Working in New Braunfels, where to live? (San Antonio, Austin: 2014, rent)

[daveyjwin]

Been reading / searching the boards for months about this kind of stuff, finally got up the gumption to make an account and ask a specific question for myself!

I'm heavily entertaining employment in New Braunfels or Seguin for summer 2014, and was wondering where my wife and I should look for housing? We're in our early 30s, one child on the way, and from Metro Detroit, so we can't just bop down there and check it out. We initially wanted to work / live in Austin, but the market there is saturated, and the best I can do is south of there for work. We went to Austin last November for fun, loved it, and if possible, would like to live someplace that's easily accessible to there, while not being in the city proper. I don't really want to commute much more than 45 minutes if possible, would ideally like someplace in "Hill Country" and we want to be able to get a nice house with a pool for $300-500K. I suppose with the kid on the way, I should hope for good schools as well.

So far, some areas we've come up with are:
New Braunfels
San Marcos
Kyle
Buda
Wimberly
Canyon Lake
Dripping Springs (?)
Shady Hollow (?)

I'm not sure how the commute would be from some of the more distant places, especially considering my irregular hours. How is I-35 generally? What about the back roads, like those between Seguin and San Marcos / NB, or NB and Wimberly or Dripping Springs? How far, realistically, can I commute, without wanting to shoot myself in the face from the traffic? How are the towns to live in? Which one is best? Is NB really THAT touristy? Is San Marcos really THAT college-y? Anything I should know about any of these places before settling on one?

Thanks for the help!

[clarksvillemom]

I would say NB or SM. At least those are cities - well, small towns really. The others are super tiny towns. I'm just assuming a bit of culture shock from metro Detroit, so that's why I suggest those. SM is about halfway between Austin and San ANtonio. NB is a lot closer to San Antonio, a great city in its own right. Dripping Springs has good schools but I don't know if I'd want to live there and work in NB or Seguin. I-35 is horrific most of the day. So I'd really look for something close to work. Can't speak to back roads, but maybe someone else can. I don't think NB is too touristy. Lots of people live there now, not just day trippers from SA and such.

[centralaustinite]

New Braunfels! School are decent -- way better than SM. Great town!

[G Grasshopper]

If you are working in New Braunfels, I think that Shady Hollow, Dripping Springs, and Wimberley are too far to commute, and considering how crowded I35 is, I think Buda and Kyle are, too. Here is my viewpoint: we raised our son in a place (not in Texas) where my husband had to commute an hour each way to work. It was a great place to live, and my husband was in a carpool, so things weren't bad, but that 2 hour a day commute really ate into our family life. Especially after our son was in school, all those 7:00 weekday activities were out of the question for my husband, who got home between 7:00 and 7:30. We ate dinner late to accommodate this. We always ate dinner together, but missed so many activities, performances, open houses, etc. I'm not saying it was all bad, but if I had a chance to choose, as you have, between a short commute and a long one, I would very seriously consider the short one. I don't know anything about the schools in NB, but I would be leaning heavily in that direction. San Marcus does not have a very good reputation for schools, I think. NB is a very pretty community, with lots of things to do, and San Antonio is close, as is Canyon Lake, for other activities, summer fun, etc. From a family point of view, I would go for NB.

[verybadgnome]

I'll add to New Braunfels. I know it is a novel idea for some but living and working in the same city is practical, cost saving (I spend less than 5% of my take home on transportation) and green.

[OzzyRules]

San Marcos is close enough to not make it a long commute. I both live and work in San Antonio and consider my commute to be shorter than average, but it is still within the same range of commuting between those 2 towns.

But yes, like others have said. I would limit it to either of those 2 towns. Especially if you enjoy driving to Austin.

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by daveyjwin

Been reading / searching the boards for months about this kind of stuff, finally got up the gumption to make an account and ask a specific question for myself!

I'm heavily entertaining employment in New Braunfels or Seguin for summer 2014.....I don't really want to commute much more than 45 minutes if possible, would ideally like someplace in "Hill Country" and we want to be able to get a nice house with a pool for $300-500K. I suppose with the kid on the way, I should hope for good schools as well.

So far, some areas we've come up with are:
New Braunfels
Canyon Lake / Spring Branch

I'm not sure how the commute would be from some of the more distant places, especially considering my irregular hours. How is I-35 generally? How are the towns to live in? Which one is best? Is NB really THAT touristy? Is San Marcos really THAT college-y? Anything I should know about any of these places before settling on one?

