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!

Congratulations! You've found the perfect property in Austin, it's all financed and you're ready to build your dream home. This is an exciting time for you and you'll want to make sure all of your bases are covered before starting such a large project. Where should you even begin with building your own home? Read this step-by-step guide for everything you need to know about building a house.

1. Choosing A Builder

A key piece of advice when choosing a builder is to shop around. This is as important as choosing a property for your home. For a list of well-respected builders, take a look at our Austin Builders Directory or San Antonio Builders Directory. Ask important questions, such as whether the company a member of the Home Builders Association

On the hunt for FHA approved condos in Austin? You'll find all of them below! There are currently 51 FHA approved condos in Austin, many of which are move-in ready. With one of these approved residences and an FHA loan, home ownership home is within reach for almost anyone, and we're here to help make your dream a reality.

Current Condos With FHA Approval

As of November 5, the following condos have FHA approval in Austin.

• Morrow Street Condo
• Congress Condos
• At The Loop Condos
• Allendale Condos
• Ashdale Gardens Condos
• Avery Ranch West Condos
• Balconers Towers
• The Boulevard
• Brodie Heights Condos
• Cinnamon Hollow
• Cody Court Condos
• Colina Vista Condos
• Colonial Place Condos
• Creekside Terrace Condos
• Dry Creek

The "tiny home" concept just got a whole lot tinier.

It's becoming more and more difficult to find affordable housing within urban areas of major cities, and Austin, TX is no exception.

Millennials and many young professionals prefer to live in walkable neighbourhoods close to where they work. Unfortunately, real estate in these areas is often not within budget, or there's simply no real estate to be found as space is becoming increasingly limited.

We'd like to introduce you to an Austin company that's trying to solve that problem by taking the "tiny home" concept to a whole other level.

Professor Dumpster

You may not have heard of Dr. Jeff Wilson, or the company he recently founded, Kasita, but maybe "Professor Dumpster" rings a bell.

Don't let the rumors fool you—there is plenty of budget-friendly real estate in Austin. The trick is knowing where to look to find that perfect balance between a great price point and a phenomenal quality of life. And since we're always looking out for you, we're happy to share these 3 affordable Austin neighborhoods, which just happen to be awesome too.

3. Austins Colony

For those who crave newer designs without the lofty price tag, Austins Colony is the perfect compromise. Surrounded by acreage land and parks, the majority of homes in this neighborhood boast at least 3 bedrooms and tend to be priced below $180,000.

View all Austins Colony real estate here.

2. Westgate Grove

These affordable homes for sale, located in coveted South

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

Millennials sometimes have it tough—for many members of the generation, social milestones and certain rites of passage into adulthood (e.g. breaking into and building careers, buying real estate, starting families, etc.) have been "delayed" when compared to the overall timeline for members of previous generations, like the Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers before them. Luckily for millennials, there's a little place called Austin, TX.

For the past few years, Money (owned by TIME magazine) has been publishing an annual list of "Best Places to Live" in America. This year, they also published a smaller list ranking the five "Best Cities for Millennials", based on projected job growth and ease of living—and guess who came out #1?

It's no question that Austin is

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

It’s not a pleasant topic, but every home will experience mold at one point or another and if gone untreated, it could snowball into a much larger problem down the road. While a little bit of mold might be easier to ignore than to deal with, it can lead to health problems for you and your home. Here are a few quick tips and solutions for removing mold from common places that could save you time and money down the road. 

Where Does Mold Come From?

The short answer? It’s everywhere. There’s good mold and bad mold, but unless it's blue cheese, the type that occurs in your home isn’t good mold. It can appear as tiny black spots or grow into larger clusters. Mold will thrive in an environment with sufficient moisture and warm temperatures, which is why