Relocating to Austin? We Can Help

At last count, 130 people a day are moving to Austin. Some rent and some buy homes, but all have the same concerns and needs. Top considerations are affordability, safety, good schools and commute time to work. Most are also looking for community. People want to walk or bike to parks, coffee shops, restaurants and shopping, and they don’t want to spend hours in their cars getting to and from work. The key to a good relocation experience is a good real estate team who can help sort through the data and help you make the best decisions for your family.

A good real estate professional will listen to the needs of each client relocating to the area and help them make a plan for their move. We put our plans in writing with a timeline and schedule so that the relocation is a smooth one. By coordinating with the Realtor in the previous city, we can time the marketing and closing of the client’s current property with orientation visits followed by the home buying trip on this end so that the process is seamless.

It requires a great team in place on both ends to make that happen. On both ends, a seasoned Realtor who knows the market and can negotiate the best outcome is an essential. We belong to an elite network of agents who provide outstanding service that gets top results, so ask us for a recommendation. A trustworthy and honest lender is also required—one who has competitive rates, in-house underwriting and processing, an approved list of competent and local appraisers and one who can deliver the loan at the quoted rate for an on-time closing. No one wants to sit in a hotel room waiting on a loan to be processed that was supposed to close three days ago. Yes, that can and does happen if you don’t have the right lender.  We have a list of preferred lenders based on the types of loans our clients need.  We chose them because of their honesty, their service and their track record for getting the documents to closing on time.

Many others on the team we’ve assembled make a difference too. By the way, we are not compensated in any way from any vendor that we recommend. We use them because they are experts in their field and have served our clients well time and time again.  Any benefits or bonuses are passed along directly to our clients for their use and enjoyment.

There are lots of moving parts in a real estate transaction, especially when you are moving to a new city and don’t know the professionals you’ll need to make your move a success.  As natives of Austin, we can help you narrow down the areas based on your needs and provide you with information about schools, neighborhoods, and your unique interests. We can also suggest the best inspectors, engineers, architects, designers, builders, electrician, plumber, roofer and other service providers. We are your keys to the city.

Yes, we’ve even stood in line in the pouring rain at 5:00 am to get a client’s child into the preschool they wanted. The bottom line is that we do whatever it takes to meet our client’s needs and make them feel welcome. We’ve hosted new families for Thanksgiving dinner, hosted bed and breakfast at our home, taken meals on move-in day, done a million airport runs, boarded pets and tended to medical emergencies. We love what we do and are happy to serve. It is our pleasure!

Laura Duggan, West Austin Properties, 3312 River Road, Austin, Texas, 78703; 512-750-2425; laura@westaustin.com