Relocating to Austin TX?

If you or someone you know is thinking about relocation to Austin TX. I encourage your inquiries!

I am a transplant to the Austin area from Massachusetts and have been in Austin for 15 years and selling Real-estate in the Central Texas area for 12 years.

I have extensive relocation experience both listing houses and representing buyers who are relocation to the area. I have the following designations for relocation education: GMS, CRP as well as my GREEN designation in effort to become more aware and proactive in social preservation.

Austin is a unique place even w/in the boarders of Texas. We are central to most of Texas main destination cities and boast "hill country" and 'Lakes region" that have been entertaining Texans, as well as visitors from other parts of the world, for generations.

There is a lot of different things that bring people to Austin (not in ranked order)

1)   Capital of Texas
2)   Music and social life style
3)   F-1 racing at its best
4)   Lakes and recreation
5)   Easy relaxed lifestyle
6)   Affordability
7)   Climate
8)   Education
9)   Employment
10) Location

Austin is a great place to be relocation. it has a vast and varied real estate market affording newcomers with all ranges of budgets. several of the school systems (or Independent school districts ISD's as they are known in Texas) are a welcome change to a lot of transferees.

Taxes - in Texas we do not have a state income tax :)!! However we do have 2 other taxes :(

A) Sales tax - state mandated at 6.25% with a 2% taxing authority discretion. In most cases you will find the sales tax to be 8.25%

B) Property Tax - This can be a shocker if you are not aware of it but you have to look at the whole picture.

Tax % rates vary according to the taxing districts (usually based on what county you are in) I have seen rates between 1.8% to 3%  based on 100% valuation of a properties value. Texas does offer a Homestead for your main residence as well as other exemptions and they are all covered in the link below.

These Taxes are made up of several components but majority of the tax is used to funds education with in that taxing jurisdiction.

When you consider that most other areas of the country have a similar property tax structure for education and services like ems, fire and police and an Income tax on top of it you really are a little better off but the 1st tax bill can be alarming if you are not expecting it.

I have included a link to the Texas 2013 Property tax guide for fuller explanation

State of Taxes property tax guide 2013

This is the 1st blog of this newly entitled site. I encourage questions, corrections, opinions and commentary. Please share my contact information with anyone looking for an unbiased assessment of the Austin and central Texas area.

Bob Kenney
Mobile: 512-922-4922

email: rkenney51@gmail.com