Answering Your FAQs About the Austin Market

Today I'm answering three common questions that many homebuyers have been asking about the Austin market lately.

Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for sale

I wanted to quickly answer a few questions I received recently about the market here in Austin.Q: Which appliances typically come with the house you buy?A: The range, dishwasher, and attached microwaves almost always come with the house. The refrigerator, washer, and dryer typically won't come with the house here in Texas unless you specifically ask for them.Q: When you make an offer on a house, there's a section in the contract that states that you accept the property as-is. So what does "as-is? really mean?A: Everyone seems to think that an "as-is" contract can't be negotiated, but that's not true. All that check box means is that what you see when you look at the house will be supported in the contract. You will typically still have your option period where you can have an inspection performed, and you still have an opportunity to ask the seller for repairs.Q: How much of a down payment do you need to buy a house?A: Many people think you need to put 20% down, but you don't. Putting down 20% is good if you can make it work, but you can get a conventional loan for as little as 5%, an FHA loan for as little as 3.5%, or VA loan (if you're a veteran) for 0% down. Certain parts of town also qualify for USDA loans, which also require 0% down. There are also some programs for people in certain jobs like a teacher or firefighter that give you more loan options.If you have any questions about these topics or about anything in regards to real estate here in the Austin area, you can always give me a call or send me an email soon. I'd be glad to help.