Buying A Home

There are literally thousands of homes for sale in the Austin and surrounding areas of Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Hutto, Elgin and Taylor, with between 2,000 and 3,000 selling every month.  Having lived in Austin since 1985 I'm intimately familiar with the Austin area, and I can help you find your dream home by using my knowledge, experience, and business relationships to quickly and efficiently help you find the best fit for your lifestyle.

After first getting qualifed by a lender to determine how much you can borrow and the terms of the mortgage, we can begin narrowing down the thousands of available new and resale homes by targeting certain areas based on your needs and desires.  Keep in mind that the same type of home in Round Rock will be tens of thousands of dollars less expensive than a similar home in Cedar Park, so generally speaking east of IH35 you get more home for your money.

New Homes are a great option for many families, and most new home communities will be in the areas surrounding Austin rather than in or near the city itself, though there are small infill communities popping up in redeveloped or previously underdeveloped parts of the city. 

About New Homes and Builders

There are dozens of new home builders in the Austin and surrounding areas.  From large builders to boutique designers to custom design specialists, I can help you find the right home and the right community to fit your needs, your lifestyle, and your budget, at no additional cost to you. 

Builders pay realtors from advertising budgets, NOT by adding additional costs to your purchase, so it never costs you any extra to work with me in finding your dream home.  In fact, because of my knowledge, experience, and relationships with builders often I'm able to help you find the right home faster than searching on your own, and I often save my clients thousands of dollars in the process.  Since I've already been to most of these communities and worked with most of the builders, I'll be able to help you quickly locate the right community and builder for you.  

Most builders prefer that buyers come accompanied by an agent, because the buyer will already have been qualified for a loan and educated on the buying process before stepping into the sales office, which makes the purchase smoother for everyone. Utilizing agents also makes good business sense because a realtor who knows the area, the builder, and the homes they build is a much better source of new and repeat business than untargeted advertising dollars spent on billboards, television, radio and print ads. 

Many builders in Austin, Round Rock, Pflugerville and the surrounding areas are currently offering buyer incentives such as paying for the buyers title policy and paying up to 2% of the purchase price towards closing costs, but those incentives are usually tied to using the builder's preferred lender and title company.  There is no obligation to use them, but you will likely forfeit some of those incentives by using another lender or title company.  Many builders also offer other buyer incentives, such as appliance packages, blinds, and sprinkler systems, on select homes that can close within 30 days, so sometimes buying an inventory home will make more financial sense than having one built to your specifications.

Call me today to find out more about these builders and which community might be the right one for you, and remember that their pricing and inventory is not always current on their websites. 

 Builders

Armadillo                                                      

Buffington

Capital Pacific

Centex

David Weekly

Drees

DR Horton

Gehan

Highland

KB

Lennar

Mainstreet

Mercedes

Meritage

Newmark

Ryland

Standard Pacific

Taylor Morrison

Toll Brothers

Vintage Austin Homes

Austin has many unique neighborhoods with homes built from the 1910's to the 1960's. Anyone looking for that perfect vintage home knows it has to have just the right feel, and finding all of the elements that bring it together give these homes a warmth and feel that can't be matched.

If hardwood floors, pink ceramic tile bathrooms, deep lots and established neighborhoods with large, old trees are what you're looking for, you're on the right track. Whether you're an investor looking for that overlooked property, a handyman looking for a 'diamond in the rough' restoration project, or you want a fully restored classic home that doesn't need any work at all, you'll find it here.

Take a look at Crestview Doors - David and Christiane Erwin couldn't find a vintage door for their home, so they made their own, and it turned into a full-time business!

These are just a few of the more popular areas -  Call me to find out how I can help you find the home and neighborhood you're looking for. 

Central Austin

Crestview, near Justin Lane and Burnet Road in North Austin, is a beautiful neighborhood with classic homes from the 1950's and early 60's. Deep lots and large trees make this neighborhood stand out. This is one of the more affordable vintage neighborhoods in town.

Tarrytown is nestled between MoPac Expressway and the river, just west of town. This great little area boasts a central location minutes from downtown, and easy access anywhere around Austin. A mix of vintage homes from the first half of the century along with a newer modern homes, all at the foot of the hill country, give this area its unique eclectic feel. 

Hyde Park is a historic neighborhood in north-central Austin that features smaller, older homes, many from the 1920's and 30's, most of which have been restored or renovated and are in top condition. Centrally located close to UT and downtown, this is one of Austin's favorite classic neighborhoods.

North Austin

Cat Mountain is in northwest Austin, just inside Loop 360/Capital of Texas Highway and 2222.  Prestigious Mid-Century Modern (MCM) homes built on the hills along Bull Creek.  And where there's water in Texas there are trees and green space, and Cat Mountain is no exception.

The Highland Park area is in northwest Austin, around MoPac and 45th up to Northland/2222. Many homes from the 1940's and 50's, along with huge yards and lots of trees make this a beautiful area. Easy to get anywhere, but not too close to downtown, for those that don't like to feel they're in the middle of everything.

South Austin

Travis Heights and Bouldin are two of the more popular neighborhoods in the 78704 zipcode. Just south of the river, right next to downtown, Travis Heights is one of the more exclusive, classic parts of South Austin, with homes from the 1920's to the 1950's, mostly restored and renovated, with large yards and huge trees.

The 78704 zip code is a special place in Austin, and is just south of the river, north of Ben White Blvd, between IH35 and Lamar Blvd. This area is pretty much the heart of South Austin, and as they say, "It's not just a zipcode, it's a state of mind". Plenty of 'funky' homes, along with some more classic and exclusive neighborhoods.

East Austin

French Place just east of IH35, from 38th street south to around Dean Keaton.  Shady, green, literally right next to downtown, many small bungalow homes from 1,000sqft to 1,800sqft.  It still has that quiet friendly neighborhood feel.

East-Central Austin, or "78702", has seen rapid revitalization the past couple years and is becoming more popular as the area is being redeveloped. From the river north to MLK Blvd, it's proximity to downtown and collection of vintage homes from the 1920's through the 1950's make it ideal for just about anyone. Walking or bicycle distance from U.T., Town Lake, downtown destinations and shopping are highlights of this area, with fixer-uppers, tear-downs, or completely renovated homes and everything in between. Infill, redevelopment, and gentrification are the buzzwords here.  If you want to be where it's all happening, this is the place, but you'd better hurry, it's quickly getting very expensive! 

West Austin

Rollingwood is not technically part of Austin, though it is just west of MoPac and Barton Springs.  Mid-Century Modern (MCM) dominates the community, though there is new construction popping up as well.  Rolling hills and compact, upper-end shopping centers make this a unique self-contained community within the city of Austin.