Silicon Hills: Moving to Austin
Jan 11, 2022, 12:19 pm
#1
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Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
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Silicon Hills: Moving to Austin
Background
In the past few years my fiancé and I have gone through many life changes. From getting Gumbo to having her relocate back to Dallas from Denver and more. Now we’re on to our greatest change yet! Thanks to a wonderful job opportunity for her, and my ability to work anywhere that’s near a large airport, we’re moving to Austin, Texas!
After almost 5 years in Dallas, it seems odd to be leaving but we are excited for this new adventure. What we’re not as excited about is the white-hot real estate market in the area. Thankfully, her new employer has put together a fantastic relocation package with a team of folks to help make this move as easy as possible, so we are off this week to meet our realtor for the first time, in-person, and start our house hunt.
As it seems to be the case across the country, and especially in Texas, inventory is flying off the market and even now, 2 days before we’re going to arrive, we have no idea what will still be available for us to see. For all we know, we could have a house by the end of the week or still be searching in the Fall. Hopefully the process isn’t too stressful, and I’ll do my best to document our trips to the area in this potentially open-ended trip report!
While both my fiancé and I are no strangers to Austin (she attended UT and we have made multiple trips there over the years) the city is changing so rapidly that I hardly recognize it each time I return. We have spent a lot of time out on Lake Travis and while we enjoy the lake, we want to be closer into the city for both commuting and leisure purposes. Because of our 100lb dog, some of our favorite areas such as Zilker, Tarrytown and Bouldin Creek are out of the running for lack of a fenced in yard within our price range. Our goal is to stay inside of “The Loop” but only the market and time will tell if we can find a property that fits our needs.
Thankfully, due to the ongoing Covid restrictions, our relocation window is essentially open ended. Thanks in advance for coming along for the ride and I’ll keep the index updated as new developments arise!
In this Trip Report
In the past few years my fiancé and I have gone through many life changes. From getting Gumbo to having her relocate back to Dallas from Denver and more. Now we’re on to our greatest change yet! Thanks to a wonderful job opportunity for her, and my ability to work anywhere that’s near a large airport, we’re moving to Austin, Texas!
After almost 5 years in Dallas, it seems odd to be leaving but we are excited for this new adventure. What we’re not as excited about is the white-hot real estate market in the area. Thankfully, her new employer has put together a fantastic relocation package with a team of folks to help make this move as easy as possible, so we are off this week to meet our realtor for the first time, in-person, and start our house hunt.
As it seems to be the case across the country, and especially in Texas, inventory is flying off the market and even now, 2 days before we’re going to arrive, we have no idea what will still be available for us to see. For all we know, we could have a house by the end of the week or still be searching in the Fall. Hopefully the process isn’t too stressful, and I’ll do my best to document our trips to the area in this potentially open-ended trip report!
While both my fiancé and I are no strangers to Austin (she attended UT and we have made multiple trips there over the years) the city is changing so rapidly that I hardly recognize it each time I return. We have spent a lot of time out on Lake Travis and while we enjoy the lake, we want to be closer into the city for both commuting and leisure purposes. Because of our 100lb dog, some of our favorite areas such as Zilker, Tarrytown and Bouldin Creek are out of the running for lack of a fenced in yard within our price range. Our goal is to stay inside of “The Loop” but only the market and time will tell if we can find a property that fits our needs.
Thankfully, due to the ongoing Covid restrictions, our relocation window is essentially open ended. Thanks in advance for coming along for the ride and I’ll keep the index updated as new developments arise!
In this Trip Report
- DAL-AUS via JSX
- JW Marriott Austin Downtown
- House Hunting in Austin
- AUS-DAL via JSX
- Race Weekend: Running the 3M Austin Half-Marathon and more House Hunting
- A Hectic February
- 3rd Trip is the Charm?: Back to Austin to Discuss New Builds
- A Mini Staycation: Marriott DFW Westlake
- Under Contract: Racing to Austin
- AUS-IAH-DEN via UA
- DFW-AUS via AA First
- W Austin
- Closing Time: Long Weekend in Austin
- AUS-SLC-DEN via DL
- Moving Week
- Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt Austin
Last edited by wakesetter93; Aug 24, 2022 at 9:15 am
Jan 11, 2022, 12:33 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Austin is one of my favorite cities to visit in the US (we have a few offices around there) and actually it's also one of my favorite airports in the US (mostly because you can walk to the car rentals I hate off airport, such a time suck, but also someone is always playing music and there's enough tasty food stuff around if you're there for a while, and the United club is new and shiny).
Jan 11, 2022, 12:39 pm
#3
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Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
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Austin is one of my favorite cities to visit in the US (we have a few offices around there) and actually it's also one of my favorite airports in the US (mostly because you can walk to the car rentals I hate off airport, such a time suck, but also someone is always playing music and there's enough tasty food stuff around if you're there for a while, and the United club is new and shiny).
