The good bad and the ugly (Houston, Dallas: apartment, condos, new home)

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Originally Posted by brattpowered

I think the most dramatic turnarounds will be inner East Austin from bad to good and Pflugerville and Kyle/Buda from good to bad when gas prices go through the roof again and the Elmer's glue holding the homes together starts to peel.

What homes are going to fall apart and in what area? I think if you have that kind of information you would want to pass it on so people can protect themselves. Otherwise they read it here and just feel bad for living there. Please, do you have some hard evidence so we can be aware?

[HappyTexan]

Why do some posters think Pflugerville will fall into the pits of desparity ?

[Raskolnikov]

First of all, I think property values all over Austin are going to drop across the board. Very few areas won't be affected, even central and West Austin. So that creates the potential for lower income people to move into certain areas. Also, areas that become bad likely will be that way because they are developing more towards the "renter" and less toward the stable families and owners. Anywhere that still has big fields, near houses, zoned for Apartments or retail, will probably have apartments sitting on them within a few years, as the economy declines and more people rent.

Areas that will become bad -- North Austin, Northwest Austin along 183 all the way to Cedar Park, Southeast Austin is already bad and will get worse (Akins High School area). I believe that Hutto will also get really bad. Pockets of Round Rock. I think Oak Hill will actually improve - especially Circle C and everything West of Mopac. I also think Westcreek neighborhood near Patton and Small will go up. The houses aren't built that nice but at the same time, the people moving down to the southwest area of Austin seem to really care about their yards and houses. However once you get east of Mopac, driving down William Cannon going further east, towards Manchaca and I-35 it goes waaay downhill.

[love roses]

Actually, I think you're wrong about Hutto. There's something going on right now where they are pushing to not build anymore starter homes around here. This was very recent, like last week.

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

[quote=Raskolnikov;8082772 I believe that Hutto will also get really bad. [/quote]





Just curious as to what you're basing that on.

[austin-steve]

What is your definition of a "bad" area? Crime happens all over Austin already, but even the very worst areas of Austin are mild compared to large metro areas.

[love roses]

Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots

Just curious as to what you're basing that on.

I can't really aim to speak for anyone, but my guess is that when money is tight that most people who can't afford to live where they are currently leave, and then homes can't sell and are then all rented out to just about anyone who can afford them, therefore turning the whole area into a ghetto (or at least a run down part of town). Hutto is far enough out that even though lots of people commute into Austin, not all do. Lots of people also work the opposite direction or even locally at some of the major employers out this direction. Pflugerville is alot closer to Austin than we are (not by tons, but a little) so it could be hard hit but I'm going to be a doubter. Even RR.

[love roses]

I second AustinSteve also. Very true.

[handy dan]

Sorry, but I think Austinsteve has been drinking the Kool-Aide; I mean, how many realtors would ever admit that buying a home is fraught with all sorts of risks, including the risk that the neighborhood where you're considering a new home could turn in to a ghetto over the next 10 years? This sort of thing happens all the time. Heh, what makes you so sure it could never happen anywhere in Austin?

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

First I think we should establish what a ghetto is since we're using the word so much.