Austin Real Estate Guide

A Guide to buying a home in the great city of Austin, Texas

Austin sure has been in the media a lot lately, and for good reasons! I see the topic of Austin real estate pop up everywhere from HGTV to Men's Health Magazine. This city is a great place to live, and a lot of folks seem to be taking notice of that.

Some of these articles and programs should be taken with a grain of salt, being highly subjective in nature. But others support themselves with real estate data, quality of life statistics, etc. So when taken as a whole, the coverage shines a very positive light on the Austin real estate scene.

Positive Coverage of Austin

Here's what some of these media sources have had to say about real estate in the city of Austin, Texas...

In 2006, CNN Money published their yearly list of "Best Places to Live" in the United States. The city of Austin appeared at #2 in the big cities category.
Also in 2006, Kiplinger's (a finance magazine) listed Austin at #5 in its article about "50 Smart Places to Live" in the U.S.
More recently, the website Entrepreneur.com published an article that ranked some of the best places in the U.S. to buy a home. This time, Austin showed up in the #1 spot.
The city appears on dozens of other lists in publications ranging from Men's Health to Forbes. Best cities to raise a family, best cities to live and work — the list goes on and on.
You also see Austin real estate featured on a lot of TV shows, such as "What You Get for the Money." In most cases, it's too showcase what a great value homes in Austin are (by comparison to other cities).

Here's a quote from the Kiplinger.com piece that sums up a lot of what makes Austin a great place to live and work:

"The sun burns bright on Barton Springs as mothers and toddlers wave from the tiny train that tootles around Zilker Park. Down the road, at Chuy's, diners tuck into tacos under the benign gaze of a cardboard Elvis. Two doors over, at the Shady Grove, outdoor tables are already packed with beer-drinking boulevardiers. Yep, it's another hectic day in Austin, where residents tackle the important business of sitting outside, lingering over lunch and just plain enjoying life." -From Kiplinger.com

What This All Says About Austin, Texas

Certainly there's plenty of media coverage of the Austin real estate scene. But what does it all mean? First of all, it suggests that a lot of folks agree on Austin being a great city in which to live and work, and thus a great place to buy a home. It also means that real estate in Austin, Texas will be a solid investment for a long time to come. After all, popularity and real estate values go hand in hand for cities such as Austin.

Skyline of Austin, Texas
Image source: Wikipedia.org. Licensed under GNU Free Documentation License

So with all this being said, should you buy real estate in the Austin area? Possibly. In reality, this is a question that only you can answer for yourself. But one thing is for certain. There's plenty of "evidence" to justify a decision to buy a home in Austin. The articles and surveys cited above are only scratching the surface. Do an Internet search for "Best places to live +Austin" and you'll see what I mean!

As individuals, we all have our own ideas about what makes for a great place to live. Collectively, however, it seems the editors of all those "best places" articles have found common ground with regard to Austin real estate and quality of life. To add to their lists, we have created one of our own. Here are seven things we like about the city.

7 Reasons to Buy Real Estate in Austin

The real estate prices. From a purely economical perspective, this is the number-one attraction of Austin. The city has even appeared on real estate TV shows such as "What You Get for the Money." In most cases, it illustrates how far the real estate dollar goes in Austin, when compared to high-price cities like San Diego.
The music scene. Austin's unofficial nickname is "Live Music Capital of the World," and with good reason. If you go downtown any night of the week, you will probably find music venues offering everything from rock to country to blues ... and just about anything else you would want to hear. Austin also sponsors several music festivals each year, such as the ACL Festival and the world-famous South by Southwest.
The climate. Like most of Central Texas, the city of Austin enjoys mild winters with snow being a rarity. Spring is especially beautiful, with a vast array of Texas wildflowers (such as the bluebonnet) blooming along the roads and in fields. The summers are hot but not unbearable, with only mild humidity as compared to coastal Texas.
The highway improvements. In recent years, the state of Texas has spent a small fortune (okay, maybe a large fortune) on roadway improvements. Most of this occurred in and around the city of Austin. As a result, the infamous Austin traffic mess has been greatly improved. This has a positive impact on real estate values as well as quality of life!
The shopping. Congress Avenue in downtown Austin has a hip shopping scene with plenty of locally owned shops. Take a short drive up the road to nearby Round Rock and you'll find great deals at the outlet stores that opened in 2007. Oh, and there's an IKEA store right across the street from the outlets, if you're a bargain furniture shopper.
The water. If you like fishing, boating or any kind of water sport, you'll love the Austin area. A series of lakes runs through Central Texas, as well as plenty of rivers and creeks. And don't worry about all that water bringing mosquitoes, because Austin has something to take care of that too ... lots and lots of bats!
The people. Austin is the home to University of Texas, a world-famous music scene, and the state capital of Texas. As a result, there's an eclectic mix of students, musicians, yuppies, cowboys, politicians and more. In a certain sense, Austin is a cosmopolitan city.
The bats. Austin is home to the largest urban colony of bats in the United States. In fact, the bats have become part of the city's culture, and they're a popular tourist attraction. On summer evenings, it's a site to behold as these bats emerge from the Congress Avenue Bridge more than a million at a time.

Austin, Texas is a great place to live for many reasons. There are great schools and colleges in Austin, plenty of history and culture, outdoor activities — and, of course, the world-famous music scene. So if you're thinking of buying real estate here, you have plenty of factors to support the decision.

Here are some other resources that will help you research the city of Austin from a real estate / home buying angle:

Geographical Description

If you're planning to buy real estate in the Austin area, it helps to learn a little about the area first, from a geographical standpoint. The great thing is that in Austin, you could have a home by the river, a home by the lake, or a home out in the rolling hills ... without going too far in any particular direction.

The city is located in Central Texas and is often referred to as the "gateway" to Texas Hill Country. The Colorado River [not the one you're thinking of, but this one] flows through downtown Austin, Texas, forming a series of beautiful lakes that cover more than 100 miles. These lakes are a popular attraction for boaters, skiers, nature buffs, and fishing enthusiasts alike.

San Antonio is about 80 miles south of Austin; Dallas is about 100 miles to the north; and Houston is about 160 miles to the southeast.

Yahoo map of Austin | MapQuest of Austin | Official city map of Austin

Austin Schools

Before buying real estate in a particular city, it's wise to learn about the city's schools. After all, the quality of schools have a major impact on real estate values, regardless of whether or not you have school-aged children. If you do have children, the quality of schools becomes even more important. So before buying real estate in Austin you need to do a little homework about the schools ... pun intended.

Public Schools

Colleges & Universities

Additional Resources

School info at About.com
Private schools, charter schools, etc.
School reports at Yahoo (enter city name)
Top-rated Austin schools

Austin Neighborhoods

First of all, you'll need to determine which part of Austin you want to live in. We've gathered some resources to help with that part:

Austin Real Estate Agents

When buying a home in Austin, it's wise to have the help of an Austin agent. It's a hot real estate market where things move fast, so a skilled agent can help you avoid costly mistakes. Here are some resources to help you find and choose an Austin real estate agent that's right for you.

Find an Austin Agent

We hope you have found this guide to Austin real estate helpful, and we wish you the best with your home buying experience!