The Gibbs Team

512-431-2403

The Gibbs Team

By

296 Limestone Trail • MLS #3231288

_30A8063_4_5_6_7_fused
296 Limestone Trail (MLS #3231288) – a charming, two-story home in Village at Ledge Stone right past Nutty Brown on Hwy 71 towards Dripping Springs – sits on a greenbelt lot in a private gated, kid friendly community.

This area is known for its incredible Dripping Springs schools! The community is a very sought after, tight knit community where neighbors are more like family. Enjoy many community amenities to include your own club house, community pool, play ground, jogging trails, and much more! It is just far enough out to beat the city traffic and to also see all the stars at night! You will love the twilight glimpses of white tail deer and being in the serene hill country just minutes from downtown Austin. There are also tons of restaurants, shops, and entertainment nearby.

Offered at just $300,000, this fo_30A7923_4_5_6_7_fusedur bedroom and three bathroom home is quite the find and priced to sell quick! Interesting enough, 296 Limestone Trail has an Austin address but is in highly acclaimed Hays County. Those looking in this area will love that the home and neighborhood features natural gas, which is much cheaper than propane in many of the surrounding communities like Belterra!

Built in 2007, tax records show a square footage of 2205. 296 Limestone Trail is light, bright, and has an open concept floor plan with a lovely covered patio that looks out to stunning hill country/ greenbelt views. Covered with a composition shingle roof, this home contains a variety of exquisite characteristics that you will be delighted to discover.

For example, the formal dining room when you first enter the main level foyer leads to a sizable chef’s eat-in kitchen featuring stainless appliances, a custom stone wall over a gas top stove with an attached breakfast area and breakfast bar. 296 Limestone Trail boasts Corian-type countertops, a self-cleaning oven, recessed lighting and has lots of room to grow, lounge or entertain guests._30A7713_4_5_6_7_fused

Throughout the home you will find inviting colors, fancy fixtures and well kept flooring to include tile, carpet and floating wood tile. The kitchen opens to the family living area with recessed lighting and lots of windows for a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. Also downstairs is one of the three secondary bedrooms and bathroom.

The master and other two secondary bedrooms are located upstairs along with an office nook perfect for working from home. The two extra bedrooms upstairs are spacious and connected by a large Jack-and-Jill type bathroom.

The master bedroom is suited for a king-sized bed, along with several more large pieces of furniture and the bathroom is absolutely magnificent! Featuring a large walk-in shower and garden tub, the master bathroom contains his and her vanities and a dressing area._30A8073_4_5_6_7_fused

Built by award winning Lennar Home Builders, other features include a smoke detector, window treatments, gas dryer connection and gas water heater. You will fall in love with this cozy and comfortable home. It is move-in ready and will not last long! Easy to show! Come check it out!

If you are interested in 296 Limestone Trail or buying/selling real estate in the Austin or surrounding areas, please contact Mary Lynne Gibbs at 512.431.2403 or austinluxurybroker@gmail.com. It would be an honor to earn your business!

By

Texans for Prop 1: The Homeowner Tax Relief Proposition

Prop 1

As a Texas REALTOR®, I want to tell you about an important measure on the ballot this November—it’s called Proposition 1 and it will directly benefit you as a Texas homeowner.

First, let’s look at the official language:

Proposition 1

“The constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes from $15,000 to $25,000, providing for a reduction of the limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for those purposes on the homestead of an elderly or disabled person to reflect the increased exemption amount, authorizing the legislature to prohibit subdivision that has adopted an optional residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation from reducing the amount of or repealing the exemption, and prohibiting the enactment of a law that imposes a transfer tax on a transaction that conveys fee simple title to real property”

I understand how this language might be scary and confusing, but here’s the breakdown of what this proposed amendment actually does.

1)     Lowers property taxes by increasing the state-mandated homestead exemption, which saves you money … every year

2)     Provides tax relief to seniors and disabled Texans by extending the full benefit of the new homestead exemption, which protects some of our most vulnerable homeowners

3)     Prevents local governments from “undoing” the property tax relief the state is offering, which ensures you keep more of your hard-earned money

4)     Prohibits state and local governments from slapping a sales tax on real estate transactions in Texas, which stops a tax that burdens consumers in 36 other states!

And … despite what you may have heard, Prop 1 does all this without harming our local school districts.

I hope you’ll head to the polls and Vote For Proposition 1—the Homeowner Tax Relief Proposition.

Election Day is November 3 and early voting runs from Oct. 19-30.

Dates to remember

Please let me know if you have any questions …

Please visit TexansForProp1.com for more information!

