Moving From California to Austin? You're Leaving Your Network Behind. Borrow Mine.
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When a California family calls me about Austin, the first questions are about houses. Which neighborhood, which schools, what the money buys. Those are the right questions, and I've written about each of them.
The question that shows up about a month after closing is a different one: who do we know here?
In California you had it figured out. A pediatrician you trusted. A contractor who called you back. The parents on the sideline at Saturday games. A few people you could call when something went sideways. A move leaves all of that behind, and it's the one part nobody plans for.
Here's the good news. Austin is an easy town to belong to once somebody opens the first few doors. I'm Cord Shiflet. I was born and raised in Westlake, and I've been selling homes on this side of Austin since 1997. Finding you the right house is my job. Making sure you aren't a stranger in it matters to me just as much.
I'm a seventh-generation Texan, and I've lived my whole life within a few miles of where I work. After almost thirty years of selling homes here, there aren't many doors on this side of town I can't knock on. Here's what that means for a family landing from Los Angeles or the Bay Area.
Inspectors, lenders, title, and movers before closing. After closing, the people you really need: a contractor, a pool company, a landscaper, somebody who can walk you through a property tax protest. These are people I've worked with for years. You get a name and a cell number, and they know you're coming.
If you have kids, I'll walk you through how enrollment and the school calendar work here, and I'll introduce you to parents who have already been through their first year. Families tell me the introductions to clubs and activities for their kids mattered as much as anything I did on the contract.
This is the part I'm proudest of. One family I helped move from California wrote that some of the locals I introduced them to are now close friends. Another, who came from New York, said half the friends they've made in Austin started with one of my introductions. You can read what clients say in their own words on my testimonials page. I don't run a program. I know a lot of people, and I pay attention to who would get along.
Plenty of people who move here want to get involved and don't know where to start. Austin is a generous town. Whether your thing is kids, the arts, the outdoors, or helping after a disaster, I can usually put you in a room with the people doing the work. I joined the board of the Andy Roddick Foundation this year, and I've helped raise money for many nonprofits around town. I'm always happy to connect people with causes they care about.
This fall the National Association of REALTORS® named me a finalist for its 2026 Good Neighbor Awards, which recognize REALTORS® for volunteer work in their communities. I'm honored, and a little embarrassed by the attention, because the story is really about a lot of other people showing up.
I run a nonprofit called Cordonate. The idea is simple: when somebody is in a crisis, raise money fast and get every dollar to them, with no overhead. Over the years it has helped more than 2,500 kids in foster care. It also supports Santa's Cause, a Christmas party each year where foster kids are celebrated and go home with gifts from their own wish lists.
When the Guadalupe River flooded the Hill Country on July 4, 2025, I drove down the next day. I grew up going to that part of Texas. I asked my network for equipment, money, and hands, and people came. Hundreds of volunteers showed up with chainsaws and skid steers, and together we cleared the riverfront at Camp CAMP, a camp for children with disabilities, so it could reopen. Donations came to roughly half a million dollars.
I tell you this for one reason. It's the same thing I do for my clients, pointed at a different problem. I know who to call, and for some reason, when I call, people tend to show up.
Plenty of agents can open a lockbox and write a contract. If you're buying from California, often before you've spent a full week in Austin, you need more than that. You're choosing the person who will be your first phone call in a new city.
Ask any agent you interview three questions:
And if a house is wrong for you, I'll say so. I would much rather be the person who told you the truth and ended up your neighbor.
Look for deep local roots and someone who handles this move regularly. I was born and raised in Westlake, I've sold homes here since 1997, I served as 2022 President of the Austin Board of REALTORS®, and I'm a 2026 National Association of REALTORS® Good Neighbor Awards finalist. A big part of my week is helping California families land in Westlake, Tarrytown, and on Lake Austin, then introducing them around once they do.
Faster than you'd expect. Schools, kids' sports, neighborhood events, and volunteering are the usual ways in. I make introductions on purpose: to neighbors, to other families who made the same move, and to the causes and clubs that fit you. Past clients tell me many of their Austin friendships started that way.
Yes. I keep a short list of inspectors, lenders, title officers, movers, contractors, and other trades I've worked with for years, and I'll make the call for you. For schools and doctors, I'll connect you with families who can tell you about their own experience.
Yes. You'll hear a joke or two about it, and that's about the extent of it. In my experience, people who show up, get involved, and are good neighbors are welcomed quickly. I've watched it happen with a lot of California families.
Cordonate is the nonprofit I run to raise money quickly for people in crisis, with no overhead. It has helped more than 2,500 children in foster care and thousands of Central Texans after natural disasters, including the 2025 Hill Country floods. If you want a way to get involved in your new city, it's an easy place to start.
If Austin is on your list, call or text me at (512) 751-2673. No pressure and no commitment. Tell me where you're coming from, what you're looking for, and who you'd want to meet when you get here.
If you'd like to read up first, start here:
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Cord prizes trust. His clients trust him to value and protect their real estate investments. And how’s this for a bonus? He is fun to work with because he loves his work. Whether representing an A-list celebrity or Austin executive, Cord personifies Texas’ entrepreneurial spirit: Play hard. Have fun. Work harder.
CORD SHIFLET
EMAIL US: [email protected]
CALL US: (512) 751-2673
3825 Lake Austin Blvd., #501 Austin, TX 78703