Jan 11, 2022, 12:53 pm
#5
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Location: Austin, TX
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Thanks for the reccomendation! Though I;ve eaten at Cooper's in Llano and Salt Lick in Driftwood I wouldn't classify myself as a huge BBQ nut as I grew up in Louisiana. I do enjoy it from time to time and we take the boat out to Travis and Lake LBJ, will have to stop on the way!
Jan 12, 2022, 5:18 pm
#6
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so exciting and gl gl with this!!
even tsa pre??
even tsa pre??
Jan 12, 2022, 8:55 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
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Thanks!
And like I said, I can't speak to it directly but I heard security at AUS can get ridiculous at peak times.
Austin Airport Holiday Travel
And like I said, I can't speak to it directly but I heard security at AUS can get ridiculous at peak times.
According to the airport, "the Transportation Security Administration advises that travelers should arrive at least two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights."
The airport's security screening checkpoints open at 3:30 a.m., with TSA PreCheck and Clear screening available at Checkpoints 1 and 2 West.
The new security Checkpoint 2 East is now open during peak travel times near Southwest Airlines ticketing for all passengers going through general screening, the airport said.
The airport's security screening checkpoints open at 3:30 a.m., with TSA PreCheck and Clear screening available at Checkpoints 1 and 2 West.
The new security Checkpoint 2 East is now open during peak travel times near Southwest Airlines ticketing for all passengers going through general screening, the airport said.
Jan 12, 2022, 10:36 pm
#8
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: USA
Programs: SA Air, Air Canada, KLM, BA,Lufthansa, United, AA, Hawaiian, Air New Zealnd, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic
Posts: 777
Background
In the past few years my fiancé and I have gone through many life changes. From getting Gumbo to having her relocate back to Dallas from Denver and more. Now we’re on to our greatest change yet! Thanks to a wonderful job opportunity for her, and my ability to work anywhere that’s near a large airport, we’re moving to Austin, Texas!
After almost 5 years in Dallas, it seems odd to be leaving but we are excited for this new adventure. What we’re not as excited about is the white-hot real estate market in the area. Thankfully, her new employer has put together a fantastic relocation package with a team of folks to help make this move as easy as possible, so we are off this week to meet our realtor for the first time, in-person, and start our house hunt.
As it seems to be the case across the country, and especially in Texas, inventory is flying off the market and even now, 2 days before we’re going to arrive, we have no idea what will still be available for us to see. For all we know, we could have a house by the end of the week or still be searching in the Fall. Hopefully the process isn’t too stressful, and I’ll do my best to document our trips to the area in this potentially open-ended trip report!
While both my fiancé and I are no strangers to Austin (she attended UT and we have made multiple trips there over the years) the city is changing so rapidly that I hardly recognize it each time I return. We have spent a lot of time out on Lake Travis and while we enjoy the lake, we want to be closer into the city for both commuting and leisure purposes. Because of our 100lb dog, some of our favorite areas such as Zilker, Tarrytown and Bouldin Creek are out of the running for lack of a fenced in yard within our price range. Our goal is to stay inside of “The Loop” but only the market and time will tell if we can find a property that fits our needs.
Thankfully, due to the ongoing Covid restrictions, our relocation window is essentially open ended. Thanks in advance for coming along for the ride and I’ll keep the index updated as new developments arise!
In this Trip Report
In the past few years my fiancé and I have gone through many life changes. From getting Gumbo to having her relocate back to Dallas from Denver and more. Now we’re on to our greatest change yet! Thanks to a wonderful job opportunity for her, and my ability to work anywhere that’s near a large airport, we’re moving to Austin, Texas!
After almost 5 years in Dallas, it seems odd to be leaving but we are excited for this new adventure. What we’re not as excited about is the white-hot real estate market in the area. Thankfully, her new employer has put together a fantastic relocation package with a team of folks to help make this move as easy as possible, so we are off this week to meet our realtor for the first time, in-person, and start our house hunt.
As it seems to be the case across the country, and especially in Texas, inventory is flying off the market and even now, 2 days before we’re going to arrive, we have no idea what will still be available for us to see. For all we know, we could have a house by the end of the week or still be searching in the Fall. Hopefully the process isn’t too stressful, and I’ll do my best to document our trips to the area in this potentially open-ended trip report!
While both my fiancé and I are no strangers to Austin (she attended UT and we have made multiple trips there over the years) the city is changing so rapidly that I hardly recognize it each time I return. We have spent a lot of time out on Lake Travis and while we enjoy the lake, we want to be closer into the city for both commuting and leisure purposes. Because of our 100lb dog, some of our favorite areas such as Zilker, Tarrytown and Bouldin Creek are out of the running for lack of a fenced in yard within our price range. Our goal is to stay inside of “The Loop” but only the market and time will tell if we can find a property that fits our needs.
