Where are the middle class buying in Austin? (Round Rock, Pflugerville: middle-class, apartment complex)

[787]

The under $250,000 market is pretty much vaporizing in Austin. If I was a middle-class person with a 100K household income looking for a new house around $250,000 - where would you suggest I look? Any little-known or up-and-coming areas in the city?

TIA!

[verybadgnome]

On the edges of town.


Also I think in the future a larger percentage will be buying condos (just not downtown ones) and townhouses. Not that they fall under this topic but I also see more kids living at home longer.

[tildahat]

78745,78749,78748

Not everything in there is below 250k, but plenty still is. Not all track to great schools, but some track to Bowie/Austin high. There are a number of elementary schools that are good. It's the middle schools that are problematic. NHs in those zip codes vary wildly, many I wouldn't want to live in, but plenty are fine.

Obviously not central Austin, and the part just south of Ben White, at least west of South 1st has little below 250k, but you can find stuff. And it's close enough in that going to 78704 for stuff is reasonable, if that's your thing. That's part of why we've lived there. Sure we'd rather be in Bouldin, but we'd have to double our budget. It's much more palatable to us than the more far flung suburbs.

[tildahat]

Originally Posted by verybadgnome

On the edges of town.


Also I think in the future a larger percentage will be buying condos (just not downtown ones) and townhouses. Not that they fall under this topic but I also see more kids living at home longer.

We were absolutely willing to consider condos and townhomes, but very few offered good family layouts or were in our price range. If we had one kid, we might have been able to make it work, but it was clear very few had been built with families in mind. The other issue was that it kinda sucks to be the only family in an apartment complex or condo complex with kids.

But I agree we *should* offer more options like that to families, and hopefully we will...

[dbsteel]

Round Rock and Pflugerville.

[787]

Originally Posted by dbsteel

Round Rock and Pflugerville.

I was referring to within the city limits of Austin.

[Trainwreck20]

The last couple of people that I have know to buy a new house in that price range in the city limits of Austin were in South Austin - one bought in Bauerle Ranch (sp?) south of Slaughter near Manchaca and the other bought in a new little development off of Manachaca north of Slaughter. Both were new homes, the one in Bauerle was a typical Weekly-like home (not sure who built it) and the other was a cute (but smaller) craftsman looking home. Both were under 200k, but the Bauerle was a while back (4 years?). The craftsman one was smaller (1,800 sf, maybe?) but very nice and bought/built maybe 1 year ago? I will see if I can find out the name of the development when I see her next.

Edit - the house off of Manachaca is a 2005 built, 1,500 sf house, appraised at 178k. The neighborhood is called Grand Oaks.

Edit 2 - the one in Bauerle Ranch is 2,200 sf, built in 2008, appraised at 227k. I am guessing they actually paid around 236k for it, since that was the appraised value the year it was built.

[passionatearts]

$100,000/year is middle class? That seems like a high income to me.

[Trainwreck20]

Middle class is a range, and I am pretty sure that falls within the range of middle class.

[EzPeterson]

The "new" home demand, plus the requirement for square footage, is what is driving the scarcity of options your case.

Most middle-class families and buyers are buying resale homes in more established neighborhoods, as school ratings and rankings seem to be one of the top two reasons they choose location. Since most of the "good" schools in Austin proper are in more established neighborhoods - that's where they migrate toward. Outside of that, many are heading toward the northern suburbs - as more and more employers are popping up that way and the "good" school/new house combo is a little easier to find.

Until we see more condo/townhome development, that price point is simply going to keep getting pushed outward.