Georgetown, Texas Real Estate Blog      Your Host: Edward Lui

I love riding my bike.  Ever since I got out of the Army, I retired from running and decided to take up sports that had less impact on the joints:  Swimming and Biking.

Over the past year, I could only squeeze in 1 day per week to exercise and I used that for swimming.  Now, I’m working my way up to two days and biking is back in the routine.  The thing I love about Georgetown is that there are trails for every skill level.  I can easily veer off the trail, if I’m feeling adventuresome, and find some challenging, rocky course that will usually end with me getting a bit scratched up and my wife giving me that “you are one clumsy fool” look.

Here’s an article below that my friend John wrote for me about the growing hike and bike trails in Georgetown.  After you finish reading about the trail in this article, call me up if you want to experience it in real life and we’ll hit the trails together!

- Your Favorite HOMEboy, Edward

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This is from my HOMEOWNER TIMES real estate column:

Camping trips are fun: Start up the grill, turn off the slave-driving cell phone, listen to the sound of crickets at night and just relax with the family while munching on s’mores.  Most people associate camping trips with lots of preparation and driving time before you can actually enjoy those benefits, but not if you live in The Preserve at Lake Georgetown in Georgetown, Texas.  Any resident of this custom home neighborhood could just walk out their front door and be on a campground within a short 30 minute, 2 mile walk.  Imagine being able to escape from the office by simply stuffing your backpack with some food and a sleeping bag, grabbing the kids and a tent, and off you go to Russell Park, just two miles away.  Don’t like to walk?  Take the car and be there in 2 minutes.  Isn’t spontaneity great?

The Preserve at Lake Georgetown is tucked away in Northwest Georgetown and is bordered by the Whitney Conservation Preserve, allowing most homeowners to enjoy panoramic views of the Texas Hill Country and maintain complete protection from anything that might obstruct those views.  Do you remember the days when all the neighbors knew each other by name and enjoyed each others company?  That dynamic is hard to find in most of the mega-neighborhoods you see today with hundreds of homes lining the streets.  However, the developer of this community only platted seventeen 1+ acre lots, creating a sense of community and exclusivity that is rare in most neighborhoods.

You’ll find only custom-caliber homes in The Preserve at Lake Georgetown with a majority of them built by the developer, Steve Klein.  Steve Klein is an experienced builder that has the type of attention to detail that would make an engineer blush.  Whether it’s a custom library, home theater, wine cellar, or a gigantic playroom for kids, Steve Klein can integrate it into your dream home to fit your lifestyle.  Speaking of kids, this home is also located in one of the best elementary school districts in Georgetown.  Ford Elementary received an exemplary rating, the highest possible ranking, by the Texas Education Agency and it is located just 5 miles away.  Besides the school, an HEB grocery store and a host of other convenient shopping is available all within a short 10 minute commute.

The Preserve at Lake Georgetown lives up to it’s name: Located in an exclusive location within walking distance to Lake Georgetown and access to some of the best schools and shopping in Georgetown, it truly preserves the type of lifestyle most people only dream of.  Only 7 lots are remaining, so be sure to reserve a spot in the preserve as soon as you can!  For additional links, more information and pictures of this neighborhood, be sure to check out the Georgetown Texas real estate blog at:  www.GeorgetownCustomHomes.com/blog or become a fan on Facebook:  www.YourFavoriteHOMEboy.com.

Here is one of the homes available now!  Click to enlarge picture:

Ford Elementary School district is one of the most desirable in Georgetown, Texas because of its exemplary rating. Desireable, yes. Affordable? Not really.

Consider that the average price of all the homes on the market today, that feed into this school district, is just over $400,000 with an average of $143/SF. Let me introduce to you a home that breaks the trend:  4900 Woodstock Drive

4900 Woodstock is your economic stimulus home. Not only is this home one of the best values on the market today, it’s also a rare opportunity to send your kid to this exclusive elementary school for just $165,000 (~$89/SF). Here’s the best part: This home is also located closer to Ford Elementary School then most of the other homes that cost at least 3x more. You can walk to this school and not cross any major roads. In fact, you can also walk to HEB, a couple of restaurants, the UPS store, a nail store, Blockbuster and more!  That puts new meaning to “Green Home.”  Let your friends brag about their new hybrid…you get the luxury of never even having to start a car to do your errands!  The location of this home is unprecedented and the value is unmatched.

