Northwest Hills · Downsizing
Downsizing in Northwest Hills
Help with the whole move, not only the listing: sorting, haul-off, timing and the Texas tax rules that come with it.
Downsizing in Northwest Hills: what's different here
Downsizing from a Northwest Hills home is usually a life decision more than a market one. Many original 1960s and 70s homes here carry cast-iron plumbing and dated layouts, so for long-time owners the question is often whether to sell as-is to a buyer who will rebuild.
The listing is the easy part. What makes the move work is everything around it: sorting, deciding what to fix, and timing the sale around the next home.
Talk about Northwest Hills
Why Northwest Hills sellers 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 hold the SRES designation, Seniors Real Estate Specialist, and I do whatever the move actually needs, including haul-off, vendors and sometimes the paint brush. In Northwest Hills, value turns on how usable the lot is, the view and how recent the construction is, so two homes of the same size can sell more than a million dollars apart.
How I handle it in Northwest Hills
- Sorting and placing belongings, and coordinating haul-off for what nobody wants.
- Deciding what's worth fixing before listing in Northwest Hills, so you don't spend money that won't come back.
- The Texas tax questions: the over-65 school tax ceiling can transfer to a new homestead as a percentage, and the federal home-sale exclusion has limits. Confirm both with a CPA. More on downsizing.
- Timing around the next home, whether that's assisted living, a smaller house or a move closer to family.
More about Northwest Hills
For the full picture of the neighborhood, see living in Northwest Hills. Questions about downsizing here? Call me at (512) 698-3525.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to update my Northwest Hills home before selling?
Usually not much. I'll tell you which repairs are likely to pay you back and which to leave for the buyer.
Will I lose my over-65 tax freeze if I move?
Not necessarily. Texas lets you transfer the over-65 school tax ceiling to a new homestead as a percentage. Confirm the numbers with the appraisal district and a CPA.
Northwest Hills
What downsizing 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
Downsizing: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with James Brinkman?