This article is intended to provide helpful information to use when looking to purchase a condo or a loft.  I believe I am uniquely positioned to provide this information with my experience as a Realtor and as a current association manager for condo complexes.  This is an extensive topic and you are likely to have questions after reading this.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me with your questions or comments.  Also, as always, I’m available to research what condo or loft might work best for your situation.  I can show you listings that interest you and advise you on your purchase, all at no cost to you as a buyer.

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A hike and bike trail is coming to East Austin!  The portion that goes through East Austin is called the Southern Walnut Creek Hike & Bike Trail. If you have east Austin property you’ll find this pretty interesting.  It is the third phase of a big project the city is working on to create an alternative transportation route through the city.  The project is being handled by the City of Austin’s Public Works department because it is an alternative transportation route.  The city received an 8 million dollar federal grant to create this artery for bicycles and foot traffic. East Austin property owners will have anther way to get around.

The trail will be a 12 foot wide concrete path to accommodate bicycles.   I’ve talked to a Public Works department official that told me the third phase is in the preliminary engineering phase currently and moving into the design phase in the next 6 months.  They expect to start breaking ground hopefully 18 months from now.  They have started to set the alignment for the trail that will mainly follow Walnut Creek through the city near east Austin property.  The portion that is the Southern Walnut Creek Trail should go behind the YMCA on 183 & 51st and then go southwest down to Govalle Park and then connect up to the Town Lake Trail.

It’s exciting to see this kind of park development on the East Side!  I’ll update this post when I hear more.

East Austin Property & the Trail

East Austin property owners should really enjoy this park once it’s inplace. Such city improvements can improve home values as well.

Neighborhoods-Checking Out Your Future Surroundings.

East Austin’s character and strength is in its diversity.  East Austin properties have a wide range of style and value. All kinds of people have decided to make East Austin their home.  With this diversity comes different cultures with different attitudes about how to live, work and play.  Neighborhoods are microcosms of the diversity present in the people.  Therefore it’s important to check out the area when looking at east Austin properties to really get a feel for where you will potentially live.  Try and check out the neighborhood at different times during the day and night.  Use your senses…ask questions…What do you see going on?  Drive around with the radio off to hear what’s going on, what do you hear?  Are there people outside?  Are they arguing, talking, having a party? What are the neighbors doing?  Check out some maps for proximity to city facilities, train tracks, vacant land, and flood plains.  Are there planes going overhead?  Do you ever hear a train?  Any strange smells?  Remember you are going to live there during all times of the day and night so it’s important to get a feel for what’s going on around the clock.  Talking to the neighbors of the east Austin properties is another excellent way to learn about the neighborhood…and your potential new neighbors!  What do they think of the neighborhood?  Ask them about crime, or bad neighbors (hopefully not them!), what positive things are happening in the neighborhood? What negative things are happening or have happened?

I will be working on writing articles about the various neighborhoods in East Austin.  Each one is unique and has its own character.  If anyone would like to contribute ideas or thoughts about a neighborhood on the East Side please feel free to contact me.

Older Construction

Sometimes it really is the case that they don’t make them like they used to…sometimes it’s not!  When looking at an older home of the East Austin homes for sale it’s important to keep in mind issues that could affect the livability of the house as well as the resale value.  Here are some issues to be aware of in older construction:

Older Construction Material

Watch out for asbestos in older siding, drywall mud, and mastic (glue) used for flooring applications.  Asbestos has been banned in construction use today but persists in older homes.  Asbestos containing material is generally not a hazard unless it is disturbed (ex. Removing old siding, drywall or flooring.)  Also lead based paint can be an issue for homes that were built before 1978.  Lead based paint is generally not a hazard unless it is ingested, so this can be problem with children, although most of this older paint is contained by the layers of paint that have since covered it up.

Older Home Systems

With east Austin homes for sale, older home systems such as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC (air conditioning), can of course break down or fail as they age.  It is important that these systems are checked by a qualified inspector so you can feel comfortable that these systems are in adequate shape and will last while you live in the structure.

Older Construction Codes

What was built back then wasn’t built with the same rules we have today!  As knowledge has been obtained through the years, the construction codes have adapted as a result.  It is important to see what is up to code with the east Austin homes for sale and what is not so a determination can be made on the safety and importance of updating these out-of-date methods.  Some of these issues might not be a big deal at all, others can be potentially dangerous.  Again a knowledgeable inspector will notice these code issues and report on what should be fixed.

Foundations of East Austin Homes

Put bluntly, East Austin does not have the best soil for foundations (see East Austin Soil).  Because of this, foundation issues can be a fairly normal issue in an East Austin home transactions in this area.  So it helps to know as much as you can.  This issue can be dealt with and it shouldn’t be considered a deal breaker…but it should be handled like the important issue it is!  A lot of east Austin homes will have had work done already and will come with a transferable warranty, others will need work, and others will not.   It is important to have an inspection performed by a qualified inspector that can see signs of foundation movement and do elevation tests on the floor to determine if the foundation has moved and if so, how much.

