Donate now at: http://austin08.livestrong.org/aria

In 2004 and 2005 I volunteered for the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s Ride for the Roses. After losing three family members and aquiring my first road bike in 2007, I took the challenge myself. I also challenged my friends and family who were not riding themselves to support the foundation through my ride and received a great reception.

On October 14th, 2007, the Livestrong Challenge was my longest ride to date. I opted to challenge myself in honor of those who sponsored me and in memory of those no longer with us by riding the 40 mile course. It turns out that the 40 mile course was actually 42 miles and my total for the day was 49 miles including to and from our parking spot. I impressed myself as well as those who supported me, including my parents who rode at my side (and behind me after they talked me into having a Cliff gel shot).

I plan on making this ride a tradition, as well as raising money for cancer research by asking for donations to the Lance Armstrong Foundation each fall. Not only does this organization have roots in Texas, the arguably most esteemed state for cancer research in the country, but Austin’s own local hero, Lance Armstrong, is its founder.

Please join me in supporting LAF in 2008 through my fundraising website. In 2007, we raised $1500 in two weeks! With more time for fundraising, I hope to raise at least $2500 for this year’s ride.

Tags: austin by Aria
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For those of you interested in the project at 4113 Avenue G in Hyde Park, Austin, Texas, the plans are available publicly:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/agenda/2008/downloads/d3nrd20080088.pdf

It is my opinion that objecting to this project based only on the fact that an old house that is being removed (probably torn down, possibly moved) and being replaced by a new house is against the plans for growth that keep our local economy in Austin healthy. While there are many projects in Hyde Park that don’t conform with many people’s ideas of what is appropriate in Hyde Park, we must also remember that it is a high-density, urban neighborhood now. That comes with thousands and thousands of opinionated people. One may hate a particular house and another may think that it’s the most beautiful in the neighborhood. Many love all the old bungalows complete with all their aging, others find them small and in need of a fresh coat of paint and a update to accommodate the modern family.

I am one of the few outspoken Hyde Park residents for progress. A 700 square foot bungalow that has been recovered in asbestos and needs new electrical, plumbing, and many other repairs is not an asset to the neighborhood in my opinion. When these properties are going for $300,000+, who wants to spend that kind of hard-earned money to live in a cramped home with no closet space? If you want to protect your investment in Hyde Park, I believe in supporting managed progress. Well-kept historic homes should stay, but many, especially in northern Hyde Park, are essentially crumbling track-homes. I think the neighborhood deserves to be taken care of, and that includes removing houses that have not been maintained.

We have great systems in place through the design guidelines and the Historic Preservation committees and groups. We cannot object every time someone wants to add on some much-needed space to a cramped home. And hasn’t anyone noticed that new builds have slowed dramatically? That’s because land values have gotten so high that it doesn’t make any sense to build at today’s prices. New homes can easily get up to $1,000,000. And although I think that some blocks of Hyde Park support these prices, they are few, far between, and lined with historic mansions.

When you object to any and all change, it creates a great deal of conflict. I see that conflict every day in the Hyde Park N. A. Yahoo! group and in neighbors who know that I am a resource to ask on where to go and what to do next. I’ve seen neighbors attach 50-year-residents of Hyde Park for adding on to their homes while the aggressors went home to crumbling eyesores. It’s all a matter of opinions, and like my Kindergarten teacher once told me, you have to learn respect other people’s opinions and feelings. And anyone with a Psych 101 education can tell you that aggressively approaching someone will put them on the defensive and will not get the results you are looking for.

Also, I wanted to remind everyone that the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association is a ‘Neighborhood Association’ and not a ‘Home Owner’s Association’. The difference is, a Neighborhood Association is not mandatory and can not pass and mandatory rules. The HPNA has drafted and sucessfully pushed legislation in the interest of the neighborhood, but you need only the City’s approval for any plans on your Hyde Park property. The City will approve or deny based on all local laws and codes, including some which affect Hyde Park alone.

I encourage comments and I’m sure I’ve struck a few buttons.

