Is Austin as great as the top 10 lists say? (Dallas: transplants, vacation home)

[love roses]

200K out in the suburbs in some neighborhoods can get you 5 or 6 bedrooms.

[mimimomx3]

Middle class houses, at least my definition.

78759, Northwest Austin in the Arboretum/Domain area. $299,500
Listing Details (http://www.austinhomesearch.com/Search/Details.aspx?li=29284&or=1&cp=1# - broken link)

78749, Southwest Austin in the Legend Oaks area $299,000
Listing Details (http://www.austinhomesearch.com/Search/Details.aspx?li=34405&or=1&cp=1 - broken link)

[DWong]

k

Originally Posted by Jennibc

I am not really sure what you mean. Do you mean that you didn't think small houses existed in Texas? Or that small houses were that pricey? When we lived in Austin back in the late nineties, there were plenty of 1200 square foot houses in central Austin going for 250K. When I was down there in April meeting with a realtor, she told me that those same houses were going for closer to 500K now.

Yes, I didn't think small homes for that price tag existed in TX, maybe Dallas, but not anywhere else. Wait, did u say 250k that were 1200 sq ft in the late 90s? That's SoCal prices then! Now 500k??? That is probably past alot of SoCal areas... is this true Austin?

I think you, the other poster, and I are all using the term cool differently. When I hear cool, I think bohemian and funky ala Melrose in the eighties (I guess I am dating myself) Based on what you are describing, cool to you means very high end.
Haha, high end/exclusive per se. SoCal meaning of cool prob differs than Austin's.

Wikipedia says about Silver lake
"Silver Lake is a district east of Hollywood in the City of Los Angeles, California. Silver Lake is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnicities and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of the creative class. Silver Lake is known for its bohemian vibe, mix of class levels, and neighborhood feel. Silver Lake contains some of the most famous modernist architecture in the United States."

Oh I SEE! Hmm... IN that case SoCAl wouldn't really fall in that category, SF would be a better fit.
I think Wikepedia's description is pretty apt to how I remember it, and in my book bohemian vibe with modern architecture is pretty cool

[DWong]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

Middle class houses, at least my definition.

78759, Northwest Austin in the Arboretum/Domain area. $299,500
Listing Details (http://www.austinhomesearch.com/Search/Details.aspx?li=29284&or=1&cp=1# - broken link)

78749, Southwest Austin in the Legend Oaks area $299,000
Listing Details (http://www.austinhomesearch.com/Search/Details.aspx?li=34405&or=1&cp=1 - broken link)

Wait a second.. please help me here... Ok after doing alot of comparison and looking here and there... I thought Dallas was by far the most expensive place in TX. My inlaws who live throughout the area, in Plano, Richardson, Ft. Worth.. all have homes around 3,500-4200 sq ft. in nice areas and on good size lots and they are at $220-290k. If that is middle class for Austin, by all means it is passed Dallas. And further investigation would tell me that 299 is pricy for Austonians? The median income is relatively low and for a family of 2 to afford something like that would be very pricy! So what's the deal? Or are the $300k higher than normal? Ok I just checked and the median cost of a house is right at 200k in Austin - so can I be led to believe that 300k was probably a nicer than avg home or in a great neighborhood?

[DWong]

Originally Posted by love roses

200K out in the suburbs in some neighborhoods can get you 5 or 6 bedrooms.

Ok, that was more aligned w/ my numbers.

[Jennibc]

Austin is the most expensive real estate market in Texas in terms of median housing price. Additionally, I think the poster that says a 299K house is what middle class people live in has a distorted view of what constitutes the middle the class, which is pretty common these days.

I was listening to NPR yesterday on report about the increasing cost of groceries and one of the women profiled lamented that she could no longer afford shopping at Whole Foods. When describing herself, she said she owned home in VA, bought a vacation home in Shenandoah for cash and that she and her husband just bought a building in VA for cash, so she thought that made her "upper-middle" class. Frankly, I think someone like that is more accurately described as upper class. I fact, in 2006, the median annual household income was $48,201.00 according to the US Census Bureau.
That's HOUSEHOLD income, not single person income. So I defend my original post that a house at 200K is something that someone in the middle class can purchase

[Jennibc]

Here's a listing I just found from Central Austin:



MLS #:
Address Internet: 1707 30th StList Price $: 574,000 Subdivision: Brykerwoods C# Gar: 1 # Beds: 3City: Austin SqFt: 1,540Yr Blt: 1941 Zip: 78703# FB: 2 Acres: 0.32# HB: 0 Lot Size: 100 x140# Liv Rms: 2 Lot Desc: Level, See Agent# Din Rm: 1 Additional Features

Rooms:
Appliances: Dishwasher, Range - Free Standing, Disposal Interior: In-Law Plan Directions: Mopac to Westover, east on Westover to Jefferson, left on Jefferson to 30th St. left on 30th Remarks: OWNER FINANCING Charming 1940's vintage home on beautiful flat lot (+/- .32 acre) Close to U.T. and medical facilities. Acclaimed Brykerwoodsl Elementary School

[texastrigirl]

Lived in both Austin and Dallas. You can spend a lot or a little on a house in both places although I personally think your money goes further in Dallas. Austin is generally regarded as the most expensive place to live in Texas though I don't know if the numbers actually support that. This is the perception though. Of course I moved there from Denver so I thought it was downright cheap at the time! And now I live in Seattle so it's still really cheap esp. for the lifestyle. All a matter of perspective I know. To get in the better AISD schools, I think you will need to spend at least $250K IMO in the SWburbs and that will be for a 3/4 bedroom though I agree that $299K is probably more like it...that's for elem. schools like Kiker, Clayton, Baranoff, etc. or Lake Travis Schools. You might also look at Dripping Springs. Lots of people are moving out there too.

[texastrigirl]

And to answer the question...I feel Austin deserves a top 10 ranking. I have lived in Denver, Austin, Dallas, Austin and now Seattle and I think Austin is one of the best places you could be!

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by texastrigirl

Lived in both Austin and Dallas. You can spend a lot or a little on a house in both places although I personally think your money goes further in Dallas. Austin is generally regarded as the most expensive place to live in Texas though I don't know if the numbers actually support that. This is the perception though. Of course I moved there from Denver so I thought it was downright cheap at the time! And now I live in Seattle so it's still really cheap esp. for the lifestyle. All a matter of perspective I know. To get in the better AISD schools, I think you will need to spend at least $250K IMO in the SWburbs and that will be for a 3/4 bedroom though I agree that $299K is probably more like it...that's for elem. schools like Kiker, Clayton, Baranoff, etc. or Lake Travis Schools. You might also look at Dripping Springs. Lots of people are moving out there too.

Why is Austin most expensive in Tex, relative as the concept is? Because of supply and demand, along with the fact that there are barriers to building, especially in the western hills....houston is all flat, so is DFW, even hills jump the price up.....add a hot market, and thats why Austin is so expensive....