East Austin Soil (Note)

The clay content of East Austin soil is fairly high which can cause the soil to shrink and swell as the amount of moisture changes in the soil.  This can generally be controlled by stabilizing the amount of moisture that goes in and out of the soil.  Some ways to do this is installing a gutter system and ensuring the water runs away from the foundation, and keeping a healthy lawn…this prevents evaporation of moisture from the soil in the summer and helps maintain uniform levels in the winter, water the lawn during the dry times and try and keep an overall uniform level of moisture during all seasons.

Looking at east Austin homes you can learn to see tell-tale signs of foundation movement as well.  Some of these signs include:

Exterior

-Masonry or Stucco cracks on the exterior of the structure.

-Driveway that is extremely out of level and cracked (driveway slabs are usually thinner than the house foundation, but this could be an indication of movement that could be affecting the foundation).

-Yard that slopes towards the house. (If the yard has been like this for a long period of time, the drainage up against the house could affect the foundation by throwing off the uniformity of the moisture in the soil).

Interior

-Drywall stress cracks near the doors in windows.

-Out of level doors and windows, sticking doors and windows.

-Warped flooring, out of level flooring (A good test is to bring a small rubber ball with you and roll it on the floor…if it’s out of level the ball should go to the lowest area).

Foundation Types

There are generally two types of foundations that you will come across on the east side of Austin:

1.    Pier & Beam

2.    Slab

Pier & Beam foundations have piers that go into the ground and beams that rest on top of them.  They should have a crawlspace under the house to access plumbing and other house systems.   You should be able to recognize these foundations by the vents for the crawlspace going around the exterior bottom of the house.  This type of foundation construction has its advantages and disadvantages of east Austin homes.  One big advantage is the crawlspace access.  The plumbing and other systems are accessible which means doing additions or remodeling can be easier and less costly because of this accessibility.  Also, if the foundation moves it can be adjusted fairly easily and plumbing and other systems that are exposed are fairly easy to fix if the foundation repair causes problems.  The disadvantage to this construction is that Pier & Beam foundations have the potential to move around more than a heavy concrete slab.

Slab foundations are concrete slabs usually reinforced with steel reinforcement bars (rebar) inside the concrete that the house sits on…there is no crawlspace to access.  The advantage to a slab foundation is the overall stability of it…made with thick concrete and reinforced with steel this foundation resists movement generally better than a Pier & Beam foundation.  The disadvantage to this construction is the potential for costly repairs if it does move.  Plumbing is run through the slab so if the slab moves or cracks the plumbing could have issues too.  When a foundation repair is made the pipes could crack inside the slab causing a costly repair expense.  The foundation repair companies will not pay or warrant for this expense if it is to happen.

This is an issue that has gotten much better as East Austin has been redeveloping but it can still not be ignored.  Most crimes on the east side are indeed petty such as small theft, breaking into cars, etc.  But there are cases of homes being broken into, cars being stolen, and even the rare violent crime.  This is another big reason to check out the neighborhood at various times during the day and night and to talk to the neighbors…it’s a great way to get a feel for the crime situation if any.  Neighbors will generally not have a problem talking about any issues that have happened…sometimes to the point of talking your ear off!  Also, ask the seller of the east Austin real estate if they’ve had any issues…they need to disclose if they have had problems and it’s a great way to find out any history of problems.   Ask if there is a crime watch present in the neighborhood.  If not, is there a neighborhood association or homeowner’s association that could help in facilitating this?  Also, the Austin Police Department has a website that you can check all recent crime in the neighborhood.

Here’s the URL:

http://coagis1.ci.austin.tx.us/website/CrimeViewer/viewer.htm

It’s best to use Internet Explorer on this site.  You can search by address or draw a rectangle and have the system search in those parameters.

I also found a useful tool from the Austin American Statesman to find out about crime in the area.  I actually think this works better than the APD tool.

Here’s the URL:

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/local/spotcrime/index.html

East Side Involvement

The rapid changes occurring in East Austin provide good reason to become involved in the process and have your voice heard.  The city provides community outreach during their planning process so citizens can take part in how their community is shaped.  Numerous neighborhood associations are active in this process in order to contribute to the change that is occurring to East Austin communities and their East Austin real estate.

Here’s a link to the various neighborhood planning areas provided by the city:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/zoning/planning_areas.htm

These neighborhood planning areas should each have a neighborhood contact team that works with the city to recommend various plans and actions in the planning area.   These contact teams are composed of people from multiple neighborhoods because the planning areas are sections of the city that encompass multiple neighborhoods.  Becoming involved and attending the contact team meetings is a great way to meet other proactive people in the area and have a voice in the process.

East Austin Real Estate HOA

Also, check and see if there is a neighborhood association or homeowner’s association in the neighborhood where you are looking to buy a home.  Becoming involved and attending the meetings for an association like this is the first step in being an active participant on how the neighborhood implements rules, establishes new policies, or adapts to events occurring in the neighborhood or in the immediate area.