Texas Property Insider- Austin Real Estate and Texas Coastal Real Estate Blog

Welcome to Texas Property Insider. The purpose of this blog is to provide accurate and helpful information about market trends and issues important to property owners in Central Texas and on the Texas Coast. You hear a lot of talk out there. You see the statistics, read the stories in the newspaper and you see practitioners regurgitate those same stories and statistics. There is more information available then ever before. But why is it, even after all of the stories and pundits have had their say, you still feel you can’t grasp what’s really happening in the real estate market?


There is a lot more to it than simple statistics and market info. These numbers are helpful and vitally important, but if taken at face value they can be misleading, even deceiving. As Mark Twain once said, “There are lies, damned lies and then there are statistics.” I created this blog to pull back the curtain on Texas real estate, interpret the market information and present it to you in a format that is both pithy and easy to digest.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

When Building a Custom Home...To Upgrade of Not To Upgrade?


When building a custom home, should you upgrade?


Every builder had a different definition of "standard." Builder "A" may claim that they have a "premium appliance group" or an "upgraded carpet package" for the same price that was quoted to you by builder "B" for his standard specifications- no upgrades. But, before you get to excited, compare builder A's package to builder B's packages. Sometimes you will find builder "B" has the same appliances or the same carpet as builder "A", but he doesn't refer to it as an upgrade.


In some cases, it is not uncommon to see builders offer bonuses and discounts that substantially affect the price (upwards of $12,000) of your new home. It is important to look into these numbers to see if they are real or not. make sure the "upgrades" or "discounts" really add up and be sure to compare these features and numbers in relation to other builders and their quotes.


Builders will sometimes often boast that they offer large discounts, huge incentive packages or a certain amount of free upgrades. There are literally hundreds of issues that must be accounted for. It is important to see through the vague descriptions and enticing slogans and get to the details.


Be sure to try and price the specific upgrades and see if they are worth the cost. Sometimes the upgrades are a great idea and will save you money in the long term, other times the upgrades are nothing more than a profit center for the builder.


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