re: What's the deal with Austin? expensive, traffic, and yard chickens?

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Definitely wouldn't compare the inner "cool" part of Austin to the Dallas suburbs. Austin is the best place to live in Texas if you want to have a good balance of city living and outdoors.

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Yep. Austin has what no other city in the region can offer. So naturally, people want to live here.

Home prices have gone up a ton in the past 5 years. And I agree, it's hardly affordable to live anywhere central unless you are very well off. I was fortunate enough to buy a house fairly central about 5 years ago when it was still a buyers market. My house has appreciated almost 50% since then, which is nuts. I could not afford to live in my neighborhood if I were to be buying today.

Traffic is bad, but they are working on it. Hopefully we'll get a good rail system in place in 20 years.