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Old 04-10-2007, 08:36 PM
 
27 posts, read 88,928 times
Reputation: 12

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Greetings to each and all,

I'm in education...and wanting to relocate from Shrevepor Area to Austin. They are offering me $30K....

I have NO DEBT, NO CREDIT CARD DEBT, NO MORTGAGE (looking to rent)...nothing. is it possible to live on $30K here in Austin...I'm a simple person...and into fishing and outdoors, not into bar scenes, etc...

Any ideas or comments?

Thanks for your help!
MGrayce14
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Old 04-10-2007, 09:03 PM
 
Location: Maple Valley, WA
982 posts, read 3,306,380 times
Reputation: 451
I did it on 24K - it can be done easily.
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Old 04-10-2007, 09:07 PM
 
27 posts, read 88,928 times
Reputation: 12
Smile Thank You So Much

Hi Ms. Engle,

RIGHT ON! I'm encouraged by your response..... That is a deciding factor for my relocation here...

THANK YOU....any more insight about this great city that I've fallen in love with so far?

Cheers,
MGRAYCE14
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Old 04-10-2007, 09:36 PM
 
Location: SW Austin & Wimberley
6,333 posts, read 18,049,590 times
Reputation: 5532
Quote:
is it possible to live on $30K here in Austin
Yes.

Most landlords will require you to earn 3 to 4 times the monthly rent in gross income. So your $30K will qualify you for a $625 to $833/mo. rental property.

You should be able to find a suitable 1 or 2 bdrm place for that amount unless you're super picky. If you find a roommate you'll do even better, or can have a much nicer place for the same amount of monthly rent. You can rent a room in a house in Austin for $300 to $450 on average, and that's a real cheap way to go instead of renting your own place.

If you're frugal you should be fine and still be able to put something in savings each month.

I will mention that housing prices are rising, so if you know you plan to stay in Austin for at least 3 years, you might consider buying instead of renting.

Steve
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Old 04-10-2007, 09:59 PM
 
27 posts, read 88,928 times
Reputation: 12
Smile Thanks Steve

hi steve,

btw----you have great posts....your information in invaluable to me...RIGHT ON! i've been reading your posts since my Austin search started a few weeks ago.

right on! i'm not super picky....in fact a real estate agent toured me today and i found 1bd/1bth for $500 and 2bd/2bth for $650 a month in the NE part of town... The Place is called Pebble Creek....have u heard of it?

i'm getting excited about this relocation.....and that's great to hear. i have a dog and the community i mentioned above accepts Argyll....so a roomy is a great idea as well...but i'm preferring a place of my own at this point....wish i could do that, though >smile<

i'll try not to focus on those pesky scorpions you mentioned in another post....besides, complexes spray for 'em, right?
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Old 04-11-2007, 07:52 AM
 
147 posts, read 572,506 times
Reputation: 55
Hello All,

I've been lurking here for a while. This post about Pebble Creek apartments has compelled me to post now. I work almost across the street from these apartments. It's about two blocks from Rundberg and IH-35. This area is full of crime, prostitution, and drugs. TxDot has put bars under the overpass to keep the bums out. I would consider looking elsewhere.

LTA
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Old 04-11-2007, 08:07 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,268 posts, read 35,619,033 times
Reputation: 8614
Depending on your level of expenditures and housing requirements, it is relatively easy to live on 30k/year. You won't be living high on the hog, by any stretch, but I lived at an equivalent level many years ago and really had no real difficulties. I was in a very similar situation as you are (no debt). Eventually, though, my car died and I was forced to try and earn some more money, and a good portion of the time I had roommates. If roomates are not an issue, you can really cut down on living expenses; of course, it is hard to find a roommate when you first arrive in town, but it is something to consider.
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Old 04-11-2007, 09:35 AM
 
Location: Austin
4,105 posts, read 8,286,495 times
Reputation: 2134
Yes, you could easily live in Austin for 30k a year. You can get a nice efficiency or passable 1 bedroom in a safe area of town, afford a small car payment, pay the bills and be able to have a little fun (dinner and drinks occasionally), without breaking the bank or putting yourself in debt. Everything (gas, groceries, rent, etc) is cheaper here than most parts of the country. Also, Austin is very casual so you won't ever feel pressured to dress up or spend a lot of money on meals or clothes. If you're smart you can even save a little money up for a yearly vacation.

As for Pebble Creek-- Don't do it. For that price you could do much better. Look at the Burnet Road corridor between 45th and Hwy 183. It's safe, Austiny, and close to town. The area where Pebble Creek is located is very dangerous to venture out in, and is pretty damn ugly too.
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Old 04-11-2007, 11:47 AM
 
395 posts, read 1,540,284 times
Reputation: 361
My family of six lived on just over 30k a year and it was tough but we had great benefits that made it worthwhile. We made it though until a family emergency caused us to move back to Florida.
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Old 04-12-2007, 01:09 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
1,280 posts, read 4,290,459 times
Reputation: 677
If you make 30k and have no mortgage or other large debts, you will be able to live quite well in a nice apartment in Austin. I lived here my first few years on much less (though I did have roommates). Now that my wife has an income as well, we were actually able to afford a house (before prices really went crazy).

I would say that you have absolutely nothing to worry about given your situation.
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