Where are the middle class buying in Austin? (Spring: new house, crawl space)

[Trainwreck20]

You have to qualify what an 'older' home is - so, just to kind of make up some categories (and this are all just off the cuff and could be greatly refined):
'Very' old - for Austin, pretty much anything prior to 1970. In general, these homes were well constructed, but will typically be 'dated' floor plans (no closets or garage, small kitchen, low ceiling, etc) that are not easily changed and will be energy inefficient. There are a lot of pluses and minuses to this group, but it sounds like the OP is definitely not looking at these.

Old - say, maybe, 1970-1990 - IMHO, this group is the nadir of home construction in the U.S. <1977 or so, there is aluminum wiring, asbestos, and cheap construction. After around that time, the aluminum wiring and asbestos start to disappear, but in the 80s quality went even further in the tank with the boom and S&L scandal era. Most are still very energy inefficient. There are some good homes in this era, but you have to be cautious.

Mature? - not sure what to call 1990 - early 2000s, but these are houses that are, generally speaking, much better built than the 70s/80s, but still pre-date the current code. Energy efficiency is much better, but not up to current new build. Some more floor plans that are currently preferred - higher ceilings, larger kitchens, extra living areas, fewer formal dining, etc.

'New' - Around 2002? the current building code was in place, and homes in this group are generally pretty durn energy efficient and there has not been a huge change in floor plans since 2000s. There is (again, imho) little difference between these and a brand new home.

[mesmer]

Originally Posted by Austin97

Take a look along jollyville and mcneil. They feed into cathy caraway, canyon vista, westwood. $250k will get you about 2000 sq ft. (older homes that probably will need remodeling though).

We have friends that bought over that way for under 250k. But yes, it needed work, and yes, there was a bidding war. Their real estate agent made sure they won it.

Looking at what's currently on the market may not be the best strategy for identifying neighborhoods because things that are well priced sell immediately - sometimes before they're officially on the market. A good real estate agent (a good one, not just any old one) will be able to help you focus on areas where good deals are likely to pop up. A few years back you could probably get away without one but it's not a few years ago anymore.

[texasgirl1]

What about the Village at Anderson Mill in zip code 78750? Lots of inventory under 250K and it feeds into Westwood High School (one of the best). Home are older and built in the 70's but I see this as one of the next neighborhoods that people buy and fix up.

[787]

Looking south, not north. Thought I'd said that repeatedly.

[EzPeterson]

Originally Posted by 787

Looking south, not north. Thought I'd said that repeatedly.

A big part of the problem here is that:

A. You have multiple threads going about the same subject. You didn't mention "south" in this one until much later.

B. You still refuse to define exactly what it is you're looking for. Cannot lend real advice without that.

Also, this "neighborhood had its run" thing is total hogwash. If you find a single person in the property industry. A. Single. Person. That believes this, I'd be completely shocked.

You are in need of a professional to assist you in your housing search, unless your posts are just a method of trolling up the whole "Austin is pricing out the _________" topic.

Trying to stay on the leading edge of the rising prices in town.

Too late.

[sheaday]

Lennar has a new community in South Austin called Bradshaw Crossing near Onion Creek. Homes range from 179-220k according to their site. We looked at the community about a year ago and liked the floorplans but didnt want to go that far South. This may work for you.

[787]

Originally Posted by sheaday

Lennar has a new community in South Austin called Bradshaw Crossing near Onion Creek. Homes range from 179-220k according to their site. We looked at the community about a year ago and liked the floorplans but didnt want to go that far South. This may work for you.

I'll add that to my search. Thanks.

I didn't mean to offend people here by saying I wanted a new neighborhood on the south side. I know that the established neighborhoods had good appreciation for those who bought in on the front end when the neighborhoods were new, and I want to enjoy that same opportunity, but apparently this has offended some here for some reason. Anyways, I think this thread has had it's run as well, so I'll take it from here. Thanks to you all.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by 787

Looking south, not north. Thought I'd said that repeatedly.

actually you didnt mention that at all. You made references to in the city limits and that you had looked on the east side.

[riaelise]

I just think your bucket list is kinda borderline unrealistic, OP. You want a home that's over 2k sq ft in a reasonably prime location (where appreciation is greater), be relatively new, and pay $250k. It's just not going to happen, IMHO. You're late to the party when it comes to buying low(er) and getting all of what you're looking for. The point is something's got to give. And you will definitely need a realtor to give you the inside help on getting the house that you want.

I typed used $250,000 as a search parameter in MLS and came up with many listings within the city limits. Granted, the ones in the better locations are older, but the point is that the middle classed person can still find housing within the city of Austin. It's not NYC level here.

[787]

I will locate a realtor that specializes in new construction and will continue my search in earnest. Thank you again, you have all been extremely helpful.