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East Austin 1BR house
East Austin one-bedroom

Across Austin, 10 solid options for starter homes right now

From Northwest Hills to South Congress, housing prices in Austin continue to rise—but attractive, less expensive condos and houses are still available.

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East Austin one-bedroom

First-time Austin homebuyers with budgets in the $200,000 to $300,000 range should take heart in knowing they’re not totally screwed these days, as the following map aims to show.

From historic Clarksville to wildly popular South Congress, attractive houses and condos beckon newbie property owners with prices from the low $200,000s and up to—well, less than an arm and a leg, relatively speaking.

In fact, according to the Austin Board of Realtors, the median sales price for homes within Austin city limits was $405,093. So on those terms, the homes here could be considered bargains. Again, relatively speaking.

Take a look below and see where to find potential starter homes across the city of Austin right now.

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507 Hammack Drive

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Located in the Highland-Skyview borderlands, this single-family home 1950s home offers a central-city location convenient to North Lamar and Airport bus routes and the Highland ACC campus. (You’ll get used to the occasional volleys of gunfire from the nearby DPS practice ranges.) The 585-square-foot home has two bedrooms and one bathroom and recent recent updates including stainless kitchen appliances, new wood floors, and new exterior and interior paint. Price: $275,000

Exterior photo of a small, one-story home with a stone facade and a low hip roof.
507 Hammack Drive
Via Redfin

7402 Ceylon Court

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The price is right for calling this a “starter” home, but it might take a while to feel crowded out of its 1,268 square feet, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms. It was built in 1981 and has the prominent, two-car garage to prove it; it also has two stories and a large yard. It’s located in a Southwest Austin subdivision called Sunset, not far from Sunset Valley, and is about as far west as you’re going to find a single-family Austin home that fits the “starter” category. Price: $275,000.

A two-story wood frame house with a two-car garage dominating the front approach and a the second story set back on top of it.
7402 Ceylon Court
Via Redfin

9805 Oriole Drive

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This 1,023-square-foot home in the North Lamar neighborhood was built in 1971 but has been spiffed up with fresh paint and made move-in ready. It’s on a a cul-de-sac and has three bedrooms and one bathroom. Price: $239,900

A small, one-story, newish framed house with a gabled roof in front over a small entry porch. there are two windows on the right and one above the slightly recessed porch.
9805 Oriole Drive
Via Realty Austin

2200 Dickson Drive #218

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The price might be on the high end for a 884-square-foot “starter condo,” but hey, it’s in Bouldin Creek. It has bedrooms and two bathrooms, bamboo flooring, a glass-tile kitchen backsplash, granite countertops, two covered parking spaces, and expected community amenities. Price: $295,000, $294 HOAs.

Via Realty Austin

8506 Hathaway Drive #1

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An updated 1950s home on a shared Wooten lot now owned under a condo regime, this one-story house has two bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,034 square feet. Its retro charms include a bright kitchen with vintage tile and built in cabinets, wood floors, and more vintage tile and fixtures in the bathroom. Price: $285,000, $300 HOAs.

Via Redfin

6910 Hart Lane #210

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The exterior of this Northwest Hills condo complex doesn’t wow, but it looks like it’s in perfectly good shape. The interior is a livelier and comfortable looking. It’s an upstairs, two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit measuring 967 square feet. It has wood and tile flooring, two private patios, a fireplace, and an updated kitchen with stainless-steel appliances. Price: $225,000, $338 HOAs

6910 Hart Lane #210
Via Realty Austin

2103 Kenneth Avenue Unit A

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This 1,452-square-foot, two-story home in East Riverside has a unit designation, so it’s technically a condo, but it has no HOA fees—it’s possibly a detached, single-family house on a shared lot. It has tiled floors, a fireplace, and a deck, as well as three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Price: $249,000

2103 Kenneth Avenue Unit A
Via Compass

6000 South Congress Avenue

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A 598-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo on South Congress Avenue surely sounds about perfect to many nightlife- and convenience-lovers. This one has smart features, an open floor plan, high ceilings, lots of light, granite countertops, and stainless-steel appliances. Price: $205,000, $119 HOAs.

807 Blanco Street Unit 303

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It would be a sad roundup of this sort that didn’t include a cute Clarksville condo. This one is in a throwback-looking 1950s complex but looks on-trend and updated inside. It has one bedroom and one bathroom, quartz counter tops and stainless-steel appliances, and laundry facilities in the unit. Price: $305,000, $119 HOAs.

