Austin Tx Property Tax Rates | Travis County

The Austin Texas Property Tax Rates and Travis County Jurisdictions for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 are listed here in this table in alphabetical order. Austin Tx property tax rates are typically set by each jurisdiction around September of each year. Property tax bills are presented in the November time frame. Check out this other post ff you are trying to find property tax rates for your Austin residence or commercial property 

This table will be updated as new rates are available which are typically posted on October 24th.

Tax Jurisdiction	2017 Tax Rate	2016 Tax Rate	2015 Tax Rate	2014 Tax Rate	2013 Tax Rate
Anderson Mill Limited District	0.11708300	0.12336000	0.12600000	0.13000000	0.13668600
Austin Community College	0.10080000	0.10200000	0.10050000	0.09420000	0.09490000
Austin ISD	1.19200000	1.19200000	1.20200000	1.22200000	1.24200000
Bastrop-Travis Counties ESD # 1	0.10000000	0.09470000	0.09330000	0.09960000	0.09440000
Belvedere MUD	0.37000000	0.38950000	0.42500000	0.45000000	0.45000000
City of Austin	0.44480000	0.44180000	0.45890000	0.48090000	0.50270000
City of Bee Cave	0.02000000	0.02000000	0.02000000	0.02000000	0.02000000
City of Cedar Park	0.45750000	0.47000000	0.47950000	0.48500000	0.49250000
City of Creedmoor	0.38000000	0.38000000	0.38000000	0.38730000	0.38730000
City of Elgin	0.65691600	0.65691900	0.65691600	0.75011000	0.75390000
City of Jonestown	0.56560000	0.56560000	0.56560000	0.56560000	0.57500000
City of Lago Vista	0.65000000	0.65000000	0.65000000	0.65000000	0.65000000
City of Lakeway	0.17410000	0.16120000	0.17000000	0.17000000	0.17480000
City of Leander	0.57786700	0.59900000	0.63292000	0.65292000	0.66792000
City of Manor	0.77220000	0.77380000	0.71180000	0.71180000	0.80950000
City of Mustang Ridge	0.49980000	0.47920000	0.49500000	0.49980000	0.41880000
City of Pflugerville	0.53990000	0.53990000	0.54050000	0.53360000	0.57360000
City of Rollingwood	0.20890000	0.20020000	0.20210000	0.20660000	0.22640000
City of Round Rock	0.43000000	0.42500000	0.41465000	0.41465000	0.41949600
City of West Lake Hills	0.06500000	0.05720000	0.05720000	0.05340000	0.05340000
Cottonwood Creek MUD # 1	0.85000000	0.91700000	0.91700000	0.95000000	1.09000000
Coupland ISD	1.04005000	1.04005000	1.04005000	1.04005000	1.04005000
Cypress Ranch WCID # 1	0.90000000	0.90000000	0.90000000	0.90000000	0.90000000
Del Valle ISD	1.46000000	1.52000000	1.53000000	1.47000000	1.47000000
Dripping Springs ISD	1.52000000	1.52000000	1.52000000	1.52000000	1.49000000
Eanes ISD	1.20000000	1.21250000	1.21250000	1.21250000	1.21250000
Elgin ISD	1.54000000	1.54000000	1.54000000	1.54000000	1.54000000
Hays Consolidated ISD	1.53770000	1.53770000	1.53770000	1.53770000	1.46130000
Hurst Creek MUD	0.32000000	0.34210000	0.36320000	0.37100000	0.39500000
Kelly Lane WCID # 1	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000
Kelly Lane WCID # 2	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000
Lago Vista ISD	1.32000000	1.32000000	1.32000000	1.32000000	1.32000000
Lake Travis ISD	1.40750000	1.40750000	1.40750000	1.40750000	1.40750000
Lakeside MUD # 3	0.84000000	0.84000000	0.84700000	0.87750000	0.90000000
Lakeside WCID # 1	0.75000000	0.75000000	0.80000000	0.80000000	0.85000000
Lakeside WCID # 2A	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000
Lakeside WCID # 2B	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000
Lakeside WCID # 2C	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000
Lakeside WCID # 2D	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000	0.97000000
Lakeway MUD	0.12580000	0.13600000	0.15360000	0.18360000	0.19630000
Lazy Nine MUD # 1A	1.00000000
Lazy Nine MUD # 1B	1.01000000	1.01000000	1.01000000	1.01000000	1.01000000
Leander ISD	1.51187000	1.51187000	1.51187000	1.51187000	1.51187000
Lost Creek Limited District	0.04890000	0.05250000
Manor ISD	1.51500000	1.51500000	1.51500000	1.51500000	1.51500000
Marble Falls ISD	1.27860000	1.28000000	1.28000000	1.28000000	1.28000000
Moore’s Crossing MUD	0.85580000	0.90700000	0.93240000	0.95800000	0.99000000
NE Travis County Utility District	0.68000000	0.78000000	0.86100000	0.87600000	0.89930000
North Austin MUD No. 1	0.28800000	0.28900000	0.31700000	0.33990000	0.34500000
Northtown MUD	0.70750000	0.70750000	0.72200000	0.73600000	0.75000000
Onion Creek Metro Park District	0.20000000	0.20000000
Pflugerville ISD	1.54000000	1.54000000	1.54000000	1.54000000	1.54000000
Pilot Knob #2	0.95000000
Pilot Knob #3	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000
Presidential Glen MUD	0.29760000	0.30000000	0.50190000	0.50190000	0.50190000
Ranch at Cypress Creek MUD # 1	0.35250000	0.35650000	0.36500000	0.43300000	0.51280000
River Place MUD	0.07500000	0.20700000	0.23130000	0.31290000	0.33500000
Round Rock ISD	1.30480000	1.33250000	1.33250000	1.33750000	1.36740000
Senna Hills MUD	0.54110000	0.54110000	0.54110000	0.54110000	0.54900000
Shady Hollow MUD	0.04770000	0.03800000	0.04890000	0.04930000	0.05000000
