Why Is 78745 So Special?

(Or: The Zip Code That Proved I Should’ve Listened to Myself)

When I first got into real estate eleven years ago, you could buy a house four blocks south of Ben White on a third of an acre for about $250,000.

Let me be clear about what those houses looked like. They were older. They usually had one-car garages. Most were three bedrooms and one bathroom. Some had carpet that had seen things.

But they had character.

These were four-sides masonry homes, built during a time in American history when people actually took pride in building something that would outlive them. Smaller footprints. Solid bones. Real craftsmanship. The kind of homes that felt honest, even if the wallpaper wasn’t.

Fast forward to today and many of those same homes are being torn down. Not because they’re bad homes, but because the land has become so valuable that builders can scrape them, build new construction, and sell it for well over a million dollars.

And here’s where I get to stare dramatically into the distance.

I saw this coming.

Back then, everything just north of Ben White in 78704 that was in the same condition was selling for two hundred thousand dollars more simply because of the zip code. Same house. Same age. Same quirks. Different numbers on the envelope.

So I kept asking buyers one simple question:

Is living five or ten minutes closer to downtown really worth two hundred thousand dollars?

For most people, the answer was a hard no.

The clients who listened to that logic absolutely crushed it. They bought in 78745 when it was overlooked, and now they’re sitting on homes that have doubled or tripled in value.

My only regret is that I didn’t take my own advice and buy ten of them myself. Instead, I gained wisdom. Which, unfortunately, Wells Fargo does not accept as a down payment.

78745 is one of the most unique zip codes in Austin. It’s packed with neighborhoods that vary wildly in price, size, style, and condition more than almost anywhere else in the city.

The north part of 78745 can feel like living in the city. The south part of 78745 can feel like living in the country.

Same zip code. Totally different lifestyles.

That kind of range is rare. It means 78745 has something for just about everyone. First-time buyers. Remodel lovers. Custom home seekers. People who want chickens. People who want cold brew within walking distance.

It’s a zip code that grew up quietly, got discovered late, and is still evolving.

And if Austin real estate has taught me anything, it’s this:

The neighborhoods that feel like “the next logical step” usually end up being the ones everyone wishes they bought into sooner.

78745 has been doing that for over a decade.

I just wish I’d believed myself a little harder.