pros & cons of buying a new construction home in texas

As you enter the central Texas real estate market, there are many types of homes to consider. It may be helpful to narrow your search by asking simple either/or style questions:

One or two story? House or duplex? Close to downtown or remote?

You also might ask: Should I buy a new construction home or one that’s been lived in before?

There are wonderful benefits to buying a new or used home in Central Texas. For today’s article, we’ll investigate the pros and cons of buying a new construction home. By default, this article will also tell you about some of the benefits of buying used homes as well.

We hope this is helpful as you enter the Texas real estate market.

Without further ado:

The Pros of Buying a New Construction Home

Many…

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Real estate investment in San Antonio can be a passive or active means to growing personal wealth. As housing costs appreciate, simply owning a home in the area is a great way to invest for the future.

But some people wish to be more involved in their investments. For those who love fast turn around, manual labor, and problem solving, house flipping is a popular and fulfilling form of real estate investment.

HGTV popularized the art of house flipping by portraying this DIY renovation business in a way that seems highly accessible. As a result, there’s been a surge of ambitious investors entering the market across the country. Competition to buy undervalued homes has increased, but there’s still opportunity for the careful, savvy investor to make…

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bathroom design trends 2018Designing a home that you love begins with the spark of new ideas.

The right redesign project can add new character to a room and even increase the resale value of your home. One of the most popular rooms to change in any home is the master bathroom.

The master bath tends to start out so basic and non-descript, or simply becomes outdated in older houses. It is the perfect room to revamp when you're ready for a new look. 

When it comes to redesigning your bathroom, there’s a lot you can do to make yours unique.

We asked two designers and two architects about the latest trends in bathroom design. Here’s what they had to say:

2018 Bathroom Design Trends

With interior design trends, there is the perennial question, baked into the very fabric…

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austin city skyline, new construction

A new building pierces the iconic Austin skyline. The Independent is a luxury residential complex under development in Central Austin. The building’s condo units vary from 1- 4 bedrooms and the finished building will offer weight rooms, swimming pools, and highrise play areas, among other residential amenities.

The 58-story, jagged-style building is among Austin’s tallest towers and is by far the city’s largest residential building. In fact, The Independent is one of several new buildings filling the skyline in downtown Austin. As our city continues to expand and more families call Austin their home, those who’ve been here for some time have the unique pleasure of watching Austin evolve right before our eyes.

If you live here, there’s a slim…

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What will change about buying and selling homes within the next year, two years, or five?

Predicting the future of any industry isn’t easy. Fortunately, real estate generally offers more accessible and reliable data than other industries to use when making forecasts. That means making reasonable predictions about the not-so-distant future isn’t a complete shot in the dark.

Consider the Austin, Texas market as an example. We know that the U.S. government tracks population growth through periodic censuses. This decade to decade population data shows that Austin’s population usually grows by more than 20% every decade, with the single exception being the 1920s (16.8% growth). Someone could use such data to reasonably predict that this trend will…

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Austin’s popularity seems to grow every day. Whether it’s our food, nature trails, career opportunities, or local music, Austin boasts a magnetism that’s impossible to deny.

In fact, U.S. News announced recently that Austin is the number 1 place to live in 2018!

Since over 62,000 new residents are expected to move to the city just in 2018, the rest of the country seems to agree with U.S. News’ conclusion.

As many might suspect, all our popularity puts Austin real estate in high--and growing--demand. Austin homes appreciated by 7.2% over the course of the last year.

If you’re in the market to invest in Austin real estate, here are some hot locations you might consider:

Central East Austin

Living in Central East Austin means calling…

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The process of buying your first home brings with it a handful of new terms and phrases to learn.

By researching or asking your Austin or San Antonio real estate agent what each new term means, you can set yourself up for success and achieve a more informed understanding of the home buying and selling process.

Among the many words you may soon encounter, “escrow” is one you’ll want to know. While the term is used across a handful of financial industries, this article will solely define escrow in relation to the real estate industry.

What Does Escrow Mean?

When a person refers to money (or something else of high value) as being “in escrow”, they mean that their value-item is being held by an unbiased third party to ensure a fair transaction…

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San Antonio is one of the most populous cities in the United States and home to some of the most luxurious houses and condos in Texas.

San Antonio contains some of Texas’ most famous attractions--the Botanical Gardens, Natural Bridge Caverns, Pearl District, Six Flags, the Alamo, and the Riverwalk, just to name a few.

The city is also home to world-class cuisine. Local restaurants and breweries are loved by residents and visitors alike.

It is home to some of the most popular golf courses and country clubs in Texas, including some that are even alongside affluent San Antonio luxury homes.

If you are in the market for luxurious San Antonio real estate, here are 5 neighborhoods worth your attention:

The Dominion

This master-planned…

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The JBGoodwin team perusing over the Austin real estate MLS statistics

January 2018 real estate statistics for Austin are in. It looks like Austin can expect continued real estate appreciation, despite a few dips in average home sale costs from the same month last year.

The average cost of sold homes in January dropped from $293,200 in 2017 to $289,500 this year. However, December 2017 sales were up 11% from the previous year, emphasizing the continued average growth of home values in the area.

Other highlights:

  • Inventory is up 3% from last January
  • Total units sold is up 9% from last year
  • Inventory is still down from 2010's supply highs

Want to learn more about the Austin real estate market? Get in touch with the JB Goodwin team today!

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You finally found the perfect Central Texas home.

The house checks all your boxes: it is the right style and size, has an entertaining kitchen, and even boasts an awesome master bedroom. To make things even better, your offer was accepted by the homeowner. Congratulations!

You’re one step closer to owning your first home.

The next step in your home buying journey is the home inspection. The job of a home inspector is to provide interested homebuyers an unbiased report about the utility and safety of the home they are preparing to purchase.

While a home inspection is not required, it is highly recommended. A home inspector gives you the chance to understand a property through the trained scrutiny of someone whose job it is to notice problems, risks, and…

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