Best place to live in Austin less than half an hour commute to downtown during rush hour (Round Rock: sales, real estate market)

[CLQ]

We are moving to Austin in a couple years but would like to purchase now. Does anyone have advice for us on where to buy? We like master planned communities such as Steiner Ranch, Circle C and Cedar Park.

We would like great public schools
Commute time less than half an hour each way to downtown Austin during rush hour
Sense of community
Malls/Restaurants/Entertainment close by
Parks/Lakes

We do not want to spend more than 325K.

How long will the commute be from Cedar Park with the train in place in 2008? How long using the toll road
How long is the commute from Circle C? Steiner Ranch?
Any plans on new freeways, etc. to ease commute time?
We are willing to live in Cedar Park if the train and toll roads allow us to get to downtown in less than half an hour.
Our favorite area is Steiner Ranch but I am concerned about traffic.

Also, since we will be renting it out for a couple years. How much is rent going for in these areas for a 4 bedroom 2000 sf+ home Where is a desirable place to rent? Are there any other areas that I should also consider?

Thanks in advance for all your advice!!!

[mimimomx3]

30 minute commute to downtown, planned community? I would suggest Travis Country off of Southwest Parkway. I think you could swing something on the smaller side for $325 and it's close to Barton Creek Mall (Nordstrom) and Sunset Valley (strip malls, Sam's etc.) Travis Country feeds into Austin High, and that's one of the best AISD high schools. Circle C to downtown in 30 minutes during rush hour, I think is 'iffy'.
I wouldn't bet on trains from CP and points beyond to be done by 2008, but I don't know alot about the 'burbs.

[CLQ]

Thanks, I'll check out Travis Country. Is it Travis Country or County? Is Bowie a better school than Austin?

I also heard the new shopping at The Domain and restaurants will be nice. Any nice areas with good schools close to here?

Which area is expeceted to increase in value? I understand AMD will have a building south off of congress. Not only will this be our residence but we would like to make a good investing decision in the event we would like to upgrade after a couple of years. This is very important to us.

The Metrorail is scheduled for completion in 2008. I am interested how this would affect the commute coming from Cedar Park. We like the area and homes but the commute is our only concern.

Thanks for your help!

[mimimomx3]

Personally I think that Austin HS is better than Bowie, but that's a personal thing. It's Travis COUNTRY. Good luck!

[rigoletto6]

Steiner Ranch is the nicest place but far from everything and traffic is very nasty. Cedar Park is the best location if you need to commute. I live here now and get to downtown in 15 minutes via the tollway although it can get pricey if you do it every day ($3.00 RT with tolltag). Circle C is also nice but I am not familiar with it. Not too many "natives" live there ......mostly Californians and such from what I have heard.

[rigoletto6]

No matter what the local realtors tell you, housing prices are dropping drastically with less then half the number sold in May, 2007 compared to May, 2006. So you might want to hold on to your seat until 2008 to purchase.

[atxcio]

You should probably listen to the realtors, at least until rigoletto can let us know what facts back up that claim? Maybe he was thinking of half the growth rate or something?

Anyway, something like half the number sold would be HUGE news, and a free-falling real estate market. It is not so.

Central Texas home sales stay hot in May - Austin Business Journal:

[austin-steve]

No matter what the local realtors tell you, housing prices are dropping drastically with less then half the number sold in May, 2007 compared to May, 2006. So you might want to hold on to your seat until 2008 to purchase.

This statement is factually incorrect. Our real estate market in Austin continues to be very strong and healthy in the desireable, established areas. Watch what your doing if you're buying a starter home in an outskirt area though.

Circle C is also nice but I am not familiar with it. Not too many "natives" live there ......mostly Californians and such from what I have heard.

This is incorrect also. I know many people in Circle C who have lived in Austin 10-20+ years. Circle C is absolutely a place you should check out. The elementary schools are fantastic and it's 20-30 minutes to downtown with no tolls.

The newer Californians tend to gravitate toward far northwest areas like Steiner Ranch, Leander and north to Round Rock, for reasons that still are not entirely clear to me, except for those who work north (which may be most of them for all I know) But those areas are much more expensive to live compared to South/SW Travis County once you factor in higher property tax rates, toll roads, more congestion, and longer commute times.

Steve

[CLQ]

Hmmm....about the home prices dropping into 2008. I'm wondering if there is truth to that since there was an announcement of a huge Dell layoff of 8,000 employees over the next 12 months. That is a lot of people!! I'm not sure if the layoffs are all coming from the Round Rock HQ. If so, that could impact the housing market.

Any thoughts on the area surrounding Barton Creek golf course? We like being near the water there. The homes seem to be a lot more in that area compared to Circle C despite being older homes. Anyone know why? What is this area called?

Thanks for the advice everyone!!

[FromCalitoSteinerRanch]

Originally Posted by CLQ

Hmmm....about the home prices dropping into 2008. I'm wondering if there is truth to that since there was an announcement of a huge Dell layoff of 8,000 employees over the next 12 months. That is a lot of people!! I'm not sure if the layoffs are all coming from the Round Rock HQ. If so, that could impact the housing market.

I personally don't believe it will come from Austin only, if you have read reports over the past couple of years, Dell actually had more employees out of the U.S. for the first time I think in mid 2005. I suspect salaries are higher in the U.S., but what is the productivity in the U.S. also? If you take straight line FTE figures, I know that other countries beat U.S. salaries handsomely, but when you factor in productivity, then it becomes a different picture completely.

"Wage parity" for Indian workers is already here for some job classifications, and other will continue to join the list as they continue to get 8% to 20% annual increases. Many resumes I reviewed while staffing an office in India had cover letters where the expected increase was 30%, and I suspect many of these folks got hired. CIO Magazine recently has an article that it is already time for U.S. companies to start stragegizing how to leave Indian cities in terms of their global sites and staffing.

But anyways, I digress. I think Austin would still be able to absorb a Dell layoff, even if about 2000 people over 12 months. Having said that, I did move from an area in Round Rock that had negative appreciation, and to add to that, there were about 30-40% Dell employees in a number of sections, including ours.

The street I am on in Steiner has 2 Dell employees, and only 3 in our section of about 100 homes. I don't know the full total for Steiner, but I am thinking Austin can weather a layoff. Now if AMD lays off in July as rumored, and IBM joins in for whatever reason... You get the picture.