Austin, Texas has one of the best real estate markets in the nation. The strong job market, natural outdoor beauty, and laid-back lifestyle entice renters and homeowners to flock to the Lone Star State. What makes Austin the best place to buy investment properties? Why should investors buy rental properties in Austin? We'll be answering your questions on why you should invest in the Austin housing market and the top 5 next best places to invest in Austin.

 

Why Should You Invest in the Austin Housing Market?

The Austin economy continues to be based strongly on technology and high learning. It earned the nickname of Silicon Hills due to the number of tech companies from Silicon Valley building their campuses in the area as well as the growing

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It can be easy to have things in your pantry to become out-of-sight. Unnecessary clutter, half-filled containers, and plastic bags could take up space within your pantry that could have been cleaned or could be used for extra space within your pantry.
Having a designated spot to store your baking ingredients, spices, canned goods, and snacks are important which makes it easier to get what you need for packing school lunches and cooking at home. Here are 6 things that could help clear the clutter out of your kitchen pantry.

1. Bins and Baskets

These are some of the essentials when it comes to organizing your pantry. Use slim bins to save up some space allowing you to add more items onto the shelves. It’s a plus if you have matching slim bins that will

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By Jay Betts

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When it comes to Austin real estate, it pays to be pretty on the outside. Homes with good curb appeal leave guests and passersby with a positive impression. Houses that look good from the road also fetch higher prices and sell faster. Throwing money at any project can get you results. But savvy homeowners who play their cards right can give their curb appeal a big boost without breaking the bank. Here are seven budget-friendly ideas to boost your property’s curb appeal.

1. Accents Are Everything

Adding a new color to trim or shutters doesn’t require much paint. This makes it budget-friendly and time-friendly, too. Whether you opt for Classic Blue or burnt orange, buy the highest quality paint your budget allows.

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With social distancing, stay at home orders, and restrictions in Austin, celebrating mother’s day surely be different this year. A vast majority of restaurants and event recreation areas are closed for safety reasons, However, there are still plenty of things to do to celebrate mother’s day at home. Some restaurants in Austin will also be open during the said date where you can get your favorites by pickup and delivery. Here are some ways to spend Mother’s Day in Austin during the quarantine.

 

1. Write a thoughtful letter

Express your love and gratitude to your mom with a Happy Mother’s Day or thank you card. Write a special letter to your mother and give it to her this Sunday. Bonus points if your card is DIY-ed/designed by you.

 

2.

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Quarantine: Not Ideal, but Not All Bad

Well, April has been a month to remember, hasn't it? I saw something online recently that said "2020 sounded like the most futuristic year and now we’re all like 'I traded my neighbor a handkerchief for some carrots' "

That pretty much sums it up. I had big plans for 2020. I was going to get three businesses up and running, take a big trip to the British Virgin Islands with my family, and launch a whole new, perfectly planned decade. But it was not to be.

My big plans these days are:

• Keep one business alive
• Pay my team members
• Watch the sunset
• Order enough groceries to last a week
• Keep a sourdough starter alive (her name is Rona)
• Don't throw away any food unless absolutely necessary

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A short sale is when a homeowner sells their property for less than the amount owed on the mortgage for where the lender is willing to accept less than the amount that is owed on the mortgage.

Let's say you're in a situation where you recently bought a home for $300,000 and you placed a 20% down payment. The other 80% is from your lender and you pay it off monthly including the interest. But what if something unfortunate happens such as losing your job, or your partner losing your job, or you're having difficulty paying it?

This is where you can ideally make use of a short sale where you can thoroughly vet the options and avoid having a foreclosure.

 

How does a Short Sale work?

Here are the steps on the process of a Short Sale in Austin:

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Today in Austin real estate: It's neither really good nor really bad. It's complicated. 

I expect April to close at about 500 sales, about half of what we'd expect without COVID. As of today, April 21st, we've had 425 closings in Austin for single-family homes. So we may end just a bit higher than 500 in closed sales for single-family homes in Austin.

I got curious today about how those sales are spread across different price ranges. Are homes under $500,000 selling, but over $500,000 not so much? Does the price range matter?

It does not seem that price range particularly matters right now, surprisingly. Homes are still selling from $200,000 up to over $3,000,000 in roughly the same proportions as we saw in April of 2019.

BUT, proportions

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By now, the novel COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on public health and the nation's economy. However, the largest cities in Texas — including Austin — are among the areas least likely to see the pandemic shake-out of a major housing market.

The main lesson is that Austin and Texas economically turned quicker than the rest of the country after the last crisis. Why? Because we did not have the amount of speculation or financial leverage that so many markets had. Travis County ranks 457 out of the 483 housing markets surveyed in vulnerability, meaning it is one of the 30 markets expected to be least vulnerable to effects from the coronavirus pandemic (Source: ATTOM Data Solutions). 

Presently, the Austin economy continues to be based

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