Should I consider Westlake? (Austin, Lost Creek: rentals, house, neighborhood)

[buffalobelly]

Still house hunting. I've been looking in northwest austin, but I've recently started considering homes in the Westlake area. I know absolutely nothing about the area except that the schools are excellent. Can anyone give me some practical information? I've noticed a lot of homes have septic systems and use propane rather than natural gas. What are the pros and cons of each? Where does the area get its garbage, water, and electricity? Should I stick to NW Austin or is Westlake worth looking into? Any help you can provide is much appreciated!

[trayanh]

Homes in westlake are typically older than in NW Austin. Westwood is not bad either.

[atxcio]

A couple of things:

There is "West Lake Hills" (the small incorporated city) and "Westlake" (which is the name of the surrounding general area, within the Eanes district, and also the name of the school). Westlake includes the incorporated town of Rollingwood, as well as many unincorporated areas along 360 and adjacent to the city of West Lake Hills.

Inside West Lake Hills, and in one older Westlake area (off Cuernavaca) there are some older homes on septic as I understand. Don't know about the gas/propane. However, in the Westlake area (when you include many of the surrounding subdivisions), most of the homes are NOT on septic and use regular piped in natural gas. Examples like Davenport, Rob Roy, Lost Creek, etc... all normal nat gas (TXGas), Austin Energy (electricity), and no septic systems. Garbage, at least in Lost Creek, is IESI.

Pros of Westlake are proximity to downtown Austin, Lake Austin/Ladybird Lake/Zilker, school district is the acclaimed Eanes ISD, low property tax rates, hills and views, generally stable property values because of location.

Cons are price (really need 400K at least, even for an older home), lack of big box retail other than the Barton Creek Mall (this may be a plus), lack of diversity (esp income diversity), not walkable (except maybe for excercise).

If it fits your budget, I'd say it's definitely worth looking into. If you are finding only septic/propane homes when you search in Westlake, you are doing something wrong in your search.

[hoffdano]

Just a comment about property taxes in West Lake Hills - the rates ARE low (~1.9%), but because of the property values, the annual bill is probably similar or higher than what someone might pay in northwest hills.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by buffalobelly

Still house hunting. I've been looking in northwest austin, but I've recently started considering homes in the Westlake area. I know absolutely nothing about the area except that the schools are excellent. Can anyone give me some practical information? I've noticed a lot of homes have septic systems and use propane rather than natural gas. What are the pros and cons of each? Where does the area get its garbage, water, and electricity? Should I stick to NW Austin or is Westlake worth looking into? Any help you can provide is much appreciated!

westlake is one of the premier communities in austin. The only real downsides are price, lack of diversity and maybe a bit too much affluence. If it is in your price range, then you should definitely look at it.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

Just a comment about property taxes in West Lake Hills - the rates ARE low (~1.9%), but because of the property values, the annual bill is probably similar or higher than what someone might pay in northwest hills.

As long as the property values are realistic (as in that's what you can really sell the home for), I'd gladly take the lower rate and higher value over the opposite.

But NW Hills (in Austin ISD) isn't bad on the rates either, IMO. About 2.28% I think.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by Austin97

westlake is one of the premier communities in austin. The only real downsides are price, lack of diversity and maybe a bit too much affluence. If it is in your price range, then you should definitely look at it.

Actually, if you compare some parts of the Westlake area to parts of 78704, the housing is cheaper and the location is just as convenient as Central Austin.

I live in Woodhaven. Since Jan 2009, the average sold price is $396K for a avg size home of 2182 sqft. That's $184 per sqft.

I'm 0.4 miles from a bus stop, 10 min walking distance to three schools and a killer library, and 12 minutes walk to the coffee shop, yogurt shop, restaurants, etc. where we frequently run into people we know.

Compare that to 78704, MLS area 7 to be more specific (Barton Hills) and the avg price per sqft is about $230, which would make the comparable sized home cost $500K. You don't hear the "affluent" label pointed toward people in 78704, yet someone living a much more frugal lifestyle in Westlake is assumed to be affluent because of the broader reputation.

