Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate

Ever since gas prices started their rather precipitous climb, I have been much more observant about where to find better prices. As they've dropped, this "shopper's gene" has stuck with me (i.e. I still notice). I think the cheapest gas prices I have seen here in Austin lately are in the $1.77 range.

One thing that constantly surprises me is the fact that some gas stations and convenience stores seem oblivious to the competition, continuing to charge 20-30 cents/gallon more than the guys up the street. Sometimes, I have seen stations ACROSS the street charging 10 cents more than their competitors. Their pumps are pretty barren, with perhaps a lone car or two filling up.

Whenever I see someone actually buying gas at one of these places, I want to shout at them:

"Hey, look over there! The gas is cheaper! Why are you paying this higher price? Pay attention."

I guess they are just in a hurry, but why not glance around you a bit before deciding?

Unfortunately, many agents and homeowners seem to be just as oblivious as the convenience stores that are (sadly) attempting to gouge consumers.

QUIZ FOR ERRANT LISTING AGENTS & THEIR CLIENTS:

If two homes are sitting across the street or very near each other, and they are the same size/floorplan, with similar upgrades, lot sizes, etc., which one is worth more?

• a) whichever one is offering a bonus to me
• b) the one with red brick instead of stone
• c) the home that faces northeast

If you answered a, b, or c, please slap yourself - HARD!

It is a trick question. They should be priced similarly, barring any unusual circumstances, such as a short sale or other distress scenario.

Unfortunately for many FSBO's, they attempt to do their research by using the "expertise" of national sites and their guesswork from pulling a few fliers from the neighborhood listings. In this case, they often become the laughingstock of the area, pricing their home well above the market.

Whenever I have a client who is interested in pricing their home too high (which is less frequent these days), I usually do my best to explain to them that if they do that, we must then wait however long it will take for the other homes in the neighborhood to sell first, since that will certainly be the outcome. If they are not interested in pricing it correctly, I decline the listing. This has been the case since 1997, when I started in this business.

QUICK LESSON/IDEA

I don't know if you have ever tried this or not, but one technique that has worked wonders when you need to illustrate this point is to put your potential clients in the car with you and SHOW THEM what they are competing with. This is a strong wake-up call, and it something that other agents are very unlikely to offer.

So, although you will always find people willing to pay a few cents more for gas, the average home buyer today is skittish and unsure about the future of our economy, and they want to be sure that the price they pay for their first (or next) home is reasonable. Banks and appraisers are scared, too, which means that they are very careful when establishing value.

The bottom line is that pricing is more important than ever.

On another note, maybe I need to consider buying a convenience store as a side business...

Photo courtesy of www.stockvault.net.

My RSS feed is http://activerain.com/jasoncrouch/rss

I have lived in Pflugerville since 1995, when my wife and I bought our first home here.  In 2002, we opted to buy our second (much larger) home in this area, too.  What made us choose to stay?

• Affordability - we have a home that would likely cost at least twice as much in central Austin
• Convenience - with the advent of the toll roads in 2006, we can get just about anywhere in 15 minutes, including the Prime Outlets/IKEA area, Georgetown, Mopac/Spicewood, etc.
• It's quiet
• It's safe

I would talk about the schools, but we haven't had first-hand experience with this, since our kids are homeschooled. 

This chart illustrates that the median listing prices out here haven't changed much over the course of 2008, holding in a pretty tight range between $180k and 182k, despite what the media would have you believe.  It looks like inventory levels are starting to drop again, meaning that the choices are tightening up a bit. 

Some might attribute the inventory drop to the holidays, but it's still a bit too early for this, and we have seen a surge in activity that came with dropping gas prices and the end of the Presidential election season.

If you are considering a purchase in the Pflugerville/Austin area, feel free to call or email me anytime.  I hope to have the opportunity to help you find the right place!  You can search the entire database of Austin homes on my website at www.austintexashomes.com.  Thanks!

