SELL SMART AUSTINSell Smart. Close Fast.
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Done being a landlord? Sell the rental, tenants and all.

You do not have to wait for a vacancy to sell a rental in Texas. The lease transfers with the property, and investors often prefer a paying tenant already in place. Or you wait, handle the make-ready, and list for top dollar. I own Austin rentals myself, so I can price your property both ways and put a written estimated net on each. I'm James Konvalinka, a licensed Texas Realtor.

Get My Written Offer or call or text (512) 368-1487
Real homes we've renovated & sold Completed exterior of the McGregor renovation in South Austin
90+ real-estate transactions Active Austin investors Licensed Texas agent #831102 MODUS Real Estate

Your Real Options

Three real options for a tired landlord

1

Sell as-is with tenants in place

A cash sale to an investor with the lease honored and the deposit credited to the buyer at closing. No make-ready, no vacancy, no parade of open-market showings. Typically it's one scheduled walkthrough, coordinated with your tenant under the lease terms. The tradeoff is price: an occupied as-is sale usually closes below what a fixed-up vacant listing would bring. I'll show you that gap in writing so you can decide if speed and simplicity are worth it.

2

Wait for vacancy and list for top dollar

When the lease ends, you make the property ready and list it on the open market. Retail buyers usually pay more than investors, but be honest about the cost of getting there: paint, flooring, repairs, plus every month of mortgage, taxes, and insurance you carry with no rent coming in. Sometimes the higher price survives that math and sometimes it doesn't. I'll run the numbers before you commit either way.

3

Keep the rental and fix the real problem

If the property cash flows and the real problem is tenant calls and turnovers, selling might be the wrong move. A good property manager takes the day-to-day off your plate for a share of the rent. That path doesn't involve me at all, and I'll tell you if it's your best one. Plenty of tired landlords need a manager, not a buyer.

The Mechanics

How selling a tenant-occupied rental actually works

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. In Texas a lease runs with the property, so a sale doesn't cancel it, and the security deposit transfers to the buyer. For any lease dispute or tenant question beyond the basics, talk to a landlord-tenant attorney. Here's what matters most for rental owners selling across the Austin metro, including Travis and Williamson counties.

The lease goes with the house

A Texas lease survives the sale. The buyer steps into your shoes as landlord, honors the existing terms, and gets the deposit credited at closing. Your tenant's rent and lease dates don't change because you sold.

Occupied price vs vacant price

An investor buying an occupied rental prices it on rent and condition. A retail buyer pays for a move-in ready house. The vacant listing usually wins on price, but only after make-ready costs and months of carrying an empty property. Compare nets, not prices.

1031 exchange if you're not done investing

Selling one rental to buy another? A 1031 exchange can defer capital gains taxes. The rules and deadlines are strict, so confirm the details with your CPA before you list. If it fits your plans, I'll write the contract to accommodate the exchange and coordinate timing with your CPA and qualified intermediary.

Verify me on TREC before you call

I'm a licensed Texas real estate agent. Look up license #831102 on the TREC website. My sponsoring broker is MODUS Real Estate. Ask the postcard companies flooding your mailbox for their license number.

I own rentals too

I'm an active Austin investor who flips and holds property. I've dealt with turnovers, repairs, and tenants myself, so I can price your rental the way an investor underwrites it and the way a retail buyer sees it. You get both numbers.

Your tenant gets treated right

No pressure on the people living in the property. While the sale is in my hands, showings get coordinated around the lease, notices follow its terms, and nobody is asked to leave outside the lease. If there's a genuine dispute, that's a question for a landlord-tenant attorney, not a sales tactic.

Real Projects

Real homes. Real work. No stock photos.

These are houses this team actually bought, renovated, and sold in Austin. It matters here for one reason: when someone tells you a house needs $60,000 of work, you want that coming from people who have paid that bill themselves.

Completed exterior of the McGregor renovation in South Austin

2609 McGregor · South Austin

Leveled, re-roofed, rewired, replumbed. Bought as-is, closed July 2026.

