Steiner Ranch... would you do it again? (Austin, Comanche: house, water heater)

[FueledByBlueBell]

So, if you were in the market for a house today, would you buy in that area again? I have always been vehemently anti-steiner, but here I am, with two kids, thinking its not so bad...

Give me your good, bad and ugly.

[Antny12]

All I gotta say is have fun on 620.. What a crap shoot that road is- one of the worst. And if you take 2222 to 360 is almost just as bad.

[cBach]

IMHO Steiner Ranch is the most beautiful part of Austin, scenery-wise. The lake is full now, everything is green, and the Hill Country views are wonderful.

However, the traffic is atrocious. They have a plan for a bypass from 620 to 2222 but I haven't seen any progress on it. I really think if the bypass is constructed it will solve a lot of problems, but the traffic is bad. Right now, from about 7:30 until 9:30, 11:30 until 1:30, and 4:00 until 7:00, the traffic is backed up from the corner of 620/2222 to at least Comanche Trail and sometimes to Steiner Ranch Blvd. Comanche Trail gives some relief but even sometimes Bullock Hollow is backed up from 620 to Oasis Bluff Rd.

Everyone here seems stoic about the traffic and never talk about it. I don't know if it's denial or they just come from other parts of the country where such traffic is normal.

[Dynamoo]

This is just like kinda my opinion man, but Steiner kinda sucks for a lot of reasons.

[FueledByBlueBell]

Originally Posted by Dynamoo

This is just like kinda my opinion man, but Steiner kinda sucks for a lot of reasons.

I know, but it is what it is. The market isn't friendly. It is actually better than I envisioned. I still would rather live central, but not with two boys.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by FueledByBlueBell

I know, but it is what it is. The market isn't friendly. It is actually better than I envisioned. I still would rather live central, but not with two boys.

huh? I don't really get this. I am raising three kids in central Austin, would never consider Steiner (master planned gives me hives), kids in central Austin do just fine.

[FueledByBlueBell]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

huh? I don't really get this. I am raising three kids in central Austin, would never consider Steiner (master planned gives me hives), kids in central Austin do just fine.

One has ADHD... we need space. The other issue is that are house is literally falling down... windows need replaced, front door, plumbing doesn't work in places. The house need investment and because the market is so hot, the builder/GCs/subs can ask whatever they want. We are being asked to spend what we paid for our house in reno costs- and this is without expanding the foundation.

[iceman11]

Originally Posted by FueledByBlueBell

One has ADHD... we need space. The other issue is that are house is literally falling down... windows need replaced, front door, plumbing doesn't work in places. The house need investment and because the market is so hot, the builder/GCs/subs can ask whatever they want. We are being asked to spend what we paid for our house in reno costs- and this is without expanding the foundation.

going back in time I'd have picked up a different location than Steiner, but it's subjective.

1. traffic has became a non-sense here, but if you (both?) work from home has a lower impact.

2. beautiful place, but the amount of constructions just in the last five years + what is going on right now took a big toll IMO.

3. my feeling is the local schools are investing more for programs on gifted students, and less on academically challenged kids. It works for me, but I've friends who decided to move for that. That's might be the same case for where you live now...not sure.

4. if your kids are aged 10 or less then you've activities within the Steiner borders, if older...you're going to be stuck in traffic again to drive them around.

5. restaurants selection in the area is improving, but still not great. Within the borders you can count them on one hand.

6. "The Joneses" effect.... I didn't know what that meant before living here, now I do. BTW, I plan to move out as soon as the senior years are completed :-)

If you need more space I guess there are plenty of other residential location, I suggest you to investigate others too and weight pro/cons depending of what is important to you/where you work.

[CarnivalGal]

Honestly, I don't know. I love my house, and I love the neighborhood. We live in a section that we can (and do) walk to restaurants, Cups and Cones, etc. The schools have been amazing. The amenities are great. And most importantly, my kids love it here.

However, the traffic on 620 has become almost unbearable. We bought our house almost 11 years ago - long before most of the commercial development, the middle school, and the high school were even on the radar. DH has a flexible schedule, so he can avoid rush hour. But I teach, so I can't. What should be a 15 minute commute to my school on 360 takes me nearly an hour in the mornings. However, it does only take me 15 minutes to get home.

I think if I were to do it again, I would probably end up in River Place to avoid the 620/2222 intersection. We actually did look at River Place when we moved, but I didn't like the lack of amenities (no community pools, fewer playgrounds, etc.)

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by FueledByBlueBell

One has ADHD... we need space. The other issue is that are house is literally falling down... windows need replaced, front door, plumbing doesn't work in places. The house need investment and because the market is so hot, the builder/GCs/subs can ask whatever they want. We are being asked to spend what we paid for our house in reno costs- and this is without expanding the foundation.

Who was your builder? Our house is a Morrison and I have to say, it has been rock solid. It was built in 1998, so older, but even then, we haven't had any problems. We only had to replace our water heaters and HVAC last year, and they were the originals. The hot water heaters were actually still working like champs, but we knew we were on borrowed time, and wanted to do it before the new-regulation style ones went into effect. Our downstairs AC unit never had an issue, our upstairs one developed a small leak, so again knowing we were already lucky to get so many years out of them, we just went ahead and replaced them.

Roof was replaced a few years back thanks to a hail storm, windows are still fine. Only things we've had to do are cosmetic. I almost wish more things would break so that I could justify replacing them with more modern ones.

However, we do have a friend who is in the process of suing his builder. I forget what builder it was, but they only built here for a short while, and not in a few years. They've had to replace nearly everything and now have a leak in their foundation. Their house is only about 10 years old (I think).