Open House Austin Blog
Guide to House Hacking in Austin, Texas
Discover the ultimate guide to house hacking in Austin, Texas! Learn how to generate rental income by renting out parts of your property. This blog covers everything from finding the perfect property and understanding local regulations to financing tips and tenant management. Plus, explore how Open House Austin offers workshops and free 1:1 consultations to help you succeed.
5 Austin Home Buying Resources You Need to Check Out Now
Utilize these 5 resources to better prepare yourself for the home buying process.
How to Build a Tiny House: From Costs to Construction
Our founder Steph decided to build a tiny house in the back of one of her investment properties. Learn how she planned, stayed on budget, and made back her investment with our Tiny House Guide.
How To Navigate a Hot Housing Market
It’s hard to know how to progress during this chaos, and it is definitely an overwhelming time in Real Estate for buyers, sellers, and agents alike. But y’all, we’ve been at this for a minute now - so we’ve got you!
7 Tips for Buying a Home with Multiple Offers in a Hot Market
Bidding on a multiple offer home in a hot market can be super discouraging - especially when it happens over and over again. So we’ve compiled a list of 7 tips that will help you beat the competition!
Should I Buy a House Now or Wait?
Rent is something you consider on a monthly basis. But have you ever done the math and realized how much you’ve actually spent on rent? Here we break down 11 years of rent spent by one person in Austin, and what would have happened if she bought a home instead.
9 Women in Real Estate You Need to Follow
Open House was founded by women - and women are who inspire us on a daily basis. Want to check out other women in real estate? Check out our list of 9 Realtors, investors, designers, and bloggers that you need to follow.
How I Made $84,000 Refinancing My Home in Austin
One of our founders, Kristina, used the process of cash-out refinancing to pull $84,000 from her home. So what exactly is cash-out refinancing? How did she get that much money? What will she use it for? Click to read her entire story, step by step!
How I Bought a 1 Acre House in Central Austin in my 20s
Jenn Carey, a Open House Austin agent and investor, walks us through her process of buying a north/central Austin home that was on an entire acre of land! From the search to the cost - read all about it here!
Transforming A Home into a $40k Yearly Airbnb Money Maker
How did one of our founders, Steph Douglass, turn an ugly house into one of the hottest Airbnb’s in Austin’s east side that now earns her over $40k a year? Read to see her entire process, from start to finish.
Should You House Hack a Condo or House?
When it comes to house hacking - is there a type of home that is best? By comparing a similar size/price house and condo, we can see if there really is a better choice, and which one is right for you!
Become Familiar With Your Real Estate Contract
Real estate contracts can be intimidating for a first time buyer. Here we break down a typical “one to four family” residential contract, and answer the most common questions we see from our clients.
A Year Airbnb-ing My Room in Austin TX
Since moving to Austin after college in 2012, I always saw the benefit of buying a house and having roommates help pay my mortgage payment. I finally had the opportunity to do so in 2017. I renovated the home, and now make an income through Air bnb.
How To Buy, Renovate, and Profit from a Commercial Property in Austin as a 20-Something
My business partner, Steph, and I both house-hack at our primary residences and have also recently started to “office-hack.” What is office hacking? Office-hacking is getting others to pay for your mortgage at the commercial space that you also occupy. Learn how we turned a run down space, into our dream office/event space!
The Story of Open House Austin
When I started my search to find an office space in Austin, I was a bit overwhelmed at the costs associated with it. I was beginning to give up on finding an affordable commercial space. Right before I lost hope, I stumbled upon a yellow building for sale. Read to see how we turned it into our beautiful office/event space!
How To Buy a House In Your Early 20’s And Make Money In Austin, TX.
If you are currently living with at least one other person (unless you and that person are trying to start a family...it may not be a good time) you should look into buying a house and making it an asset through house-hacking.
House Hacking: 3 Strategies Every Homebuyer Should Consider
House hacking is a term coined by Brandon Turner of Bigger Pockets, my favorite Real Estate investing website. Simply put, house hacking is getting other people to pay the mortgage payments of a house you occupy. This is done by renting out the other units or rooms.