I've helped hundreds of out-of-state buyers land in Austin. Here's what I tell them.
Austin is one of the most talked-about cities in the country right now, and that talk swings hard. One year the headlines say it's collapsing. The next year it's the most important city in the world. I happen to think it is. I wrote about why here.
The big-picture story: Tesla, Apple, Samsung, Oracle, and Indeed are all here, they're not leaving, and the wave of capital they brought is reshaping the city in ways most people are sleeping on. But none of that is what matters when you're actually buying a home. The neighborhood you pick could be the difference between loving or leaving Austin.
Yes, no state income tax. Yes, that's a real win, especially if you're coming from California or New York. But the trade-off is property taxes, and they're substantial.
Texas property tax rates run roughly 1.8% to 2.6% of appraised value. On a $600K home, that's $11K to $15K a year. The good news is that Texas just raised the homestead exemption to $140K (the biggest in state history), and you can protest your appraised value every single year. My full protest guide is here. I use the exact same packet on my own properties.
Add insurance ($2K to $4K a year), summer cooling bills (plan on $300 to $500 a month from May to October), and the math gets real. None of this should scare you off. It just means you plan before you sign, not after.
I have detailed guides on over 70 Central Texas neighborhoods on my Discover Austin page. Here's the cheat code.
Top-rated schools are your priority? Look at Westlake (Eanes ISD, the best public district in Texas), Circle C, Cedar Park, or Leander. You'll pay for it but the resale story stays strong.
You want to walk to dinner and bike to the lake? East Austin, Zilker, Downtown. This is where the Austin energy lives.
You want Hill Country space and views? Dripping Springs, Bee Cave, Lakeway. Slower pace, bigger lots, real sense of place.
You want value with growth? Pflugerville, Round Rock, Manor, Del Valle. The Samsung and Tesla growth corridors are pushing these markets steadily upward.
Texas school districts vary wildly. Eanes (Westlake) and Lake Travis ISD consistently sit at the top of the state. Round Rock and Leander ISDs are excellent. Austin ISD is more nuanced. It has elite pockets (McCallum, Anderson, Highland Park Elementary) and zones that are still rebuilding. My school info page has links to the top resources.
One important factor thats being talked about more and more is that AISD has been consolidating campuses. The school you buy near today might not be there in five years.
Summers are long and hot. May through September, you're looking at daytime highs of 100 or more. Winters are mild, but the 2021 freeze taught everyone here a lesson about pipe insulation and pool equipment. Spring and fall are spectacular. The reason we all stay.
3 to 6 months out: Get pre-approved with a local lender. National online lenders sometimes win on rate, but local lenders win when deals get complicated, and they often do. Start narrowing neighborhoods. Schedule a scouting trip if you can.
2 to 3 months out: Active home search. A lot of my out-of-state clients buy before they ever physically move. We use video tours, FaceTime walkthroughs, and trusted local inspectors.
30 days out: Close on the home. Set up utilities. Update your address.
Move-in week: File your homestead exemption with your county appraisal district before April 30. This is a big one. It caps your assessed value increases at 10% per year and unlocks the $140K school district exemption.
I've worked with buyers relocating from California, New York, Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, Washington, and beyond. Many haven't seen their Austin home in person until closing day. That works in their favor when they're working with someone who knows every block.
Relocating is the easiest move to get wrong, and it could cost you if you make the wrong choice. A national brokerage or an out-of-area agent can send you listings. They can't tell you which street floods, which "top" school is about to be rezoned, or where the same house sells for $50K less one block over. I can — 17 years and $200M+ sold in this city will do that. So here's what working with me actually looks like: neighborhoods vetted against your real priorities, video tours so you never waste a flight, vetted local lenders, inspectors, and insurance in your corner, hard negotiation on your side, and someone who keeps you clear of the mistakes that cost out-of-state buyers tens of thousands in their first 18 months. You get one shot at your first move to Austin. I'll make sure it's the right one.
Your timeline, your priorities, your budget. I'll send back a custom Austin neighborhood plan and a clear next step.
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