All Blog Entries by Brad Pauly

Found 160 blog entries published by Brad Pauly.

Austin, Texas has about 230 total days of partial or total sunshine per year. Although central Texas is known for its dry, humid summers, we get about 34 inches of rain annually, with May and June being the wettest months. This can be a bummer for Austinites, since so many of us love to be outside. Luckily, there are plenty of awesome indoor activities around Austin to keep you occupied during our rainy season! Here are some of our favorites.

Alamo Drafthouse

alamo drafthouse in austin txAsk anyone about fun things to do in Austin and they’ll tell you about Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. This movie theatre chain shows all the newest releases (with drinks and dinner available!) and hosts a variety of quirky events throughout the week like movie quote-a-longs, genre theme nights,…

16,215 Views, 1 Comment

view of downtown austin from lady bird lake

With Austin being America’s fastest growing city, it’s no surprise that you may have recently decided to relocate here yourself. A big concern for newcomers moving to Austin is choosing the neighborhood that’s right for them.

There are several factors you’ll want to consider when picking an Austin neighborhood to live in:

1. Commuting

How long of a commute is acceptable for you? Some people don’t mind a 45 minute drive to work, while others like to be within 20 minutes of the office. Fortunately, if you’re living and working in the city of Austin itself, most people don’t suffer a commute of over 30 minutes. If you’re living in some of the suburbs that are outside city limits (such as Round Rock or Kyle), your commute time may be slightly…

2,474 Views, 0 Comments

row of houses in a neighborhood

Getting ready to sell your home can be an exciting, yet stressful, time. There are lots of things to consider in order to get top dollar for your home. A house that is clean, in good shape and updated sells faster and for more money than a similar home that has not been prepped.

How Much You Will Spend

One of the first things to think about is how much you are willing to invest in getting your home ready to sell. The improvements you are going to make rely heavily on how much you will spend. Determine your priorities based on the cost and the difference it will make in a prospective buyer's first impression. Stick with tasks that will give you the most bang for your buck. Large and costly projects often don't raise the asking price enough to make…

2,339 Views, 0 Comments

family in the park on a picnic

With spring quickly approaching, it is almost time to get out and enjoy that beautiful Austin weather. It doesn't matter if you are married and looking for something to get the kids out of the house, or single, and just looking for something fun to do, there are plenty of outdoor activities for everyone to enjoy this spring and summer. Here are five of my favorites:

1. Go Swimming!

From Barton Springs to Hamilton Pool, the Austin area offers something for everyone. Check out a list of the best swimming holes in Texas.

2. Enjoy live music!

Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World. Do yourself a favor and go find out why. Every Wednesday night during the summer you can enjoy Blues on the Green. Blues on the Green is a free, live concert…

2,418 Views, 0 Comments

living room in a condo with leather furniture

When it comes to buying a condo for sale in Austin, it’s best to know as early as possible whether the development is warrantable or non-warrantable. As a potential buyer, it’s important to understand what this means, and how it affects you. Knowing whether or not the development in question is warrantable provides insight into the development, neighborhood, and HOA. So, let’s get to the definitions!

A non-warrantable condo is a condominium property in which the loan is not eligible to be sold to Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae, and as such, they are considered by most banks to be more “risky.” Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have established criteria when it comes to evaluating condominium developments. Conversely, a warrantable condo loan can be sold to Freddie…

46,276 Views, 0 Comments

Pinthouse Pizza
4729 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78756

pinthouse_pizza_strip

The Pinthouse knows how to brew beer (thanks Joe Mohrfeld, Head Brewer). I tried the Bearded Seal, a 6.1% ABV Imperial Dry Irish Stout, offered on nitro (insert jump for joy). It’s deep and rich, with chocolate and coffee notes, yet very drinkable. The Seal paired nicely with The Armadillo; olive oil, cheese, artisan sausage, poblano peppers, ricotta, and cilantro. The sausage is the star of this pie; good enough to be eaten alone no doubt. The spice is tamed a bit by the ricotta, but The Armadillo is definitely on the hot side, just like I like it. This beer and pizza combo was a marriage made in heaven. The menu is well rounded with healthy salad options and boasts a couple of traditional deserts…

2,398 Views, 0 Comments

white van As real estate agents, we have the opportunity to meet some amazing people from all over the country that want to call Austin home. We recently had the chance to help Pro BMX rider Taj Mihelich sell his East Austin home so he could travel the country for the next three months. (That's his new traveling home on the right!) Pauly+Presley agent, Adam Zell, has known Mihelich for two years and has been helping with his real estate needs.

Mihelich recently reached out to Pauly+Presley to help him sell his East Austin home that he had remodeled with a little help from his friends. For an added plus, Mihelich took the time to chat with us and tell us about his experience in Austin and working with the Pauly+Presley team.

What areas have you lived in in Austin…

3,565 Views, 0 Comments

curbappeal_strip

If you were a homebuyer, how would you feel about this house?

In my personal opinion, this house is a perfect example of curb appeal. The lawn is neatly kept and empty of clutter, and the house itself is in pristine condition. The front of the home is the first thing that potential buyers will see so why not make it look good? If you've spent any time searching for a house to buy, you have no doubt encountered a house that you immediately discount, without having seen the inside. This demonstrates just how important curb appeal can be.

I am not saying that sellers need to spend a lot of money on lush landscaping, but at least mow and clean up the lawn, take the kids’ toys inside, move the plastic pool and at the very least, park the quad in the…

2,520 Views, 0 Comments

writting on a clipboardEveryone has heard a story about how a deal fell apart because of a low appraisal. Whether you are selling your home or refinancing, you are going to have to face that moment of truth when the appraiser tells you what the bank thinks your home is worth.

Fortunately for us here in Austin our market is smoking hot and lots of homes are trading at good prices, but even this can sometimes be a problem when the prices are going up faster than the comps are collecting. And sometimes you get bidding wars and end up with a sales price that outstrips the loan capacity.

That’s why you need to be ready for the appraiser when the time comes. In the end, the appraiser is going to make a decision on what your home is worth based on what it has, how it looks and how…

6,785 Views, 0 Comments

Businessman Using LaptopIf you have been thinking about buying your own home here in Austin then you are on the right track, but what is your plan to get it done?

Austin was once again named the Fastest Growing City in America by Forbes, and for good reason.

People are pouring into our fair city and the competition is still ramping up, rental rates are going through the roof with occupancy rates pushing the upper 90 percentile and it seems that they just can’t build new apartments fast enough.

This has people looking for the sanctity of the 30 year fixed rate mortgage, which fortunately for you buyers are still funding at rates so low financing costs are almost negligible.

The bad news is that as we head into the Spring and Summer selling seasons there is going to be a lot of…

2,316 Views, 0 Comments