Georgetown, Texas Real Estate Blog      Your Host: Edward Lui

Cute exterior is only the beginning to this gorgeous property.

Twenty minutes from Leander, 25 minutes from Georgetown, five beautiful acres, and hundreds of oak trees.  You would think those were the most important numbers on a private property like this one, but $189,900 is probably even more eye-popping.  This recently renovated ~1,500 sf home sits on 5+ acres guarded with fantastic privacy from the road and neighbors, a huge garden great for preppers, a newly installed septic system, and enough outdoor storage for a hoarders contest – one workshop and two metal storage units.

Ideally renovated.

The view is something to be seen, not discussed.

Other information that could prove helpful when submitting an offer:

1181 Live Oak Trail – Sellers Disclosure
1181 Live Oak Trail – Survey

Buying a home is tricky business.  You want to buy a home you love, but you don’t want the other party to know it, otherwise you give up negotiation leverage.  On the other hand, sometimes if a seller knows you really love it and appreciate the property, they may feel a “connection” with you and want to sell it to you even if it’s not the highest offer.  Recently, I chose the second option and here’s my story:

My family and I decided to move back to Northern Virginia and we finally saw a home we liked.  We liked it enough to put an offer on it without even seeing it.  It had the land we were looking for, it was “off the grid” for water, and was fairly close to the school that our kids will be attending in Centreville, VA.  Check out the home by clicking here.

After my wife and I talked about it, we decided it was probably a 7 out of 10 on the scale of how much we liked it.  In order to get to a 10, it would have needed a pre-existing fruit orchard, be about 5 minutes closer to the school, and have a more updated and “normal” floorplan.  The home was over 100 years old and it wasn’t the “perfect” home, but we loved the property, the pond, the creek…..ok, I better stop now before I get sad again.

There were two other offers besides ours and I knew I didn’t want to offer full price.  My offer was probably the lowest, but I explained to the listing agent our reasons for moving back to Northern Virginia and our dream for owning a farm and raising our kids in that type of lifestyle.  At the end of the day, it didn’t work out, and they probably ended up going for the highest offer in financial terms. But boy did they miss out on a chance to get free fruit from Lui Fruit Farms!

Autumn and I decided that rather then blame our real estate agent (me) for not getting the property we really wanted, that maybe God has a plan “B” for us.  So now we’re looking at buying a townhome that is closer to the school in Centreville and then turning it into a rental property after a year, and taking our time to identify some raw land to build our farm on.  So, if you know of an investor looking to buy a property under $300,000 within 10 miles of Centerville, Virginia, I know how every neighborhood stacks up!

So if you’re going to be making an offer with me in Virginia, or with Edwin in Texas, we’ll fight our hardest to help you with plan A…..but make sure you come ready with a plan B.

~ Your Favorite HOMEboy, Edward

What's more appealing - this street view or the price?

Welcome to Paradise…Ridge.  Located in the wonderful Sonoma neighborhood, 2311 Paradise Ridge is a great home with many bedrooms, a fantastic game room, and a huge back yard that extends the outdoor living of the covered patio.  Well-cared for and well-maintained, this 2,831 sf home is move-in ready and comes in at just under $230,000, making it a steal for someone willing to live without top-notch upgrades.  If you like picking out your own appliances, granite counters, and wood floors, you will still end up spending less money than the competition.

Solid home can be easily upgraded with less cost.

The first floor is open and laid out great with the formal dining room connected to the kitchen and the kitchen overlooking the breakfast area and living room.  Hard tile makes clean up simple and you’ll never have to worry about replacing it.

Sink placement is usually an afterthought. Not here.

This home contains a true bedroom for masters.  It could fit a king-size bed, two night stands, two dressers, a tv unit,  and still have more than enough space by the bay window for a super cozy reading nook.  Although technically a four bedroom house, the bottom floor is best served as an office due to the absence of a full bathroom downstairs.  The second and third bedrooms share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom and have their own walk-in closets.  The game room can be used for anything from a pool hall, exercise room, home theater, or its current purpose, a driving range!  There’s even a separate flex area that could be perfect for a craft area, homework station, or video games.

This can fit all your master bedroom furniture comfortably.

For more information or to schedule a showing, email me.

1411 Choquette is as classic as they come.  Built in 1955, this home has had only one owner in its 58 years of existence.  As a testament to the quality of its build and integrity in the ’50s, the home still looks like it was intended by the original builder.  There may not be many upgrades and it may not be a big home, but it does have 1950′s charm with enormous potential and it’s also located in one of the most sought-after areas in Austin – Bellaire.

