Great Hills · First-Time Buyers
First-Time Buyers in Great Hills
Plain answers on the Texas contract, the two deposits and what your budget buys, before you're asked to sign anything.
First-Time Buyers in Great Hills: what's different here
A first home in Great Hills is a lot of new vocabulary at once, and a few local details that matter more than the listing photos. Great Hills has the widest range in Northwest Austin, from condos and townhomes to homes near the club, with schools split between Round Rock ISD and Austin ISD by address.
I'd rather you learn each step before you need it, so nothing at the closing table is a surprise.
Why Great Hills buyers work with me
I grew up in Northwest Austin, have lived here since 1976 and have lived on the Mountain in the Spicewood Estates area since 2004. I've worked with several first-time buyers in the past year. The thing I see most often is a first home judged on photos instead of condition, and in Great Hills condition matters.
How I handle it in Great Hills
- Start with the budget: a local lender I trust, and a look at Texas down payment programs through the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
- Learn the contract first: the option fee, the earnest money and the deadlines. What to know first.
- Look past the photos at roofs, AC, plumbing and the lot.
- After closing, file your Texas homestead exemption to lower the property taxes on your home.
More about Great Hills
For the full picture of the neighborhood, see living in Great Hills. Questions about first-time buyers here? Call me at (512) 698-3525.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do I need to buy a first home in Great Hills?
It depends on the loan and the home. A lender can give you real numbers, and Texas has state programs that help buyers who qualify.
What's the difference between the option fee and earnest money?
The option fee buys the right to end the contract for any reason during the option period. Earnest money is held at the title company and is what you risk if you back out the wrong way.
Great Hills
What first-time buyers looks like in Great Hills
The hilliest corner of Northwest Austin, wrapped around Great Hills Country Club near the 183 and Loop 360 interchange.
- The homes
- Mostly 1970s to 1990s in the original sections, with updates and rebuilds scattered throughout, so condition varies a lot from house to house. Classic hillside character, with view lots and golf-course lots that carry a premium. Prices span a wide range, from entry-level condos and townhomes to substantial homes near the club and the Arboretum. Great Hills Country Club dates to 1973 and has been member-owned since 1985: 18 holes, eight lighted tennis courts, and a reported $22.3 million course and clubhouse project approved by the membership. Club membership is separate from buying a home.
- Schools people ask about
- Split by address. The Round Rock ISD side feeds Caraway or Laurel Mountain Elementary, then Canyon Vista Middle School and Westwood High School. The Austin ISD side feeds Davis or Hill Elementary, then Murchison Middle School and Anderson High School. Confirm with the district's own boundary tool.
- Getting around
- Near the 183 and Loop 360 interchange, one of the best-connected corners of Northwest Austin: quick access to the Arboretum, the Domain and the North MoPac tech corridor, with the Apple Parmer campus within reasonable reach.
- Nearby
- The Arboretum, the Great Hills office corridor, the Domain, Great Hills Country Club (private).
- The trade-off
- The hilliest of the Northwest Austin neighborhoods: the streets go up and down, up and down, with far fewer level stretches than Northwest Hills or Spicewood Estates, where the land rises to broader hilltops. Against Balcones Village, Great Hills is the more connected of the two, while Balcones Village is quieter and more tucked away.
First-Time Buyers: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with James Brinkman?