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Hi! I'm a long time reader of this board...first time posting in this forum. Sorry in advance that this is so long. We are a family from Chicago that is seriously considering a move to Austin for my husband's career. I am hoping for some advice regarding specific areas of Austin that we should be considering for our potential, future home. I would also appreciate some ideas on how to approach a "scouting" trip that my husband and I are trying to take in the next month or so.
My husband and I (both lifelong midwesterners) are in our mid-late 30's. I am a stay at home mom. We have two children who are 5 and 2. We also have two small-mid sized dogs and three cats. The kids and I are vegetarians, but my husband is looking forward to lots of Texas BBQ at lunch. My husband and I are politically liberal, but currently live in a more conservative community. We would be very happy to live in a liberal area, but have co-existed quite peacefully for many, many years in the political minority. I thought that I would just throw out which side of the fence we fall, but wanted to make it clear that we tend to get along with both sides (provided that the other side is respectful of us). Despite our "hippie" persuasions, we are a pretty normal, average family.
Our housing budget is around around 400-450k. We could go up to 500k, if needed, but would love it if we could find what we wanted for less. Ideally, we would like a 4br, 3000+sq foot (which is comparable to what we are in now) in a good school district, close to husband's work, and not too far from downtown. It appears that most of the companies that my husband is looking at are in the NW Austin area (tech industry). I understand that Eanes is considered to be "the best" school district, but I don't think that would be the best fit for us based on our housing budget. I also would prefer to live and have my kids go to school in a more middle class community where there could possibly be more economic diversity. I keep finding myself looking at the RRISD area of Great Hills. I also like the look of Canyon Creek, but I'm concerned that might be a little too far out. I'm curious if there are any other areas that I should be focusing on.
Here are a few things that would earn bonus points for us:
- a neighborhood where we could walk to parks, the grocery store, coffee shop, etc...not sure if that is really possible, but we have that now and I love it.
- close to a good health food store. I know Trader Joe's isn't in the area, but I'm intrigued by the "Sprouts" stores. I'm also super excited about the year long Farmer's Markets in Austin.
- close to a decent gym like Lifetime Fitness or 24 Hour Fitness. Again, I am within walking distance of my gym now and I love that!
- a good Montessori preschool nearby for my 2 year old in a couple of years
As for our "scouting" trip, we are on the verge of booking tickets to come down for a long weekend from April 15-18th. Is there anything going on this weekend that would make it less than ideal for us to visit? I would prefer to get down there sooner, but between SXSW, my 5 yo's spring break, and other commitments, this seems to be the earliest we can get down there.
Can anyone recommend a good place to stay? I'm thinking that we should probably stay in the Arboretum area since that seems to be where I am focused on. Any suggestions for a not terribly expensive, but decent hotel (along the lines of a Fairfield, Comfort Inn) that is close (ideally walking distance) to some restaurants. I am somewhat tempted to stay closer to where the action is since this will be a kidless trip, so if there are any suggestions in that area as well, I'd love to hear them.
If hubby is employed in the NW "tech area", then the areas that you've mentioned will be good fits. Canyon Creek, & all the Great Hills (area) neighborhoods are within a 30-40 min. drive during rush hour & a 15-20 min. drive at other times.
Just to compare, I'd also look at the Twin Creeks area & the Avery Ranch area (both a little further out, but both very nice). I'd also look at Steiner & Riverplace for reference points..... But given your price range & desire for proximity to NW employers, quasi liberal, great schools & family friendly....then the neighborhoods flowing into Westwood HS would hit all the bases.
Be sure to factor (into your budget) 10 -12K for real estate taxes on a 400-450K home.
I'd stay as near the corner of Great Hills & 183 as you can when you visit. Probably 2-3 dozen places to choose from. Do some hotel.com shopping & come back here for opinions when you narrow it down to 3-4 hotels.
Good luck.
EDIT - I'LL AGREE WITH CENTRALAUSTINITE'S SUGGESTION TO ALSO LOOK AT AREAS THAT FEED INTO ANDERSON HS. (MIGHT EVEN ADD JESTER TO THE LIST).
Last edited by hound 109; 03-15-2010 at 02:15 PM..
In your price range, you could also do Doss Elementary, Murchison MS, and Anderson HS in AISD. Very good schools, and lots of places to walk to around Far West Blvd, Mesa, etc. 78731 and 78759, some of 78759 also feeds in to Westwood HS in Round Rock, another excellent track.
Get a good realtor with lots of experience in the area.
Another possibility might be Allandale but the homes will be a bit smaller. Big lots though. At least drive through.
Nice post. Looks like you are really doing your homework. The Great Hills area is a great area with the top schools (by scores) in the RRISD. The area is very scenic with lots of mature trees and hills (hence the name Great Hills). If you do choose to live in the Great Hills area and if you're husband works in NW Austin, then the commute should not really be much of an issue at all. My husband works in NW Austin (adjacent to the Arboreturm) and commutes from Southeast Round Rock and the commute is fairly easy using the new toll roads. We do have Whole Foods in Austin and there is a store not to far South of Great Hills on 360 just East of 183. The headquarters for Whole Foods is downtown on 6th an Lamar. If you are looking for a real nice place to stay, you might want to check out the Renaissance Hotel in the Arboretum.
Hotwire is pretty good for getting a reduction in rates if you buy at a high star level. I would only book 3* or higher in the Arboretum, Downtown, or South areas. The North part of Austin has some 3* and above hotels but the area is a bit rough.
Austin's downtown is fairly spread out and I'm not sure its worth it paying the extra for a downtown hotel. You will pay extra fees for parking but you will still have to drive or take buses to get around.
