Regent Property Group Announces a New Austin Home Search Website for Founder Brian Talley

Regent Property Group, Austin’s top-rated provider of luxury home real estate services, announces Founder Brian Talley’s Austin home search website, designed to improve the buying and selling experience for clients.Austin, TX (PRWEB) October 06, 2011 Buying and selling a home can seem an intimidating process, but a new website launched by one of Austin’s top luxury realtors, Brian Talley, aims …

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Regent Property Group Announces a New Austin Home Search Website for Founder Brian Talley

Austinites Love Their Sex Shops_20100921175217_JPG

Austinites love their sex shops. High ranking in the buying of sex-toys helped propel Austin to the #1 position of “Sex-Happiest” cities in America.

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Austinites Love Their Sex Shops_20100921175217_JPG

AMD Hosts Webcast to Launch Next Phase of VISION Technology and Introduce New Notebook Platforms

–(BUSINESS WIRE)–On May 12, AMD will be hosting a webcast to introduce the next phase of VISION Technology, as well as refresh its client portfolio with new notebook platforms. Launched in October 2009, VISION was introduced to simplify the buying process for consumers and has experienced great momentum in the first seven months. Please join senior AMD executives and representatives from a number of AMD business partners to discuss the significance of this next phase, and the momentum the VISI

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AMD Hosts Webcast to Launch Next Phase of VISION Technology and Introduce New Notebook Platforms

Retailers Can Enhance Assortment Effectiveness and Planner Productivity with Latest Release of i2 Buying and Assortment Management

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today’s hurried, budget-conscious and eco-friendly shoppers are interested in consolidating their shopping into one trip in order to save time, money and gasoline. To meet this need, winning retailers must not only carry the right products, but also strategically place products together in a way that simplifies the shopping experience. The latest release of i2 Buying and Assortment Management from i2 Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITWO) features significant new featur

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Retailers Can Enhance Assortment Effectiveness and Planner Productivity with Latest Release of i2 Buying and Assortment Management

Should I Use a Realtor When Buying Real Estate?

“When homeowners are ready to sell a piece of real estate, they generally turn to a realtor first to help them advertise and sell the property. When homebuyers are purchasing a home, though, few think about hiring a realtor or buyer’s agent to help them through the process. A realtor, though, can help homebuyers in several ways:

1) Networking. Realtors often know about properties before they are widely advertised. This means that when you work with a buyer’s agent, you may be able to start the buying process before many other buyers know about the property.

2) Real estate and neighborhood knowledge. Realtors know a great deal about neighborhoods in their area and about homes. A buyer’s agent can help you steer clear of homes and areas of the city that would not match your needs or lifestyle. This can help you avoid a costly mistake.

3) Legal, financial, and paperwork help. Buying a home requires a lot of work – such as arranging the legal transfer of the property. An agent can take care of all the paperwork for you. A buyer’s agent can also help you figure out which homes you can afford. All this can save you time and money.

4) Pre-screening. If you are house hunting on your own, you are responsible for sifting through the thousands of available properties in your area to look for the few homes that actually meet your needs and requirements. This can be very time-consuming and stressful. A realtor, on the other hand, has the resources and experience to do this part of the work for you. A buyer’s agent will track down the properties that have your requirements, so that you can work on honing in on possibilities rather than feeling overwhelmed by choice.

5) A buffer between a homeowner and homebuyer. A buyer’s agent is an impartial third party and this can be a big help. As a homebuyer you want the best price and the best value, while the homebuyer wants to get the best price for their home. A realtor can communicate with both parties so that everyone wins. If there are any disagreements, the realtor can work to resolve them.

6) Savings. An agent can help you negotiate for a better price. Since a realtor you hire is on your side, you can rest assured that the professional you have chosen will work with you to get you a fair price on the property you want.

