Living Central, considering a change. Advice welcome! (Austin, Georgetown: apartment complexes, to rent)

[Komeht]

The problem is the very same activists who protest stealth dorms are the ones that ensure they will continue by opposing all multifamily dwellings anywhere near a neighborhood.

50,000 students attend UT. There are going to be students in the nieghborhooods near the university. Neighborhood activists need to realize by opposing sensible student housing they encourage insensible student housing.

[ImOnFiya]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

Actually, have some friends in the area that have really been upset at the number of student rentals. As I understand it, houses are bought, expanded, and then rented out to 6 or more different students. It isn't exactly that area, but very close. Apparently, you can turn a nifty profit, and the 'covert student dorm' or whatever the locals call it are increasing. Let me see if I can find one of their web pages protesting it....

Eh, here is one...a bit dramatic, but I understand it is becoming more than just a minor irritation:
Background | Stop Stealth Dorms

Yes, in West Campus. The Stop Stealth Dorm movement is the counter-reaction to the University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO) ordinance passed a few years ago which has allowed F6 high-rises, drastically altering the West Campus landscape. Not in North University (NUNA) or Hyde Park neighborhoods where houses are now going for $500-799k. Why would someone build a stealth dorm and stealth-ily steal themselves out of hundreds of thousands of dollars?!

Doesn't make good business sense. So guess what? Probably not happening.

[love roses]

Originally Posted by llkltk

Why do central austinites complain about the direction the hood is taking? I mean, you chose to live near campus. I say that they have a right to put up those structures. I'm tired of the whining.

This exactly.

[CarnivalGal]

Stay and add on. Housing prices in that area are not going to go down. The student thing may be a minor annoyance, but I don't think it is going to develop into much more than it already is. Also, the Far West area isn't exactly free from students either. It's not as bad as the area you are in, but drive down Hart Lane at about 8:00 in the morning. You will see a ridiculous number of cars all parked there and the accompanying students all waiting for the shuttle to UT.

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by ImOnFiya

Yes, in West Campus. The Stop Stealth Dorm movement is the counter-reaction to the University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO) ordinance passed a few years ago which has allowed F6 high-rises, drastically altering the West Campus landscape. Not in North University (NUNA) or Hyde Park neighborhoods where houses are now going for $500-799k. Why would someone build a stealth dorm and stealth-ily steal themselves out of hundreds of thousands of dollars?!

Doesn't make good business sense. So guess what? Probably not happening.

You don't know what you are talking about. There's a massive one going up about 4200 Duval right now and the whole Stop Stealth Dorms website was triggered by a particularly outrageous one across the street from Lee Elementary. What makes the economics work for the developer (and there is one scumsucker really responsible for this) is that these are constructed as "duplexes" and that code enforcement won't enforce existing laws about the number of unrelated adults allowed to live under one roof.

[FueledByBlueBell]

I'd stay and fight

[mackenziep]

Originally Posted by llkltk

Why do central austinites complain about the direction the hood is taking? I mean, you chose to live near campus. I say that they have a right to put up those structures. I'm tired of the whining.

Actually, I think the university has a responsibility to provide housing for students. Especially given the value of close-in property in Austin. Undergrads taking over a residential neighborhood is NOT the highest and best use for a community.

That said, a lot of the reason that stealth dorms and student rentals are an attractive option for developers is that Austin doesn't enforce its own zoning laws.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by mackenziep

Actually, I think the university has a responsibility to provide housing for students. Especially given the value of close-in property in Austin. Undergrads taking over a residential neighborhood is NOT the highest and best use for a community.

That said, a lot of the reason that stealth dorms and student rentals are an attractive option for developers is that Austin doesn't enforce its own zoning laws.

No. The problem is the zoning rules in the first place force students into stealth dorms. A sensible zoning policy would recognize the need for student housing near students.

[mackenziep]

Originally Posted by Komeht

The problem is the very same activists who protest stealth dorms are the ones that ensure they will continue by opposing all multifamily dwellings anywhere near a neighborhood.

50,000 students attend UT. There are going to be students in the nieghborhooods near the university. Neighborhood activists need to realize by opposing sensible student housing they encourage insensible student housing.

I'm nowhere near opposed to sensible multifamily dwellings. We are surrounded by actual apartment complexes (three on our block and at least three diagonally across the street) and their presence doesn't even enter my consciousness. I would much rather live in a mixed single-family/multi-family neighborhood than one that is ostensibly single-family, but that allows duplexes. That's where the stealth dorms are able to get a foothold.

I actually don't think stealth dorms are going to be a problem in my immediate vicinity. Hyde Park and NUNA are all over this right now. And as silly as it sounds, there are a LOT of old oak trees around us - I'm not sure that were someone to make an attractive offer to all of the homeowners in our little row of single-family residences, that an apartment complex could pass impermeable cover/heritage tree preservation requirements.

[mark311]

Originally Posted by mackenziep

Basically, we need about 1,000 more square feet and we want to live in a school district with an exemplary elementary school. Is there something else we should be considering?

1000 square feet is a lot. Having the plans drawn up and actually being able to add on 1000 square feet without being hassled by the city every step of the way are two different things. I imagine that adding on that much would be very expensive in itself, not to mention the stress involved with a major renovation to your home with a kid either in or entering Elementary school soon.

I would decide very quickly as I'm sure you're not alone in your worries about your neighborhood. If everything that you see happening in the future looks real, you could probably get the most money for your home this summer while the market is very hot and not have to worry about that area getting overrun with students.

I do think you brought some adverse comments upon yourself by calling East Oak Hill "creepy" which sabotaged your thread a bit. I think most people don't know quite what to make of that.