Like wine, this home has perfected with age.

Location, location, location.  1411 Choquette is centrally located in North Austin.  It’s close to a great elementary school, the Crestview Cap Metro station, and any highway you want to commute on.  Hop in the car for less than 10 minutes and you can be shopping and dining at the Domain or the Arboretum.  In 15 minutes, you can be downtown for a concert, at Town Lake enjoying the view, or at Barton Springs basking in the sun.

Original wood floors will keep you smiling.  Not only have they been restored to its original beauty, but it’s one less thing you need to worry about when renovating this home.  And if it’s already lasted for 50+ years, there’s no need to worry about its durability.  The home is 1,060 sf with one full bathroom and modest kitchen, but it does boast three large bedrooms, two very mature pecan trees out front, and an extra wide driveway.  This is a perfect example when size does not matter!

Original hardwood shows off beauty and character.

1411 Choquette – Sellers Disclosure

Updated:  3/3/2013

I purchased a Toyota Prius last year when my beloved Bimmer was rear-ended.  The thing I love about my Prius is that the operating costs of the car would cut our monthly gasoline bill almost in half!  It was probably one of the most gas-efficient vehicles on the market at the time.

Well, around five years ago I bought my current home for pretty much the same reasons.  I figured that if I could save $100 – $150/month on utility bills, that could translate to $30,000 more that I could spend on a home!  For example, if you got a loan today for $30,000 at 3.75% over 30 years, your payments would be around $139/mo.  I even did a comparison on my previous home that was single-story and 40% smaller.  You can read about it here.

125 Village Park Drive - 2843 SF of Energy-saving, park-facing, Craftsman-style construction

For 2012, our average monthly utilities cost us $185.36. This includes gas, electricity, water and sewer/trash.  Not bad for a family of 5 and approximately 2843 sf of living space.  Especially considering I’m always telling my three kids to stop leaving the lights on upstairs!

Ofcourse, like the car guys say…..”your mileage may vary.”  You can view 2012 utility bills here:

Atmos 2012

City of Georgetown 2012

Wake up in the morning to a panoramic view of the heavily-treed Village Park

THE LOCATION: The other reason I bought this home was because of it’s location.  Village Park drive is a horseshoe-shaped street that wraps around Village Park, a city pool and a nicely shaded playscape.  It is the largest park in the neighborhood and has nice shady mature oaks and natural landscaping.  It is used primarily for residents since it really leads to nowhere except to the homes that face it.  This home’s location also allows the next owner to enjoy convenient walking proximity to the Village Elementary School without being too close, and having to deal with the view and noise of the school.  We’ve spent many summers walking to the swimming pool just a stone’s throw away, or hanging out at the playscape as a family.  The park is also a natural choice for community gatherings and there is a large enough field to play football, kickball, or just ride your bike around….and when it’s time for dinner, yes…all within earshot of a yelling parent.

Bonus Space - 5th Bedroom, Private Office, or Home Theatre!

THE BONUS ROOM: Another unique feature of this home is the bonus room above the garage with a separate entrance.  This type of set-up is found in less than 5% of the homes in Georgetown Village and is ideal for the family who needs a separate temperature controlled living space complete with a full bathroom, walk-in closet, and beautiful Hickory wood floors.  If you need to meet clients outside of the home, or just need to get away from the noisy kids to get work done, this space has your name written all over it.  Or if you just need to splurge on a Home Theatre, this is the perfect spot to turn up the bass!  In keeping with the rest of the home’s “green” character, the entire space, including the walls and ceiling of the garage below uses spray foam insulation and the water is supplied by a separate water heater found in the garage.

In the main home, there is virtually no wasted space.  I challenge you to find a home with 2843 sf  that has FIVE generously-sized bedrooms, a gameroom, study and 3 1/2 baths!  Like the energy consumption, this home’s floorplan is very efficient.  The master bedroom and kitchen with eat-in dining are all located on the first level.  If you’re like most families,  you’ll appreciate the lack of a rarely used formal dining room in lieu of a home office.  On the second level, you have a gameroom with a large storage closet and three additional bedrooms.  The fifth bedroom would be the bonus room mentioned earlier that is approximately 412 sf and brings the home’s total to 2843 sf.