A good realtor can help make the home buying process simpler, more time-effective and even less expensive. Just as most people wouldn’t sell a home without the professional help of a realtor, you may want to consider a real estate professional the next time you want to buy a property. “

Tips To Follow When Buying New Construction Real Estate

New home communities offer beautiful homes, open-floor plans, new appliances, and much more. Plus, new homes often offer easy purchasing through an on-site sales agent. The problem is that they can also tally up to significant losses. To buy your new construction home the smart way, follow these tips:

1) Use a Realtor Who Has New Home Sales Experience
New homebuilders will sometimes put pressure on you to use an on-site agent plus a pre-approved lender, insurer and title company. It’s a mistake not to get your own realtor. A realtor can protect your interests and can ensure that all costs and interest rates are within industry standards. Realtors with new home experience know the homebuilder community and this can ensure that homebuilders are very cooperative – after all, they don’t want to tarnish their reputation.

2) Don’t Sign ANYTHING Until You’ve Negotiated Every Detail
Always assume that nothing is agreed upon until it is in writing. Once it’s in writing, don’t assume that it can be changed or negotiated. Don’t fall for the “write up the contract so that no one else can get your house” ploy. Instead, make sure that the contract you sign has everything you negotiated in writing before you sign.

3) GET A HOME INSPECTION!!!
Many people assume that home inspections are for older homes that may have asbestos, structural problems, and other liabilities. This is not true! While many new constructions come with full warranties, those warranties usually only last 12 months and many problems surface only after that first year. An independent, professional inspector can help you avoid very costly repairs a few years down the line.

4) Don’t Use Their Lender
Many builders who build entire communities are now publicly traded corporations. These companies make a lot of money by financing – not just building and selling – homes. As a result, many builders will offer you enormous incentives or pressure you to use their lenders. The problem is that the builder’s lender will usually have higher interest rates and higher closing costs than a traditional lender. In most cases, you can have the stipulations removed so that you can choose your own lender and enjoy some incentives. After all, the builder will not make any money if you refuse to buy a home. If a builder insists that you use their lender, walk away and find another builder. It makes no sense to pay many thousands of dollars extra.

5) Research the Builder
Most builders are responsible and take care to protect their built neighborhoods. Still, make sure that you research your builder. Specifically, make sure that your builder has a reputation for good quality homes. Make sure that the company limits investor purchases – these can result in rental properties that depreciate neighborhood value. Also, determine whether the builder will build equal or greater value homes in the surrounding area. If they do not, the new homes will instantly devalue.

6) Choose An Appraiser
Lenders require you have an appraisal anyway, so you may as well research a good appraiser yourself. Ask for a copy of the appraiser’s findings as well – it can contain information that will give you better insight into what you are buying.

7) Research City Plans
New neighborhoods are often built on the outskirts of town, where land is available at a lower cost. Be sure to ask your realtor or do your own research into what the city has in mind for the area. Research roads, zoning, public transportation, parks, and schools – all will determine the future value of your new home.

New homes are very appealing to buyers. If they’re appealing to you, be sure to hire professionals and do your research so that your new home remains a positive experience for years to come!

Lake Travis is a Safe Bet for Buying and Investing

Austin, Texas is a city with much to offer. Known as the 2006 Money Magazine Number 1 Best Big City to Live In, as well as the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’, Austin has something for just about everyone. If you’re looking into real estate investing in the area or settling down and buying a family home, there are plenty of options. Right now, the safest market in the entire U.S. is the Lake Travis area of Austin, which includes Lake Travis, Lakeway, Steiner Ranch, and Lago Vista. When you invest or buy a home for your family in this area, you can trust that you’re working in a stable market.

When nothing is stable in the country, finding that one piece of safe and secure investing is essential. You can go just about anywhere and find great deals on foreclosures and homes for sale, but not in stable markets. Anywhere you look right now, the real estate markets are still on a roller coaster ride with many twists and turns still to come. However, Lake Travis and the surrounding areas can provide you with the great buys that you want in a stable market, which is what you deserve.

