Young British family coming for recce for possible move (Houston: apartment, for rent)

[Englishrose123]

Hi

We are moving to the US in August next year from Dubai. We are a British couple with a 4 'month old. We've lived in the Middle East for 8 years, have saved a lot of money whilst here and we are moving to the States to hopefully establish a life and business there. We have property investments and so will get a visa through them. We will have a steady income from our investments and therefore don't need to work to live a decent life. However my husband and I both enjoy working and he plans to set up a business (probably something property related) I will work from home.

We have narrowed our search to Austin and Raleigh-Durham and we're coming to do a recce of both in March.

Where would you recommend we look in Austin?

We are in our early 30s. Our budget for rent is 2500usd (we will rent for a year or two first to check we likethe city). We'd like 2000-2500 square ft. 4 bedrooms. Prefer ranch style. We'd like a friendly, safe, liberal area. Prefer somewhere where we can walk or cycle to shops/restaurants. Young families. Friendly is important! We're used to living in the centre of a city but we know we need to move somewhere more suburban for our son. Just not tooo suburban! Good schools important in the longer term. Prefer an established neighbourhood (i.e. Fully grown trees etc. Not new and small). Prefer a community w a swimming pool etc.
I do really like the idea of being out by the lakes but maybe that would be too quiet for us

Am I asking too much?!

Also-we will stay in a serviced apartment for first 2montha. Can you recommend one or are they all much the same?

Please let me know if you need anymore info.

Many thanks
Rose

[COCUE]

I think you will love Austin. I assume you lot will be coming on an E visa? We have some good friends from Buckinghamshire that just did almost the same thing that you are planning. They moved here lat year and live down the road from us with their kids and seem to be having a great time.. even with the typical English rose skin :-)
Was a wee bit worried about the English rose skin till i saw that you've been in Dubai for 8 year.. If you can survive Dubai, then you will be okay with the summer here.

With no location constraints, you honestly can live anywhere. Perhaps consider living in a downtown apartment for the year since your little one is only a few months old before settling into the suburban lifestyle? Probably be a lot of fun. On the other hand, you could rent in suburban Austin for less than $2,500 especially since you dont have to worry about schools in the short to mid term.

Good luck!

[Trainwreck20]

With your budget and (lack of) constraints, there are a lot of options. My first inclination would be Circle C (Southwest Austin), which has the good schools and you can bicycle to quite a few places, although walking to shops is limited. They have a couple o neighborhood pools, as well, and access to some nice parks and green belts. Also tends to be families. Ranch style home may be a problem, though. Villages of Western Oaks and then a bit further north have the somewhat smaller and older homes that may be more appealing, and more access to retail. The trade-off is somewhat lower density of young families and will likely make use of the city pool (nice enough and free, but more crowded. There are some non-HOA areas there, as well.

Lakeway is an option, as well, but the traffic/infrastructure of the city is less appealing to me personally. The access to the lake is very nice if you want to have a boat, though. Quiet is not that much of a problem unless you go to the 'outskirts' of Lakeway....

There are also similar areas to the Northwest (i.e. Steiner Ranch) but I am not as familiar with them.

There are also central options, although you will have a bit more difficulty with that big of a house, possibly, for that price, I am not sure.

[COCUE]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

With your budget and (lack of) constraints, there are a lot of options. My first inclination would be Circle C (Southwest Austin), which has the good schools and you can bicycle to quite a few places, although walking to shops is limited. They have a couple o neighborhood pools, as well, and access to some nice parks and green belts. Also tends to be families. Ranch style home may be a problem, though. Villages of Western Oaks and then a bit further north have the somewhat smaller and older homes that may be more appealing, and more access to retail. The trade-off is somewhat lower density of young families and will likely make use of the city pool (nice enough and free, but more crowded. There are some non-HOA areas there, as well.

Lakeway is an option, as well, but the traffic/infrastructure of the city is less appealing to me personally. The access to the lake is very nice if you want to have a boat, though. Quiet is not that much of a problem unless you go to the 'outskirts' of Lakeway....

There are also similar areas to the Northwest (i.e. Steiner Ranch) but I am not as familiar with them.

There are also central options, although you will have a bit more difficulty with that big of a house, possibly, for that price, I am not sure.

hey there I almost always agree with you... whats happening today Is it you or me... hahahaha

They are 30s with a 4 month old (so schools not on the horizon) and $2,500 for rent. Why would they go to Circle C or Lakeway or Steiner or the masses of suburban locations that we all live in now.. Enjoy downtown or any of all those yuppified walk to coffee shop locations closer that I always see here then after a year that hey have to buy, end up in suburbia like the rest of us, I say..

Or I could just be jealous.. .lol

[clarksvillemom]

I also love ranch style homes. Depending on your budget, I'd look at Rollingwood and Highland Hills (78731 is the zip - not to be confused with Highland Hill Country)

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by COCUE

hey there I almost always agree with you... whats happening today Is it you or me... hahahaha

They are 30s with a 4 month old (so schools not on the horizon) and $2,500 for rent. Why would they go to Circle C or Lakeway or Steiner or the masses of suburban locations that we all live in now.. Enjoy downtown or any of all those yuppified walk to coffee shop locations closer that I always see here then after a year that hey have to buy, end up in suburbia like the rest of us, I say..

Or I could just be jealous.. .lol

Actually, it is hard to say .

Anyway, the 2400 sf and the pool....harder to achieve downtown (I think? It has been years since I lived there). And if you want to mingle with families - the density of kids (and young parents) is off the chart around the SW Austin elementary schools. And several nice parks and pleasant bike paths/lanes to all sorts of places. I personally have no interest in living central now that I have kids, although they are now in elementary school, not pre-school age. W/o knowing the OP, though, it is hard to say exactly what they are really looking for, but since they sound like they will be renting for a while anyway, they will figure it out .

I do have a co-worker with a daughter that kind of just went through this in Houston - they owned a beautiful house in a 'gentrifying' area in central Houston, but not 6 months after their first child, they are looking to move out to Humble or environs - she is changing jobs to do it.

[jread]

WTH is a "recce"?

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by jread

WTH is a "recce"?

I assumed reconnoiter, but could easily be wrong .

Now that I think of it, could also be reconnaissance.

[ashbeeigh]

Maybe the Mueller area and Windsor Park. There are ranch style homes and rents are about that for the older homes. Mueller proper may be tough with the larger size (more like $3500) but doable within the Windsor Park area. There is Bartholomew Park with a pool and if you get into Mueller they have two pools (I think?). Biking and walking would be possible in both areas.

[centralaustinite]

Allandale is what their request screams to me! Tons of families, close to the action, yet with (relatively big lots), NW District Pool, lots of stuff nearby.