Daer Chris,
I lived in "the 59" for several years. Northwest Hills is a wonderful neighborhood that has seen steady appreciation in the last 10-15 years. We bought at $180K and sold for almost $300K six years later. That home sold in 2006 for $480K. The homes are a very good size, with much larger bedrooms than most builders are currently building. The lots are generous (.25+ acre), and its not uncommon to have a pool.

The homes are mostly built during the 70's & 80's and most have been updated. Some have unusual architectural details; for example ours had a suspended fireplace in the living room. We also had an indoor lap pool and 8 person spa that waterfalled down into the pool. The house was an entertainers paradise! I would still live there if my husband had not taken a job far south. He could not handle the commute.

There is a great neighborhood private community center called the Westover Club. It has a park, 2 pools and indoor basketball courts and can be reserved for parties and events. It is members only, but you can have guests.

I knew all my neighbors and we even had the occasional block party. I felt perfectly safe when my husband travelled extensively. As I knew I could count on my friends and neighboors if I needed help with my car or anything. There are several good cafes and shopping centers close by.

Downtown is only about 10-15 minutes away and the Arboretum is just across HWY 360. I would move back in a heartbeat!

Call me if I can help you find a home in Northwest Hills, Great Hills or any other part of Austin. I am a native Texan and I have lived in Austin for 20 years. I can help you buy or sell anywhere in or around Austin.

Betina

Hi Chris,

I live in the 78759 and although I don't have words of wisdom to pass along in regards to real estate....I can tell you why we bought in the 78759 area.
1) The school district is quite good
2) and it is close enough to downtown and convenient
3) we got a house with a large lot,

I have some friends in the neighborhood who work at UT, and it seems to work for them.

Austin has many great areas in which to reside and are in close proximity to UT...if you like 78759 go with your instinct.
Hope I was able to help? If not ask away.

kinky freidman's house is for sale -- course, it isn't in the 400k range but it is available -- btw -- i know of a house that's about to come on mkt just off spicewood sprgs -- nice 2 story, good yard, great neighbors -- i'd be honored to get you hooked up

Prior to searching for a home most realtors will require for you to be pre approved for a home mortgage loan. If we can offer assistance in this approval process contact my office. I am a Texas home mortgage loan officer, and Texas realtor.

972-699-9111
Lynn
911@lynn911.com

I second the recommendation to buy at 1210 Windsor. It's running a 10% down and 0% interest for 1 year.

Great Hills is a great way to go! Windsor Oaks Codominiums are in the 78703 zip; much closer intown in that price range! The gas savings alone can pay for a trip back to Honolulu! Perhaps we could be of more help if we knew a little more about your motivations... 3 bed/2bath/2 Garage? Yard for kids and pets? Condo?

Danny and Maxwell have provided good information and food for thought. I will attempt to add something of value. 78759 is a great zip code ... I live there. The southern part of 78759 keeps you "inside the loop" or inside 360 (which is Capital of TX Hwy) and does not have mandatory homeowner associations (with just a few exceptions); the north half of 78759 is north of 360 and you will run into newer homes and more homeowner associations. Parts of 78759 fall into the Round Rock ISD (which is a good thing and an excellent selling feature); the parts that fall into the Austin ISD serve good schools. Other options in 78759 might include Northwest Hills, Balcones Woods, Lakewood and Jester.

Hi Jeff,
Let me be the first to welcome you to our great city! Your choice of where you want to live in Austin should take in many factors and among the top on the list in my opinion is your lifestyle and what you see your lifestyle like when you're living in Austin. Great Hills is a wonderful neighborhood as Danny pointed out. I used to live there myself and it's quite convienient to the Arboretum area.

So let me pose you some other questions to think about:

1. How do you feel about traffic and what times will you be commuting to and from UT?
2. Do you see yourself in a ultra active lifestyle-perhaps where you could walk or bike to campus?
3. Do you want to square footage or perhaps a quick jog down to the hike and bike trail?

Again, nothing at all wrong with Great Hills, just trying to give you something to consider in some closer in neighborhoods.

Best of luck in your search and of course, we'd love a chance to earn your business as well.

Maxwell McDaniel
Austin A Plus Homes Team / Keller Williams Realty

Chris,

Great Hills is a popular neighborhood and has proven to be a great investment for homeowners over recent years. This is due to several factors in my opinion, including location with easy access to downtown/campus, Lake Travis and many large employers, as well as maturity of the neighborhood with great homes, beautiful trees, golf course, etc. There's also an express line to UT, so public transportation is a viable option from Great Hills.

Also, a price range of 300-400K would put you in the lower end of the range for the neighborhood (recently we're seeing prices from the low 300s up to the high 600s. Properties in the lower end of the curve in a good neighborhood typically see better appreciation over time than those at the top of it.

Feel free to call or e-mail if I can answer any questions or be of assistance in your home search.

Best regards,
Danny Gallant - Realtor®
512-922-1273
The Gallant Group @ Keller Williams Realty
danny_gallant@kw.com

That is a nice area to look for a home in. There is a lot to do and you are really a few miles out from campus. Let me know if you have an agent if not I would like to help. Send me an email and we can talk furtther,
J.