Moving to Austin... cheap older neighborhoods? (Houston, Round Rock: fit in, real estate, foreclosures)

[KadinGoldberg]

Hi everyone,
What a great site here! I have already found lots of info but thought that it would be benificial for me to try and get some more precise information. I hope you all don't mind helping me!

I am considering moving to Austin or the surrounding areas and am looking to buy my first house (rather than watching my money disappear into a rental). I am looking for something under $150K and so far have found lots of really nice looking houses for that or under (nice for my standards anyway).

I am having some trouble finding the right areas to look in however. I see lots of cheaper places in Pflugerville and Round Rock but I am not quite sure if these are the areas I am looking for.

I am looking for a safer neighborhood that has a bit of character. It doesn't have to be super nice with really huge expensive houses or anything. I would just much rather live in a neighborhood with some older houses, mature trees and a little bit of character rather than living in a suburb type areas with all brand new houses that all look the same.

I would really appreciate any info you could give me.

Thanks!!

Kadin

[LindaWH]

If you want character in a neighborhood, stay away from Round Rock or Pflugerville. They're both cookie cutter neighborhoods, and you'll be stuck in traffic for at least 45 minutes both morning and evening if you need to get into town to go to work. Transit is a huge issue in this town, and there is no real effective public transit system (yet) to relieve the flow from the suburbs into the city. Prices in central Austin have escalated ridiculously in recent years, though they may be leveling out somewhat now. I guess that if I were looking for something with character in Austin for under 200K, I'd check the close-in east side, though it has grown in price tremendously too in recent years. Like most urban areas, the central city is very expensive now, and the average person is pushed to the outlying areas (probably the slums of the future) . Sorry I can't be more help, but that's how it is now, and that's why I'm LEAVING!

[love roses]

Someone sounds mad! But even though she's not wrong about the massive growth and escalating prices, with careful looking you can find houses like what you are looking for in the outer areas of Austin. For under $150 in Downtown areas West of 35, you will be looking at a very small house that is more than likely a fixer upper. She's also wrong about Round Rock and Pflugerville to a degree. All of the small towns around Austin were originally small towns in their own right, not just recently built up extensions of Austin. These towns have their original town centers standing and some have at least half of the original old downtown standing due to fires at the turn of the century or something. There are actually some cute, unique, and in some cases historically dedicated homes right around these town centers. As far as how much they may cost, I couldn't tell you, but you could look some up I suppose. Most areas of Austin are very safe. East Austin (directly across 35 from Downtown) was historically the worst area, but now is being quickly gentrified and lots of young people and artists are moving there.

Traffic is not bad 24-7 on 35, but there are also many backroads you could take, and also the I 30 toll road. My husband's job is based in North Austin and he NEVER takes 35 to get there. I also have a neighbor who is a night manager at the Hyatt downtown and he also never takes 35 to even go downtown. As for outlying areas becoming slums, I don't really see it happening. Austin isn't the size of Houston, New York or L.A. These towns weren't slums before and probably won't be any time in the near future.

[AustinTraveler]

Instead of your first house, why not your first condo? It sounds like you would like living in Central or South Austin instead of the suburbs and for $150,000 you're more likely to find a condo. Of course, you still have to take into consideration any association fees, and let's not forget those pesky taxes.

[McDavis]

I must take some issue with LindaWH's post...

There are plenty of neighborhoods with character in Pf and RR. And not all of the newer developments are cookie cutter. And it just depends were you work as to how long your commute will be. I know this doesn't help the OP, but it's very disappointing when people perpetuate some of the bad perceptions about the suburbs to the north. Many of us on the board live quite happily up there. Some of us even *gasp* CHOOSE to live there. There are EVEN some people like myself *OH MY* who've lived in downtown and central Austin who actually have a point of reference against which to compare the 'burbs.

[ramones85]

Originally Posted by AustinTraveler

Instead of your first house, why not your first condo? It sounds like you would like living in Central or South Austin instead of the suburbs and for $150,000 you're more likely to find a condo. Of course, you still have to take into consideration any association fees, and let's not forget those pesky taxes.

