I get this question a lot every Fall.

A quick glance shows something near half as many homes sell as are active each month.  There is some variance.  May beats September, for example.  Ignore November as it only shows half a month of sales.  I ran this Nov 15th.  Look at December - about 2/3 ratio.
​Bottom line - there is never a bad month for real estate in the Austin area.

Thankfulness is powerful.  We even have a holiday about it.

It makes you happier to count your blessings.  Focus on the positive.  And happier, positive people tend to get more of what they want.

A business coach of mine repeated frequently, "The universe will not give you more until you take care of what you have."

Zig Ziglar thought of the word Gratitude as a contraction of Great + Attitude = Gratitude

Paul's letters in the bible repeat gratitude many times.  The idea isn't new.  I'll even suggest if one is searching for a meaning for their life, being thankful for what one has makes a great start.

Thanks for reading this!

​John  

Thanks to Lauren W for allowing me to share her beautiful image of Aspen, CO as this month's calendar!  Makes me want to go next Fall...
I hope you have a great month filled with thanks.  Gratitude is important.  There is a saying that God will not trust us with more until we have gratitude for what we already have.  (If you know the source, please post it in the comments.)  I think it is fitting to have a season of thanks as we approach the time of year that many of us set goals for the next year.
I am thankful for you!
​John

If you rent, can you also be a Landlord?
Yes, perhaps.
You might even find a great first tenant - yourself!
Most home buyers put off home ownership until they feel settled.  Job and family seem set for the long-term = ready to won.  In the meantime, they pay rent that in part goes toward their landlord's equity in a property.
What if you decide to be a rebel?  Buy a house and "rent" it from yourself?
If you have a roommate to share in the rent, that's OK.  If you decide to move somewhere else, that's OK.  You can even break your "lease" without fear.  Your landlord will understand!
It is more a mindset change than anything else.
You buy a property based on a few criteria:
   Will the rent be enough to make this investment make sense to me?
   Would I live here as a renter?  This is a bit lower standard than a typical home purchase.  It doesn't have to be "the one".  Just needs to be good enough for a year or two.
   Cost of maintenance is more important than emotions.
There are some real benefits around financing.  Because this is your home, you can qualify for lower down payments and better interest rates designed for owner-occupants.  That is what you will be - at least for a time.  You have a plan that when you eventually move out you'll convert it to rental use.  But for now it will be your primary residence.  Bet your CPA has some favorable ideas about this!
If you'd like to talk about getting "in" on the real estate market before you fit the image of a typical homeowner - give me a call!  Email or texts are fine, too.
​John

Brian and Missy decided it was time to get the truck out of town!  He delivers farm equipment all over the country.  Once in a while he would be nearly home and about to hit his daily driving limit.  With the choice of getting home or having to stop a few miles short of the office, he'd choose home.  The HOA didn't like it.  Then he found a home on acreage in Iowa near family.  And no HOA.  They had updated their home with the intent of staying - which made my job easier.  Just make sure every potential buyer out there had no way of missing how gorgeous the house looks in person.  The weather didn’t cooperate - rainy weekends and most weekdays.  Still, we had it under contract in just 9 days

This month's image was taken on a walk with my daughter Johanna near Marble Falls.
Weeks, months, and years fly by.  I hope you have a chance to make some memories this month!
Who knows, if we ever get a cold front, we might even see some leaves change color this year?
Have a great month!
John

Wow! September already!
I think I say that nearly every month these days.  It just shocks me how quickly month passes.
This image is a fun look at Lake Austin from a private dock. One of the prettiest views in Austin - and I bet the folks on the boat like their view, too.
Hope you have a great Labor Day weekend and get out on the lake or to a park or anywhere outside.  Enjoy the "end" of summer!  In a couple of months these triple digit temps will be gone for a while.
John

A bit of water in the desert seems appropriate for August 2018...
I'm hoping this encourages a little rainfall.  The scene is near the start of the West Fork hike, a few miles north of Sedona, AZ.  The sunlight was a bit too harsh for the best image when we were here - which somehow makes it the perfect image for August, right?
Feel free to download a copy for a screensaver.
Have a great month!
​John

One of the many Arches in Arches National Park, taken by my lovely wife Kimberly.  Arches is named for the many... OK, that was just going to be such a bad joke
It's a great month to get out and see a part of this wonderful country that you might not have visited before.  Hope you have a great month!
​John