Questions on Relocation from DC to Austin (Houston, Dallas: best neighborhoods, real estate)

[eleven]

Moving to Austin this summer but have not yet visited--Does anyone have any recommendations for an area to live in that has
-excellent public schools
-friendly, electic group of neighbors (at least some liberal)
-a decent commute to Round Rock (30 minutes or less) but not too far from downtown (or wherever else the restaurants, culture, etc is)
-trying to spend about $350 on a single family home for this but not sure that's realistic


We are 30 somethings with a young child who live in downtown DC - we want to raise our child in a suburban environment but we don't want to feel completely removed from culture, art, shopping, etc., or feel like it's a major family outing to get to those things. To that end, I was looking online at some areas in North Austin (in the city limits but Round Rock Indep. School District).

Absent your advice, I'll be forced to take the real estate agent's word for it.
Additional info re: Round Rock is appreciated too. The realtor is pushing it because of all the new construction (easy commission I suspect). I saw the postings re: the police. Anything else to be wary of? Among other concerns, I'm worried that we will feel too far from museums, galleries, restaurants, shopping, music, etc. that we have such easy access to here in DC.

Thanks in advance!

[Trainwreck20]

RR to Austin is not that far a trip if you want to get to the parks or events in Austin, depending on where you are in RR and what you consider far. I suspect the realtor is looking at that area becuase you can get a lot of home for your money in a new development.

For 350k, you have quite a few options for homes. Many people feel (and I can't disagree entirely) that RR does not have much of a community feel to it. It grew (and is growing) rapidy, and that has resulted in a plethora of tilt-wall buildings, box stores, and tight neighborhoods. There are, however, a few nice areas there, if you look.

I would look more in the Balcones woods/Angus Valley area (sort of to the NW of the intersection of 183/MoPac). I think you should be able to get a very nice sized/located home for that money over there, and they are older neighborhoods with mature trees and some interesting older development. These housed are from the 70's for the most part, so I don't know if that is a problem.

[AustinTraveler]

I'll try to somewhat answer your question. What you have described as far as neighborhoods is definitely Central Austin, but that's not suburban and it's more than $350K, so let me suggest a few other areas.

First, Round Rock is not what you're looking for. Shopping in Round Rock? Definitely. Every chain store you could ever want will be right at your door step. But, you will not have "easy" access to downtown restaurants, shops, museums, etc. Most people will say that it's no big deal to live in Round Rock but enjoy the amenities of Austin, but I suspect that those people don't actually come into Austin that often. My opinion is, admittedly, biased because I don't like living in suburbia and I happen to live 10 minutes from downtown which I think is the perfect distance!

Anyway, back to some other areas to check out. Your budget may be a bit low but with some searching it is probably doable. I would get a good realtor who really knows Austin and is not pushing Round Rock. I would look at the North Austin areas just west of Mopac (Loop 1). Some possibilities include Northwest Hills, Balcones, Cat Mountain, Mount Bonnell. This will give you interesting neighborhoods that are established and are an easy drive to everything Austin has to offer. You could commute to Round Rock using Mopac North, part of which is now a toll road. But, like I said, you'll need a good agent to find you a home in these areas in your price range. I know one if you're interested.

One thing I would definitely NOT do is come here for a weekend and buy a house. I know renting is a pain cause you have to move twice, but I would definitely consider doing just that. You can rent for six or seven months and by then you'll know exactly what your commute is like, etc. Also, it may take that long to find the perfect house.

Austin is not a large city and there are so many neighborhoods that are not actually out in the suburbs that have what you're looking for. I think besides price, the reason so many people end up buying out in the burbs is because they are so enticed by big, brand new homes. If you're willing to forgo the McMansion, I think you would be much happier (based on what you posted) in an established Austin neighborhood. You really don't need to live out in suburbia to get what you want, but of course you will pay more for a house. Trust me, it's worth it!!

Hope this helps.

[Rnelson]

Well if your looking for downtown and if sqft is not that much of a big deal then you have some options. Most of the homes are going to be older 70< remolded for the most part in great areas. For downtown i do a 8 mile search from the capital and what i found is that their were 121 homes on the market which 30-40 would be a perfect small family home ranging from 900sgft to 2000sqft most being around 1300sqft. Biking distance to any downtown destination.

Really if your not a sqft minded and need 15ft ceiling with a spa, 350k can place you downtown in a nice smaller home in some of the best neighborhoods in Austin.

You need to visit and just take some time to look at a couple downtown and a couple homes in RR that's all it really takes to make a decision on were to live. Total time "2 hours" and a good realtor that knows what they are doing.

[AK123]

I'm worried that we will feel too far from museums, galleries, restaurants, shopping, music, etc. that we have such easy access to here in DC.

Those are already going to be a lot different in Austin from what you're used to in D.C. Remember, Austin's not a huge city. To get anything like that equivalent to D.C., you'll have to drive to Houston or Dallas. Also, in TX you'll have to drive almost everywhere; there's not good public transit like in D.C. You may already know this, or may not.