0	0
High Price	$469,000	$630,000	$1,250,000	$665,000	$1,200,000	$1,450,000	$830,000	$1,125,000	0	0	0	0
Low Price	$32,000	$28,000	$19,900	$31,000	$31,000	$35,000	$16,000	$23,011	0	0	0	0

Condo/Townhome Market Summary

August 2010

August sales exceeded July numbers by 30%, though were lower than monthly totals of March through June. The values are there, and buyers are striking when timing is right. The other stats, such as active listings and pending sales, are swinging a bit lower with the late summer slowdown in effect. It remains a great time to find a property for buyers. If you write an offer, get aggressive. Sellers are considering everything. Now, the numbers: 38 closed transactions this period, 1 less than previous week. Pipeline dipped toward s the end of the month, with 202 properties (17% of inventory) pending sale, or under contract. New listings added - 55.

www.crowehomes.com
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August Single-Family Home Sales Summary - Austin, TX

This local real estate information brought to you by John Crowe

Single Family Home
	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC
Average Active Homes (per week)	0	0	0	0	0	4,739	4,915	4,635	0	0	0	0
Homes Sold	312	501	765	584	356	676	614	505	0	0	0	0
Avg. Days on Market for Homes Sold	50	64	62	78	99	60	64	71	0	0	0	0
Average Sales Price	$285,650	$292,772	$286,868	$285,565	$316,578	$361,244	$375,935	$364,075	0	0	0	0
High Price	$2,000,000	$2,985,000	$2,145,000	$3,250,000	$2,000,000	$4,470,000	$3,374,000	$2,200,000	0	0	0	0
Low Price	$56,000	$61,000	$40,000	$0	$58,000	$45,000	$40,000	$50,000	0	0	0	0

Single Family Home Market Summary

August 2010

August sales closed out with numbers slightly exceeding February sales. Not where we expected sales, though a nice finish to the month. The values are there, and buyers are striking when timing is right. The other stats, such as active listings and pending sales, are swinging a bit lower with the late summer slowdown in effect. I will stick with the mantra: It remains a great time to find a property for buyers. If you write an offer, get aggressive. Sellers are considering everything. Now, the numbers: 165 deals closed the last period, compared with 138 from the previous week. Total sales pending (under contract, awaiting closure) is lower, with 883 in the pipeline. We were hovering around 1000 over May, June and July. Listings barely up from last data period, with 205 new listings added against 197 last week.

www.crowehomes.com

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The recession is over and it's a good time to buy real estate.

So writes Michael Murphy of MarketWatch here. He makes a compelling case, offering up three reasons:
1) Distressed sellers;
2) Lack of competition; and
3) Lowest rates ever

However, the debate is predicated on the market hitting the bottom in your local market.

I don't think Austin, TX has reached the bottom yet. Which markets have reached bottom?

Distressed Properties - Deal or Disaster?

I had a conversation recently that made me think this topic might interest many of you: Buying a distressed property as a primary residence or investment property. The news is pretty ugly and bank repos are increasing, yet confusion concerning these types of sales is common, namely in three areas:

1) Distressed properties are always a value;
2) Distressed properties should be avoided at all costs;
3) Short sales and foreclosures are the same thing.

The rules are simple, distressed or not: Determine what you want from a property before narrowing down options. The goal is to have the property meet your needs, not the reverse. After this, it’s really two steps: 1) Learn the fair market value of the property and 2) hire an expert to estimate repair and upgrade costs. Know what you’re getting into, don’t force a fit.

The most common distressed properties are foreclosures and short sales. What‘s the difference? Foreclosure occurs when the lender takes the home from the owner for failure to pay the mortgage. A short sale occurs when the owner is attempting to sell the home for less than the mortgage and sales costs combined. The lender must accept the lower amount to complete a sale.

Short sales require patience, with decisions made over 3-6 months on average. Also, some owners inflate the price of a short sale in order to reduce their financial liability. Foreclosures work like most sales – one decision maker, like a bank. Often, a bank will accept about 90% of the listed price if not in a multiple offer situation. As days tick by, banks are much more aggressive with price reductions. Something to keep in mind.

Need more information? Give me a call.

Referrals! Please, if you know someone who is interested in buying or selling a home, call – (512) 459-3400 – or email me today. I’m never too busy for your referrals.

www.crowehomes.com

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