where should we live for a year? (Austin, Spring: apartment complexes, rental)

[victoriaR]

Hello,

We currently live in Nor Cal and are looking to move (taxes, taxes, taxes, and it's getting WORSE). Originally we settled on Raleigh, NC, due to it's proximity to my family back East and the general change of seasons, southern charm and a lot of other positives. However, it is not the best place or time to be finding a job in that area (and many other areas).... right now my husband is in the process of interviewing for a job, it would send him to Austin,TX or Clearwater Fl, or Silver Spring,MD.
If he got the job we would pick Austin first just because he had a business trip there last May and LOVED it. He came home begging to move. He said it was gorgeous, the people were extraordinarily friendly and he loved the lakes, the shopping, the scenery. I asked about bugs. He didn't answer. Anyway, I am rambling (have a tendency to do that).

Bascially, what are some newer areas that are CLOSE to shopping (and I mean within 5mins to a decent grocery store) that would be a nice, safe, area to rent something for a year? The job is at least a year commitment. If we wanted to move after that we could, but if it's somewhere we can see staying, I'll put down my roots. We have 2 small children who are not in school yet, but our oldest will be starting soon. What are some names of apartment complexes that are nice? Or how is the rent on single family homes over there? That would be preferable.

I have looked at the local forum to see if anyone asked this and haven't seen it, but I do apologize if you have answered this question over and over.

Thank you in advance for any help/insight.

[CptnRn]

Wow choosing between Austin and Clearwater would be hard for me. We have friends who retired there from Austin who we have visited. Actually they moved a little further south in the St. Pete area, but we explored all around there. It is a beautiful area. I'd love to have a place with a boat in the backyard where I could access all those beautiful waterways and beaches. Motor out to dinner or a club along the canals. The trade off I guess is an occasional hurricane scare.

Looking at the city-data page for Clearwater it looks like a decent place to live, low crime rate, average age is considerably older then Austin, population is not as educated. The weather is far better in Clearwater.

Bugs are really not that bad in Austin, probably worse in Clearwater. We have the house and yard around it sprayed once a year and only have minor problems with bugs getting inside the house occasionally. There are good places to live all over Austin, your decision should be based on what side of town your jobs will be. With traffic problems here you want to avoid cross town commutes. What part of town will he be working in?

I was just checking rental prices in the want ads this weekend, saw a few 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage house in SW Austin lease for $1,000 to $1,200 / month.

[Moonlady]

What part of town would your husband be working in and what is your budget for rent? That might help us narrow it down for you.

[victoriaR]

Looking at the map, the locaton seems to be to the east of Barton Hills (?) right off 35.

Yes, all cities are on the list as possible places to work. I actually would prefer Austin, just because I have been to FL and the way of life just isn't...comfortable for me. I feel very unsettled by the ocean and the hurricanes do worry me. It's also not really well-maintained. There are some pretty pockets in each city in FL but everything seems a bit run down.

ETA: The price would be 1200-1500/month to be comfortable.

[CptnRn]

There is a Barton Hills neighborhood and a Barton Hills Drive in the west side of South Austin but its not exactly near 35? Assuming you meant Interstate 35? I'm not clear on the location you are describing. See this MAP What cross streets is his job near?



I didn't even begin to go into all the reasons Austin is a great place to live. There are plenty of other threads on this forum discussing that, so I don't even try to repeat them all again. Just read a few of them.

[Moonlady]

South, South Central and Southwest wood be good areas to look. You should be able to find a home for rent in your price range. I'm not very good with the neighborhood names - some of the realtors on here might be able to provide some better detail.

The local paper, Austin American Statesman has online classifieds where you can search for a rental property by neighborhood and it outlines the area on the map. The local MLS is a good tool too -austinhomesearch.com.

[victoriaR]

Cptn- I believe his job would be close to the Twin Oaks shopping center.

Moonlady- thank you, I will check out the classifieds online.