Considered the Best Schools in Austin

Greater Austin has a number of communities with OUTSTANDING schools--many of which have exceptional national ranking. Here are a few of my top recommendations and some information about the communities to help you think outside the box about what is important to you and your family. 

Eanes Independent School District (ISD) is often considered to be one of the best school district in Central Texas. If you casually ask any local for "the best schools" you will likely be told "Check out Eanes". Eanes ISD has 100% exemplary rated schools--though it has only 9 schools in the district, making it one of the smaller school districts in our area. Westlake High is consistently rated among the nation's top 100 public high schools in the nation. But Eanes ISD has another feature that elevates its reputation in the community--it is very close to downtown Austin. And, this feature comes with a price. Finding a large home, newer home and home with maximum privacy and lot size in Eanes is not out of the question--but in any given target budget--the trade-offs begin. Many of the homes here are older custom homes, and remodeling is common. The commute to downtown will be 10-20 minutes for much of Eanes ISD, and walk-ability is good in many of these communities (low traffic; family oriented communities). Homes in Eanes ISD can typically range from $600-800,000, with many homes in the $1-5MM range. Communities in the Eanes school district include the Rob Roy subdivisions, the Westlake subdivisions, Davenport Ranch, Seven Oaks, and many, many smaller communities.

There are other communities in the Greater Austin area with outstanding (Exemplary Rated) schools as well. Westwood High School is also rated in the Top 100 HS's in the nation. There are approximately 29,000+ public High Schools in the US today, so being in the top 100 is a big deal. Westwood HS communities include a number of neighborhoods in the North West Austin area. The commute to downtown is an approximate 20-25 mins, so this is still fairly close to all things Austin. And no part of West Austin is more than 20-30 minutes from Lake Travis (the largest of our lakes). The challenge for the luxury market in this part of Austin is size and age of the homes. The homes in this part of Austin tend to be older and smaller. Finding a home that is larger than 4000 sf is possible, but the choices are limited. Homes in this part of NW Austin are most often found in the $300-400,000 range, while homes can price and sell for up to near $1M. Communities in the Westwood High school district include Oak Forest, Balcones, Great Hills, Spicewood Hills, Canyon Creek, Laurel Canyon, and many others.

The third area of choice is one that I might quickly push to the top of recommended communities to consider. I would characterize this area as "The New Eanes".  Everyone knows someone who lives here, but the people who live in this part of Greater Austin can sincerely appreciate how much this community is a blending the all good things in our city. This part of Austin is known to Realtors as "River North", as it sits just above the Colorado River (that's Lake Austin to us locals), and just below the main body of Lake Travis. There are a hand full of larger communities and a several smaller communities here. Some of Austin's newest and most highly rated schools can be found here. It is here in River North that one of our best known master planned communities, Steiner Ranch, is located. Situated in the southern reaches of the Leander ISD, homes here are about 20-35 minutes from downtown Austin, and just minutes to both Lake Austin and Lake Travis. This area has all Exemplary rated schools. Parents, teachers and administrators are dedicated to the excellence of the the students coming out of these schools. And although the dirt in River North is not cheap, it can be more affordable than communities closer to downtown. This area affords outstanding schools, larger lots, bigger homes, views of the lakes, lake access, and two of Austins best known golf courses. Backing to the Balcones Preserve, this area brings the Texas Hill Country into clear focus. Homes in River North average in the $400-500,000 range, with homes that easily extend into $2.5-3M range. Most Prominent communities in the River North area include Steiner Ranch, River Place, Westminster Glen, Glen Lake, Long Canyon and others.

No matter what you are looking for in the Austin Luxury market, from $400k to $MM, we have options for you, and all the amenities and features that you want in a home. If you are looking for a home in our area, or you are considering selling your home in the Greater Austin area--Give me a call. Let's talk about your Real Estate needs.

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