Tags: austin, building, development, economy, real estate by Aria
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This Memorial Day will be a sales tax Holiday for energy efficient products. Think of the back-to-school tax free weekend only for your home.

Austin real estate is going to keep getting better with green choices.  “Going Green” means making environmentally conscious purchases when you need to purchase something.  Buying something because it’s green is counter-productive.

“If you’ve been thinking about finally buying those energy efficient light
bulbs, purchasing a programmable thermostat, or actually replacing the
refrigerator, dishwasher or air conditioner with a cleaner more efficient
one, memorial day weekend is the time to do it. You’ll save money, while helping to reduce energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions,” noted Lone Star Chapter Conservation Director Cyrus Reed.

But are there any downfalls? For instance, what happens to all of the old appliances when they are replaced? This ECO-Consumerism drives me nuts sometimes. While I appreciate what this piece of legislation is trying to do, I can’t see throwing out so many appliances that work for shiny new ones. How is this in the spirit of “going green”?

I say if you have an appliance that you were thinking of replacing anyway, use this tax holiday to save yourself some money while supporting the environment by making an eco-conscious choice on something you were going to purchase anyway. Don’t throw that 4-year-old dishwasher in the landfill for the upgraded model, but do replace that 30-year-old A/C unit that’s on the fritz.

Stock up on light bulbs for when your current ones burn out. If you’re going to replace working bulbs, do it only in rooms you have lit very often, perhaps your family room or study. Why toss out all of those perfectly good bulbs from the bathroom that you zip in and out of?

If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, I say go for one. I’ll make an exception here because they save so much energy!

Take advantage of this city incentive if you have been waiting to stock up on bulbs or replace a dying appliance, but remember to recycle your old appliances whenever possible and don’t bother with upgrades that don’t make sense!

And check out this link on eco-consumerism. Monbiot has expressed my concerns beautifully!

Tags: austin, carbon footprint, economy, energy star, environment, green, green energy, hot market, housing, nature conservancy, real estate by Aria
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Sites like Zillow claim to be an authority on home values, but are they truly friend or foe?

I know it’s easy to visit the sites that say “We can give you the true value of your home,” but take the information you see with a grain of salt.  They are based on tax records which is old and often inaccurate information.  Here’s why:

1. Tax records are past values. Think about it, 2009 tax appraisals in Austin just went out.  Do they really know what your home will be worth at the end of the year?  No, they are guessing what your home will be worth on December 31, 2008 based on data from 2007 and 2008.
2. Tax records are inaccurate values. Tax Appraisers are overworked and cannot possibly spend the time necessary for an accurate value.  They don’t know what your home looks like inside and they have access to limited data since Texas law does not require the disclosure of sales prices.
3. Tax values can fought. Ever hear what Michael Dell pays in property taxes for his home each year?  Let’s put it this way, it’s WAY less than you think and likely less than what you pay.  There are exemptions and many ways to fight the values to keep it low (and owe less taxes).  I successfully fought my appraised value to keep my taxes low as well.
4. Tax values can be high. Those that do not fight their taxes are often paying more than they need to.  The Tax Appraiser’s Office knows little about your home and takes measurements from the outside to determine the size.  Do you have a vaulted ceiling?  It may be counted as 2nd-story square footage.  Some homes are also taxed in the wrong district.

So calculations based on tax values are inaccurate, but Zillow and others do take other factors into account such as sales and list prices.  Still, these are often skewed as statistics often are because they depend on steady data — which we do not have in a fluctuating market.

What’s the best way to find the value of your home?  Hire an expert. Sounds simple, but I know many of you are on the fence about the value of Real Estate Professionals.  First, know that you don’t have to list with someone to get a value opinion.  Ask if how much they charge for a Broker Price Opinion (BPO); something usually used by banks for properties they own because the professional is out in the market daily and can view the property inside and out.  Don’t forget about Appraisers, although they will likely give you a different number so I suggest hiring both.

