Austin Front & Back House Condos

The community

Walk any rebuilding street in central Austin and you’ll see the pattern: a two-story modern home at the front of the lot and a smaller detached home tucked behind it. Legally they’re condominiums — the lot is split by a condominium regime so the two homes can be sold separately — but they live like single-family houses: no shared walls, separate entrances, private yard space. The city’s HOME code changes (2023–24) allow up to three units on most single-family lots, and the two-home version is what builders actually deliver.

Both homes hit the market as their own listings. The front house typically runs 1,500 to 3,000+ square feet. The back house is the interesting one: the site math usually lands it around 1,000 to 1,200 square feet — most are 2-bed/2-bath or smaller — which makes it one of the few ways to buy new in a central neighborhood without a central-neighborhood budget.

The homes

Finishes are usually the same builder, same spec, front and back — contemporary, light-filled, with the back homes often getting tall ceilings and glass walls to live larger than the square footage reads. Pricing as of July 2026: back homes have generally sold in the $400s–$600s and front homes from the $600s past $1.2M depending on the neighborhood (MLS activity — verify current listings).

The fine print is the condo regime itself. A two-owner association governs the shared elements — often the driveway, sometimes insurance on the structures — and the documents vary widely. Before writing an offer we read the regime declaration, confirm how insurance is structured, and check for older deed restrictions, which can override what city code allows. None of this is a reason to walk; it’s a reason to go in with eyes open.

Location, schools, and the drive

These builds cluster where lot values justify two homes: the east side broadly (East Austin), Bouldin Creek and south central, and north-central pockets like Crestview and Allandale. Schools are Austin ISD — verify by address. Buyers who want a standalone new home on its own lot should compare New Homes in Austin; the trade is simple — the front/back condo buys the same street for less, the standalone buys the whole lot.