Southeast Travis County MUD #1	0.98000000	0.98000000	0.98000000
Southeast Travis County MUD #2	0.98000000
Sunfield MUD # 1	0.90000000	0.90000000	0.90000000	0.90000000	0.90000000
Tanglewood Forest Limited Dist.	0.19000000	0.17540000	0.17880000	0.18300000	0.19300000
Travis Central Health	0.10738500	0.11054100	0.11778100	0.12640000	0.12900000
Travis County	0.36900000	0.38380000	0.41690000	0.45630000	0.49460000
Travis County Bee Cave Rd Dist # 1	0.21060000	0.25990000	0.32150000	0.57060000	0.62850000
Travis County ESD # 01	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 02	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.09580000	0.09820000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 03	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.09000000	0.09080000	0.09640000
Travis County ESD # 04	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.09140000	0.10000000	0.09990000
Travis County ESD # 05	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.09180000	0.10000000	0.09780000
Travis County ESD # 06	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 07	0.09790000
Travis County ESD # 08	0.09980000	0.09980000	0.09980000	0.09980000	0.09980000
Travis County ESD # 09	0.07550000	0.07299000	0.07416000	0.07510000	0.08080000
Travis County ESD # 10	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 11	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.09810000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 12	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 13	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 14	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000	0.10000000
Travis County ESD # 15	0.10000000
Travis County MUD # 02	0.91730000	0.93000000	0.95850000	0.97450000	0.98000000
Travis County MUD # 03	0.48150000	0.48150000	0.48250000	0.48410000	0.50000000
Travis County MUD # 04	0.72960000	0.72960000	0.72960000	0.72960000	0.72960000
Travis County MUD # 05	0.60300000	0.69750000	0.74280000	0.76930000	0.81200000
Travis County MUD # 06	0.48480000	0.46000000	0.46000000	0.46000000	0.47100000
Travis County MUD # 07	0.90890000	0.90890000	0.90890000	0.90890000	0.90890000
Travis County MUD # 08	0.71450000	0.71450000	0.71450000	0.72130000	0.72130000
Travis County MUD # 09	0.82750000	0.84350000	0.85950000	0.87560000	0.87560000
Travis County MUD # 11	0.61020000	0.69250000	0.73750000	0.77250000	0.77250000
Travis County MUD # 12	0.77250000	0.77250000	0.77250000	0.77250000	0.77250000
Travis County MUD # 13	0.77250000	0.77250000	0.77250000	0.77250000	0.77250000
Travis County MUD # 14	0.87810000	0.90500000	0.90500000	0.94000000	0.99000000
Travis County MUD # 15	0.40750000	0.33250000	0.33250000	0.33250000	0.33250000
Travis County MUD # 16	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000
Travis County MUD # 17	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000
Travis County MUD # 18	0.75000000	0.75000000	0.75000000	0.75000000	0.75000000
Travis County MUD # 21	0.31250000	0.31250000	0.31250000	0.31250000	0.31250000
Travis County MUD # 23	0.41010000
Travis County MUD # 24	0.95000000
Village of Briarcliff	0.14740000	0.16050000	0.16050000	0.16050000	0.11750000
Village of Point Venture	0.12160000	0.11310000	0.10950000	0.10950000	0.10500000
Village of San Leanna	0.24980000	0.24980000	0.24980000	0.24980000	0.24980000
Village of The Hills	0.06000000	0.06000000	0.06000000	0.02485000	0.02480000
Village of Volente	0.10850000	0.10650000	0.10000000	0.13000000	0.13000000
Village of Webberville	0.37420000	0.34020000	0.30510000	0.27740000	0.27740000
WCID # 10	0.09460000	0.06670000	0.02940000	0.02950000	0.02970000
WCID # 17	0.05990000	0.05990000	0.05850000	0.05750000	0.05750000
WCID # 17 (Flintrock Ranch Estates)	0.39960000	0.43200000	0.45050000	0.45260000	0.46560000
WCID # 17 (Serene Hills)	0.62500000	0.62500000	0.65000000	0.65000000	0.65000000
WCID # 17 (Steiner Ranch)	0.29870000	0.30000000	0.37510000	0.42850000	0.44980000
WCID # 18	0.08550000	0.09390000	0.09520000	0.09500000	0.21130000
WCID # 19	0.23070000	0.22500000	0.24000000	0.26000000	0.26000000
WCID # 20	0.20000000	0.20550000	0.20720000	0.23000000	0.24000000
WCID Point Venture	0.62470000	0.62530000	0.62530000	0.39910000	0.39910000
Wells Branch MUD	0.37950000	0.38730000	0.39000000	0.43000000	0.46000000
West Travis County MUD # 3	0.25500000	0.28200000	0.28200000	0.27200000	0.27200000
West Travis County MUD # 5	0.25650000	0.26000000	0.26000000	0.26000000	0.26000000
West Travis County MUD # 6	0.45000000	0.45000000	0.45000000	0.45000000	0.45000000
West Travis County MUD # 8	0.52100000	0.55100000	0.61100000	0.73000000	0.84000000
Wilbarger Creek MUD # 1	0.87800000	0.88950000	0.90800000	0.92500000	0.94840000
Wilbarger Creek MUD # 2	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000	0.95000000
Wmsn Co WSID # 3	0.72300000	0.72300000	0.73060000	0.80820000	0.81500000
Wmson & Travis Counties MUD # 1	0.43160000	0.46620000	0.51000000	0.54000000	0.61500000

