If you have any doubts about the health of the real estate market in Austin take a look at the article, "Multiple Offers Make a Comeback" by Autumn Rhea Carpenter in the September/October issue of Austin Realtor. The piece includes the story of one realtor whose clients submitted an offer on a house only to be faced with stiff competition -- 12 offers on the same property in 24 hours! If you get in a situation like that on a property you really want, is how do you make yourself stand out?

The most important thing is to illustrate that you're serious about showing up for the closing. You're there to do business and you're interested in making that happen. First and foremost, make sure all realtors concerned are really communicating. Buyer's and seller's…

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Each month, Realtor.com compiles listing information across 146 markets. The numbers provide a good blood pressure check of what's going on in the industry based purely on consumer behavior. As investors, we have to keep our eye on economic indicators relevant to our market. The July figures indicate several positive trends I want to highlight.

First, sales of existing homes are up. That's always a good sign. People buy when they have confidence in their financial position as it relates to the broader economy. Especially as we enter the presidential election season, the fact that buyers are willing to take on a mortgage -- and that they can qualify for that financing -- is an indicator of national economic recovery. (We also have to remember that…

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