Moving to Austin With a Special Needs Family Member? Read This First

Special needs planning and relocating to Central Texas infographic featuring an Austin home and family, with key considerations including Texas Medicaid waiver interest lists, school IEP transfers, local support services, accessible home design, financial planning, and building a support team. Richard Fowler Realtor.

This is more personal for me than for most. My son Sam is 21 and on the autism spectrum. When we got his diagnosis, we were a double-income family thinking about careers and retirement, and almost overnight our whole world reorganized around his needs. That is the lens I bring to every client who is […]

The Art of Real Estate Negotiation in Austin

Man in a black suit handing someone a key next to "Everything is Nogotiable". Real Estate Negotiation

Most people think a real estate negotiation comes down to a single number. You want to sell for the most, the buyer wants to pay the least, and whoever blinks first loses. After years of doing this in Central Texas, I can tell you it is almost never that simple. The number matters, but the […]

First-Time Home Buyer Guide to Finding Your Dream Home in Austin 2026

First Time Homebuyer

I got into real estate because of my own first home. We were still figuring out how to pay the bills when my wife, who happens to be a mortgage expert, looked at me and said we needed to buy a house. I thought she was crazy. I remember signing the contract with my hand […]

New Real Estate Commission Rules: Richard Fowler Explains What Changed

Man in black suit pointing at a real estate contract

You may have seen headlines about a big lawsuit that changed how real estate commissions work. In August 2026, a federal appeals court affirmed the settlement in that case, known as Sitzer-Burnett, which quietly reshaped how homes are bought and sold across the country starting in 2024. Let me cut through the noise and tell […]

Moving to Austin, Where Should You Live? A Local Realtor’s Guide

Man holdiig a map with Austin area cities on it.

Here is the thing most people do not realize until they get here: Austin is not one place. Living in a downtown condo is a completely different life than living in a suburb with a yard and a school zone, and the towns ringing the city each have their own flavor. We keep Austin weird […]

How to Sell Your Home the Right Way in Central Texas

A man in a black suit pointing at a red staircase.

Most people think selling a home is simple. You put a sign in the yard, you wait for offers, and you take the best one. That approach worked during the pandemic, when a house could get 40 offers in its first 12 minutes on the market. It does not work today. This week Jeff finally […]

Two Realtors for the Price of One: Meet the ARK Property Team

Richard fowler and Donna Ciccarelli the Ark Property Team

Most people hire one real estate agent and hope they picked a good one. When you work with our team, you get two, and I think that is one of the biggest advantages I can offer a client. This week I brought my partner, Donna Ciccarelli, onto the show to tell her story, because the […]

How to Choose the Right Realtor in Central Texas

Richard Fowler with a chainsaw sawing a fence

The right realtor is the one who fits your personality, communicates consistently, stays in their lane, and prices your home based on data instead of your hopes. Before you hire anyone, ask about their experience, whether they work both sides of the deal, and how they handle the parts of a transaction you never see. […]

New Construction vs. Existing Homes: How to Decide What’s Right for You

New contruction vs Existing Homes

After more than fifteen years helping families across Central Texas buy and sell, one of the most common crossroads I see clients reach is this: should you buy an existing home or build new? There’s no single right answer. Both paths have real advantages and real pitfalls, and the right call depends entirely on your […]