If you’re looking for the best deals on Real Estate in Lake Travis, come to Insight Texas. We can offer you some of the lowest prices on Lake Travis homes and investment opportunities, as well as homes for sale in Lago Vista, Lakeway, and Steiner Ranch. If you’re not investing and simply buying a home for yourself or your family, we’ve got plenty of residential listings, as well. And the best part is that we can bring the listings to you. All you need to do is tell us what you’re looking for in Lake Travis Real Estate, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Investing in real estate or buying a home is never a simple task. With such a volatile economy, many people are shying away from buying homes and real estate investing. However, if you take the time to check out our research, you’ll see that the Lake Travis market is safe and stable, offering you everything you could want or need for your real estate purchase. At Insight Texas, our goal is to provide you with the perfect investment or family home that you’ve been dreaming of, and to do it without leaving you overwhelmed and confused about the entire process. For more about Lake Travis real estate, or to see what we can do for you, contact us today.

I appreciate you as a client and a friend. I appreciate your business, your loyalty, trust and your referrals. It is my goal to provide the very best counsel, advice and service possible for your real estate needs. If I may ever be of assistance to you, a relative, friend or co-worker please don’t hesitate to call me. I look forward to the opportunity to serve you

Have questions, need advice you can count on or just want to discuss this further?
Don’t waste any more time; pick up the phone and call me now! I’m here to help!

Author: Herb C. Jahnke

Buying your First Rental Property and Becoming a Landlord

When you are buying your first rental property and becoming a landlord, there is lots to learn. How do I find tenants? What should I charge for rent? Should I update the places to get more rent? How do I tell the tenants they are late on rent?

I have read a lot about how you have rule with an iron fist to keep your tenants in line. Our philosophy is much more laid back, and it has worked out amazingly well for us. Every property is different, but this was our experience.

Our first rental investment property was somewhere we would move into ourselves, and in retrospect, that was an aspect more important than I would have guessed. There’s many decisions along the way, and being a potential tenant yourself makes those decisions much clearer.

First off, when it comes time to market your place, you are part of the target audience, so it is easy to find the right place to advertise. Just ask yourself… how would we go about looking for a place? We actually mistakenly put costly newspaper ads out initially, bringing in the completely wrong renters who were completely not interested. Once we switched to advertising in places we would look, 90% of the people who came were actually interested, the place would rent faster, and the tenants were happy to be in our place.

That leads to the next reason why buying something you would live in as your first rental property makes the landlord learning process so much easier. The tenants! These will be people that you basically get along with because they like what you like, and if you meet them, they will most likely like you, or they would not be renting it. You will make sense to them, and they will make sense to you. When you are at odds with your tenants, the whole interaction and experience can be painful, so getting along helps tremendously.

Why, you say, should I care if my tenants are happy? Because everything is easier. They will more likely pay rent on time, respect & keep your place in shape, and stay longer. Believe me, there is nothing like a completely wrecked apartment by a short-term tenant. Sure you can charge money for damages, but it will still take time and be a hassle to get it back up to a rent-able state. And dealing the whole time with bitter, angry tenants is no fun either.

How do you make your tenants happy? There’s a couple things we do. One is that we allow tenants some flexibility with painting and decorating. 95% of the time, our tenants actually do wonders with our apartments and leave them with a better style than we could have done ourselves. Many times, we even get good ideas to carry over to the other apartments to make them more marketable, like some basic drapes & mounted wine racks. We even had a tenant call us to ask if she could plant some flowers by her porch. We welcomed it. It was an indication that she felt invested in the place and felt at home. Of course, I am not advising you let someone remodel your kitchens… I am talking small things that are easily undone, but make the tenant feel invested and at home.

Another thing to do to have happy tenants is to give them a sizable re-signing bonus when their leases end. And unless it is painfully needed, do not raise the rent, especially if the tenant is someone who pays on time and is easy to deal with. We offer a $500 re-signing bonus each year with rents at $800. It is almost a free month and about the cost it would be for us to do a make-ready, so it is good for us and them.

Also, we do not rent our places at the maximum. We make them a somewhat good deal so that many people will inquire, and so we have a better chance of a good fit that will be happy and stay long. We also do not overcharge because feeling ripped off is one main reason a tenant will leave.

We also treat our tenants with a lot of respect. We call them every time we enter their units, and if repairs take an extensive amount of time or hassle on their behalf, we give them some rent back. We also maintain the property and do pest control. And we always answer their issues within a day, at least with a phone call.

