Texas Real Estate Blog - Texas Housing Market Blog

It's no coincidence that people often start thinking about buying a home around the time they get married or establish a long-term relationship. Buying a home often requires a higher income, which is typically easier to get with two people working full-time. With these tips, couples who are looking to combine their investment goals with viable housing can make buying a home easier and more productive for the future.

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There aren't too many financial decisions that are as complicated as buying a home, but ...

After the housing crisis, it might feel like the whole country went into a panic that lasted for several years. Fears that they had been too lenient in mortgage lending led some institutions to raise the bar significantly, reasserting the dominance of the 20 percent down payment. Since that sort of knee-jerk reaction rarely bodes well in any area of finance, the standards were gradually relaxed once again. The trouble is that the media is still working to catch up. People who hear that first-time home buyers, and particularly people in their 20s and 30s, cannot get a mortgage without 20 percent down, might think that...

As the capital city of Texas, Austin has a proud and rich history. Over time, community leaders have established and dedicated many historic monuments throughout the city. Local residents love to visit these sites and pay homage to their past. Travelers who are visiting the city enjoy heading to these attractions to learn more about the community and how it came to be the thriving city that it is today.

These are the best historic monuments in Austin, Texas:

Texas African American History Memorial

Address: ...

Sometimes, there is nothing better than having a fresh, hot meal delivered right to the doorstep. In Austin, residents and visitors will find that it's incredibly easy to have food delivered to their homes, their offices, their hotel rooms or their favorite park.

These are the best delivery restaurants in Austin, Texas:

Tso Chinese Delivery

Address: Arboretum...

Misinformation about home buying is about as American as apple pie. Standards change from one decade to the next, which leads the experienced to provide a different and often inaccurate vision of homeownership to people looking to break into the market. With an ability to distinguish between myths and facts, would-be home buyers can get ahead of their peers with real estate if they realize that buying a home is far more accessible than a lot of people make it seem.

Myth: I Need a Huge Down Payment

The rule that buyers need a 20 percent down...

Buying a property is a big expense. Like all major purchases, it's nice to have an expert who is trained to handle all the details and is there to make sure the buyer gets fair treatment. A real estate agent hired to serve buyers will work with them through every stage of the process—from identifying their initial needs to explaining all the paperwork on the day the sale is completed. The benefits of homeownership for Millennials can be maximized with a real estate agent on your team to help you succeed.

Local Real Estate Expert

Starting...

Thinking about the perfect kind of home can be a fun and engaging part of the home buying process. It is an excellent time to talk to others about what worked for them and what they wish they had done differently. However, it's vital to keep in mind that a buyer's priorities are unique. By putting needs first and being willing to compromise on things that aren't as important, buyers have a better chance of selecting a home that will be satisfying for the long haul so they can reap the benefits of homeownership for Millennials and ...

Recent statistics from the National Association of Home Builders in the U.S. report that a mid-range bathroom renovation costs approximately $20,000 and has a return on investment of just over 70 percent. While that is a relatively high return on remodeling dollar, there are ways to boost the return, as well as to add function and beauty to the bath while you live in your Round Rock home.

Increase Usable Space

The most common homeowner complaints about bathrooms are that they are too small. But...

Debt-to-income ratio is the seemingly ‘magical’ formula lenders use to determine if an individual’s monthly income is adequate to live somewhat comfortably, to pay his/her current debts, and to assume a mortgage payment. In other words, DTI determines if you are a safe bet when it comes to loaning you money and if you’re ready to buy a home.

Buying a home is the first step towards getting ahead of peers with real estate, and the first step towards buying a...

With the incredible variety of local restaurants in Austin, TX, it's hard to pick a favorite - no matter what time of the day (or night!) you're eating. Although it is difficult to narrow down a lunch favorites list in Austin, the goal of this list is to showcase the variety of local restaurants that Austin has to offer for your lunch break. Here are some of the best lunch spots in Austin for your culinary delight.

Magnolia Café

Address: ...

We are now a decade beyond the housing bubble that burst between 2007 and 2008. However, there are still some issues that mitigate home buying accessibility for millennials and Gen Z’ers. Affordability, coupled with the 20% down payment required in the mortgage process by traditional banking institutions, are the primary prohibitive factors for the younger generations deciding whether they’re ready to buy their first home.

How Student Loans Affect Home Buying

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A variety of options and steps exist for the first-time home buyer. Indeed, in many metropolitan cities, you won’t be buying a traditional, single-family, detached home. Depending on your lifestyle and location preferences, purchasing an apartment, condominium or townhouse might be your only choice. However, each option carries with it a particular benefit that includes building equity and, generally, an increase in resale value over time.

Traditional Single-Family Homes

When most people think of buying a home, the traditional single-family home is the first option that springs to mind. At the moment, the median...

There's a lot that goes into buying a home beyond what anyone who's never bought a home before knows, and because of that, buying a first home can feel like being buried in a mountain of forms and paperwork. Despite how overwhelming the process may seem at first, long-term preparation can ease the process and make it that much more gradual, helping Millennials reap the benefits of buying a home. People can make their lives a much easier by taking a few small steps to prepare themselves and gather required information ...

Getting a good education to land a solid, well-paying job with benefits is expensive and getting costlier every year. Students enrolling in a four-year institution can expect to pay at least $37,000 a year for tuition, fees, room, and board. People are put in the awkward paradox of needing a decent annual income just to get the education for a job with a decent annual income. Since scholarships and grants are restricted and can only go so far, student loans are a popular alternative for college financing. Used wisely alongside careful budgeting, student loans could...

The food scene in Austin is robust, whether you want an early morning omelet or a late-night stack of pancakes. When there are so many options to choose from, why make breakfast for yourself all the time? Here are 4 must-see breakfast restaurants to visit in Austin, TX.

Kerbey Lane Café

For 40 years, Kerbey Lane Café has been a beloved fixture in Austin's breakfast scene. This café was founded right here in the city, and their initial location still exists in ...

Whether you are a recent grad or have been in the workforce for a few years, the reality of still paying off your student loan debts can be intimidating, if not downright scary, when you think about assuming a mortgage payment. When you feel like you’ll never be able to buy a home because of your student loans, compounding your trepidation are other debts you might have—things such as a car payment and credit cards. Most of all, for recently graduated students, you may think your student loans disqualify you from buying a home—but this is just a common misconception.

Like with anything, there are two sides...

Knowing when it’s time to transition from being a renter to a homeowner is an individual decision based on different, yet interconnected, factors that can determine if you’re able to get ahead with real estate. As with most financial decisions, the foremost consideration is cost. Can you afford to make the transition? As it stands now, the median home price is $258,300, and conventional loans generally require a 20% down payment. This equates to $51,660 just for the down payment alone...

Depending on which birth year cut-off one uses, millennials are one of the largest generational segments for home buying in terms of population size. Given this generation came of age during the Big Data boom, it’s not a huge leap to conclude that their buying habits have been analyzed to a dizzying degree. In a world where “content is king” and marketers vie for the attention of a particular segment, myths and rumors begin to materialize. The purpose here is to address some of those myths and, hopefully, set the...

Buying a home seems like such a common act, that it may not seem obvious what a good investment real estate can be. Everyone needs some form of housing, which means that access to affordable real estate will always be in some sort of demand. The benefits of homeownership are many, and people who tap into real estate investment when they are young adults have the opportunity to build great wealth, often without a ton of maintenance to keep the investment going. Investors who can make the monetary investment and buy properties with growth potential may find that their futures are set long...