Forest Oaks Subdivision (Cedar Park) - Please Advise, Need All the Help I Can Get! (Austin: buying a house)

[Snow-Flake]

My husband and I recently relocated to Austin for work and are very actively looking at buying a house in Cedar Park. We finally narrowed down our search to Avery Ranch or Forest Oaks. We found a few homes we liked in Forest Oaks that back Coxe Elementary, which also essentially back the railroad along Brushy Creek & 183. Can anyone tell me if the train along Brushy Creek is active? Loud?? Any ideas if it runs regularly? Should we be deterred from buying a house that backs 183, a school, and a railroad?

Please HELP! This will be our FIRST HOME! Thanks!!!

[10scoachrick]

As close as they are to one another, there are differences between the two developments. Avery Ranch is the size of a small town, the 'Blvd' is ~ 4 miles east to west, with hundreds of homes on the north and south sides. AR even has homes backing to schools and the rail line(IF that turns out to be a 'plus' for you ).

I found parts of Forest Oaks to be interesting, but was a little turned off by the number of cars that seem to 'live' on the street. You can find that in Avery as well, but it seemed more obvious in FO(at least the section I was cycling in).

The traffic on 183A is still much lighter than the non-toll portion from Lakeline in toward Austin; but, as they extend the expressway northward, certainly traffic will only increase. Blessing and curse, as they say...you have great access to north/south routes but have to pay with a little inconvenience noise-wise.

Unfortunately, you can't access the commuter rail stations easily, given that you will be living next to the line! The Leander station is pretty far north and the Lakeline station isn't all that easy to get to from FO(a bit easier to access Lakeline station from Avery, but you still have to go around your ear to get to your elbow, if you know what I mean .) That rail line is used for freight when not being used for rush hour commutes...we're two miles away from the rail and can hear the trains at night fairly clearly...just something you get accustomed to, I reckon. I would think as close as some of the FO and AR homes are, vibration is as much a concern as noise. Still, as rail lines go, the trains don't go blasting through at high speed.

More good news for both neighborhoods...the Brushy Creek Road improvements are moving along...no rain to slow them down, that's for sure! There are supposed to be bike lanes along Brushy Creek Rd. and there will eventually be a path along 183A from Brushy Creek northward...all nice for us cyclists in the area.

As you know, FO is in Cedar Park and AR is in the city limits of Austin, although located in Williamson County. Biggest difference I notice on a daily basis(driving all around this area) is the unfortunate plethora of 'bandit signs' lining the main roads of Cedar Park. Along with some of the aging retail areas along S. Bell and 1431, that contributes to a rather unkempt appearance, IMO.

That's my three cents worth, right off the top...Of course, the value of the home and the particular neighborhood you choose can make all the difference in how your decision works out. Best of luck to you!

[Snow-Flake]

10scoachrick: Thanks you so much for your help! I really appreciate the information...you've given us a lot to think about. I was/am pretty nervous about the freight train noise, but like you said, you get used to it eventually.

I did notice the "dealership" of cars parked in certain sections of Forest Oaks - total turn off, honestly. AR seems really nice, but pretty overpriced for the number of square footage you're getting. The Austin housing market is so confusing to me .

Thanks again for your help!!!

[FalconheadWest]

Originally Posted by Snow-Flake

Should we be deterred from buying a house that backs 183, a school, and a railroad?

Yikes! This is a triple whammy.... if you're thinking about the negatives now, don't you think other buyers will be thinking about this as well when you're ready to sell? Most people don't like even one of the issues you've mentioned, and you're looking at a potential property with three of them... the worst one being a highway as that's constant everyday, every minute, every second noise, whereas the others are intermittent bothersomes.