Best family neighborhood for academic couple? (Austin, Round Rock: rental market, houses, neighborhoods)

[mimosa21]

Hi all,

We're an academic couple with two young kids relocating this summer from San Francisco. We're looking for a house to rent not too far from the UT campus- where should we be looking? We want to find a 3 bedroom house for less than $2000 a month- is this possible? If so, what neighborhoods should we be targeting? (Some have suggested North Loop, Brentwood, and Crestview.) Thoughts on the pace of the rental market in these areas would also be enormously helpful- here in the Bay Area places rent almost immediately upon listing. We're hoping for an August 1 start to a lease, so would looking in early July be enough lead time (or too soon)? Thanks!

[pop251808]

I suggest Round Rock, it's weird in another sense of the word.

[pop251808]

Sorry, last post was an attempt at humor. The neighborhoods you named are all fine and you should be able to find a house there in that price range for a while longer. It might be small and only have (horrors) one bathroom, though.

[centralaustinite]

It will be hard, maybe not impossible but hard, to rent a house within 20 minutes of UT for $2000. Are schools an issue? You might be able to do it on the east side, French Place has more than decent schools but rents have been rising east faster than almost anywhere else since it was off a low base.

Hyde Park would be ideal, Shipe Park, Lee is a great elementary school but 2K won't get you 3 bedrooms there.

Your best bet is to work the UT network -- plenty of older faculty with fully paid-off houses in highly desirable close-in neighborhoods -- you could try to house sit for someone on sabbatical. Some may have a duplex or secondary structure that they would rent to a UT family at cost.

Otherwise, work with a realtor, there are realtors who specialize in central Austin and academic families. Make sure you touch base with the department coordinators and take advantage of any "in" that you have. You will need it to find anything at your budget.

Otherwise, plan on a 40 minute+ commute. Good luck

[centraleastaustinite]

If you look closer to Airport Rd around Crestview (near the light rail station) or a little bit south in Hyde Park also closer to I-35 I'm sure you can find a 3bed for <$2K.

You might also want to look on the near East Side as well. I live approx 15 min walking distance to the SE corner of UT & a couple of my neighbors are academics & university staff. Most people I know are owners so I'm unsure what rents look like.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by mimosa21

Hi all,

We're an academic couple with two young kids relocating this summer from San Francisco. We're looking for a house to rent not too far from the UT campus- where should we be looking? We want to find a 3 bedroom house for less than $2000 a month- is this possible? If so, what neighborhoods should we be targeting? (Some have suggested North Loop, Brentwood, and Crestview.) Thoughts on the pace of the rental market in these areas would also be enormously helpful- here in the Bay Area places rent almost immediately upon listing. We're hoping for an August 1 start to a lease, so would looking in early July be enough lead time (or too soon)? Thanks!

You self-identify as an "academic couple" both in the title and opening of your post. What does that mean to you exactly? Just curious, as it relates to the living environs you hope to find and your sensibilities?

With an Aug 1st move date, you should contact a Campus Area Lease Locator service. I suggest Habitat Hunters. It's a free service to you. They have a non-MLS underground network of pre-lease listings for August 1st move-ins.

Generally, north of campus (North Campus and Hyde Park) has more academic minded residents, grad students and professors, whereas West Campus is mostly undergrad and frat houses and a lot more partying.

Also, east of campus off Manor Rd and into the near side of East Austin is worth exploring. If you exhaust that "minutes away from UT" option, then I would go ahead and jump a couple of doughnut rings out and look for something along the UT shuttle lines, like maybe the Berkman Cameron area, NW Hills, Enfield area. Though you will need to raise your budget else go out into the suburbs, and those Aug 1 suburban listings won't be known until early July when tenants give 30 days notice.

Good luck.

[A-Tex]

Are your children school aged? Some of the suggestions being given track to poor to abysmal public schools.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

You self-identify as an "academic couple" both in the title and opening of your post. What does that mean to you exactly? Just curious, as it relates to the living environs you hope to find and your sensibilities?

Excellent question. I was wondering what this meant too.

Does this mean the OP wants to live around people with advanced degrees? Close to UT or another university? Families that send their kids to private schools?

[centralaustinite]

I took it to mean a dual career academic couple, that is, both are professors.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

I took it to mean a dual career academic couple, that is, both are professors.

And...