Thankfully, due to the ongoing Covid restrictions, our relocation window is essentially open ended. Thanks in advance for coming along for the ride and I’ll keep the index updated as new developments arise!
In this Trip Report
- DAL-AUS via JSX
- JW Marriott Austin Downtown
- House Hunting in Austin
- AUS-DAL via JSX
- Race Weekend: Running the 3M Austin Half-Marathon
Jan 12, 2022, 10:39 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: USA
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Posts: 777
Back to that house in San Francisco. If they would get somebody to power wash the house and driveway it would look so much better.
Jan 12, 2022, 10:53 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
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Enjoy Looking, I hope You find what the two, make that three, of you want. Yes, Austin is the most expensive market in Texas. Even where I live in Fort Bend County houses are sold as soon as they are listed, and many times with multiple offers. It's crazy!. Have fun in Austin, getting out of DFW is certainly a plus.
Not sure I caught your “House in San Francisco” reference though.
Jan 13, 2022, 8:40 pm
#12
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Jan 13, 2022, 8:48 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
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DAL-AUS via JSX
The day before our scheduled departure I received an email from JSX informing us of a slight change to our reservation along with some information on our flight. Fortunately the message had nothing to do with the flight itself but rather a change in the FBO from Signature Flight Support to a new private lounge solely for JSX flights. In addition to our flight information it also provided us with information on parking and rideshare options. There is no self parking available but valet is available for either $35 or $40 per day depending on what part of the email you read.
The next day I took Gumbo out to meet my fiance's parents near DFW around lunch before returning to the house and packing my bag. I also received an email from our realtor about a home that had hit the market earlier in the day that we wanted to see. I got a response that the sellers were requesting all offers by 7pm the same day at which point it would have been on the market for about 9 hours total. This is gonna be a fun trip.....
Around 3:10 we ordered an Uber for the short 10 minute drive over to the JSX hangar. Though they advertise being able to show up 20 minutes before departure I wanted to leave a little buffer as it was our first time flying with them in case of any hiccups along the way. Our Uber dropped us off right in front of the building and after a 2 minute check-in process where our bags were tagged and BP's printed we had roughly 20 minutes in their brand new Flagship facility. The lounge/check in area was extremely spacious but there wasn't much in the way of food and beverage. They had some small bottles of water as well two Keurig coffee machines but that was the extent of our choices. I'm not sure if this is a result of Covid or if they want to incentivise folks showing up just prior to departure. There were only a couple of other folks in the lounge as the 3:30p flight to Houston-Hobby had just finished boarding prior to our arrival. Though we were booked 14/30 there were only a couple of other folks in the lounge.
JSX Hangar
JSX Check-In
JSX Lounge
JSX Beverage Center
JSX operates two daily DAL-AUS roundtrips, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, therefore our aircraft had been on the ground in Dallas since 11:00 that morning. It was odd not having to track my inbound throughout the day to identify any delays. This however could be an issue if a flight goes MX or if a weather issue delays/cancels the flight.
JSX
XE 222
DAL-AUS (Dallas Love Field - Austin-Bergstrom International)
Seat: 3A (Business)
EMB-145LR (N242JX)
Scheduled: 4:00p-5:00p
Actual: 4:07p-4:44p
Starting around 3:30p there was a steady stream of pax checking in right up until the 3:40p cutoff. I sipped on a coffee and frantically refreshed Zillow until boarding was called. Security consisted of walking through a set of metal detectors before reaching the podium. The 2 pax in front of us both had issues with their boarding passes so instead of scanning the BP's, they went off of sequence number. After verifying us we walked out on to the tarmac and made a quick left turn where our Embreaer 145LR was waiting to take us to Austin. With no carry on luggage, boarding was a breeze and we settled into 3A and 3C for our very short flight. The intra-Texas JSX planes are in a 1-1 configuration with a table adjacent to the seat on the right side of the aircraft. The seats with the table have an additional upcharge so one can assume the table isn't for both pax in the row but my fiance was kind enough to let me use it.
This sure beats the TSA
JSX Ramp
The doors closed with a load of 12/30 and after a short taxi we were airborne. We took off to the northwest, overflying DFW before turning towards the south. Our FA had taken beverage orders before takeoff and as soon as we ascended through 10,000ft she began the service. I had a vodka soda with lime (didn't expect powdered lime) while my fiance had sparkling wine. After the beverage service she came through with a snack basket consiting of brownie brittle, green pea snack crisps and cheese straws and encouraged us to take as much as we wanted. Having not eaten any lunch, I went for the cheese straws and green pea snack crisps. The remainder of the flight I worked on this trip report as there was no Wifi on board and before long we were on descent into AUS. We circled around the airport and Circuit of the Americas and landed from the south where we had a quick taxi over to Signature Flight Support. Upon deplaining our bags were waiting for us and once inside the terminal we called an Uber over to the rental car center.
