All Forum Posts by: Ryan Kelly

Round Rock west is highly desirable with good public schools. Neighborhoods like Avery Ranch, Brushy Creek, and Davis Springs are well sought after and are also favorites for some international communities. West Round Rock is also closest to Austin and the tech company corridor along 183 and Parmer Lane toward the Domain. There is nothing wrong with Leander or Round Rock East, they are just farther from the city centers and are more concentrated with new home builders because that's where the current land is. 

I'm happy to connect you to a few great property managers here in Austin. Just shoot me a DM and we'll connect.

We've actually seen our property tax bills going down a bit the past few years in Austin as the assessed values come back down to earth. As others have said, it's the insurance side that has risen faster than rents. We switched all our properties to new policies in 2024 and saved over $6,000 a year. 

Hate them and the remotes are very difficult to replace. An old school wall switch is the way to go. 

@Tiffany Alfaro I don't recommend getting a license unless you want to help others buy and sell real estate. Like any profession, it will take many hours to master, lots of continuing education, dues and fees, and unnecessary distractions if you are just looking to purchase a few investments for yourself. Start working with an investor-friendly agent and focus on finding deals. 

@Mark Rodriguez if this is your first rental, keep it simple. Get a solid Umbrella policy and make sure to revise your current homeowner's insurance policy to a landlord policy. Real estate is a long-term play and cash flow is the last benefit you receive. The initial benefits are depreciation and loan principal pay down, then comes appreciation, and finally cash flow builds up to create a reserve and profit. I like the plan!

@Nick Volz join PassivePockets. You can network with other passive investors and see deals in real time.

Austin still has a higher inventory than a lot of markets, but most of the correction in this market happened between 2022-2024 where we've seen a price adjustment of about 20%. Currently, the good stuff is getting traffic and multiple offers. It will take another year most likely for Austin to balance out and appreciate again, but all bets are off if interest rates do come down steadily. I definitely think a "crash" is in the rear view mirror in our local market.

@Simone Montague-Jackson glad to see you are taking action! The key to rent-by-the-room is establishing clear house rules so everyone knows how to get along, clean common spaces, and how to resolve disputes. Lots of good content online regarding this process. If you end up not enjoying managing it yourself, check out Padsplit as a management option. 

Have you considered Padsplit?