Every buyer I work with in the Austin area eventually asks some version of the same question: why is my insurance quote so much higher than what a friend in another state is paying? It usually comes up right after their lender orders a quote during underwriting, and the number catches people off guard. Central […]
Greater Austin Real Estate Blog: Expert Advice and Local Insights
Looking for straightforward, practical real estate advice for Austin and the surrounding area? Welcome to my Greater Austin Real Estate Blog.
I’m Robbie English, Broker, REALTOR. With more than 40 years of experience, I created this blog to help buyers, sellers, investors, and homeowners separate reliable guidance from outdated advice and real estate myths.
Here you’ll find practical buying and selling tips, neighborhood guides, Austin housing market insights, and plain-English explanations of contracts, inspections, appraisals, negotiations, and investing. You’ll also learn what makes communities throughout Greater Austin unique—so you can make informed decisions with confidence.
No clickbait, gimmicks, or sensational predictions—just honest answers to real questions. I hope you’ll bookmark the blog, explore the articles, and return whenever you need trusted Greater Austin real estate guidance.
How to Vet a Realtor Before You List Your Home
Most sellers interview one agent, maybe two, and pick whoever they liked best in the meeting. That’s not enough information to base a decision on. The agent you choose controls your price strategy, your marketing, and how many headaches you deal with between now and closing. A short list of pointed questions in that first […]
Multigenerational Home Buying in Austin: What Actually Works
More families in Austin are buying one house instead of two. It usually isn’t a lifestyle choice made in the abstract — it’s adult kids and parents looking at the math, realizing two mortgages don’t pencil out the way one combined purchase does, and deciding to live under the same roof on purpose instead of […]
What FSBO Sellers Actually Give Up in Austin’s Market
Every year, a few sellers ask me to look at a home they tried to sell themselves first. The story is usually the same: it sat on Facebook Marketplace and a yard sign for six or eight weeks, the calls were mostly agents fishing for listings or buyers lowballing because they knew there was no […]
Build-to-Rent Communities in Austin: What Renters and Buyers Should Know
If you’ve driven through the Austin suburbs lately, there’s a good chance you’ve passed a build-to-rent community without realizing it. These developments look like ordinary subdivisions: single-family houses, a pool, maybe a dog park. The difference is that one company owns every home in the neighborhood, and none of them are for sale. Build-to-rent, usually […]
Preparing Your Home to Sell: What to Fix, What to Skip
Sellers usually ask me the same question first: paint the walls, call a stager, or start packing? The order matters more than the checklist itself. Spend money on the wrong thing first and you’ll run out of time and budget for the fixes that actually stall a sale or knock down an offer. I’m Robbie […]
Investing in Texas Real Estate: What to Know Before You Buy
Texas keeps showing up on lists of the best states for real estate investors, and for good reason. But “Texas” isn’t one market. An Austin duplex, a San Antonio rental near the medical center, and a lake house in Lakeway behave nothing alike, and the risks that matter in one don’t always apply to the […]
How Pricing Works Differently for Austin Luxury Homes
Pull the comps on a high-end Westlake or Tarrytown listing and you’ll often come up short. Maybe two or three sales in the past year come close on price, and even those won’t really match once you look at lot orientation, builder, or finish-out level. That’s the core problem with pricing luxury property the same […]
Owner Occupied Multifamily Loans in Texas
An owner occupied multifamily loan in Texas can let you buy a property with up to four units while living in one of them. FHA financing may allow 3.5% down, while eligible veterans may qualify for a VA loan with no down payment. I’ll explain the main paths, the rules that can stop a deal, […]
What Is a Bridge Loan? Texas Home Buyer Guide
Thinking about buying a new home before your current one sells? A bridge loan can give you the cash you need to move fast. Below is the plain‑talk rundown you need to decide if it fits your Texas situation. Table of Contents What Is a Bridge Loan? How Bridge Loans Work Between Two Properties When […]
Seller Blind Spots: What You Stop Seeing in Your Own Home
One of the hardest things about getting a home ready for the market is that the seller knows the house too well. That may sound backwards, but familiarity changes what we notice. We all get used to the rooms we live in, the way the house smells, the things we leave on the counter, the […]
Pool Inspection vs. Home Inspection: What Austin Area Buyers Need to Know
When you are buying a home with a swimming pool, it is easy to assume the regular home inspection will cover everything. Sometimes it covers more than buyers expect. Other times, the pool portion is limited to a basic visual review and operation of readily accessible equipment.The difference matters because a pool is not one […]
Renting Out an ADU in Austin: What to Know
Yes, you may be able to rent out an ADU in Austin, but the answer depends on the unit’s legal status and rental plan. Long-term leases are usually simpler than short stays, while zoning, permits, HOA rules, insurance, and taxes still need a careful review. I’m Robbie English, REALTOR, Broker at Uncommon Realty, and I’d […]
Why Showing Your Home Is an Inconvenience You Actually Want
One of the hardest adjustments for sellers is realizing that putting a home on the market means their normal routine is about to get disrupted. Buyers want to come through at inconvenient times. The house has to stay cleaner than usual. Pets need to be managed. Meals, work schedules, children, appointments, and quiet evenings at […]
