Choosing a neighborhood based on elementary schools (Austin, Highland Park: low income, 2009)

[ladylonghorn2]

I'm trying to focus my home search on neighborhoods that have good elementary schools, are centrally located and are in our price range. We're looking for:

- a house below $300k
- at least 1800 sf, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, recently renovated (we're not really DIYers)
- a good neighborhood park or pool and young families (we have a toddler)
- would be nice: close access to naturey things like hike and bike trails
- a funky, walkable neighborhood close to coffee shops, restaurants, shopping etc.

I'm not sure which of these schools are in neighborhoods that meet our criteria:

Baranoff Elementary School
12009 Buckingham Gate Rd 78748

Bryker Woods Elementary School
3309 Kerbey Ln 78703

Campbell Elementary School
2613 Rogers Ave 78722

Casis Elementary School
2710 Exposition Blvd 78703

Clayton Elementary School
7525 La Crosse Ave 78739

Doss Elementary School
7005 Northledge Dr 78731

Gullett Elementary School
6310 Treadwell BlvdAustin, TX 78757

Highland Park Elementary School
4900 Fairview Dr Austin, TX 78731

Hill Elementary School
8601 Tallwood Dr Austin, TX 78759

Kiker Elementary School
5913 La Crosse Ave Austin, TX 78739

Lee Elementary School
3308 Hampton RdAustin, TX 78705(

Mills Elementary School
6201 Davis LnAustin, TX 78749

Pillow Elementary School
3025 Crosscreek Dr Austin, TX 78757

Any advice? I'm all ears.

thanks so much!!

[Trainwreck20]

Give you target price, the fifth bullet item will be the problem (especially with the recently renovated clause). Also, the 'centrally located', depending on your meaning, can be a problem. Our house in SW Austin is relatively quick into downtown, but geographically in no-ways 'centrally located'.

Depending on your specific location, you can get houses for ~$100 sf right now in SW Austin that are within walking distance to multiple restaurants, an HEB (grocery store, if you are not from around here), within a mile or two of several nice parks and a free city pool (Dick Nichols), and feeds into Mills Elementary (walking distance possibly, too).

There is nothing very 'funky' about the neighborhood, though, at least architecurally - Lots or Newmark, Weekly, and Legacy homes, most around 10 years old. There are a LOT of young couples though, and we have become friends with a lot of parents in the area.

Just glancing down your list, Doss is probably the closest you will come to the price range and also somewhat 'funky', but I am not familiar with the locations of all the schools, so I am not sure. Highly rates schools usually represent relatively nice area, but there can be variations.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by ladylonghorn2

I'm trying to focus my home search on neighborhoods that have good elementary schools, are centrally located and are in our price range. We're looking for:

- a house below $300k
- at least 1800 sf, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, recently renovated (we're not really DIYers)
- a good neighborhood park or pool and young families (we have a toddler)
- would be nice: close access to naturey things like hike and bike trails
- a funky, walkable neighborhood close to coffee shops, restaurants, shopping etc.

I'm not sure which of these schools are in neighborhoods that meet our criteria:

Baranoff Elementary School
12009 Buckingham Gate Rd 78748
I know nothing about this school

Bryker Woods Elementary School
3309 Kerbey Ln 78703
Great school but you will not find any homes in the area under 300K. Could try to transfer in but they are often closed to transfers.

Campbell Elementary School
2613 Rogers Ave 78722
Strong eastside school, homes in your price range, diverse, may or may not be what you want.

Casis Elementary School
2710 Exposition Blvd 78703
Good school, but nothing in your price range. Hard to transfer in.

Clayton Elementary School
7525 La Crosse Ave 78739
I know nothing.

Doss Elementary School
7005 Northledge Dr 78731
Great school, could try to rent in this area, most homes well over 300K.

Gullett Elementary School
6310 Treadwell BlvdAustin, TX 78757
Great school, great community, close to park and greenbelt. Could probably find something in your price range with a good realtor. Can also transfer in.

Highland Park Elementary School
4900 Fairview Dr Austin, TX 78731
Great school, unlikely to find a home in your price range, could try renting or transferring in.

