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Tag Archives: Braesgate

Milestones!

Hello blog readers! Today I have three milestones to share with you. Each of them gives me “the feels” as the young folks say.

Lee and dogs

Lee and his best friends, Harvey and Brody.

Honoring Our Managing Partner

Today is the birthday of our managing partner (and my spouse), the hard-working Lee Bruns. Any of you who have worked with us on the money end of our business has met with or talked to Lee. He’s the backbone of our business, the one who creates all the statistics to tell us how we are doing toward reaching our goals, the one who talks to bankers and private money lenders all the time, and the one who pays all the bills. All this from someone who retired as a writer. But, he has been in real estate his whole life (literally: his mother was an agent, and his parents flipped houses through his whole childhood, even though they didn’t call it that). Lee has done project management for all our personal flips, and is currently the task master on the Bobcat project. Lee serves as mentor for many in our local Big Dog group, and has some really great projects coming along in that area. We can’t wait to share those! I think it’s time to honor a great guy. Anyone who thanked him in the comments would earn my devotion!

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Offers, We Have Offers

Will I miss this kitchen? Yes, I will. It’s functional and warm.

I don’t usually post twice in one day, but I can’ hold it in anymore. We have TWO offers on properties, and a closing on a property we are acquiring coming up!

First, the little Houston Street house in Cameron that we are joint venturing with Andress & 3 on has received an offer that sounds good. We’re hoping to pass that one on to someone who can fix it up, and use the proceeds to invest in more houses in the area!

Second, MY Braesgate house sold in less than a week, but I’ve been waiting to say anything until negotiations were complete. We finally settled on a price that is very close to the asking price, and I don’t have to make all the little repairs that I was dreading. In the end, I would have spent the money on repairs if it didn’t sell soon, plus another couple of mortgage payments. So I consider this a win.

Oh wouldn’t it be nice if the Bobcat house was finished before the closing on Braesgate? Or at least some of the rooms? I’m a dreamer, that’s for sure. As it is, there are two rooms just waiting to be stuffed with stuff if it’s not finished, so all is well.

And third, the closing on our Kerrville Folkways property that members of our team hope to live in when we’re finished is set for the middle of February. You can look forward to lots of rehab photos from that one in the coming months!

PS: In the BEST news yet! We got an offer on the St. John house in San Antonio! I’ll explain exactly how great that is in a bit.

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Would You Like to Buy a Beautiful House?

Updated front view of Braesgate

Faithful readers of our blog who have been carefully keeping track will know that recently Sue Ann and Anita moved out of Sue Ann’s big suburban house, and are staying in the Villa Park casita while we wait for the Bobcat Lair house to be renovated. Have you wondered what happened to the big suburban house? You mean this one, the one in the picture? We shared some photos of it a couple of weeks ago, but since then Carol has been busy making it even more beautiful.

Tour the House!

We now have a virtual tour of the Braesgate property that you can enjoy. More important, you can forward the tour URL to anyone you know who wants to move to Austin, or wants to trade up to a larger home in a great school district, with great neighbors.

The house has high-end appliances (and the stove is FANTASTIC), granite in all the bathrooms, and a spa master bathroom. The back yard is an amazing retreat with a huge porch and a gazebo. And check out the floors. The tile has glass insets, and the wood is solid bamboo. And do you see that big window in the interior photo? Those are two-story silk curtains, with blinds that have remote control (also above the front door). The lucky buyer gets the remote!

Well, that’s enough. The virtual tour will show you more.

bgate

The two-story dining room, and intimate formal living area are just two highlights of the house. And just look at those floors.

Why Buy Now?

Our family hasn’t completely moved out yet–more goes next week, but there’s still a lot that has to go to Bobcat. However, anyone who buys the house now is in a great position. We plan to replace the carpeting upstairs, repaint one bedroom, and touch up the rest of the house. However, if you buy the house now, we’d consider an allowance on the price that would let YOU select upstairs flooring and paint colors. I always feel bad when I buy a house someone else has just painted for resale, knowing I’m just going to go in and re-do it. Save us that fate and buy our house before it’s “officially” on the market.

Things You Can’t See

Huge back patio, half covered, and half shaded by a pergola.

What you can’t see on the updated spaces in the Braesgate house is the quality. The house was originally built to high standards. Yes, it’s a house in a development, but it was a Scott Felder home, one of the better companies in operation at the time, and our construction supervisor was super. And eagle-eyed Sue Ann made sure there weren’t any slip-ups in construction. And all the upgrades and improvements were done to higher standards than most in the neighborhood (we figured we’d get out money’s worth in enjoyment). Natural materials were used whenever possible, even the ceiling of the patio is wood! Quality has been important to us for many years before we started the Hermit Haus Redevelopment team, and we hope it shows in this home.

Just add your personal touches, and it will provide years of enjoyment to another family.

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Sparkle Sells!

The huge front windows are hard to wash unless you’re a pro! They look good now!

Today we went by to check on our property we are getting ready to list for sale. It was so shiny! Why? The windows were being cleaned, that’s why! The owners had only cleaned them professionally once since the house was built almost two decades ago.

What a difference it makes! And that’s a lesson for any of us real estate rehabbers: sparkle sells. Our partner, Carol, says this all the time. When she’s working for a real estate client, she gets their house all clean and shiny, and that includes exterior surfaces, especially the windows.

The shine is on the inside, too! The back yard looks great!

Looking at these pictures, I have to agree with Carol. Let’s hope the sparkle on this house sells it!

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Sneak Preview

Front view of the house.

Front view of the house.

I have been trying to blog all week, but a combination of technical difficulties and lack of helpful photos slowed down the Bobcat update.

Instead, I thought I’d share a sneak preview of the next house we will have up for sale, which Carol took photos of this week. The home is in a suburban neighborhood between Austin and Round Rock, in a great Round Rock ISD school district, within walking distance to the elementary and middle school. It was built in 2007, with 3100 square feet, and has 5 bedrooms (one downstairs, currently an office), 4 bathrooms, a two-story formal dining area, and three living areas (formal living, family room, and bonus room above the two-car garage). It’s a very popular floor plan.

From porch, looking at gazebo.

From porch, looking at gazebo.

All the bathrooms have been remodeled and fixtures upgraded. The master bathroom has been completely remodeled. Crown moldings have been added all through the house. Kitchen was remodeled and has GE Profile appliances, and natural travertine floor and backsplash. Most floors are bamboo. Upstairs carpet is staying, to let the buyer choose the replacement. There are also high-quality window treatments, including two-story silk curtains in he dining area, which will convey.

The house is on a cul-de-sac, so has a very large back yard. It features a large, covered patio with fans and a wood ceiling, a custom gazebo, and upgraded landscaping. There is also a storage shed that matches the house. Best of all, there are great neighbors on the street, a mix of families with young children and empty nesters.

Custom kitchen

Custom kitchen

Beautiful parks and trails are nearby, too!

If you are interested in the house before the paint is touched up and the rest of the furnishings removed so  it can go on the market, let us know. In this area your money goes MUCH farther than in central Austin, yet thanks to the toll roads, you can get anywhere you need to go quickly! We will share more images and details in the coming weeks, but wanted to let you know that you could get this home NOW if you want it!

Family room

Family room

Kitchen island, looking toward informal dining area and family room

Kitchen island, looking toward informal dining area and family room

 

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