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Old 12-14-2006, 10:31 PM
 
2 posts, read 5,337 times
Reputation: 10

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My husband and I are looking towards the Austin area to retire in 2007.
We are both into active lifestyles and outdoor activities. He as an avid bicyclist -road racing mainly, (some mtn bike) and I am in the process of phased retirement from the university. My activity of choice is sculling/rowing.

We have been to the Austin area twice and are confused as to where we should buy a home at. Georgetown looks good because of affordability of housing (i.e. active retirement community-Sun City), but unsure about rowing opportunities on Lake Georgetown, as well as traffic and congestion going to the downtown area. Austin seems to have it all, but affordablity of living downtown seems out of our price range for a decent house.

Anyone have suggestions? Advice?
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Old 12-15-2006, 08:03 AM
 
55 posts, read 224,221 times
Reputation: 23
Hi MC

Well last I heard lake Georgetown was dry, we have had a very bad draught. Your best bet for rowing is town lake. I will warn you that the cost of living here is very high and if you will be on a fixed income you may want to be very careful with your housing expenses, taxes will also eat you up!

You may want to get a home closer in to town and town lake. You can buy a nice 3/2 for under $250K. in some areas, that are nice and have good neighbors who take care of their homes. I hope that helps.
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Old 12-15-2006, 08:20 AM
 
164 posts, read 725,352 times
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It's difficult to point you in a direction without knowing your housing budget and what a "nice house" means to you. The previous poster mentioned Town Lake. That's the only place I can think of at the moment that offers a good rowing place, but I'm not a lake person, so others might know of other areas.

Central Austin is pricey, but you can get a home within a 30-minute commute for less than $200K, if you're willing to live in something smaller than about 2000 sq. ft. and older. If your budget is higher, of course you'll have more options closer to town.

The previous poster also mentioned taxes. Property taxes here are crazy. You'll need to get the 65 and older exemption thing, which, from what I understand from my retired friends, is not an exemption from all taxes but freezes your taxes so they don't rise (or not rise as quickly) each year with the new appraisals.

The property taxes also vary from area to area, depending on roads, services, and schools. Last year my home in the Austin city limits (3000 sq ft, appraised at $225K, sold at $275K) cost me about $6K a year in taxes. I'm now living in a 2700 sq ft home in Dripping Springs that will likely cost me $8K a year in taxes. It ain't pretty, which is why I'll probably have to move when I retire.

Good luck!
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Old 12-15-2006, 09:45 AM
 
2 posts, read 5,337 times
Reputation: 10
Thanks to the replies to my post.

Here is some more info: We are moving away from the midwest, we are in our late 50s and are planning on spending up to 250k on a home. I looked on line and saw that Lake Georgetown had a rowing assoc, so that is where my curiosity came from regarding rowing on Lake Geo. and Sun City.

What about bicycling in Austin? of course, everyone knows about Lance and all... It seems like traffic would be a concern...? Are there race teams that have older fit adults in their late 50s-60s? (hubby really likes to push himself...touring is "boring" acording to him)

Thanks again for info. I'm trying to figure out if I need to go again to Chuy's and purchase a "keep austin weird" t shirt...as it appears this just might be our adopted new home.
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Old 12-15-2006, 10:07 AM
 
2,266 posts, read 7,299,595 times
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I think with the types of activities you are both interested in, downtown or close to it would be the best fit for you. But, you won't be able to get a house in your budget. Would a condo work? There are several condo projects in development right now that are close to your price range. Not right downtown but definitely close enough.

I don't know much about the kind of biking your husband does but I'm sure there are tons of clubs he can join. Personally, I wouldn't ride a bike out on the main roads but lots of people do. It's also very challenging riding a bike here because of the hills, but those wannabe Lance's don't seem to mind! Biking to me means hopping on my old beach cruiser (the one with the coolie cup taped to the handle bars) and riding around in my neighborhood.

We live very close to Town Lake and take our canoe out a lot. It is such a perfect place for canoeing, kayaking and rowing. I absolutely love seeing the rowing teams out there.

I hope things work out for you and that you can make Austin your home. I have a good website about condos in/near downtown but I think it's a real estate website so if you're interested, I'll PM it to you. Just let me know!

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Old 12-15-2006, 12:21 PM
 
Location: South West Austin
122 posts, read 178,288 times
Reputation: 21
I think your not going to have a problem with finding organization and places to do you activity in Austin. Austin is a mecca for training its a really fit town in a unfit state.
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