Zillow, and similar websites likes Trulia and Realtor.com are not what they seem. They may look like accurate and fun sites to peruse and look at cute homes, but they’ll actually do more harm than good! And we can tell you exactly why…

Ashley Wainscott, CEO of Simple Sold Austin home renovation firm, broke down what to expect and how to prepare for successful renovations for us and our client's this week. Open House Austin is big on sharing education for our first-time buyers and new homeowners on how to make successful investments. Ashley is big on educating her reno clients too.

Renovation loans can be a great way to combine a home purchase or refinance with home improvement financing in one loan with one closing. So we had an expert answer some of our first-time buyers questions in Austin, TX.

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.

Many transplants want to live close to the city and are paying $1,200+ in rent each month AND living with a roommate or even a couple roommates. That’s $14,400+ a year on housing alone! I was dumbfounded by how many people in Austin are in this rental situation and I wanted to make one thing clear… there is a BETTER WAY!

A home appraisal determines the value of the building. So what do you do when the home is appraised for a low amount? Find out here!

Congrats! You just put an offer down on a home and it was accepted! This is HUGE and cause to celebrate. But hold on one second.. this isn’t over yet! There are a couple steps left before the keys are placed in your hand.