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Derek Pflaum, Austin Realtor / LPT Realty, 3601 S. Congress Avenue, Austin, TX (2026)

08/27/2026

🚨 **Your Realtor should know more about contracts than captions.** 😂

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a Realtor being good at social media. I use it too.

But there’s a BIG difference between **marketing real estate** and actually **practicing real estate.**

When you’re buying or selling a home, you don’t need someone whose greatest skill is finding the perfect trending audio. 🎵🏡

You need someone who knows what to do when:

😬 The inspection uncovers a major problem
💰 The appraisal comes in low
📑 Something ugly shows up on the title commitment
⏰ A contractual deadline is about to expire
🏗️ A builder’s “amazing incentive” isn’t quite as amazing as it sounds
📉 Your home isn’t getting offers and the pricing strategy needs to change
🤝 Negotiations get difficult and thousands of dollars are on the line

Because when a transaction starts going sideways, **“POV: Your closing is falling apart”** probably shouldn’t be your agent’s next Reel. 😂

Social media can help you **find** a Realtor.

Experience, knowledge, negotiation skills and actually working in the business are what help that Realtor **get you successfully to the closing table.**

After 20 years in Austin-area real estate, I’ve learned that the flashy part of this business is usually the easy part.

**It’s what happens when things get complicated that tells you who you hired.** 🏡🔑

RealEstateAdvice

08/25/2026

🚨 **Your Realtor should know more about contracts than captions.** 😂

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a Realtor being good at social media. I use it too.

But there’s a BIG difference between **marketing real estate** and actually **practicing real estate.**

When you’re buying or selling a home, you don’t need someone whose greatest skill is finding the perfect trending audio. 🎵🏡

You need someone who knows what to do when:

😬 The inspection uncovers a major problem
💰 The appraisal comes in low
📑 Something ugly shows up on the title commitment
⏰ A contractual deadline is about to expire
🏗️ A builder’s “amazing incentive” isn’t quite as amazing as it sounds
📉 Your home isn’t getting offers and the pricing strategy needs to change
🤝 Negotiations get difficult and thousands of dollars are on the line

Because when a transaction starts going sideways, **“POV: Your closing is falling apart”** probably shouldn’t be your agent’s next Reel. 😂

Social media can help you **find** a Realtor.

Experience, knowledge, negotiation skills and actually working in the business are what help that Realtor **get you successfully to the closing table.**

After 20 years in Austin-area real estate, I’ve learned that the flashy part of this business is usually the easy part.

**It’s what happens when things get complicated that tells you who you hired.** 🏡🔑

08/25/2026

🏡 NEW CONSTRUCTION BUYERS : BUILDERS ARE DEALING RIGHT NOW. 🔑

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to buy a new home, this is worth paying attention to.
Recent national builder data shows:

🏗️ 63% of builders are offering buyer incentives

💰 35% are reducing prices

📉 Average price reduction: about 6%

And here in the Austin area, I’m seeing builders compete for buyers with things like:

💵 Closing-cost assistance
📉 Mortgage rate buydowns
🏠 Discounts on quick-move-in homes

✨ Upgrade and design incentives
💰 In some cases, combinations of several incentives
This can be especially important in Kyle, Buda, San Marcos, Georgetown, Leander, Liberty Hill, Round Rock and other growing Austin-area communities.
But here’s the important part:
The advertised price doesn’t always tell you which home is the best deal.
I compare the purchase price, financing incentive, closing costs, taxes and monthly payment to determine what you’re actually paying.
And remember, the builder’s salesperson represents the builder. Having your own experienced Realtor gives you someone looking at the transaction from your side.
I’ve been helping Austin-area buyers navigate builders and new construction for 20 years.

📲 If you’re considering buying in the next few months, message me. I can help you find out which builders are offering the strongest incentives right now.

🏡 Derek Pflaum | REALTOR®
📍 Austin & Surrounding Areas

BudaTX GeorgetownTX LeanderTX RoundRockTX SanMarcosTX

08/01/2026

**Just got my first time buyer under contract... in a multiple offer situation. 🔑**

Yeah, you read that right. First home purchase, AND they had to beat out other offers to get it.

In this market, that’s not luck. That’s having a strategy going in: knowing exactly what terms matter to a seller beyond just price, moving fast, and not hesitating when the right house shows up.

Huge congrats to my buyers!! 🎉

If you’re a first time buyer wondering how to actually win in a multiple offer situation, let’s talk.

