Northwest Hills · Sell and Buy at Once
Selling and Buying at the Same Time in Northwest Hills
Selling one home and buying the next, with the order, the money and the move worked out before you commit to either.
Selling and Buying at the Same Time in Northwest Hills: what's different here
Selling one home and buying the next starts with one question: sell first or buy first? Moving up in Northwest Hills often means moving off Mesa toward the views to the west, or from an original home to a rebuild.
The answer depends on how much of your next down payment is in your current home and what carrying two homes for a while would cost.
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. When I run both sides of a move, the dates line up because one person is planning them. 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
- Sell first to free up equity, with a possible short stay after closing negotiated with the buyer.
- Buy first to move once, with a bridge loan or line of credit your lender can price.
- A sale contingency, written well, when the market allows it.
- One plan for both homes. How I sell and how I help you buy.
More about Northwest Hills
For the full picture of the neighborhood, see living in Northwest Hills. Questions about selling and buying at the same time here? Call me at (512) 698-3525.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I sell before buying in Northwest Hills?
It depends on your equity and what carrying two homes would cost. I'll walk through both with your lender's numbers.
Can I stay in my home after it sells?
Sometimes. A short stay after closing can be negotiated with the buyer.
Northwest Hills
What sell and buy at once 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
Sell and Buy at Once: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with James Brinkman?