best austin burb? (Dallas, Round Rock, Georgetown: home search, to buy, school district)

[senorakristen]

Hi,
We are planning to move our family to the Austin area in the next 2 years and I am looking for suggestions on what burbs to check out. We are looking for under $300K, on the westside where it is "pretty" (one of the big reasons we are relocating from Dallas), family community, good schools, not too far to commute to Austin without losing our minds in traffic. I know it is a big wishlist, but thats why I am starting my research so early. Any advice is appreciated. I was looking at Lago Vista but even though it ranked close to Austin I saw comments that it was isolated and the drive was killer. Thoughts?

[fil]

If you bumped up your home search to $300K, your list is much more attainable for Steiner Ranch and Lakeway (Eanes school district).

You may also want to check Avery Ranch, Great Hills, and NW Austin.

[Trainwreck20]

Not sure about what you consider pretty, but SW Austin (Legend Oaks, Village Oaks, etc.) are pretty much under 300k and go to some of the better schools in AISD (Mills, Clint Small, Bowie, and others). It is not the hill country like out at the lake or Steiner/Avery, but it is rolling, wooded, and a very easy commute compared to the other areas.

[jdkamcc1]

fil notes that Steiner Ranch and/or Lakeway are in the Eanes ISD, which is incorrect. Steiner is in Leander and Lakeway is in Lake Travis. The Eanes ISD is closer in, and includes Westlake Hills and Rollingwood - check out zip codes 78733 and 78746, but don't expect to find anything decent under $300k. The same can be said for Steiner (78732) and Lakeway (78734 and 78738), but you will have better luck finding more affordable housing in these areas. Don't be fooled by some of seemingly affordable homes in zips 78733 and 78734 as your neighbors may have a single wide plopped down on a lot they bought 30 years ago. Good luck, the area you are looking in is beautiful, you may just have to stretch your budget a bit.

[texastea]

Will you definately be working downtown Austin? This makes a big difference on the commute issue.

Leander has received awards for being the most progressive thinking suburb. In less than 2 years, the commuter trains will be up and running from North Leander and that'll open up a lot of housing options for those who commute to downtown. Hundreds of homes are in the planning stages for this area as well as shopping, etc. Around the train station, will be a 2,000 acre TOD:

Leander TOD

Right now, the tollways make it a quick commute to Dell and other employers in Round Rock and Northwest Austin (20 minutes or less). If headed downtown, the traffic backup on 183 starts in the Great Hills area and goes on to downtown on Mopc and I35. SO, the commute from Northwest Austin isn't that much shorter than coming from Leander/Cedar Park. And the commute from L/CP is already shorter than coming from Round Rock/Pflugerville.

[senorakristen]

Thanks for your replies! My husbands office is downtown, but that really doesn't matter because he will be driving all over Austin for clients. Over $300K probably isn't in the cards just yet, but we are Do it Yourself-ers so we don't mind fixers at all as long as the bones are good. Good schools are really important, but we'd like some diversity too. We've got some time yet so I am really just trying to gather info and prepare for what we can afford, etc. and it's hard to really tell what an area has to offer just by looking at listings.

[senorakristen]

Also, can anyone advise some areas to avoid? I appreciate the zip codes, but the are just coming up as Austin, so if someone could elaborate on subdivisions and general areas that would be great. I have heard bad things about Lago Vista for example. Thanks!

[gigi927]

Originally Posted by senorakristen

Also, can anyone advise some areas to avoid? I appreciate the zip codes, but the are just coming up as Austin, so if someone could elaborate on subdivisions and general areas that would be great. I have heard bad things about Lago Vista for example. Thanks!

Keep in mind that the west and NW part of town are going to be less diverse and more expensive than some other parts of town. So if diversity and your budget are pretty firm requirements, you may need to give up "pretty." You'll need to decide what you're willing to trade off. You can find homes in the NW part of town for your budget, but schools may not be as diverse or you may be in a flatter part of town or farther from the lake. Even in Steiner, it's getting harder and harder to find much under $300K.

I don't even really think of Lago Vista as "Austin" or even in Austin metro. If you're set on the N or NW part of town I would look at a map and not go any farther north than Leander and Georgetown if you have school aged kids and if your husband will be driving all over town for clients. Otherwise he will have to set up a cot in his car

I agree with some previous posters that you should consider the NW Hills/Great Hills area if you are willing to buy something that may need some cosmetic updating on the inside (which it sounds like you are). Also check Grandview Hills, Anderson Mill, Canyon Creek as good, older subdivisions in this part of town. Good luck!

[mimimomx3]

I agree with some previous posters that you should consider the NW Hills/
You'll be hardpressed to find anything under $300 in NWhils, redo or not.

[austin-steve]

If you're not moving for 2 years, the $300K home you find today will probably cost $350K to $375K by the time you get here, and will rule out some of the areas you might find desireable today.

I recommend South/SW Austin, as usual. NW is nice also and some of those areas will still be below $300K in a couple of years, but you may have to take a smaller home than you could afford today.

Steve