Where are the majority of jobs located in Austin? (San Marcos: renter, buying a house)

[psu2pgh]

Hi All - I am considering buying a house in South Austin (Slaughter & Manchaca). I travel during the week and work downtown on Fridays and so I'm not as location dependent right now besides maybe one day a week of miserable traffic downtown.

From a house appreciation and desirability standpoint, is it a smart idea to buy in South Austin considering most jobs are downtown, off of 360, and north Austin considering traffic?

Where do most people work, location wise, who live in South Austin?

A little background, I've lived in 78704 the past 3 years as a renter and my significant other works off of Bee Cave road near rollingwood which is why I'm pro south austin right now. I have concerns that once I take a job that doesn't require as much travel in the future, there's a good possibility it would be located in north austin (tech industry) but something I can't guarantee for now.

Thanks for the help!

[Austinite101]

It depends where you draw your boundaries. About a 1/3 jobs in the entire metropolitan area are located in and just around Downtown Austin. If you're going to be working in North Austin, it's not very smart to move to Far South Austin. If you're going to be working Downtown, the commute should be about 35-40ish minutes on average (from Slaughter/Manchaca) if you avoid taking I-35 or Mopac and just take the city roads.

That said, it's very difficult to find housing in any part of Austin that isn't appreciating.

[Austin97]

the tech job center of austin is probably somewhere around the domain, or maybe 183/burnet.

There isnt very much along 360 anymore. The startups are mostly downtown, the big companies are along mopac and 183.

north and west have appreciated a lot and have overshot. South and east are having their turn right now.

You can draw a circle using the farthest interesting area up north (say cedar park) and then see that people will eventually live east that far out and south that far out.

No one can know the timeline, but if you buy 30-40 acres east, I think that the city will eventually be forced to grow that direction.

[psu2pgh]

I'm looking for a home with at least 1600+ square feet, less than 250k and the minimalist commute downtown. I've looked into West Oak Hill and some other areas about the same radius to downtown but feel a bit disconnected in West Oak Hill from the rest of Austin versus South Central. How do others feel about West Oak Hill? Am I looking in the right area now (Slaughter & Manchaca) or similar areas closers in? Any other recommendations?

I would be open to the North as well but I'm just not as familar with the North and it doesn't look like many homes meet my criteria except north of 183 which is a long commute downtown. Again, all of this is based on current and future job opportunities without needing to move again.

Thanks for the input!

[Aquitaine]

(Slaughter & Manchaca).

We own a rental home in that area and it is (or at least was) one of the last affordable parts of South Austin with decent neighborhoods and stuff to do (Moontower being right there is nice, though it's a better location than it is a bar...)

The trouble is that, if you end up working North, that would be a terrible, terrible commute. I had a buddy who lived in one of the complexes off Manchaca who had to commute to East Austin - MLK East of 183. It was pretty bad and that wasn't even that far North.

If I were moving here with no job, I'd either rent for a year until I found one or else be prepared to have a bad commute and then move again within 1-3 years (which is exactly what happened to us...)

[scm53]

Originally Posted by psu2pgh

How do others feel about West Oak Hill? Am I looking in the right area now (Slaughter & Manchaca) or similar areas closers in? Any other recommendations?

Probably a little biased because my first house in Austin was in W Oak Hill (Scenic Brook). For openers, the schools are better. Even with the Y "problems", probably a 10 min shorter commute downtown (which will only get better because they will do something about the Y a long time before they do anything about 35). Shopping about the same -- Sunset Valley vs. Southpark Meadows. Parks about the same -- Dick Nichols vs. Mary Moore Searight. Topography is a little prettier in W Oak Hill.

Close, but a nod to W Oak Hill.

[innuen6o]

Originally Posted by Austin97

There isnt very much along 360 anymore. The startups are mostly downtown, the big companies are along mopac and 183.

Agreed. But, Apple just bought an office building on 360 and Bees Cave.

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/business/sources-apple-signs-lease-for-office-building-in-s/nk3Fd/#761b4dd5.3882137.735712

[DCtoTejas]

FWIW, I live in the slaughter / manchaca area and work in south austin. If I lose my job I plan on looking for a new one in San Marcos before I would look in north austin.