SUBURBIA, Austin area Agents describe the buyer real estate demand; Via Broker Underground Facebook Comments

 

These are all Facebook "Broker Underground Comments" to my FORUM Question, posted 1.14.2021

"As a spoiled Central Austin Kid, can someone explain this Cedar Park, NW, Leander, Liberty Hill "CRAZE" home buying phenomenon to me? I don't get it. I've always thought of it as URBAN sprawl. #willing to be enlightened. Why would humans want to live there? Is it affordability? Something else? Thanks GVM

 Schools, space, new commercial developments, newer construction, access to toll roads, more bang for your buck

I have kids in school still so we like it out here, however when I was in college, I loved living in Austin and when we are empty nesters I’m hoping to get right back there:)

$500K in Austin Central might get you a 2/1 or a small 3/2. In the burbs, you can get 5bd, community pools, parks, etc

Curiously why do think NW is prospering and stretching EVEN further NW to Liberty Hill, while Northeast i.e Hutto, Taylor, Manor doesn't seem to be?

great question. My guess is the 183 toll and Ronald

Reagan having so much new “domain” like places forecasted.

I don’t see manor stating that way if it’s not already booming. Hutto homes not lasting long either

it’s the toll road. It’s the same reason lago isn’t exploding even though it’s on the lake. It’s still quicker to get to Austin from liberty hill due to the toll road not to mention the train.

Manor is definitely growing exponentially, think of them as later to the game than Leander or Cedar park

I sell alot in Manor. Its popping too. I've recently sold 2 in Liberty Hill, 1 in Leander and another is considering Cedar Park.3 of the 4 work in Killeen/Fort Hood. Only a 35-40 minute drive.

NW schools are also highly rated vs Manor, Taylor, Hutto.

Partially about the schools, but mostly (IMO) about the land/location. If you could live on flat former farm/ranchland in Hutto or Manor, or in Burnet or Liberty Hill with beautiful, rolling hills, big trees, and 10 minutes from the water, which would you prefer? No surprise to me that we continue to stretch toward the Highland Lakes rather than far east.

Hutto, Taylor, and Elgin are all hopping. You've been living under a rock.

I simply prefer working, living, leasing, selling, and helping builders develop central core Austin, Texas. Each agent and brokerage has specialties and areas of increased competency. I did lease a house in Pflugerville last year, almost sold it. My brother and I own a rental home in San Marcos.

Them’s fightin words George!  get out and see what the hype is all about.

Lower tax rate, better schools, still close enough to a lot. Etc.

Tech companies are driving this

So essentially SUBURBIA and Central Texas is thriving?

bingo

The world is changing before our eyes. More people will be working from home so the drive into the cities aren’t as crucial as they used to be. All the Californians residents and investors I know want the largest and newest home for the money. They are used to driving 2hrs one way to work in California. The schools in the suburbs are attractive to them as well.

All the above, and the area is more conservative, better place to raise kids. Not trying to be political. I worked in new homes the last several years. Everyone I saw, told me they were coming for that reason.

just FYI, it may not be as conservative as you think. I grew up in Williamson county (specifically west Round Rock) and it has always been a little more “middle” when it comes to politics. Maybe not in the more “rural” areas like Liberty Hill, Georgetown (used to be rural anyway lol) and Hutto). But in this last election Wilco actually went blue.

I m from RR also. Not near as conservative as it use to be, but I was comparing it to Austin

I still think our Horseshoe Bay / Highland lakes is best place to be with tax rates of 1.6 to high side 2.3

Shortsightedness. Cedar Park is currently 20 minutes to downtown and no ones going downtown cause of CoVid. Great time to sell Cedar Park and buy downtown

Not everyone likes being downtown, now or ever

downtown austin’s vibe appears to be going through a “rough patch”. Expensive condos, no downtown office day time workers, the nightlife and music has slowed immensely, homeless tent city problems...it was rocking and Soo cool from say 2005-2020. Basically pre pandemic.

One of the biggest things besides the obvious. Is the fact that Williamson County doesn’t put up with the type of stuff Travis County does. Especially DT. It’s horrible nowadays

People need shelter. In my neighborhood of Westover Hills there is one SFR available and it needs significant work.

And it is listed for over $600. You can buy land and maybe a house in Crystal Falls at that price.

183 Toll. It's the "build it and they will come" theory…. Expect Toll 130 to increase building, further...

I see Austin & San Antonio being the next Dallas / Fort Worth in 20 years

 I agree with that, so then perhaps land close to I-35? Is Lockhart too rural? WillAustin perhaps ever expand into Lockhart? It has expanded to Buda already.Austin and Buda have  morphed together

Agreed GVM...things won’t *completely* get back to normal, but traffic is gonna be horrendous again by the Fall and folks who moved out to the burbs in their 30s are gonna have major FOMO.

Suburbs are now the thing! Did you miss that memo?

 I've definitely missed the rise in demand for suburbia, that's why I asked yall for enlightenment on what I'm missing, and why the recent exodus and demand to live so far from Central Austin. I believe Central Austin CORE neighborhoods will remain King in regards to desire and value (i.e. Tarrytown, Bouldin, Hyde Park, Holly, Allandale, Crestview, Zilker, Travis Heights, Brykerwoods, Rosedale, Brentwood, North Loop, Mueller, French Place, Cherrywood)

 no doubt!! Nothing like old original Austin:)

I was one of the lucky agents to have submitted an offer in the burbs- I was one out of 9

Austin congestion is horrible. We moved out and love it. High end restaurants and plenty of shops and grocery options as well as medical. Lots of parks and great schools. I could go on all day.

For a Million+ you can get a 4000+ sqft home in the burbs. We live in a 5000 sqft home in Avery ranch and yet within 20-25minutes to downtown! Plus back up to greenbelt with a pool and also a brand new home.

This doesn’t exist in central Austin.we looked at several neighborhoods - the grove Hyde park but nothing even remotely compared to what we got in Avery ranch. Plus domain is only 12-15 minutes.

We’re building in Liberty Hill. After working from home for nearly a year now, we both want space, smaller community and slower life. To each their own

Austin is not family friendly, especially if you have athletic kids!

Let me pose it this way - why would humans want to live downtown?

I hope that Austin will survive what we are going through. We moved central and I am so disappointed with the thefts and breaks in, with homelessness and it's justification. So sad to see some kind of self-destruction happening on a city level. Deep down inside I hope Austin will keep it's beautiful soul for a little while. I pray for it.

Over the last 6-9 months at open houses in Georgetown, I've met 3-4 couples saying "We've lived in Austin for 30+ years and we are beginning to think it's time to get out. Never thought this day would come." And you can see a bit of sadness when they say it. I'm only nine years into this business, but this is the first time I've heard "it's time to leave Austin."

I’m a born and raised Austinite just a few years your senior. Graduated from Westlake HS in ‘97. It broke my heart to move from downtown to the suburbs, but it was the only way I could afford to buy a house in a decent school district (I’m a single mom). I couldn’t dream of affording Eanes ISD like my gov’t employee parents did when I was a baby. I’d much rather be there. ::sigh::

Respectfully! what rock have you been hiding under......... The Austin you are referring to is long gone. Decades ago.....

Why not? Not everyone wants traffic, congestion, restrictions. Northeast is certainly growing. Take a look at what’s going on in Pflugerville and Hutto. Manor growth over the last 10 years is mine blowing. I moved to the North three times before I found home. Georgetown. Small town feel with big town access when I want it. In smaller communities such as in Williamson County, there are so many more opportunities to volunteer in municipal and county projects, And have a say in our growth and planning.

And Jobs.... wide open spaces and tons of recreation