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Home/Neighborhoods in Austin

Discussion in 'Texas' started by hdpt00, Dec 9, 2005.

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  1. hdpt00

    hdpt00 F1 Rookie

    Jul 15, 2005
    2,894
    Earth
    Full Name:
    Brandon
    Well I've posted here before about moving to Austin and I've done my due diligence. It looks like I'll be making a trip out there in late January to look at some homes and possible places to live, probably staying for a week or so.

    So if anyone can help me out I'd really appreciate some more detailed info on some neighborhoods within 10-15 minutes of downtown or nightlife.

    Here is what I am looking for in a neighborhood/house:
    1) The typical small house in the nicest neighborhood.
    2) 300-350K
    3) Fairly new house
    4) Young neighborhood if possible

    I sincerely want to thank anyone who takes their time to help me out, you can only get so much info from realtor.com and other websites, first hand experience seems to be the best and I want to be well prepared for my first trip out there.

    After scouting out neighborhoods I would probably move there in March or so, unless something really catches my eye on the first visit.

    Thanks again for any and all help!
     
  2. TexasMike

    TexasMike F1 World Champ

    Feb 17, 2005
    10,485
    Austin, Texas
    Full Name:
    Michael C
    Please give me an idea of what the minimum square footage would need to be and what are some other things you have to have in your home.

    Austin is an old town so most of the neighborhoods close to downtown are old. You can find several remodeled and even new homes that are in the old neighborhoods around central Austin. They are truly just minutes away from downtown and all the nightlife.

    I can find you a new neighborhood that's just 10-15 minutes from downtown, but when the traffic gets bad it could be a 45-60 minute drive. Austin traffic is kind of bad for how small of a city it is.

    Last time you posted about this you mentioned a gated community. Is that still important to you? It's hard to find a home in a gated community for that price range, but it's not impossible.

    IMO, Some of the best, most interesting neighborhoods in Austin are the older ones, so I don't think that should be a main factor in your decision.
     
  3. hdpt00

    hdpt00 F1 Rookie

    Jul 15, 2005
    2,894
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    Brandon
    Gated is no longer an issue, seems like barely anything in Austin is gated, so no problem there.

    I guess I would consider something older, but would highly prefer a house built after 2000. Like I said, close to the nightlife, but not near student housing where it'll be loud a lot.

    I will want a nice backyard for the dogs and preferably a house over 2200 sq ft. I know it may be hard to find a house with granite kitchens for my price range, but it would be nice. Like I said though, smallest house in the best neighborhood is what I'm going for.

    Thanks!
     
  4. speedmoore

    speedmoore Formula 3
    BANNED Professional Ferrari Technician

    Apr 15, 2003
    1,541
    Austin, Texas
    Full Name:
    D Moore
    You might, "might" find a fixer upper for $350 to $500k around nightlife area of downtown. For your sqft and price, and new construction, you will have to go to the burbs. The dirt in TarryTown is going for $300-$600k (West of Dntn). South of the river still close to dntn has gone up dramatically too. You might find something in Hyde Park area, but that's filled with students renting old houses all the way up to and past 50th street.....although there are pockets here and there.
     
  5. hdpt00

    hdpt00 F1 Rookie

    Jul 15, 2005
    2,894
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    Brandon
    So am I looking more like 15-20 miles north of downtown then? Any recommendations there?

    Thanks.



     
  6. speedmoore

    speedmoore Formula 3
    BANNED Professional Ferrari Technician

    Apr 15, 2003
    1,541
    Austin, Texas
    Full Name:
    D Moore
    There are some new developments off of 2222 and 620 and a bunch of Bee Caves West of Westlake. You can spend a bunch to be in those areas without blinking, but there are also a few nice homes in your prereq.

    Check out the MLS site for austin, free: http://www.theaustinmls.info/

    Maravilla may be a bit too pricey, but they have beautiful Tuscan style homes: http://www.maravillahomes.com/

    Some folks go as far out as Leander, but I don't recommend that far.

    Circle C down south is probably the most bang for the buck without being too far from downtown: http://www.circlecranch.com/homesale/homesforsale.htm
     
  7. hdpt00

    hdpt00 F1 Rookie

    Jul 15, 2005
    2,894
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    Brandon
    Thanks for the leads, I'll check them out.

    Another thing, was thinking of purchasing a house or two closer to downtown to ren out, just in the early stages of thinking about that. Is there strong demand for rentals or too risky?

    Thanks.
     
  8. khayes

    khayes Formula Junior

    Nov 1, 2003
    591
    Austin, TX
    Full Name:
    Kelly Hayes
    Austin has some small traffic issues during rush hours and there are no loops around town nor are there any major streets that run East to West.

    I am 17 miles from downtown in Northwest Austin near Lake Travis but it is a good 45 minute drive to downtown. You could find what you are looking for in Westlake but it is going to be double the price you are thinking. Move a little further North and spend more time driving your Ferrari.
     
  9. Lloyd

    Lloyd F1 Rookie

    Aug 25, 2001
    2,714
    Austin
    If you need a realtor let me know as one of our local Ferrari club members is a residential real estate broker in Austin.
     
