Retiring to Austin - real estate tips (College Station, San Marcos: house, neighborhood)

[auntbeebe]

Looking to relocate to Austin for retirement - want a house under $350K
Would like a house in a neighborhood close to music and restaurants -
Also hear the traffic is bad - so would like an area that avoids that as much as possible since
we won't be commuting to work and such.
So neighborhood or zip code suggestions would be appreciated.
We are young spirited and active - so we would like a mixed community - not a retirement community per se.
thanks!!

[Austin97]

I would not recommend austin or texas in general for retirees because of the high property taxes and lack of unique amenities to justify them.

Why are you interested in austin?

[DashRiprock]

I am not aware of anything in Austin that comes close to matching those criteria. Traffic is bad, will only get worse, and unless you double that $350K it's largely unavoidable.

Having said that, another month of this shutdown mess and who knows what the world is going to look like?

[sanmiguel]

Originally Posted by Austin97

I would not recommend austin or texas in general for retirees because of the high property taxes and lack of unique amenities to justify them.

Why are you interested in austin?

We owned a home about a mile north of UT for ten years after retiring. We found being surrounded by college students and academic professionals to be very rewarding and invigorating. There are abundant opportunities for volunteering and physical fitness. We are now in our eighties and have moved back to California to be closer to family. Nevertheless, we look back on that decade in Austin as being some of the best years of our lives.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by sanmiguel

We owned a home about a mile north of UT for ten years after retiring. We found being surrounded by college students and academic professionals to be very rewarding and invigorating. There are abundant opportunities for volunteering and physical fitness. We are now in our eighties and have moved back to California to be closer to family. Nevertheless, we look back on that decade in Austin as being some of the best years of our lives.

How long ago?

I'm thinking the desire for a home @ $350K and little traffic will put the kibosh on the OP's re-enacting your dream.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by sanmiguel

We owned a home about a mile north of UT for ten years after retiring. We found being surrounded by college students and academic professionals to be very rewarding and invigorating. There are abundant opportunities for volunteering and physical fitness. We are now in our eighties and have moved back to California to be closer to family. Nevertheless, we look back on that decade in Austin as being some of the best years of our lives.

there are lots of state universities in small towns with a much lower cost of living that have a similar campus vibe.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by Austin97

there are lots of state universities in small towns with a much lower cost of living that have a similar campus vibe.

Maybe even San Marcos?

[auntbeebe]

Thanks for the input everyone -
We visited and just love Austin - we are thinking of doing it as a temporary thing - a few years - and keeping the property as an investment - Much cheaper than California - and lack of state taxes is a very big consideration.
Compared to NY and Cali - the real estate taxes are much more reasonable.
Will visit again as soon as things clear up - am just doing preliminary research- trying to keep myself occupied with happy research
Have a few friends there that adore it.
The only reason I thought about the traffic is because spoke to someone there who relocated and said that they loved it so much - but the traffic was becoming a deal breaker.

Stay safe everyone!!

[auntbeebe]

Thanks for your positive post.
We would probably do the same thing - Stay in Austin for a few years - and then move back to Cali
What zip code did you live in?

Stay well!!

[TMSRetired]

Originally Posted by Austin97

there are lots of state universities in small towns with a much lower cost of living that have a similar campus vibe.

I found that kind of vibe in College Station. It reminded me of Austin in the 90's.