For more info check out Travis County Tax

What is Amortized Tenant Improvement Allowance For Commercial Space Build-Outs?

When negotiating a commercial lease you typically ask to receive a tenant improvement allowance to cover tenant build out costs such as new flooring, new walls and paint, demo, etc. Before signing the commercial lease contract it’s always a good idea to get at least 2-3 preliminary construction bids to make sure the total cost does not exceed your negotiated TI allowance.

However tenant finish-out projects don’t always meet their budget for a variety of reasons. For example if the tenant makes changes to the scope of work or the contractor discovered a large ticket item that was not known during the preliminary construction bid. Either way there will be times when the total tenant build-out costs exceed the negotiated tenant improvement allowance.

So what do you?

Well you have a few of options which need to be negotiated before the commercial lease is signed and executed.

1. The first option is for your company to come out of pocket and pay for the build-out costs that exceed the tenant improvement allowance up front.
2. The 2nd option is for you to get a loan like an SBA loan.
3. The other option is to negotiate an additional allowance (aka amortized TI) that covers the overage amount an amortize it into the lease. We will discuss in more detail below.

What Does Amortization Mean?

In business amortization means to spread payments over multiple periods. For example the amortization of a loan that includes principal and interest that is determined by an amortization schedule.

Amortized Tenant Improvements (TI) Allowance

This is essentially a loan from the landlord for the additional allowance that the tenant has to pay back over the life of their term. The landlord will typically give this money upfront to pay for the improvements. When it comes to amortizing tenant improvements it basically means you don’t have to pay back the money all at once. The money is being added to the total rent due at an interest rate the landlord charges and divided by the number of months in the lease term.

When Do You Negotiate the Amortized Tenant Allowance?

The additional allowance is typically negotiated during the initial lease term negotiations on the term sheet or proposal. This is done fairly often as it’s nice to have the ability to tap into it rather than having to go to the bank for a loan.

Interest Rate for Amortized TI

The interest rate will vary from landlord to landlord and dependent on the market however in most cases it will range from 7% to 9% per annum

How To Calculate Amortized Tenant Improvements

Suppose your leasing 3,000 sf of office space for 5 years and the landlord has agreed to give another $30 sf above and beyond the initial tenant allowance at 7.5%

1. Using a Google sheet or financial calculator enter the amount of the loan 
2. Enter the annual interest rate
3. Enter the term of the loan
4. Enter payments per year

So

1. Amount of loan = $90,000 ($30 x 3,000 sf)
2. Annual Interest Rate = 7.5%
3. Term of loan = 60 months (5 year lease)
4. Payments per year = Same as when rent payments are due so = 12

When you enter the above information to a Google Sheet you get the Tenant Improvement Amortization Schedule.

As you can see $1,803.42 is the additional monthly payment that will be added to your total monthly rent.

Benefits of Amortizing Additional Tenant Improvement Allowance

The main benefit is it gives the tenant some backup funding in the event the build-out costs exceed the tenant improvement allowance. You may not have the cash on hand to cover it so having this pre-negotiated will eliminate any worry. Many startups or new businesses are typically in this situation. If costs go over you can avoid having project delays and be able to finish out the space the way you want, rather than having to scale back on the scope of work.

Example of Amortized TI Allowance

If the cost of the Landlord’s Work exceeds the Construction Allowance, then Tenant may, prior to the conclusion of the Landlord’s Work, request that Landlord increase the Construction Allowance by the amount of the excess, up to a maximum of $51,420.00 (the actual amount of the increase being the “Additional Allowance”). If Tenant timely requests the increase in the Construction Allowance, then Landlord shall increase the Construction Allowance by the amount of the Additional Allowance. Landlord shall prepare, and Landlord and Tenant shall promptly execute and deliver, an amendment to this Lease increasing the Base Rent by the amount needed to amortize the Additional Allowance over the Lease Term at 8% per annum, with the increased payments commencing with the first Base Rent payment due under this Lease.

 

Real Estate Website Homepage Hacks – Keep Visitors On Your Site

How often do you think about your real estate website homepage?

I spent the weekend reading real estate blog posts. Yeah, sounds boring, but it’s an occupational hazard.

Then, I happened upon one that was so brilliant, I about fell out of my chair. Titled “Why Snapchat is Crap for Real Estate Agents,” it was written by our very own Tyler Zey back in 2016. But, man, is it pertinent today.

No, it’s not all about Snapchat. It’s about agents chasing each new shiny object while letting the tried and true fall by the wayside. I’ll bet that happens in most industries, but it sure seems more prevalent in real estate.

