Hello my name is Mark Freatman and I want your business. Plain and simply, I'm a businessman and I understand the business of real estate; as a buyer and a seller. I've been a professional real estate agent for 8 years and have concentrated my efforts in the industry to help first and second time home buyers and listings as well. I consider myself to be a full rounded REALTOR and have the experience to help your family.

I have been married for 17 years to my bride Lisa and have 2 beautiful girls Madison and Avery. I live in Round Rock; a small burb just north of Austin. Give me a call

I am an Austin expert. I've lived in Austin for 24 years and have seen the growth and opportunities relating to real estate. Austin is a great city to invest in and I believe it will weather this down turn far better than other cities around the country. I specialize in buyers, sellers, property investments and relocation's. Give me a call...you won't regret it.

Home Prices & Foreclosures Up, Sales Down

original image courtesy of allyaubry

Mixed News

We’ve been watching the median price of the Austin real estate market continue to climb while other parts of the nation experience sharp declines. According to data from the National Association of Realtors, the median price for Austin are homes has increased 4.1% to $194,2000 over the last 12 months.

This news comes on the eve of the Austin Board of Realtors’ data revealing that home sales in the Austin market are down 20% while the number of listings has risen. Foreclosure Listings Inc. shows that Travis County foreclosures increased 45% in the last year while Williamson County experienced a 34% increase.

The Austin real estate market is in a good news / bad news scenario but the people in the best position are those who are ready to sell but aren’t in a rush- there’s competition on the market but the median price increase indicates that sellers are getting more for their homes proving patience to be the advantage. Also, buyers benefit in this market because there is no shortage of choices between foreclosures, short sales, resale and new homes.

Austin Rent Homes- Most Exotic Leases

Austin, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Pflugerville real estate

By clicking “Advanced Search” at the bottom I selected Residential Lease properties and found the following available homes for rent in Austin that are really exotic:

Barton Creek Beauty

For only $16,000 per month, you may live in this 5 bedroom, 5 and a half bathroom, 8,700sf home built this year. Everyone needs a six car “motor court,” an elevator, separate wings for the master suite and guests set on four acres.

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West Rim Views

78746 is a popular zip code and for $14,000 monthly, you may live in the Summit at West Rim on Mount Larson and enjoy skyline views, a pool and spa, wine room, four fireplaces and a wetbar, how cool is that? This 5 bedroom 5 and a half bathroom, 7,764sf home was just built in 2007!

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Lake Austin Living

Just one block from the Lake Austin Marina in Westlake, this Austin rental home has over 1500sf of porches, a wine cellar, koi pond, fire pit and the 4 bed/4bath spreads over 3686sf and rents for $12,000 per month.

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Mediterranean Style Rental

Who says rent homes in Austin have to be small? This home is 6762sf and sits on a full acre! It features 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, an enclosed courtyard, a theater-style media room, pool, four car garage and rents for $11,950 in the Seven Oaks subdivision in the 78733 zip code.

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Austin Condo Penthouse

For $10,950 you can rent a two story penthouse in the Monarch Condos downtown on 5th Street. Built in 2008, this high rise has amazing views and the 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms spread over 2985sf.

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Find Your Own Exotic Rental

Take some time playing around with move the levers up and down to find larger, smaller, more expensive, less expensive, northern, southern or central homes for rent in Austin, it’s muy fun!

What is a Home Inspection?

What is a Home Inspection?

A home inspection is a complete, top-to-bottom, visual check-up of the structure and systems of a house. It is meant to be an objective determination of a home’s condition.

A home inspection usually takes 3-6 hours to complete, depending on the size of the home.

During the inspection process, the inspector will examine all of the following components of a home:

• Home exterior including doors, decks, and vegetation
• Heating and cooling systems for leaks and efficiency
• Electrical systems for safety and soundness of design
• Plumbing systems for venting, distribution, and drainage

In addition, the inspector will review the roofing system, the home’s interior, and several other parts of the property.

A home inspection may be ordered by a home owner or by a home buyer.

Why Get an Inspection?

For a home owner, an inspection can detail a home’s shortcomings and provide a roadmap for repairs. This can help a person prepare his home for sale because “major issues” can be addressed in advance of listing.

For a home buyer, a home inspection physically reviews a home under contract, identifying structural flaws that may impact the home’s desirability. This is essential for the negotiation process because no home is “perfect” – even new ones!

A home inspection highlights potential long-term trouble spots and the likelihood for expensive home repairs. This is why real estate professionals often recommend inspecting a home immediately after signing a purchase contract.

Source: American Society of Home Inspectors Frequently Asked Questions on Home Inspections

Austin Owner Finance

Don’t Waste Money on Rent to Own, Lease to Own or Lease Purchase. Owner Financing is the Way to Go!

If you can afford a 5% to 10% down payment and the monthly payments, you could easily qualify for our exciting Owner Financed home purchase program! Everyone is credit challenged in the eyes of the bank these days. But, don't worry! We've helped families own a home even when they are:

* self employed
* filed a recent bankruptcy
* in active foreclosure
* or just started a new job with no income history

With our streamlined buying process, you can usually be in your Owner Financed home within two weeks - even sooner if you need to move quickly!

These are just some of the benefits you receive when you work with our company.

* 100% of your down payment goes towards the purchase price.
* You walk out of closing with the keys, the deed and a mortgage.
* You receive plenty of time to refinance. No short term balloons!

* You walk out of closing with a team dedicated to helping you improve your credit!

Many folks in the Austin area are confused about the difference between the terms rent to own and owner financing. The terms are not created equal.

Many people believe that if you rent to own in Austin for a while you own the home shortly after that. This could not be further from the truth.

Rent to own would better be described as leasing a property with the option to buy it at a later date. That’s why sometimes you’ll also see “lease to own texas” or “ texas lease purchase”. All of them mean the same thing. You are renting during the lease period but you can exercise your right to buy it at anytime before your lease expires. “Supposedly” the seller is obligated to sell the property to you if you choose to exercise your right to buy before the lease expires. “Supposedly” the seller cannot sell the property to anyone else during your lease period. However, I am contacted constantly from people who did rent to own in Austin or some other city here in Texas and were contacted by the owner (remember you’re not the real owner when you rent to own) who told them “I’ve decided to sell it to someone else”. The only option they are left with is finding a good attorney.

Owner financing (the way we structure it) here in the Austin area, means you become the real owner on the day you get your keys. Your name goes on title immediately. If the value goes up, no one can sell it out from underneath you. Now one of the title ladies I work with eloquently said “if you don’t pay, you don’t stay” but that is true of any mortgage. Because you’re the real owner (not a lease with option to buy, glorified tenant), you get all the interest deductions and property tax write offs as well.

So don’t settle for rent to own, lease purchase, lease option or whatever they want to call it. Ask a simple question “do I get the deed the day I get my keys”. If they say no, I say walk away, keep saving and buy a real owner financed home!

www.austintexaslistings.com