Job interview in Cedar Park! (Austin, Round Rock: house, neighborhoods, middle school)

[Turbojugend]

So I just received a very serious offer to relocate from L.A. to Austin (Cedar Park). I've browsed through several threads but was hoping someone could answer my questions directly:

1) Are there nice, affordable homes in nice communities in the $175k-$200 range? Realtor.com says "yes", but you're obviously not getting the flavor of the neighborhoods there.

2) If not, are there surrounding areas within that price range that are easy to commute to? I currently commute 30 miles in L.A. traffic so I'm OK with a bit of a drive.

3) I have a son in middle school and a daughter who is currently attending a junior college. Any recommendations as to which schools/districts to check out?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[woodinvilleguy]

Originally Posted by Turbojugend

So I just received a very serious offer to relocate from L.A. to Austin (Cedar Park). I've browsed through several threads but was hoping someone could answer my questions directly:

1) Are there nice, affordable homes in nice communities in the $175k-$200 range? Realtor.com says "yes", but you're obviously not getting the flavor of the neighborhoods there.

2) If not, are there surrounding areas within that price range that are easy to commute to? I currently commute 30 miles in L.A. traffic so I'm OK with a bit of a drive.

3) I have a son in middle school and a daughter who is currently attending a junior college. Any recommendations as to which schools/districts to check out?

Thanks in advance for your help!

1) yes there are a fair amount of options in this price range that are in good neighborhoods with good schools. You may want to check out the Avery Ranch Neighborhood as a starting place.

2) you should have a number of good options in or close to Cedar Park. It all depends on what you are looking for.

3) I'm a big fan of LISD which is in the Cedar Park area, the schools are very good. In general most of the districts here are very good. I think it matters most about each particular school and your kid. Austin Community College (ACC) is pretty darn big, I'd start there for your oldest.

Good Luck and congratulations :-)

[10scoachrick]

In agreement with w-guy...lots of options. It might even be worthwhile to know where your workplace is within Cedar Park. You might find something really close and cut that commute to practically nothing...OR...you might find yourself in a bit of a traffic snarl, just because everyone is headed the same way at the same time. This 'local' newspaper breaks down the area and often has very useful maps of different communities. It's easy to mix up WAY northwest Austin, Cedar Park, Leander and Round Rock since they adjoin in so many different areas. This link will give you an idea of the boundaries:
http://www.cedarparktx.us/cp/systems/file_download.aspx?pg=929&ver=6 (broken link)

This link will connect your to the Community Impact Newspaper on line. Lots of info on the area. The hard copies often have maps worth keeping in the car...just in case . Good luck!

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by Turbojugend

2) I currently commute 30 miles in L.A. traffic so I'm OK with a bit of a drive.

If you move here, come with the goal to eliminate your commute entirely. If everyone did that, we wouldn't have nearly as bad of traffic as we do.

[hinke]

Take a look at Red Oaks subdivision off Cypress Creek- There are a lot of great homes going for well under market price (they are still building, so you could get a good deal on a new build as well). Cedar Park middle school and Austin Community College are both less than 2 miles. They are currently building an elementary school in the neighborhood- which will be great for resale values later.

I have a friends in a couple of the subdivisions very close to the middle school (less than .5 mile) and they are very happy there. Google the middle school address and see what you come up within a couple of miles. Cedar Park Middle School has a good reputation.

Good Luck!

[Turbojugend]

All excellent suggestions, thanks so much!

Originally Posted by achtungpv

If you move here, come with the goal to eliminate your commute entirely. If everyone did that, we wouldn't have nearly as bad of traffic as we do.

Point taken. Sounds like it won't be much of a problem in Cedar Park.

[woodinvilleguy]

Originally Posted by Turbojugend

All excellent suggestions, thanks so much!



Point taken. Sounds like it won't be much of a problem in Cedar Park.

One thing to remember is the high property tax rate here when you are looking for a house. estimate 2.5%-3.0% of the house value every year.

[vizionblind]

check Leander. beautiful homes starting at 140k

[mark311]

I agree with everyone else that you'll be able to find what you're looking for. Cedar Park is pretty spread out, so depending on where your work is located in Cedar Park, it might be very close to live in West Round Rock or Leander. Leander is a bit further from Austin as it's North of Cedar Park, but homes are a bit cheaper. As others have stated, be sure to include property taxes in what you can afford and remember that the bigger the house, the higher the electricty/AC bill will be in the summer (all other things being equal).

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Turbojugend

So I just received a very serious offer to relocate from L.A. to Austin (Cedar Park). I've browsed through several threads but was hoping someone could answer my questions directly:

1) Are there nice, affordable homes in nice communities in the $175k-$200 range? Realtor.com says "yes", but you're obviously not getting the flavor of the neighborhoods there.

2) If not, are there surrounding areas within that price range that are easy to commute to? I currently commute 30 miles in L.A. traffic so I'm OK with a bit of a drive.

3) I have a son in middle school and a daughter who is currently attending a junior college. Any recommendations as to which schools/districts to check out?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Try to live as central as you can so if you change jobs you arent stuck with a nasty commute to a more central area. All the way across town is 30 miles so it is hard to have a 30 mile commute. Avery ranch or brushy creek are nice areas (dont know if they are in your price range).

you may be able to get anywhere from 80-100/sq ft.