Read it for yourself. It’s quite motivational and the yank back to reality you may be craving.

In fact, it has served as motivation for a series of posts we’ll be offering up over the next couple of weeks. We’ll be dissecting each of the most important pages on your website and reconstructing them in a way that will help keep your visitors engaged long enough to turn into leads. Whether you’re just starting out or an old pro, these posts will help you focus on what’s really important for your website.

Need a real estate website that works as hard as you do? Be sure to learn more about LeadSites.

Today, we start with real estate website hompages: The most important page on your site

The importance of your real estate website homepage

According to a study by Nielsen Norman Group, a visitor will leave your real estate website homepage within 10 to 20 seconds unless you give them a reason to stay.

“To gain several minutes of user attention, you must clearly communicate your value proposition within 10 seconds.”

Sounds like a tall order, right? But real estate website homepages are something far worthier of your attention than whether or not to be on Snapchat or any other social media site for that matter. After all, your social media efforts are meant to drive people back to your website.

If your site sucks, all that social media effort was wasted

Lose visitors here, where they land, and you’ve lost them forever. Your real estate website homepage is your curb appeal – your first chance to make such an unforgettable impression that they will register and they will come back.

Build stunning homepages that encourage exploration with LeadSites – Learn more here

Who is landing on your homepage and what are they looking for?

Knowing your audience is marketing 101 and figuring out who comprises your site’s audience is a no-brainer: a real estate consumer, either a buyer or a seller.

Naturally, a homebuyer wants to see listings, but that’s not all your visitors are searching for. A NAR study found that these visitors also crave information on the purchase process, from getting a loan to closing on the purchase. And many real estate website homepages don’t provide all of this information.

Homeowners thinking of selling want information about that process and, many visitors will be wanting to learn more about you, your services and what you’re like to work with.

To keep these people on your site long enough to convert them to a lead requires making your real estate website homepage the best it can be. Big believers in learning from others mistakes as well as successes, let’s take a look at some of the more common mistakes we see on agent websites.

Not customizing real estate website homepages

This is a biggie. We see it with our client’s sites all the time. Let’s start at the top of the page and work our way down.

Pull up your homepage and follow along.

Above the fold tweaks

The area that shows up before you begin scrolling down the page is known as “above the fold.” It’s your homepage’s most valuable real estate so not one inch of space should be disregarded.

The most common mistake we see with this part of the page is the absolute lack of the agents’ location. Most of the sites we viewed before writing this included the name of the brokerage, the agent’s name and his or her phone number and email address.

Aside from a handful of agents, all of the sites lacked any mention (above the fold) of where the agent works. None of them mention a city, a community or even the STATE that the agent serves.

What happened to the importance of “location, location, location?”

Where ARE you, Waldo?

It’s impossible to tell from the sites we viewed, until we scrolled to the bottom of the page. How many of your site’s visitors will stay put long enough to do that? And, where is the SEO value in not mentioning the city you serve?

Let visitors know, above the fold, that they’ve landed in the right place. The best way to do this is to localize the text that came with the site.

Something as simple as changing “YOUR DREAM HOME AWAITS” to “YOUR DREAM HOME IN ANWHEREVILLE AWAITS” will let visitors know they’ve found a local real estate site.

The same goes for “Work with me to find an ANYWHEREVILLE HOME YOU LOVE.” Check out this tweak in action on Cape Cod agent Michael Leighton’s homepage and also at lovelandreport.com, home of broker Cleve Loveland.

.

 

Scroll down your homepage and you’ll find plenty of other localizing opportunities that few agents are taking advantage of.

For instance, “SEARCH FOR HOMES” can be “SEARCH FOR HOMES IN ANYWHEREVILLE” and transform “Selling your Home” to  “Selling your Anywhereville Home.”

The only way to beat the big, national real estate website homepages is by being LOCAL. Take advantage of this opportunity as often as possible.

Real estate website homepages – value proposition

Remember that Nielsen Norman Group study and the admonition to “communicate your value proposition” at the top of the homepage? Let’s figure that one out.

What is a value proposition, anyway? According to Investopedia, a value proposition “refers to a business or marketing statement that a company uses to summarize why a consumer should buy a product or use a service.”

The chances that someone landing on your real estate website homepage doesn’t understand the value of the IDX or the use of a real estate agent to buy or sell a home are slim.

But, there’s a second part to the definition: “This statement convinces a potential consumer that one particular product or service will add more value or better solve a problem than other similar offerings will.”

In other words, your value proposition needs to immediately show your site’s visitors how working with you is better than working with other agents in town.

And, the best way to get that across, in the least number of words possible, is with testimonials. Social proof is worth its weight in gold and does more than just show potential clients the value in working with you. Real estate website homepages shine with testimonials that increase your value proposition.

Testimonials also help establish trust

If you can’t squeeze in a one-line testimonial above the fold, ensure that your testimonials are the first thing visitors see as they begin scrolling.

If you’re the top agent in town, there’s your value proposition. Use it. Again, Michael Leighton gets bonus points. Here’s what his site’s visitors see as soon as they begin scrolling on his real estate website homepage:

Take the first tip (localize your page) and add in the second tip (your value proposition) and you’ll end up with a page like this one, from The Albritton Real Estate Group in Richmond, VA (good job, Jake!):

Don’t be a stranger to your own site

If it’s been awhile since you checked your website for errors, now would be a good time to do so. Especially check for broken links, which will negatively impact your site’s SEO. Then, look for other odd errors.

