Lakes at Northtown in Pflugerville, TX - Any advice about the neighborhood/location/builder? (Austin: sales)

[sigma23]

Hi All -

My family is looking to relocate to Austin, TX and we have recently checked out this new neighborhood called Lakes at Northtown in Pflugerville, TX built by KB Homes. I was told to avoid anything "east of 35" but this neighborhood's homes are priced within our budget and are close to public transportation. Since I am not in the area, I would love to get any pros and cons about the area/neighborhood/builder. Thank you so much!

[love roses]

First of all, whoever said that is wrong. There are only certain pockets to avoid, not the entire stretch. Pflugerville is a nice town. I don't know anything about that neighborhood, however.

[riaelise]

ugh, do yourself a favor and ignore such dumb advice. There are plenty of good developments east of 35. I'm not going to launch into an argument about why the advice is dumb because it's been covered ad nauseum. I just wish it would stop.

It is not in Pflugerville, but in the Austin ETJ and served by Pflugerville schools.

That area is indeed pretty well served transportation wise, which is a plus. shopping mall (techridge) is another plus. Crime appears to be average.

Those particular schools that serve that area aren't the best of Pflugerville. Of the three PF high schools, Connally is the weaker of the trio. Not really sure about the middle and elementary. There are a number of housing developments (apartments) that might affect the school ratings.

You're probably going to get a chorus of anti-KB posts. We own a KB Home, albeit in another development. They are known for starter homes, and we purchased a so-called "move up" home that was aimed at the next tier of buyers. My feelings about the builder are a mixed bag of pros and cons. The home itself, I'd give about an 7.5 - 10. The foundation appears to be ok, and the overall worksmanship is satisfactory..definitely on par with the other builders in our neighborhood. The key thing to keep in mind is that they are a "no frills" builder -- you get four walls, windows and a door. The four walls, etc. are industry standard brands that are used by almost all builders. Anything else is an add on, and what's included you're likely to want to replace (they could have changed over the years to include better, more attractive fixtures). For some people, like us, we were willing to deal with that because it was cheaper in the long run and allowed for personal customization on our timetable (vs. having a bloated mortgage). Our house is basically night and day difference from when we purchased it. If you want all the frills and not want to pay $$ in options, then just go with another builder. That is why I deducted some points from them because of the add ons. By the time we tallied up our improvements, that 250K house is much more expensive. The plus side for us, again, is that our mortgage is lower and we aren't paying for sparkly things over 30 years (other builders add such frills into the purchase price), and we get to have the home the way we want it.

I'd also recommend giving Pflugerville proper a try, particularly NE Pflugerville. It is a rapidly growing area.

[sheaday]

We were thinking of moving about a year ago and toured the model homes at this community. As the poster above said, KB homes are basic homes with no frills added. Of course the model homes on site have all the upgrades and look really nice. Don't let that fool you. We looked at one home in which the base model was about $180k but then another $60k-ish was added in the upgrades. The home that you think is a great deal turns into a much more expensive mortgage.

There were a few homes available for re-sale in the community back when we looked and at that time, the re-sale prices were holding steady and homeowners were probably going to make a small profit/breakeven (a couple of the re-sale homes were only 1 and 2 years old).

There were a few reasons why we didn't like the community-
1. Location. The neighborhood is literally on the I-35 frontage road and it was difficult to get in and out on a Saturday afternoon. I can't imagine how how it would be during rush hour.
2. The KB sales rep was going on and on about how the upgrades were needed in order to protect your re-sale value and be competitive with your neighbors. Once again- adding more to your mortgage.
3. The community has a HOA run by KB directly. The sales rep started spouting off some of the HOA rules and regulations- I can't remember exactly what they were at the time, but they were ridiculous enough for us to leave and not tour the next model.

[love roses]

There are a number of other neighborhoods in Pflugerville....Blackhawk is pretty popular.

[tfresca]

Don't know if it's gotten better but there were lots of foreclosures in that area before. You might be able to find a deal.

[AllyChat]

I'm buying a home there. I did the small ranch 1,659 sq feet with some nice upgrades. Porcelan tubs and tile in bathrooms. Tile in kitchen and very nice 2nd level laminate floors (look close to real wood) 3rd level granite, water softener system, added a few lights here and there. Total $211,000. my interest rate is locked in at 4.25% so my payment with ins, taxes, etc. is $1,950 something... I lived in Pflugerville for 15 years sold my big house (kids are adults) rented 2 years and now buying here. Great community close to everything... Not as far as Pflugerville so it's Perfect. Pflugerville is still not a bad place to live. DON'T listen to everyone North Austin is booming!