Round Rock, TX · Member since 2015 · 10 posts · 4 votes
Hi! First time poster.. I currently live in SF Bay Area and am doing a job transfer to work out of the north Austin area.. Looking at buying a SFH to live in (maybe rent it out in the future) or could be interested in a 3-4plex if the right one came along and house-hack it. I want to start investing in real estate for sure but figure my decisions there shouldn't be driven by whats the best commute for my day job and shouldn't be rushed.
I have been looking generally in Williamson County. Best for my commute is probably Cedar Park, Round Rock, Pflugerville.. Also Leander and Georgetown don't seem so bad.
I am curious if anyone has any pointers as to which cities have the least to deal with as far as general red tape/taxes/permits/eetc. Hoping that I don't need a permit for every little thing like replacing the kitchen cabinets or whatever..
Williamson and Travis County property tax rates in 2016 were 0.436529 and 0.383800 respectively. The other major tax bills come from city and school district. If you buy a home within a utility or water district (e.g., Wells Branch in N. Austin), then your taxes will also be increased, sometimes quite a bit so.
Here are 2016 property tax rates for some cities in Travis and Williamson Counties:
Here are 2016 property tax rates for school districts in the area:
For permitting, you'll want to check the websites of each city you're exploring. Look here for Austin and, for example, here for Cedar Park. Austin is well-known for causing permitting headaches for builders and homeowners alike. See this recent Reddit post from not too long ago for the perspective of a few Austin homeowners. However, many small residential projects qualify under Austin's "express" permitting process, including the following:
Replacing windows (size for size)
Replacing exterior doors (size for size)
Adding / removing siding
Adding / removing brick
Adding / removing insulation
Repairing a roof to the extent of replacing decking boards
Repairing foundation without increasing impervious cover
Williamson and Travis County property tax rates in 2016 were 0.436529 and 0.383800 respectively. The other major tax bills come from city and school district. If you buy a home within a utility or water district (e.g., Wells Branch in N. Austin), then your taxes will also be increased, sometimes quite a bit so.
Here are 2016 property tax rates for some cities in Travis and Williamson Counties:
Here are 2016 property tax rates for school districts in the area:
For permitting, you'll want to check the websites of each city you're exploring. Look here for Austin and, for example, here for Cedar Park. Austin is well-known for causing permitting headaches for builders and homeowners alike. See this recent Reddit post from not too long ago for the perspective of a few Austin homeowners. However, many small residential projects qualify under Austin's "express" permitting process, including the following:
Replacing windows (size for size)
Replacing exterior doors (size for size)
Adding / removing siding
Adding / removing brick
Adding / removing insulation
Repairing a roof to the extent of replacing decking boards
Repairing foundation without increasing impervious cover
Austin, TX · Member since 2017 · 21 posts · 18 votes
9y
@David Ivy Thanks for the information on the Austin area. @Mike Bernardo We used to live in Hutto before moving into Austin. We had propane instead of natural gas which was considerably more expensive. Hutto is a suburb to the northeast of Austin.
Round Rock, TX · Member since 2015 · 10 posts · 4 votes
9y
Thanks @David Ivy@Viola Enfield@Matthew Teifke for the responses and info! I was considering Hutto, Leander and Liberty Hill as well, Hutto especially looks cheap but just not sure how bad the commute would be to the North Austin area. Strangely enough I have propane right now in San Jose, CA (gas line was never extended from the street to up where I rent a modular house on a large parcel, probably owners didn't want to pay for it), it is a shame how expensive it is..
Austin, TX · Member since 2017 · 21 posts · 18 votes
9y
@Mike Bernardo You're welcome. It has been two years since we lived in Hutto. At that time, it took 45 minutes to commute from 685 in Hutto to the northern most boundary of Austin. It took me an hour to get from I-35 and Braker Lane to 5th Street near Loop 1 this morning. The commute was getting more congested even using the toll130 which saves a small amount of time depending on traffic.