Rob Roy comes up a lot when I’m talking with buyers about West Lake Hills, but I’ve never actually given it its own page on this site until now. That’s an oversight I want to fix, because Rob Roy has a personality of its own within West Austin’s luxury market, separate from its neighbors along […]
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of experience, I created this blog to help buyers, sellers, investors, and homeowners separate reliable guidance from outdated advice and real estate myths.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.
What Credit Score Do You Need to Buy a House?
Thinking about buying a home but not sure if your credit score is high enough? The numbers matter, but there’s a clear range for each loan type. Below you’ll see the exact scores you need, why those scores matter, and what you can do if yours falls short. Table of Contents What Credit Score Do […]
Adverse Possession Texas: How to Claim Property in Texas
Could a fence, years of use, and a stack of records ever lead to a Texas property claim? Maybe, but time alone won’t do it. In Texas, you usually need ten years of continuous possession before the affidavit process begins, then title may vest after five more years if no qualifying heir objects. I’m Robbie […]
Best First-Time Home Buyer Programs in Texas
Finding a way to afford a home in Texas can feel impossible. The state actually offers a handful of programs that hand you cash or cheap loans. Below is a short list of the most useful options and who each works best for. Table of Contents 1. Robbie English, REALTOR, Broker 2. My Choice Texas […]
Duplexes for Sale Austin TX
Austin duplex prices don’t follow a neat bigger-means-more rule. One three-bedroom option is listed at $360,000, while a five-bedroom property is listed at $330,000. I pulled together the named listings and property types worth comparing, plus the financing and due diligence questions that can save you from a bad deal. Table of Contents 1. Robbie […]
Buying a Manufactured Home in the Austin Area: What to Know
I get questions about manufactured homes more often than you might expect, and I have almost nothing written on my site to point people to. That is a gap I want to fix, because manufactured housing is a legitimate part of the Austin-area market and it comes with its own rules, financing paths, and terminology […]
The Texas Eviction Process: What Landlords and Tenants Need to Know
I get eviction questions from both sides of the table. Landlords call me wondering how long it will take to get a nonpaying tenant out, and tenants call me wondering what their rights actually are once a notice shows up on the door. Because my brokerage, Uncommon Realty, runs a property management division that handles […]
Austin’s Short-Term Rental Regulations: What Owners Need to Know
I get asked about short-term rentals more than almost any other investment property question I field as a broker in Austin. The city has one of the most litigated STR ordinances in Texas, and the rules have shifted enough times over the past few years that even owners who did their homework two years ago […]
What Texas’s New 2025 Zoning Laws Mean for Austin Homeowners
I’m Robbie English, REALTOR and broker at Uncommon Realty here in Austin, and I want to walk you through something I’ve been fielding a lot of questions about lately: the zoning changes the state legislature passed last year. If you’ve seen a headline about Texas “overriding” local zoning and wondered what it actually means for […]
Living in Hutto, TX: A Complete Guide
I get a lot of questions about Hutto from buyers who found it on a map, heard the name from a coworker headed to Samsung’s plant in Taylor, or noticed a hippo logo somewhere and wanted to know what that was about. Hutto doesn’t get talked about as much as Round Rock or Georgetown, but […]
Zilker Park’s Trail of Lights: What to Know
Every December, Zilker Park turns into one of the more distinct stretches of Austin, and I get asked about the Trail of Lights every year by people who are new to the city or thinking about buying near the park. I want to lay out what the event actually is, where it came from, and […]
Where to See Bluebonnets Near Austin, TX
I grew up watching for that first flush of blue along the highway shoulders every spring, and I still get the same small thrill now that I sell real estate in this area for a living. Bluebonnet season is one of those things that reminds me why so many people fall for Central Texas in […]
Your Guide to SXSW in Austin
I get asked about SXSW every year, usually by someone who is either looking at a downtown condo or already lives in one and wants to know what they are in for. So I put together this guide as a straightforward look at what South by Southwest actually is, how it affects downtown Austin, and […]
Your Guide to F1 Weekend at COTA in Austin
I get asked about Circuit of the Americas more than almost any other Austin landmark, and not just from race fans. Buyers, sellers, and people relocating for work all want to understand how this track fits into the bigger picture of southeast Austin. I put this guide together to walk through what COTA actually is, […]
Your Guide to ACL Music Festival in Austin: Living Near Zilker Park During Festival Season
I get asked about Austin City Limits Music Festival every fall, usually by clients who are looking at homes near Zilker Park and want to know what festival weekends actually feel like from a resident’s perspective. So I put together this guide to walk through what ACL Fest is, how it uses Zilker Park, and […]
