North Austin time capsule offers scads of 1950s features

Home-bargain hunters consistently find themselves migrating north of late, and with good reason. Midcentury developments such as the one surrounding this nice find in North Oaks still boast a bounty of homes of their area—mostly midsized, low-slung ranch style houses—that are in decent to great shape (certainly not automatic teardowns, in any case) with quite reasonable asking prices.

As more home buyers are priced out of the central city, these North Austin enclaves are getting a second look as customers adjust their expectations. But the growth of these neighborhoods also reflects the increasing presence of employers, retail, and entertainment establishments in the area.

This ranch-stye home was built in 1958 and offers enough original features to take the decor back to that era but not enough that a buyer would feel compelled to. It measures 1,924 square feet and has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It has a large back patio with deck and built-in benches, as well as a charming front porch with a cutout-brick half-wall.

• 11901 Dove Haven Drive [Heather Witte, Keller Williams Realty]