Check out the pictures below and call me to arrange a private showing today!

Looking for information on Georgetown Texas Homes For Sale? Visit my website or call me anytime!! Want the latest updates on Georgetown Texas Real Estate, news and latest developments? Sign up for the blog by clicking the link below:

Do you like horses? Well, here’s the community for you!

Located in NE Georgetown, Texas, Twin Creek Farms is one of the finest custom home communities that caters to people who love horses. Don’t ride a horse, but love looking at them? Well, then you’re welcome here too! The community is beautiful enough that some people move here just for the peaceful, rolling terrain and classic look of white fencing that lines the lot of every home in the neighborhood. Unlike golf course communities, there aren’t any budget-breaking HOA fees here. Just around $55/month will give you the benefits of a community equestrian center, dedicated horse-riding trails and a lake full of fish.

Recently, one of the best lots in this neighborhood came up for sale. The owners decided to move to a different area and they want to sell this coveted piece of property to the next lucky buyer. What makes it so special? Well, for starters, it’s at the end of a culdesac. Which means no cars passing through and safer streets for the little ones. It’s also a large 4+ acre lot that is suitable for 2 horses. The lot is relatively flat and clear so it will keep your building costs down. The best feature of this lot, however, is that it backs to a gorgeous stream that you will have commanding views of from the back windows of your home. Imagine, resting out in the backyard to the sound of soothing water and gentle breezes. Yes, all of this for just $77,000. Where else will you find land this cheap? Let alone land on a premium location with a premium view! I just sold one of the last few lots available that back to a water-feature this past week in Georgetown, so if you’re looking for a unique lot, make sure you consider this in your purchase!

Check out the gallery below and feel free to drive by the lot:

Looking for information on Georgetown Texas Homes For Sale? Visit my website or call me anytime!! Want the latest updates on Georgetown Texas Real Estate, news and latest developments? Sign up for the blog by clicking the link below:

Here’s what I think you’ll like about this home:

Backyard - Home faces West, so the backyard is shaded in the evening and is the perfect environment for grilling and relaxing. The owners take advantage of where the sun is and have built a private garden on the side of the home next to the walking path. Rather then an ugly slab of concrete, the owners opted for a much more natural material, using gravel to form the surface of this patio. No large 2 story directly behind this home, for a much better sense of privacy.

Floorplan - The living room has soaring ceilings (at least 12 feet) and is ideal for furniture placement. Two bedrooms are on the first floor including the Master bedroom. This is convenient for guests or if the next buyer has a small child they want to keep close. This also give you the versatility of having elderly parents live with you and not have to climb stairs. There is a dedicated full bathroom for this second bedroom. The third bedroom is on the top floor and also has access to a full bath. This third bedroom is very large and can be considered a second Master bedroom.

Gameroom - This extra living space is critical to families these days who have such a wide variety of needs. This bonus room is so large you can split it up for multiple uses like the current owner has done. They use one half for a study and the other half for a hobby room. There is even a neat alcove that can be used as a child’s homework area, a TV nook or a small library.

Check out the pictures below and call me if you want to see this home for yourself. Perfect as an investment home or residence!

Gary Unruh is one of my first clients when I got started in the business and has since become a very good friend. I’ve seen many changes happen in his life and he is a walking testimonial of the life-changing reality of Jesus Christ. Check out the video to see how God brought us together to sell a home at just the right moment. Currently, I’m helping his parents buy a home out in Sun City Texas.