We found several while scanning real estate website homepages. For instance, we have a feeling this agent hasn’t visited her site in awhile, because the problem in the nav bar (“PATH-DEFAULT”) is easily remedied in her site’s “Settings” area.

 

Then, there’s the agent who has a very cool video on his real estate website homepage. When it ends, YouTube offers up a preview of other videos for the visitor to watch.

The only problem is that the menu includes a picture of a naked lady. Not exactly the professional image the agent is trying to present, right?

 

Finally, if you haven’t yet obtained your SSL certificate for your website, do it now. As of July, of this year, Google Chrome started labeling non-HTTPS sites (those without a certificate) as “Not Secure.” Which site would you trust more? (courtesy of HostGator):

 

Although agents don’t take payments via their sites, they do ask for information, so the certificate will help protect the exchange of information.

Plus, It doesn’t do you any good to go overboard in your efforts to present yourself as trustworthy when, right there in the address bar, Google is telling them that you’re not.

Reach out to Easy Agent Pro support and we’ll take care of the process for you

Zillow’s research says that most real estate consumers find their agent via referral and only 3 percent find their agent via social media networking.

So, before you spend one more minute pondering which social media platform you should be using, get to work on the second most common way they find their agents – a website.

If you want a homepage and a website that will get more leads, be sure to consider LeadSites – Learn more and see how you can get a harder working website today.

Looking for even more great real estate website hacks? Here’s 16 tips you can’t afford to miss!

Want higher performing landing pages? Our video will teach you how to optimize yours:

 

 

The post Real Estate Website Homepage Hacks – Keep Visitors On Your Site appeared first on Easy Agent Pro.

from theokbrowne digest https://www.easyagentpro.com/blog/real-estate-website-homepage-hacks/

CityBldr Moves Closer to Becoming a Built World Powerhouse, and a Founding Member Interview

There’s a real estate tech company based in my hometown Seattle that I’m a longtime fan of.

No, I’m not referring to that industry tech titan I formerly worked for. Nor am I referring to a certain billion dollar tech-enabled brokerage, with a red logo.

I’m specifically referring to CityBldr.

They figure out the highest and best use of any property or parcel of land. They operate as a commercial real estate brokerage, and broker land deals.

On the consumer side, their product is pretty simple. Fill out your address, and receive an estimate for what your home would be worth to a developer. They generate a lot of home seller leads, and refer them to other agents.

Peel back the curtain, and there is some incredible software and AI behind the scenes. Their software can tell you that a parking garage and an adjacent dilapidated warehouse could be worth 75% more if they were sold together rather than individually, as an example.

More recently, they announced their plans to be a (differentiated) iBuyer. They aren’t competing with Opendoor, Zillow, and Offerpad directly, because they are targeting homes that can be converted into multi-family. A home may be worth $750,000 to a buyer, but $1,100,000 to a real estate developer. CityBldr is the way sellers will find that out.

It’s not surprise cities are not well optimized. There’s a long term play to be made to help urban planners improve their respective cities all over the globe. Hence, their tag line of “We build smart cities”.

The latest news from the company is that they’ve successfully raised $4.3 million of a $4.5 million round (GeekWire story here), on top of the $2.9 million raised last year.

My prediction: CityBldr is one of the next home runs we’ll see in the built world sector. I could not be more excited to watch their growth over the next few years, and am thrilled that I’ll have somewhat of a front row seat given their HQ are here in Seattle.

I’ve known their co-founder and CEO, Bryan Copley, for a number of years. He’s a bold entrepreneur with a massive vision, and huge ambition. We’re fortunate to have him as a founding member of the Geek Estate Mastermind. In fact, he was literally the very first member to setup his recurring Paypal payment profile, so I’m eternally grateful for his support. I had the pleasure to ask him a few questions to dig more into their recent work and where he sees the industry heading.

What is CityBldr, and why did you start it?

CityBldr connects buyers and sellers of underutilized property. We started when we realized that the market was commonly mispricing underutilized real estate.

What real estate technology trends or products are you most excited about?

Smart cities and construction tech. Both hold immense potential to make cities more functional, sustainable and affordable.

What was the fundraising process like?

Formal speed dating followed by thorough diligence. It’s an intense but necessary process that requires focus and stamina.

What are two of CityBldr’s business goals for 2019?

Close $500M of deals (brokerage and acquisition) and build a pipeline of 10,000 new homes.

What do you like about being a Geek Estate Mastermind member?

The deep dives into complex industry questions and challenges and the curated community. There’s not another real estate-focused community like it.

Interested in joining a community of the world’s most innovative and diverse real estate creatives, doers, and pioneers?

Apply for Membership

The post CityBldr Moves Closer to Becoming a Built World Powerhouse, and a Founding Member Interview appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

from theokbrowne digest https://geekestateblog.com/citybldr-moves-closer-to-becoming-a-built-world-powerhouse-and-a-founding-member-interview/

Broadloom Carpet or Carpet Tiles: Which is Better for Your Office?

When doing an office space build out you typically have to get new flooring. Your choices are endless from polished concrete, tiles, laminate, hardwood, carpet tiles, broadloom carpet, etc. You also have many different colors and patterns to look at.

