Austin; Northern or Southern Suburbs? (San Antonio, Round Rock: apartment, renting, house)

[JBSRox]

My husband and I moved to Austin last year, have been renting but our accountant says its a good move to buy instead of renting a house. So we are now looking to buy a house in this CRAZY market. We work from home, so commute is not an issue.
Price is a huge factor, want to stay at or below $350,000, saw some really nice homes as far south as Blanco Vista in Kyle/San Marcos, and also some really nice homes in Leander and Georgetown. What to do???
Any recommendations or words of wisdom?
We are a gay couple (not that this should be an issue...unless you guys think it could be am issue)

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by JBSRox

My husband and I moved to Austin last year, have been renting but our accountant says its a good move to buy instead of renting a house. So we are now looking to buy a house in this CRAZY market. We work from home, so commute is not an issue.
Price is a huge factor, want to stay at or below $350,000, saw some really nice homes as far south as Blanco Vista in Kyle/San Marcos, and also some really nice homes in Leander and Georgetown. What to do???
Any recommendations or words of wisdom?
We are a gay couple (not that this should be an issue...unless you guys think it could be am issue)

You should be able to meet your price goals in either territory. From the way I understand it, S.Austin caters more toward parks and greenways so if you enjoy jogging / hiking, ect you will be closer to those amenities in Kyle. N.Austin caters more toward development. Another positive about Kyle and San Marcos is you wont need to take the toll road if you ever need to make a quick trip into Austin. I personally think Leander is a nicer city over all of them, I mean we’re not talking light years though. Of those ‘I’ personally would choose Leander, as I live there and very much enjoy it. I will say, Leander and Georgetown do still seem fairly right wing, if that is an issue. I could be entirely wrong but they do feel fairly conservative still. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same applied to San Marcos and Kyle.

[Austin97]

For people without kids, I would go east or south east. You can stay close to downtown, get a fixer upper, and over time improve it.

You will never be able to improve your location, but you can always improve the house.

[innovator82]

If commute is not an issue and there are homes in your price range in both areas, for me it would come down to access to shopping/dining/entertainment options. Theoretically Georgetown and Blanco Vista are about the same distance to downtown Austin (not accounting for traffic or construction) but with Georgetown and Leander, you obviously have better access to Round Rock, Cedar Park, and North Austin. The Kyle and San Marcos areas are nice but do not offer the same level of amenities as Wilco and North Austin, if that is important to you.

[CarnivalGal]

I think the differences between those two areas is negligible. However, I think Leander and Cedar Park have done a really good job making one of the fastest growing areas in the country feel more like a community. The Indigo Ridge project in Cedar Park is going to basically be another Domain. The rail line makes for easy access to Downtown. There are plenty of parks, shopping, and dining. I'll admit that it's kind of strip-mall hell, but so are the areas South. But I think that is changing. The Cedar Park Rec center is nearby and pretty nice. There are also a lot of community events.

[ashbeeigh]

My main question is, what do you need to do in Austin and how will being so far away effect your life? I lived just north of Buda for two years. It was lovely being able to get to San Antonio in under two hours, but it was horrible trying to get to friends who lived in Avery Ranch. It was also horrible getting to friends even central, like in Hyde Park. It would take me 20 minutes some days to even get onto 35 and my apartment was less then .2 miles from 35. If you are living south traffic picks up as you get into Buda. If you don't need to be in Austin then I don't think it's horrible being as far south as Blanco Vista. I feel like Blanco Vista is even out for San Marcos. Is there or will there be a light to get onto RM 12? That worried me when I went out there to look for homes with my parents. I'd go a bit further north to Plum Creek. Plum Creek gets you close to FM 1626 and the things there and you're close to the outlets and all that.

Now, I haven't lived north in a while. It feels equally as crappy as being south. I recall a few times getting stuck in what felt like rush hour traffic north of 45 on the weekends heading back from Ikea. It would take me about 40 minutes to get from Shoreline and Mopac to 35 and Saint Johns. It wasn't painful, but it was slow. Add on more time if you're further north, obviously.

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

My main question is, what do you need to do in Austin and how will being so far away effect your life? I lived just north of Buda for two years. It was lovely being able to get to San Antonio in under two hours, but it was horrible trying to get to friends who lived in Avery Ranch. It was also horrible getting to friends even central, like in Hyde Park. It would take me 20 minutes some days to even get onto 35 and my apartment was less then .2 miles from 35. If you are living south traffic picks up as you get into Buda. If you don't need to be in Austin then I don't think it's horrible being as far south as Blanco Vista. I feel like Blanco Vista is even out for San Marcos. Is there or will there be a light to get onto RM 12? That worried me when I went out there to look for homes with my parents. I'd go a bit further north to Plum Creek. Plum Creek gets you close to FM 1626 and the things there and you're close to the outlets and all that.

Now, I haven't lived north in a while. It feels equally as crappy as being south. I recall a few times getting stuck in what felt like rush hour traffic north of 45 on the weekends heading back from Ikea. It would take me about 40 minutes to get from Shoreline and Mopac to 35 and Saint Johns. It wasn't painful, but it was slow. Add on more time if you're further north, obviously.

I think a lot of those problems stem from using I-35. Leander and Cedar Park are far enough west that 35 can be avoided. I live in Steiner Ranch and I probably haven't been on 35 in 3 years, maybe longer.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

I think a lot of those problems stem from using I-35. Leander and Cedar Park are far enough west that 35 can be avoided. I live in Steiner Ranch and I probably haven't been on 35 in 3 years, maybe longer.

Since moving east I rarely use 35 and am overwhelmed by the traffic when I have to use it at peak times. With 183 south nearing the end of its construction, I use Airport to get into the central parts of the city and Ben White to get to things south. Having some additional north and south routes would be helpful. Dessau and Lamar can be good options in north Austin and 1626 is a good option for south areas. But, nothing like 620, from my understanding (and I don't have an understanding of anything west of say, Oak Hill)

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

Since moving east I rarely use 35 and am overwhelmed by the traffic when I have to use it at peak times. With 183 south nearing the end of its construction, I use Airport to get into the central parts of the city and Ben White to get to things south. Having some additional north and south routes would be helpful. Dessau and Lamar can be good options in north Austin and 1626 is a good option for south areas. But, nothing like 620, from my understanding (and I don't have an understanding of anything west of say, Oak Hill)

Oh, yeah. 620 sucks, don't get me wrong. But's it's not too bad outside of peak hours. There are back roads to get to Cedar Park, and going South from Steiner towards Lakeway isn't too bad. Avoiding the 620/2222 intersection is key, and most of us who live here have mastered it. The only time I can't avoid it is when I have to get my daughter to or from the high school. I-35 seems to always be bad. I take MoPac if I need to go downtown (which is rare). I've also been known to take 2222 to Mt. Bonnell to 35th Street and go from there.

Every few years when I get on 35, I marvel at how horrible it is.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

Oh, yeah. 620 sucks, don't get me wrong. But's it's not too bad outside of peak hours. There are back roads to get to Cedar Park, and going South from Steiner towards Lakeway isn't too bad. Avoiding the 620/2222 intersection is key, and most of us who live here have mastered it. The only time I can't avoid it is when I have to get my daughter to or from the high school. I-35 seems to always be bad. I take MoPac if I need to go downtown (which is rare). I've also been known to take 2222 to Mt. Bonnell to 35th Street and go from there.

Every few years when I get on 35, I marvel at how horrible it is.

Do you think they may ever reconsider throwing up an overpass for 620/2222 ? I never understood the concept of the bypass or how it would alleviate traffic there.