807 Blanco Street Unit 303
Via Compass

800 Embassy Drive #432

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If there’s anything that can make you feel more like a young urban sophisticate than an apartment in which your bed is separated from the living room and kitchen only by a smartly designed, well-curated set of bookshelves, it’s gazing at the skyline from the apartment’s generous windows. All of that can happen in this 575-square-foot Embassy condo in Central East Austin. Price: $310,000, $322 HOAs.

507 Hammack Drive

Located in the Highland-Skyview borderlands, this single-family home 1950s home offers a central-city location convenient to North Lamar and Airport bus routes and the Highland ACC campus. (You’ll get used to the occasional volleys of gunfire from the nearby DPS practice ranges.) The 585-square-foot home has two bedrooms and one bathroom and recent recent updates including stainless kitchen appliances, new wood floors, and new exterior and interior paint. Price: $275,000

Exterior photo of a small, one-story home with a stone facade and a low hip roof.
507 Hammack Drive
Via Redfin

7402 Ceylon Court

The price is right for calling this a “starter” home, but it might take a while to feel crowded out of its 1,268 square feet, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms. It was built in 1981 and has the prominent, two-car garage to prove it; it also has two stories and a large yard. It’s located in a Southwest Austin subdivision called Sunset, not far from Sunset Valley, and is about as far west as you’re going to find a single-family Austin home that fits the “starter” category. Price: $275,000.

A two-story wood frame house with a two-car garage dominating the front approach and a the second story set back on top of it.
7402 Ceylon Court
Via Redfin

9805 Oriole Drive

This 1,023-square-foot home in the North Lamar neighborhood was built in 1971 but has been spiffed up with fresh paint and made move-in ready. It’s on a a cul-de-sac and has three bedrooms and one bathroom. Price: $239,900

A small, one-story, newish framed house with a gabled roof in front over a small entry porch. there are two windows on the right and one above the slightly recessed porch.
9805 Oriole Drive
Via Realty Austin

2200 Dickson Drive #218

The price might be on the high end for a 884-square-foot “starter condo,” but hey, it’s in Bouldin Creek. It has bedrooms and two bathrooms, bamboo flooring, a glass-tile kitchen backsplash, granite countertops, two covered parking spaces, and expected community amenities. Price: $295,000, $294 HOAs.

Via Realty Austin

8506 Hathaway Drive #1

An updated 1950s home on a shared Wooten lot now owned under a condo regime, this one-story house has two bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,034 square feet. Its retro charms include a bright kitchen with vintage tile and built in cabinets, wood floors, and more vintage tile and fixtures in the bathroom. Price: $285,000, $300 HOAs.

Via Redfin

6910 Hart Lane #210

The exterior of this Northwest Hills condo complex doesn’t wow, but it looks like it’s in perfectly good shape. The interior is a livelier and comfortable looking. It’s an upstairs, two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit measuring 967 square feet. It has wood and tile flooring, two private patios, a fireplace, and an updated kitchen with stainless-steel appliances. Price: $225,000, $338 HOAs

6910 Hart Lane #210
Via Realty Austin

2103 Kenneth Avenue Unit A

This 1,452-square-foot, two-story home in East Riverside has a unit designation, so it’s technically a condo, but it has no HOA fees—it’s possibly a detached, single-family house on a shared lot. It has tiled floors, a fireplace, and a deck, as well as three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Price: $249,000

2103 Kenneth Avenue Unit A
Via Compass

6000 South Congress Avenue

A 598-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo on South Congress Avenue surely sounds about perfect to many nightlife- and convenience-lovers. This one has smart features, an open floor plan, high ceilings, lots of light, granite countertops, and stainless-steel appliances. Price: $205,000, $119 HOAs.

807 Blanco Street Unit 303

It would be a sad roundup of this sort that didn’t include a cute Clarksville condo. This one is in a throwback-looking 1950s complex but looks on-trend and updated inside. It has one bedroom and one bathroom, quartz counter tops and stainless-steel appliances, and laundry facilities in the unit. Price: $305,000, $119 HOAs.

807 Blanco Street Unit 303
Via Compass

800 Embassy Drive #432

If there’s anything that can make you feel more like a young urban sophisticate than an apartment in which your bed is separated from the living room and kitchen only by a smartly designed, well-curated set of bookshelves, it’s gazing at the skyline from the apartment’s generous windows. All of that can happen in this 575-square-foot Embassy condo in Central East Austin. Price: $310,000, $322 HOAs.