Becoming a landlord was definitely a learning experience. Everyone has their own style, and even different properties may prescribe a different style. Just be open to handling your rental property business (which is basically your tenants) with respect rather than the stereotypical overbearing attitude.

Buying Lake Travis Waterfront Property

“Lake Travis waterfront property has received a great deal of media attention in the past few years, and as a result has become one of the most coveted areas of development in the country. Many home buyers are rushing to buy Lake Travis waterfront property for its value and for its breathtaking beauty. It’s no wonder. Lake Travis waterfront property offers homebuyers a stunning value as well as beautiful views, recreational opportunities, and a lifestyle that is often unparalleled in other regions of the state.

Moving to a Lake Travis waterfront property is like suddenly being on vacation. Look out your window, and you will enjoy a stunning view of the winding Lake Travis, as well as stunning views of the famous Texas Hill Country. Step outside, and you can partake in the many recreational opportunities — including sailing, boating, hiking, swimming, fishing, and much more — that the lake offers. Stunning sunsets over the canyons and Lake Travis demand your camera and video camera, and the mild winters and long, relaxing summers are sure to make you smile.

However, with the wide range of Lake Travis waterfront property available, you will want to ask yourself some questions before buying:

1) What type of Lake Travis waterfront property am I looking for? Properties here range widely, from rural properties, vacation homes, golf properties, gated communities, family homes, modern condos, and much more. Take a moment to consider which type of home you would most like to live in, and you will have an easier time narrowing down your search.

2) Where would I like to live? The south shore of Lake Travis offers stunning views as well as some of the most luxurious properties in the area. A home in this area tends have easy access to major services, as will as the shortest driving distance to Austin’s downtown core. However, vacancy rates in this area are lower and prices tend to be higher. The north shore of Lake Travis offers a longer commute to Austin’s downtown as well as lower home prices.

3) What is my budget? The nice thing about Lake Travis waterfront property is that it can still be quite affordable compared to other waterfront areas. However, determining how much you can afford will help you determine what sort of property you can purchase and where you can buy along the shoreline.

4) How much space do I need? Lake Travis homes range from 1920s cottages on small lots to sprawling new homes on huge treed lots. Obviously, process vary accordingly.

5) What lifestyle do I want to live? Whether you want to get away from it all in a property that offers lots of privacy or want to have easy access to lots of recreation opportunities, the Lake Travis real estate market can meet your needs. Decide what amenities and facilities are most important to you in advance, and you can buy a property that is literally steps away from those services or facilities that interest you.”

Historical Homes – Know What You’re Buying

The charm of living in a historical neighborhood appeals to many. The houses are unique with interesting architecture, not like the cookie cutter homes in most new subdivisions. Most homes are also located in desirable mature areas with tree-lined streets and wide sidewalks.

The design opportunities for these homes are endless, and a buyer is often so focused on their vision of what this house will be, they neglect to see what they are really buying. There are considerations with historical homes that don’t exist with a conventional modern houses. Many of these are located in protected neighborhoods that have a historical designation in order to preserve the character of the area.

These designations have rules that may prevent a homeowner from making the changes they’d like. Most of these are restricted to structural changes, but they can affect other areas of the houses as well. For instance, you may have to sacrifice adding a luxury bathroom to the master bedroom if one doesn’t already exist. Upon purchase of the home, the seller should disclose whether it’s located in a historic district, you should double check at the local municipal offices and research any restrictions for the property.

The parking in these older neighborhoods is usually sparse and more often than not, residents can’t even park in front of their own homes.

Roof replacement can be a costly consideration. In many areas, asphalt shingles aren’t acceptable and must be replaced with wood shingles, standing-seam metal or slate.

Window replacement and window coverings can also be limited as they have a direct effect on the look of the home. Another added expense is the energy costs, often times these larger old homes are drafty and difficult to heat. If a particular renovation is denied by the historical board, the homeowner can usually appeal a decision, but it takes time and paperwork.

One ray of sunlight exists in the grants that are often available to homeowners to help ease the financial burden of the renovations, but keep in mind that the upgrades must fall within the guidelines.

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