Austin Neighborhoods

[deeptrance]

Right next to the upscale new development, The Colony (the one I mentioned before) there is a brand new school. New schools are often better in general because there's a lot of new energy, new teachers and enthusiasm. There are a lot of very poor people living in the area so I'm sure the student population there is a mixed bag.

I used to own property in "Rocking S Estates", which is also near The Colony and is really beautiful land. I'd camp overnight out there because it wasn't developed yet, and when I went to the nearest convenience store I'd see kids who looked like they hadn't been bathed or had their hair brushed in a month, barefoot, teeth already rotting out. Once you go east of 35, there's some beautiful green countryside but there's no denying you're in The South at that point. It can get DEEP on some of those long dirt roads back in the woods, lord have mercy.....

[southaustingal]

It wasn't the building, the teachers, or the administrators that bowled my friends over. It was the student population. Lots of disadvantaged kids, non-English speakers, gang members, families with a single branch on the family tree, that kind of thing. My friends decided that the remedial ESL curriculum wasn't what her kids needed, not that they were learning anything with all of the behavior problems in the classroom anyway. They moved after three months.

[ICANHELP]

Lots of things to consider...size of property is definitely a factor, but lots of other considerations as well: commute, school-district, resale, downtown vs. suburbs, shopping, restuarants, etc.

I'm a Realtor in the area so I discuss these factors with all my clients when they move into the area, or decide to move within the area.

[Laurek]

I appreciate all the thoughts very much- a couple of questions-
Where is Anugs Valley / Balcones Woods ? Also, any thoughts on Hutto or Buda? Bee Cave? Dripping Springs? We'd love a pretty, forested area, but really do not want to live in a poor/ crime ridden neighborhood. Schools are not too much of an issue, except commute-wise; we'll send them to private.( By the way- we'll surely rent for a bit, but would still like some ideas to begin scouting on our trip) Thanks again- you're really all so helpful and I do appreciate ALL the info. :-)

[ICANHELP]

Balcones is NW Austin area, nice area. Hutto is NE of Austin, further NE of Round Rock. All areas have +/-, you just have to decide what you want and then find a neighborhood that best suits you. Hutto is growing but it is still a small town and limited to a degree on "atmosphere".

Even if you plan to Home School, or go Private, still keep School Districts high on the list for future resale values. Also, not every area has good Private Schools near, some spend more time getting their kids to school than they do commuting to work, so all these little bits feed the same equation.

Even though you think you'll rent before you buy, 90% of the time people end up buying where they rent as that's where they become the most familiar/comfortable, so rent with care as well.

[Trainwreck20]

Opps, that was supposed to be Angus Valley, not Anugs Valley . It is just north of Duval, between 183 N and MoPac. Very nice area in that it has a good school line-up and little traffic in the neighborhood, and prices are not nearly as bad as downtown areas yet.