Best affordable Austin suburbs/nearby towns?? (Round Rock, Elgin: lenders, modular home, to buy)

[Jimmyp25]

200k and under? You are a couple years late... maybe if your lucky you can find something .. we were buying a couple years ago and going against 20 people... luckily we lucked out with a HUD foreclosure.

[centralaustinite]

Yes, if I was looking towards the future, I would bet on Hays CISD! Especially for people whose future children aren't even born yet.

[rebelina]

I would choose Lockhart.

[eirenecat]

Another thought--is there anything in this price range in Liberty Hill?

[TexasHorseLady]

You mentioned Temple/Belton and you absolutely can find houses in those towns in your price range. I know, I've shown several of them recently. For that matter, they are scarce on the ground but I have a client who just went under contract on a home in Georgetown for just under $200,000 and Georgetown has Lake Georgetown and the Good Water Trail (26 acre hiking/mountain biking trail that goes from San Gabriel Park all the way to and around the lake). Older home, but convenient to everything. What prices will be in a couple of years I can't say, but the smart money is betting on them continuing to rise. Belton is a lovely little undiscovered town.

I can't say what would be a good school for your yet-to-be-born children - heck, the school that was awesome for our son would have been a disaster for our daughter and vice versa, and those were two kids from the same parents in the same family! You'd need to examine the schools yourself for that.

Jarrell still has houses in the $200,000 and lower range available, both new built and resale, but prices are going up there as well. (I know, I live on a little ranch five minutes from town.)

If you want to consider REALLY small towns, you might think about Thrall (far east, has a surprisingly good rating on its schools and they have a good reputation though I can't speak to them personally) if you can find something available. But it is a VERY small town.

Lockhart/Bastrop area is lovely and there are several small towns down in that area. You're going to find lower prices east than west of I35, but better soil.

There's really lots of options in the relatively large area you've mentioned.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by eirenecat

Another thought--is there anything in this price range in Liberty Hill?

At the moment, 1. With a couple others built in the 1950's-1960's pending. Liberty Hill is a pretty hot little area right now.

[katiev111]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

You mentioned Temple/Belton and you absolutely can find houses in those towns in your price range. I know, I've shown several of them recently. For that matter, they are scarce on the ground but I have a client who just went under contract on a home in Georgetown for just under $200,000 and Georgetown has Lake Georgetown and the Good Water Trail (26 acre hiking/mountain biking trail that goes from San Gabriel Park all the way to and around the lake). Older home, but convenient to everything. What prices will be in a couple of years I can't say, but the smart money is betting on them continuing to rise. Belton is a lovely little undiscovered town.

I can't say what would be a good school for your yet-to-be-born children - heck, the school that was awesome for our son would have been a disaster for our daughter and vice versa, and those were two kids from the same parents in the same family! You'd need to examine the schools yourself for that.

Jarrell still has houses in the $200,000 and lower range available, both new built and resale, but prices are going up there as well. (I know, I live on a little ranch five minutes from town.)

If you want to consider REALLY small towns, you might think about Thrall (far east, has a surprisingly good rating on its schools and they have a good reputation though I can't speak to them personally) if you can find something available. But it is a VERY small town.

Lockhart/Bastrop area is lovely and there are several small towns down in that area. You're going to find lower prices east than west of I35, but better soil.

There's really lots of options in the relatively large area you've mentioned.

TexasHorseLady...my husband really likes Bastrop...but it seems as if it's hard to find anything under 200k!! I have a lot of interest in Belton. I keep hearing mixed things but it seems like a great little community...and housing a decent price lol! I like living close to Austin, but not IN Austin. Anything I need I can just drive a hour-hour and a half and it's there.

We would want to buy a home next summer, but is it better to do so in the winter here?? Or is the market hot hot hot year round????

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by katiev111

TexasHorseLady...my husband really likes Bastrop...but it seems as if it's hard to find anything under 200k!! I have a lot of interest in Belton. I keep hearing mixed things but it seems like a great little community...and housing a decent price lol! I like living close to Austin, but not IN Austin. Anything I need I can just drive a hour-hour and a half and it's there.

We would want to buy a home next summer, but is it better to do so in the winter here?? Or is the market hot hot hot year round????

There used to be a regular rhythm to the market, but with so many people moving into the area, it's not really behaving "properly" - for example, I had a buyer just go under contract and I'm writing two more offers for buyers today and I have others looking, and things are supposed to slow down after school starts but somehow the market didn't get the memo! However, spring/summer is traditionally a busy time (people wanting to move in the summer while school is out) and slower in the holiday season (people are too busy to look, or don't want the bother of having their home on the market and showing during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays, but those that do either are showing that they are serious buyers or sellers). I guess the "my crystal ball is in the shop permanently" answer to your question is that winter is a better time to buy than summer, but it depends.

[katiev111]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

There used to be a regular rhythm to the market, but with so many people moving into the area, it's not really behaving "properly" - for example, I had a buyer just go under contract and I'm writing two more offers for buyers today and I have others looking, and things are supposed to slow down after school starts but somehow the market didn't get the memo! However, spring/summer is traditionally a busy time (people wanting to move in the summer while school is out) and slower in the holiday season (people are too busy to look, or don't want the bother of having their home on the market and showing during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays, but those that do either are showing that they are serious buyers or sellers). I guess the "my crystal ball is in the shop permanently" answer to your question is that winter is a better time to buy than summer, but it depends.

Thank you!!! Keeping my fingers crossed that prices are still reasonable next winter (we just signed a lease for our apartment so we can't buy this year) ...but who knows :/

[katiev111]

Originally Posted by rebelina

I would choose Lockhart.

Is lockhart a decent place? I have heard mixed things!