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Ideal location, Austin Texas, family friendly neighborhood, older homes with character, half-acre lot size, sidewalks, no strip malls or cookie cutter developments, downtown area, sidewalk cafes and bars
Figured we would do a six month rent while we figured out where home should be. So we scheduled with 4 real estate folks, and one even came through and met the appointment (from here -- Thanks!).
But what they had for rent houses in Eanes were pretty grim. All had basic safety issues, and one even had rat holes in the siding so big I could stick my boot through. Mind bogglin they let this sort of crap on MLS.
We looked at Lake Travis as well, but those places looked like Kid Killers, too. 50 foot drops to the water.
Not bytching, but traffic is as bad as Dallas.
Had heard there was supposed to be good biking around the area, but that seemed strange, too. We would see bike lanes that just stopped in the middle of a block, and there seemed to be a marker system of where bikers had been hit by cars. While we saw folks on bikes, it seemed more like a case of battling against the odds.
Why live like this?
If you can tell us something different, we would be ready and willing customers, but so far we are not seeing it.
What exactly are you looking for, and what is your price range, and how close in do you need to be?
I know what the OP's criteria are, and you say you're looking for the same thing. Did you check out Cedar Park/Leander/Georgetown?
As for the traffic, Dallas must have gotten a LOT better if the traffic here is worse. (Lived in Dallas eons ago, learned to drive there, have been back on occasion as we still have friends and family in the area, there's no comparison. Of course, here, I know the back ways and try to use that knowledge rather than following the giant new cow paths that everyone else uses. )
In doing a little research it doesn't appear at first glance that Georgetown has a great school system. Only acceptable ratings and the high school seems huge. Are their any private schools in the area that are not tied to religion?
Schools are the most important factor - even if we loved the feel of the area if the schools didn't hold up to our standards (not saying that is the case here since I have not done enough digging) we would look elsewhere.
Anyone from Georgetown care to weigh-in?? Or any other areas that would meet our needs?
Thanks for the replys so far!
Georgetown is not a bad school system; my daughter attended there (though she didn't graduate from it). You'd need to check it out for yourself with your own kids in mind (if there's anything I learned raising kids, it's that a school that is great for one isn't necessarily great for another, and vice versa, even in the same family). A second high school is opening shortly, so that addresses that particular issue.
Another alternative would be Cedar Park or Leander, though you're not going to find as close a match to your original description there, I don't think (though I'm not above doing some digging to find out).
I don't live in Georgetown, but my office is there, and I'm pretty familiar with it.
As for private schools not tied to religion, you really have to dig there. (We had to do the same thing when looking for private schools for our kids, and the one that we found, about the time he was graduating, got infiltrated by parents who thought they should be able to dictate their own religious philosophy of education there rather than going to the myriad of religion-oriented private schools that are available.) There are a few more now than there were then, I believe (the one he attended was the only one, pretty much, at that time). Do be sure to check, though, and ask pointed questions, if that's an issue for you; our daughter attended one that said it wasn't religious, and, granted, it wasn't tied to one particular religion, but they did have required chapel every Friday.
Dripping Springs might come close to your description in some areas.
There are necessities and preferences in a house for us.
The only necessity is a good school district. That means Eanes or Lake Travis. We are willing to look at other districts if the school is Exemplary and it meets some of the the preferences. I hope that makes sense.
The preferences include:
1.5 + bathrooms
3-4 bedrooms (we can live with 2 if it were in matches other preferences)
under 2500 square feet (we don't need a lot and don't want to heat and cool a monstrosity but again, this is flexible)
waterfront (river, lake, creek)
approximately 5 miles to school
lots of trees
1+ acre
greenhouse or vegetable garden area
safe yard for children to play (no major cliffs for kids to fall off)
little to no carpet (for the homeowners sake)
low traffic or at least good biking area
barn/workshop/large garage
place to park sailboat
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and what is your price range,
Rent? That was our intent for 6 months while shopping deeper -- Anything around $2500 a month or so or less is all fine. We figure that is good number if the place had everything, and would trade off lower prices for less.
