The real estate landscape is buzzing with discussions about the National Association of Realtors' (NAR) recent adjustments. We're here to cut through the noise for you! ⚔️ Post shared on April 11, 2024. Info subject to change! What's Happening… The news revolves around a slight yet significant tweak in how commissions are presented and the handling of closing costs.  Despite the flurry of opinions and headlines, it's essential to note that these changes are still in the pipeline, with nothing set in stone until July. The Core Changes 1. ​​Commission Transparency: A shift in how age ..read more

  Hey there, I'm Holly, the Marketing Director here at Open House Austin. Today, I'm excited to share my journey of converting a room in my home into a separate rental space for Airbnb.  It's a clever strategy we like to call the "sneaky duplex." What's a Sneaky Duplex? The sneaky duplex is a house hacking strategy that involves adding an exterior door to a bedroom in your home to create a separate rental unit.      Essentially, it's like turning a room into a mini-hotel suite with its own bathroom, mini-fridge, microwave, and coffee maker.  We coined this term o ..read more

  Co-Founder Kristina here, back with another blog post on one of my favorite creative home-buying strategies: buying with friends! Pair this info with season 6, episode 3 of our podcast, available on Spotify and Apple Podcast. If you haven’t already, check out the two previous blog posts in this series:  Buying With Friends Part 1: What Makes a Great Partnership? Buying With Friends Part 2: Red Flags & Creating Operating Agreements  Next, I want you to consider how you’ll pitch the idea of partnering on real estate to friends, family members - maybe even co-workers! P ..read more

  At Open House Austin, we help people buy houses every day - especially first-time buyers who might find the process intimidating. We’ve each been in your shoes! And that’s why we’re so focused on education and creative home-buying strategy. With that in mind… In 2023, 63% of our clients who bought a home were doing so for the first time. We’re so, so proud of them! Especially considering the ever-changing real estate market. Our agile Realtor team played a huge part in this, pushing for significant seller credits ($$$) and repairs. ? Keep in mind, the following info comes from our team ..read more

  Hello again, it’s Co-Founder Kristina here.  If you've been following our Instagram updates or read our previous blog post “Buying With Friends Part 1: What Makes a Great Partnership?” - you may remember that we're focusing on the theme of "Buying With Friends" throughout January and February.  This time, I’m here to share insights on effectively navigating real estate challenges and the crucial role of an operating agreement in preserving your partnership. Pair this info with season 6, episode 2 of our podcast, available on Spotify and Apple Podcast. Spotting Problems & F ..read more

  Hey everyone, Co-Founder Kristina here. It's great to be back with season 6 of The Open House Podcast: Where Women Talk Real Estate. If you've been following our Instagram updates, you know we're focusing on the theme of "Buying With Friends" throughout January and February.  With that, I’m sharing some insights on the mindset piece and essential qualities needed to form an effective real estate partnership. Pair this info with season 6, episode 1 of our podcast, available on Spotify and Apple Podcast. Mindset Shift: There's No One Right Way to Buy a House Let's start with a simple ..read more

  Steph, here! Austin has always held a special place in my heart. It's where I found my footing right out of college, brimming with hopes, dreams, and – let's be real – a lot of student debt. With a fresh salary of $43K, my Austin adventure started on shaky ground. As I looked around my beloved neighborhood, the realization hit: I was about to be priced out of the rental market. This brings me to the heart of the matter - an initiative in our city called HOME. For those unfamiliar, HOME stands for "Home Options for Middle-income Empowerment." Its mission? To create more housing options f ..read more

  Thanks so much for coming out to our Community Space & Office Launch Party on Thursday, September 21st. We were blown away by your support and can’t wait to connect with you again soon at a future happy hour or Women Investor Group Meetup. To stay in the know, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Eventbrite. Photos by Drew Elaine. Head to this Google Drive link if you’d like to download some of the shots. Special thanks to our amazing sponsors + brand partners who have made this event possible: The Home Loan Expert, Bosscat, Tito's Vodka, Still Austin Whiskey Co., raw REPUBL ..read more

  SEE OUR NEW SPACE IN PERSON! RSVP TO OPENING PARTY ON 9/21 As Open House Austin has become a cornerstone for first-time homebuyers, sellers, and investors in Austin, TX and beyond - we've found ourselves needing more room to grow as a team, business, and community. We’ve dreamed of having a place of our own where we could hold our monthly events: Women Investor Group Meetups as well as our “How to Buy a House in Austin'' Workshop sessions. So, we set out to make that happen earlier this year by… Finding the right commercial space! It wasn't easy. ? If anyone is thinking of doing somethi ..read more

  At Open House Austin, we help people buy houses every day. As a first-time buyer, navigating the home-buying process can be pretty intimidating - sometimes, it feels downright impossible! But through these facts, we’ll shed light on who bought a house in 2022. It’s our hope that you’ll see yourself represented in these stats and confidently push forward with your home-buying journey! First-time buyers made up 55% of our clients. We said this last year, and we’ll say it every dang time - we’re so proud of them! The real estate market changed a lot. But, our clients kept an open mind to ..read more