Best suburb of Austin? (Round Rock, Georgetown: real estate, low crime, homes) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

CT_trackstar · 01-31-2010, 04:00 PM

Considering relocating to Austin. I don't know much about the surrounding area. We're looking for a suburb with great schools, family-friendly neighborhoods, and low crime, preferably with a nice town center (not strip malls and big box stores). Newer homes, preferably without HOA, but that's not a dealbreaker.

And, how out of place would us yankees feel/be treated?

TIA

shankaupas · 01-31-2010, 04:14 PM

There are lots of nice areas with good schools around Austin. Besides Austin there is also Lakeway, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Westlake. What is prompting you to move? How familiar are you with the area? Will you have job(s) lined up before you move? Where you work will probably be a big factor in where you will live. There are 1.6 million people living in the Austin metro and commuting can be a challenge.

atxcio · 01-31-2010, 04:21 PM

The suburbs here are far different than those up north. All of them have big box and strip malls. Some have town centers, like Georgetown and Round Rock.. and some are trying to build town centers retroactively (Cedar Park and Bee Cave).. however, these "town centers" are not truly the centers of activity in those burbs. The big box and strip malls along highway frontages are the true centers of activity.

Having said that, the burbs listed all do really well when it comes to schools, family-friendly atmosphere, and safety.

Non-HOA communities are getting harder and harder to find, unless you are willing to look at older neighborhoods (which are usually not the best when it comes to the suburbs) or some kind of build-on-your-lot deal. The realtors on the forum will know where the suburban non-HOA communities are.

centralaustinite · 01-31-2010, 04:46 PM

don't rule out the city of Austin itself. compared to many places the city itself is much like a suburb (this can be good or bad) the schools in SW Austin, W and NW Austin are top-notch. And there aren't any HOAs!

Much depends on your price range of course but there are many great family-oriented neighborhoods in Austin proper.

Skeptical · 01-31-2010, 04:55 PM

Pay close attention to property taxes. They are high everywhere in Texas but there are some variations between the different neighborhoods. We live in an area of Round Rock where Property taxes run about 2.5%. There are some areas where taxes are over 3%. I can't verify this, but I've heard that Travis county, which includes most of Austin proper, has higher taxes than Williamson county which includes Georgetown, Round Rock, and much of Cedar Park.

Skeptical

CT_trackstar · 01-31-2010, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankaupas

\ What is prompting you to move? How familiar are you with the area? Will you have job(s) lined up before you move?

We're looking to move primarily to find a more temperate climate and better real estate values. If we pick Austin, we won't go until I have a job lined up (either government or legal), which presumably will be in downtown Austin.

TexasHorseLady · 01-31-2010, 05:34 PM

How far out are you interested in being? What do you like to do when you're not at work? Define "newer" (new build in a brand new neighborhood, established neighborhood but built since 1990?). By great schools, are you talking about elementary, middle, high school, or all of the above? (You might want to check out Great Schools to get parental feedback on the various schools, because the school that is great for one kid could be awful for another and vice versa, so you have to look at them with not just the stats but your own child in mind.) What price range are we talking, and are you planning to purchase or rent?

matlock31 · 01-31-2010, 05:41 PM

They both have founder school and a warm small town fell. Tammy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CT_trackstar

Considering relocating to Austin. I don't know much about the surrounding area. We're looking for a suburb with great schools, family-friendly neighborhoods, and low crime, preferably with a nice town center (not strip malls and big box stores). Newer homes, preferably without HOA, but that's not a dealbreaker.

And, how out of place would us yankees feel/be treated?

TIA

matlock31 · 01-31-2010, 05:43 PM

Wounderful schools and warm small town feel. Tammy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by matlock31

They both have founder school and a warm small town fell. Tammy.

CT_trackstar · 01-31-2010, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

How far out are you interested in being? What do you like to do when you're not at work? Define "newer" (new build in a brand new neighborhood, established neighborhood but built since 1990?). By great schools, are you talking about elementary, middle, high school, or all of the above? (You might want to check out Great Schools to get parental feedback on the various schools, because the school that is great for one kid could be awful for another and vice versa, so you have to look at them with not just the stats but your own child in mind.) What price range are we talking, and are you planning to purchase or rent?

Thanks for drawing out some info...right now I commute an hour, and I'd like to cut that down if possible. Right now, I have no time for hobbies

but if I did, I like to hike and trail run, but realistically, playgrounds with the kids/dogs and shopping/restaurants with the wife. "Newer" to me means built in the last ten years (I want the modern amenities and high build quality). Great schools means the whole range...I have young kids and want to stay put through HS. Finally, I plan to buy, and my ceiling is about $450k, but preferably below 400k; we need 4+ bedrooms.