Thoughts on Lago Vista? (Houston, Austin: house, find a job, neighborhoods)

[jennyb315]

sunny-- good to talk to you yesterday
I hope to meet up with you when you get to Texas!

[citizenone]

Originally Posted by CameraGirl

Please help! We have spent the past 3 years in an extremely difficult situation- we moved from Denver, Co to an extremely small town in South Carolina on the coast. It has been a disaster. We got taken badly on the real estate deal, the townspeople are hateful to outsiders and basically it is "the exact opposite" of what we had moved here for & hoped it would be. Now, I am scared- big time. We are planning a move to the Austin area- we own our own business- that we will be marketing from Austin & it's suburbs to San Antonio and all the area's in between. The nature of our business is mostly home-based though and any commuting will be done at times when traffic should be low. I am trying to be far more careful with this move- I have found a couple of houses in Lago Vista. I'd love to know people's thoughts on that area. We have no kids, nor plans to have any- so that also doesn't fit in to the equation. Is there shopping in Lago Vista- grocery stores, fast food etc? Is there restaurants? I've tried to google it and I don't find really "anything". How far is it to all that stuff? Is it a safe area, a nice area? What is the collective perception of that area? After all that we have been through- failure this time around is not an option. Help shed some light.

Lago is a terrific place if you like golf, fishing, boating, swimming, watching wild life like deer, fox, and like to shop in mom & pop stors that do not have the big box look. The city politicians are doing everything they can to discourage people and business from moving to the area. This can be changed by voting. The schools are near the best in Texas if not the best. The restaurants leave a lot to be desired but it is changing rapidly, lots of growth everywhere. Real estate prices are still reasonable even though professional home businesses abound and outsiders are moving to Lago daily. Austin is a close drive. San Antonio can be reached without going thru the traffic of Austin, a plus for you. It will take you 1/2 hr to go bowling, eat a great meal, take in a movie, but in an instant you can go for a great walk along curved roads, trees, water falls but short ones, nothing spectacular, but still peacefull. Serious crime consists of using someone elses garbage can, erecting a fense without a permit, burning a small fire in your yard . Some don't like to drive on windy roads. I love to. 1431 is great if you obey the 55mph speed limit. The people in Lago are friendly. The hardware store is a good place to get a feel for a town. Lago has had one for 20 some years that has everything you could want from keys to shower curtains with friendly small town feel. The politicians don't like outsiders but the regular folks love 'um. They are scared they will lose controll and Lago will flourish.
Lago is probably the best kept secret in the Austin area.

[citizenone]

A lot of people don't want growth in Lago and will bad mouth it just to keep you away but once there, people are friendly. Cedar Park is 10 miles. I drive it in 12 minutes. Georgetown and Round Rock hospitals a 1/2 hour away. The taxes in Tx are high. Photo ops abound in Lago from magazine advertisments for real estate to commercial ad agencies in Austin. Mobile homes are an eyesore in Lago but they are in a very small out of the way area most people never see. Most of the homes are in the 225k -300k but go up to 5m. Nothing is Lago is older than 30 years. Steve needs to take a new look. Get off Dawn Drive and see the beautiful city Lago has become and is still rapidly developing into.

[CameraGirl]

Citizenone:
You may have breathed new life into my interest in Lago Vista!
Camera Girl

[gtobill]

Hello,
I have lived in Lago Vista for the last six years. We moved here from Missouri. After we looked at the housing in Leander, Cedar Park and Georgetown we decided on Lago. Most of these areas have property owners associations that have a monthly payment and you get maybe some green medians in the neighborhood and a swimming pool for the housing edition. In Lago you pay an annual POA fee($200) but you get several parks, swimming pools,rec rooms and boat ramps. You also get larger lots than those that are now the norm in Austin. There is a new Super S grocery store and an Ace hardware store is opening soon. I commute to Austin on a motorcycle and I think the roads are great. I can get to work in about 30 min in NW Austin. You do have to pay attention to your driving and not be talking on the cell phone while driving on 1431. You need to watch your speed from Lago to Cedar Park. I always count at least two police cars watching from somewhere along the way. On the other hand, we have been looking for a few acres to build a new house on. The prices are going up fast around here. Some lots between Jonestown and Lago that we looked at last year have doubled in price. The prices are still more reasonable than those in Austin. Good luck with your search.

Bill

[citizenone]

Originally Posted by CameraGirl

Citizenone:
You may have breathed new life into my interest in Lago Vista!
Camera Girl

There is a True Value hardware store with national buying power, a Dominos Pizza, a fabulous Italian food place with small market, a donut shop, and other new businesses added on to the older existing ones. It is really growing rapidly. Soon there will be a furniture store. Your timing is good as prices are on the up for all real estate in the area.

[mamatotex]

We too are considering Lago. Looking for rental homes however as hubby is in retail and more than likely it won't be our last stop. Have a kid, need to be near great schools and great youth sports. Any other advice?

[rubberneck]

We looked at Lago Vista last weekend and it was beautiful, but some of the driveways were too small for my husband's truck...not sure where he'd park.

Does it ever freeze, and if so, is there a way to drive out of there?

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by rubberneck

We looked at Lago Vista last weekend and it was beautiful, but some of the driveways were too small for my husband's truck...not sure where he'd park.

Does it ever freeze, and if so, is there a way to drive out of there?

It does freeze, typically for a few days every few years. When it does freeze though the whole area is paralyzed and everyone pretty much has a pass to stay home.

[beth35]

We have lived in the Austin South Area. I do NOT suggest Kyle or Buda. We do not feel that the real estate there will appreciate as much over time. You might want to look closer to San Antonio, in New Braunfels. Its farther from Austin but you can get homes on the River there and it is more urban. It is a really nice town.