Your Guide to Summer Tubing and Lake Days Near Austin
I like living somewhere I can be on a river or a lake within an hour of leaving my house. As a broker who spends most of my week talking with people about where they want to live, I hear this a lot too. Buyers ask about proximity to water before they ask about almost […]
Common Signs of Concrete Cancer in a Pool
When a homeowner or buyer sees a crack in a swimming pool, it is easy to jump straight to the worst possible conclusion. With all the recent attention surrounding “concrete cancer” in Central Texas pools, even a small mark in the plaster can suddenly feel like evidence of a major structural failure. The truth is […]
Your Guide to the Austin Rodeo
Every March, a stretch of northeast Austin turns into one of the busiest gathering spots in the region. I’m talking about the Austin Rodeo, and if you haven’t been, or if you moved here recently and keep seeing the name pop up without knowing what it actually is, I wanted to put together a real […]
Living in Clarksville, Austin TX: A Neighborhood Guide
I’ve sold homes all over Austin, and Clarksville is one of the few neighborhoods where I can walk a buyer down the street and point out a piece of Texas history on nearly every block. If you’re looking into living in Clarksville, Austin TX, I want to give you the real picture: where it is, […]
Living in Rosedale, Austin TX: A Neighborhood Guide
TLDR (Too Long; Didn’t Read): Living in Rosedale, Austin TX Rosedale sits in north-central Austin, bordered roughly by 38th Street, Shoal Creek, North Loop/Hancock Drive, and Lamar Boulevard, tucked between Central Austin and North Loop. The neighborhood’s housing stock dates mostly to the 1930s and 1940s, when the Ramsey sisters platted the original subdivisions, and […]
Living in Windsor Park: A Complete Guide to This Austin, TX Neighborhood
I spend most of my week driving Austin’s neighborhoods with buyers and sellers, and Windsor Park is one I keep coming back to because it still looks and feels like Austin did before the boom reshaped so much of the city. It’s a Northeast/Central-East Austin neighborhood with a housing stock and street pattern that hasn’t […]
Living in Zilker, Austin TX: A Neighborhood Guide
I get asked about Zilker more than almost any other neighborhood I work in, and I understand why. It’s one of the few pockets of Austin where you can walk to a natural spring-fed pool, a 350-plus acre park, and a hike-and-bike trail along the lake, then be back home in time to grab dinner […]
Barton Creek vs. Spanish Oaks: Which Austin Community Fits You?
I get asked to compare these two communities more than almost any other pair in West Austin. Buyers usually arrive with a rough idea that both are gated, both involve golf, and both come with a serious price tag. Past that, the details get fuzzy fast. I have shown property in both neighborhoods for years, […]
Clarksville vs. Tarrytown: Comparing Two Historic West Austin Neighborhoods
## TLDR (Too Long; Didn’t Read): Clarksville vs. Tarrytown: Comparing Two Historic West Austin Neighborhoods Clarksville sits immediately west of downtown Austin with a Walk Score near the top of the city, a National Register Historic District status dating to 1976, and lot sizes typically between a tenth and a fifth of an acre. Tarrytown […]
Rollingwood vs. Westlake Hills: Comparing Two Incorporated Cities West of Austin
Rollingwood and West Lake Hills come up together in almost every conversation I have about the west side of Austin. They sit next to each other, they share a school district, and they’re both small incorporated cities with their own governments rather than Austin neighborhoods. Past that, the similarities start to thin out. I put […]
Living in Barton Hills, Austin TX: A Neighborhood Guide
I’m Robbie English, a REALTOR and broker with Uncommon Realty here in Austin, and Barton Hills is one of the South Austin neighborhoods I get asked about most and write about least. That’s a gap I want to close. If you’re weighing a move to this part of 78704 or you already live here and […]
Living in Travis Heights, Austin: A Neighborhood Guide
I’ve sold real estate in Austin long enough to watch a lot of neighborhoods change names, boundaries, and reputations. Travis Heights is one of the few that has held onto its identity the whole time. It’s one of the older residential neighborhoods in the city, and it still looks the part: mature oak trees arching […]
Living in East Austin, TX
TLDR (Too Long; Didn’t Read): Living in East Austin, TX East Austin sits just across I-35 from downtown, and several pockets are an easy walk or bike ride to the urban core. Housing stock is a mix of original 1930s-1950s bungalows, renovated homes, duplexes, and new construction, often on the same block. The area includes […]
Central Texas Relocation Guide: What to Actually Know Before You Move
An honest Central Texas relocation guide from a local broker: which suburb actually fits you, the tax trade-off, DPS deadlines, and what to expect from a first summer here.
Best Homestead Exemption Texas Options
Texas homeowners can shave thousands off their property tax bill with a single free form. Below is a concise list of the main homestead exemption options you can claim and who each one helps the most. Table of Contents 1. Robbie English, REALTOR, Broker 2. Local Option Residence Homestead Exemption — Additional savings adopted by […]
