Moving to SW Austin or Dripping Springs

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by JERiv

One thing to add, 1 story homes are much less common in Circle C. We just purchased one 2 months ago, and it was difficult to find the right one, at the right price range.

You're likely looking at a range of aprox. $350K, unless you're willing to look at older houses.

On a sidebar, you can also look at 1.5 story homes. Almost the same as the 1 story.

Example: 11417 Viridian Way, Austin, TX, 78739 - MLS #2473657 - Single Family Home real estate - REALTOR.com® (http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/11417-Viridian-Way_Austin_TX_78739_1113636189 - broken link)

That one on Veridian is a foreclosure. One of the nicest I've been in.

It's really a 1-story with the attic finished as a game room 2nd floor. I wouldn't think of it as 1.5 stories, though maybe I'm not familiar with the use of that term as used by the listing agent. But, there are no homes in Circle C with 0.5 flights of stairs, so that's what I mean.

Steve

[JERiv]

LOL! Sorry, that's the way they were described to us while we were looking. :-)

This is what we were told: 1.5 story homes = 1 story homes with a finished room (usually very big) upstairs.

Not really 2 stories in the traditional sense, I guess? Most houses had them as a big game room for the kids. Always thought they would make a great big media room.

[LongTimeAustinite]

We have a 1.5. The upstairs is one large room we use as a media room.

[lpc123]

Thanks everyone for all of the great info. Yes, we are open to a 'bonus room' plan - we just want to avoid having main living areas/bathrooms upstairs. The Viridian Way pics look nice. If there are bank-owned properties, and we are pre-approved buyers, can't we assume a decent bargaining position, as in walking away without a 5-20% discount to the listing price? Any recent comps for bank-owned sales in SW Austin so we know what discounts are being taken?

[CptnRn]

Check out Legend Oaks while you are at it, just North of Circle C along Escarpment. The neighborhood and amenities are very similar, just a little older. There are many 1 story brick homes in the area in the size you want. The commute to I-35 & Ben White is easy, 20-25 minutes most times.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by lpc123

Thanks everyone for all of the great info. Yes, we are open to a 'bonus room' plan - we just want to avoid having main living areas/bathrooms upstairs. The Viridian Way pics look nice. If there are bank-owned properties, and we are pre-approved buyers, can't we assume a decent bargaining position, as in walking away without a 5-20% discount to the listing price? Any recent comps for bank-owned sales in SW Austin so we know what discounts are being taken?

Not usually. Foreclosures, in Austin at least, are often no different than any other listing in how they present to the market. Sometimes we see better deals because there is an unemotional seller on the other end, but in this case, of an isolated foreclosure in an otherwise strong, solid area, it's not going to have to be given a deep discount to sell.

Steve

[lpc123]

Originally Posted by Moonlady

I commuted from Cuernavaca/Bee Cave to Ben White/I-35 for awhile and I thought it was an easy commute.

About how long was it to Ben White/I-35?

[lpc123]

Originally Posted by JERiv

This is what we were told: 1.5 story homes = 1 story homes with a finished room (usually very big) upstairs.

Yeah, we've heard the same term used for that, so that's ok to say 1.5

[Moonlady]

Originally Posted by lpc123

About how long was it to Ben White/I-35?

From the light at Cuernavaca/Bee Cave it was 20 minutes. That's pretty much up until about 7:10. From then, it gets congested on Bee Cave and takes longer to get to 360 but the commute down 360 and on Ben White is clear. There are a couple of pockets - for example, I found leaving shortly before 8 wasn't a problem, but from 8:00 to 8:30 was. I prefer to leave the house early, so now I leave at 7ish and it's an easy 5 minutes to 360.

The commute home was rarely a problem from 5:00- 6:00.