Keep Austin Boating
Color us surprised: Austin is one of the 10 best cities for boating in America
Labor Day weekend means millions of boaters across the country will be hitting the water. Though Central Texas may not have a reputation as a sailor's dream, Austin was just named one of the top 10 cities for boating.
Real estate brokerage firm Redfin, along with Discover Boating and The Weather Channel, analyzed waterfront property for sale, length of boating season, number of boat vendors and the largest boating communities. Austin comes in at No. 10 — the only Texas city to make the list.
Coming in at No. 1 is Miami, Florida, which also includes Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Tampa, Florida is ranked No. 2; and Minneapolis, Minnesota is listed at No. 3.
Though only 3.1 percent of Austin home listings are considered waterfront, Redfin notes that we enjoy boating weather almost year-round and points to Spicewood and Lago Vista as areas with additional waterfront property.
Cyndy Stewart, a Redfin real estate agent in Austin, lists a few other popular Austin-area neighborhoods for boaters. “Steiner Ranch is a popular place to live for those who like to boat, because it’s right in between both [Lake Travis and Lake Austin], and has a private boat launch into Lake Austin,” says Stewart. “Lakeway is another popular spot for boaters; it used to be where many people had vacation homes, but now it has become a place where people want to live full time.”
Stewart also notes that waterfront homes on both Lake Travis and Lake Austin are in high demand. Considering the median price of an Austin waterfront home is $455,000, you better start saving now.