Northwest Hills · Relocation
Relocating to the Area in Northwest Hills
The right part of Austin for your job, your commute and your schools, from someone who has lived here since 1976.
Relocating to the Area in Northwest Hills: what's different here
Moving to Northwest Hills for a job usually comes with a start date, a few trips to look, and a long list of neighborhoods you've read about. 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.
The right fit depends on what the move is for: the commute, the schools, or more land around you.
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. I grew up in the school pipeline many relocating families ask about, from Spicewood Elementary to Canyon Vista and Westwood, and I've watched these neighborhoods grow. 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.
How I handle it in Northwest Hills
- A consultation about your job, commute, schools and timeline before we look at a single listing. Getting ready.
- Video calls and listing videos to narrow the list before you fly in.
- An early decision on buying first or selling first, with your lender, if your down payment is tied up in another state. Selling and buying at once.
- Notes on each home, including the trade-offs a listing won't mention.
More about Northwest Hills
For the full picture of the neighborhood, see living in Northwest Hills. Questions about relocating to the area here? Call me at (512) 698-3525.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the commute like from Northwest Hills?
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.
Can I narrow the search before I visit?
Yes. Most buyers narrow the list by video and then make one focused trip.
Northwest Hills
What relocation 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
Relocation: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with James Brinkman?