Relocating to Austin (Portland, Clifton, West: hardwood floors, apartment complexes, rentals)

[mattro]

Hi, I'm relocating to Austin within the year for school and was hoping to get some help with information regarding housing/locations.

I'm coming from Louisville, KY, which is an extremely inexpensive place to live, so I'm prepared for a little sticker shock. Here, I rent a two-bedroom historic home w/various amenities for $750 per month (split with room mate). It's my understanding that that kind of deal is highly unlikely in Austin. I'm budgeting for a 1 bedroom @ $600 or less w/out utilities included or $700 or less with. Less would be much better. I'm not opposed to efficiencies.

There are things that I prefer in an apartment or rental home. First of which is hardwood or even tile flooring, which is usually a deal-breaker if there's anywhere else in my price range. I'd prefer higher ceilings, vintage adornments/hardware/etc., but that's all secondary. A more contemporary place would be fine as long as I don't have to deal with prior renters' dead skin cells and pathogens out of carpet.

One thing I don't care about is how nice a neighborhood. As long as it isn't outright dangerous, I'd take a cheaper place more my style in a less desirable neighborhood than a place I didn't like in a better part of town. I'd obviously like someplace close to UT, but I'm sure that's prime.

If anyone knows Louisville, I'm talking areas like Old Louisville, Butchertown, Germantown/Schnitzelburg, Clifton, and Portland. Put simply, cheap areas crawling with hipsters and poor college kids.

Thanks tons for any help anyone can provide. Please let me know if anyone thinks this would be better posted in another forum or on another site.

Cheers,
Matthew

[mattro]

boost for the evening visitors

[homeinatx]

What you are looking for exists in Austin. It won't be easy, because apartment locators mostly work for the mega apartment complexes, which are not AT ALL what you describe. Look in the Old West Austin, Clarkesville, Travis Heights, Bouldin, Hyde Park, and to a lesser extent Central East Austin neighborhoods. I lived in a gorgeous 1914 duplex with wrap-around porch, hardwood floors, gas cooking, stained glass windows, walking distance to some of the best restaurants and coffee-shops in Austin on west 8th Street, off Blanco, one bedroom, around 750 square feet for $700. Granted it was 5 years ago, but rents have not escalated that much here. I found it through driving around the neighborhoods that interested me and looking for signs in yards. The Austin Chronicle listings and to a lesser extent, the listings in the Austin American Statesman are more likely to have such places than an apartment locator or Craig's List. The historic core of Austin is small, and buying there is not cheap, but rentals exist, you just have to hustle to find them. Good luck!

[mattro]

Awesome. Thanks for the advice.

[mattro]

up for more. thanks.