📍 Austin area
📱 (512) 788-0038
🌐 AtxAreaHome.com

—

07/30/2026

20 years selling homes in Austin. Here’s something I keep hearing that drives me a little crazy. 🤪

“I’m waiting for rates to drop.”

I get it. The rate you see on paper feels like the whole story. But while you’re sitting on the sidelines waiting for that number to move, sellers are already making deals that most buyers don’t even know to ask about.

Right now, nearly half the sellers I’m working with are offering concessions. And I’m not just talking about closing costs. I’m talking about sellers paying to buy down your interest rate. Literally handing you the lower rate you’ve been waiting for, just structured differently than you expected.

A 2-1 buydown, for example, can drop your rate by two points in year one and one point in year two. That’s real money off your monthly payment, and the seller is picking up the tab. I’ve closed deals recently where the buyer ended up with a lower effective rate than what the headlines are quoting, because the seller made it happen as part of the deal.

Most agents aren’t bringing this up. And most buyers are still refreshing mortgage rate articles every morning thinking they have to wait. You don’t. The negotiating power is already there if someone shows you how to use it.

If you’re sitting out because of rates, call or text me. I’ll walk you through what’s actually available right now. You might be surprised.

InterestRates RealEstateTips DerekPflaum

07/25/2026

🏙️ 1,265 Zillow views—and the highest cumulative total among the active 78704 listings I was able to publicly verify.

That kind of attention doesn’t happen by accident.

At The Loren, Residence 6B offers something truly difficult to replicate: a private elevator, floor-to-ceiling windows, protected views of Lady Bird Lake and the entire downtown Austin skyline, plus the service and amenities of one of Austin’s most exclusive boutique residences. ✨

But even an exceptional property needs the right presentation, positioning and continued exposure.

📍 The Loren at Lady Bird Lake
🛏️ 3 bedrooms
🛁 3.5 bathrooms
📐 2,713 square feet
💰 Offered at $4,450,000

In today’s market, simply placing a home in the MLS isn’t enough, especially at the luxury level.

Your property matters. Your marketing matters. And your agent matters. 🔑

Interested in seeing why this residence is getting so much attention? Let’s schedule a private showing.

Derek Pflaum, REALTOR®
📱 512-788-0038

07/13/2026

The days of “take it or leave it” are fading. And in most cases, completely gone.

For the past several years, many buyers had little room to negotiate. If you wanted the house, you often had to accept the seller’s terms.

Today’s market looks different.

✅ Nearly half of recent sellers are offering concessions.
✅ Builders are competing with incentives like rate buydowns, closing cost assistance, and upgrades.
✅ Buyers have more opportunities to negotiate than they’ve had in quite some time.

What does that mean?

For Buyers: Don’t assume the list price is the final price. Depending on the property, you may be able to negotiate repairs, closing costs, interest rate buydowns, or other favorable terms.

For Sellers: A well-priced home will still attract buyers, but flexibility can be the difference between getting your home sold quickly or watching it sit on the market.

Every neighborhood is different. The best negotiation strategy depends on your local market—not national headlines.

If you’re curious how much negotiating power buyers and sellers currently have in your Austin neighborhood, send me a message. I’m happy to give you a market-specific update.

AustinTX HousingMarket ATXRealtor

06/21/2026

Happy National Home Inspector’s Day… also known as Father’s Day. 😂

Let’s be honest…

Home Inspectors and Dads have a lot in common:

✔️ They find problems nobody else noticed.
✔️ They point out things you wish they hadn’t found.
✔️ They insist that weird noise isn’t “normal.”
✔️ They have strong opinions about electrical outlets, water heaters, and caulking.
✔️ They save you from expensive mistakes.

The difference?

A home inspector only inspects the house once.

Dad never stops.

Tag a Dad or Home Inspector who has ever said:
“Well… that’s not up to code.”

06/13/2026

When a Realtor says the have a “Huge network” this is what I see in my minds eye. We all have the SAME network. It’s anyone with the internet. In the 1920’s-1980’s networks were everything. Homes for sale were in MLS books. Every agent and buyer/seller that has the internet can find homes and estimates online. Call me…. I have the largest “network” known to man.

Derek Pflaum, Austin Realtor / LPT Realty

08/27/2026

08/25/2026

08/25/2026

08/01/2026

07/30/2026

07/25/2026

07/13/2026

06/21/2026

06/13/2026

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