I want to live in the woods, but I want to be around people! (Houston: foreclose, mortgage)

[iceshots]

Originally Posted by love roses

I'm going to 3rd Auntlollie. She's pretty spot on about everything. I'm also going to say that Bastrop is "woodsier" than Dripping Springs. Dripping does have trees, but it's not quite the same. Even going towards Houston, if you aren't committed to Austin, you're going to find more forested areas. The Woodlands is only one of them.

Living in Dripping, I wouldn't say that it has trees, more like overgrown bushes. I was reminded of what a real tree looks like over the holiday break. I spent the day in Muskoka (lake region north of Toronto Ontario) helping a friend clean up 40 - 50 ft pines that had been uprooted by high winds.

If the OP needs real trees, don't come to Dripping, however, the scenery is very nice with all those cedar "bushes" dotting the hillsides. And the occasional small tree thorn in.

[Minier]

Yes, I could use some real trees, though I'm not a fanatic, of course, otherwise, I'd stay put or head elsewhere LOL. Bastrop sounds like a place to look at. I've been considering the Discovery School for my kids (if can get in) and I believe that's on the East side of Austin. As of now, we work from home, so commute won't be an issue (though who knows in the future). I'm definitely set on the Austin area and Houston hasn't really appealed to me.

As for the HOA's ... thank you a million for the heads-up. I do have to say that, an HOA's and planned communities would be new to us if we end up in one, we're pretty used to doing what we like with our land and are very laid back about what others do - we live in a pricey area so people have done a decent job on their properties without any supervision at all. We're weary of the whole concept mostly b/c we don't really understand how it works. But, it seems like these things are everywhere, there seem to be some perks to them and, well, we'll explore the concept as we go (cautiously!).

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by Minier

I've been considering the Discovery School for my kids (if can get in) and I believe that's on the East side of Austin.

I'd really research that. My wife's friend sends her kid there and from the stories we've heard he's regressed from what he learned in preschool.

[dfarmer002]

Id say look at good ole steiner ranch. It has many lots that are very treed and back to greenbelts/canyons. I myslef back to a canyon with a year round creek downthere and cant see 20 feet for the huge oaks and junipers/cedar.Also lakeway maybe worth a drive thru.Of course, if you are looking for the adirondacks, well not happening lol

[CarnivalGal]

I live in Steiner, and coming from the Northeast, I can say that wooded is about the last word I would use to descibe it. Don't get me wrong, I love it, and it's a great community, but in order to have woods, you need to have trees - like tall, towering trees.

And it sounds as though some of the pps have some chips on their shoulders regarding HOAs. We have one and I have never been forced to buy anything nor have I ever had a lien on my property. And actually they are pretty heavily regulated. I actually like having an HOA - our subdivision is always nice, clean, quiet, and generally pleasant.

[TexasHorseLady]

The trick with HOA's is, make absolutely sure that you have, and read thoroughly, the restrictions BEFORE closing (preferably, before you make your offer). And remember that the quality of the HOA depends very much on the people on the Board and that that can change (it was even posted on here that after 50 years of a good HOA, someone bought from a friend who had lived there during all that time, and several other longtime homeowners sold, and the HOA changed dramatically and for the more draconian with the new folks moving in and getting on the board who read "HOA" to mean "I can make everyone else do what I want".

If you take the proper precautions and go in with the possibility of that kind of change in mind, or if you're the kind of person who's more comfortable with a set of "rules" for everyone as regards their property, you can be quite happy.

However, if you're buying there because of "protection of property values", you should know that I'm having more and more buyers telling me "I will NOT buy a house with an HOA", so that may be changing a bit.

If you want seriously wooded (as far as is available around here), east of IH35 is really where you want to be. Oaks, the Lost Pines down in Bastrop, etc., tend to be more prominent there.

[thedude72]

East Texas is quite greener and the further west you go, you might start to get that Grapes of wrath feeling.I think Conroe is still pretty green too. I drove near it from time to and played football against there high school years ago.

