Looking for a Realtor (Austin, Lost Creek: real estate, houses, landscaping)

[Hepcat77]

My wife, daughter and I will be in Austin from May 6th-11th. We will be scouting the city out for a possible move. My job is mobile so were hoping to be sold on what looks to be a great city.

We are Austin virgins so we need someone who can really go over the pros and cons of the neighborhoods and even surrounding cities. Most of what we need could be covered over a cup of coffee but if possible we would like to see what is available in our price range.

We are looking for a single family home between 280k-450k. Below are links to a few homes that we liked.

1319 Lost Creek Boulevard, Austin TX - Trulia

10901 Strand Street, Austin TX - Trulia

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[ROY DUBOSE]

Originally Posted by Hepcat77

My wife, daughter and I will be in Austin from May 6th-11th. We will be scouting the city out for a possible move. My job is mobile so were hoping to be sold on what looks to be a great city.

We are Austin virgins so we need someone who can really go over the pros and cons of the neighborhoods and even surrounding cities. Most of what we need could be covered over a cup of coffee but if possible we would like to see what is available in our price range.

We are looking for a single family home between 280k-450k. Below are links to a few homes that we liked.

1319 Lost Creek Boulevard, Austin TX - Trulia

10901 Strand Street, Austin TX - Trulia

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

might be fun to know how many dm's you get between now and you're arrival

[atxcio]

Yeah, would be interesting to find out... just tell us the number, not who

I can tell you a bit about the first house. It's in Lost Creek, which is desirable Eanes ISD, and an overall great location (close to downtown/Zilker/Barton Creek). That particular house is close to the entrance of and on the main route through the community, so it will be a busier road. Lots of homes deal with that using landscaping. The lot is also small for Lost Creek. Those are probably the reasons it is about $20 per sq ft less than a typical LC home. On the plus side, it looks updated and the downtown view is rare. The area around this home (Westlake/Eanes) is very high dollar.

Don't know much about the Bauerle Ranch home. It's definitely not surrounded by high-dollar neighborhoods, most surrounding communities would be at the same level or possibly cheaper than that house. However, South Austin is what I'd consider up-and-coming. It's got great proximity to downtown and the SoCo area (where there are lots of good restaurants, funky stores, entertainment, etc.) I'm not sure about the schools though.

[TheyCallMeDerek]

If you're looking for a Realtor I'd suggest speaking with someone you know who liked their Realtor and see if they'll work for you. They'll be able to set up a search for you with your specific criteria and listings will be emailed to you. It's a simple process and it's very helpful for the buyer! It will weed out LOTS of listings...plus sites like Trulia sometimes show listings that are not Active any more.

[TexasHorseLady]

You can look at the agents on here and see which ones you seem to be sympatico with, you can google Austin real estate blogs and check some out that way. If you know someone who has moved here, CallDerek's suggestion is a good one, or if not, if you know someone who might know someone who moved here, you could get recommendations that way.

Recommendations of specific agents on the threads is not allowed, but, yes, you'll likely get some DM's with suggestions as well.

A good agent will interview you regarding what you're looking for and go a bit further than what you say, trying to get a feel for the ultimate goal. They will, indeed, set up an automated search for you, and then review the initial findings with you to tweak the search to be more specific to you. They'll be able to tell you about the various areas of Austin, but they'll also be willing to take you on the Grand Tour so that you can get the feel of the neighborhoods and the kinds of houses that are in them (while at the same time quietly observing you for your reactions, spoken and not, to the areas and the houses, for even more feedback on what suits and doesn't suit you).

[yam]

Not sure if you're aware that the Lost Creek listing has no garage.