By

Your Guide to Central Texas Roofing

how-to-choose-roofing-material

As many veteran homeowners know, it’s important to keep the roof of your home in good condition. A leaking or damaged roof can lead to costly and potentially devastating problems—from structural damage to pervasive mold—but a carefully selected roof can also be an essential part of your house’s curb appeal, since it is one of the most visible external features. Choosing the right roofing material is very important.The material should be matched to your overall house design as well as the state of weather at your residence. 

In this article, we’ll go over different types of roofing material and you can decide which one works best with your roof.

The most common types of roofing material are:

  • Asphalt shingles
  • Wood shingles and shakes
  • Clay tile
  • Slate tile
  • Metal

Now we’ll go over each type and see what the pros and cons are as well as give you a rough cost estimate.

Asphalt shingles – These are probably the most popular with about ¾ of the homes in the US using them. Why? They’re low cost, easy to install and resilient. Standard asphalt shingles come in a variety of colors, longevity options and price points. They can be used on just about any architectural style. However, there are cons to this type of roofing too. They provide low insulation and have a shorter life span than most other roofing products – about 15 to 30 years. They are also made from petroleum products and are not recyclable. They have the worst environmental record of any other type of roofing.

Cost – $50 – $150 per square. (100 square feet = 1 square).

asphalt

 

Wood shingles and shakes – Used most commonly in the Northeast, wooden shakes and shingles are among the best for the climate in that area. They are natural products that help the home blend into the environment and are very simple to replace if damaged. Cons are that they are not very fire-resistant; they are high maintenance and tend to rot, split and get mold.  The roof will last 30 to 50 years with some maintenance, however and the material is best for ranches, cottage houses, bungalows, historic and contemporary houses.

Cost – $100 – $150 per square.

wood

 

Clay tiles – They are non-combustible and very durable. They can come in lighter colors and stick to the cool roof standards, saving you energy. It is said that they can reflect 50% of the sun’s solar energy. They are elegant and enduring. They are very versatile and come in so many colors and shapes that they don’t even look like tiles at all. Unfortunately, they’re very heavy and require additional roof framing, which can add to your project costs. Clay tiles are among the most environmentally friendly whereas concrete can be made from a sustainable mixture.  They look great on Mediterranean, European, and Mission and contemporary and ranch homes.

Cost – $300 – $600 per square.

clay tile

 

Slate tiles – These tiles have a beautiful and distinctive appearance. A slate roof will last for about a hundred years, maybe more. It is easy to repair and recycle. It’s an excellent sustainable roofing choice. Unfortunately slate is very heavy. It’s also usually a dark color so it’s not recommended for high-heat locations like Central Texas. Slate roofs look best on Colonial and French style homes.

Cost: $550 – $1,000 per square.

slate

 

 

Metal –  Metal roofing is becoming more popular around the country. It’s pretty inexpensive, durable and easy to install. Metal roofing is usually made of aluminum or tin but can be made of steel or copper. The type of metal determines the cost. You can get your metal roofing pre-engineered to the size of your house so it will fit in one piece or you can use metal shingles. Properly maintained, metal roofs last at least 50 years. They are very green because they are energy efficient and environmentally friendly. They often have a high percentage of recycled content.  Metal roofing looks great on bungalows, ranches and contemporary or cottage homes.

Cost – $100 – $600 per square depending upon the material.

metal

 

There you have it, some of the more common roofing types and their pros and cons as well as their basic cost. Now that you know more about these roofing materials, perhaps you’ll be able to make an educated decision when it comes time to upgrade your roof.

By

July 2015 Austin Real Estate Review

Jul15_1

Austin-area home sales hit all-time high, inventory levels rising in July 2015
Austin Board of REALTORS® releases real estate statistics for July 2015

 

AUSTIN, Texas – August 20, 2015 – According to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) report released today by the Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR), Austin-area home sales hit an all-time high, increasing 12 percent year-over-year to 3,149 sales for the month of July.

Barb Cooper, 2015 President of the Austin Board of REALTORS¬®, explained, “We’re in the midst of one of the most active summer selling seasons to-date, with more single-family home sales than ever before. Home prices remain high, but inventory levels have increased steadily throughout 2015, perhaps taking a step toward a more balanced housing market.”

According to the report, the median price for Austin-area single-family homes increased eight percent year-over-year to $269,500 in July 2015, while average price increased six percent to $338,452 during the same time frame.

