Northwest Austin · First-Time Buyers
First-Time Buyers in Northwest Austin
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 Northwest Austin: what's different here
A first home in Northwest Austin is a lot of new vocabulary at once, and a few local details that matter more than the listing photos. Northwest Austin gives you real land and mature trees close in, with schools split between Round Rock ISD and Austin ISD depending on the street.
I'd rather you learn each step before you need it, so nothing at the closing table is a surprise.
Talk about Northwest Austin
Why Northwest Austin 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 Northwest Austin condition matters.
How I handle it in Northwest Austin
- 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 Northwest Austin
For the full picture of the neighborhood, see living in Northwest Austin. 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 Northwest Austin?
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.
Northwest Austin
What first-time buyers looks like in Northwest Austin
The established hills west of MoPac and 183, from Northwest Hills up through Great Hills, Spicewood Estates, Jester and Anderson Mill.
- The homes
- Mostly 1960s through 1990s homes on larger, irregular lots under mature trees, with steady rebuilding in Northwest Hills. Hillside and view lots in Great Hills, Jester and parts of Northwest Hills; flatter streets in Oak Forest, Barrington Oaks and Anderson Mill.
- Schools people ask about
- Split between Round Rock ISD (Spicewood, Laurel Mountain, Caraway, Anderson Mill and Purple Sage elementaries into Canyon Vista or Grisham and Westwood) and Austin ISD (Doss, Hill or Davis into Murchison and Anderson). The line runs through neighborhoods, so check each address.
- Getting around
- 183, MoPac, Loop 360, 2222 and Spicewood Springs Road. The Arboretum and the Domain are close, and most trips never need I-35.
- Nearby
- Bull Creek, St. Edward's Park and Balcones Canyonlands Preserve land, Great Hills and Balcones country clubs (private), the Jester Club, Anderson Mill's own pools and parks, and City of Austin pools and parks.
- The trade-off
- Real land and established trees close in, in exchange for older homes that need their systems checked, and hills in many neighborhoods.
The method
How we do it in Northwest Austin
First-Time Buyers: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with James Brinkman?