The home is priced at $300,000 and has not officially hit the market.  If this is within your price range, please call Edward at 512-761-6476 for a private showing.  The home has been pre-inspected and professionally cleaned and carpet-cleaned.

Your Favorite HOMEboy,

Edward

See below for a timeline of updates to this post and additional pictures:

Feb 25 – Inspection Report (available upon request)

Feb 29 – HVAC Serviced

125 VP Roof Repair Invoice – All shingles professionally checked and secured; all pipes and seals painted to protect from UV exposure.  Two year warranty.

125 Village Park Survey

125 Village Park Sellers Disclosure

125 VP Addendum A

Disclosure:  Owner of home is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Texas

Welcome to your own 2-acre piece of Texas Hill Country! You’ll need more space and foliage than this to fire off your guns, but at least you’ve got room for your horses, chickens, and other animals you want to keep. Best of all, the price is under six figures and you’re 15 minutes from the newest HEB in town.

Welcome home to the hill country!

2725 County Road 248 is priced at $90,000. Sitting near the middle of this flat land is a manufactured home built in the late ’90s that has been very well-maintained by a loving (and growing) family. Three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and a kitchen that opens to the living room are laid out nicely in 1,120 sf. Walls have been re-painted, carpets have been steam cleaned, and all the major components (HVAC, septic, roof) are doing great! Consider this a move-in ready home that even comes with refrigerator, washer, and dryer each under 5 years old and zero signs of problems.

Big, country kitchen.

However, the exterior is where I think this home shines. The covered front porch is laid with concrete and is as wide as the home itself. It’s perfectly suited for enjoying your book or beverage while watching your children play near the trees or playscape in the fenced-in front yard. The front yard also wraps around to the enormous side deck. The side deck is partially covered making it an ideal spot for romantic “under the night sky filled with bright stars and moonlight” meals and desserts.

Huge covered porch is a great place to spend your day or night.

Lastly, the property is income-producing. There is a commercial sign that sits on the far corner of the property earning $35/month. It may not sound like much, but for a home like this, that’s like getting free electricity every month. Not many properties can claim that without the use of expensive and headache-filled solar panels.

Two acres allows for privacy even without many large trees.

Detailed Information:

2725 CR 248 – Upgrades and Repairs
2725 CR 248 – Survey
2725 CR 248 – Sellers Disclosure

It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged and I thought I would start off 2013 with an update on my recent family adventure.  For an update on Mars Hill Realty Group, and our future second office location, visit us here:  Georgetown Texas Real Estate.

This past January marked the 10th anniversary for Autumn and I, so we decided to take a detour to Hawaii while visiting her family in California.  It was time well spent, and for the first time in over 10 years we took a vacation.  I mean, a REAL vacation!  If you want to take a REAL vacation, it should feel as though you’ve just disappeared from the face of the earth.  It’s eerily peaceful.  There are three things you need to do.

1.  Drop the children off with family or friends.  Yes, they will be burdened.  But, if they agree to it, even if they’re just trying to be nice, accept it and don’t ask questions.  After all, how often do you leave your children for 1-2 weeks?  Just splurge.

2.  Do not, I repeat, DO NOT take your laptop with you.  This was pretty difficult at first, but I used this idea to justify the purchase of a Nexus 7 Tablet to take along with me on the trip.  If you get rid of your main productivity tool, chances are you won’t be doing any work on vacation.  With my Nexus 7, all I did was check email from time to time and visit Yelp to find out where all the best restaurants were.

3.  Lastly, do something with your phone.  I thought I would be bold and leave it at home…but I just left a vacation message on my voicemail to call the office.  Anybody that didn’t follow directions and still left voicemails were just forwarded to the office.

We had an amazing time, visiting both Oahu and Kauai.  We stayed in Bed and Breakfasts and splurged on great food wherever we went.  I don’t have the time or space to go into vacation details, but the pictures will speak for themselves.

My recommendation: Go to Kauai if you really want a unique experience.  Oahu felt like California.  Try different foods and stay at the local B&Bs for the best value.  For example, we were at a million dollar plus home on the ocean and paid as much per night as we would if we stayed in a stale hotel room with boring surroundings.  Lastly, you can afford to go.  With free hotel points, airline points and time off, the only thing you should be spending (if you plan it well) is on food and adventure.

Need a vacation from property management?  Our property management division will provide you with a stress-free experience. Check out our newest educational website if you need a Property Manager in Austin or the surrounding towns.

