Most people who move to Austin choose a neighborhood from a laptop in another state. That works better than it sounds, as long as you narrow the list the right way before you get on a plane. After more than 30 years of helping families, executives and investors land here, this is the order we suggest.
Start with your weekday, not your weekend
It is easy to shop for the Austin you will enjoy on Saturday. The neighborhood you pick decides the other five days. Write down where you need to be on a normal Tuesday: the office, the school, the airport if you travel. Then look at homes from there outward. A house you love is hard to enjoy if the drive wears you down.
Decide between the urban core and the hills
Austin gives you two very different ways to live. In the urban core, neighborhoods like Bouldin Creek and Travis Heights keep you close to downtown and South Congress. Head west toward Tarrytown, Westlake and the Lake Travis area and the setting changes to hills and water. Neither is better. Knowing which one sounds like your household cuts the search in half.
Confirm schools by address
If schools matter to your move, check them by the specific address and not by the neighborhood name. Attendance zones do not always follow neighborhood lines, and they can change. Confirm directly with the district before you make an offer.
Run the full monthly number
Texas has no state income tax, and property taxes are a meaningful part of the cost of owning a home here. Use the payment calculator on our home page to see how price, down payment, rate, taxes and insurance move the number before you set a budget.
Make your visit count
Once you are down to two or three areas, plan a trip built around them. Drive the commute at the hour you would really drive it. Visit on a weekday and a weekend. Walk the streets around the homes you like, not only the homes themselves. We arrange neighborhood drive-throughs and private viewings before your trip so the days you are here are spent looking, not scheduling.
One point of contact
Relocation has a lot of moving parts. Your Vince Young Realty agent coordinates the research, the tours and the timing, and works hand in hand with corporate relocation packages. Read more on our relocation page, browse homes for sale, or call (512) 785-7489 and tell us about your timing.