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We are a family of 2, husband & wife, both of us working in IT. We are planning to buy our first house this year.
Our maximum limit for buying new house is $300K with min of 3000 Sq ft. My office is at wells branch and I do not want my commute to exceed 20 mins (One way). Also, we are planning to stay in new house for more than 10 yrs.
We looked around Cedar Park, Avery Ranch, Brushy Creek, RR & Pflugerville areas and liked Highland horizon @Brushy Creek and Falcon Pointe @ Pflugerville.
@Avery ranch, we saw DR Horton and didn’t find any plan with 3000 sq feet. Pearson Place is out of our budget with max $300 K with min 3000 Sq ft requirement, and I do not think 3 builders @Pearson Place have any floor plans > 3000 Sq ft.
@Cedar Park, Buttercup creek we liked few plans but it is exceeding our budget.
@Highland Horizon, brushy creek we liked David weekly floor plans but again it exceeds our budget.
RR is not an option now
@Falcon Pointe, Pflugerville we liked Floor Plans of Centerra Homes, and 3000 sq feet house is only $270K with all the upgrades.
We are getting little confused with our choices of buying a house. Below are the things we would like to know:
1. I know Pflugerville has good schools but it’s not good as RR ISD. We do not have any kid and not planning for another 1 year. So, how do we see Pflugerville ISD in next 5-6 yrs or should I be considering this criteria at all.
2. Safety & Security@ Falcon Pointe, Pflugerville.
3. Neighborhood @Falcon Pointe
4. Is it a wise decision to buy house at FP, Pflugerville with our budget, or shall we consider other options.
I searched in net and finding mixed reviews for Pflugerville. Also, didn’t find many reviews for Falcon Pointe, Centerra homes.
As we are first time buyers, please guide.
Last edited by FisrtTimeBuyer; 11-15-2011 at 11:10 AM..
We are a family of 2, husband & wife, both of us working in IT. We are planning to buy our first house this year.
Our maximum limit for buying new house is $300K with min of 3000 Sq ft. My office is at wells branch and I do not want my commute to exceed 20 mins (One way). Also, we are planning to stay in new house for more than 10 yrs.
We looked around Cedar Park, Avery Ranch, Brushy Creek, RR & Pflugerville areas and liked Highland horizon @Brushy Creek and Falcon Pointe @ Pflugerville.
@Avery ranch, we saw DR Horton and didn’t find any plan with 3000 sq feet. Pearson Place is out of our budget with max $300 K with min 3000 Sq ft requirement, and I do not think 3 builders @Pearson Place have any floor plans > 3000 Sq ft.
@Cedar Park, Buttercup creek we liked few plans but it is exceeding our budget.
@Highland Horizon, brushy creek we liked David weekly floor plans but again it exceeds our budget.
RR is not an option now
@Falcon Pointe, Pflugerville we liked Floor Plans of Centerra Homes, and 3000 sq feet house is only $270K with all the upgrades.
We are getting little confused with our choices of buying a house. Below are the things we would like to know:
1. I know Pflugerville has good schools but it’s not good as RR ISD. We do not have any kid and not planning for another 1 year. So, how do we see Pflugerville ISD in next 5-6 yrs or should I be considering this criteria at all.
2. Safety & Security@ Falcon Pointe, Pflugerville.
3. Neighborhood @Falcon Pointe
4. Is it a wise decision to buy house at FP, Pflugerville with our budget, or shall we consider other options.
I searched in net and finding mixed reviews for Pflugerville. Also, didn’t find many reviews for Falcon Pointe, Centerra homes.
As we are first time buyers, please guide.
Rowe Lane, Riojas, Murchison are all just as good as any school in RRISD. Where your home is located will determine what school your children go to. All three are in that area with Murchison next to Hendrickson HS, Rowe Lane located furthest north in that area (back in Blackhawk- some of the north Falcon Pointe neighborhood may go to RLES), and Riojas over in the Avalon neighborhood. I work at one of those schools and those neighborhoods are great for families. Murchison ES is packed to the gills, so the boundaries may change shortly. Riojas is the newest school and has more space, so it may see more kids next year. Rowe Lane is packed as well. I doubt you would be disappointed with any of those schools. They generally score highly on the state tests fwiw.
I live over in Cedar Park and my child will be coming with me to my school (even though our home is in Leander ISD with a great school).
