After twelve years of self-imposed exile (jobs and two grad school degrees), I just took a job back in Austin, Texas! Pulling up stakes from the Boston area. Looking forward to reconnecting with the Texas heat, cockroaches, fire ants, gridlock on I-35, and shopping at H.E.B. again!
I wondered if tax familiar/recently relocated Dopers might chime in with some advice…
I asked for a lot more money from my employer for moving costs, but didn’t get all I asked for. I’m now reconsidering the full service moving company, and instead getting one of those moving pods and hiring some movers for the heavy stuff. Has anybody actually moved their stuff this way? Was it cost-effective, and did your stuff make it to the destination safely?
Everyone tells me that the move is tax-deductible. I go to a CPA to do my taxes… so what does this mean exactly? Should I not worry about spending money on relocation because “I’ll get it all back?” Or is it a percentage?
And Austin-area Dopers, here’s one for you: what are your opinions on the following subdivisions?
[ul]
[li]Pioneer Crossing (78754)[/li][li]Milwood (78727-78729)[/li][li]Wells Branch[/li][/ul]
The commute is most important for me - I’m working near MLK and Congress and for that reason ruled out living on the south side of town (trust me, I grew up in southeast Austin, and the traffic going north is stomach-churning). We’re looking to purchase a 3 or 4 bedroom house no more than 220K, and recently built (sometime in the 90s or 2000s). If there are other north side neighborhoods that fit our criteria we are hoping you can steer us in that direction too.
Three years ago, I lived in Pflugerville, and I commuted through Wells Branch all the time. It’s a very nice area- shopping nearby, and the traffic in the area isn’t as bad as it could be. However, if you’re going to be commuting to MLK/Congress, I don’t think I’d want to live there- the rule is “Never Drive IH-35”, which you’d pretty much have to do if you lived in Wells Branch.
Frankly, if you’re going to live in Wells Branch, anyway, you should just go ahead and look for a house in Pflugerville. It’s a great area- lots of new houses and it feels kind of like a “small town”. Plus, it’s only about another mile or two past Wells Branch, anyway.
I don’t have any comments on your preferred locations, but I just bought a house and my agent was really good. He was named the best in Austin for two years running (by the Chronicle). Send me an email if you want his name, number.
The wooden decks at The Oasis did burn, but have been rebuilt.
Traffic is pretty rough all over Austin now. The north side of town has been built up a lot over the past decade, as well as the southwest side. However, they have done a lot to improve the freeways, which has relieved some of the traffic snarls. The Ben White/I-35 intersection is MUCH improved.
I can’t give much advice about specific neighborhoods as I haven’t lived in Austin since 2000, but I visit all the time – I was just there last weekend! I’m in Houston, so it’s not that far.
Nothing to add (since I no longer live in Austin), but I always meant to ask if your username was a reference to nekkid-ness (considering your location is in Mass.).
So now I know.
And thanks, BTW, because now I’m having cravings for The Salt Lick and Mexican martinis at Trudy’s and will have to settle for PB&J and water instead. Way to go, Hippy.
Welcome (back)! A few years ago, I did the same thing - moved from New England (Manchester, NH, was working in Andover, MA) back to TX and now live in Austin.
There’s a lot of things to look for about the neighborhoods, but as far as the drive goes, I’ll point out that 35 going South is every bit as bad as 35 going North. Check your drive routes from prospective homes to your place of work, and have a preference for anything that does NOT get on I-35 for any reason. Just my opinion.
sparklemotion, I know it’s rough being 160 miles away, but try 2000! Plus you have Luling City Market on 610 and Richmond, so the BBQ problem is under control. Welcome back, in advance.
Lightnin’, maybe it’s vanity, but I think I have to live in Austin proper, Travis County. I’m even grimacing about being in the Round Rock or Manor school district. I’m an AISD product… it would be nice for my kid(s) to be as well! Hugh Jass (great name btw) - thanks for the info, but we just signed up with a guy who is a family friend of a friend. He’s been great so far. I might follow up on e-mail about general Austin homebuying stuff if you don’t mind, though.
cbawlmer, my parents and my wife’s parents live in Austin so I’m down twice a year, at least. This past year, about six. I have noticed the improvement on Ben White, but have you noticed the instant gridlock when going north on 35 since they closed the Woodward exit? It’s there even on Sunday night. This is one reason why the south side is not in play for us. One of the reasons Milwood is appealing is because of the proximity to Mopac and the new toll road.
niblet_head, glad to be taking your place. Good news, though: you can have a brisket, or links, or ribs shipped to you from Salt Lick via FedEx. I got a brisket a few years ago for my birthday - heated it up, and I was back in Driftwood. Awesome! I like the 'ritas at Baby A’s on Barton Springs, personally…
You’re welcome! I’m glad they rebuilt too. We went there on our honeymoon! The actual building part of the restaurant (with the kitchen, indoor dining, and shops) stayed open the whole time since it wasn’t damaged. The fire started when the deck was struck by lightning at about four in the morning, and it burned very quickly. It was fortunate that it didn’t happen during business hours when hundreds of people might have been on the deck! :eek:
NE Texan, you’re right about 35, but I thought the commute from Pioneer Crossing (Braker/Dessau) on 35 going south wasn’t too bad. I’m not needing to commute during rush hour, thank goodness. Pioneer Crossing has a shortcut on the backside that drops you down to Cameron Road, then to 290, then to Airport… good alternate route if 35 is difficult. Likewise, Milwood has Mopac and the toll road.
Now that you mention it, I never end up going north on 35 around there when I visit. I’m usually traveling on Ben White, and tend to take Mopac, Lamar, or Congress for north/south travel. I remember 35 always sucking pretty badly since I lived on 35 South at William Cannon back when I was a full-time Austinite.
I don’t know anything about the POD, sorry. Our last move involved a U-Haul and recruiting of friends. Next time we move we will all be too old for that!
Hippy Hollow, I agree with you on the schools. Although some of the neighboring districts are also good, AISD is pretty good, and it has some really good magnet programs. We specifically looked into a house in AISD so our son could get into one of those.
One major difference between the POD types and the full movers are that you pack your own stuff. The advantage to packing your own is that you can make sure the right stuff is packed together in the same box and boxes are well labelled, and that everything is packed and padded correctly. The quality of mover packing seems to me to be hit and miss; some are really good, and some packers are just hired for the day at random and aren’t great. The advantage to the movers is that they hire as many people as it takes to get it done fast, usually in one day, where the other way you have to invest your time to do it yourself. (That’s part of the difference you’re paying for). Balance how much you have and how long it will take you to pack it against how fragile/important your stuff is, and how easily it can be damaged.
(edited to add): Yeah, having got the job in Andover (from living in Houston before that), we had trouble finding a close house of a size we wanted that we could afford, and were much happier in Manchester NH. Made my commute I-93, but it really wasn’t bad. I kept laughing at all the native people that thought that drive was bad. (On the other hand, I didn’t have to drive through Boston itself, which did get much worse, especially before and during the Big Dig).
