Which is the better city: Manor or Hutto? (Austin: foreclosures, home)

[meowmeow25]

Originally Posted by cwl1994

I agree with the Round Rock statement! However I would maybe think about Manor. In the next coming years Manor will expand quickly and many new homes will be set up left and right. In 20 years your home may be worth more in Manor than in Hutto. I know that people are heading out that way because of the new highway which was built to connect austin to manor. Hutto will be always a bit more out there from the major roads to take you to Austin, the closest main city.

What is in Austin itself? Good shopping areas? We looked at a rental house in Austin and I was shocked at the price considering the neighborhood. Trash was all over the roadside, people blasting music out of their cars all over, burglar bars on most of the homes; a real run down place renting for the same price as a decent home in Hutto, RR and Cedar Park.

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Originally Posted by meowmeow25

Hahaha what's so bad about Round Rock?

The only complaint I have about RR is downtown and parking. My comment was in friendly jest, nothing serious or personal. Maybe categorize it: Failed attempt at humor.

[blackbunneh]

I had been looking for housing in Round Rock, but in the only affordable areas (houses < $150K) I was warned of lousy schools and gang activity. I don't know how true it is, but it sounds discouraging. (Specifically I was warned away from Bluebonnet, Voigt, and Gattis elementary schools and those areas.) Maybe that is not bad for you if you don't have kids. I have been through a couple of those neighborhoods and I love the mature trees!

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by meowmeow25

What is in Austin itself? Good shopping areas? We looked at a rental house in Austin and I was shocked at the price considering the neighborhood. Trash was all over the roadside, people blasting music out of their cars all over, burglar bars on most of the homes; a real run down place renting for the same price as a decent home in Hutto, RR and Cedar Park.

I've asked that question, too. The only thing I can think of is 'better commute' but even that isn't true because if you live outside of the central core, you are idling in traffic as well. I guess the answer is 'Google Fiber'

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by blackbunneh

I had been looking for housing in Round Rock, but in the only affordable areas (houses < $150K) I was warned of lousy schools and gang activity. I don't know how true it is, but it sounds discouraging. (Specifically I was warned away from Bluebonnet, Voigt, and Gattis elementary schools and those areas.) Maybe that is not bad for you if you don't have kids. I have been through a couple of those neighborhoods and I love the mature trees!

I don't think the student bodies of those schools are jr. Crips. And it all depends on your own kids -- they learn at their own pace and not all react well to incubator schools. Some kids, like myself, would do well anywhere. I attended a great elementary and middle school and commuted to Felon High School in Hells Kitchen. There's a reason why there are no class reunions - half the student body is probably serving time. Luckily, the program that I was in was basically college prep and largely automous from the rest of the school. I still had to take some classes with the general population though.

Why aren't you checking out Pflugerville? I seriously don't understand why people keep steering people west of 35. If you can give Leander, RR, or any of the other suburbs a look, then you should also give Pf a look. At least you won't have to sacrifice safety if you pay 150k for a house and the schools wouldn't be truly crappy either. In case no one realized it, Pf was #46 in Money Magazine's best places to live. If Pf was smart, it'd play up the fact that a place can be affordable and still feature quiet living and low crime.

[blackbunneh]

Originally Posted by riaelise

I don't think the student bodies of those schools are jr. Crips. And it all depends on your own kids -- they learn at their own pace and not all react well to incubator schools. Some kids, like myself, would do well anywhere.

Thanks for the input-- all I know about those areas come from people I know in the area, so I don't know how much is true and how much is snobbery.

What is an "incubator school"? I don't know that term.

I don't know if my kids would do well anywhere. My oldest has autism. The OP doesn't have kids, I think, so they might like the areas whether the schools are good or bad. Is there really gang activity in RR?

[cwl1994]

Originally Posted by meowmeow25

What is in Austin itself? Good shopping areas? We looked at a rental house in Austin and I was shocked at the price considering the neighborhood. Trash was all over the roadside, people blasting music out of their cars all over, burglar bars on most of the homes; a real run down place renting for the same price as a decent home in Hutto, RR and Cedar Park.

Location, Location, Location. You were obviously looking in the Northeast or East side of town (Maybe south central) but all of these places are MUCH closer to downtown than Hutto, RR, and Cedar Park. Go to the west side of austin (Northwest, southwest, and central west) or central Austin and you will find much more expensive, bigger, and really nice. Much of the ghetto of Austin is going through a shift, it is becoming nicer and more people with higher incomes are moving in because it is slightly cheaper than the west side. Central West Austin is slightly less expensive than Tarrytown and so people choose to move there because it is the same distance to downtown. I say within 15 years that neighborhoods you were looking in will still not be up the standard the west side has but many of those burglar bars will be removed, and it will be a cleaner and most inviting place as well.

Austin is a city of over 800,000 so ANYTHING that you expect a city to have it will have. And downtown/music/nightlife is unbeatable in Texas, and possibly the south but that is all a matter of opinion.

[vonfirmath]

Originally Posted by mesmer

I've known more than one person happily living in Hutto. I've never known a single person living in Manor at all... I knew someone that worked out there, and they weren't impressed. Hutto is probably a better bet from both a liveability and commuting standpoint.

This matches my experience. I work in Manor (5 years and counting now)

Lived in South Austin/Del Valle for the first 4 years -- 3 moves. never once chose to move to Manor. Then we bought a house. We didn't even look in Manor. We bought in Pflugerville. I still commute to Manor everyday.

No one in our company lives in Manor. They live in Taylor, Elgin, even South Austin and almost to Kyle. But not right here next door. (But they do have a good childcare center here. And really nice people!)

I have several good friends in Hutto. Have gone to parties there and it feels friendly.

[sxrckr]

I agree with Round Rock over either.

Otherwise, Hutto.

[arowhen1]

Hello. My family and I are considering buying a home in Elgin but I don't know much about Elgin. We are deciding to bypass Manor because of the views on the school district. I would like to know (from people who live in Elgin currently and have school aged children) how are the schools in Elgin; specifically the middle school? Is Elgin a nice place to live? How is the crime rate there? How is the commute into Austin and other suburb areas such as Pflugerville, Round Rock, etc?