Where can I get this? (Austin, Round Rock: real estate, house, buying)

[Jaipur]

In or around Austin...
A 2-3bedroom house with 2+bathrooms in a good school district/ close to a good private school for 200,000-300,000. I am currently living in north central Austin and I am planning on moving either this summer or the summer of '09 and I would like to see what places I can afford now. I looked on a couple websites and found a few homes that are nice but I am wondering what you think is the best location.

Also does anyone know anything about what the Huntland development entails? Besides the obvious (housing).

[austin-steve]

Your requirements seem to be a bit scattered. If you'll be attending a private school, why does the school district matter? In other words, would you eliminate a good private school because it's located within a average school district?

moving either this summer or the summer of '09 and I would like to see what places I can afford now.

The best thing to do is list your top 5 requirements in order. If a 10 minute drive to the private school you pick is important, that will inform your search. If proximity to a job is most important, that will limit your search as well.

If a newer home in good condition is more important than location, that will change where you look also.

Since you're possibly 1+ year away from buying, you'll need to look in a range 5% to 10% below your eventual purchase price to allow for appreciation if you're looking close in (with 10 miles of downtown).

Finally, don't worry about what other people would want. What makes you happy and will best for your kids and family?

Steve

[TexasHorseLady]

I read that as either a good school district or near a private school. If the school is private, then there are any number of places that would fit the criteria above.

So, it comes down to, first, where are you going to be working, and, then, what are your other interests and priorities? And, as Steve said, remember, the market is in flux right now, so take that into consideration.

[b. frank]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

And, as Steve said, remember, the market is in flux right now, so take that into consideration.

Did Steve say "in flux"?
It looks to me like he said "appreciating".

[TexasHorseLady]

That's true, he did, thanks for catching that.

Okay, I'm saying the market is in flux right now, but that just means that it might appreciate a bit less than last year (thus his 5 to 10% range, presumably).

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by b. frank

Did Steve say "in flux"?
It looks to me like he said "appreciating".

"you'll need to look in a range 5% to 10% below your eventual purchase price to allow for appreciation if you're looking close in"

Close in being the operative phrase. If you're looking in outskirt areas, prices may be the same in a year as they are now, especially in newer areas not yet built out.

Steve

[TexasHorseLady]

Thanks, Steve. I was thinking after I posted that I needed to come back and clarify that while we're appreciating as a whole, real estate is not only local but sometimes VERY local.

And then there's the question of what "close in" means. After all, I can remember when 2222 and Mopac (the railroad, the road didn't exist yet) was way out in the boonies and you were just on the edge of being out in the country when you got there, and now it's considered quite close to downtown. And Round Rock is indistinguishable from Austin without a map.

So, how close is "close in"? And close to what?

[austin-steve]

So, how close is "close in"? And close to what?

I call "close in" anything 20-30 minutes drive from downtown Austin. When I moved out past Oak Hill in 1999 I thought it was far out. Now we say "minutes to downtown" on anything listed out there. I can drive from 2 miles past the Y to my office near Bee Caves/Mopac in 12-15 minutes in light traffic. It's 8 miles. I call the "close in" even though it's far out a decade ago.

[TexasHorseLady]

Thanks! I was wondering, from what you said earlier, if you thought that Oak Hill wasn't "close in" by your definition, because by mine, it definitely is. (Though a decade ago, or more, I thought of Oak Hill as close in because I could drive my daughter to the Waldorf School from our home in Barton Hills 5 minutes from downtown in 20 minutes or so, though, of course, I was driving against the rush hour traffic, not with it).

Dripping Springs, now, that's not close in - yet.