JSX Menu
National has a location at Signature Flight Support but I was unaware of this when making our reservation. Though I have noted it for future trips. Our Uber arrived quickly as he was dropping another passenger off at the FBO and we made the quick 15 minute drive from the general aviation part of the airport over to the main terminal and rental car center. Both the Executive and Emerald Aisles were looking rather barren but I managed to grab a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 23k on the odometer. After loading the luggage we made a quick stop at a nearby Torchy's before heading out to look at a few houses.
Pre house hunt fuel
The next day I took Gumbo out to meet my fiance's parents near DFW around lunch before returning to the house and packing my bag. I also received an email from our realtor about a home that had hit the market earlier in the day that we wanted to see. I got a response that the sellers were requesting all offers by 7pm the same day at which point it would have been on the market for about 9 hours total. This is gonna be a fun trip.....
Around 3:10 we ordered an Uber for the short 10 minute drive over to the JSX hangar. Though they advertise being able to show up 20 minutes before departure I wanted to leave a little buffer as it was our first time flying with them in case of any hiccups along the way. Our Uber dropped us off right in front of the building and after a 2 minute check-in process where our bags were tagged and BP's printed we had roughly 20 minutes in their brand new Flagship facility. The lounge/check in area was extremely spacious but there wasn't much in the way of food and beverage. They had some small bottles of water as well two Keurig coffee machines but that was the extent of our choices. I'm not sure if this is a result of Covid or if they want to incentivise folks showing up just prior to departure. There were only a couple of other folks in the lounge as the 3:30p flight to Houston-Hobby had just finished boarding prior to our arrival. Though we were booked 14/30 there were only a couple of other folks in the lounge.
JSX Hangar
JSX Check-In
JSX Lounge
JSX Beverage Center
JSX operates two daily DAL-AUS roundtrips, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, therefore our aircraft had been on the ground in Dallas since 11:00 that morning. It was odd not having to track my inbound throughout the day to identify any delays. This however could be an issue if a flight goes MX or if a weather issue delays/cancels the flight.
JSX
XE 222
DAL-AUS (Dallas Love Field - Austin-Bergstrom International)
Seat: 3A (Business)
EMB-145LR (N242JX)
Scheduled: 4:00p-5:00p
Actual: 4:07p-4:44p
Starting around 3:30p there was a steady stream of pax checking in right up until the 3:40p cutoff. I sipped on a coffee and frantically refreshed Zillow until boarding was called. Security consisted of walking through a set of metal detectors before reaching the podium. The 2 pax in front of us both had issues with their boarding passes so instead of scanning the BP's, they went off of sequence number. After verifying us we walked out on to the tarmac and made a quick left turn where our Embreaer 145LR was waiting to take us to Austin. With no carry on luggage, boarding was a breeze and we settled into 3A and 3C for our very short flight. The intra-Texas JSX planes are in a 1-1 configuration with a table adjacent to the seat on the right side of the aircraft. The seats with the table have an additional upcharge so one can assume the table isn't for both pax in the row but my fiance was kind enough to let me use it.
This sure beats the TSA
JSX Ramp
The doors closed with a load of 12/30 and after a short taxi we were airborne. We took off to the northwest, overflying DFW before turning towards the south. Our FA had taken beverage orders before takeoff and as soon as we ascended through 10,000ft she began the service. I had a vodka soda with lime (didn't expect powdered lime) while my fiance had sparkling wine. After the beverage service she came through with a snack basket consiting of brownie brittle, green pea snack crisps and cheese straws and encouraged us to take as much as we wanted. Having not eaten any lunch, I went for the cheese straws and green pea snack crisps. The remainder of the flight I worked on this trip report as there was no Wifi on board and before long we were on descent into AUS. We circled around the airport and Circuit of the Americas and landed from the south where we had a quick taxi over to Signature Flight Support. Upon deplaining our bags were waiting for us and once inside the terminal we called an Uber over to the rental car center.
JSX Menu
National has a location at Signature Flight Support but I was unaware of this when making our reservation. Though I have noted it for future trips. Our Uber arrived quickly as he was dropping another passenger off at the FBO and we made the quick 15 minute drive from the general aviation part of the airport over to the main terminal and rental car center. Both the Executive and Emerald Aisles were looking rather barren but I managed to grab a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 23k on the odometer. After loading the luggage we made a quick stop at a nearby Torchy's before heading out to look at a few houses.
Pre house hunt fuel
Last edited by wakesetter93; Jan 13, 2022 at 8:56 pm
Jan 14, 2022, 2:08 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: BAEC Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Gold (*G), DL Silver, Makers Mark Ambassador
Posts: 4,642