In July 2015, less than 30 percent of single-family homes sold in Central Texas were priced below $200,000, outside of an affordable range for many Austin-area homebuyers. The majority of pending sales and active listings fall outside of Austin’s city limits in surrounding areas like Cedar Park, Leander, Hays County, Round Rock and Pflugerville, showing that Central Texas residents are continuing to prioritize affordability.

Once again, total dollar volume topped $1 billion, reaching $1,065,785,348 and increasing 19 percent compared to July 2014.

New listings increased nine percent to 4,133 listings and active listings increased by five percent year-over-year to 7,174 listings, driving inventory levels up to three months for the first time since July 2014. However, Austin-area housing inventory is still well below the 6.5 month level, which the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University cites as a balanced market.

Pending sales rose eight percent year-over-year to 2,873 listings and homes remained on the market for an average of 41 days, or two days more than July 2014.

Cooper concluded, “Mayor Adler recently called for 100,000 new housing units to be built by 2025 as a first step to untangling the city of Austin’s complicated permit review process and alleviating affordability issues in Austin. The Austin Board of REALTORS® sees this initiative as progress toward a more sustainable Central Texas housing market and will continue to work with city leaders to make Austin an affordable place to call home for all residents.”

 

July 2015 Statistics
3,149 – Single-family homes sold, 12 percent more than July 2014.

$269,500 – Median price for single-family homes, eight percent more than July 2014.

$338,452 – Average price for single-family homes, six percent more than July 2014.

41 – Average number of days single-family homes spent on the market, two days more than July 2014.

4,133 – New single-family home listings on the market, nine percent more than July 2014.

7,174 – Active single-family home listings on the market, five percent more than July 2014.

2,873 – Pending sales for single-family homes, eight percent more than July 2014.

3.0 – Months of inventory* of single-family homes, unchanged compared to July 2014.

$1,065,785,348 – Total dollar volume of single-family properties sold, 19 percent more than July 2014.

 

The following sections describe trends in other sectors of the Austin-area real estate market.

Townhouses & Condominiums
The volume of townhouses and condominiums (condos) purchased in the Austin area in July 2015 was 317, a four percent decrease from July 2014. The median price for condos was $224,850, which is 10 percent more than the same month of the prior year. When compared to July 2014, these properties spent 42 days on market, or five more days than July 2014.

Leasing
In July 2015, a total of 2,187 properties were leased in Austin, which is nine percent more than July 2014. The median price for Austin-area home leases was $1,550, three percent higher than in July 2014.

 

The Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR) builds connections through the use of technology, education and advocacy to strengthen the careers of its 11,000 members and improve the lives of Central Texas families. We empower Austin REALTORS® to connect their clients to the region’s most complete, accurate and up-to-date listings data. For more, contact the ABoR Department of Public Affairs at
marketing@abor.com or 512-454-7636. For the latest local housing market listings, visit AustinHomeSearch.com.

* The inventory of homes for a market can be measured in months, which is defined as the number of active listings divided by the average sales per month of the prior 12 months. The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University cites that 6.5 months of inventory represents a market in which supply and demand for homes is balanced.

Source: Austin Board of Realtors®

By

Why Real Estate Websites Give Bad Information

download

 

TEXAS IS A NON-DISCLOSURE STATE

Online property search websites offer a really convenient way for you to search for properties and gather some valuable information; like number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, and price. But these online tools don’t always offer the best information and shouldn’t be counted on for the most reliable data.

Sites like Trulia.com and Zillow.com claim to offer site visitors instant property value information with the click of a mouse. What’s missing on all these sites is the human element. As convenient as it might be to point and click your way to a home valuation, it takes a real estate professional with the experience and knowledge of the area and market, to give a truly accurate market valuation on a property – especially in a market like Austin or Lakeway.

For example, below are three different properties sold and listed on Zillow and Trulia. Note the difference in price and then compare them to the approximate price derived from the actual MLS listing. (Texas is a non-disclosure state so we, as agents, are not able to publish the actual sell price.). When they compute their automated property valuations, they are pulling data from local taxing authorities, who are also in the dark about home selling prices. This typically results in under-valuation by tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of dollars.

Lake Travis home
Zillow – $830K
Trulia – $792K
MLS ~ $729K

Lakeway home
Zillow – $250K
Trulia – $144K
MLS ~ $240K

For whatever reason, Trulia is off on all three listings. Zillow estimates are more in line, however is only closely “accurate” with one of the three. These are national portals…

So while online search websites are fun and interesting to browse, remember that you’re going to want to call a pro to help you buy or sell at the right price.

Meanwhile, my mobile app is perhaps the best available for searching for properties near you. Text “kwgk09dt” to 87778!