Residential House Prices in North Austin (Spring, Leander: sales, home builder, neighborhoods)

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

But, but, but.....What about the salamanders !!??!!

The Wilco lizards are tougher than their wimp cousins down in Austin.

[Need4Camaro]

I thought everything in Texas was tough

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I thought everything in Texas was tough

Especially the steaks.

[srick123]

Originally Posted by Vagabond1001110

Thanks for all the responses and suggestions , i am looking at all the suggestions mentioned and the redfin search and captured below neighborhoods to check out:


Valley Vista Estates
Bluffview
Rancho Sienna
Bar W Ranch
Santa Rita Ranch
Orchard Ridge
Larkspur
Bryson - Highlands
Oaks at San Gabriel

I would add area in and around Deerbrooke community/ Savannah Ranch.
Middle and High school right inside the neighborhood.

Going to be cookie cutter homes for the budget you have. Right now inventory is at all time low and I would wait till mid spring to see if there are more homes in the market. Crazy bidding wars and mark up by builders.

[riaelise]

Coach Rick, I'm scratching my head here....why would you sell your Avery Ranch townhome to move to a cookie cutter development that far out? I can understand people moving farther out to borderline exurban areas due to price (i.e. wanting more space, affordability, etc.) or views. For example, I'd move to Leander for hill country views or ranch land, NOT a regular old subdivision where most homes have zero hill country views, tiny lots, and the floorplans can be found elsewhere without having to deal with 183-A. Can't even say taxes would be a reason because the taxes in those new subidivions are often far higher.

Once the kids are gone, I'd love to sell our Round Rock house and move to either a) Taylor, and get a nice old home on Lake Drive with an acre of land, b) Georgetown - older home on the square or something along San Gabriel, or c) South Padre/Port Isabel - rent a condo on the beach.

Definitely no to a new home surrounded by scores of other new homes with repeating floorplans (if not on your street, then the next).

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I quickly came to find that 1 stories are pretty much gem's in Texas. Its difficult to find a 1 story that fits all the criteria. Plenty of 2+ stories but I will say thats where Atlanta really has us, you get alot more in the way of acres so you don't have to build 'upward' thus you get plenty more single story (or what Georgia calls 'Ranches' .. call them that here and you're going to get strange looks) than you do here which is why I found our smaller lots and surprising especially given the state of Texas has so much land, we build alot more compact.

On the flip side of the coin though, you get alot less yard responsibility during those hot summers

I really loathe small lots with big houses :/ We did that for ten years but as a gardener, I like a lot of land to work. Acreage is too much for us though. Two stories are totally doable if you have the master on the first floor. Coming from NYC, where everything was on one floor, I actually preferred two story homes here. I'd need at least a one story that's 3500 sq ft, I need to have separation amongst all of us.

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Yeah I have to admit its absolutely insane how fast they are going now.

I thought Austin would cool off during Covid but it seems like the exact opposite happened.

Prices in my area have never been higher. Even the overpriced home (that has a one acre lot) is under contract.

While these rising prices sounds awesome, equity is not tangible unless you sell. It's just a number..kind of like a phantom. I have I guess close to 200k in equity, but it's not like money is in my bank account right now (unless you get a heloc, etc. of course). Wilco loves the rising prices because despite Covid 19, my taxes will definitely go up yet again next year due to the increased values.

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by riaelise

Once the kids are gone, I'd love to sell our Round Rock house and move to either a) Taylor, and get a nice old home on Lake Drive with an acre of land.

Hey, my wife’s grandfather, a builder in Taylor in the first half of the last century, nearly bought this Lake Drive house in 1909, but thought the $5,000 price tag was too much..

[ScoPro]

Instead, her grandpa went ahead and custom built this house for his family of 5 kids in 1910. My wife grew up there from 1949-63 after her mom moved back home following her California divorce.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by riaelise

I really loathe small lots with big houses :/ We did that for ten years but as a gardener, I like a lot of land to work. Acreage is too much for us though. Two stories are totally doable if you have the master on the first floor. Coming from NYC, where everything was on one floor, I actually preferred two story homes here. I'd need at least a one story that's 3500 sq ft, I need to have separation amongst all of us.



