Northwest Hills · Buying a Home
Buying a Home in Northwest Hills
A consultation first, a lender you trust, and a search built around the life you described, not everything on the market.
Buying a Home in Northwest Hills: what's different here
Buying in Northwest Hills starts with knowing what you're choosing. Buying here means choosing among original homes, renovations and new rebuilds side by side, all in Austin ISD, with the Domain a short drive up MoPac.
I'd rather you understand the ground before you fall for a house, so the first step is a conversation, not a showing.
Talk about Northwest Hills
Why Northwest 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. On tours I'll point out what the listing photos don't show. Northwest Hills is one of the closest-in hillside areas to the Domain and central Austin, entirely Austin ISD, with assignments that change near 2222.
How I handle it in Northwest Hills
- A consultation by phone, video or in person, and a light one-day agreement for our first day out. Getting ready.
- A lender you trust, so you know what you can comfortably spend in Northwest Hills before you look.
- Schools checked address by address for every home on your list. What to know first.
- An offer built to close, then inspections and insurance in the option period and a calm run to the title company. Offer to keys.
More about Northwest Hills
For the full picture of the neighborhood, see living in Northwest Hills. Questions about buying a home here? Call me at (512) 698-3525.
Frequently Asked Questions
What school district is Northwest Hills in?
Austin ISD only. Most of the area feeds Doss or Hill Elementary, then Murchison Middle School and Anderson High School. Toward 2222 the assignments change to Highland Park Elementary, Lamar Middle School and McCallum High School, so check the address.
Do I need to be pre-approved before we look?
It isn't a hard rule, but I generally wait for it. Knowing what you can afford tells us what to see.
Northwest Hills
What buying a home looks like in Northwest Hills
Westover Hills, Northwest Hills and Cat Mountain along Mesa Drive: 1960s and 70s homes, steady rebuilding, and big views toward 360.
- The homes
- Locals use "Northwest Hills" for three neighborhoods: Westover Hills, Northwest Hills and Cat Mountain. The first build was the 1960s and 70s, and building has never stopped: older homes that lack space and function are often torn down and rebuilt, and newer homes go onto lots that take more engineering. Renovation is common too, but cast-iron plumbing in many of the original homes often makes starting new the easier path. The result is a wide variety of homes side by side. Value turns on three things: how usable the lot is, the view from the house, and how recent the construction is. Two recent sales of the same size, about 4,200 square feet, show the range: a 2001 home on more than an acre of usable land with a pool, a 180-degree view and the preserve behind it sold for $2.55M, while a home on Mesa Drive with a smaller lot, a downtown view, power lines across the back, a busier street and plumbing to replace sold for $1.45M.
- Schools people ask about
- Austin ISD only. Most of the area feeds Doss or Hill Elementary, then Murchison Middle School and Anderson High School. Toward 2222 the assignments change to Highland Park Elementary, Lamar Middle School and McCallum High School, so check the address.
- Getting around
- Mesa Drive is the main residential road through all three neighborhoods. It is fairly level until it nears 2222, where it drops sharply. The Domain is a short drive north on MoPac.
- Nearby
- The Domain, a short drive up MoPac. Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest Municipal Pool. Canyon and preserve land behind many of the western lots.
- The trade-off
- The main parts of the neighborhood run off Mesa. The farther a street is from Mesa, especially to the west toward 360, the more extreme the topography gets: bigger views and more privacy, but harder lots. Homes on Mesa itself sit on a busier street.
The method
How we do it in Northwest Hills
Buying a Home: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with James Brinkman?