Best and worst places to buy home (Austin, Killeen: house, buying)

[austin_or_sd]

Round Rock and Austin are on the top of the list.

http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate...7UWYSKUZ67YWsA

[cub77cub]

Originally Posted by austin_or_sd

Round Rock and Austin are on the top of the list.

http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate...7UWYSKUZ67YWsA

This is a good thing. We close on our Austin (Avery Ranch) house in less than 2 weeks!

[austin-steve]

While I don't disagree with the listing of Austin/RR, I think this is a typical article found in such magazines. the author glosses lighlty over a couple of factors, assigning them great import without looking more deeply into toher factors.

<LI style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 10px">

<LI style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 10px">Killeen, Round Rock, Austin, Texas: Killeen has the lowest average home price in any market in the nation....

So what? That doesn't mean anything, really. Also, with a heavy military concentration, Killeen is subject to wild swings in the economy, and one would always have to worry about base lcosures, which have wiped out the housing market in many small military towns. Killeen may indeed be a good place to buy, but a lot more research would need to be done first.

...while still maintaining quality.

I don't even know what the author means. What is "quality"?

Round Rock and Austin have seen incredible job growth and very stable home prices despite the downturn nationwide.

True.

Jobs continue to grow here -- a factor for keeping inventory low and prices stable.

True, except our inventory has soared, a fact of which the author seems unaware. What does "stable" prices mean? Some areas have appreciated double digits the past 3 years, other areas remain flat, with little or no appreciation.
Again, these magazine writes mostly have no clue. The paint broad general pictures with short quips and very little data, so it's always a good idea to dig deeper into what is being said. This one has the basic headline message right - Austin is a great place to consider in buying investment property - but there are ample bad purchases waiting to be made within the general area.

steve

Steve

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Killeen may indeed be a good place to buy, but a lot more research would need to be done first.

I don't think anyone that's actually been to Killeen thinks it's a good place to buy...unless strip clubs, check cashing businesses, pawn shops, and boarded up buildings are your thing.

[Trainwreck20]

unless strip clubs, check cashing businesses, pawn shops

You forgot the used-car lots....