Briarcliff VS Apache Shores (Austin: mobile home, neighborhoods, buy)

[jcku1981]

Long time lurker, first time poster here (at least for many years).... My wife and are relocating from KC to ATX (specifically by the lake, which I know you homers will say isn't really Austin...I get it. ) Particularly interested in building in the Apache Shores & Briarcliff neighborhoods. Budget is $500k. Anyone have recent experience building in either place? Pro's VS cons of either/or? Any recommendations on solid builders that have experience in those areas?

[centralaustinite]

Just to be clear, $500K is the budget for the land and the home construction?

[janejanejanejanejane]

Schools-wise= Briarcliff.
Distance to many bigger stores= I think Apache Shores?

[lndigo]

i would choose apache shores over briarcliff just because of the lake situation. lake travis is very variable and can become quite low during droughts. apache shores is on lake austin, which tends to remain at a fairly constant level. plus it's upriver from the rest of austin being fed from the bottom of lake travis, so the water is more untainted and fresh relative to other parts of lake austin.

[FalconheadWest]

For $500k, I would suggest another place in LTISD. Many (large generalization) people buy in Apache Shores and Briarcliff because they can't afford the nicer neighborhoods in the area. You can get too many homes in the $300-400k range that you wouldn't want to go to $500k in those neighborhoods.

In Apache Shores, your neighbor might be a mobile home. In Braircliff, your neighbor might be a '70s dump that they use the front yard as a salvage yard... very eclectic neighborhoods.

[jcku1981]

Thanks for the responses! We are primarily interested in those neighborhoods because we are largely turned off by the master planned communities dominated by national builders, where the building process is impersonal & eventually, every 5th house will look just like yours. Our budget, all in (land + home) is $500k. I totally get the fact that both are eclectic areas, but but believe that both are poised for growth and are good investment opportunities, while allowing us to build exactly was we want VS Floor Plan #2 + Package C. Does any one have insight into the building process/ challenges/ advantages/ disadvantages of one VS the other?