As we enter a brand new year, it comes as little surprise that Austin area rents are expected to continue to rise throughout 2016.

The rental prices of apartments in particular are expected to increase, where demand continues to outweigh supply.

Recent market reports by Capitol Market Research indicate that apartments of all sizes have an average rental cost of $1,190 per month, which is the highest figure our region has ever seen. This is an increase of 7.5% when compared to 2014's rental average of $1,107.

A total of 9,554 units were built in the Austin area last year, while 9,346 new apartments were leased. Having such a small gap between new units and new leases indicates a healthy market, with very strong interest and competition.

What

Welcome to the New Year! Filling out forms probably wasn't part of your New Years resolutions, but the time has come to file your Homestead Exemption forms.

The homestead exemption lowers your property taxes, by subtracting a portion of your property value from the taxation. These amounts vary based on circumstance and county taxes, but can add up to as much as $25,000.

However, there are a few conditions:

• You must be a surviving spouse
• You must own and occupy the property
• The home must have been purchased prior to January 1
• Applications must be filed between Jan. 1 - Apr. 30 of the tax year

If you meet the above requirements, we strongly encourage you to apply. For those who qualify, it's a great perk of owning a homestead and

Byron "Buddy" Schilling, president of JBGoodwin REALTORS®, was featured in the Statesman giving his approval for the new home closing procedures.

The initial changes were met with concern for many agents throughout the industry, but JBGoodwin saw the opportunity for what it was: good for the people.

A big difference in the new process, which launched October 3, is an improved closing disclosure form.

“The closing disclosure goes through, in great detail and in simple English, what it is that the buyer and seller are actually closing, and what the buyer is getting in terms of a loan,” Schilling said, to the Statesman. “It's a beautiful thing due to the simplicity of it.”

This simplicity is exactly the intention behind the changes, which seek to

JBGoodwin REALTORS® is pleased to to publicly thank a few of our fantastic agents who took time to give back to the community this Thanksgiving.

Our Thanksgiving team got together at the Salvation Army's downtown shelter and social service center on Wednesday, and served over 550 meals! This was our 20th year in a row participating in the event, and the largest turn out of diners to date.

 

This year's volunteers included:

• Buddy Schilling
• Dorothy Palmore
• DeAnn Lewis
• Missy Shelton
• Christine Kohloff
• Chuck Jenner
• Laurie Kriegel
• Jeanmarie Theine
• Del Womack

If you'd like to help us give back to the community, Like us on Facebook or bookmark our blog. We'll be announcing details of our 19th annual Coats For Kids drive next week!

With Apple’s El Capitan update out now. The question becomes, what has changed and what hasn’t.  We all work with new software updates to understand all the changes that come about but are not always sure of how to get things done, well easily at least.  Lets discuss your email signature.

Email signatures can save you time when sending and replying to emails. Creating a signature email in Apple Mail is pretty easy and with a few additional add-ons you can make sure self stand out from the rest. How do I set up my email signatures with a little pizzaz and great links to my social media accounts.

There’s one thing that every email you originate should contain, and thats your email signature. Think of your signature as the last chance to grab someone’s

In celebration of our prosperous history and to welcome our flourishing future, JB Goodwin REALTORS® is pleased to share our new logo and branding!

Our previous logo has been in use since the inception of J.B. Goodwin's real estate career, which began when he was only 22 years old. 43 years later, JB Goodwin REALTORS® remains a leader in the Texas real estate industry, with a well respected brand that revolves around helping people. It's in this spirit that we redefined our brand to respect our past while embracing the fresh, modern company we have come to be.

Starting At Square 1

Square one. That's the best place to begin when you're buying real estate. The yellow square behind our new logo represents this same concept, optically encompassing

Last week, we shared 5 perks of buying a brand new home. But we only scraped the surface of reasons why people are choosing new houses over existing models. Without further ado, here are 5 more benefits of buying a brand new home!

5. Move-In Ready

Forget renovations or improvements—your new home is already in perfect condition! That means you're free to move in and enjoy it, without any muss, fuss or hassle.

4. Less Maintenance

Without any worn out systems, there is much less maintenance in a new home than in an existing one. You shouldn't have to worry about repairs to heating, plumbing, air or appliances for at least a few years. Even better, most roofs last at least 20 years. This means less hassle and a much smaller impact on your savings