When I have an initial consultation with new buyers moving to Austin, one of the questions I ask is whether or not they need a garage. The answer is often “of course, I need a garage – why would a house not have a garage?” Understanding there are areas of the country where everyone has one, I explain that, in Austin, garages can be somewhat of a luxury item depending on where in this fair city one wishes to live. There are many homes that have garages, but some areas in Austin began development in the early 1900’s and simply don’t. Houses found in neighborhoods like Travis Heights and Hyde Park for example, have the charm and warmth of yesteryear, and often don’t have garages.
Within the City of Austin roughly 15% of houses that are actively on the market, do not have garages. With condos, about 38% of the active real estate market in Austin to do not have garages. Overall that percentage may seem rather low, but in certain subdivisions the percentage is much higher. In the last 90 days in the Travis Heights subdivision, 7 out of 18 houses for sale did not have a garage. Remember not garages are created equal either. I’ve seen many that are ready to fall over.
Moving to Austin
It’s very hard for people to live without a garage when they have always had one. With roughly 25,000 people moving to Austin in the next year from all over the country, it is important to understand what new Austin buyers are expecting and need so the criteria can be set rather than an assumed. As I have stated, not all garages are created equal, but I can search for houses and even condos that have a garage. With some flexibility, finding a garage in Austin does not need to be a needle in a haystack. Just don’t ask for a basement – because that, on the other hand, is a very small needle.
I have selected random subdivisions in Austin Texas real estate market areas and listed current data on active listings. The data is subdivision specific, so there may be additional homes available for purchase in the neighborhood. Average Days on Market below 90 days are considered Seller’s markets, because homes are moving quickly. Austin neighborhoods with homes on the market between 3 and 6 months are considered neutral.
I have been showing many condos lately in and around Austin’s popular 78704 zip code. 