Truthfully, I could probably make this post even shorter than the headline/title above. However, since I get paid by the word (don't I wish), I would like to make this point very clearly. I'll give you the two-word answer to this topic at the end of the post.

During our recent trip to Houston, we got on the road later than expected, so I had to plan on picking up my rental car at a different location which was open later, until 7pm. I spoke with the manager and he was very nonchalant about things. I didn't get the feeling that he much cared whether or not I got a car that night or not. Since we have three young kids, my wife needed to have a vehicle of her own so that she wouldn't be stranded at our in-laws' house with them for an entire day.

Traffic was pretty heavy, but we made it to the rental car place at about 6:45 or so. It was small, and attached to a dealership, so I could see their entire inventory of vehicles just outside the office door. I had reserved a "full-size" car, and the manager told me he would "try" to get me something good-sized, but there were no guarantees. So, what was sitting there? What were my two options?

1. Small green compact car

OR

2. Black Jeep Cherokee

I knew it was time to turn on the charm. I entered the office, which turned out to be a room about 6 feet by 8 feet, complete with two very uncomfortable chairs which I suppose constituted the waiting area. There was a very stressed-out looking man with his tie off who looked like he would rather be anywhere but there. I waited patiently while he finished his computer work, then turned to greet me.

This was make-or-break time.

ME: Hi, I'm Jason Crouch. We spoke a little earlier on the phone. Are you Reggie?

REGGIE: Yes, that's me. How you doin'?

ME: Good, good. I'm glad to have made it on time. You're my new hero!

REGGIE (laughing): Well, I'm glad we could help.

ME: You know, I used to run a rental car office myself years ago. It was located in a body shop. Long hours, huh? I remember hating inventory, because I had to work so darn late.

REGGIE: Is that right? Well, I have been here since before 7am. Let's see....

As he turned away to look at the keys on the board behind him, I knew this was the critical moment. Would I be taking the dream, or the dud?

REGGIE: Tell you what, I've got a free upgrade for you tonight.

ME (feigning surprise): Really? That's great! What do you have?

REGGIE: You see that Jeep Cherokee? That's yours.

ME: That will be perfect! Thanks so much for your help. I really appreciate it.

So, what can we all learn from my experience with Reggie a few weeks ago?

• BE NICE! (that was the answer I promised you above)
• Throw out a compliment or two. It won't kill you to do so. Calling Reggie a "hero" was not just an ego stroke - it was the truth!
• Remember the magic words that you learned in Kindergarten? They still work today. Everyone likes to hear "thank you" and to feel truly appreciated.
• Treat people like human beings, not servants. Even if they are in a service-oriented business (aren't we all?), they are likely just trying to get through the day and they probably mean well.
• Be observant. I knew that Reggie was stressed out and tired as soon as I walked in. This may seem like common sense to some of you, but it's not as natural for everyone.
• Find a common connection, if possible. I brought up the fact that I had managed a rental car location to demonstrate that I knew EXACTLY what he was feeling. Again, it was the truth! Don't manufacture this.
• If all else fails, PRAY!

During my two-minute conversation with Reggie, I managed to hit all six of these points. I didn't have a list in my mind - the list actually came to me tonight. I hope this comes in handy for you with clients, or waitstaff in restaurants, or with anyone you deal with during the course of your day.

Thanks for reading!

All photos courtesy of www.photorack.net.

My RSS feed is http://activerain.com/jasoncrouch/rss

I read in the local Community Impact newspaper today that there is a huge new development planned at the northeast corner of I-35 and Highway 79. It will encompass the entire area fronting 79 from 35 to Mays. Current businesses which will be vacated include Bealls, Chase Bank, Hollywood Video, KFC, and the UPS Store, among others.

Among the components mentioned for the new development are:

• A four-star hotel with 200 rooms
• Conference center with 35,000 s.f. of meeting space
• Medical/professional office space (200,000 s.f.)
• 40 two-bedroom condo units
• 210 apartment units
• Large retailers (100,000 s.f. of shopping)
• Restaurants
• New entertainment
• Public spaces, such as pocket parks, commons, and esplanade

When complete, the 13-acre tract will have just over 1 million square feet of new construction. The first phase is set to begin in early 2009.

