Here’s what $550K 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: $550,000.

This two-story, frame house on a half-acre of land is located in the Hill Country enclave of Lake Ridge Estates, part of what is better known as the Cuernevaca area—an eclectic neighborhood of old-school Austinites (or at least their homes) and newer buyers seeking still-reasonable prices (or places to build their McMansions) and not terribly far from Downtown. Built in 1979, the 2,110-square-foot house has three bedrooms and three bathrooms, two living areas, fireplaces, views from every level, and a large deck. It’s asking $535,000.

By way of contrast, here’s a two-story, freestanding home (one with a unit number and a monthly HOA fee, but not called a condo in the listing) in the south central Dawson neighborhood just off South First Street. The newly built home measures 1,050 square feet and has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Its curb appeal comes from a tiger-wood and steel carport; it also has white oak hardwood floors, quartz counters, and high-end fixtures and finishes for an asking price of $549,000.

This Central East Austin house, built in 1984, sits on a hill overlooking Rosewood Street, which is both convenient and busy. On the upside, the hill provides some distance, and the home is located across from green grounds of Kealing Middle School and just up the street from a park. The single-family home has three bedrooms and one bathroom and measures 1.076 square feet and is asking $535,000.

A true Downtown condo, modest but well-placed in the Seaholm District, is asking $544,000 (plus $397/month HOA fees) at the moment. It has a sweet terrace (950 square feet compared to the condo’s 650 square feet indoors) and features hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, quartz counters, and a reserved parking space. Building amenities include a 24-hr concierge, a gym, a lavish pool deck a pet-washing station, fire pits, and grills.

A two-story, single-family home located in the Eastside Windsor Park neighborhood is at the other end of this week’s price and size scale, with 2,228 square feet looking for $530,000. The four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom house has been remodeled and updated and features contemporary fixtures and finishes, including granite counters and stainless steel appliances.