Hill Elementary School
8601 Tallwood Dr Austin, TX 78759
Great school, might find something in your range but maybe not. Suburban area

Kiker Elementary School
5913 La Crosse Ave Austin, TX 78739
Great school, large, SW Austin, maybe in your price range, need a good realtor. more suburban area

Lee Elementary School
3308 Hampton RdAustin, TX 78705
Hyde Park, good school, some UT faculty parents, could rent in this area, most homes will be above 300K

Mills Elementary School
6201 Davis LnAustin, TX 78749
Know nothing

Pillow Elementary School
3025 Crosscreek Dr Austin, TX 78757
Good school, diverse student body, in your price range. Central. Tends to have significant number of low income students but great teachers.

Any advice? I'm all ears.

thanks so much!!

Overall, I'd say that Gullet Elementary in the Allandale neighborhood best meets your criteria, close to a great park and greenbelt and walkable to shops and restaurants. Getting in under 300K might be tricky but with a good realtor and patience can be done.

good luck!

[ladylonghorn2]

Thanks for the info! I figured our price range would keep us out of the central neighborhoods with the most walkability, but still wanted to see what the possibilities are. The other bullet points are more important to us, and as we are moving back after 10 years away, we definitely want to live somewhere where we'll meet other young families.

Would be interested if any of those other schools fit our criteria. I imagine Zilker is way out of our price range.

Maybe we need to drop the recently renovated bit from our wish list?

[centralaustinite]

I would have thought that Zilker/Barton Hills would be out of your price but I went to austin home search and looked for homes below $325K in 78704 and the very first house that popped up is in that area, and updated! I'll DM you the info

You need a good realtor! (I am not a realtor) prices are starting to come down in some central areas and you might be surprised.

Allandale is very walkable, Crestview and Brentwood are also walkable and central. You might look there.

[ladylonghorn2]

Wow centralaustinite, thanks for the school by school info! Also it's very helpful to know which neighborhoods are more suburban than others. Thanks.

Do Crestview and Brentwood feed into Gullet Elementary?

When looking for a good realtor, do you all think it's best to find someone who has very specific experience/interest in the neighborhood you are looking for? Does it even work that way? Here in NYC, brokers are very neighborhood-centric. Or are other qualities more important?

[McDavis]

Originally Posted by ladylonghorn2

Wow centralaustinite, thanks for the school by school info! Also it's very helpful to know which neighborhoods are more suburban than others. Thanks.

Do Crestview and Brentwood feed into Gullet Elementary?

When looking for a good realtor, do you all think it's best to find someone who has very specific experience/interest in the neighborhood you are looking for? Does it even work that way? Here in NYC, brokers are very neighborhood-centric. Or are other qualities more important?

I believe there is actually a Brentwood Elementary in that area...

[ladylonghorn2]

I didn't include brentwood in my list just because my research showed it lagged behind the other schools when it came to test scores. I know that test scores aren't the end all be all when searching for a school, but when you're trying to search for a home, you have to start somewhere or else you just cast too wide a net.

[CptnRn]

Legend Oaks neighborhood in SW Austin, Oak Hill area fits most of your criteria. Escarpment Blvd / Davis Lane area. It is not centrally located but has good access to the CBD.

Mills Elementary school is rated 5 stars with 29 reviews. Austin Schools - Austin Texas School Ratings - Public and Private

The houses are in your price range, very nice mostly brick homes on wooded lots. Nicely landscaped boulevards with bike lanes, hiking trails thru the greenbelts, neighborhood parks and swimming pools, as well as Dick Nichols District park with swimming pool, Circle C Metropolitan Park. Restaurants and shopping are 1-2 miles, a short bicycle ride away. There are always people out walking, jogging, bicycling, pushing baby strollers around the area.

[texastrigirl]

Kiker, Clayton and Mills are fed by parts of Circle C Ranch in SW Austin - it would include houses in your price range though you would be on the lower end of CCR. I sold my house there for $280K in July 2007 and it was a very nice house, built in the mid 90's. It is suburban but has a great village center in Escarpment Village and has good proximity to downtown, shopping, airport. Baranoff is also in SW Austin just a bit further east of the above mentioned areas. A community called Shady Hollow feeds it primarily. Circle C, etc. should be on your list to at least look at for comparison IMO if you have young children especially. Villages of Western Oaks is also very nice and feeds to Mills Elementary. There is a neighborhood called Oak Parke that everyone seems to overlook that I also like. It's between Circle C and Shady Hollow. Good luck.