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."
I want you to consider how you’ll pitch the idea of partnering on real estate to friends, family members - maybe even co-workers! At this point, you may have some simple answers as well. For example: “I have $15K that I plan to contribute toward the down payment.” Or, “I’d like to find a property with a tiny home to Airbnb out in the back…”
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…
I’m here to share insights on effectively navigating real estate challenges and the crucial role of an operating agreement in preserving your partnership…
Let's start with a simple truth - there's no one-size-fits-all guide to buying a house. We're encouraging you to approach this journey with an open mind…
HOME stands for "Home Options for Middle-income Empowerment." Its mission? To create more housing options for middle-income households…
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…
We’ve dreamed of having a place of our own where we could hold our monthly events! Learn about how we found the right commercial space and our experience working with Dani Klarić, a TikTok influencer and beloved interior decorator.
Thanks so much for coming out to The Pitch on Thursday, March 23rd. Y’all surprised us and seriously dominated the pickleball courts the entire time we were there! Check out these action shots…
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!
Hi, it’s Kristina! Co-Founder of OHA. Many of us are aware of the crackdown of illegal Airbnb activity in Austin. But, you can still have a lucrative and, most importantly, legal Airbnb in the city. Here’s an account of legalizing an Airbnb and the steps you can take!
It’s Steph, Co-Founder of OHA, and I’ve DIY-ed/rolled on a few tiny homes in my day! 🙂 Y’all asked - we’re answering: How do I get my tiny house project permitted? What does the legal side of the additional-dwelling unit (ADU) process look like? Check out these resources!
Kristina, here! At OHA, we’re big believers in “house hacking.” Simply put, house hacking is getting other people to pay the mortgage payments on a house you own. This is done by renting out the other units or rooms. Here are the best ways to find roommates or tenants for your home…
Y’all showed UP for our holiday party this year! Thanks so much for coming out to High Noon on Thursday, December 8th. We had an amazing time catching up with old friends and making some new ones, too. Looking forward to the next one!
They say we keep it weird in Austin, TX. That applies to some quirky factors you will quickly discover during the home-buying process here, too. 😉 Check out these unique attributes that first-time buyers and investors should keep top of mind while house hunting in town…
Read through this brief list (created by our team of experienced Realtors!) to guide the next conversation that you have with your lender.
If you have extended travel plans, why not rent out your whole home? Or, transform just a guest suite - ideal for busy Austin City Limit visitors in October. Here’s how…
Steph, here! I’m excited to share one of my latest investment adventures: purchasing and rolling a pre-built tiny home onto my property.
A Sneaky Duplex is a House Hacking strategy, specifically the act of adding an exterior door to a bedroom in your home to make it a separate space for short- or long-term rental…
House hacking is supplementing your mortgage, taxes & insurance (henceforth referred to simply as “mortgage”) with monthly income. While I was paying only half of my mortgage, my house was appreciating in value because I bought in a rapidly appreciating area. Learn how I did it!
People partner to buy their homes all the time - it's just been, traditionally, with a significant other. But there’s no rule stating that you have to be married to someone to buy a house with them. Your friend may be a better real estate partner than a spouse! Read on to find out how partnerships work, what makes a great partner and how to protect yourself with an operating agreement.
A home warranty is a policy that helps cover the cost of maintaining and repairing household systems and appliances. It differs from a home insurance policy, which is required by your mortgage lender, and covers the loss of your home and property in the event of a fire, flood or other natural disaster. Read how Celeste picked the right warranty for her primary residence, and it saved her big time!
We’re so excited to share our favorite statistics for our first-time home buyers from 2021! First-time buyers made up 76% of our clients, and we’re so, so proud of all 85 of them. Despite the market craze, they trusted us to help them accomplish their goals and our numbers show that it is still 100% possible to buy your first home with low money down.
For most of us, a house or a college education are the most expensive things we'll ever buy. And when you're trying to save tens of thousands of dollars for your first house, you need a different budget than when you use to save for a beach trip with your friends. Here are four tips to save faster and smarter for those big purchases in life!
Kara graduated college in 2011 with $25,302 in student loans, no job, and a degree in English. She shares the 4 steps she took to pay off her debt and find financial freedom!
Our founder Steph decided to build a tiny house in the back of one of her investment properties. Learn how she planned, stayed on budget, and made back her investment with our Tiny House Guide.
Real estate has been a white male-dominated field for a long time. White men set the stage, wrote the books, and made the rules. This narrow perspective that we’ve learned from and implemented has been harmful and that has to change.
The buzz 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 2024.