Family of 6 wants to buy a house in Texas within 3 hrs of Austin - considering Cypress, New Braufels, etc (Houston: lease, houses) - (TX) - City-Data Forum

Danimarie · 11-06-2021, 11:30 PM

I have a family of 6. Kids are homeschooled. Husband works from home 80-90% of the time. He has approval to move up to 3 hours away from work if needed. $300k budget. I'm originally from Minnesota and my husband is Romanian.

We live in Leander (outside of Austin.) We finally saved enough money to buy a house and now all the houses cost way too much for us. We will have to shop far out to afford something. My kids are already almost 15, almost 13, 10 and 8. Waiting isn't ideal for us as we want to establish somewhere before the kids are all grown up. And, our rent will be going up $400 or more by the next lease signing anyway. My husband works downtown Austin.

We have lived around Austin for almost 10 years. We have family moving to Tomball, TX at the end of this month from out of state. We are close to them and would love to live closer to them if it works out that way. We could possibly live in Cypress or Tomball (or other communities around there) and that would put the commute around 2.5ish hours for days he'd have to go to the office. Houses in that area are way more affordable than in Austin. But, I've heard mixed things about that region. We do love the gulf. There's a large Romanian community over there as well which would be a nice bonus for us.
Other areas we're considering are New Braunfels, Schertz, San Antonio, or we could try north, but even trying to do that is tough. There's very few houses in range and decent enough size for a big family. I was seeing $300K for 900 sq ft and 1 bathroom...

We'd be looking to buy next month or January or maybe February depending how it works out.

So, basically, I'm hoping for advice on where to possibly live that fits our budget and opinions on different areas. And, also if you have any tips about any of it all.

Thanks!!

elnina · 11-07-2021, 05:51 AM

So, you are looking for a 4-5 bedroom 2-3 bath house for $300K - maybe somewhere rural? It would be hard to find any in the abovementioned cities, in decent areas. Manufactured home might be a solution. Or maybe wait till the crazy high prices go down.
There probably won't be any Romanian communities nearby, though.

I heard that some 2K of Romanians (most of them Romani) have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in south Texas in recent weeks to seek asylum, but I don't know if they decided to stay in Texas and where they formed communities. Heard about communities in Houston, Ft Worth, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and El Paso. Not sure how big those communities are. Most have largely assimilated into American society.

You might need to seek help from a Realtor.

Good luck in your search.

ChristieP · 11-07-2021, 06:54 AM

I will agree that a manufactured house will likely be the only thing you can afford that will meet your size requirements and budget. You may be lucky to find an older home in a rural area for that price if you are willing to do a lot of updates. Look out around Bastrop and Giddings. I agree that consulting a Realtor would be very good idea.

A 2.5 hour “commute” every time he has to go into the office?! It’s not a good idea to drive for 5 hours, plus try to work an 8 hour day. He will be exhausted and at risk of falling asleep while driving. (Commercial truck drivers are only allowed to be on duty for 11 hours a day, and that super commute would be 13 hours.)

elnina · 11-07-2021, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChristieP

A 2.5 hour “commute” every time he has to go into the office?! It’s not a good idea to drive for 5 hours, plus try to work an 8 hour day. He will be exhausted and at risk of falling asleep while driving. (Commercial truck drivers are only allowed to be on duty for 11 hours a day, and that super commute would be 13 hours.)

Often what looks like 2.5 hrs commute, in practice means 3 or more. Texas highways/roads are very busy. Plus every time there is a hard rain or a few snow flurries the time doubles. Driving in or out of Austin is a nightmare.

Need4Camaro · 11-07-2021, 07:50 AM

Yea. I agree and this is coming from someone who regularly drives to / from AUS <> ATL … I would heavily avoid committing yourself to a 2.5 Hr commute. If it were only a temporary thing then it’s no huge deal but as a permanent solution, it’s a pretty bad idea. Even for the few times a week he may be commuting, his vehicle expenses will soar in terms of maintenance and upkeep. If for some reason they needed him to be onsite more frequently, he would be in for a world of hell in terms of commuting. I know it sucks but unless he is willing to change jobs, I would just continue to rent and continue saving and maybe (if possible) pick up something on the side if you can do it feasibly to make extra money toward putting toward a house. It may take longer but it’s still the most practical choice given your options.

I don’t know if the RE market will soften or not but keep up the hope and do everything you feasibly can to save up as much as possible.

SanJac · 11-07-2021, 07:59 AM

Spend time on good research. I don’t know what “mixed” things you have heard about those areas. Perhaps your family in Tomball can guide you.

You should also look at Katy and Brookshire. Those areas are also within 3 hours of Austin.

Good luck!

elnina · 11-07-2021, 08:19 AM

Austin is the fastest growing big city in the country. It sees a truly explosive growth, it doubled population AND became richer. The Austin housing market is still #1 in the U.S.
According to the Austin Board of Realtors, the median listing home price in Austin, TX was $588.4K in August 2021, trending up 26.5% year-over-year. Everything around cost much more, too. Inventory is still extremely low and continues to fall.
The median listing home price in Travis County, TX was $550K, trending up 25% year-over-year.
Del Valle is the most affordable city, with a median listing home price of $325K.
https://www.noradarealestate.com/blo...estate-market/

Anything in areas considered a "close commute" went up drastically.

The median listing home price in New Braunfels, TX was $395K in September 2021, trending up 25.6% year-over-year.

San Antonio might be in your price range, but I would hate the commute to Austin (did it for over 3 years, but it was a decade ago)
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021...an-2x-as-fast/
http://www.gohomesa.com/200000-30000...e-san-antonio/
http://www.gohomesa.com/search/resul...min=2&type=res

...etc...

Maybe worth exploring jobs in San Antonio?

Ghost Town · 11-07-2021, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elnina

I heard that some 2K of Romanians (most of them Romani) have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in south Texas in recent weeks to seek asylum, but I don't know if they decided to stay in Texas and where they formed communities.

.

This sounds strange cause Romania is a part of European Union and they legally can move to Germany or Denmark or France if they want to, instead of pursuing semi-illegal ways through Mexico.

elnina · 11-07-2021, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

This sounds strange cause Romania is a part of European Union and they legally can move to Germany or Denmark or France if they want to, instead of pursuing semi-illegal ways through Mexico.

Some might think that they can do better in the US.

Threestep2 · 11-07-2021, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

This sounds strange cause Romania is a part of European Union and they legally can move to Germany or Denmark or France if they want to, instead of pursuing semi-illegal ways through Mexico.

So you know how OP's relatives came/will come to the US?
Semi-legal immigration to the US is something I am not familiar with. Can you please elaborate?