Sendero Springs · First-Time Buyers
First-Time Buyers in Sendero Springs
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 Sendero Springs: what's different here
A first home in Sendero Springs is a lot of new vocabulary at once, and a few local details that matter more than the listing photos. Sendero Springs is outside Round Rock city limits in the Brushy Creek MUD, so compare the full tax rate, not only the price, against homes inside the city.
I'd rather you learn each step before you need it, so nothing at the closing table is a surprise.
Talk about Sendero Springs
Why Sendero Springs buyers work with me
I've lived in Northwest Austin since 1976, and much of my recent business has been along the Parmer and 183 corridors as buyers follow the jobs north. 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 Sendero Springs condition matters.
How I handle it in Sendero Springs
- 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 Sendero Springs
For the full picture of the neighborhood, see living in Sendero Springs. 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 Sendero Springs?
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.
Sendero Springs
What first-time buyers looks like in Sendero Springs
A west Round Rock neighborhood off FM 1431 in the Brushy Creek MUD, with a year-round pool, a park and a greenbelt trail.
- The homes
- Platted in sections from 2001 to 2014. The address is Round Rock, but it sits outside Round Rock city limits, in the Brushy Creek MUD.
- Schools people ask about
- Round Rock ISD: Cactus Ranch Elementary, Walsh Middle School and Round Rock High School. Confirm by address.
- Getting around
- The way in is off FM 1431 on the west side of Round Rock.
- Nearby
- The Brushy Creek MUD's Sendero Springs Park and Pool on Pasada Lane, with a pool open year-round, a playground, a basketball court and a pavilion, and the Sendero Springs Greenbelt, whose trail connects to the Behrens Ranch Trail.
The method
How we do it in Sendero Springs
First-Time Buyers: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with James Brinkman?