Neighborhood Suggestions please (Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park: HOA, buying a house, tech job)

[wendy_in_CO]

We are more than likely going to be moving to Austin in about a month. We are from TX but currently living in CO just outside Denver. My dh will be working in the area around Research Blvd. and McNeil (just south of there). I've been to Austin a few times but never lived there.

We have a budget of 300k and under. Would like a house that is at least 2500 sqft. We have 4 dc whom I currently homeschool. So, while school district is not the biggest deal to us, I do want to be in an area with decent schools for resale value. But doesn't have to be the best rated schools.

I've been looking at different neighborhoods & towns online trying to get a feel for them. The ones that have caught my eye are Milwood b/c of the proximity to my dh's work. He's been quite spoiled here in Denver with a 10-minute commute so trying to keep his commute to 25 minutes or less in Austin. Also, looking at Cedar Park and Round Rock. I'm terrified (phobic-like terrified) of scorpions so I want an established home in a developed neighborhood that isn't around any open space.

Does anyone have any recommendations of specific neighborhoods I can search online and look at homes? Zip codes to recommend? I'd appreciate any insight. I hope I provided enough info. I saw a thread once with some standard questions to answer when asking about neighborhood suggestions, but I can't find it now.

Thanks so much for any help!

[ankey]

There's 2 different neighborhoods in that area that call themselves Milwood so not quite sure which one you're looking at but they're both a good start. I would also look into Anderson Mill, the 78750 and 78729 areas in general. The Cedar Park area (78613) has a lot of homeschoolers in case you'd want to connect with an existing homeschool network. A lot of Cedar Park neighborhoods are newer construction but honestly, there's not much risk of scorpions even in newly developed areas with a lot of open space.

[10scoachrick]

Here's the 'stuff we need to know' thread...
//www.city-data.com/forum/austi...wer-so-we.html

The Rattan Creek/Milwood area is quite interesting. Homes are +- 20 years old, so they need some updating to offer maximum appeal. That's in an area that's hot enough and just enough 'closer-in' to command slightly higher per-square-foot prices than you might think.(Quite a bit of 'tech' growth in the McNeil/Parmer area driving some of the demand). They've got a nice community center with 4 tennis courts and a very active swim team. Some homes look model-perfect, some are properly maintained but not pristine and some could use a bit of TLC.

Nearly everything we had an interest in was already under contract(within a week or so!); so strike while the iron is hot. IF you wanted east Avery Ranch for $449K, I'd be sending you a PM . We're looking closer to 2K sq ft and don't have the commute requirements you have.

[wendy_in_CO]

Thank you both so much! I'm not sure which Milwood I am looking at either It is 78729 zip code if that helps. I am going to look into the other neighborhoods mentioned.

Thanks for the link of questions to answer. Here are my answers:

1) What is your budget?
~325k is the max

2) How large of a house do you need? what kind of views? what size lot? how old? updated? style? HOA?
~2500 sqft min, not picky on views, at least 1/5 acre would be nice, can be older home if updated, think most of the neighborhoods we are looking at have HOAs but I would love no HOA

3) What part of town is your job? What type of job (planning for the next job)
~Research/McNeil area, tech job

4) What kind of commute is acceptable?
~25 mins or less

5) What kind of schools are you looking for?
(special needs, highest rating, nerdy, gifted, ethnic diversity, economic diversity, strength in particular sports, private, religious etc)
~Would love to be close to an active homeschooling community

Thanks again

[10scoachrick]

Interesting about the home schooling. The schools serving our area are great; but I know quite a few neighbors who have homeschooled (some are in a hybrid program now that the youngsters are mid-ish teen...I don't know how that works...no kids for us).

[mesmer]

Most of 78727 west of mopac (the original milwood), 78729 and 78750 should be HOA free. Most. Some will be in city limits, and some will not be, and what isn't will probably get annexed eventually. You'll have better luck with a larger lot in the older sections of 78727 and 78750 but you'll have trouble finding 2500 sq. ft. in 78727 and you'll have trouble staying in your budget in 78750. Rattan Creek, Hunter's Chase and Forest North are all good bets to start with - Forest North has deed restrictions but no HOA and larger lots... but again, they're older and might be too small for your taste. We were looking at buying a house over there just for the large lot with the intent of adding on.

IMHO, try to stay at the lower end of your budget if you can and put money aside to fix the inevitable problems of houses built from 1970-1990. Siding, if your house has it, is a biggie because what they used back then will literally crumble if not cared for properly.

If you can't find anything in those areas, then consider branching out. The western parts of Round Rock off of 620 are decently close, and there are many new developments along Parmer between 45 and 1431. Those are going to come with HOAs though (with $30-50 a month fees) and start at 275k for most. There's also an interesting neighborhood called Round Rock West with big lots and good sized houses but I don't know if there's an HOA. The commute would be McNeil Rd. to McNeil Dr. to work, which should be less than 20 minutes according to google.

Edited to add: All these areas are hot, and anything in decent shape at a decent price is selling very, very quickly.

[wendy_in_CO]

Oh great! Thanks for more neighborhoods to check out It sounds like it might be a bit tricky to find something closer in within our price range b/c of the size we need. I don't mind RR. Someone had recommended some subdivisions up there. One was Mayfield Ranch and another was Vista Oaks. What would the commute be like from there? Dh would be working a 7-4 kind of day.

The homeschooling is just something we really enjoy. Not b/c we don't like public school. We just love homeschooling and our children have absolutely thrived so we keep on going. I never say never to public school though which I why I do want to be in an area that has decent schools. I do not want to pay more for top schools however.

[wendy_in_CO]

LOVE the 78750 homes but out of our price range

[Moonlady]

I work in the same area and relocated last year to be closer to work. The zip codes of 78727, 78759, 78750 and 78729 are all within a fairly short commute, but the houses are going to be older and finding an updated one with >2500 sq ft is going to be hard especially in this market. I normally don't recommend going into the suburbs because of the commute down 183, but with a job near McNeil, Cedar Park would definitely be worth a look. 183 doesn't start to back up going south until about Anderson Mill, so it would be a relatively short commute and easy enough to avoid the congestion. You'll find newer homes and lots of conveniences as well. Avery Ranch would also be a good option.

BTW -just noticed you said his hours would be 7-4 which would greatly improve any commute from Cedar Park or Round Rock.

[wendy_in_CO]

Thank you, Moonlady! Good to know on the traffic and where it backs up.