Where to look and where to avoid - moving to the area (San Antonio: renting)

[TXCats]

Hello,

My husband accepted a job in Austin and we have to relocate to the great state of TX in a few months. We're currently in SWFL and I understand that your market is one of the hottest in the country which is a real bummer as a buyer coming into the market there and it's impossible to start looking for homes in such a large, unfamiliar area when homes are flying off the market so I'm hoping the local people on this forum might be able to help provide some direction based on what we're looking for and trying to avoid.

About Us: 2 adults, no kids, just several cats which makes renting almost impossible so we're looking to buy right away. Our fur children can't read so schools are not a concern other than for resale down the line. I would prefer, however, to be reasonably close to excellent veterinary care as we have a hyperthyroid, CKD cat who gets SubQ fluids on a weekly basis.

Basic Housing Requirements: Would prefer 3-4+ bedrooms, 2+ baths, and a yard that is 6' privacy fence-able (not the little see-through metal fences some HOAs limit you to as we don't want the cats to be able to see people or dogs) and hoping to stay under $600k which I get is very limiting when you have all the Silicon Valley and other relocations happening there.

Trying to Avoid: Areas where there will be ATVs/UTVs, fireworks, backyard gun ranges, etc. Basically, I want to live in civilized society again where people are respectful of their neighbors. I had more peace living among tons of people in Los Angeles, all living in close proximity to one another, than I do here among a handful of bad neighbors. I've tried researching the laws in the various communities about fireworks bans and where there are actually places for people to go and ride their ATVs, but are these rules actually enforced?

We were told the South Austin area could be problematic due to congestion coming into the city from the south due to bridges (thoughts, insights on that?) so we were looking at areas like Cedar Park, Round Rock, and Pflugerville as potential options. Are there any specific communities to check out or those to avoid? Feel free to send me a message if you don't want to praise or trash any one area publicly.

Also looking for vet and Realtor recommendations if you have any. If anyone is looking to sell their home off-market to avoid the hassle of listing and showing, please feel free to reach out as we may be interested. Thank you to all in advance!

[Need4Camaro]

Just want to note I would heavily recommend against leaving pet cats outside in the backyard, even behind a fence. They won’t last very long before Coyotes out here snag them and they can jump a 6’ fence pretty easily. They would need to be indoor only or you run the risk of them getting snagged.

Besides that, given the budget and housing preference I would probably recommend Leander but if you want 4 Bedrooms and 3+ baths you’re going to be knocking on the door of $600k+ territory pretty quickly in the current market.

[Austin97]

im seeing some matching inventory in pioneer hills, springdale heights area. It is a little more country out there but it is getting developed very fast. It is pretty close to downtown and all the north austin tech companies.

a 4br 3ba looks to be listing at around 400-500K. The one in springdale heights is 369K and looks great inside.

use austinhomesearch.com to find inventory.

People on here routinely recommend the far suburbs when it is possible to find matching inventory in town.

[ashbeeigh]

Where is work or will you be keeping a remote position? My sister has a special needs cat who goes to Crestview Veterinary hospital. She drives up from San Antonio to see them if that means anything.