AUSTIN RE/SOURCE

While shopping for a home to buy in the Austin area, it became obvious that I needed to rent for a while, so that I could learn more about the neighborhoods. First one, then a second, real estate agent with whom I worked was glad to help me find a place to buy. But, both Realtors were not eager to drive me around to look at rental homes. The commission on rental properties is not great. --- So, I threw up my hands, and started looking on my own. I called about a home on craigslist. It had been rented already, but the Realtor who listed it offered to help me find a short term lease on a rental house. That?s how I met Linda Rogers, and decided to use her when I eventually do buy a home of my own. --- Linda is, as they say, ?quick on the uptake.? In very short time, she understood my special needs for housing. She was careful not to send too many listings, only those that fit my criteria. She did not push her own listings on my. In fact, she didn?t even mention them, unless they were in the ballpark of what I was seeking. --- Linda is proactive, i.e., if something looks like it might go wrong, she is on the phone, email and text messaging to prevent possible problems. Her attention to detail was quite impressive, especially considering how low the commission is for MLS rentals. --- Because Linda has worked with and for builders in the Austin area, she is very knowledgeable about the construction quality of many subdivisions and neighborhoods. She also is familiar with green and healthy home construction, which is a big plus. --- Linda?s partner in her agency is her husband, Louis. I feel reassured in hiring a Realtor who has a partner, as there would be a back up person, in case she would be unavailable during a critical time. --- What this is leading to is that I am quite certain that I will hire Linda Rogers to be my agent when I buy my home.