Why the Best Austin Realtors Will Tell You Not to Buy | Berbas Group
The Hillside Home Our Client Loved, and Why We Advised Them to Walk Away
Sometimes the best advice an Austin realtor can give you is not to buy the house. This is the story of a hillside home a long-time client fell in love with, what our inspector and a structural engineer found, and why we recommended walking away even though it meant no commission for us.
It's one of the hardest conversations I have in this job, and it's also one of the most important. Our goal has always been to help you find a home you love that's also a great investment. Most of the time those two things line up. When they don't, you deserve a team that will tell you the truth.
The House That Seemed Perfect
We had been working with this client for a long time. They had toured plenty of houses, passed on plenty more, and we were happy to keep looking for as long as it took. That's how we like to work. We'd rather search for months (or years) than watch someone settle.
Then a home came up that seemed to check every box. It sat up on a hill, it had the space and feel they had been hoping for, and they were in love almost immediately. After all that searching, you could feel the relief.
So we did what we always do before a client commits to a home. We sent our inspector.
Why Our Inspector Called in a Structural Engineer
The inspector we send on almost every Berbas Group purchase is one of the best in Austin, and part of what makes him great is that he knows the limits of a general home inspection. A home inspector evaluates a lot of systems in a few hours. When something calls for a deeper look, the good ones say so.
Because this house was built on a hill, he recommended a structural engineer. The engineer is someone our team works with too, and we trust them both. Together, they looked at how the home was supported on its slope and what that could mean over the coming years.
Their conclusion was sobering. The house could have major issues down the line. This wasn't a cosmetic fix or a repair credit we could negotiate into the contract. It was the kind of risk that can cost a homeowner a great deal of money and make a home much harder to sell later.
What Should You Check Before Buying a Hillside Home in Austin?
Before buying a hillside home in Austin, have a licensed structural engineer review how the foundation was designed for the slope, how water drains around the house, whether retaining walls were engineered, and any signs of movement or erosion. A general home inspection is a great start, and on a hill it is rarely the whole story.
Austin's landscape changes quickly from one side of town to the other. West of MoPac, much of the city climbs into the Texas Hill Country along the Balcones Escarpment, where homes are often built on slopes over limestone. In many other parts of Austin, expansive clay soils swell when they're wet and shrink in dry spells, which is a big reason foundation movement is so common here.
When a client is considering a home on a hill, here's what we want answered before they commit.
Foundation design. How the home is supported on the low side of the slope, and whether it was engineered for the grade.
Drainage. Where water goes during a heavy Texas storm, and whether it's being directed away from the foundation.
Retaining walls. Their condition, and whether they were designed by an engineer or built by eye.
Signs of movement. Cracks in walls or brick, doors that stick, and gaps where trim has separated.
Erosion and grading. Whether soil around the home is washing away or settling.
None of this means you should never buy on a hill. Some of the most beautiful homes in Austin sit on hillsides, and plenty of them are built exactly right. It means the homework matters more.
Putting Our Client Before the Commission
Here's the honest part. Our client really wanted this house. They had waited a long time, they could already picture their life there, and at first they wanted to believe the risk wasn't as serious as the experts said. That's a completely human reaction. When you've finally found the one, it's hard to hear that it might not be.
We recommended they walk away anyway. We only get paid when a client closes, and we'd still make that call every time. Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions most people ever make, and we weren't willing to watch someone we care about take on a problem that could follow them for years.
That's also why we bring the best people in Austin into every transaction. A great inspector, a trusted structural engineer, and a team that listens to them can save you from the most expensive mistake of your life.
How Does the Texas Option Period Protect Buyers?
In Texas, the standard residential contract from the Texas Real Estate Commission includes an option period. The buyer pays the seller a negotiated option fee for the unrestricted right to terminate the contract within a set number of days. That's the window for inspections, specialist evaluations, and repair negotiations.
If you terminate on time during the option period, you typically get your earnest money back and the seller keeps the option fee. Once the option period ends, backing out gets much harder and more expensive. That's why we schedule inspections right away and bring in specialists like structural engineers while there's still time to act. When the issues are fixable, those reports become leverage, and you can read more about how we negotiate after inspections. The Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M also has a helpful explainer on option period basics.
It's also worth checking credentials. Texas home inspectors are licensed by TREC, and structural engineers are licensed by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.
Why We'll Never Rush You Into a House
Patience is one of the biggest advantages a buyer has, and the Austin housing market is giving buyers room to use it. In September 2026, the five-county Austin metro had 5.3 months of inventory, homes averaged 86 days on market, and new listings were up 7.9% from a year earlier, according to MLS data in our September 2026 Austin market update.
That means you can take the time to inspect carefully, ask hard questions, and keep looking if a home doesn't hold up. We've worked with clients for years to find the right home, and we're always happy to. Our job isn't to close a deal quickly. It's to make sure the house you buy is one you'll love living in and one that makes sense as an investment.
How to Tell if Your Austin Realtor Has Your Back
The best realtors in Austin won't mind if you interview them. Here are a few questions worth asking.
Have you ever advised a client not to buy a house? What happened?
Who do you use for inspections, and when do you bring in a structural engineer or other specialist?
How do you plan the option period so there's time to act on what we learn?
How do you evaluate a home as an investment, beyond how it looks?
Will you keep searching with me for as long as it takes?
If the answers are vague, or you feel pressure to hurry, that tells you something.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a good realtor tell you not to buy a house?
Yes. A good Austin real estate agent puts your long-term interests ahead of closing a deal. If an inspection or specialist report reveals serious risk, a trustworthy agent will tell you, even if it means losing the sale.
Should I hire a structural engineer when buying a house in Austin?
If the home sits on a slope, relies on retaining walls, or shows signs of foundation movement, a structural engineer's evaluation is well worth the cost. Austin's hillside lots and expansive clay soils make foundation questions common here, and a general home inspection isn't designed to answer them in depth.
Is it risky to buy a house on a hill in Austin?
Not always. Hillside homes need extra due diligence on foundation design, drainage, retaining walls, and erosion. Many are built well, and an inspector working with a structural engineer can tell you whether a specific home is sound.
What is the option period in Texas?
The option period is a negotiated number of days in a Texas residential contract when the buyer, after paying the seller an option fee, can terminate for any reason. It's when inspections and specialist evaluations usually happen.
Can I back out of buying a house after the inspection in Texas?
If you're still within your option period, yes. You can terminate for any reason by giving notice on time, and you'll generally get your earnest money back. After the option period ends, backing out is much harder.
How do I find the best real estate agent in Austin?
Look for a team with a documented process, trusted inspectors and specialists, strong local data, and a track record of putting clients first. Ask whether they've ever advised a client to walk away from a house and how they handled it.
How long does it take to find the right house in Austin?
It depends on your goals, budget, and neighborhood. Some buyers find their home in a few weeks and others search for years. With 5.3 months of inventory across the Austin metro in September 2026, buyers have time to be selective.
If you're looking at houses for sale in Austin, TX and want a team that will tell you the truth about a home, even when it's hard to hear, we'd love to help. You can browse Austin homes for sale, meet our team, or reach out to us to start the conversation.
Jen Berbas is the founder of Berbas Group, an Austin real estate team based at 3812 Duval St in Hyde Park. A Certified Negotiation Expert and former options trader, she has been licensed in Texas since 2006 and working in real estate full time since 2012.
Our goal as your trusted real estate advisors is to provide you with the information you need to help you reach your investment goals.
As always, real estate is hyperlocal and extremely situational, so please reach out to us to discuss your specific situation. We’d love to help you and strategize what’s in your best interest.
Cheers!
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