You Have to Sell Your Home Four Times in One Transaction
One of the things I tell sellers at a listing appointment is that they may have to sell their home four different times before we ever make it to the closing table. That usually gets a puzzled look because most people naturally think a house is sold when a buyer makes an offer and everybody […]
Cost Segregation Study: A Real Estate Owner’s Guide
Got a rental or commercial building and want to pull more cash flow out of it early? A cost segregation study can lift your first‑year tax deduction dramatically. Below you’ll find what it is, how it reshapes depreciation, who should bother, and the paperwork you’ll need, especially in Texas. Table of Contents What Is a […]
Walkable Neighborhoods in Austin: 5 Areas to Compare
Austin’s walkability changes fast from one street to the next. Rainey Street and Downtown score 94, while South Lamar scores 71, so the right address matters more than a broad neighborhood label. I’m Robbie English, REALTOR, Broker at Uncommon Realty, and I’ve spent over 40 years helping buyers compare location, housing, and daily life. Here […]
Austin Neighborhoods for Pet Owners
If you thought Austin’s pet-friendly neighborhoods were all priced alike, the numbers tell a different story. I’m Robbie English, REALTOR, Broker, and I’ve compared six areas through a pet-owner lens, while separating verified facts from details you still need to check in person. Mueller and central Austin areas bring daily walkability closer to home. Dripping […]
Austin Real Estate Agents for Buyers and Sellers
Austin real estate can feel strange right now. Homes may sit longer while prices hold in some areas, and the right agent needs to explain that gap without making promises. I’m Robbie English, Broker, REALTOR at Uncommon Realty, and I’ve spent over 40 years in Texas real estate. Here are the main types of Austin […]
Austin Property Tax Rates by Area
Austin property taxes can change the monthly cost of a home more than many buyers expect. The rate depends on the address, not only the city name or list price. I’m Robbie English, REALTOR, Broker at Uncommon Realty, and after more than 40 years in real estate, I still tell buyers to check the full […]
Do You Have to Sign a Buyer Agreement Before a Showing in Texas?
If you are wondering, “Do I have to sign an agreement with a Realtor to see a house in Texas?”, the simple answer is yes, in most private-showing situations involving a residential buyer and a Texas real estate license holder. As of January 1, 2026, Texas law requires a written agreement before a license holder […]
What Is PMI on a Mortgage? Costs, Removal & How It Works
Private mortgage insurance shows up on many loan statements, and it can feel like a mystery fee. In a few minutes you’ll see what PMI really is, how it hits your monthly payment, when it drops off, and what to watch out for. Table of Contents What PMI Means and How It Works on a […]
Your Home Is for Sale. Now Someone Has to Want to Buy It
There is a moment in almost every listing conversation when I need a seller to look at their home a little differently. It is still the place where they wake up in the morning, make dinner, let the dogs out, pile the mail on the counter, and live their normal life. But once they decide […]
How To Inspect A Pool Before Buying A Home
A swimming pool can be one of the reasons you fall in love with a home. It can also become one of the most expensive parts of the property when the structure, equipment, plumbing, electrical system, or safety features have been neglected.The pool may look beautiful during a showing, especially when the water is clear […]
Your Guide to Spring Break in Austin
Every March, I start fielding the same question from clients and neighbors: is this the week Austin gets crazy? Spring break in Austin is a real shift in how the city feels for about a week, and if you live here, it helps to understand why, even if you don’t have kids in school and […]
Best Down Payment Assistance Texas Programs
Finding help for a down payment can feel like hunting for a needle in a haystack. The good news is Texas offers a handful of solid options that can shave thousands off your upfront cost. Below are the five programs that consistently help buyers move forward, and a quick guide to pick the right one […]
Living in Downtown Austin, TX
I get asked about downtown Austin condos more than almost any other segment of this market, and I’ve noticed most of what’s written about it online only covers one slice: whether a luxury tower is “worth it.” That’s a fair question, but it skips the bigger one people actually need answered first, which is what […]
Your Guide to the Zilker Kite Festival
Every spring, thousands of people spread out blankets on the Great Lawn at Zilker Park, unpack kites of every shape and color, and spend the day watching the sky. I’ve lived and worked in Austin long enough to consider the Zilker Kite Festival one of the events that actually feels like it belongs to the […]
The History of Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin’s Lost Music Landmark
I’ve lived in Austin long enough to hear the Armadillo come up in conversation more times than I can count, usually from someone who either saw a show there or wishes they had. This is the first article in a series I’m starting on Austin’s history, the buildings and moments that shaped the city before […]
What $400K, $600K, $800K, and $1M+ actually buys you in Austin right now
I get some version of the same question almost every week, usually early in a buyer conversation: what does my number actually buy right now? It’s a fair question and it doesn’t have one answer, because Austin isn’t really one market. It’s a collection of submarkets that happen to share a metro area, and a […]
