Marble Falls area (Houston, Austin, Spring: 2009, apartments, city hall)

[chris4t4]

So I was originally looking in Dripping Springs but really feel priced out there. Marble Falls would be an acceptable drive but somewhere on here I saw a post about a drug problem in MF and the original poster stated they moved to Austin to get away from it. Currently I live in RR and can say they are here, in Austin and everywhere in between. BUT it got me thinking is it that predominant in MF?

Here is my criteria, can anyone help me find a town that has this within 50 miles of Austin.....prefer NW/West, no south/east. Price point is now lowered to $200(don't care about sq footage and going to put a pool in). Can I get all the below? Just want a place where my child will grow up safe and happy and proud of where he's from. Please help, getting frustrated.

Criteria:
Good schools!
Low crime
Nice town (clean, quaint, pleasant)
Possibly some acreage with fairly new home but will settle for a subdivision if town is right for me.
Nice people, good people, family values

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by chris4t4

So I was originally looking in Dripping Springs but really feel priced out there. Marble Falls would be an acceptable drive but somewhere on here I saw a post about a drug problem in MF and the original poster stated they moved to Austin to get away from it. Currently I live in RR and can say they are here, in Austin and everywhere in between. BUT it got me thinking is it that predominant in MF?

Here is my criteria, can anyone help me find a town that has this within 50 miles of Austin.....prefer NW/West, no south/east. Price point is now lowered to $200(don't care about sq footage and going to put a pool in). Can I get all the below? Just want a place where my child will grow up safe and happy and proud of where he's from. Please help, getting frustrated.

Criteria:
Good schools!
Low crime
Nice town (clean, quaint, pleasant)
Possibly some acreage with fairly new home but will settle for a subdivision if town is right for me.
Nice people, good people, family values

Burnet is at the 50 mile limit you listed. But it is a nice town with solid schools and friendly people.

Marble Falls may be a reasonable choice - but it doesn't feel so much like a "nice town" when I drive through there. It has a good bit more of a transient feel to me because so many that go through Marble Falls are not residents but are there because of the lake or passing through.

[chris4t4]

I am sitting here now looking up houses in other areas that are near Marble Falls like Spicewood or Briarcliff and I really like what I see in Spicewood online. Homes within our budget, neighborhoods look nice. It appears to be in Lake Travis ISD which by what I read is a good school district.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by chris4t4

I am sitting here now looking up houses in other areas that are near Marble Falls like Spicewood or Briarcliff and I really like what I see in Spicewood online. Homes within our budget, neighborhoods look nice. It appears to be in Lake Travis ISD which by what I read is a good school district.

I agree Spicewood is very nice! It just depends how much space (land) you want. I would be surprised if Spicewood is less expensive than Dripping Springs.

[chris4t4]

I bet you are right. Ok, maybe Lago Vista. Don't mind the location/inconvenience. I saw a few houses in my price point. They have good schools. Hmmmm, this is becoming a full time job. Ugh!!!!!!

[Schnaiy]

Ok Chris, Lago Vista is where I live. Very small school district which is EXEMPLARY as of TAKS 2009 results. If you are looking for a slower, relaxed pace of life by Lake Travis with 10 community parks included, community pool, fitness center, several outdoor pavillions. recreational/community center, covered fishing shack, several boat ramps (all in the HOA $125 annual fee), and two 18 hole golf courses. Low crime and easy commute into Austin - 1431 to 183 to 35 or Mopac gets you into downtown area within 45 minutes. $200k isn't going to buy you a home with land; but the standard lot sizes are .22 acre more generous than most subdivisions. It will buy you a nice home though and no need for a swimming pool, you'll have the lake to play in and community pool; there's also a city pool too and tennis courts.

[chris4t4]

I found some in Lago Vista that are new in our price range. A pool is important to us for privacy. We would get the house and put a pool in as soon as we moved in. I don't think we would get much use out of the beach but wouldn't mind all the scenery. Are there certain areas of Lago Vista to watch out for?

[hoffdano]

I agree Lago Vista is a very nice place and worth looking at.

Schnaiy - I'm not sure I believe you can get to downtown in 45 minutes unless it is Sunday morning.

It's 26 miles from LV to 183 and 360. This sounds like 45 minute drive most days.

It's 36 miles to Austin City Hall via 1431/183/Mopac. This sounds like a 60 minute drive most days.

[Schnaiy]

Hoffdano, I assure you, if anyone does a mapquest, it gives you the distance and est. time it takes to get from Lago Vista to Downtown. Since you listed Austin City Town Hall, I did a search from Lago Vista High School to there. It is est. 42 minutes and 33.76mils. So I guess, that verifies my assertion that it takes me about 45 minutes to downtown.

It can be a few minutes less or more, but is a good estimate. The 1431 is greatly improved with widening and straightening of the road between Cedar Park towards Jonestown. I travel that way to visit my son in South Austin regularly.

In answer to the original OP - in your price range, there is no "bad area". What you need to decide though is whether you want to be on the Bar K Ranch road side of Lago Vista - or the Boggy Ford/Highland Lakes Estates side of Lago Vista. In between there is a run-down development of apartments and a few trailer homes, but there are restrictions in place on the newer developments. Highland Lakes Estates doesn't allow mobile homes or r.v.'s for instance and there is a minimum 1800sqft dwelling requirement for single residential homes.

[Schnaiy]

Chris, FYI here is the mapquest link which shows you the shortest way to get to downtown Austin.

You need to purchase a TEXAS TX-TAG for the toll roads around Austin but they save you alot of time and you don't have to deal with as much traffic congestion (they also work for all of the toll roads in Texas). The newest ones link from the 183A - 45 to the 130 - it is really fast to get you down to the airport or if you are planning to go to Houston, it gets you to the 290 very fast and no hold ups like on the I35/360/and 1 (Mopac).

Driving Directions from Lago Vista High School, 8039 Bar K Ranch Rd, Lago Vista, TX to Austin City Council, 301 W 2nd St # 1120, Austin, TX