Of all the options carpet will typically be the most common choice that tenants pick and you will have to choose between carpet tiles or broadloom carpet. What is the different between those and which one is better?

Carpet tiles

• Also called carpet squares or modular carpet
• Come in pres-sized squares (typically 2 ft x 2 ft tiles)
• They sit directly on floor substrate
• If stained it’s easy to replace one tile
• You typically want to order more than you need so you have some attic stock
• Is the most popular among tenants
• Easier to install
• Less overall waste
• Easier to maintain
• Will be more expensive than broadloom

Broadloom Carpet 

• Also known as Roll carpet
• Comes in 12 foot wide rolls
• Less expensive than carpet tiles
• Have to rip up whole room if stain and need to replace
• Installation involves rolling onto carpet pad that sits on floor substrate and cutting to size
• More waste is created during installation due to the necessity of cutting large pieces
• Difficult to repair

Overall you really need to choose a flooring material that best matches your company culture and design needs. And make sure that you stick within your budget. You can’t go wrong with broadloom carpet or carpet tiles however in the long run carpet tiles maybe your best option as they are easy to install, clean, and replace if needed.

How to Find Austin Property Tax Rate in Travis County

Travis County is located in Central Texas and part of the Austin-Round Rock Metro Area. Whether you are buying or leasing Austin commercial or residential property in Austin Tx you  will want to find out the tax rate and know how to calculate your property taxes. Every tax jurisdiction is different so before signing a contract it’s a good idea to know what taxing jurisdiction your in and what the tax rate is. 

How to Find Your Taxing Jurisdiction

You want to start with going to https://www.traviscad.org/property-search/

1. Click on the Blue Property Search Button

2. Enter Property Search Address

How to use TCAD property search options

 

3. Taxing Jurisdiction Tab

Now that you are in the Travis CAD Taxing Jurisdiction section you will now see the property tax rate and it will also break the tax rate down by entity. 

• Description column – Shows each jurisdiction that levy’s taxes on your property.
• Tax Rate – This show the tax rate for each jurisdiction as well as the Total Tax Rate for your property

How to Calculate the Travis County Tax Rate

Simply multiply the tax rate by the taxable value you get the total estimated taxes due for your property

 

How To Use Travis County Appraisal District (TCAD) Property Search

Before you make a decision on whether to buy or lease Austin Tx properties whether commercial or residential you’ll want to check them out on the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD).

On the TCAD site located at https://www.traviscad.org/property-search/ you will be able to find pertinent information that can help you evaluate properties to ensure you make the best lease or purchase decision such as:

• legal description
• Owner contact information
• Appraised value
• Taxing Jurisdiction and Property Tax rate
• Improvement / Building size & market value
• Role Value History
• Deed History

Travis CAD Property Search Options

Once you are on the site click on the blue property search button and it will take you to a searchable database of every property in Travis County. You have the option of entering one or more search terms in the blank field OR you can click on the advanced button to see more search options.

For best results when doing address searches do NOT use suffixes (e.g. St., Dr., etc) or directional prefixes (e.g. N, S, E, W). Using ONLY the street name will give you the best results. If you don’t get any results after using the whole street name then just enter the first few letters or numbers of the street name then sort through the addresses.

If you decided to click on the advanced search button you will have the following property search options:

• Owner Name
• Street Number
• Property ID
• Geographic ID
• Doing Business As (DBA)
• Subdivision
• Mobile Home Park
• Condo
• Agent Code
• Protest Status
• Informal Date
• Formal Date
• Tax Year
• Property Type
• Order Results by
• Results Per Page

Property Ownership Records & Results

Once you found the property you are looking for now you can see all the important details about it such as property tax records, assessed value, etc. This is useful information if you are considering buying a house or a commercial property in Austin Tx and want to know who the current owner is as well as the previous owners, the legal description of the property, the property assessed values, and the taxing jurisdiction and tax rate.

Travis CAD Property Ownership Records

Travis County Property Values

Taxing Jurisdiction

TCAD Improvement / Building

Roll Value & Deed History TCAD Austin

Certainty as a Service, and The Consumer Opportunities Enabled by a Home OS — Geek Estate Mastermind Newsletter #43

Last week, Greg went deep on “Certainty as a Service”, as a follow up to his piece the previous week on certainty for all. When reverse engineering the components that add up to a sum of certainty that Opendoor and Zillow are selling into the marketplace, he posits they revolve around a few core concepts; inspect, warrant, cash, carry, and float, which make up the ecosystem of certainty as a service.

Greg and I both believe Certainty as a Service (CaaS) will be a major topic of conversation in the months and years ahead as practitioners strategize how to compete against iBuyers.

I dove into the “Home OS” opportunity, an iteration of my previous thinking on the history of a home. We all know operating systems are the core of every computer, phone, and, soon to be car. Eventually, software will control the home as well. A few of the major consumer opportunities that will be enabled as a result are security, inventory management, a financial dashboard, partial ownership, and a home services marketplace.

