Steiner Files

Steiner Files

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Living on a Large Lot in A Single Story

My featured Steiner Ranch listing is a single story on a very large lot -- almost 1/4 acre. All for well under $300,000! Buyers cannot find them like this in the newer construction of Steiner Ranch, but they can find them in earlier construction with great updates! 4145 Canyon Glen Circle is 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, updated kitchen with granite, stainless steel appliances and recessed lighting, a large living room with gorgeous fireplace and mantle and much more! List price is $265,000.
Look at the view from the back -- nothing but greenbelt! Also, this home offers Austin outdoor living at its best! TWO decks...one on the side yard, and in the back yard. Kick back, relax and enjoy the peace and beauty.
The residents of this home can walk to exemplary Steiner Ranch Elementary School, as well as the new Quinlan Crossing shopping center with a Randall's grocery store and a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, plus many other retail outlets. For a private showing of this beautiful single story home in the award winning master planned community of Steiner Ranch, please contact me ASAP: Jenny Rosas Zip Realty rosasjen@earthlink.net 512-568-0483

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Buying a Home -- Top 5 Strategies

I recently shared my top 5 strategies for SELLING a home. Based on the strong feedback from readers and Blog followers, I knew it would be helpful to do the same for the "buy side."

The goal is to secure the home you want for the best price -- beating the competition among other buyers in the marketplace. Here are my top 5 strategies for Home Buyers in today's Austin market.

1) Determine How Much You Can Afford

You go out shopping. You know how much money you have in your wallet or in your bank account. No fun getting up to the cash register and not having enough funds to cover your desired purchase. Same applies to buying a home. It is imperative to know UP FRONT how much you can afford in terms of cash down as well as financing a mortgage before you start stepping into available homes. Speak to a referred lender and get pre-qualified. Share this information with your agent. This will avoid heartache at the cash register.

2) Get Professional Representation


Hire a professional Realtor to represent you. Place your trust and confidence in a Realtor. Work with this Realtor exclusively as a Client instead of a Customer. I can only provide factual information (price of home, square footage, school boundaries) to Customers, but I can provide strategic information and professional guidance to Clients, including comparable market data. I secure a Client/Broker relationships with my Buyers so my fiduciary duty is to them in negotiations and the entire buying process.

3) Review Homes on The Internet

This homework assignment can be done at your convenience. Use my web site: www.jennyrosas.com to review all available listings in the Greater Austin area. You can SAVE your favorites and even REQUEST SHOWINGS.

While home photos should give the best first impression, unfortunately online house photos do not always tell the whole story. Get a good idea from online listings, but follow the next step for the bigger picture.

4) Go Into Homes With Your Realtor

Go "into the field" to see homes in person. Some homes may pleasantly surprise you, and some may downright disappoint you. When I tour homes with Clients, I want to hear the truth. If you get a bad vibe from first stepping in, I am not offended. Let's move on. Sometimes you need to see the dogs to see the diamonds.

When looking at homes, look beyond the decor. You are buying the house, "the bones" (structure), floor plan and location. Paint colors can easily be changed, and so can cabinet pulls and faucets for instance.

Go back for a second look if you have time and interest.



5) Be Ready to Make a Move!


What is appealing to you, is most likely appealing to other prospective buyers. In today's Greater Austin market, many communities and areas are very low on inventory. Well-priced, well-conditioned homes are moving on and off the market very quickly. Many homes are receiving multiple written offers. First, look at online inventory via my web site DAILY as new inventory hits the market. Then make appointments with me to see the homes! Be prepared with your Realtor to write a competitive offer for a Seller to consider. Will you be ready? Let me help you!

Please connect with me. It would be my pleasure to assist you reach your real estate goals.

Jenny Rosas
Zip Realty
512-568-0483
rosasjen@earthlink.net
jenny.rosas@ziprealty.com
www.jennyrosas.com

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Getting Your House Sold, Top 5 Strategies

You've decided to Sell your home. Congratulations, it is a big step. To best guide you, I have outlined my Top 5 strategic steps to take NOW.

The goal is sell in the shortest amount of time for the highest possible market value. I equate it to dating -- making the best impression with the FIRST impression because you may not be given a second chance.