As far as buy, probably like Labmom -- up to $500,000. But that would be again if it were all good. We really do not expect that to exist and so as with the rent numbers, we are thinking discounts and have to re-hab the place.
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and how close in do you need to be?
Close to Austin proper?
From the ways things looked to us -- the further the better.
Only thing we anticipate doing in town on a regular basis is Ice Skating for our daughter.
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I know what the OP's criteria are, and you say you're looking for the same thing. Did you check out Cedar Park/Leander/Georgetown?
Actually started into the area in Cedar Park, last year. Was doing some design reviews for a new windmill there, and sort of liked the area. Many of the guys in the office rode bikes to work.
But as Labmom observed -- the schools knock them down.
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As for the traffic, Dallas must have gotten a LOT better if the traffic here is worse. (Lived in Dallas eons ago, learned to drive there, have been back on occasion as we still have friends and family in the area, there's no comparison. Of course, here, I know the back ways and try to use that knowledge rather than following the giant new cow paths that everyone else uses. )
I am sure it is a time-of-use thing. Like you say about your digs, I sort of know how to dodge and miss Dallas "drive-time." What we noticed were huge grade level highway crossings (your 360, for example) that cut-off basic things like housing, groceries, and schools from each other, as far as biking or walking. In short, from our brief look, Austin in general, seemed like a total tin-box car culture.
Cedar Park/Leander schools are, from all I've heard, considered to be some of the best in the area. (Eanes excepted, and I have my own opinions there - there's a lot more to schools than just ratings, which can be impacted by all sorts of things.) They're right up there with Lake Travis, to talk to the parents. (I'd rather talk to the kids, myself, but don't quite have that same access any longer now that mine are grown.)
Let me think on this one. Dripping Springs might be a possibility, but it's a bit spread out.
I think if you:
-choose a house in Univeristy Park (for period charm and character)
-pick a lot in Eanes (schools and acerage)
-put the lot and house in Lake Travis (for the sailboat and lake)
-flatten the lot (for the kids to play in and not fall off)
-beam South Congress to the lake (so you can walk to shops)
-beam Town Lake over for the hike and bike trails
-apply for Section 8 housing (for the $2500 rent)
THEN you'd get all of what you're looking for. Sorry to be negative, but you can't have it all at once or in the same place.
Seriously, I would consider Tarrytown (it has the lake where you can have a boat, but for $$$, cute houses, not much commute, hike and bike, acerage for $$, AISD although Casis is exemplary, flat lots)...but no way will you find all that for $2500 a month. good luck.
Only thing we anticipate doing in town on a regular basis is Ice Skating for our daughter.
Both rinks are in the north part of town. Look up Chaparral Ice on the web.
There are two figure skating clubs, one USFGA, one ISI.
We were looking for a house that would have accommodated being close to the rinks while allowing a decent commute to our jobs in the SW, having a good high school, nice house with some land (1 acre) in the $500 range. I could not find anything that met the criteria. Fortunately for us, our daughter "retired" from skating last spring before we left Canada. That allowed us to concentrate on everything else and we ended up in Dripping Springs.
I have heard of people in the area who figure skate and make the hike to the rinks up north. When I did a couple of trial runs in rush hour, it was 45 minutes from Southwest Parkway to the rink at the NorthCross Shopping Center. Add another 15 - 20 minutes coming from the house. Add another 20 minutes or so to get to the rink on I35. (I never tried that drive.) This is doable on an occasional basis but I would not want to be doing it once or twice a day.
How many times a week would your daughter be on the ice?
I think if you:
-choose a house in Univeristy Park (for period charm and character)
-pick a lot in Eanes (schools and acerage)
-put the lot and house in Lake Travis (for the sailboat and lake)
-flatten the lot (for the kids to play in and not fall off)
-beam South Congress to the lake (so you can walk to shops)
-beam Town Lake over for the hike and bike trails
-apply for Section 8 housing (for the $2500 rent)
THEN you'd get all of what you're looking for. Sorry to be negative, but you can't have it all at once or in the same place.
