Are we missing something? (Austin, Round Rock: buying a house, neighborhoods, buying)

[futurecitizen]

We've been looking at Austin for quite some time, now. Following discussions of schools and good neighborhoods. Yet we've not visited - until now. Next week we plan to tour the area. BUt can we really get a newer home for $145,000 in Leander or Round Rock school districts, as advertised on the web and craigslist? We want to know before we go whether we can really be getting all that for the money. I know some areas like Cedar Park are upwards of $300k, so what are we missing? Are those lower priced homes just miles away from town? Or in a weird area? Or are those realistic home prices for the area? Any feedback on this is greatly appreciated. We're looking to buy soon, and schools are of premium importance to us. But coming from California and NYC, these prices seem too good to be true. Are they?

[springbean]

Coming from NY or CA anything is cheap You really need to take into account property taxes. We live in RR in an area that is taxed at 3.2%, our annual taxes are $7500 on a $266,000 home. Just make sure you are calculating the local property taxes when you're buying/looking.

[mark311]

I moved here from California a little over 2 years ago and I was amazed at the $135K to $145K prices that I saw listed. After actually looking at a lot of the neighborhoods I ended up buying a house in Round Rock that was just under $200K. The houses that were that cheap just weren't what I was looking for even though they looked fine over the Internet. I would up your expectations to at least $165K minimum unless you want to live further out in Leander. And yes, remember to factor in ~3% property taxes just to be safe. You could easily spend $300K - $600K in Round Rock or Cedar Park if you want to be in a more upscale neighborhood.

[futurecitizen]

Originally Posted by mark311

I moved here from California a little over 2 years ago and I was amazed at the $135K to $145K prices that I saw listed. After actually looking at a lot of the neighborhoods I ended up buying a house in Round Rock that was just under $200K. The houses that were that cheap just weren't what I was looking for even though they looked fine over the Internet. I would up your expectations to at least $165K minimum unless you want to live further out in Leander. And yes, remeber to factory in ~3% property taxes just to be safe. You could easily spend $300K - $600K in Round Rock or Cedar Park if you want to be in a more upscale neighborhood.

Thanks for the input. Can I ask why they weren't so great? I similarly looked in Chicago and what I saw on the internet didn't compare. But many of the homes I see listed in Austin look new-newish and well maintained. I'm curious to hear more about what sent you up the scale. We are not looking at living in the more upscale areas, just good schools and space!

[futurecitizen]

Originally Posted by springbean

Coming from NY or CA anything is cheap You really need to take into account property taxes. We live in RR in an area that is taxed at 3.2%, our annual taxes are $7500 on a $266,000 home. Just make sure you are calculating the local property taxes when you're buying/looking.

Thanks for the tax info. I'm actually curious as to what makes a $299,000 home in Round Rock versus a $150,000 home there. We wouldn't need much more than 1800 square feet - so I get that some of the more expensive homes are super large, dare I say, "McMansion"-size. We wouldn't need that much space... But I'm curious, I guess, as to the discrepancy in cost there.... Is it that size really does matter? Or are there building issues...

[mark311]

Originally Posted by futurecitizen

Thanks for the input. Can I ask why they weren't so great? I similarly looked in Chicago and what I saw on the internet didn't compare. But many of the homes I see listed in Austin look new-newish and well maintained. I'm curious to hear more about what sent you up the scale. We are not looking at living in the more upscale areas, just good schools and space!

The main thing for me is the feel of the neighborhood. Some are kept up much better than others. There are a few builders that tend to build their inexpensive homes very cheaply (Centex & KB). You can tell when you're walking through them that they aren't up to the same quality as other homes. Sometimes the age of the home matters depending on how old it is. I don't think these are things that can easily be described on paper, but you'll definitely see the differences if you come out for a visit to check things out.

[mimimomx3]

A lot of it has to do with landscape, also. In this weather, those houses with well thought out, native plantings (or good sprinkler systems LOL) tend to cost more and be 'better' neighborhoods. The dried out grass and weeds tend to bring down a neighborhood- it doesn't look so nice

[springbean]

Originally Posted by futurecitizen

Thanks for the tax info. I'm actually curious as to what makes a $299,000 home in Round Rock versus a $150,000 home there. We wouldn't need much more than 1800 square feet - so I get that some of the more expensive homes are super large, dare I say, "McMansion"-size. We wouldn't need that much space... But I'm curious, I guess, as to the discrepancy in cost there.... Is it that size really does matter? Or are there building issues...

Location, Location, Location We live in a more upscale neighborhood with homes from the low $200's up to over $600. For the most part RR has nice neighborhoods, but some of the homes that are less expensive are located in areas that have cheaper looking homes, more relaxed HOA's (ie cars on blocks, unmowed lawns etc), no pool/clubhouse etc.

Let me know if you need anymore info on RR, we looked EVERYWHERE before we decided on where we are.

Good Luck!

[futurecitizen]

Originally Posted by springbean

Location, Location, Location We live in a more upscale neighborhood with homes from the low $200's up to over $600. For the most part RR has nice neighborhoods, but some of the homes that are less expensive are located in areas that have cheaper looking homes, more relaxed HOA's (ie cars on blocks, unmowed lawns etc), no pool/clubhouse etc.

Let me know if you need anymore info on RR, we looked EVERYWHERE before we decided on where we are.

Good Luck!

Thanks! We are really looking at finding the right community for us. We are a couple of writers and musicians with 2 little ones looking to find an open-minded community/neighborhood full of children who play together in the neighborhood! Do those exist anymore? We're not sure yet if Round Rock is the right place, but we are looking to buy a place outright and our budget ideally is $130-140k. We really don't want a mortgage, and keeping up with the Joneses is definitely not our cup of tea. That said, schools are of prime importance, as is easy access to the city. Does Round Rock fit that bill or are there other areas we should look into? All of your advice is helpful!

[futurecitizen]

Originally Posted by mark311

The main thing for me is the feel of the neighborhood. Some are kept up much better than others. There are a few builders that tend to build their inexpensive homes very cheaply (Centex & KB). You can tell when you're walking through them that they aren't up to the same quality as other homes. Sometimes the age of the home matters depending on how old it is. I don't think these are things that can easily be described on paper, but you'll definitely see the differences if you come out for a visit to check things out.

Thanks for the heads up. As I told Spring Bean, we're looking to buy outright rather than get a mortgage, but as a couple of writers and musicians, the neighborhood needs community-feel, but not a lot of fancy trimmings. Having looked at a number of homes over the past year, I know what you mean. I'm wondering if you have input on which neighborhoods might have a great spirit of community - and good schools - even if the homes aren't more upscale....