Finished McGregor kitchen with gray cabinetry and stone counters

McGregor · Kitchen

Taken back to the studs and rebuilt.

Finished open living room at the McGregor project

McGregor · Living room

Reworked layout, new flooring throughout.

Finished primary bathroom with walk-in shower and double vanity

McGregor · Primary bath

Walk-in shower and a double vanity.

Completed exterior and backyard of the Westbury project in Georgetown

515 Westbury · Georgetown

Targeted fixes, not a teardown. Closed March 2026.

Finished Westbury kitchen with large island and updated fixtures

Westbury · Kitchen

New lighting, hardware and cabinet work.

Staged Westbury living room with fireplace and open layout

Westbury · Living room

Paint, flooring and staging.

Completed exterior of the Croftwood project in South Austin

7729 Croftwood · South Austin

Flooring, cabinetry, tile, tankless heater. Closed 2026.

Staged Croftwood living room with modern finishes

Croftwood · Living room

Move-in ready at handover.

James Konvalinka of Sell Smart Austin at a home entrance
James Konvalinka
Founder · Realtor® · Active Investor

Look me up before you call me. I'm James Konvalinka, TREC license #831102, sponsored by MODUS Real Estate, and licensed in Wisconsin too. I'm also an active Austin investor. I flip houses and I hold rentals, so I've sat on your side of a tenant problem more than once. Bring me your rental and I'll price it occupied and vacant, in writing. And if the honest answer is "keep it and hire a manager," that's the answer you'll get.

90+ Transactions · 15+ Home Renovations

James Konvalinka, Licensed Texas Sales Agent #831102, sponsored by MODUS Real Estate. Every conversation comes with full disclosure and no obligation.

Before You Reach Out

Straight answers to the usual questions.

Can I sell my rental property with tenants in it in Texas?
Yes. In Texas the lease runs with the property, so you can sell anytime and the buyer takes over as landlord under the existing terms. Investors like that the property earns from day one. You don't need to wait for the lease to end, and you shouldn't ask a tenant to leave outside the lease terms. For lease questions, talk to a landlord-tenant attorney.
Will a tenant-occupied house sell for less in Austin?
Usually the occupied price is lower than what a fixed-up vacant listing would bring. But compare what you keep, not the sale price. A vacant listing carries make-ready costs, months of mortgage and taxes with no rent coming in, and commission and closing costs on the higher price. Both paths have transaction costs, and my net sheet shows every one on each side so the comparison is apples to apples. Sometimes the occupied sale nets nearly as much with none of the wait. I'll put both numbers in front of you.
What happens to the security deposit when I sell a rental?
It's credited to the buyer at closing, usually on the settlement statement. But under Texas law you stay on the hook to your tenant until the new owner gives them a signed statement taking responsibility for the deposit, so make that signed acknowledgment part of closing. Handled correctly, with that acknowledgment in place, your tenant deals with one landlord, not two.
Should I sell my rental or just hire a property manager?
Depends on why you're tired. If the property cash flows and the problem is late-night calls and turnover work, a property manager may fix it for a share of the rent, and that answer doesn't involve me. If the property loses money, needs major work, or you want the equity for something else, selling is worth pricing out. I'll tell you which one your numbers point to.
Can I use a 1031 exchange when I sell my rental property?
Possibly. A 1031 exchange lets you defer capital gains taxes by moving the sale proceeds into another investment property, with a qualified intermediary holding the funds so they never pass through your hands. The IRS deadlines are strict: 45 days to identify the replacement property, 180 to close. It only fits if you're staying an investor rather than cashing out. I'm not a tax advisor, so confirm your situation with a CPA before you commit to a sale structure.

Start Here

One address. We take it from there.

Tell us where the property is and how to reach you. You don't need photos, a repair list, or your lease paperwork to start. James will go look at it and come back with a written number within 24 hours. No pressure and no obligation.

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