Future livability (Austin, New Braunfels, Spring: condos, houses, buying)

[billmarland]

It is always great to read comments on this forum. So much more information than the Chamber of Commerce can provide and with a more "objective" viewpoint. My question is not unlike others have, but the answer may require even more insight from the resident posters on this forum.


My wife and I are both 60+ and want to live out our remaining days in Austin. Currently we are from Virginia Beach, a great city in and of itself and worthy of the accolades it receives. The state is drop-dead beautiful from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, but it does have about 3-4 months of dormancy during the winter. Retirement, to us, means more time to enjoy the outdoors.


We have been to Austin the last 5 years at least once annually and love the area as it is now. BUT....things do change and Austin just happens to be doing it at a rate much higher than most other cities. So where, in twenty years, will we still be able to enjoy life at a less-hectic pace and with less gridlock that Austin-proper and the Loop down to Barton Springs seem to be experiencing now? We like the Lakeway area, but 20 years from now, Lakeway may be like West Austin is now, traffic-wise.


I did notice a lot of new housing developments going up toward Spicewood, especially on the south side of I-71. The conflict is, if we move within a year, many of these communities are not far enough along in development to enjoy some of the amenities the more established planned communities have (fitness centers, biking & hiking trails, marinas, golf, etc). You can't have it all, but I'm looking at having it in 5-10 years and letting the community grow around us rather than "shoe-horning" into a community.


Is Spicewood trending to be a community like Lakeway within 5-10 years? I say Spicewood because we do want to remain close to the lake and get the killer hill country views. The tax rate looks more favorable right now and many of the areas like Briarwood and such have larger lots unlike some of the communities in neighboring Lakeway and closer to Austin. Quite truthfully, we don't want to spend all of our life savings buying (or building) and maintaining a 1M+ home, which seem more prevalent as you get closer to the city and we are not close-quarters type people---so condos are out of the question.


Any suggestions as to which area/community might be rated the most "livable for a retirees" in the next 5-10 years? Thank you.

[Trainwreck20]

You don't give a lot of detail (or restrictions, really) on where you want to live, other than:

we do want to remain close to the lake and get the killer hill country views.

I can't predict how those communities will grow, but you are correct in that there is some balance between "now" and "in the future" - you could look at the north side of the lake, which seems to be growing more slowly, but I don't get out there that much anymore and could be completely wrong. Also, Marble Falls and the areas around it seem to be growing at a slower pace than the closer-in areas.

My in-laws retired to Woodcreek (north of Wimberely) and really like it there, but it may not be your thing. They golf 2-3x a week pretty much year-round, they taxes are relatively low, but some services (city water/sewage) steeper than Austin. Of course, their view is not of the hill country/lake, it is the golf course, but you get what you pay for .

[A-Tex]

At this point I wouldn't move anywhere in the Austin area and expect it to remain remotely the same over the next 20 years.

[billmarland]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

You don't give a lot of detail (or restrictions, really) on where you want to live, other than:


I can't predict how those communities will grow, but you are correct in that there is some balance between "now" and "in the future" - you could look at the north side of the lake, which seems to be growing more slowly, but I don't get out there that much anymore and could be completely wrong. Also, Marble Falls and the areas around it seem to be growing at a slower pace than the closer-in areas.

My in-laws retired to Woodcreek (north of Wimberely) and really like it there, but it may not be your thing. They golf 2-3x a week pretty much year-round, they taxes are relatively low, but some services (city water/sewage) steeper than Austin. Of course, their view is not of the hill country/lake, it is the golf course, but you get what you pay for .

I did mention no condo...so a single family home on a decent lot....3/4ac+ and keep the budget below $1M----$700K-900K would be ideal.....in a community with some amenities----especially social activities. I love Marble Falls and Lake LBJ, but my wife feels "isolated" there. Lago Vista may as well be in Oklahoma, from what I can tell.


Thank you for the suggestion.

[Austinite101]

Austin is growing very rapidly (as it has for the past 100 years without exception). In my opinion, if you're wanting to live in an area that will not change much over the next quarter-century, I really wouldn't advise you to move anywhere near the large cities of the major Texas metropolitan areas, especially Austin.

[Austin97]

I would stay in virginia beach, then snowbird during the winter months.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by Austin97

I would stay in virginia beach, then snowbird during the winter months.

Yes, and snowbirding in Florida instead of Austin will give you better, more predictably warm weather.

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Yes, and snowbirding in Florida instead of Austin will give you better, more predictably warm weather.

Yes, but then you would be in FL.

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by billmarland

I did mention no condo...so a single family home on a decent lot....3/4ac+ and keep the budget below $1M----$700K-900K would be ideal.....in a community with some amenities----especially social activities. I love Marble Falls and Lake LBJ, but my wife feels "isolated" there. Lago Vista may as well be in Oklahoma, from what I can tell.


Thank you for the suggestion.

If you are trying to keep the house below $1 million and want killer views you will have to go much further out than Lakeway. I've been looking for a lot with a good view and there is nothing less than $400k unless you go several miles west of Bee Caves. Spicewood is probably a good place to start. Also Dripping Springs.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by billmarland

I did mention no condo...so a single family home on a decent lot....3/4ac+ and keep the budget below $1M----$700K-900K would be ideal.....in a community with some amenities----especially social activities. I love Marble Falls and Lake LBJ, but my wife feels "isolated" there. Lago Vista may as well be in Oklahoma, from what I can tell.


Thank you for the suggestion.

I think you should expand your radius to within 70 miles of Austin, and drop the "don't want to be isolated" requirement. Else drop the view or the "community". Make sure you understand the property tax implications of paying your full budget price also.

I use to own a lakehouse in Spicewood. We thought we'd retire there someday. It's easier to get into Marble Falls from there than Austin. But after a year of weekends, the driving on Hwy 71 quickly became a deal breaker, and this was about 14 years ago before traffic grew to what it is now.

My wife and I are "pre-retirement" now. We flip flop on our end game, but it's one of the following:

1) Move downtown - get right into the belly of the beast, downsize, 1 car, etc. "Lock and leave" lifestyle with lots of travel but Austin as home base.

2) Stay put. We're in SW Austin, best of all worlds in many ways. Walkability, trails, easy shot to downtown, neighbors, community feel.

3) Move "way out", with 90 minutes of Austin, but keep a "city house" for Austin visits. We own property in Wimberley. We have friends with a 650 ranch near New Braunfels. It's nice to relax and unwind "away from it all", and we enjoy those getaways, but I wouldn't want to cut the cord entirely. My wife and I really love being in Austin and seeing our friends on a regular basis, so I'd probably keep 1/2 of a duplex we own near downtown as a Austin home base and split the time between houses and travel.

All choices have merits and my mind changes almost daily, but #2 seems to be the most rational and prudent for us.

I would ask yourself what is your typical day, week, month, season and year going to look like. For how many years will that remain true? Actually write down "the perfect day", "the perfect weekend", and do so for all months and seasons. I did that and the results were surprising.

Steve