Thanks for the help!

I lived in NB for 7 years & moved to NW Austin 6 years ago.

- Look & ask in the SA forum as well for additional info.
- In the quote above, i removed the cities/areas that I would dismiss (as options) & added Spring Branch (southwest side of Canyon Lake, area feeds into Smithson Valley....20 min. commute to NB) to a revised "short list"...assuming I was working in NB (or Seguin).
- Be sure you factor in 2.2%-2.5% per year for property tax on that 350-500K home.
- Yes, San Marcos is a "college town" which affects things pro & con. (for a young family, mostly con...below average schools, not family friendly.)
- NB is not "THAT Touristy". The Touristas don't affect NB residents. We avoid the rivers & SBahn areas on the 12 weekends (24 days) that the touristas invade. (But Sunday morning before noon actually is tourista free too.) The upside to having Touristas visiting 24-36 days a year, is that there is infrastructure & activities/restaurants/bars to enjoy the other 330 days per year with little crowds. (I would suspect Fburg is similar). Love eating at Gristmill on a Fall evening midweek. Landa Park is virtually empty midweek year round. Also, most visitors don't have a clue about the other 90% of greater NB, so you don't run into them except for at gas stations, get-n-go's & Walmart.
- IMO, you're nuts to consider any other areas besides NB & Canyon Lake/Spring Branch. Other areas are either too far, too much traffic or aren't as nice as NB (a wonderful town) or CanyonLake/SpringBranch (nice hill country areas) In answering a couple of your other questions:

- North or NW SA would would be a 45 min. commute to NB. (good schools)
- Dripping Springs, SW Austin would be an hour commute. (good schools)
- all other areas in Austin would be a 75 min. plus commute (you might find good/good to great schools & quasi hill country....but not with a pool for 350K) BUT (even if you could snag a 350K hillcountry home with a pool in Austin.....) WHY WOULD YOU??

- There are Good to VG schools right in NB (or near CL). All 5-25 min. from work in NB!!
- Less money in NB / Comal Co. for same home than in Greater Austin.

I would recommend renting for six months to a year prior to buying anything. In NB (& around Canyon Lake, Spring Branch & San Marcos) many homes become available locally. I bought one & sold two homes FSBO. One just by putting the word out, another by advertising in the wonderful local rag (the Herald Zeitung). The homes available buying absentee from Mich. (or in a compressed time window) would offer significantly fewer options than if you lived there and were plugged in. (lots of estate sales, FSBO, realtors selling to THEIR clients before it even hits the market....I bought one of ours thru an estate & the other thru a realtor before it was listed...both were in cherry condition & one was a great location near Landa Park).

In conclusion, NB is an historic, nice, county seat town with lots to do, 30 min. from SA & 60 min. from Austin. Work there, live there, rent there (for 12 months - to get your bearings & to get "plugged in") & then buy there. Two school districts, a couple dozen ES's, a dozen MS's & 4 (or 5?) HS's in Comal Co. to choose from. Here are some other good threads on NB:

Summer 2013 - tubing with 5 and 7 yr old ?

New Braunfels - Visiting in September

New Braunfels on Valentines Day

New Braunfels, tx

Place to live between Austin and San Antonio, TX

Tubing recommendations--San Marcos area

What's your favorite thing about New Braunfels?

Good luck.

[BatWing]

San Marcos for sure. you got everything you need right there.

[JackGriffin]

For a young family, NB>SM. No question. If you will be working in Seguin, I wouldn't suggest commuting to New Braunfels, but rather living in Seguin. Any of these places you choose will be an entirely different world from Metro Detroit, but Seguin is a bit more of a small town than New Braunfels.

If you can avoid using I-35 between San Antonio and Georgetown, you will add years to your life.

Finally, it's not wise to expect to enjoy Austin while living down in NB or that area. You should expect to enjoy the specific area you choose to live in. It's tough to enjoy Austin from a lot of the suburbs of Austin.

[Roger & Mae]

Sounds very similar to our lifestyle,We live work and enjoy the full Austin,Spring Branch,New Braunfels area.We are 45min from both Austin & San Antonio airports. We are interested in summer of 2014 in the Rockies so our house if not sold may have a pool by then and need a solid family for the summer ?? Just thinking outside the box?? Also really just stumbled across your post so here is my address look at our house and our email. Thx Roger & Mae
519 lodge creek dr New Braunfels , sevensisters@usawide.net