Happy New Year friends and our wonderful clients!
I hope this newsletter finds you happy and healthy. 2020 has been a difficult and especially unique year for us humans on this earth. We go into 2021 more resilient than ever, overcoming challenges and welcoming new chapters of our life. My hope is for you reading this is to go into this year with intention. Creating value for your time— whether it be spending time with your family or working towards your career, health, and finance goals.
For those who are wondering, my name is Emily and I am currently the marketing intern for WIRE Austin. In the past, I have helped Isabel produce our team’s monthly newsletter for our team. Since Isabel is currently on pregnancy leave and busy preparing for baby Affinito, I will be taking care of the newsletter for the next couple of months.
WIRE Team
2020 has been a big year in terms of the growth of our team. This past September, we added team agent and listing specialist for HYPOINT, Cindy Garcia to the team, and in October, we had the pleasure of welcoming Karen Ponette to the team.
I feel incredibly grateful to be surrounded by dedicated, wise and caring women to work with. Each woman is unique in their own way and bring such positivity and support towards one another. Excited to see what the year 2021 will bring for our team!
New Year’s Home Maintenance Checklist
The beginning of a new year can be a great time to do some planning and practice maintenance around your home. Here are some useful real estate reminders:
1. Have you checked on your home value in a while?
If you’re interested, we are happy to pull some quick recent sales from your neighborhood to give you an idea of your current home value. Even if you have no plans to move any time soon, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the value of your assets. If you think that would be helpful, reply to this email and we’ll get something back to you within a few days.
2. Check on your mortgage
Do you have PMI?
- If you put less than 20% down on your loan, you are probably carrying PMI.
- If your property value has increased and you’ve had your loan for 2 years, you may be able to remove PMI early and save thousands of dollars.
Does it make sense to refinance?
- Mortgages rates are LOW right now.
- Refinancing may be an efficient way to remove PMI early.
3. Home Maintenance The end of the year is a good time to think about your home maintenance. If there is anything that you have been putting off that you should address. Common ones include:
- Checking your HVAC system
- Cleaning out any dryer lint buildup (in the main vents)
- Gutter cleaning
Check out this checklist on annual home maintenance: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/realestate/home-maintenance-checklist
4. Filing your homestead exemption
Property taxes are confusing and also boring, but we’ll do our best here to simplify the process and save you time. Homestead exemptions remove part of your home’s value from taxation which, depending on the value of your home, could potentially save you thousands each year.
This is for you if:
- You own a property in Texas that you live in as your primary residence AND bought this property in 2020
- OR you bought your property earlier than 2020, but have not yet declared it your homestead for tax purposes
The homestead exemption helps to keep taxes lower for homeowners, not only this year, but for all the years you continue to live in your home. It can make a BIG difference over the years and ultimately save you money. See our info video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-vufysFJRq/
When should you file? Between now and April 30th. How can you file? You can use the online exemption forms here for Travis county.
We’re here to help. Don’t be shy about reaching out with real estate questions regarding property taxes, values in your neighborhood, or really anything that pops up. Our business is all about relationships, and we aim to be a real estate resource for life for each of our clients.
Closings and Contracts
The end of 2020 was definitely a busy time for us. The holiday season definitely did not stop the Austin real estate market.
Congratulations to Rob and Renee, our seller who got their home under contract and is now pending after only three days on the market, with an offer over asking. In December, we were also able to celebrate Karen’s first listing under the WIRE team. It was a pleasure working with you, Rob, and Renee.
Congratulations to Paul and Kim who closed on their home with Morgan. We have navigated multiple offer situations and a competitive market for buyers and we’re excited to be at the finish line.
Hypoint Residences by Urban ATX
In October, we took HYPOINT residences live on MLS. We are now almost sold out of our fall phase!
Our sales showroom is now open by appointment. Come by the site and see for yourself why HYPOINT should be the next stunning residential community you live in. 🏗
6020 Springdale Rd
Austin, Texas 78723
You can check out more information here https://www.urban-atx.com/hypoint-cover. Inquire through the website, reply to this email, or email Cindy at cindy@spyglassrealty.com for more information or to book your showroom reservation.
Tuesday Market Updates
Every week, the WIRE Austin team releases a Tuesday Market Update, highlighting the current trends in Austin Real Estate, key statistics and a summarization of how the market is treating buyers and sellers. We release our episodes on our Facebook and Instagram pages as well as via email.
View the previous market updates here:
The WIRE Team thanks you for another great year. As always, we’re here to be your guide to all things real estate in Austin. Have a great a year!