1. Turn to the Professionals


Selling your home is a business transaction. It is not personal. Therefore hand over the responsibility of marketing and listing your home to a professional Realtor. Remember the ultimate goal of selling quickly for the best price. Close to 90 percent of buyers turn to the Internet to begin their home searches. First, if buyers cannot find the home online, your home will easily be missed; and second, if the photos are poor, your home is a click away from being deleted from their options and from being seen in person.

I team with a professional home photographer to shoot photos and produce virtual tours with proper lighting, lenses, and room angles for all of my listings. Snapshots on the iPhone will not cut it. Bad photos equal a bad impression.

2. De-Personalize and Stage It

Buyers are not buying your family, they are buying your home. Personal photos and artifacts that you enjoy around your home on a daily basis may be distracting to buyers when they walk through. They will look and focus on your wedding photos and travel collection and miss the beauty of a fireplace mantel or crown molding.


I also team with a professional stager. Someone who looks at a home with complete objectivity and honesty and guides the Seller on how to showcase the home for buyers' eyes. Staging starts at the front curb and goes to your back fence. Most of the time, the stager can use YOUR furniture and belongings. It is worth every penny and effort.


3. Price It Right

I use SOLD comps or comparatives in your neighborhood or area to research market value. Together, we can review the comparative homes and get a good read on what current buyers are willing to pay for your home. The objective is to generate high activity and interest and to capture all potential buyers. There is a "sweet spot" and we want to find it.

4. Make The Home Convenient to Show


The more convenient it is for Realtors and buyers to get into your home, the more foot traffic you will have. The more foot traffic, the better odds of receiving written purchase offers on your home.

Professional Realtors install lockboxes, which electronically give access to your home for other licensed Realtors. There is an electronic record of those who enter your home. As your listing agent, I follow up with each and every one.

Buyer agents will contact you, the Seller, to alert you they are coming. The more flexible you are with showings, the more the home will be seen.

In addition, make sure cars are moved from the driveway and in front of the house when expecting showings. Not only does add "curb appeal", it provides parking for Realtors and Buyers when the visit your home.

5. List It NOW

A home cannot sell if it is not for sale. While Spring is the heaviest time for home sales, well-priced, good condition homes sell all year round. There are no limits or special months for people to move.

Furthermore, the Austin market attracts individuals and families from all of the country, and even the world, for job opportunities and lifestyle. There is a constant flow of transplants headed to Austin, in addition to local prospective buyers. Will you and your home be ready? I hope so!


I welcome the opportunity to assist you with your Real Estate goals. Let's meet and get started on a custom marketing plan for your home.

Jenny Rosas
Zip Realty
rosasjen@earthlink.net
(512)568-0483


THANK YOU!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Steiner Ranch January Pulse Read



2011 is behind us, and a new year has begun! Time to provide a quick January pulse read on Steiner Ranch.

How did Steiner Ranch real estate fair? While greater Austin remained flat (as previously reported, flat is good in current real estate sales terms...most of the country would like this status), Steiner Ranch picked up speed.

From 2010, average price per square foot increased from $125 to $128. Also, average days on market was reduced by 8 days down to 65 days.

Home prices in Steiner Ranch start in the mid $200,000s and go up to the million mark.

(these stats only reflect inventory reported in the Austin Multiple Listing Service)


And the community is still growing. Through the third quarter of 2011, Steiner Ranch ranked 4th most active subdivision within Austin by annual starts in new home construction with 184.
Source: Metrostudy

There are less than 100 lots for single family residences to build on before the community is complete.

Also, please note, the Welcome Center is now closed.

The new year will also bring new shopping options in Steiner Ranch. Located at the entrance to Steiner Ranch, Quinlan Crossing shopping center will feature 163,000 square feet of retail space. And plenty of parking. Secured retailers to date include Randall's grocery store with a Starbucks inside the store, Great Clips hair salon, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Steiner Ranch Wine and Liquor, among others. Quinlan Crossing is scheduled to open in late March.

It would be my pleasure to show you around this award-winning master planned community, open some doors, and discuss current home market values.

Happy New Year! It promises to be a good one!

Full-time residential real estate agent: Jenny Rosas, rosasjen@earthlink.net, 512-568-0483