Your Favorite HOMEboy, Edward

106 Wegstrom is the ideal home for first-time home buyers looking for a nice starter home or investors introducing themselves to real estate.  It’s the perfect complement to a young, but growing family, or a family already established with two or more children.  The four bedrooms allow for plenty of growth.  Brick construction on the front and sides provide long-lasting durability, low maintenance, and a nice curb appeal.  For $125,000, this home is hard to pass up for any buyer.

Durable and beautiful brick construction at an affordable price.

The 1,859 sf home boasts a large living room that opens up to the dining room and kitchen.  It makes for a great place to socialize with friends or wind down from a long day.  The secondary bedrooms shoot off the main hallway with the full bathroom and large utility room.  This makes doing laundry a breeze. The separate master bedroom allows for great privacy for parents.  With its own master bathroom, walk-in closet, and double vanity, there is plenty of opportunity for a little peace and quiet.

Large living area is great for all types of socializing.

The kitchen is spacious and allows for several sous chefs at a time.  Two dining areas provide plenty of room for all occasions and the breakfast bar is a nice bonus for those on the run.  The back patio is located off the kitchen, which makes sense if you like to use your outdoor grill.  The yard is big and the fencing provides privacy.

Huge kitchen and dining area make sense for a 4-bedroom home.

For more information and pictures, see below.

106 Wegstrom – Sellers Disclosure

Do you love Austin, but hate the commute?  Then this could be the right home for you.  11416 Flushwing Drive is located in the nice little secret neighborhood of Pioneer Crossing in North Austin.  The drive to downtown Austin is under 20 minutes from 11416 Flushwing.  You can now have the excitement of city living, convenience of a short commute, and comfort of a large 3-bedroom home, game room, home office, and private back yard with a personal garden; not to mention a full 2-car garage that is impossible to find downtown.  11416 Flushwing is 2,432 sf and is offered at $183,000.

A beautiful home just outside of Austin makes commute light.

The floor plan is great for entertaining with its big kitchen that opens to the living room.  The game room can easily fit a foosball, ping pong, or pool table.  It can also be used as an awesome media room since it’s pre-wired for surround sound and an overhead projector.

Entertain a crowd without feeling crowded.

All the bedrooms in this home are over-sized.  Even the master bedroom is considered large when compared to other master bedrooms. A king-size bed, two dressers, and two nightstands will fit easily, and you might still have room for a separate sitting area to read your books or enjoy your favorite tv show at night.

Game room or media room versatility.

If you’re into self-sustainability, this backyard has its own raised garden for your daily vegetables.  Both front and rear lawns are fully and automatically sprinkled.  Lastly, for those of you who like to work from home, there is a great space near the front of the home that provides just that.  The ability to work from home while caring for a sick child or transitioning from a 10-day vacation is another reason this home stands out from most others.

Stay at home without missing a beat at work.

See below for more pictures and information.

Flushwing – Floor plan
11416 Flushwing – Upgrades
11416 Flushwing – Pre-Inspection Report
Flushwing – Survey

A nice home that offers a lot of interior living space.

Located across the street from the Berry Creek golf course,  7611 Spanish Dove Court gives you the benefits of a golf course community without the associated high costs.  This home provides you the no-neighbor privacy in the back yard that everyone is looking for (check out the Google map view) plus the quiet, friendly, and safe attributes of a cul de sac out front.  It’s only a few minutes from Highway 195 and Interstate 35, but you won’t need to worry about traffic noise or congestion in this exclusive section of Villages of Berry Creek.  Or you can take the 10-minute scenic route on Airport Road right into the heart of the historic downtown square.

Two game rooms are ideal for children and entertaining guests.

The interior is where this home really stands out.  This Taylor Morrison-built home sits right at 2,856 sf, which is enough for four bedrooms, a formal dining room, and a game room with space to spare.  In fact, even with four large bedrooms and three walk-in closets, there is a bonus room with media niche that can easily be used as an in-home office, tv/movie room, dedicated kids’ play area, etc.  If you aren’t entertaining a big party, the first floor living room is a great place to gather as it is wide open to the kitchen and bar area.  For $210,000, this is easily a house for a young family to grow into or an established family looking to enroll their kids in the highly-touted Georgetown ISD schools.

Great layout for all to enjoy natural light and private yard.

It’s easy to schedule a personal showing of this home – click here.

Click to view these helpful documents:

7611 Spanish Dove – Floor Plan
7611 Spanish Dove – Seller’s Disclosure
7611 Spanish Dove – Survey