Update. I first met with Eric on Oct 15, my 2nd day in Austin. I closed on my purchased property on Nov 23. That's not a typo. 5 weeks. And my new home and neighborhood is... spectacular.
And I'm a thorough buying investigator. Probably much more than most. I combed through many neighborhoods, listings. I vetted many options online and via discussion with Eric, and looked at 50+ properties (possibly many more?) in person. So... I'm not an "easy" shopper. I did not just look at one of the first few places I saw and said "I'll take that one." We -worked- on this home search, intensely.
This was my first single-family home. I had questions galore. Eric never blinked. He was incredibly and continually responsive. (Again: the lone, 1-star reviewer of Eric claimed Eric wasn't responsive; my experience is the total opposite. And I'm quite possibly one of the more-demanding personalities you'll meet.) Further, he doesn't miss a beat, no missed issues, all commitments kept and solid, everything scheduled precisely without a hint of impatience--an excellent skill. And it's remarkably valuable to have a partner like Eric for whom you need not track their work - it makes my effort so much easier.
Finally, Eric works hard to align with your goals. Yes, buying agents have an inherent conflict of interest: they get paid more solely if you spend more (on a property). However, if I get any sense that my buying agent is pressuring me inappropriately, I'll immediately cease the partnership. There was never, ever a hint of problem in this arena.
There's no way all the above gets done in 5 weeks without Eric and his team. Thanks guys.