REALTORS® should use tax data (lightly, because it is OLD & inaccurate data), recent sales (old data, but better), and other active and pending sales.  They will take everything into account from your upgraded appliances to storage shed to any improvements that need to be made.  And above that, they can give you an objective opinion on what will be the best moves to bring your home more value for less money.

If you do want to take the stress out of selling your home by hiring a pro, interview agents before you commit.  Don’t just pick the first one you find.  But that’s an entirely different topic so I’ll cover it later.

For the record, I looked up some properties I know well because I have worked with them in the past couple months.

Property A’s Market Value: $758,00 - Zillow Zestimate: $639,000
Property B’s Market Value: $427,000 - Zillow Zestimate: $400,000
Property C’s Market Value: $486,000 - Zillow Zestimate: $569,000

If you want a ballpark, try these services.  Once you get serious, turn to the experts!

Tags: austin real estate by Aria
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Although Austin isn’t seeing the horror of many other markets (like southern California), the nervousness and hesitation of Austin’s buyers still has us in a buyer’s market.  So in a buyer’s market, what should you do differently, as a seller?

One of the best things a seller can do in any market is detach from your house completely.  This is your most important strategy in a buyer’s market as well.  We know you have more than money invested in your house.  It’s been home to you in the best and worst of times, and you’ve worked hard to improve it and make it the best that it can be.  But in these times, you need to be objective and detach from the house to make it not your home, but a place someone else wants to live.

Don’t take it personally.  Any offer is good.  If you get an offer, it means you beat out your neighbors no matter how low or complicated it may be.  You may not be able to accept the offer, especially if it has a ton of strings attached, but don’t take it personally if you get a low offer.  The buyers chose your house over all the others — keep that in mind.  It could be low for a number of reasons, but it’s not because they don’t think the house is great.  Sure, they will likely make a great deal of changes, but not until it’s their home.  Many buyers who have previously been priced out of the home of their dreams are fishing for a great deal from someone who needs to move on.  You may be in this situation or you may not be, but always remember, any offer is a good offer.  Even low offers open a dialog of negotiations that can result in a sale.  You can always have your agent draft a counteroffer.

Don’t over-price thinking that it leaves you room to negotiate.  Over-pricing puts your house in a pool with other houses that are likely larger with more features so which house in the price range would you pick?  Always put yourself in the buyer’s shoes.  Sellers who over-price end up in a cycle of reductions to actually get their homes sold several headaches later.  Save yourself the stress, it’s worth it.  Price reasonably and competitively to get your house sold more quickly than the competition.  You will be making fewer payments which saves you money even if you don’t actually see the savings.

Be patient with your buyers.  Loans are tough right now and under-writers are struggling to approve many who could have received a loan for almost nothing down not too long ago.  Even pre-approved buyers can be sent through seemingly endless waits for final approval.  Your buyers want to buy a house; it’s an emotional time for them as well.  Don’t panic over financing.  Wait it out.  The deal may not work out, but financing is really out of your control as a seller.

Sellers in Austin may have had it easy a few years ago, but times have changed.  You can still sell your home if you get your house completely ready for sale, price it competitively, detach emotionally, and don’t take it all personally.

Tags: austin real estate, facts, hot market, housing, money, seller, sellers by Aria
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I was surprised when I found this resource showing where all of the know abandoned landfills are in Austin. The City of Austin has a map showing the locations of known landfills. Is there one close to you?

The complete map is available here.

Tags: austin, austin real estate, development, environment by Aria
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Damages from storms the night of May 14th through the morning of May 15th 2008 are estimated to have caused $125 million in damages around Austin.  Don’t get hosed!

The skies were wild last night!  How did your house fair?  It shouldn’t take major damage to get you to make that call to your insurance company!

Many homeowners find out well after the storm has cleared that it caused damage to their home.  Call your insurance company today if you were hit by hail.  They will have a professional look over your home to make sure that there is no damage, seen or unseen.

So don’t forget to make that call to your insurance company today!

Tags: austin by Aria
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