I think that it is risky to buy such a big house (3000 sq) for such little money! $100 per sq foot, I'd worry about the quality of construction, how it will look in 10 years (sagging on the foundation, faded paint), plus if you are buying new, there is always a risk of no appreciation -- since the next buyer can prefer new too and just go a half mile down the road to get it. You will be competing at resale with new homes and the deeper pockets of new home builders for a decade or more.
Plus, energy costs are rising and larger homes are starting to fall out of favor, you might do better to look for a smaller, higher quality resale home in a very established part of RR or even p-ville.
I think the quality of construction will be same its just the land price what matters. I mean, Centerra has houses in Teravista and Falcon Pointe, at Teravista same floor plan is expensive.. I think its $320K. Even if we consider Ryland, same floor plan has different rates in Teravista, Falcon Pointe , Buda. What i know they use same material for all the communities its the land cost which decides the price of the house not the material used. Let me know if i'm wrong..
Plus, energy costs are rising and larger homes are starting to fall out of favor, you might do better to look for a smaller, higher quality resale home in a very established part of RR or even p-ville
I was nervous about gas/electric bills in the home we built/purchased. Went from a 1600 sq ft 1 story to a 3300 sq ft 2 story with 20 ft ceilings throughout the middle of the house and found our electric bill to only be $20-30 more per month (even with the super brutal summer) and our gas bill is identical to the old house even with the addition of a gas outlet for our grill. That said, we haven't gone through winter yet so I can't compare gas prices there.
We did see our water bill increase ~5-6x though with a sprinkler system now, new water utility, and a yard ~10x as big.
To the OP, we're not located TOO far from you. The big unknown is what will happen in regards to growth in that area over the next 2-5 years.
I think that it is risky to buy such a big house (3000 sq) for such little money! $100 per sq foot, I'd worry about the quality of construction, how it will look in 10 years (sagging on the foundation, faded paint), plus if you are buying new, there is always a risk of no appreciation -- since the next buyer can prefer new too and just go a half mile down the road to get it. You will be competing at resale with new homes and the deeper pockets of new home builders for a decade or more.
Plus, energy costs are rising and larger homes are starting to fall out of favor, you might do better to look for a smaller, higher quality resale home in a very established part of RR or even p-ville.
good luck
The price is low because it is in a suburb. The suburbs tend to be much cheaper than centrally located dwellings, hence you can get a larger home for less money. It is also another reason why many people are (and will continue to be) drawn to many suburbs -- because they offer larger homes, larger lots, and decent to good schools. Price per square foot doesn't mean that the construction quality is necessarily poor, or it will look bad in ten years. Homeowner maintenance determines how a home will look. You can buy a higher priced home and be a slouch on the maintenance end and guess what -- it will look like crap. A higher priced home centrally located will have peeling paint too if homeowners do not maintain it. I'm scratching my head with that one.
Our home is 5,000 sq ft and I don't see any "sagging" at/in the foundation.
I do agree that energy costs are something to consider. For the OP, we have dual AC units and our highest bills are 380/mo during this drought. You will probably be paying more for water and wastewater than a larger city. Again, our home is over 5K sq ft, so it is a monster and isn't indicative of the bills of a smaller home. Make sure your home has good insulation and other energy saving upgrades and that will definitely help.
And one more thing, since I live in Pflugerville, I wish people would stop adding the word "even". Pflugerville is a very nice, growing place to live.
Sorry about the "even" I love Pflugerville! It has a great feel -- more like a town, less like a suburb.
I guess the point I was trying to make is about the underlying land value, you are unlikely to see any appreciation in the land while so much new construction continues. So as long as you are not counting on much appreciation in your calculations, you should be fine.
We are a family of 2, husband & wife, both of us working in IT. We are planning to buy our first house this year.
Our maximum limit for buying new house is $300K with min of 3000 Sq ft. My office is at wells branch and I do not want my commute to exceed 20 mins (One way). Also, we are planning to stay in new house for more than 10 yrs.
We looked around Cedar Park, Avery Ranch, Brushy Creek, RR & Pflugerville areas and liked Highland horizon @Brushy Creek and Falcon Pointe @ Pflugerville.
@Avery ranch, we saw DR Horton and didn’t find any plan with 3000 sq feet. Pearson Place is out of our budget with max $300 K with min 3000 Sq ft requirement, and I do not think 3 builders @Pearson Place have any floor plans > 3000 Sq ft.