Can you have a dog in a condo?

[AustinTraveler]

Originally Posted by ramones85

Can you have a dog in a condo?

If you own the condo then you can have a dog, unless there is something in the rules that says otherwise, but that would be pretty strange for dog-loving Austin.

[ramones85]

Originally Posted by AustinTraveler

If you own the condo then you can have a dog, unless there is something in the rules that says otherwise, but that would be pretty strange for dog-loving Austin.

Thats what I thought, but my boyfriend didn't think so, since neighbors are so close and all. Thanks

[KadinGoldberg]

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate all the responses. It is good to know that there are still some areas with character in pf and rr. I don't know about a condo because I DO have a dog and I sort of want a yard for him. Also... buying a condo just seems strange to me. lol.

Thanks again for the info so far, i would love to hear some other opinions if anyone else happens to have one.

Kadin

[scraunch]

Kadin, I relate to you---get a house if you can. You will help yourself so much financially. Rent's are almost the same as homeownership.

We bought our first house ever in 2002 in North Austin in the Bratton Park area (Off Wells Branch and Merrilltown). We paid 144K then. The houses are now in the 170K region. You might find something nearer 150K if you are willing to take on some sweat equity, which I highly recommend doing because the location itself is going to make this into the next Allandale/Rosedale. It's close enough to downtown Austin still (I pity the poor RRock folk).

Because Wells Branch Road connects I-35 and Mopac in the shortest distance possible, we enjoy a unique access to North, West, Central, RRock, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Pflugerville areas so as those areas continue to grow for business, you can still benefit from that. We have changed jobs many times and never had longer than a 15 minute commute to any of them, no matter where they were.

This is an AWESOME location. The longer we live here, the more we are shocked how lucky we were to find it because everything you are hearing about traffic issues is very true.

1.) As said, location is easy access to everything EXCEPT South Austin (think of it as a wall of traffic between the north and south at 5 p.m.)

2.) The newly built Domain is a major draw, like the Arboretum used to be for shopping, coffee, tea, restaurants, and live music. My husband, my 4 year old son and I all have our reasons to like to go there, and we are not shopaholics. We got there for the entertainment.

3.) The community is sweet, developed around the Katherine Fleischer Community Park. There's a large pond with a creek running through it. . Check it out. They have free music throughout the summer, Valentine's dances, St. Patrick's Day celebrations, a Dog "Show" where all the owners bring their dogs and have fun. There is a dog park , TWO community pool areas, a community center people rent out for birthdays, reunions, a frisbee disc course, hike and bike trails. Older generation and younger generation have reasons to enjoy the community. My mom is thinking of moving here too, and she likes all the activities listed for her age group.

4.) Sidewalks. Now I have a kid, I'm loving that.

You will not find the super quaint, huge treed lots close in to Austin at 150K in decent condition any more...

I am a total real estate hound always looking for deals, foreclosures, etc. I'm a fifth generation Pfluger myself but we were military and lived outside the area until 1995. I've heard the stories from relatives as they sold off farmland and I've seen with horror the cookie cutter homes go up. There are pockets of beauty still in Pflugerville---so don't discount it entirely---but the fact the roads were not designed for the amount of traffic means it wil add a good 20 minutes to get to anywhere else.

I'm concerned about property values on that side too, since they did build a lot of homes and offered them for low prices. East side influences are moving up the I-35 corridor. They will probably swing around Round Rock and move on to Hutto/Taylor due to the toll road. But gas prices may keep anyone from deciding to live that far out from Central Austin. Who knows. I'm watching with interest.

Having lived on Rundberg and seen first-hand what those types of influences are when associated with low-cost housing, I feel I'm able to pass that judgement and say living East side does not fit in the definition of "safe." More power to those who are gentrifying.

I'm sticking to Wells Branch area as a decent lower-priced alternative to the Hyde Park, Rosedale, Allandale, Shoal Creek neighborhoods. Evenings you can zip in to downtown Austin, catch the cultural fun down there, return home. Weekends you can take your kids around the block on sidewalks and hang out at the park. Mon-Friday you can go to your job without breaking the bank.



Good luck!