How Much Money Do You Need to Buy a House?
Many people think there are lots of hidden fees when buying a house and it’s often what holds them back from making any moves. In some ways this is correct, but in reality it’s because there’s a lack of education around home buying. Read to learn exactly how much it costs to buy a house!
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.
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.
7 Easy DIY Improvements to Increase Home Value
We’ve compiled a list of 7 home improvements you can do yourself that will increase your home’s value and curb appeal. Although some of these may take a little money and a lot of work, you’ll be happy down the road.
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 Legally Protect Yourself in a Real Estate Partnership
No matter the terms of your partnership, it is extremely important to legally protect yourself in any arrangement. Recently, attorney Lori Daves shared some tips with attendees of the Go Forth Investor Meetup on how to make sure you CYA (my words, not hers) when entering a transaction within a partnership. Here is an overview of what we learned.
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 I Renovated My East Austin Home In 20 Days
These steps are a good starting place to get your wheels turning. You can research real estate investing for years and not learn as much as you will by actually pulling the trigger and getting into your first project. I wish you all the best!
Open House Austin Launch Party Photos!
Thank you SO much for coming out to our grand opening on Saturday, June 1st. We were so amazed at how many friends, family, clients and strangers came together that night and celebrated with us. Click through to see photos from the party of the year!
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.
The Austinite's Guide to Better Dating
After a few years of dating in Austin learned a lot and it got better...it wasn’t the men who sucked, it was the way I was meeting people that sucked. I wasn’t being direct, and clear on what I wanted. When I started dating with intention, I began meeting kind, thoughtful and fun people...one of those guys I’m still with.
The Life of an Austin Tiny Home Dweller
Amanda had built her entire home from scratch, we were amazed and had many questions. She shared her story with us and spent almost two hours answering our questions. She’s allowed me to share her story and the answers to our questions with you all as well.
15 Things You Should Know Before Buying a House in Austin
If you’re planning to buy a house in Austin, there are some things you should know before making that huge step. Read through to learn the 15 things you NEED to know before buying.