Prices in my area have never been higher. Even the overpriced home (that has a one acre lot) is under contract.

While these rising prices sounds awesome, equity is not tangible unless you sell. It's just a number..kind of like a phantom. I have I guess close to 200k in equity, but it's not like money is in my bank account right now (unless you get a heloc, etc. of course). Wilco loves the rising prices because despite Covid 19, my taxes will definitely go up yet again next year due to the increased values.

I think there is a term for small lots with big houses, like McMansions or something right? I've always wondered why Texas in general seems to offer fairly small lots on average despite having much less in the way of natural barriers than some other states.

And yeah I'm pretty worried about the increases in home values and sharp decreases in inventories due to the sudden boom of the RE market, if I hadn't been fortunate in succeeding in getting another job (I start Jan 4th yay) I'd be pretty terrified right now. I can only expect property taxes will only increase over time. Whats crappy about it, is more than likely through time my wage will 'not' increase to compensate for it. It is what it is though. I will just have to keep pressing on through climbing the ladder.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by riaelise

Coach Rick, I'm scratching my head here....why would you sell your Avery Ranch townhome to move to a cookie cutter development that far out? I can understand people moving farther out to borderline exurban areas due to price (i.e. wanting more space, affordability, etc.) or views. For example, I'd move to Leander for hill country views or ranch land, NOT a regular old subdivision where most homes have zero hill country views, tiny lots, and the floorplans can be found elsewhere without having to deal with 183-A. Can't even say taxes would be a reason because the taxes in those new subidivions are often far higher.

Once the kids are gone, I'd love to sell our Round Rock house and move to either a) Taylor, and get a nice old home on Lake Drive with an acre of land, b) Georgetown - older home on the square or something along San Gabriel, or c) South Padre/Port Isabel - rent a condo on the beach.

Definitely no to a new home surrounded by scores of other new homes with repeating floorplans (if not on your street, then the next).

You make some good points and things were different a few years ago. I am comfy with the location of Avery Ranch; but being 5-6 miles farther north would only be a minor inconvenience at this point.
Positives of a new cookie cutter home compared to our 15 year-old townhouse condo...

All new everything. Won't have to worry about replacing the roof, water heater, HVAC, various appliances, etc for a decade or more(maybe much longer as we usually take care of maintenance regularly).

Much more energy efficient components to the home(although our brick/stone is very solid) AND the ability to plant trees as desired(can't do that in the condo...did add one nice Monterrey Oak a while back). It's as much about comfort as it is about the cost of cooling the house.

Smart-home goodies are meh to me; but nice to have down the road.


A YARD...no matter how small...is better than the non-yard common area we have now. Also, maintaining the yard will be up to me...not to the "Mow, blow and go" service for the condos. Plenty of "pocket parks" and common area green space where we are looking. Also won't have to pay HOA dues for amenities we don't use...notably 5 tennis courts and five pools and grounds spread across 4 miles of neighborhood.

Trading the Brushy Creek Trail and park for the new Lakewood Park works for me as Lakewood includes an off-leash dog park(3).

Single story footprint...would have to pay at least $100K more IF I could find one in Avery.
The ONE single-story floorplan that we are considering has two walk-in closets in the master, separate vanities(not just two sinks), about a 1/4 garage bay "bonus" storage area in the garage and three full baths for the four bedrooms(or 3+ flex).

Alas, I don't think it's in the cards. I'm too chicken to make the relatively "lateral" move with the attendant expenses involved until this Covid thing clears.(perhaps not so lateral as the prices on the new homes go up every month) Even though we don't care one whit about going into downtown Austin more than a few times a year, there IS something to be said for being closer in(especially to Apple, DW's place of employment hopefully for another 5+ years).


Oh, well. We can always head up to Lometa/Lampasas and join the bro-n-law in a few years