Here’s what $350K buys around Austin

Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a column that explores what one can rent or buy for a set dollar amount in various Austin neighborhoods. Is one person’s studio another person’s Shangri-la? Let’s find out! Today’s price: $350,000.

A 985-square-foot condo overlooking North Lamar Boulevard and the Shoal Creek greenbelt on the edge of West Campus, asking exactly $350,000, offers easy access to the central city as well as the possibility of nifty views. The open-concept loft has one bedroom, one bathroom, and contemporary design elements that were all the rage when it was built (2007) and still hold up fairly well, in this case—exposed steel beams, wood ceilings, polished concrete floors, and stainless-steel appliances among them. HOA fees are $235 per month.

If a two-story, detached condo with a small yard is more to your taste, this new one in the MLK-183 neighborhood offers two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms in a 905-square-foot space for an asking price of $350,000 with no HOA fees. The contemporary home has several energy-efficiency features, hardwood and concrete floors, high ceilings, and stainless appliances and quartz counters in the kitchen.

This detached condo, built in 2002 and located on St. Elmo Road in the West Congress area of the happening 78745, reads more like a single family home than most of its ilk. The single-story, 1,285-square-foot house has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a private yard, and a two-car garage—and the $300 monthly HOA fees cover the lawn maintenance that can be the downside of owning a house. It has hardwood floors, an open living area-kitchen plan, and a large master suite. The asking price was recently reduced by $15,000, to $350,000.

Via Redfin

If location and style are more important to you than size, a 677-square-foot condo in Zilker—on Barton Springs Road, direct access to the greenbelt, and a short walk along Barton Creek to the southern shore of the lake, no less—could be the ticket. The upgraded unit has hardwood floors, an open floor plan, community amenities that include a pool and 24-hour fitness center, and HOA dues of $226/month that cover (and please use this term) valet trash. If you still feel the need to own a car after snapping up the $350,000 home, it also comes with a private parking space.

A two-story townhouse in Northwest Hills, priced at $350,000, walks the line between location and square footage fairly well. It has two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms in 1,390 square feet as well as a fireplace, a wet bar, and a balcony with treetop views. Located in a stucco-clad complex built in 1972, the unit is directly across from the pool and has two carport space in back. HOA fees are $329 per month.