Some of the older, more prestigious neighborhoods in central Austin include Tarrytown, Hyde Park, Enfield, Clarksville, SoCo, Bryker Woods, and Travis Heights. These neighborhoods have the charm of the "old guard," and have the benefit of being right in the thick of Austin life.

Tarrytown is home to many of Austin's "movers and shakers." It's about 10 minutes west of downtown Austin. Currently, homes in Tarrytown range from about $600K to about 1.5 million.

Hyde Park is located just north of the University of Texas. A lot of younger families have been attracted to this area, because of its proximity to parks, Central Market, and the tree-lined streets. You can expect to pay from the high $200K range to the $600K range for a home in this area.

Enfield is a hip area just west of downtown which contains a wide range of property values, starting in the $400K range, and going all the way up to several million dollars. Because of this eclectic mix, an individual street in Enfield may contain properties with dissimilar values, which adds to its diverse charm.

Clarksville is a small historic area on the western edge of downtown Austin just east of Mopac (Loop 1) bounded by 6th Street & 10th Street, West Lynn, and Waterston. Residents here can walk to several restaurants, including El Arroyo, Cafe Caprice, Cafe Josie, and the Castle Hill Cafe. Also, there are a number of small art galleries in the neighborhood. Expect prices starting in the $300K range.

SoCo, which is short for "South Congress" area, is a location of much renovation and revitalization since the year 2000 or so. "First Thursday" of each month is a regular event held on South Congress, wherein stores stay open until 10 PM and there are various activities through the evening. The SoCo shopping area could be described as "funky" or "retro." For a home in this hip and trendy area of town, you can expect to pay between $275K and $500K.

Bryker Woods was originally developed in the 1930's, and it contains many quaint cottage homes. It is located just east of Mopac near 35th Street, and it's part of the Old West Austin historic district. Tree-lined streets and convenience to Seton Hospital, Bailey Park, and Pease Park are some of the advantages. Homes here begin in the $300K range, up to around $750-800K.

Travis Heights is located on the southern edge of downtown. Families and singles of all ages are attracted to this popular area because of the quaint, renovated feel it has. The many trees and convenient location of this neighborhood are additional selling points. Home prices in this area range from $300K to $700K.

Lake Travis

Lakefront property is also very popular in Austin. Real estate prices directly on Lake Travis will start around $600K ranging up to millions of dollars. You can find a home near the lake (not lakefront) starting around $250K in Lakeway, which is located to the southwest of Lake Travis.

Lakeway is a very large, sprawling community, with its own police force. Some homes were built as early as the 1960's, and there is still new building of homes in the area. There are 3 golf courses in Lakeway, one of which is a Jack Nicklaus course that is located next to another Jack Nicklaus golf course. It is the only place in Texas where you can find two Jack Nicklaus courses so near each other.

Lake Travis ISD, located near Lake Travis, is a renowned school district. Prices in Lake Travis vary greatly, ranging from the $100K range to the multimillion dollar range.

Southwest Austin

In the popular southwest Austin and coveted Westlake areas, prices have been high in the past, and have gone up even more, due to high demand. Westlake real estate has long been in high demand. Eanes schools (found in the Westlake area) are renowned in Austin and statewide. Westlake is convenient to downtown, has many trees and hills, and many of the homes feature views of the surrounding hill country. To live in Westlake, you can expect to pay a starting price of close to $500K.

Circle C and Shady Hollow are other, less expensive alternatives just around the corner. The Austin ISD schools there have a great reputation, and prices would start in the low 200's.

Northwest Austin

Cedar Park is adjacent to Austin on the northwest side of town. This area includes Lakeline Mall. Prices range from low $100's to over $400K for some of the more upscale neighborhoods. If you would like to be close to the lake, Cedar Park is also pretty convenient to Lake Travis. The new toll roads make travel from Cedar Part to the east much faster.

Leander is just north of Cedar Park, about 5 miles north along Highway 183, and you can expect to pay similar prices there. The new 183A toll road will improve the commute dramatically for some residents. Leander has a slightly more rural feel than Cedar Park.

Far Southwest

Dripping Springs is at the edge of the hill country southwest of Austin. Dripping Springs offers great schools and great scenery. Some say there is a need to improve road safety along 290 in this area. You can find nice acreage properties for $300-700K or other homes for a little less.

The Polo Club in Dripping Springs is a gated equestrian community with lots of new development going on.

North Austin

Georgetown is a city approximately 30 minutes north of downtown Austin and just north of Round Rock. Georgetown has an older, more established feel than some other communities surrounding Austin. It also has a historic district with beautifully restored homes. You can also find nice homes on over an acre of land for $300-600K in Georgetown. If you own a horse or two, Georgetown has many good properties you can live on with your horses. This small college town is home to Southwestern University.

Round Rock is due north of Austin (northwest of Pflugerville). Round Rock has grown tremendously since Dell Computer opened its headquarters there in 1994. Round Rock has approximately 86,000 residents and a good school system. Home prices in Round Rock start around $120K and go all the way up to $700K for some of the newer upscale executive areas

North East Austin

Hutto is a rapidly growing community just to the north of Pflugerville, which is northeast of Austin. It's a good place to invest in single-family homes, and is affordable--you can still purchase newer homes starting around $100K. For many years Hutto has been a tiny, farming-type community, but with many new restaurants and stores popping up there, and the new SH 130 toll road that goes through Hutto, it is becoming a larger, more lively place.

Pflugerville is a quiet, safe community on the edge of NE Austin. The two new toll roads that intersect in Pflugerville have really improved the commute into and out of Austin for many residents, in some cases cutting the time in half! Because Pflugerville is outside Austin, it's affordable, so you can get a lot more "bang for the buck" with housing. Homes start around $120-130K and range up to about $325K. Pflugerville's prices and other advantages have kept it growing in recent years, and now a lot of commercial growth and shopping venues are planned for Pflugerville in the next year or so.

South of Austin

Buda, a small town located due south of Austin along IH-35, is a bedroom community with lots of homes. Main Street in Buda has retained its "old time" look. Buda doesn't offer as much shopping in the immediate area as some of the other Austin metro areas, but in Buda you can get lots of house for your money. Some people think that Buda is a good area to invest in these days. Home prices in Buda start under $100K.

Kyle is a bit further south (located between Austin and San Antonio), and prices are somewhat similar to Buda. One drawback that our clients have mentioned is the lack of other routes into Austin other than I-35, which is not much fun during rush hour traffic.