Weekly Radar Sample

ADVICE ABOUT ADVISORS
Elie Finegold, who is a real estate and technology entrepreneur and advisor (EIR at MetaProp), posted The Advisor’s advice about Advisors. As someone who has been on both sides of this equation many times, there are some critical pieces of advice Elie shares. Notably, the importance of respecting an advisors relationships and having an agenda sent in advance. I’m always surprised with how many entrepreneurs don’t have a strong answer when asked: “What do you need help with?” – DM

WE DONT NEED NO EDUCATION
More stories are surfacing about the success of graduates from coding schools who seem to find well-paying careers at unbelievable rates. I was lucky to office out of General Assembly when I lived in New York and the quality of most of these schools is top notch, even online. Besides, “According to LinkedIn’s analysis of its 500 million users, emerging online educational platforms like Udacity, FreeCodeCamp, and General Assembly have each placed more full-stack engineers into jobs this past year than any American university.”  -GF

Mastermind Member News

• GeoCV partners with Halstead for 3D home tour that will blow minds.
• The Information mentioned Ribbon as a startup shaking up home buying.

As a reminder, the purpose of the Geek Estate Mastermind is two fold:

1. Curate the world’s most innovative and diverse community of real estate creatives, doers, and pioneers.
2. Make our members wildly successful in their careers building real estate companies.

If you want to read the entire newsletter, and future weekly editions, please apply for a Mastermind membership below.

Apply for Membership

The post Certainty as a Service, and The Consumer Opportunities Enabled by a Home OS — Geek Estate Mastermind Newsletter #43 appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

from theokbrowne digest https://geekestateblog.com/certainty-as-a-service-and-the-consumer-opportunities-enabled-by-a-home-os-geek-estate-mastermind-newsletter-43/

5 of the Hottest ZIP Codes of 2018

 

Realtor.com is out with its first quarter 2018 hottest ZIP code list. What we’re wondering: is it good or not so good to be an agent in one of the hottest zip codes in the US right now?

The housing market may be cooling down, but in some markets homes are flying off the market. In fact, homes in the top five hottest zip codes on the list average 16.4 days on the market. That’s barely enough time to get the lockbox installed.

In the meantime, based on Realtor.com’s criteria, which includes time on the market and the number of times homes in each ZIP Code are viewed on the site, we bring you the 5 hottest markets, according to ZIP Code.

1. Colorado Springs, Colorado (80922)

Coming in at the top of our hottest zip codes list is Colorado Springs. The Census Bureau estimates that the population of Colorado Springs has increased 11.3 percent since 2010, so it should come as no surprise that something there is acting like a magnet for new residents.

It could be all that good press the city gets, such as U.S. News ranking it at number two on its list of “125 Best Places to Live in the USA,” that’s bringing in new residents.

Or, maybe it’s the Wallet Hub survey that placed the city in second place for affordability and in the top 15 for education, economy and health.

The hottest zip codes can make all the difference

Then again, who doesn’t want to live in a gorgeous city with a low cost of living and unemployment rate with tons of recreational choices? In fact, the mayor there feels that their parks and the dollars mandated for infrastructure by voters are the top two reasons the city is so popular.

Newcomers can look forward to a median home price of $285,000 (which is an 11.3 percent increase from last year at this time). Agents here love that homes only spend, on average, 15 days on the market here.

2. Fort Worth, Texas (76148)

The second most-searched ZIP code at realtor.com is 76148, located in the Dallas-Fort Worth, metro. Here, folks can pick up a home at an average price of $176,867. Most likely, these homebuyers are yearning to buy in the City of Watauga, one of the larger city’s most popular suburbs.

Showcase your neighborhood with powerful farm pages – Learn more

The median age of residents here is 34 and nearly 60 percent of the homes are occupied by families with kids. So, the area’s schools are the primary magnet, according to the report. But, don’t discount the robust jobs market in the DFW metro.

In fact, it’s the hottest in the country, according to the Dallas Business Journal.

Being named to Realtor.com’s list of hottest zip codes isn’t Watauga’s first award rodeo. This is the second year in a row that it’s been named to the list.

Homes here remain on the market, on average, 16 days.

 

3. San Ramon, California (94583)

Located a smidge more than 25 miles east of Oakland and about 34 miles east of San Francisco, and, although it’s a 45-minute drive to Silicon Valley, many of the big tech companies provide busses with stops in San Ramon.

There’s also a Bay Area Rapid Transit station in the city.

But, many residents don’t need to commute to work because San Ramon is home to the headquarters of several large corporations, including Chevron USA Inc. AT&T, Bank of the Accenture and Robert Half International.

The median price of a San Ramon home is $923,113, a bargain compared to prices across the Bay Area. Homes remain on the market an average of 16 days.

 

4. Melrose, Massachusetts (02176)

Tucked away in northeast Massachusetts, the Melrose real estate market is fiery hot. Its location, less than 10 miles from Boston (and less than that to Cambridge) is no doubt partially responsible for its popularity.

But the median list price for a home here ($569,433) is also quite attractive.

And the homes! Clients in the Boston area looking for Victorians and other vintage homes will be in heaven here because most of the homes were built in 1939 or earlier.

Melrose also made the list back in 2015, when the up-and-coming area got “841 views per month, three times what listings in Boston receive,” according to the Boston Globe’s Katie Johnston.

 

5. Littleton, Colorado (80128)

Oh, Littleton, what a crazy-popular place you’ve become. With 15 ZIP Codes, it most recently made an appearance on realtor.com’s hottest zip codes list for its very active housing market in the 80123 Zip Code.

Now, it’s 80128’s turn in the spotlight. Buyers seeking large homes head straight to the Columbine area, where 4- and 5-bedroom homes are the norm and 96.6 percent are owner-occupied.