More exciting news for Round Rock!

All images are courtesy of www.impactnews.com.

If you have any questions, please give me a call anytime at 512-796-7653 or email jason@austintexashomes.com. If you are looking to relocate to the Austin or Round Rock area, you might be interested in checking out my online relocation package here:

Austin Texas Relocation Package

Our Austin TX real estate website is at http://www.austintexashomes.com/. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

I was thinking last night about my past experiences and how they have shaped the person that I have become today. Back in 1996, when I was last employed by someone else, I had to keep my resume updated each time I went to look for a new job. Somehow, in the modern era, that all seems very "last century" now.

Rather than developing a resume to hand out to my clients, I decided to write this post instead.

What makes me uniquely qualified to handle your real estate business in the Austin area? Well, let's get a couple of things out of the way quickly:

• I have been selling real estate full-time in this area since January 1997
• I am a broker/owner of my own company, Austin Texas Homes, LLC
• I've sold properties of every type and in every conceivable price range (highest home sale was $3.4 million)
• I have trained dozens of agents on how to represent buyers and sellers
• I have never been involved in a lawsuit or mediation, nor have any of my agents

Okay, that part was relatively painless, right? A bit stuffy, maybe, but painless.

Now, let me spend a little time detailing some of my past and present experiences and how they have prepared me to help you.

TIME IN THE LOCAL MARKET

I have been here in Austin for just over twenty years now. I've lived in or near Austin since 1988, when I moved here to attend Southwestern University. As such, I am familiar with almost all the nooks and crannies of Austin.

MANAGERIAL STUFF

Before getting in to real estate, I was a retail and restaurant manager for several years, including working as a general manager for a restaurant. This prepared me to handle a wide variety of personal interaction issues, especially with a diverse staff. Real estate requires me to deal with so many different personality types that I'm happy to have had that foundation. I have been in charge of my own company since 2004.

PARENTING

I am a father of three terrific children, and we are expecting our fourth baby in mid-April. As much as it seems humorous to say this, dealing with children is good preparation for dealing with other real estate agents and petulant clients, too. Our work involves a lot of moving parts, as it were. I often explain to my clients that a lot of people have to do their jobs correctly in order for me to get paid - title companies, lenders, inspectors, appraisers, etc. This is not a one-man show, so being able to "finesse" other people is a very important characteristic when you are looking for an agent or broker to represent you.

NETWORKING

As a member of ActiveRain, Twitter, Facebook, and several other social networking sites, I have gained an amazing number of contacts and good friends in the real estate business, all across the country. ActiveRain is a nationwide referral network and social networking site for our industry. I am a prolific blogger with over 1075 subscribers to my blog as of today. This interaction has served me well, not just for learning, but for getting more attention for my listings, too. One of the listings that I recently posted was shown to a prospect who found it on my blog the same day, and he may make the purchase soon.

ETHICS

I have often said that I may be too honest for my own good. Here's a statement that I wrote a few months ago which sums up my business philosophy very quickly:

"I have been in Austin real estate full-time for almost 12 years now. There are certainly others who have sold more homes than I have, but you would be hard-pressed to find an agent with more integrity than me. I would rather talk you out of a home purchase or an offer on your home than to assist you in making a bad decision."

PERSONAL

I am a super-nice guy. Really. Ask anyone who knows me. They will tell you. Go ahead - I'll be here when you get back...

I like spending time with my family and I am helping to start a new church in Georgetown currently. I like to laugh and to make others laugh. Real estate doesn't have to be serious business, believe me. If you enjoy your life and you're looking for someone fun to hang out with while looking for a new place to live, give me a call at 512-796-7653 or email me - jason@austintexashomes.com.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Photo courtesy of www.photorack.net.

My RSS feed is http://activerain.com/jasoncrouch/rss