  10. hdpt00

    hdpt00 F1 Rookie

    Jul 15, 2005
    2,894
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    Brandon
    No f-car yet, only 21! Saving up and starting my business there. Maybe I'll be the new Dell of Austin???
     
  11. BigAl

    BigAl F1 Veteran

    Mar 17, 2002
    6,146
    TX
    Full Name:
    GSgt Hartman
    what the guys said are pretty much true. Take Lloyd up on his offer, would def save on time. Try not to be in too big a hurry, there's plusses and minuses with diff areas in and around town.
     
  12. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,379
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    You really need to get a "feel' for the town.......

    I went to school there, and can put you in touch with old friends.....

    ONe of them has property on South Congress (old Austin Family, knew Lady Bird and all that...)

    Another is a high end custom builder, might be handy for a tear down/reno project....

    The last one is a Registered Architect, did the 911 Memorial, used to have property off South Lamar before making good and moving out to the Lake...

    I guess what we are trying to say is you can have "cool" close in, "new" out of town, all the way to Dripping Springs, or anything in between!

    Songwriter Kim Richey is enjoying the feel of an older place, she told me, while the megastars are still in lawsuits, for millionS$$$$$$!

    So best of luck! These architects might be better for recon, as opposed to a Realtor, trying to close a deal in a hurry!

    See ya at a Jesse Dayton show at the Continental Club, and Alvin Crow is doing New Year's Eve at The Broken Spoke!!!!! ;)
     
  13. speedmoore

    speedmoore Formula 3
    BANNED Professional Ferrari Technician

    Apr 15, 2003
    1,541
    Austin, Texas
    Full Name:
    D Moore
    VERY good! You have been here. I "live" in Austin and we (me and my wife to be) have been looking for something cool/renovate/remodel/teardnbuild in area 1b and 7 for a while. I may have the local Ferrari shop, but I'm an architectural engineer by degree and she's an interior designer....so we are looking for something that we can completely redo ourselves and get some serious equity built into it in short order.

    It's a tough market, this beloved Austin, it's "expensive" to be in the "cool zones".

    d
     
  14. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,379
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    You need to talk to my bud 'Sterling' then, he's a fireman now.....he has the house just North of the Bank at S. Congress and Oltorf...he knows lots of cool places just East of him......

    You can sit in the swing on his porch and look up Congress to the Capitol...he is gonna move the house soon, look for the 36" diameter stump that used to be a pecan, in the front yard, he thought he had a Deal and cut the beautiful old tree down!

    Then it didn't go!!!

    But anyway, he has an empty lot just behind it, he is going to, with his g'mom's old house....he owns the old Dairy Queen as well! I think they just made a restaurant from it, it was a hair salon for awhile!

    My Ferraris are moving closer to you, in Waller now, behind AJ's shop....the cows have covered them in dust! Parked with the John Deeres.....
     
  15. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,379
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    Madera and Hughes
    Architect & Builder

    That's who I would use on a reno, fo' sure! Talk with Fred.....

    Robert Ogarzaly, AIA is the one that did the 911 thing with the twisted steel colomns from WTC........he's with a firm, name escapes me at the moment....

    All of the above are GOOD guys, I'd trust them with the speedboat, beer and gf, while I go up and parasail for awhile........THAT's TRUST! LOL!
     
  16. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,379
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    Don't worry about a gated site, the mentally infirm from that State Hospital are mostly harmless....

    I recall a guy eating the old pizza from the apartment dumpster, years ago......
     
  17. hdpt00

    hdpt00 F1 Rookie

    Jul 15, 2005
    2,894
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    Brandon
    I graduate next week and am moving back to my parent's guest house in Scottsdale until I can find something in Austin with my girlfriend. Like I said, budget most likely of $350K, will be going in late Jan. to check out some potential places, probably stay for a week or so. Find some neighborhoods and places within the price range and distance requirements and then come back a couple months later and hopefully pick up a nice place.

    Another thing that has been brought up is building my own house. With a 350K budget for land and construction, will I be able to do anything nice or not worth it. I'm strict on the budget as I'm pumping most of my current business earnings into something new and hopefully much much bigger (ferrari-type earnings).

    Thanks again for any help, I really appreciate it!
     
  18. BigAl

    BigAl F1 Veteran

    Mar 17, 2002
    6,146
    TX
    Full Name:
    GSgt Hartman
    ...better be a house warming party....
     
  19. speedmoore

    speedmoore Formula 3
    BANNED Professional Ferrari Technician

    Apr 15, 2003
    1,541
    Austin, Texas
    Full Name:
    D Moore
    Are you kidding? Tonya's dying to build the new nest and entertain....she lives for that stuff you know....Interior Designer and Event Coordinator......she knows how to throw a party. We would have had a Christmas party for the club if we had that house by now, our condo is toooooo small. We talked about it just a few weeks ago that Hill Country was not having a Christmas party. Last club house party we had was VTD at Lloyd's last Feb.
     
  20. BigAl

    BigAl F1 Veteran

    Mar 17, 2002
    6,146
    TX
    Full Name:
    GSgt Hartman
    i'm gonna hold ya' to that Moore!

    Still sorry I missed Lloyd's party.
     

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