Choosing the right school district is a big factor in your decision to move. But if private school is in the budget, Austin offers some of the finest private schools in the state. Before you move specifically for a school district, consider these elite private academies of learning.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal

Generally considered the best private school in the capital area, St. Andrew's Episcopal School, or SAS, serves grades 1-12 in its Lower (grades 1-6), Middle (grades 7-8), and Upper (grades 9-12) schools. Grades 1-8 share a campus in central Austin, while grades 9-12 attend school in the southwestern part of the city. SAS is known for its rigorous and broad academic program, which requires Upper School students to complete a "Junior Experience" ‒‒…

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College Station, home of the Aggies, and part of the booming Houston region, is a quietly conservative college town that likes to be the opposite of Austin. But the two cities share a few things in common, and one of those things is some of the finest new residential communities in Texas. College Station’s newest communities offer the increasingly attractive mix of urban lifestyle and suburban quiet in neighborhoods such as:

Village at Creek Meadows

The Village is the newest part of the Creek Meadows planned community and some of the finest in family and student living in College Station. This is a one-of-a-kind duplex community that pairs the huge living spaces with apartment complex amenities in a rural setting close to town. The two- and…

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Admit it, picking a real estate agent makes you nervous. Why wouldn't it? Your home is going to be one of your largest investments throughout your lifetime, and you want to find a quality Realtor who will make the most of your money for you. With all of the hype, marketing, friend referrals, client reviews, Internet searches, etc., it can be a daunting task to sift through the massive amounts of available information to find the agent that fits your needs. Where do you even begin? Here are 5 tips for picking the perfect Realtor:

1. Verify the license.

Each state licenses and disciplines real estate agents via a specific board. In Texas, that board is the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC). You can easily determine if a prospective agent or…

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Just because the dog likes sticking his head out the car window on the highway, don’t assume that moving is going to be as easy or fun for him. The truth is, pets can sense moving stress and can become confused quickly by a move. In fact, as many as a third of all moved pets get lost at least once because they become confused or disoriented. More than that, the physical transportation of pets can be hard on them, or even dangerous if you’re not prepared. Take a few tips from the American Humane Society to protect your pets during a move.

Get New Tags Before You Move

Remember what we just said about a third of pets getting lost? Well, many of those end up at animal shelters, unidentified and anonymous, and never find their families again. Dogs,…

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Everyone knows that two of the biggest reasons cities and towns everywhere prosper and grow are education and job growth. Well, welcome to College Station, home of Texas A&M University (also affectionately known as Aggieland) and some of the state’s top job growth. When you see the numbers, it’s no surprise why the Houston Chronicle named College Station No. 7 on its list of most prosperous cities in Texas and why Fox and Hounds (despite being out in California) ranked College Station one of America’s best college towns/mid-sized cities for growth.

According to Fox and Hounds, TAMU’s 56,000-student presence has sparked major growth in the information and business services sectors, where employment since 2008 have expanded 18.2 percent and 14.2 percent,…

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The “FW” in DFW is often overshadowed by the size of the D that is Dallas. But Downtown Fort Worth is perhaps one of the best downtown business and living centers in the country. Unlike its more famous neighbor, Fort Worth eschews the L.A. vibe and corporate hustle-bustle of Dallas in favor of staying tied to its western roots. The people you meet in Downtown Fort Worth are generally friendly and laid back, adopting a live-and-let-live attitude for those who live or visit their city.

The city itself is a hub of businesses and industry, with a vaunted transit system, solid economy, and what just might be the best collection of art and culture in the entire Lone Star State. Living downtown puts you smack in the middle of art centers, from the Modern…

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You might have heard a thing or two about the growth of the Houston area. Well, it’s no mere PR spiel, Houston’s growth is epic, and it’s not slowing down.

A recent report by the Houston Chronicle looked at raw Census data and found that, to no one’s surprise, the Houston area is second only to New York City in the number of residents it has added since last year. However, there are two factors to consider: One,  Houston’s city population has expanded at a slower pace in the past three years than those of Fort Worth, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, despite adding more total residents; two, Houston itself is not growing as fast as the rest of Harris County. It is, in fact, Houston’s suburbs that are recording the staggering growth of the region, helped…

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The Best Steakhouse in San Antonio 

Located just north of San Antonio in the tiny town of Bulverde sits one of the best steakhouses in Texas; The Tejas Steakhouse & Saloon. The saloon itself is practically a western art gallery expertly decorated in authentic western pieces, paintings, and memorabilia. Atmosphere aside, if you take one bite into their famous “KC Steak”, a few nibbles of their “Green Pepper Mac & Cheese”, or a sip of just about any drink you could imagine from their bar selection, it’s easy to see how they were named Best Steakhouse in San Antonio by both SA Magazine and USA Today. 

   As if the award-winning steakhouse wasn’t enough to make you want to drop what you’re doing, jam the family in the car, and head off into the…

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We all know the appeal Austin has for college students looking for art and culture in Texas, from the 2014 X-Games to the SXSW Film Festival. But it’s easy to forget that Austin and its surroundings offer some excellent school districts for the kids.

Eanes ISD

The Eanes Independent School District is generally considered the best district in the capital area and is often ranked as one of the best in entire state, despite (or perhaps because of) its relatively small size. Eanes serves about 7,500 students from West Austin, Rollingwood, and West Lake Hills. Seven of its nine schools have been recognized as U.S. Blue Ribbon Schools and all nine have been designated Exemplary by the Texas Education Agency.

 

Lake Travis ISD

If Eanes has any…

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Okay, so you already know that Austin is booming, particularly with young people who are flocking to the millennial generation’s “it” city. But can you guess which end of Austin is growing the most?

If you said East Austin, good for you. According to the Austin Business Journal, fast-rising sale prices and overall home values are driving the economy in Central Texas, and East Austin is getting the biggest share of the boom. The area south of East Cesar Chavez Street between I-35 and Springdale Road, the journal notes, has seen median home values rise 44 percent to $241,400. That’s up from $159,000 and is by far the largest increase in the entire Austin area.

In addition, in the area bound by East Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Airport Boulevard,…

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