Buying in 78704 vs 78702 - Pros/Cons? (Austin, Lakeway: real estate, condo, house)

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by lbny34

atxcio: I saw in another post you replied that the better deals right now are the older condo units downtown. Which are those? I really don't want to live downtown b/c I don't like the concrete jungle of it, but don't want to be close-minded to good deals either.

You can go to austinhomesearch.com

Plug in 78701 as the zip code and $200K as the max price. You'll find some of the older buildings (not real old, just older than the new towers)... Examples would be Cambridge Tower (closer to UT), Penthouse Condos, the Railyard, etc.

I'm also now seeing a couple of the new towers (Milago and Shore) towards the east (but still not east of I-35) showing up in the under $200K range... that's new.

Of course there is also plenty condo-wise in 78704, and that might be a little more "livable" than downtown... not so loud, more accessible retail, trees, etc. Plus, 78704 has some of the best views of downtown -- better than even when you are in downtown.

You might also check into 78703, which includes Tarrytown and Old West Austin. Very, very nice area.

[verybadgnome]

I just looked and could only found one house under $300k and at $200 sq. ft. and its footage was being questioned. I guess you can get under $200 a square foot north of oltorf if you build a huge house but now with the McMansion ordinance its impossible, you have to go with existing stock.

CBD is the Central Business District or just the 'Downtown.' In Austin it's basically:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/downtown/...cbdtranspo.pdf

Commuter Rail will have one stop downtown, two in east Austin, before heading to north-central Austin and beyond.

I think E. Walnut Creek trail is a proposal at this stage:

http://www.eastaustinishome.com/wp-c...Bike-Trail.jpg

while Lance's bikeway: City of Austin - Public Works Projects: Lance Armstrong Bikeway

is supposedly underway

[lbny34]

Thanks all!!!

I'm leaning more towards 78704 now. It seems I get a lot more per sq foot than even the 1 br downtown condos (which are $300+/sq ft with old appliances/fixtures).

Now I'll just need to keep an eye on the market and area the next 6-9 months.

[Campeador]

Some things you might consider:

1) In my opinion the nicest part of the Lady Bird Lake (Town Lake) trail for running is from Mopac pedestrian bridge to the Pfluger pedestrian bridge. For biking, the sections east of I-35 are nice because there is not as much use.

2) The best mt. biking in town is closer to 04: Barton Creek Greenbelt. Best road rides are in the hills to the west of town too.

3) another advantage for 04 is it's proximity to Barton Creek and Deep Eddy Pools, absolute paradises in the summer.

4) The part of downtown you'd be close to in 02 is the grittier Red River/6th scene (highlights: Emo's, Mohawk, Lovejoy's, and the Alamo Drafthouse). Closer to 04 (esp. the part you're considering) is the more upscale, somewhat yuppie-ish part. West 6th, 4th, 5th and 2nd St. areas (Called "the warehouse district" by some). There are some fine places there, just a different feeling scene.

Overall, given your mention of cycling and trail access as a priority, I'd go with 78704.

[austin-steve]

Easy - 78704 hands down. It's not even a contest.

78704 is the best zipcode (as in geographic area) in Austin as it has more of everything that represents Austin's culture and vibe than any other geographic area in the city, period, no contest.

Good job of narrowing it down to the 04. And even a better job of narrowing it down to the part of 04 close to Barton Springs (sorry SoCo).

From the Bartin Springs/Zilker area there you'll be walking and/or biking distance to Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Hillside Theater, Barton Creek Greenbelt, Town Lake hike/bike, downtown, restaurant row on Barton Springs, Alamo Draft House, numerous other establishments and places worthy of frequenting, such as Flips, P-Terry's, Casa De Luz, and on and on and on....

During ACL Fest, you can bunk up your friends from out of town, and you can walk each day to Zilker to hear the bands play, perhaps catching a cool dip in BS pool on the way. You'll be living in the heart of what makes Austin Austin.

Steve

[AustinGuy]

There are some deals to be had in 78704. For instance, the new condo project on South Lamar, "The Sage" just went into auction with most of their units and ended up selling at an average of $131/sq ft. Here is some info about it:

Sage Condos Auction Results « Downtown Austin

[AustinAaron]

Much more informative site IMO: Sage Auction Results | News | austintowers.net

[lbny34]

That auction was a great deal. How do you find out about auctions beforehand though? Where would they be announced?

[AustinAaron]

TV, online, radio, newspaper. Pretty much everywhere.

[lbny34]

Originally Posted by AustinAaron

TV, online, radio, newspaper. Pretty much everywhere.

I'll have to keep an eye on the statesman's online edition since I don't live in Austin.