@Cedar Park, Buttercup creek we liked few plans but it is exceeding our budget.
@Highland Horizon, brushy creek we liked David weekly floor plans but again it exceeds our budget.
RR is not an option now
@Falcon Pointe, Pflugerville we liked Floor Plans of Centerra Homes, and 3000 sq feet house is only $270K with all the upgrades.
We are getting little confused with our choices of buying a house. Below are the things we would like to know:
1. I know Pflugerville has good schools but it’s not good as RR ISD. We do not have any kid and not planning for another 1 year. So, how do we see Pflugerville ISD in next 5-6 yrs or should I be considering this criteria at all.
2. Safety & Security@ Falcon Pointe, Pflugerville.
3. Neighborhood @Falcon Pointe
4. Is it a wise decision to buy house at FP, Pflugerville with our budget, or shall we consider other options.
I searched in net and finding mixed reviews for Pflugerville. Also, didn’t find many reviews for Falcon Pointe, Centerra homes.
As we are first time buyers, please guide.
1. The schools that are zoned for Falcon Pointe are great schools and are consistent high achievers. The ratings haven't changed in at least 5-6 years. You won't go wrong going to those schools. It really doesn't matter per se how the ISD is doing, but rather how the individual schools that you are zoned to are doing. You can be in a great ISD but the zoned school isn't performing (i.e. RRISD - people think that all schools are good within it, and that isn't so).
2. You will definitely be safe in a golf course community, which is what FP area is. PF overall is a pretty safe city to live in and has been for a while now. As with anywhere, there will be crime, but the overall crime rate is low even though the population has increased.
3. The neighborhood of Falcon Pointe is an excellent neighborhood, comparable to similar neighborhoods elsewhere. it is conveniently located and next to a large, modern shopping mall that boasts many new, upgraded stores (i.e. a Cinemark next Gen, a 24 hr Fitness SuperClub). It is next to the toll road, should you want to use it. Or you can zip down 685 and get to your job within minutes.
4. Is it wise? I'd say yes. But do keep in mind that as with any of the suburbs, don't look for skyhigh appreciation because it will not be found. You have to look at a neighborhood for its personal value to you -- how you are going to enjoy it. Not as an investment. FP is a great place to live and will always be in demand because of its amenities, and its schools, and its overall good value for your money.
I am a Pflugerville resident, and I have enjoyed living here for the past six years. Pflugerville has mixed reviews because some people seem to think that it lacks the prestige of the other suburbs. Perhaps because it is pretty diverse, socioeconimically and racially. There are many different groups there, but I find that highly appealing as a person of multiracial descent. But I wouldn't consider a median income of 90K plus "poor". The government in place seems to be doing a good job trying to grow the city. I only see really good things happening in PF. Plus it has a funky name.
I think the jury is still out regarding Pearson Place and Highland Horizon. Also, the online information is a bit suspect. More than one Pearson Place article shows ~2900 sq ft as the max home size, yet the prices are shown to be up to $450K...good luck getting $150/sq ft out here without being on a golf course or lake/river(Pretty sure HH and PP won't be building the aforementioned amenities ).
I'm not sure what your incentive is to purchase 'this year'. Perhaps renting a home of the desired size would provide a clearer picture of what you would be getting--without making the purchase commitment. The market is still pretty screwy...will the 'deals' be in new construction??? OR might you find an existing home at an attractive price?
I have to wonder if ANYthing has really changed in terms of construction and material quality in the homes being built currently. I'm guessing 'minimum code' is still the standard and most builders aren't willing to 'take a chance' with more energy efficient designs and materials. It's a little like the 'St. Augustine plague' that pervades the neighborhoods..."Well, it's cheap and it's what we've always done...no need to change" I'm sure it's all market driven; but surely there are some smart buyers who would be willing to pay 'hundreds' in material/energy upgrades in order to save 'thousands' over time.
Having rambled enough, let me just advise that just because the toll road will allow 70mph travel to/from work, that's not a good enough reason to live 'farther out' rather than cutting down on the commute distance.(Ex. Buttercup Creek)
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).
I'm sure it's all market driven; but surely there are some smart buyers who would be willing to pay 'hundreds' in material/energy upgrades in order to save 'thousands' over time.
