Home Buyer Basics
Your home search is as unique as you and we want to curate an experience that aligns with your lifestyle and home goals!
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Step 1
Qualify
Choose a lender and complete the pre-approval process.
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Step 2
Consultation
We begin every relationship with your custom consultation. We'll discuss your lifestyle and financial goals and craft a plan just for you.
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Step 3
Search
We'll cast a wide net around your values to make sure you're seeing off market and on the market properties that bring your house goals to life.
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Step 4
Offer and Negotiate
We love to negotiate! We're nice but we will fight for what's right for you.
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Step 5
Due Diligence
Inspections, negotiations, and vetting the place where you'll be making memories is such an important step, and we'll be here every step of the way.
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Step 6
Close on your new home
With so many details coming together, it's time to celebrate this momentous accomplishment!
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Step 7
Lifetime of service
We're here as a resource even after you close on your home! Wondering how an upgrade will impact resale? Need a contractor referral? We've got you covered.
Consider your monthly budget, and how much money you have saved for a down payment. At The Muñoz Group, we’ll walk you through determining your housing budget. The most important consideration is staying true to your financial goals. If you don’t have clarity on your monthly expenses, it will be difficult to determine your true housing budget. We can connect you with a lender who will pre-qualify you for a mortgage but there is more to coming up with YOUR number than the lender’s pre-qualification. With clarity in your numbers, you can explore the market with confidence.
It depends! At the Muñoz Group, we help you make sense of the market. While you’re likely excited to jump right in, we recognize that we’re at the mercy of the market for housing inventory. If we think you can do better based on your values and your budget, we’ll let you know. We want the right house to drive the timing though we’ll always keep your timing goals in mind as we move through the process. We’ve worked with folks who found the best house the first time out and others who explored longer. With healthy housing inventory, the process typically takes about 90 days. This means that you’re looking for the right house for a few months and then once you have an accepted offer, you can expect to complete the purchase about 30-35 days later.
A good rule of thumb is to invest 1-2% of your home’s value in maintenance per year. This includes repair and replacement for various components. If your home is older, you’re likely at the upper end of this range and if your home is newer the annual maintenance budget may be lower.
There is no such thing as timing the market! The best time for you to buy is when you are ready. When you have a down payment secured, it’s a great time to meet with a real estate professional to discuss your options. Markets will move up and down but what matters most in deciding when to buy is your personal situation. Schedule a buyer consultation to figure out if now is the right time for YOU to buy a home.
Even if you’re just beginning to think about buying or selling your home, it’s the right time to start the conversation. Our initial meeting will give you lots to consider. We often have a meeting months or even years before our folks make a decision to buy or sell. At The Muñoz Group we’re here to help you make great real estate decisions
Austin Foundation Issues and Clay Soil: What Every Buyer Must Know Before Making an Offer Do Austin homes have foundation problems because of clay soil? Yes, and the risk is higher than most buyers realize. Austin’s eastern half sits on Blackland Prairie clay, a high-plasticity soil that expands when wet and shrinks dramatically during Austin’s […]
5108 Eilers Avenue Austin sits on a quiet, tree-lined street in the North Loop neighborhood, just steps from Hyde Park. Built in 2001, this single-story home was designed to capture the charm of a classic Hyde Park craftsman, but without the wiring, plumbing, and foundation surprises that come with an original 1940s house. As a […]
Every evening out here ends the same way. You walk out to the back porch and just stop. The breeze comes through, the longhorns are at the fence line, the sun drops behind the hills, and the sky does something you haven’t seen since you left the city. This is one of those homes that […]
2200 De Verne Street sits on a quiet corner lot in Zilker, one of the most walkable pockets of 78704. As a result, you get the kind of easy indoor-outdoor living that draws buyers to this part of Austin in the first place, and you get it without giving up privacy or square footage. What […]
Every once in a while a home comes to market that has already done the hard part. It has a track record, a flexible layout, and a location people actively search for. 2202 Santa Rita St in East Austin’s Buena Vista neighborhood is one of those homes, and it’s worth a closer look. A Floor […]
There’s a stretch of East Austin that a lot of buyers are just starting to discover — and 4529 Best Way sits right in the middle of it. This 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom home in Chaparral Crossing has been fully updated and is ready for someone to move right in. A Kitchen That Sets the Tone The […]
102 E Crestland Austin sits on one of the best corner lots in Central Austin’s Holiday Hills neighborhood — nearly 10,000 square feet, a private fenced backyard, and a home that’s been thoughtfully updated without losing its mid-century character. If you’ve been hunting for a single-story house with real outdoor space, a flex room, and […]
Texas has no state capital gains tax. For most Austin sellers who’ve owned their home as a primary residence for at least two years, the federal Section 121 exclusion shields up to $250,000 in gains for single filers or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly. If your profit falls within those limits, you owe nothing […]
Summary: Single-story 4-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home on a 2.04-acre gated lakefront lot in Dripping Springs, TX. Features a resort pool and spa, built-in outdoor kitchen, stone fire pit, full plumbing replacement, updated HVAC and roof, 3-car garage, and Dripping Springs ISD. Listed by The Muñoz Group at Compass. The Property 208 Hacienda Place sits inside Dos […]