Looking for information on Georgetown Texas Homes For Sale? Visit my website or call me anytime!! Want the latest updates on Georgetown Texas Real Estate, news and latest developments? Sign up for the blog by clicking the link below:

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4Br/2Ba/2Living/Bonus Building in Backyard (Scroll map to the right to see location of home)

Live Music, Market Days, Christmas Strolls, the list goes on and on….it’s what makes Historic Downtown Georgetown the heart of this city and why people from all over the world fall in love with the city of Georgetown, Texas.

However, the real “magic” of downtown Georgetown isn’t just the “special events,” it’s the unique lifestyle it offers for those who live, work and play here. Now, here’s your chance to be less than 4 blocks from “the square” and own a piece of history on 404 East 8th Street.

The Numbers:

This home is being GIVEN AWAY at $200,000 by the current owners! It’s approximately 2000 SF and that doesn’t include the bonus room that the current owners built in the backyard. If you do a little preliminary analysis, you’ll notice that $100/SF in this part of town, with this type of proximity to the square, is amazing. When the real estate market was appreciating in recent years, the part of town that experienced one of the highest percent gains was downtown Georgetown. It’s not unusual to see these older homes sell upwards of $130/sf to $150/sf.

The Delimma:

So why isn’t this sold? Currently the owners have some college students living in the home and paying rent. If you’ve been a college student before (or have college-aged kids) you know that housekeeping isn’t something they normally choose to major in. When I was at the University of Rochester my priorities were: Fulfilling my ROTC obligations, serving my college fellowship, squeaking by in school and hanging out with my future wife Autumn. Not necessarily in that order. I worried more about how I would get my next chicken wing fix, then I would about cleaning up the place. Fortunately, God blessed me with Josue Padilla, quite possibly the cleanest Puerto Rican man on earth!

The bottom line, staged homes help sell homes quicker. Messy college-boy homes take a bit longer. The other difficulty is finding a buyer who is willing to move in after the current lease is up sometime in May of 2010.

However, if you’re an investor, this is a dream. These types of homes are rarely vacant because college boys just rotate through them pretty automatically. Hold on to the home and sell it when the market peaks.

If you want to take advantage of the tax credits and interest rates, now is the perfect opportunity to snatch this up even if you are an owner-occupant.

12/21 Update: If you’re an investor looking to capitalize on the college rental market here’s a tip. Don’t just get a home with proximity to Southwestern University. Get one that is also close to the square. That way you can attract the college crowd and also have maximum potential for appreciation on your home due to the rare location. As of this date, this is the ONLY home on the market that is in the prime location I just described. There are maybe 4-5 other rental homes close to the University, but they are all about 1/2 - 1 mile from the square and are mostly located across a major street (University Avenue).

Check out the pictures below:

A bunch of Nerds…that about sums up my experience.  However, if you are studying for an astrophysics final at Harvard, that’s exactly who you want in your study group.

If you want to hire the “astrophysics nerd” for carpet cleaning, look no further.  Check out the video below and put Wayne Filer and his crew in your smartphone under “Carpet Cleaning Nerds”

~your Favorite HOMEboy Nerd, Edward

I just closed on a home for some buyer’s out of Seattle, WA who found me on the Internet a few months ago. Joe and Christine first found a short-sale in Berry Creek and after several months of working with the bank, the deal fell through. They were troopers though, and they didn’t get discouraged…within a few days of looking, we found a second home in the Estates of Westlake and closed it in 30 days!

Check out the video below and tell me if you notice the “I just bought a home” glow:) Or maybe it’s the “Edward, your video camera fetish is embarrassing us.” glow. Either way, they put up with me and that’s what makes them cool.

Fran and Linda Roke and their friend, Lorraine, are some great folks.  They moved to Georgetown, Texas from Connecticut and decided to build a home in Sun City, Texas right next to each other!  I had the honor of overseeing the construction of both homes and coordinating for any third party vendors to get into the home.  It’s hard enough to build a home, let alone do it from out-of-state!  We accomplished this through lots of email and phone calls and some occasional You Tube videos of the home’s progress.  Check out the video testimonial below!