What makes Austin different? (Houston, Dallas: real estate, rent, low crime)

[LHBR702]

I'm wondering what are the major differences between living in Austin and say, Houston, Dallas or San Antonio? I have been hearing very good things about Austin, but just wondering what makes it better/worse/different than other cities in TX?

[plaidmom]

You can read more about my take on Austin in the "Californians who moved to TX" thread.

What makes Austin different is the people. It IS a very special place.

Now for the bad news.

I also replied to your post on high paying jobs and affordable housing and I noticed your post on walkable communities.

Austin, as in the city-core, IS walkable. But, the housing there will not be under 150K. To do Austin for under 150 requires moving to the suburbs---which are not at all walkable AND have no mass transit. Something to think about.

Sorry to be so negative, but I hope it's helpful.

[LHBR702]

No, that is helpful actually. what would be the price range to live in a part of Austin that IS "walkable"?

[AustinTraveler]

I can answer your question about living in Central Austin but you probably won't like the answer! You would be very lucky to find something for under $300K and that would be a 2/1 under 1,000 sf in need of renovation. You should look at one of the real estate websites to get a better idea of what you're looking at. A good one is austinhomesearch.com.

The neighborhoods in Central Austin are very popular and people are willing to downsize to live here.

If I can help with anything else, please ask away.

[LHBR702]

Thanks, AustinTraveler. One more question for ya ~ is it possible to find a 3/2 SFH in the suburbs surrounding downtown Austin priced in the mid 100s, if so about how much of a commute into downtown are we talking and lastly, what neighborhoods would you suggest for a young (late 20s/early 30s) couple who would soon like to start a family?

[LHBR702]

... oh, and one more thing. What do you think makes Austin different?

[AustinTraveler]

First, what I think makes Austin different is the general attitude of the people. I have never lived in a place where people are so happy with where they live. It's totally infectious! I grew up in Florida and you couldn't pay me to go back there. I much prefer the progressive, positive attitudes I find here.

Now for the housing part of your question. I'm sure you can find housing in your price range but I imagine it will be pretty far from downtown. Commuting to downtown would, of course, depend on what time of day. Anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half. Will you need to commute downtown?

If you don't have jobs yet, I would highly recommend that you rent and then when you find out where you will be working, then you can start looking for communities in your price range that are a decent distance away. Commuting here is not fun and I always highly recommend that you live close to your jobs.

When we moved here I lucked out and found a great real estate agent. She is young and a native Austinite. If you would like, I can PM you with her contact information. She will be able to help you with neighborhoods and such. I concentrated only on neighborhoods in Central Austin when I was househunting so I'm really not familiar with those in the outlying areas. I know there are LOTS of them though!!

[southaustingal]

I would second AT's advice on renting first. There are houses in the burbs for 150K. I've seen some for that price in Hutto and Kyle. Hutto has a new toll road (expect to pay $1K per family member per year for that, according to the tolling authority, although I think $1,500 would be more accurate for me), so the commute might be faster than it is from Kyle, which would be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on time of day. I'm sure Bastrop, Cedar Park, and other surrounding communities also have neighborhoods in that price range. Remember that the rule "you get what you pay for" works around here, too. There are good and bad schools in every district in the Austin area, and high and low crime rates. Usually, as income goes up, academic achievement increases and crime lessens.

What makes Austin different? I'd have to say it's the enduring tolerance of each other. Years ago it was positive hippie-yuppie relations. Now that the days of the slacker are long gone, it's positive foreign relations. Overall, Austin's love affair with itself keeps people living here. You can find better topography, climate, and economic prosperity elsewhere, but the infatuation for all things "Austiny" you won't find anywhere else.

[LHBR702]

Wow, thanks guys. This is all great information. I hope others will post also. Actually, we are FAR from knowing what jobs we'll have and all that stuff. Austin is just one of the places we are considering and we are trying to find out as much as we can before placing it on our "short list". So far, sounds great. We don't really know what our price range would be for a home. I can say that just based on the info you've shared, we'd like to stay closer to downtown for both career and lifestyle preferences. Where we are now, up North, we'd have to spend anywhere from $250K (on the very low end) on up for a home close to our jobs. We'd of course like to find more affordable housing as compared to our incomes in whatever city we decide to move to. It really depends on the salaries, too. I'd say that if we were able to find salaries close to what we make up here, our price range would be $175-225K, maybe $250 since I'm guessing property taxes might also be a bit cheaper.

Please keep the posts coming.

[AustinTraveler]

Better figure property taxes into your housing budget if you choose Texas. Figure anywhere from 2.7 - 3.0%.