Relocation: Circle-C / Westlake Hills / Northwest hills/other?

[chrisjr]

Sorry to hijack, but so many good responses and want to tap into the collective knowledge.

Same profile as OP (budget, 4 person family - growing to 5 soon) however relocating from another state to work in Bee Cave area. Any areas that jump out to consider?

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by chrisjr

Sorry to hijack, but so many good responses and want to tap into the collective knowledge.

Same profile as OP (budget, 4 person family - growing to 5 soon) however relocating from another state to work in Bee Cave area. Any areas that jump out to consider?

wow there is no inventory out there. west of 360 along 2244 there are usually homes in the 800K range. East of 360 they are more typically 1+ million. Right now there is nothing. I personally would wait.

I would not live around 620/2244 because of the distance to downtown. At your price range you should be able to live very close in.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by Austin97

wow there is no inventory out there. west of 360 along 2244 there are usually homes in the 800K range. East of 360 they are more typically 1+ million. Right now there is nothing. I personally would wait.

I would not live around 620/2244 because of the distance to downtown. At your price range you should be able to live very close in.

Working in bee cave though. So, living in Bee Cave wouldn't be horrible. I'd recommend renting first. I only can offer feedback on a small area within Austin proper and then south. I honestly couldn't even tell you how to get to Bee Cave. It sounds like it's pretty far out from "Austin," though.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

Working in bee cave though. So, living in Bee Cave wouldn't be horrible. I'd recommend renting first. I only can offer feedback on a small area within Austin proper and then south. I honestly couldn't even tell you how to get to Bee Cave. It sounds like it's pretty far out from "Austin," though.

I always try to think in terms of the next job as jobs are more temporary than homes. So for me it is important to get a location that gives you access to the most choices of jobs.

When I worked at 2222/360 it was tempting to get a house in steiner back in 1999. But I didnt like how it put me further away from other tech jobs, the airport, and downtown and there was only one road to get into town. Traffic into town on 2222 was minimal back then.

So for the OP, the problem with living off bee caves is that you can only get into town on bee caves. With his budget, if he waits, I think he can get inside 360.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by Austin97

I always try to think in terms of the next job as jobs are more temporary than homes. So for me it is important to get a location that gives you access to the most choices of jobs.

When I worked at 2222/360 it was tempting to get a house in steiner back in 1999. But I didnt like how it put me further away from other tech jobs, the airport, and downtown and there was only one road to get into town. Traffic into town on 2222 was minimal back then.

So for the OP, the problem with living off bee caves is that you can only get into town on bee caves. With his budget, if he waits, I think he can get inside 360.

Other people choose locations for jobs. It's different for different people.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

Other people choose locations for jobs. It's different for different people.

If I change jobs, I think that (in my field) office location - if there is an office - will be irrelevant.

Also, as there are two of us working in entirely different fields and we have no interest in living central, optimizing for distance is an exercise in futility.

Not to mention that I haven't changed jobs in 20 years and my wife hasn't in 24 years. We both could have 'swapped up' at some point, but not interested in uprooting the kids and ourselves. If we did decide to move, possible relocations in the future would not be considered at all.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

If I change jobs, I think that (in my field) office location - if there is an office - will be irrelevant.

Also, as there are two of us working in entirely different fields and we have no interest in living central, optimizing for distance is an exercise in futility.

Not to mention that I haven't changed jobs in 20 years and my wife hasn't in 24 years. We both could have 'swapped up' at some point, but not interested in uprooting the kids and ourselves. If we did decide to move, possible relocations in the future would not be considered at all.

I've been moving for work, but I also rent and am relatively new to the city. I like relocating to try to find "the spot." I don't quite know if I've found it yet, that's another reason why I'm not upset I haven't purchased a home yet.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

I've been moving for work, but I also rent and am relatively new to the city. I like relocating to try to find "the spot." I don't quite know if I've found it yet, that's another reason why I'm not upset I haven't purchased a home yet.

Yeah, I understand. I also have a few years on you, though not sure how many . I rented through college and then for ~10 years afterwards, usually with 2 other roommates.

I bought my first house ever when I was 33 and single. It was the cheapest piece of junk in an area I was looking, but all I could afford (and <5% down). It was 30+ years old (20+ of which were rental), terrible energy efficiency, and backed up to the MoPac RR tracks. But over the seven years I lived there it appreciated nicely somehow, although much of that appreciation (1/3? 1/2?) was put back in via upgrades and maintenance. In any case, over those seven years, a pretty decent amount of equity built up.

At three or so years, it might have been a loss - I have not done the math - but at seven years it was a financial boot-strap into a nicer house. The lady that bought it from me still lives there, it looks like. It is appraised at 3X what I paid for it ( ~25 years now), but has not gone up the last two years at all (2021 pending).

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

If I change jobs, I think that (in my field) office location - if there is an office - will be irrelevant.

Also, as there are two of us working in entirely different fields and we have no interest in living central, optimizing for distance is an exercise in futility.

Not to mention that I haven't changed jobs in 20 years and my wife hasn't in 24 years. We both could have 'swapped up' at some point, but not interested in uprooting the kids and ourselves. If we did decide to move, possible relocations in the future would not be considered at all.

I think has (and will continue to) change things. My line of work is centered around downtown since state and federal courthouses are there, as well as the TXSOS and the Capitol. That being said, I'm going to try and secure a semi-remote work schedule so it wouldn't matter in the least if I live 20 miles out.

My area being far from downtown has not impacted sales in the least, or prices. In a way, remote work is leveling the playing field in terms of being in town and living farther out. There are even more choices available for people. You don't have to live in a 1960 rancher on a postage stamp sized lot, or a neighborhood that is not great or sketchy, or whatever... the suburbs, year over year, are putting tax dollars into improving the amenities for their residents so that people don't HAVE to go into town. Round Rock, for example, has a thriving downtown that is getting better each year with various restaurants and live music places. Same with Georgetown. Cedar Park has that event center. This isn't to take away from Austin, but the truth is a lot of the cool Austin things are now overrun with people, overly commercialized, etc. and many locals and long time transplants alike may want a slower pace.