Considering a move to Hutto (Austin, Georgetown: mortgage, homes, neighborhoods) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

jarodkidd · 01-21-2009, 11:18 AM

We are currently living in Leander in a relative's second home and we are looking to purchase or build our own home in the next 6-9 months. We are new to the area, recently moved from Boston.

Our budget is most likely around 200-215K and in our search we came across a new Gehan community in Hutto. I was hoping to get any and all feedback regarding the Hutto area and Gehan homes.

This will be my family's first home, so we want to be sure to make a good investment while getting the most value for our money. The Gehan homes we looked at seemed to have more standard features as opposed to other builders, and they are 15-30K cheaper in Hutto as opposed to Leander.

Thanks very much for any and all information. We are loving the area and we are very excited to own our first home!

love roses · 01-21-2009, 12:53 PM

These are three of the neighborhoods I was going to mention in my pm to you: Star Ranch, The Lookout at Brushy Creek (2 people commented) and Rivers Crossing. Of course, there are more neighborhoods than this. Hutto Park is the only one I'd shy away from. It's the one having all the problems with foundations. None of the other ones have been having that problem.

jarodkidd · 01-21-2009, 01:05 PM

Thanks for the additional neighborhoods. I will be checking out all of these shortly. Are there any particular builders that do not have good reputations? Has anyone here had a bad experience with particular companies?

achtungpv · 01-21-2009, 01:29 PM

$15-30K is a small price to pay (~$90-$180/mo) for being in a significantly better school district and more desirable area. Those two items are key to your home retaining value in downturns and increasing in value in upswing years.

jarodkidd · 01-21-2009, 01:58 PM

Achtungpv --

Is your position that the cost savings gained by living in Hutto are not as important to the long term value of the home as the schools in this area are not as good as those in others and the area is generally less desirable? If that is the case, can you provide some alternatives? I am trying to determine if Hutto could be considered a long term investment, not unlike moving to somewhere like the Leander area 5 years ago. Is it reasonable to think that Hutto will experience similar growth? Otherwise, what areas should I consider as an alternative? -- Thanks very much for your response!

achtungpv · 01-21-2009, 02:17 PM

Just my opinion but I don't see Hutto becoming as desireable as Cedar Park/Leander in the next 10 years if ever. In both those towns, with some work and compromises, you could find homes in your price range.

I personally don't like CP/L, but it does have so much more going for it than Hutto...sought after school system, better mix of housing stock & income levels, shopping, dining, rail to downtown, etc.

Other than cheap, I can't think of one thing that'd make me chose Hutto over CP/L.

Plus, with how housing is going right now, if you walked into Gehan with a preapproved mortgage and willingness to sign on the dotted line today you could probably get a 15K+ price cut if you ask.

jarodkidd · 01-21-2009, 02:56 PM

Achtungpv --

Thanks for your perspective. We need all the information we can get so we can make an informed decision. If you do not personally care for Cedar Park or Leander, what areas do you see as being the best place to make an investment such as a home purchase?

TexasHorseLady · 01-21-2009, 03:07 PM

One of the things to remember is that Hutto grew phenomenally in 5 years - it used to have what was considered a good school district, but the town exploded and they had a hard time keeping up. I wouldn't rule it out entirely, though.

I, personally, would recommend Cedar Park/Leander. Also Georgetown, which is seeing a lot of growth but seems to be handling it fairly well.

If you wanted to go south, you could look in the Buda area.

Taylor is another "sleeper" area that looks like it might be experiencing some growth in future - it's doing so now - but it may be a ways down the road.

Manor is located in a good place for future growth, with SH130 right next to it and the possibility of a toll road out 290 as well.

However, beyond that, what are your wants and needs? What kind of community do you like, what kind of activities? What do you need to be close to as far as work is concerned? That kind of information would make it easier to point you in a direction or three.

jarodkidd · 01-21-2009, 03:13 PM

Well, we do not have any specific requirements regarding work as I work from home. My wife is a teacher, but as we just had our first daughter, she will be staying home for the next 1-3 years.

We would like to be relatively close to Austin, within 30 minutes of downtown if possible. We would also like to be close to grocery stores, shopping, movies, etc. We are not interested in having to drive an hour to pick up some groceries or see a movie. We are definitely interested in a good neighborhood for families and good schools for our child(ren).

My main concern is making a sound investment for my family's future. We are looking to be in a home/neighborhood for at least 5-10 years, so it is important for us that we pick a good location as well as get good value for our money.

Thanks so much for posting. This has been really great for me!

achtungpv · 01-21-2009, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarodkidd

Achtungpv --

Thanks for your perspective. We need all the information we can get so we can make an informed decision. If you do not personally care for Cedar Park or Leander, what areas do you see as being the best place to make an investment such as a home purchase?

I don't care for it because my mother-in-law lives there. It is tainted forever. That is why we live southwest.