Those seeking recreational opportunities are also flocking to 80128. It’s southern boundary is comprised of Chatfield and Cooley Lakes and the South Platte River makes up the extreme northeast border.

Buyers pay an average price of $432,050, according to realtor.com but they need to act quickly, because homes only stay on the market an average of 11 days.

If you serve one of these ZIP Codes, let us know how it’s going for you.

Ready for a real estate website that works as hard as you do? Be sure to check out LeadSites!

What are the top 10 real estate websites doing to get traffic? Take a look.

Looking for a consistent flow of leads? Check out this webinar replay:

 

The post 5 of the Hottest ZIP Codes of 2018 appeared first on Easy Agent Pro.

from theokbrowne digest https://www.easyagentpro.com/blog/hottest-zip-codes-2018/

Agent Spotlight | Meet our NELA agent, Angela!

Coming Soon!

The post Agent Spotlight | Meet our NELA agent, Angela! appeared first on The Rental Girl Blog.

from theokbrowne digest http://rentinginla.com/agent-spotlight-meet-nela-agent-angela/

Furniture Showrooms and Home Decor Stores in Dallas to Equip Your Apartment in Style [Editor’s Picks]

Considered as a long-term investment, buying furniture for your Dallas apartment sure is a challenging task. Those hooked on online shopping might say that anything in the world is only a few clicks away. However, for such a purchase, most people would rather go into various home décor stores and furniture showrooms and hard test every […]

The post Furniture Showrooms and Home Decor Stores in Dallas to Equip Your Apartment in Style [Editor’s Picks] appeared first on RENTCafé rental blog.

from theokbrowne digest https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/home-and-garden/interior-design-design-and-decorating/best-furniture-stores-dallas-decorate-apartment-in-style/

America’s Most Expensive ZIP Codes for Renters in 2018

We’re in the middle of the rental season, so if there’s ever a time to talk about the most expensive markets, this is probably it. Much like outside temperatures, rents usually peak toward the middle of summer, and this year it really is scorching out there. The U.S. average rent has reached $1,409 in July—an all-time […]

The post America’s Most Expensive ZIP Codes for Renters in 2018 appeared first on RENTCafé rental blog.

from theokbrowne digest https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/apartment-search-2/expensive-zip-code-2018/

College Apartment Checklist: All the Essentials You Need for Your Home-Away-from-Home

Whether you have lived in a dorm room before or are moving into your first college apartment, such a transition can be as stressful as it is exciting. Planning is a good way to tame the worries that come with this experience, starting with a college apartment essentials checklist. As a general piece of advice, before […]

The post College Apartment Checklist: All the Essentials You Need for Your Home-Away-from-Home appeared first on RENTCafé rental blog.

from theokbrowne digest https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/apartmentliving/college-apartment-essential-items/

Coming Soon! | Costa Hawkins

Stay tuned!

The post Coming Soon! | Costa Hawkins appeared first on The Rental Girl Blog.

from theokbrowne digest http://rentinginla.com/coming-soon-costa-hawkins/

Austin Utilities and Services – Water Electric Gas Internet Cable Phone

Moving to a new city (e.g. Austin, Tx) means a lot of changes for your family, work life or company. Whether you are moving into a new home or renting Austin commercial real estate you are going to need to have some sort of utility services turned on such as electric, gas, phone, or internet. Since you are new to Austin you may wonder…….Who is the Austin electric company? What company do I call for gas services? Who are the internet/cable companies? Depending on the service it can take anywhere from a couple of days to over 30 days to have services turned. Because of this you need to determine your needs and time frame and call them in advance to find out how long it will take. Then coordinate having your Austin utilities turned on before your ideal move in date. To help you get started we have compiled a list of the City of Austin utility providers.

Austin Metro Electric Companies

Austin Energy

Phone Number: (512) 494-9400
Outside Austin (888) 340-6465
https://austinenergy.com/ae/

Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative

(800) 842-7708
https://www.bluebonnetelectric.coop/

Bastrop Power & Light

(512) 332-8830
https://www.cityofbastrop.org/page/us.home

Pedernales Electric Cooperative

(888) 554-4732
https://www.pec.coop/

Natural Gas Companies in Austin

Texas Gas Service

(800) 700-2443
https://www.texasgasservice.com/

Atmos Energy

(512) 472-6950
https://www.atmosenergy.com/

Internet Service Providers Austin Tx

CenturyLink (Formerly Level 3)

(877) 4Level3
www.level3.com/en/

AT&T

www.business.att.com/solutions/support/

Spectrum Enterprise Fiber

www.enterprise.spectrum.com
(877) 906-9121

Spectrum Coax

www.business.spectrum.com
(855) 388-7433

Grande Communication Coax or Fiber

www.mygrande.com/business/
(877) 881-7575
(866) 218-2555

Cogent Communications (Enterprise Level)

(877) 875-4432

Google Fiber

www.fiber.google.com/about/

Other Austin Service Providers

City Of Austin

http://www.austintexas.gov/

Texas Department of Motor Vehicles

Automobile Registration
http://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/register-your-vehicle
(888) 368-4689

Texas Department of Public Safety

Driver’s License (TXDPS)
http://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/
(512) 424-2000

Capital Metro – Austin Public Transit

https://www.capmetro.org/
(512) 474-1200

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

http://www.austintexas.gov/airport