Haute Property

Chic new neighborhood puts the best of Austin right at your doorstep

The Isabella is coming in spring 2020.

Rendering courtesy of Legacy Communities

If you're searching for your next Austin dream home, it'll be well worth your while to consider The Isabella. The South Austin development, slated to debut in spring 2020, is comprised of 20 new Town and Country residences in the 78704 ZIP code.

The quiet neighborhood is surrounded by trees and within minutes of lifestyle amenities that truly allow you to work, live, and play close to home. The Isabella showcases a leading-edge architectural experience, integrated with designer finishes and an integrity of construction that is second to none.

Here are four reasons why you'll want to jump on these exciting new homes.

1. Location, location, location
Imagine being only 10 minutes from Zilker Park, Home Slice Pizza, and Alamo Drafthouse, or 15 minutes from Lady Bird Lake and downtown. When it comes to location, it just doesn't get much better than The Isabella. Everything cool that Austin has to offer is right at your doorstep and you can be right in the middle of all the action. Thanks to the site being at the end of Valley View Road, residents will have protection from through traffic and can have a tranquil home base.

2. Lots of layouts
Though there are only 20 homes, there are plenty of floorplan options available to complement your lifestyle. Square footage spans 1,052-2,101, from two-bed two-bath to three-bedroom three-and-a-half-bathroom floorplans. Considering all this space, the base prices are still incredibly affordable, beginning at $395,000 and going up to $650,000. As a special perk, each home will have its own two-car garage, with select units also boasting a private yard — something very rare for the area.

3. Fine finishes
Warm wood, trendy brass fixtures, and sleek cabinetry — only the chicest materials get the go-ahead for The Isabella's interiors. Each room in your home will look magazine-worthy with minimum effort, thanks to three interior finish collections that have been hand-selected by design firm Brewer Design Solutions.

4. Awesome amenities
Hate doing yard work? Say hello to maintenance-free landscaping for all grounds, including your private yard. That leaves you free to enjoy the open green space that's reserved exclusively for resident use, and playing in the generously sized dog park.

Highlands Realty has the listing, and can help you reserve your favorite unit with a $5,000 refundable deposit. This coming June, you can move on to the contract stage to begin picking out your finishes and envisioning how to make The Isabella home. One short year after that, it'll be time to start planning your housewarming party.

Reach out to Highlands Realty at 512-377-1863 or visit The Isabella's website for more information.

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buying in the big city

Austin ranks among 20 best large U.S. cities for first-time homebuyers

14608 Minifee Street, Austin home for sale

Photo courtesy of Zillow

This charming home in far East Austin is on the market for $310,000.

As Austin's real estate market slowly bounces back after several years of high housing prices, a new WalletHub analysis has revealed it is the 19th best large U.S. city for first-time homebuyers, and the No. 1 big city in Texas.

WalletHub's study ranked 300 U.S. cities across 22 metrics based on affordability, quality of life, and the status of each city's real estate market, including factors like active listings per capita, homeownership rates for millennials, and more. Cities were ranked overall and based on population size: Large cities with more than 300,000 residents; midsize cities with populations between 150,000-300,000 people; and small cities with fewer than 150,000 people.

Palm Bay, Florida ranked as the No. 1 best housing market for first-time homebuyers regardless of city size. Meanwhile, the report determined Tampa is the best large city for first-time buyers.

Austin earned a favorable No. 10 rank in the report's "real estate market" category, though it didn't earn quite such stellar rankings in the quality of life (No. 120) or affordability (No. 257) categories.

Despite the city's abysmal affordability ranking, there are many ongoing initiatives to bring more affordable housing to Austin. A local nonprofit recently broke ground on a new housing development specifically geared toward Austin's senior-aged LGBTQ+ community, and 104 deeply affordable tiny homes are currently under construction in southeast Austin.

Habitat for Humanity has also expanded its qualifications to help middle-income families buy homes in the city, and local nonprofit SAFE Alliance is developing its own affordable supportive housing community for family violence survivors.

Austin has the 9th highest rate of new home construction in the nation, with several more housing developments underway in some of the city's most popular suburbs, including Manor, Bee Cave, Bastrop, and Georgetown.

In the overall rankings — regardless of city size — Austin landed as No. 105 best place for first-time homebuyers out of all 300 U.S. cities.

According to the National Association of Realtors, only 24 percent of all home purchases in the nation were made by first-time buyers in 2024, down from 32 percent in 2023.

"Buying a home for the first time is a very stressful and difficult process, especially when housing prices are through the roof and interest rates have risen sharply in the past few years," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "The best cities for first-time home buyers not only are affordable both in terms of buying a house and living there afterward, but they also have a lot of housing choices as well as low crime rates and good schools."

Here's how other Texas housing markets fared in the report's ranking of the best large cities for first-time homebuyers:

No. 27 – Fort Worth
No. 31 – El Paso
No. 37 – Corpus Christi
No. 38 – Arlington
No. 39 – San Antonio
No. 51 – Dallas
No. 56 – Houston

austin real estate housing market first time homebuyers wallethub