Austin to SA? (Henderson, West, Blanco: apartment, condo, neighborhoods)

[TXEX06]

Originally Posted by Pancho-Villa

Things are going up little by little here too...will probably always be cheaper than Austin...but inching up right behind them.

We are not right behind them. Downtown Austin condos sell for around $500 a square foot, downtown San Antonio is anywhere between $200-$300 a square foot.

[rynetwo]

Originally Posted by smuboy86

Pretty darn easy to find rentals around manacke park for around 800 bucks. Puts you near central market, TJs and tons of other shopping centers and such. Look online at 78209 and rentals.

Manacke Park and the area around it are very hit or miss. 200 hundred yards east of the 1800 Broadway you have pure trash.... the back of Manacke park is a whole bunch of apartments renting for the low 400's a month and I would not call it nice or all that safe...

[Pancho-Villa]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

We are not right behind them. Downtown Austin condos sell for around $500 a square foot, downtown San Antonio is anywhere between $200-$300 a square foot.

Did you read what the op posted? They aren't even buying any real estate, nor looking to live downtown. Guess I should've been a little more clear instead of saying "things" and "right". I meant everyday items and to some extent, rent. Yes, Austin will always be more (since a good amount of folks think it the more desirable place to live) but it's inching up here as we grow and will continue to do so.

[TXEX06]

Originally Posted by Pancho-Villa

Did you read what the op posted? They aren't even buying any real estate, nor looking to live downtown. Guess I should've been a little more clear instead of saying "things" and "right". I meant everyday items and to some extent, rent. Yes, Austin will always be more (since a good amount of folks think it the more desirable place to live) but it's inching up here as we grow and will continue to do so.

It was an example that housing in San Antonio is considerably lower then Austin. San Antonio is not right behind Austin. It's nice of you to point out that San Antonio is not immune to inflation.

[Pancho-Villa]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

It was an example that housing in San Antonio is considerably lower then Austin. San Antonio is not right behind Austin. It's nice of you to point out that San Antonio is not immune to inflation.

Exactly...some people seem to think that it is.

[Tenebrae]

Yeah, seems like inflation's always creeping up more than my pay rate. In Austin, though, it's been more like a spike vs. a creep. Hoping to find the safest, cheapest solution that fits my needs so maybe I can get ahead and SAVE money.
I've thought about trying to buy in SA, but not sure how viable it is to do so if I will likely be leaving and selling in another 5-10 years when I retire. Not to mention, I would very likely be starting a new job, which is always a negative for lenders.

-T.

[davis449]

I would say look into the far NW side (I-10 & 1604). Rent out here isn't bad, plenty of places to choose from, and close to a lot of entertainment and shopping. I-10 construction is almost done which will fix the traffic problems that have been caused by the expansion construction they've been doing for 2 yrs. or so. Once that's all the way complete it will be better than it used to be (which wasn't too bad in the 1st place). I think it's really the 1st preemptive road construction this city's ever done.

I saw someone mention Henderson Pass. I would avoid 281 & 1604 like the plague. Doesn't matter that it's not in Stone Oak, you still have to deal with the resulting mess. Even with the interchange, it still sucks up there. Nothing in that area will get better until 281 is a freeway north of 1604, which isn't likely to occur in anyone here's lifetime. Hell the construction on 1604 past Bandera (which is making good progress) will be finished to Hwy. 90 before that part of 281 becomes a freeway.

[rynetwo]

Originally Posted by davis449

I would say look into the far NW side (I-10 & 1604). Rent out here isn't bad, plenty of places to choose from, and close to a lot of entertainment and shopping. I-10 construction is almost done which will fix the traffic problems that have been caused by the expansion construction they've been doing for 2 yrs. or so. Once that's all the way complete it will be better than it used to be (which wasn't too bad in the 1st place). I think it's really the 1st preemptive road construction this city's ever done.

I saw someone mention Henderson Pass. I would avoid 281 & 1604 like the plague. Doesn't matter that it's not in Stone Oak, you still have to deal with the resulting mess. Even with the interchange, it still sucks up there. Nothing in that area will get better until 281 is a freeway north of 1604, which isn't likely to occur in anyone here's lifetime. Hell the construction on 1604 past Bandera (which is making good progress) will be finished to Hwy. 90 before that part of 281 becomes a freeway.

I live on Brook Hollow an 281 and takes the same amount time to get to work (Westover Hills) than when I lived in Alamo Heights. That said I would not recommend anything outside 1604 for the traffic weary.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by davis449

I would say look into the far NW side (I-10 & 1604). Rent out here isn't bad, plenty of places to choose from, and close to a lot of entertainment and shopping. I-10 construction is almost done which will fix the traffic problems that have been caused by the expansion construction they've been doing for 2 yrs. or so. Once that's all the way complete it will be better than it used to be (which wasn't too bad in the 1st place). I think it's really the 1st preemptive road construction this city's ever done.

I saw someone mention Henderson Pass. I would avoid 281 & 1604 like the plague. Doesn't matter that it's not in Stone Oak, you still have to deal with the resulting mess. Even with the interchange, it still sucks up there. Nothing in that area will get better until 281 is a freeway north of 1604, which isn't likely to occur in anyone here's lifetime. Hell the construction on 1604 past Bandera (which is making good progress) will be finished to Hwy. 90 before that part of 281 becomes a freeway.

I was a little kid but I remember when 1604 and 281 was just like any other low traffic intersection. I think there was a BBQ joint out there too...not much else. You couldn't pay me to live off 281 outside of 1604 or between 1604 and the airport now.

[Tenebrae]

I see somebody mentioned looking to the NW for lower rent.
I was just looking into the crime maps and saw that there was a high concentration of crime to the NorthWest...I am not sure that's a good spot for me to look.
In Kansas City, we used to say, "Never look for a place East of Troost".
In Austin, it's pretty much "Avoid Rundberg Ave."

Important note: School district doesn't matter for me. My kids are grown and gone.
Not sure where I'll be working yet, but likely a tech company like RackSpace.

Really appreciate the help and feedback so far.

-T.