what about dripping springs (Austin, Point: for sale, apartment, renting) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

jcorfry · 03-09-2009, 05:01 AM

is it a nice place to settle? i've heard taxes are high, how about water? the hill country looks mighty dry.

iceshots · 03-09-2009, 09:04 AM

Very nice place to settle if you do not need to be within 5 - 10 minutes of everything. You have to drive to get anywhere, but, a relatively short drive will get you most anywhere, while you still live out in the country area.

All manner of housing available, from Master Planned Communities to older houses to ranches.

Taxes vary by neighborhood. In general, taxes in the area are about 2%, but in MUDs it can get near 3%. Most of the master planned communities are MUDs.

Check out this previous post for more information including tax rates for various neighborhoods. This tax data will be about 1 year out of date by now, but should not have changed that much. The biggest differences are in MUD charges and special bonds.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/austi...ml#post6957687

One of the common "complaints" you will hear on this forum about Dripping Springs is the drive time and commute with the traffic level going through the Y. While I admit that is a significant bottle neck, there are ways around it and while talking to people in Dripping, the traffic has never come up as a topic of discussion. Back home, the daily drive and state of traffic was as much an opening line as the weather.

Hill country is very dry right now. A burn ban has been in effect since last summer. I have heard reports of people with shallow wells going dry. Ours in 850 ft so I should not have a problem. Many locations are on the LCRA pipeline.

Schools in the area are good and receive good ratings. We have been impressed with the high school so far.

All in all, we enjoy the place and we made the right move for us.

jcorfry · 03-10-2009, 05:06 AM

thanks. we're considering one of the communities-highpointe. we'll be moving from central pennsylvania. we should be there just in time for the hottest part of the year.

iceshots · 03-10-2009, 09:26 AM

HighPointe is a nice subdivision. We looked at it very closely and was my preferred place to live initially. I like the Pulte concept of providing more bang for teh buck, but this is at the cost of very limited customizing options. I find their layouts to be very practical.

We took a look at some of the other builder models last year. Some very nice options out there.

The overall community is nice as well and the clubhouse and pool area is great. The whole place is very well suited to walking and biking on the trails to get around.

We ended up passing on HighPointe simply because we decided we wanted more of the country feel versus the subdivision feel. We also wanted to have a pool, and the houses we looked at did not have suitable lots.

Have you looked at other neighborhoods in the area? They all have their good and not so good points. Biggest drawback for young families in HighPointe is that the elementary school is in Belterra which is right next door. No chance for walking to school.

Good Luck

eichlerfan · 03-10-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcorfry

thanks. we're considering one of the communities-highpointe. we'll be moving from central pennsylvania. we should be there just in time for the hottest part of the year.

We were just in Austin last week and we decided on Highpointe also. It was very dry looking, but I understand there is a drought happening. Still I loved the landscape. I like the Pulte homes, and the fact that they don't offer a ton of upgrades. Traffic won't be a concern for us as my husband will be working out of the house, and as far as schools... my son is homeschooled. Although I did hear the schools are good, which is important in case he decides to go back to school or for resale value. As soon as our home sells here we plan on moving and renting an apartment or house till our house is built. What Pulte plan are you considering?

jcorfry · 03-11-2009, 04:56 AM

my wife and i live alone, so they all have plenty of space. we actually liked one of the two stories, but i didn't think we'd ever go upstairs. we like the hanover. nice open plan. i can use the office for my business.
choices are limited, but they work. i'm not a designer. we looked at a lot of homes and communities and kept getting lost in the price lists, the options, the column a's, the column b's, what you can get, what you do get and what you don't get if you do get...... the bottom line is if you buy a used house you get what you get. you fit yourself in and adjust around it. i'm used to that. it cost so much, i got so much and i lived my life, i made changes as they came up (the money, the time etc.). the difference here is i'm getting something new that isn't broken...yet. the tracks on the carpet will be mine. besides, i'm 60, how many more tracks can i make?

eichlerfan · 03-11-2009, 08:17 AM

We decided on the Sanders plan. It's a really big house, but we still have one child at home, and one will be going away to college in the fall, but she still needs a room when she comes home to visit of course. Plus my husband needs an office (works from home) and a guest room. So what the heck, we decided on the really big house. We figure this is our one shot because it's a house we never could afford here in CA. Good luck with your move.

iceshots · 03-11-2009, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcorfry

my wife and i live alone, so they all have plenty of space. we actually liked one of the two stories, but i didn't think we'd ever go upstairs. we like the hanover. nice open plan. i can use the office for my business.
choices are limited, but they work. i'm not a designer. we looked at a lot of homes and communities and kept getting lost in the price lists, the options, the column a's, the column b's, what you can get, what you do get and what you don't get if you do get...... the bottom line is if you buy a used house you get what you get. you fit yourself in and adjust around it. i'm used to that. it cost so much, i got so much and i lived my life, i made changes as they came up (the money, the time etc.). the difference here is i'm getting something new that isn't broken...yet. the tracks on the carpet will be mine. besides, i'm 60, how many more tracks can i make?

If you don't mind me asking, if you are 60, what is it that is attracting you to HighPointe? Is it the house designs themselves, or do you like the subdivision? Subdivisions like Belterra and HighPointe will naturally have lots of younger families and kids. My wife and I considered both and felt they would both be a good immediate fit for our daughter. But we then asked ourselves if we wanted to be in a subdivision once she heads off to university in a few years, or would we want to be more out in the country with more room around us. We chose the latter course and live just a few minutes further up 290.

There are a lot of smaller developments that have lots available, have custom homes being built, or just completed. The costs are similar to HighPointe and Belterra, and the taxes are usually lower since you are not in a MUD.

If a Master Planned community is what you are looking for, HighPointe is an excellent choice. If you think you may like a bit more elbow room, take a drive around the area next time you are in town. There are lots of options. There are 4 brand new custom built homes, never lived in, for sale on my street alone. 1 1/2 acre lots with hill views and nothing behind you.

chauncy · 03-11-2009, 09:12 AM

My husband and I moved to Austin in 1990 from NY state, and his parents decided to retire to Dripping at the same time (also moving from ny).They have loved it, and I have loved going out to visit, as it is beautiful out where they live.

jcorfry · 03-11-2009, 08:55 PM

i have an acre and a half now and no time to play on it. i have 5 acres in virginia and no time to run the tractor to hay it. i have a diesel motorhome and rarely find time to travel. a nice place with low maintenance looks good to me and who knows maybe i can make time to exercise.