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Old 03-19-2022, 09:11 PM
 
20 posts, read 23,129 times
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Hi all,


I'm in the latter stages of a recruitment process that would have me relocating to Austin. I'd be looking to rent an apartment or house; 1 bdr/bath is fine. Doesn't have to be big. I'm single, no kids or pets. Schools don't matter. Monthly of $1500-3000. I'll be working in West Lake.

  • I'd like my commute to be 20 minutes or less
  • I don't want a neighborhood that has significant amounts of student housing
  • I'd like to live in a residential neighborhood within a 10-15 minute walk of some interesting bars, restaurants, coffee shops, music venues, grocery store, library, etc.
  • nearby bike path/parks would be great
Is the Colorado River a significant traffic bottleneck for the commute? Meaning I should live on the west side of it?


Zilker? Barton Hills?


Thanks, in advance!
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Old 03-19-2022, 09:30 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX via San Antonio, TX
9,843 posts, read 13,570,722 times
Reputation: 5701
Quote:
Originally Posted by blklb View Post
Hi all,


I'm in the latter stages of a recruitment process that would have me relocating to Austin. I'd be looking to rent an apartment or house; 1 bdr/bath is fine. Doesn't have to be big. I'm single, no kids or pets. Schools don't matter. Monthly of $1500-3000. I'll be working in West Lake.

  • I'd like my commute to be 20 minutes or less
  • I don't want a neighborhood that has significant amounts of student housing
  • I'd like to live in a residential neighborhood within a 10-15 minute walk of some interesting bars, restaurants, coffee shops, music venues, grocery store, library, etc.
  • nearby bike path/parks would be great
Is the Colorado River a significant traffic bottleneck for the commute? Meaning I should live on the west side of it?


Zilker? Barton Hills?


Thanks, in advance!
Start with zip codes 78746 and 78704. That’ll get you the closest to work. Traffic on loop 360 and the river is an issue. Have you been to Austin to see what traffic looks like? Your budget should get you a nicer 1/1 in the areas you’ll need to update your starting range to closer to $1800, though. I’m more of an east Austin girl myself and just signed a lease for something in a walkable central area of the city for $1450, and that’s the lowest I could find. My lease renewal for a nicer three year old complex in south east Austin (complete opposite side of the city) is going from $1450 to $1780 this next year. An apartment locator could also be helpful.
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Old 03-20-2022, 09:26 AM
 
20 posts, read 23,129 times
Reputation: 20
Thanks, Ashbeeigh!


It's been many years since I've been to Austin, and that was a very short visit. Long before the current growth.

78704 seemed like a good fit to me, as well. Would love to find a 1/1 house rental, but so far in my research there doesn't seem to be many in that zip. The time of small houses is long past. Most are 3/2, 4/2, which is way more than I need. Are there neighborhoods in Austin that have more small bungalows/cottages? That have interesting neighborhood hotspots as listed in my original post? I would consider more of a commute for a small house and interesting neighborhood.

I'm also considering a short-term lease/furnished rental, so I could get a sense of the city and where I'd like to live. There are more living options like that in cities these days, but don't know if that's a thing in Austin.

Last edited by blklb; 03-20-2022 at 09:28 AM.. Reason: paragraph spacing
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Old 03-20-2022, 12:09 PM
 
10,130 posts, read 19,784,060 times
Reputation: 5815
Quote:
Originally Posted by blklb View Post
Thanks, Ashbeeigh!


It's been many years since I've been to Austin, and that was a very short visit. Long before the current growth.

78704 seemed like a good fit to me, as well. Would love to find a 1/1 house rental, but so far in my research there doesn't seem to be many in that zip. The time of small houses is long past. Most are 3/2, 4/2, which is way more than I need. Are there neighborhoods in Austin that have more small bungalows/cottages? That have interesting neighborhood hotspots as listed in my original post? I would consider more of a commute for a small house and interesting neighborhood.

I'm also considering a short-term lease/furnished rental, so I could get a sense of the city and where I'd like to live. There are more living options like that in cities these days, but don't know if that's a thing in Austin.
Short term rentals are definitely a thing here, VRBO is headquartered here after all.

1 br houses are pretty rare. 2brs used to be more common in places like North Loop and East Austin, but many of those have been bought and renovated into larger homes. You might find a rare 1br garage apartment in some of the older areas, some of those are pretty neat.

Overall I’d echo ashbeigh’s suggestions. 78704 if you want the walkable lifestyle and don’t mind some noise/property crime, 78746 if you might want some views or nature nearby. Both are well within your price range. I wouldn’t suggest north of the river or east of i35 because the traffic will kill some of the Austin vibe for you. If you like a house, the next best thing might be a duplex, and there are some available in those zips.
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Old 03-20-2022, 12:28 PM
 
20 posts, read 23,129 times
Reputation: 20
Thanks, atxcio! Given I don't know the city I think it might be beneficial to find a short-term lease and then explore, find the neighborhood and space that fits.
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Old 03-20-2022, 01:41 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX via San Antonio, TX
9,843 posts, read 13,570,722 times
Reputation: 5701
A house in 78704 would be close to 6-7k a month. It’s one of the priciest hippest parts of the city. Please come and visit before making any decisions.
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Old 03-20-2022, 07:51 PM
 
743 posts, read 1,359,187 times
Reputation: 651
Quote:
Originally Posted by ashbeeigh View Post
A house in 78704 would be close to 6-7k a month. It’s one of the priciest hippest parts of the city. Please come and visit before making any decisions.
You don't need to spend that much.

There are a couple of 2BR home rentals in 78704 for ~$2,500-$2,800 a month right now. And one for less than that. Sure you can definitely spend more if you want, but you can probably find a 2BR in 78704 within your budget. Most of the homes in 78746 will be 3BR or more....You'll probably have more luck finding the type of place you want in '04, with a short commute to work, but you'll spend more there vs living farther out.
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Old 03-20-2022, 09:16 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX via San Antonio, TX
9,843 posts, read 13,570,722 times
Reputation: 5701
Quote:
Originally Posted by blakely View Post
You don't need to spend that much.

There are a couple of 2BR home rentals in 78704 for ~$2,500-$2,800 a month right now. And one for less than that. Sure you can definitely spend more if you want, but you can probably find a 2BR in 78704 within your budget. Most of the homes in 78746 will be 3BR or more....You'll probably have more luck finding the type of place you want in '04, with a short commute to work, but you'll spend more there vs living farther out.
Don't need to, but most likely it'll be a tough tough tough job to get the home before 5-10 other people fill out an application.

Again, speaking from experience. (and not the same area of the city, but I feel like this is needed for homeowners and those who are steadily housed to understand the rental market). My lease is up May 31st. Some of my neighbors got their renewals before me because they moved in earlier in the year. Their leases were up a good $300-$400. So, knowing that was out of my budget, I started looking in mid-February. (I think it was like Valentine's Day weekend when I legit started narrowing down where I wanted to be). On a whim, I reached out to a complex in Mueller. I basically said, "Hey, I know you all are generally out of budget, but I'm hoping for a miracle." Two days later I got an e-mail from them about the unit I ended up renting. When I went in to the complex for tour both leasing agents said that the unit would probably go within a week of it being listed. I signed almost immediately because I didn't want anyone else to get it. Another one popped up on March 14th. It's already off their website. At a good price, like what you said, it's going to be gone even faster than my unit in East Austin.
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