You’re going to hear a lot of people talking about how awesome it is living in Austin Texas, and I’m one of them, but it is not all Skittles and rainbows here. I’m getting real about what I hate about living in Austin and I’m not going to say things like, “mm there’s too many trees here”, or “I can’t decide which brewery to go to”, I’m talking about my actual gripes!

Don’t get me wrong. This is my town and I love living here but Austin has its warts and we can’t just not talk about it. Let’s get started!

What I hate about living in Austin…

Con #1: Growth

I might take a lot of heat for saying this, but it has to be said; the growth in Austin, Texas is kind of a bummer! What I mean is, the look, aesthetics, prices and the community.

Downtown Austin used to be known for its boho vibe. It became a Mecca for artists because it was more affordable to live here and there was a ton of art. There is still a ton of art, but it’s no longer affordable and it’s not really boho. It’s crisp, clean, high end, expensive and there’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s definitely changing the scenery in the community.

My husband and I like to chill on the east side, which is more of a local indie kid kind of vibe, grungier bars, hole in the wall restaurants. Now when you go down East Sixth Street and East Fifth Street, its brand new apartments, literally 360 degrees. In every direction there are apartment centers, construction and huge cranes towering over you.

Con #2: Housing Costs & Housing Crisis

Another thing I hate is the housing costs and housing crisis. These two tie into the first point about the landscape and the community that is changing. Austin is growing, which is awesome, but housing prices are getting insane.

If you already own a house, this is great but it makes it really hard to buy a home in the city.
As of today, it’s hard to find a good home in the city under $700,000 and you are going to get a house that is like 900 square feet or maybe 1200 square feet. Which is not really big enough for a family or even a couple unless you have zero possessions, no interest and you just sleep and shower at that house.

Now interest rates have been going up all year and there was recently a big hike, which people are seriously talking about. Yes, we are seeing price reductions and more homes on the market but these homes are taking longer to sell. Overall there is more inventory and the environment is looking much better for buyers right now. There are definitely some changes happening due to high interest rates and who knows how long they’ll last or what the long term repercussions will be.

Most folks living in the city are renting. All this is doing is keeping people down because buying a home is one of the best ways to build wealth and renting isn’t going to do it. The sooner people can buy a home, the sooner they can gain financial stability and they can start saving money because they’re not worried about their rent going up every year.

When you own your home, knowing that your housing payments are going to be fairly stable over the next five, seven, ten years, however long you decide to stay in the house, it really opens up possibilities and lets you explore your options that you wouldn’t have as a renter.

Con #3: High Property Taxes

The third is high property taxes and this is annoying, but it’s not as big of a gripe as some of the other things that we’re talking about. The flip side of having no state income tax is the government has to get their money some way and they’re going to get it through property taxes. Texas has high property taxes and when you buy a home here, you need to factor that into your monthly payment.

In the city, the tax rate is going to be about 1.4%, in the suburbs the rate is closer to 2% and higher in new construction communities. There is a homestead exemption which really helps a lot. It reduces your taxes for your primary residence and it captures taxes at a 10% increase every year. But you have to have lived in the house for one year before that 10% cap kicks in. The first year you live in the house, your taxes are going to jump up pretty significantly. I had a client whose taxes increased so high that her monthly payment went up by $300 a month. So this is a gripe.

The property taxes are an issue, but honestly it’s not that big of a deal to me. I like my community parks. I like my libraries. I like it when potholes in the road get fixed. And I like the idea of expanding our public transportation system. What I really support is making our community better as a whole, especially when it comes to education. I’m happy to pay my property taxes if it’s going to make the people around me smarter.

Con #4: The Heat

Number four is the heat. There I said it, it gets really hot here and it can get really miserable after a while.

As of June 10th, we had already experienced more 100 plus degree days than we did in all of 2021. Last year we had a relatively mild summer and I guess we’re just making up for it this year. Today is June 23rd 2022 and just about every day since June 5th, it’s been 99 degrees or higher. It’s not going to improve until about mid to late September and by Halloween, we’ll be out of the nineties.

We don’t go outside for walks during the heat until about 8:30 at night and then it’s still 93 degrees outside. When you go to your outdoor patios, they are in the shade and you have the fans blowing with you everywhere. There’s not a whole lot that you can do outside, you just get used to it.

Con #5: Allergies

The fifth is allergies. Newcomers to Austin can find themselves with swollen eyes, itchy faces, a runny nose that goes on for months and asks like what the heck is happening. And those aren’t the only symptoms! You really feel like you’re sick. Somehow something gets in your brain and you have a foggy brain and you can’t think or operate. You are not really sure what’s wrong with you. It’s kind of like an alien has taken over. Those are the famous Austin Texas allergies.

Austin, Texas is rated in the top five worst places for allergies. It’s really unique in having three different pollen seasons.
In the fall, from August and November, we’ve got ragweed.
In the spring, February to June, it’s Oaks, Ash Elm and Pecan trees.
In the winter, it’s the worst, it’s Cedar fever.

The Cedar pollen counts in central Texas are the highest pollen counts of any plant anywhere in the world. Usually once a year, everyone in Austin has to get a steroid pack to deal with the insane allergies that are attacking your body and brain.

Allergies are serious here, even if you’ve never experienced them anywhere else, they may affect you here and there’s just not much you can do about it.

Con #6: No Mountains

This one’s kind of minor. There’s not really any mountains here and this is not as big of a deal as gentrification or not being able to breathe. But I really like hiking and I love the mountains. It’s one thing that I think is really missing from Austin. We’ve got hills and trails as well as lots of good places for mountain biking, walking and things like that. But there’s no real hiking in Austin, Texas. It’s one of the things that I don’t really love about living here.

Con #7: Guns

This is the last one and I know I’m also going to get a lot of hate mail for this. I don’t like guns and I know I live in Texas but I didn’t grow up around guns. I don’t like them and I’m not comfortable around them.

It makes me really uncomfortable that anyone in public can have a gun on them. I don’t know these people. I have no idea how stable that person is, how skilled they are, or what their views are. I prefer to not be around guns and I don’t like it that they’re so prevalent here.

These are my gripes about Austin, Texas and if you want to know some of the things that I love about Austin,Texas check out the blog Living in Austin Texas Pros and Cons  and if you’re thinking about moving to Austin, Texas, reach out to me and let’s talk.