Best Places to Buy a Home in Austin

If you want to protect your investment, you want to make sure you buy a home in the best possible neighborhood you can comfortably afford. What makes a great neighborhood? What other factors should you consider? I’m glad you asked. Here are some tips we give our Austin home buyer clients.

How Do You Determine a Good Neighborhood?

The definition of a great neighborhood can be very subjective. What may be important to you may not be important to me. Here is a list of general items that make a neighborhood an attractive neighborhood in most buyer’s eyes:

• Great Schools
• Free of Nuisances
• Quiet Streets
• Low Traffic
• Not too Many Cars Parked on the Street
• Well Maintained Homes and Yards
• Approaching the End of New Construction

Don’t Care About Schools?

Though schools may not be important to you, you want to consider the quality of the schools that serve the neighborhood before you buy. Most Austin home buyers are looking for good school districts. Buying a home in an inferior school district will mean fewer buyers for your home when it comes time to sell it.

But, let me be clear. Are we saying, don’t buy a home in a neighborhood that has any of these issues? Absolutely not. We’re simply saying to take these factors into consideration and make sure you buy it at the right price.

What is Considered an Inferior Location?

The neighborhood is one factor to consider, but you also need to consider the home site as well. There are better streets than others in each neighborhood and better lots. Here is a checklist for what types of lots to avoid:

• Streets with Double Yellow Lines
• Backs to a Busy Street
• Next to a Middle or High School
• Neighbors Don’t Maintain their Homes
• Lots that Slope Down to the Home

These are just a few of the major considerations you should look for before you get too serious about a particular home. Remember, things inside (counters, appliances, light fixtures) can be changed. You can’t change where the house is. No matter how much money you put into it.

What is Considered a Good Location?

Here are some things we look for to help our buyers identify superior lots:

• Cul-de-sac lots
• On a Quiet Street
• Set Back from Street

Best Places to Buy a Home in Austin

Over the years, Austin homes in the best school districts have maintained their value much better than homes in inferior school districts. If schools are important to you too, here is a list of the Top 3 School Districts in Austin and the Best School Districts Around Austin so you can get a sense for which districts are better than others.

Looking for a List of the Best Neighborhoods?

Check out our Best Austin Neighborhoods page for a list of the best neighborhoods for professionals, dogs, shopaholics, first time home buyers, kids, UT students and more. Want a list more tailored to your needs? Try our Austin Neighborhood Finder.

Work with a Realtor Who Can Identify Superior Real Estate

Bottom line, there are several factors that affect value and it changes from neighborhood to neighborhood. When you buy a home in Austin, work with a Realtor who knows the real estate market and the area well. They can help save you thousands of dollars and help you protect your biggest investment. For more about our buyer representation program, check out our Austin Home Buyer section. Then call us at (512) 827-8323 or email us at info@11OaksRealty.com to schedule a no obligation consultation.

Considering Buying a Home in Austin

We know the Austin housing market well and can help you make an informed decision about your purchase. We’ll help you evaluate neighborhoods and make the best investment. Our experienced team of buyer specialists aren’t pushy and are focused on helping you make the home buying process stress free! For more info and tips, check out our Austin Home Buyer page, then Meet our Buyer Specialists. Ready to get started with your home search? Fill out our Buyer Survey, email us at info@11OaksRealty.com or call us at (512) 827-8323 to set up a no obligation consultation.