Originally Posted by auntlollie

I'm a relatively recent TX transplant, and I know what you mean about "where are the trees?" I hear what they're saying about Dripping Springs, but if you're from NY you'll still feel like you're in the desert there. I'd try east of Austin, in the area of Bastrop or Cedar Creek. Austin is almost on the eastern edge of the Hill Country. Pretty, but dry and brown a lot of the time. East of Austin, in Bastrop County, there's actually an area called "Lost Pines" -- a lush, dense pine forest "island" far from other pine regions. (A bonus: the rest of the Austin area has very alkaline soil; the piney woods are acidic. That means you can probably grow a lot more familiar plants, if you're a gardener.) That's east of the Colorado River, on the east side of Bastrop. A couple of great state parks and Lake Bastrop are very close, and there's good (but calm) kayaking on the river; several of my neighbors go almost weekly. A bit west and south of Bastrop, near the new Hyatt Resort, closer to Austin, the community of Cedar Creek has gently rolling land that's pasture interspersed with fairly thick Post Oak, Red Cedar, and Yaupon forest. My parents have 135 acres on Hwy 535, and it's beautiful. Much smaller properties are readily available. East of Austin is less built up, lower property costs and taxes, and convenient commute when necessary on Hwy. 71. I live in Bastrop itself, and I can get to the Austin airport (which is east of Austin) in 15-20 minutes or the kids' school on the west side of Austin in 35 miles/45 minutes. And that leads to the one drawback: the schools here could be better. But there are some great private school options, and I suspect you'd pay far less here than in NY. BTW, my kids' school is truly exceptional, if you're interested in hearing about it.

You might try The Colony, which is a multi-acre "subdivision" a few miles west of Bastrop. Pool, playground, lots of kids. Or if you really want lusher trees, Colo Vista is gorgeous, w/ country club and golf course, but with (I think) a higher price point; you'd have to check online. The big home price bust hasn't hit here much, but I'm seeing a lot more houses on the market lately so it's a good time to buy. And Bastrop is building up -- a Best Buy will be opening soon, and Target is reportedly negotiating to build here. Good local coffee shops and a couple of good bakeries, plus (believe it or not) a premium European chocolate maker. Pretty, historic downtown area w/ thriving shops and some really good restaurants, too. And some of the restaurants bring in live music pretty regularly. Also a neat little historic opera house that has performances often. I've been very surprised by the rich cultural life and how happy we are here.

If you decide to look in Bastrop, you might try Sandy Menley as a real estate agent to show you around. She really knows the county and is great with acreage and land. IMO, Frank Rainosek, the other top realtor here, is so busy that his responsiveness and availability sometimes suffer. Plus he does more in-town property. But there are many good realtor choices, and essentially everything is internet-searchable anyway.

IMO, don't try Del Valle, which is nearer to Austin. More crime.

And no, I don't work for the Bastrop Chamber of Commerce! I just like it here.

[BJB817]

I have to totally agree with the dude on this one!

We went down to the coast this past summer. Of course the Austin area is in a major drought, which doesn't help, but everything was brown here. From about Bastrop east, everything was so lush and green.

I hear Bastrop screaming your name louder all the time. I think given your situation it may be the best of all worlds for you.

[dfarmer002]

For the record I didnt say steiner was a blanketed forestdsy, its just more woodsy by texas standards than many of the other local subdivisions with the amenities he had mentioned.

Centeral texas isnt the northeast, colorado, northwest, arkansas, or anywhere else where there are high towering trees everywhere.

There is no doubt bastrop is piney and sort of a central texas rarity, but then again its bastrop and not austin. Bastrop for day to day living with kids isnt my cup of tea, but to each their own.

Good luck searching.

[BJB817]

Just out of curiousity, why is Bastrop bad for day to day living with kids? Are the schools that bad or is there something more? It just always seemed to me like it would be a family friendly area, at a glance anyway.