With every year comes new innovations in smart home technology. From smart appliances to automated home security, our homes are constantly evolving to accommodate high-tech lifestyles of the 21st Century. These smart home devices are designed to make your day to day living easier. Here are five of our favorites.
At first glance, Amazon Echo looks like your standard portable speaker, but it's so much more. Not only does it play music with exceptional sound quality, this multi-tasking device has a voice activated feature designed to answer questions. It also relays the news, weather forecasts, creates to do lists and alarms.
Since it's connected to the cloud, the power of the Internet is at your service. The cost for this handy
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Open houses can be a great way to jump start your home search. Many homebuyers however, fail to capitalize on the opportunity. Savvy homebuyers know to come armed with a number of open house questions to ask the seller’s agent. By being proactive, you can identify potential issues early on, and make an educated decision on your home purchase without wasting your precious time on a dud. Find out if a potential home is right for you by getting the answers to these important open house questions.
Stay connected with the latest Austin real estate news. See what's happening in Austin and stay ahead of the game in this increasingly competitive market. Courtesy of JBGoodwin REALTORS®. This month we feature stories on Austin's record setting February, Santa Rita Ranch, and a local developer breaking ground in San Antonio.
The neighborhood of Belterra is a 1,600-acre community located between the town of Dripping Springs and downtown Austin. The community can be accessed by one of three different entrances: off Highway 290 West, off Nutty Brown Road and finally via Sawyer Ranch Road. There is a wide variety of builders offering fine homes (or that have built previously) in Belterra including (but not limited to) Buffington Signature Homes, Newmark, Highland Homes, Wilshire Homes, Streetman Homes, Sitterle, David Weekly Homes & Drees Homes. With 400 acres of open land, twelve parks, a recreation center and an abundance of trails, Belterra is settled around family life.
On April 16th, 2015 homebuyers could be paying more to heat their homes. That's because new water heater regulations set forth by the Department of Energy will require many existing models to be replaced or swapped out for larger more energy efficient ones. Not sure if you'll be impacted by the rule change? Read on.
JBGoodwin REALTORS® successfully defended the rights of real estate professionals in Texas against a suit brought on by patent troll Property Disclosure Technologies (or PDT). For those unfamiliar with patent trolls or patent holding companies, they are firms who purchase patents with the sole purpose of looking for, and suing companies in violation of those patents for financial gain. They do not produce intellectual property, nor do they conduct any original research or manufacturing. Most of their suits never make it to court, as the threat of hefty legal fees cause most defendants to settle out of court.
One of the dreaded tasks of any landlord is finding a great tenant for your rental property. Tenant screening is a critical process, and when done correctly can eliminate the majority of common bad tenant issues. Add these helpful tips to your tenant screening checklist, and find the properly qualified tenant of your dreams.
Ever get the feeling that mortgages are designed for people with 9 to 5 jobs? You're not alone. Self-employment can sometimes cause potential homebuyers to hit a mortgage wall, due to a lack of steady income. Not to worry though. Self-employed folks can qualify for mortgages too! By being proactive, you too can get approved for a mortgage. These tips are designed to help you increase the odds of homeownership.
Stay connected with the latest Austin real estate news. See what's happening in Austin and stay ahead of the game in this increasingly competitive market. Courtesy of JBGoodwin REALTORS®. This month we feature stories on Austin rental rates, Hotel San Jose, and a high profile listing in The Domain.
Due to recent policy changes affecting government-backed loans which focus on the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and secondary mortgage market giants Fannie Mae (The Federal National Mortgage Association) and Freddie Mac (The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation), first-time home buyers could find it less costly to come up with a down payment or to afford private mortgage insurance (PMI). This is a result of the current administration lowering the premium that borrowers with an FHA-backed home loan must pay for mortgage insurance. This has been lowered from 1.35% to 0.85%.