Austin, Seattle/Bellevue or NJ/NYC for job? (Lost Creek, West Lake Hills: real estate market, house)

[vrr106]

We are a family of 4 with an almost-high schooler and almost-middle schooler. A new job opportunity has these 3 potential locations - Austin, Seattle or NYC. Our priorities ranked in order are:
- Good public schools
- Reasonable commute
- Good weather
- Cost of living
Home budget is $2M
If NYC is chosen, the most likely location to live would be the Short Hills/Millburn Township area.
Very interested to hear from people who have lived in more than one of these locations.
Here are the pros and cons we have identified:

1. Austin Pros: No state income tax, easier commute, good weather Cons: Average schools, crazy real estate market even at the $2M level with ridiculous appreciation over the past year, High property tax

2. NJ Pros: Good public school Cons: State income tax, High property tax, weather, long commute

3. Seattle/Bellevue: Pros: No state income tax, okay commute, good public schools. Cons: Weather, real estate bubble

[ashbeeigh]

I responded in your thread in the New Jersey forum. For the reasons you have listed I'd pass on Austin. Just read over a few of the top threads here right now for your answers. Someone just said a home they're interested in building has gone up 100k in the base price since December.

[Idlewile]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

I responded in your thread in the New Jersey forum. For the reasons you have listed I'd pass on Austin.

Same and same, OP.

[Trainwreck20]

Well, for $2MM you could get in some nationally ranked schools in the Austin area.

[Need4Camaro]

I disagree with the first two responses, as someone who has lived in Seattle/Bellevue. Both Seattle and NYC cost much more than bubble-inflated-Austin. At a $2 Mill budget you shouldn’t be as impacted with waitlists and inflation as buyers purchasing at $1 Mil and below. Austin is starting to show similar prices as Seattle in leu of the market boom but you still get much more house and amenities for comparable dollar.

What may get you though is weather. Austin gets very hot in the summer and can get colder than Seattle in the winter, during spring and fall our weather just goes crazy. Seattle though isn’t cake either though because you’re sitting under overcast for 80% of the year and almost never see the sun, but when the sun is out in Seattle it’s a very beautiful city. August and September are the sunny seasons.

Commutes in all of these cities are hell pre-Covid. NYC does offer one advantage, you can get around by train if you’re willing to use mass-transit. In terms of commutes, Seattle IMO is still worse than Austin, Seattle has a ton of geographical barriers making for terrible commutes between certain sections of the city. Austin however is largely unplanned and uncoordinated in terms of growth so it’s infrastructure has not been designed to handle its current population although seemingly in the former years they are trying to improve that.

[GreenPlastic]

At the $2M price point, you can be in the Eanes school district. You’d be hard- pressed to find public schools that are appreciably better. Maybe roughly the same, but not enough to list public schools as a Con.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by GreenPlastic

At the $2M price point, you can be in the Eanes school district. You’d be hard- pressed to find public schools that are appreciably better. Maybe roughly the same, but not enough to list public schools as a Con.

I still think the Weatlake/Eanes areas are being squeezed by the market and the prices have also inflated. While the schools are great, if not exceptional, it still will be hard to find a home in that area. I think OP needs to visit all three cities. They are all very different.

[emeraldcitymer]

Austin look in Eanes. If you're looking for a family friendly neighborhood with a great community (down to earth, warm, educated) Lost Creek is great for this. 2mil would be top end of budget (renovated view home, large)..
I like all the closer in neighborhoods around Eanes Elementary, Hill Country and Westlake High like Treemont, Bee Cave Woods, Westhaven, Woods of Westlake, Rob Roy on the Creek versus some of the bigger ones which are further out because traffic gets bad and they have a little more character (bigger neighborhoods like Davenport, Barton Creek West, Senna Hills, etc...). All the schools are good.

Rollingwood is obvious but it's expensive being so incredibly close to Zilker and Downtown your 2mil wouldn't go as far. West Lake Hills is beautiful but more estate homes with large lots, views.. not super kid friendly if you are looking for a neighborhood.

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by vrr106

1. Austin .....Cons: Average schools,

I disagree with this part. If you are spending $2 million for a house here you can live in "top 1%" school districts.

[Reilly1017]

Stay where you are, let your kids get through school and when they graduate do what you want. You have a child about to go in to High School, In sure they have friends, why up end all this ?