Paula

Well, I'm not a real estate agent, just a resident. For $200K you can still get quite a nice house compaired to many parts of the country. Keep in mind that because we don't have state income tax, our property taxes are higher than some places, so be sure to figure that in. Also, the flood zone maps are being redrawn in our area, so avoid anywhere that could have a flooding problem. You can check adresses here:

http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/

I like Windsor Park. The homes there were built in the late 50's through the 1960's, so if you don't want a fixer upper, you're going to have to find one that's already had the work done. There are lots of large trees and many have hardwood and/or tile floors. BTW, even though you don't want a fixer upper, you might want to consider a home that would be a good candidate for solar panel electricity. Austin Energy has one of the best rebate programs in the country, and lord knows, we get plenty of sunshine!

I like using Austin Home Lisitngs because you can search by neighborhood:

http://www.austinhomelistings.com/ - Wed May 14 2008, 14:05