All Blog Entries by Janis Penick

For months, you prepared your home to list it, then after listing you waited patiently for a contract. it was listed and you waited patiently for a contract. After the initial showings, you received an offer and your property went under contract. For a couple weeks things went along smoothly then you received the unfortunate news from your real estate agent that the buyer was cancelling the contract.

A contract can be cancelled by a buyer for many different reasons. They may have seen something they didn’t like on the inspection, found out they couldn’t get the loan as planned or even just changed their mind. Whatever the reason the contract was terminated, it still puts you back to square one. When your contract falls through, how do you move

 What a gorgeous property with wonderful space to enjoy. Spectacular sunsets will become part of your daily routine when you escape to this peaceful sanctuary. The property is made up of 8+ acres with a three bedroom, two bath Palm Harbor home and a separate 12 x 28 cabin.

A nice front porch welcomes you to the main residence and wraps around to a covered multi-tier deck. You will definitely enjoy the views from here. The home has been well maintained making it move-in ready. The cabin offers two sleeping lofts, kitchen and full bath and would make a great studio or office or recreation space for anything.

The property also includes a small barn with pen and chute and a garden enclosed with chain link fence. The gently sloping landing includes

If you have been looking for a new home, you are likely to see many options with open floor plans. This option started to appear in the 1970s and really exploded in the 1990s and is still popular in many of today’s homes as well. While not all homes are open and many are only open in some parts of the home, it is a very popular feature that you are certain to encounter if you are shopping for a home. While you may think it is impossible to find a home that isn’t open, there are plenty of options today for homes in a variety of styles. Before you purchase an open floor plan, make sure that is the right style for you. Here are five questions to ask yourself as you decide.

1. How many people live in your home? The more people that live in your home, the

This gorgeous Caldwell County Ranch offers lots of possibilities and up to 92 acres of land to roam. Located in Dale, the property offers majestic oaks, a grove on ancient pecan trees, a pond stocked with catfish, rolling terrain, frontage along Tenney Creek and hilltop views.

Whether you are looking for the perfect spot to build your dream home or a recreational property with plenty of room to explore, this property offers that and more. Abundant wildlife call this ranch home including deer, turkey, dove and hogs. Currently utilized as a cattle ranch, the property offers cross-fenced pastures and a nicoloid pipe corral.

The seller is willing to sell a smaller portion of the property and is open to adjusting the property lines to meet the needs of

October is a busy month for live theater in Bastrop County. If you have missed the chance to see local shows, you have several options this month to enjoy.

Bastrop Opera House will present Dearly Departed two different weekends in October. Shows are scheduled for October 9-11 and October 23-25. They will offer live streaming performances on October 10 and 24 as well.

Playhouse Smithville will present Much Ado About Nothing October 9 and 10.

Both venues are providing socially distanced performances for your safety as well as that of the performers. Save the date for Elf the Musical at Bastrop Opera House in December and Jekyll & Hyde opening at Playhouse Smithville in late October.

The Janis Penick Team

RE/MAX Bastrop Area
Serving Bastrop,

A pantry is a great way to store food and other kitchen items within the kitchen but out of your cabinets. Since pantries come in many sizes, that leaves an endless variety of options on how you can best organize the pantry for your household. In a disorganized pantry, it is easy to lose things in the pantry but with some basic organization, you can keep that from happening.

1. Start by cleaning out items you don’t use or have expired. There is no reason to organize items that you will never use so start with this step. Moving forward, it’s a good idea to periodically clean out the pantry to toss items that you purchased but never got used for whatever reason. Cleaning out twice a year should be sufficient. Try January and sometime over the summer.

October means it’s pumpkin time and the Bastrop area has many options for you to find the perfect pumpkin this weekend. Several locations are offering a variety of fall activities for you to enjoy in addition to selecting a pumpkin to take home.

Barton Hill Farms’ will offer their annual Fall Festival beginning this weekend and running through mid-November. You will able to visit the pumpkin patch, get lost in the corn maze and snap the perfect fall photos with your family. There will also be live music and food and drinks. Limited tickets are available for each day so purchase your tickets online before you head to the farm.

The Elgin Christmas Tree Farm will be open for pumpkin fun from October 3-November 1. There will be a crazy maze, corn maze,

If you are planning to sell your home now or in the future, it will be important that your home stand out from other homes that it is competing against.  This doesn’t mean you should paint it a neon color to gather attention but rather you should prepare the exterior of your home so it captures the buyer’s attention right away in photographs as well as in person.

Start by Calling your Favorite Landscaper

Depending on the season and if you are planning to sell your home right away, you might not have time to overhaul the entire yard. If you have a time you plan to sell, communicate that to your landscaper and they will tell you what you can accomplish in that time. At a minimum, ask them to trim the bushes, cut your grass and add some seasonal

Andrew Carnegie once said “Ninety percent of all millionaires became so through owning real estate.” This is so true. While real estate values fluctuate like everything else, over time your real estate investments will appreciate building wealth and increasing your net worth. Even if you are happy in your home currently and for the foreseeable future, that doesn’t mean you can’t build additional wealth with an investment. Whether you are looking for land to build your dream home one day, land to build an investment property, a second home or just have extra money that may not be earning the return you want, there are real estate opportunities to take advantage of. Here are some properties, big and small that are looking for a buyer.

4790 FM 535, Cedar

With interest rates at an all-time low, this is a great time to buy a home and take advantage of the low rates. Buying a home can be stressful but it doesn’t have to be. With the help of an experienced agent and a little effort to avoid common mistakes, buying a home can be an simple experience.

Hire an Agent
Don’t try to buy a home by yourself. No matter how many homes you have bought, there are lots of things that will need to happen when you are purchasing a home. From finding the property and making an offer to negotiations, inspections and closing, there are lots of things that can come up during this time. Don’t guess your way through. Work with an agent who knows how to work things out to your advantage.

Stick to Your Budget
When you are