Need help deciding:Austin, San Antonio or somewhere in between (New Braunfels: waterpark, home)

[paragon]

I'm looking for a few things and because of that I'm willing to somewhat flexible where I look for a house.
My background is computer support and I run a small business doing leather repair(cars, furniture, etc)
My wife is an experienced teacher and would be looking to work in a public school.
Basically what I'm looking for is:
1) good schools(I have 2 kids)
2) public school jobs available(we're currently in NJ, where unless you know someone, you can forget getting anything other than a private school job(about half the pay))
3) able to operate a business from home(all my stuff stays in my truck, just need the permission so I can use home as a mailing address and for an office.)
4) I'd like to stay under $175k if possible. I need 4 bed 2 bath, garage is a bonus
5) tech jobs. I don't mind a commute, but would rather be closer to which ever has more jobs
6) High speed internet. I don't know how available outside the cities, but I'd rather have to commute an extra half hour than not have it.
7) property taxes. While they are alot lower than NJ, they will impact my decision somewhat. Are the taxes alot lower outside SA and Austin?


Any suggestions of areas to consider would be appreciated. My wife and I will be flying down in July to get a feel for the area, and any narrowing down would certainly help.

[NOTAM]

Castroville if you want a town near San Antonio
Georgetown if you want a town near Austin

[Hyun-Soo]

New Braunfels. In between San Antonio and Austin.

Growing rapidly, has good schools, high speed internet, etc.

[Mike78613]

Lots of tech companies in Austin:

AMD, INTEL, DELL, SAMSUNG, SELECTRON, FREESCALE & IBM to name a few.

Living in Austin. Leander / Cedar Park I highly recommend. Keep away from I-35

[paragon]

I appreciate the help, I'm compiling my list to be sure to focus on the towns listed.
How is the the public school situation in that corridor job wise? I'm willing commute or change jobs if necessary, but my wife really wants to keep teaching.
Are there teaching jobs available or it is more like NJ where you need to know someone to even stand a chance?

[The Missus]

There's a GREAT waterpark in New Braunfels.

I'm going to jump in here, because we're trying to relocate the whole family (in laws and aunts and uncles and everything) to the Austin area. We want a good place for kids, but not close neighborhoods. We're from Alaska and not used to seeing our neighbors, much less seeing in their windows. At least a few acres. Looking for something commuting distance to Austin, as we all have promised jobs in Austin, but are willing to commute for the right community. Help!

[hamjeepr]

Hate to take this to this level, but how to you vote?

If you tend to be liberal, you should look closer to Austin.
If you tend to be conservative, you should look closer to San Antonio.

However, don't live in either city. Both are just places to be near, not in. Both have tech jobs but Austin has a better selection with all the Californian companies moving there. There is less selection but it does have the best government contractor jobs. Most major military contractors have some operation in SA.

As for teaching, they are closing schools in some areas and adding schools in others. Comal County will be adding several elementary and at least one high school in the future. They are closing several elementary schools in the SA city limits.

The biggest indicator is the job. If you move to SA and start with a company running out of Kelly, you don't want to live near New Braunfels. Traffic in both cities is very heavy so you will want to locate closer to where you work. Also, $175k will buy you a good home in Austin area but a better home in San Antonio area.

Sorry, I know this wasn't a straight answer, but hopefully it gives a little more to chew on before you decide.

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by hamjeepr

Hate to take this to this level, but how to you vote?

If you tend to be liberal, you should look closer to Austin.
If you tend to be conservative, you should look closer to San Antonio.

However, don't live in either city. Both are just places to be near, not in. Both have tech jobs but Austin has a better selection with all the Californian companies moving there. There is less selection but it does have the best government contractor jobs. Most major military contractors have some operation in SA.

As for teaching, they are closing schools in some areas and adding schools in others. Comal County will be adding several elementary and at least one high school in the future. They are closing several elementary schools in the SA city limits.

The biggest indicator is the job. If you move to SA and start with a company running out of Kelly, you don't want to live near New Braunfels. Traffic in both cities is very heavy so you will want to locate closer to where you work. Also, $175k will buy you a good home in Austin area but a better home in San Antonio area.

Sorry, I know this wasn't a straight answer, but hopefully it gives a little more to chew on before you decide.

I agree with hamjeepr...except imo 175K won't get you much of a 4/2 home in greater Austin. At least not in a neighborhood I'd want to live in.

Also agree you might want to look at New Braunfels (or Bastrop, San Marcos or even Seguin).

[love roses]

I second that too. I live just outside of Austin.

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by hamjeepr

Hate to take this to this level, but how to you vote?

If you tend to be liberal, you should look closer to Austin.
If you tend to be conservative, you should look closer to San Antonio.

Agreed!

Originally Posted by hound 109

I agree with hamjeepr...except imo 175K won't get you much of a 4/2 home in greater Austin. At least not in a neighborhood I'd want to live in.

Good point! Austin metro housing is considerably more expensive than San Antonio metro housing. You can actually afford to live in SA proper, depending on the neighborhood (N, NW, and far E. are safest, but also property taxes tend to vary sometimes from 'hood to 'hood.) Austin and Travis County is a very expensive place to live. There are rural areas in Travis Co., although they are building up fast (you can still find some true rural areas in the far W. and E. stretches of that county.) But once again, remember that Travis Co. has some of the very highest property tax rates in the state.

Maybe you'd be better served in Buda, San Marcos, New Braunfels, or Schertz along I-35.

(By the way, I live in Kentucky and don't know a huge deal about Texas, except that I love it! I've looked into moving to Austin and San Antonio. Hope I helped!)