With regard to diversity, our neighborhood has both older retired people with kids up and gone, and a ton of school age kids and typical families. Many of my neighbors are foreign born, so I'm not sure the "not diverse" label applies either. I have a more diverse set of neighbors now than we ever did in Oak Hill.

Steve

[centralaustinite]

Well, if you look at census data for 78704 versus 78746, there is no comparison! 78746 is infinitely more affluent. 20% of 78746 has a household income above $200,000! 3% are considered living in poverty, and the zip is 88% white.

Only 1.4% of all households in 78704 make over $200,000, 15% live below the poverty line, and white folk make up 57% of the zip's population!

Yes, of course there are frugal people in Westlake, and if you live in the right location you can have similar access to city amenities like 78704, but come on! Westlake = affluent, comparing Woodhaven to Barton Hills as a reflection of the larger area is a bit disingenuous. Even if we drilled down to comparing specific census tracts, given the high number of rentals in all of 04, I'd bet that Woodhaven would still be more affluent as a whole than Barton Hills.

[hilsmom]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Actually, if you compare some parts of the Westlake area to parts of 78704, the housing is cheaper and the location is just as convenient as Central Austin.

I live in Woodhaven. Since Jan 2009, the average sold price is $396K for a avg size home of 2182 sqft. That's $184 per sqft.

I'm 0.4 miles from a bus stop, 10 min walking distance to three schools and a killer library, and 12 minutes walk to the coffee shop, yogurt shop, restaurants, etc. where we frequently run into people we know.

Compare that to 78704, MLS area 7 to be more specific (Barton Hills) and the avg price per sqft is about $230, which would make the comparable sized home cost $500K. You don't hear the "affluent" label pointed toward people in 78704, yet someone living a much more frugal lifestyle in Westlake is assumed to be affluent because of the broader reputation.

With regard to diversity, our neighborhood has both older retired people with kids up and gone, and a ton of school age kids and typical families. Many of my neighbors are foreign born, so I'm not sure the "not diverse" label applies either. I have a more diverse set of neighbors now than we ever did in Oak Hill.

Steve

I have got to live in your neighborhood, Steve. It does sound like exactly what we are looking for. Hopefully next summer

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Actually, if you compare some parts of the Westlake area to parts of 78704, the housing is cheaper and the location is just as convenient as Central Austin.

I live in Woodhaven. Since Jan 2009, the average sold price is $396K for a avg size home of 2182 sqft. That's $184 per sqft.

I'm 0.4 miles from a bus stop, 10 min walking distance to three schools and a killer library, and 12 minutes walk to the coffee shop, yogurt shop, restaurants, etc. where we frequently run into people we know.

Compare that to 78704, MLS area 7 to be more specific (Barton Hills) and the avg price per sqft is about $230, which would make the comparable sized home cost $500K. You don't hear the "affluent" label pointed toward people in 78704, yet someone living a much more frugal lifestyle in Westlake is assumed to be affluent because of the broader reputation.

With regard to diversity, our neighborhood has both older retired people with kids up and gone, and a ton of school age kids and typical families. Many of my neighbors are foreign born, so I'm not sure the "not diverse" label applies either. I have a more diverse set of neighbors now than we ever did in Oak Hill.

Steve

Im comparing against NW as the original poster requested. You could include 78704, but I would say the same things apply to 78704 except it doesnt have the upside of great schools.

The neighborhood is less diverse, anecdotes like I have foreign born neighbors notwithstanding. Im not judging whether that is good or bad, it is up to the original poster to determine that. Look at demographic stats and you will see that compared to NW austin (specifically great hills and the areas that feed into westwood) it is less diverse. You can also look at the stats for westwood vs westlake to see that westlake is significantly less diverse. Westwood is already less diverse than the city of austin overall.

westlake
white = 82%
African Amer = 1%
Hispanic=7%
Asian=9%
Amer Ind = 1%
Total 18%

Westwood
white = 65%
Afr amer=4%
Hispanic = 9%
Asian = 22%
Total = 35%