In the Great Hills area, you're going to have a Sprouts AND a Whole Foods very close. There are currently 7 houses on the market in Great Hills that fit your criteria as far as square footage and number of bedrooms is concerned that are in your price range. However, Canyon Creek is not all that far away, and you might also want to look at Westridge.
River Place and Steiner are other possibilities - depending on where he ends up working, a 20-30 minute commute, and you'd likely find a lot of what you're looking for there, as well.
You could also check out Cat Mountain (not a lot in your price range, but it does happen) and Twin Mesa areas - those would put you between the area where he'll be working and downtown, for the best of both worlds.
In other words, you're going to have a LOT to choose from.
Oh, and something else to know - there's a lot of "the action" that occurs outside of downtown, in Austin.
Another neighborhood that is a little further North in Cedar Park but might also be of interest is Red Oaks. It is in the Leander ISD as are Steiner Ranch and Riverplace and parts of Avery Ranch that others have mentioned. Red Oaks is a new neighborhood with most homes being built within the last 4 years. Most of the homes that you will find in the Great Hills area will be 10+ years old. As for homes in the Great Hills area, I also took a quick peek in the MLS and I looked for homes feeding into Westwood HS and found 20 homes between $400K and $500K that fit your criteria. But like THL said, you will have lots to choose from in the Northwest. You just need to find what feels comfortable for you.
Is your husband on the verge of landing a job in Austin? Is he only looking at companies in Northwest Austin? If he is also looking at companies in the Southwest area like Freescale or AMD, you might also want to consider looking at the Southwest neighborhoods like Circle C.
Live close to where you work, that's my only advice. If your H gets a job in NW Austin, live there. If it's in SW Austin, live there. The traffic is not to be believed. A commute can easily end up one hour each way, oftentimes more.
The "bonuses" that you mention (fun things within walking distance) really only exist in Austin proper. I live in Austin central and walk to Whole Foods, my gym, all of the boutiques I shop at, the dry cleaners, the vet, my doctor's office, the pharmacy, and the nightlife. It's nice being plugged into a neighborhood where this is possible, which is why I don't mind paying a little more. My gas expenses for the month are under $20.
That's not to say that you don't have these things in other areas of Austin, but a short drive will be involved from one place to another. You really do need to investigate Austin before you move here to find out what's right for you and where you feel comfortable. I suspect that real estate prices may normalize in the coming months, so don't write Eanes off just yet. There's been a slow but steady drop in housing prices all over the city, even downtown.
Our housing budget is around around 400-450k. We could go up to 500k, if needed, but would love it if we could find what we wanted for less. Ideally, we would like a 4br, 3000+sq foot (which is comparable to what we are in now) in a good school district, close to husband's work, and not too far from downtown. It appears that most of the companies that my husband is looking at are in the NW Austin area (tech industry). I understand that Eanes is considered to be "the best" school district, but I don't think that would be the best fit for us based on our housing budget. I also would prefer to live and have my kids go to school in a more middle class community where there could possibly be more economic diversity. I keep finding myself looking at the RRISD area of Great Hills. I also like the look of Canyon Creek, but I'm concerned that might be a little too far out. I'm curious if there are any other areas that I should be focusing on.
Here are a few things that would earn bonus points for us:
- a neighborhood where we could walk to parks, the grocery store, coffee shop, etc...not sure if that is really possible, but we have that now and I love it.
- close to a good health food store. I know Trader Joe's isn't in the area, but I'm intrigued by the "Sprouts" stores. I'm also super excited about the year long Farmer's Markets in Austin.
- close to a decent gym like Lifetime Fitness or 24 Hour Fitness. Again, I am within walking distance of my gym now and I love that!
- a good Montessori preschool nearby for my 2 year old in a couple of years
As for our "scouting" trip, we are on the verge of booking tickets to come down for a long weekend from April 15-18th. Is there anything going on this weekend that would make it less than ideal for us to visit? I would prefer to get down there sooner, but between SXSW, my 5 yo's spring break, and other commitments, this seems to be the earliest we can get down there.
Can anyone recommend a good place to stay? I'm thinking that we should probably stay in the Arboretum area since that seems to be where I am focused on. Any suggestions for a not terribly expensive, but decent hotel (along the lines of a Fairfield, Comfort Inn) that is close (ideally walking distance) to some restaurants. I am somewhat tempted to stay closer to where the action is since this will be a kidless trip, so if there are any suggestions in that area as well, I'd love to hear them.
Thank you so much!
generally speaking austin is a driving city. You really wont find anything within walking distance that fits your criteria. You can find it central, but it will be about twice as much as your budget for the sq footage.
Austin is a small town compared to chicago and the city core is pretty expensive or the houses are really small.
I live in the great hills area so know it very well, unless you live in the part extremely close to the arboretum you cant walk to anything. That would be floral park. There are older areas off duval, oak knoll etc that have smaller houses that you can walk to strip malls from.
There are a couple of roads off great hills trail that you can live off of as well.
You might also look at the Highland Park West Balcones neighborhood, just south of 2222, west of Balcones and a little east of it. Homes can run in the millions of dollars, but there are some in your price range.
There's a Montessori School nearby on Hancock Dr. Also a coffee shop and grocery store within walking distance (although the west side of Balcones is hilly) or a short drive. Good schools...Highland Park or Casis for elementary, depending on where you live. I believe Perry Park is adjacent to Highland Park elementary, which is close by.
Very easy access to Mopac for heading north to work or south to downtown.
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My husband and I are politically liberal, but currently live in a more conservative community. We would be very happy to live in a liberal area, but have co-existed quite peacefully for many, many years in the political minority. I thought that I would just throw out which side of the fence we fall, but wanted to make it clear that we tend to get along with both sides (provided that the other side is respectful of us). Despite our "hippie" persuasions, we are a pretty normal, average family.