Seriously, I would consider Tarrytown (it has the lake where you can have a boat, but for $$$, cute houses, not much commute, hike and bike, acerage for $$, AISD although Casis is exemplary, flat lots)...but no way will you find all that for $2500 a month. good luck.
THAT was great. And FUNNY.
Thanks, really that speaks to the level I can understand.
This morning we were joking about whether the "problem" is us? We decided the place we are looking for is Lake Woe-Be-Gone. (Yunno, NPR, Prairie Home Companion Radio Show).
We were thinking we could not "buy" the result at any price. But you are serious that this "Tarrytown" area is it? The $2500 number is just that -- a made up number. Can't deal with Real Estate folks without some number. My observation was that above $2500 we would just see the same stuff "bling-blinged" up with 6 Bathroom Houses with Gold Platted Toilets and such, but no real difference in the product.
Here is something that leaves me confused on the "prices." This last week we were walking through what were listed as over million dollar houses, there in Austin, where the rents were listed under $2500 (talking about same house -- something like $1.1 million for sale or $2300 rent). btw, Saw a LOT of that same pricing pattern in California on the eve of the collapse.
Both rinks are in the north part of town. Look up Chaparral Ice on the web.
There are two figure skating clubs, one USFGA, one ISI.
We were looking for a house that would have accommodated being close to the rinks while allowing a decent commute to our jobs in the SW, having a good high school, nice house with some land (1 acre) in the $500 range. I could not find anything that met the criteria. Fortunately for us, our daughter "retired" from skating last spring before we left Canada. That allowed us to concentrate on everything else and we ended up in Dripping Springs.
I have heard of people in the area who figure skate and make the hike to the rinks up north. When I did a couple of trial runs in rush hour, it was 45 minutes from Southwest Parkway to the rink at the NorthCross Shopping Center. Add another 15 - 20 minutes coming from the house. Add another 20 minutes or so to get to the rink on I35. (I never tried that drive.) This is doable on an occasional basis but I would not want to be doing it once or twice a day.
How many times a week would your daughter be on the ice?
Funny (ha-ha) about you being glad about the retirement part for your daughter. So far we figure it is a good thing, and she enjoys it so we all play along.
Now we have her in formal class once a week, and do an open practice once a week. She is like a kind of an obsessive over-driven uber nerd, so we are not inclined to let her over do in any particular area.
Now in Dallas, we are in the 'hood, but only about 20 minutes from a rather underused, but very well staffed rink. Some days I skate with her, some days I take along work stuff to do.
Dripping Springs is on my radar, as well -- as TexasHorseLady also suggested. Do you all know anything about this group? >>>
Thanks, really that speaks to the level I can understand.
This morning we were joking about whether the "problem" is us? We decided the place we are looking for is Lake Woe-Be-Gone. (Yunno, NPR, Prairie Home Companion Radio Show).
We were thinking we could not "buy" the result at any price. But you are serious that this "Tarrytown" area is it? The $2500 number is just that -- a made up number. Can't deal with Real Estate folks without some number. My observation was that above $2500 we would just see the same stuff "bling-blinged" up with 6 Bathroom Houses with Gold Platted Toilets and such, but no real difference in the product.
Here is something that leaves me confused on the "prices." This last week we were walking through what were listed as over million dollar houses, there in Austin, where the rents were listed under $2500 (talking about same house -- something like $1.1 million for sale or $2300 rent). btw, Saw a LOT of that same pricing pattern in California on the eve of the collapse.
Glad you took it that way!
Seriously, we ran into the same problems. We 'settled' on NW Hills, which we love, but we had to give up the lake, water, some walkability/funkiness.
Look what I found for you: Beautiful home in Tarrytown!!!.... Unbelieveable Price!... 2448 sqft (http://austin.craigslist.org/apa/912984964.html - broken link)
I would start checking out craigslist for an idea on rental houses.
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