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New Construction Homes in Double Creek Crossing Near Austin, TX

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The average home price in Austin just crossed $700,000. Drive ten minutes north into Round Rock and that number drops to $525,000. Drive another few minutes east into a neighborhood called Double Creek Crossing and you can buy a brand new David Weekley home for well under $500,000, with a pool, pickleball courts, and front-yard maintenance included in your HOA.

I know what you're thinking: what's the catch? The lots are compact. The backyards are small. And legally, most of these homes are structured condos, which means you don't own the dirt under your foundation. But if you can live with a 31-foot lot and a turf backyard, you're getting new construction from one of my top six favorite builders in Central Texas, a tax rate around 1.8%, and resort-style amenities that just opened this year.

Aaron and I toured three floor plans today. One starts at $427,000. Another gives you a study and a bigger master for $493,000. The third, my personal favorite, is a two-story layout with a walk-in shower so big I got jealous standing in it. We're going to walk you through all three, then sit down and talk real numbers: base price, upgrades, incentives, and what it actually costs to close on one of these homes.

Round Rock has local schools, low property taxes compared to Austin, and more retail within a ten-minute drive than most people need in a month. Double Creek Crossing puts you closer to downtown Austin than some of the older Round Rock neighborhoods people have been buying in for years. If you've been priced out of Austin proper and you're wondering where to land, this is the kind of place that makes sense.

Double Creek Crossing: New Construction in Eastern Round Rock
Round Rock: The Suburb That Saves You $175,000
Which Neighborhood Is Right for You?
Final Thoughts: Why We Only Film Six Builders

Double Creek Crossing: New Construction in Eastern Round Rock

Double Creek Crossing sits in eastern Round Rock, about ten minutes from downtown and right down the street from an H-E-B. The builder is David Weekley Homes, and they're putting up around 300 homes across three phases. Phase one is nearly complete. Phase two is just starting. Right now they've sold 70 to 75 homes total, so this is early days. If you're serious about this area, you need to reach out sooner rather than later, because once people figure out you can get new construction this close to Austin for under $500,000, inventory is going to move.

Prices start in the low $400s and run into the mid $500s depending on the plan. The entry-level option, a three-bedroom, three-story home with a game room on the third floor, starts at $427,000. The mid-tier plan, a four-bedroom with a study, starts at $493,000. The two-story layout I'd choose starts at $538,000. Those are base prices. Plan on adding about 10% back into the home in upgrades, $40,000 to $50,000, to get the finishes you actually want. The builder is offering incentives right now, and we can sit down with you and the sales team to squeeze out every dollar they're willing to give.

HOA runs $200 to $210 a month, which might sound high until you realize it covers front-yard maintenance. You're only responsible for mowing your backyard. A lot of buyers are putting in turf and rocks back there and calling it done. The tax rate is around 1.8%, which is excellent. Anything under 2% in this market puts you ahead.

Amenities are brand new: pool, pickleball courts, playground, pavilion, and walking trails. The streets are named after tennis players, Venus, Federer, Henin, which I think is pretty cool if you're into that. You're close to Round Rock Premium Outlets, La Frontera Village, Round Rock Crossing, and University Oaks Shopping Center. Hospitals, churches, post office, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Randall's, everything you need is within an easy drive.

Now here's the part that trips people up: about 90 to 95% of the homes in this neighborhood are structured condos. That means they live like single-family homes, standalone, not attached, with your own front door and garage, but legally you don't own the land under your house. You share ownership of all the land in the neighborhood with everyone else. You can't drill for oil in your backyard. You can't build a casita. But you also don't have to maintain your front yard, and your HOA fee stays reasonable because the builder structured it this way.

Lots are small: 31-foot, 36-foot, or 40-foot wide. Backyards are compact. If you need a half-acre to feel at home, this isn't your neighborhood. But if you're okay with a covered patio, a fire pit, and some turf, you're going to love how low-maintenance this setup is. Most of the homes are three stories. A small percentage are two-story. There's also a tiny slice of townhomes, but almost nobody watching this channel reaches out about townhomes, so I'm not going to spend time on them. If that's your thing, let me know and I'll get you the details.

Plan 1: The Entry-Level Three-Story

The first plan we toured is a three-bedroom, two full bath, two half bath home that runs between 1,900 and 2,300 square feet depending on upgrades. The version we walked through was right around 1,900 square feet. Base price: $427,000.

You walk in past the staircase and straight into one big open box. Dining space on one side, living room in the middle, kitchen on the other. It's compact, it's sensible, and it works. The living room is bigger than you'd expect for a home this size. You could fit a sectional couch in here, a couple of chairs, whatever you want. The windows are huge, so natural light is excellent.

The kitchen is well-appointed. Island with the sink in the middle, plenty of counter space, nothing fancy but nothing cheap either. David Weekley builds a solid house. The pantry is sensible. There's a half bath right off the kitchen, which is my one complaint about this plan. If you've got friends over watching the Super Bowl and someone eats a bad buffalo wing, they're going to blow up that bathroom right next to where everyone is eating. I don't love that placement. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's not ideal.

Out back you've got a small covered patio. The backyard is compact, but again, most people are doing turf and rocks and keeping it simple. Upstairs on the second floor you've got two secondary bedrooms, both big enough for a queen, probably not a king, and a shared bathroom with a shower-tub combo. The master suite is on the same floor, and honestly, for a home this size, the master bedroom is impressive. Big room, tall ceilings, a tray ceiling that's probably an upgrade. The bathroom has double vanities, a commode room, a normal-sized closet, and a giant walk-in shower that made me jealous.

Third floor is a Texas basement: game room, half bath, wet bar area with a little fridge, and some attic storage. If you're moving here from somewhere with basements, this is where you'd put the pool table or the big-screen TV or whatever you'd normally put downstairs.

Washer and dryer are on the second floor, which is standard for all three plans we're showing you today. Two-car garage. That's the entry-level option. It's a lot of house for $427,000, but it's not my favorite of the three.

Plan 2: The Four-Bedroom with a Study

The second plan is a step up. Four bedrooms, two and a half baths, between 2,300 and 2,800 square feet depending on upgrades. The version we toured was around 2,600 square feet. Base price: $493,000.

You walk in and instead of stepping right into the living room, you walk down a little hallway first. That gives you some separation, and I like it. The dining area, living room, and kitchen are still open to each other, but they're segmented. It doesn't feel like one big box. The dining space could easily fit an eight- or nine-person table. The living room is big enough for a sectional. Natural light is excellent, huge windows everywhere.

The kitchen is tasteful, well-appointed, classy. We shot some close-up B-roll so you can see the finishes. The pantry is a good size, and there's an extended pantry area with even more storage. If this isn't enough pantry space for you, I have a support group I can refer you to.

The half bath on this plan is still off the kitchen, but it feels more tucked away than the half bath in Plan 1. I don't mind it. There's a mudroom area and a hall closet. The two-car garage is back there, but right now it's the builder sales office.

Out back, same story: compact yard, turf and rocks, covered patio. A lot of people are putting a fire pit out here and a little seating area. It works.

Upstairs you've got a landing area between the staircases that I'd use as a reading nook. The master bedroom is massive. I couldn't even fit it all in the frame. For this size of home, for this price, the idea that you get a master this big with this much natural light and this tall of a ceiling is bonkers. The bathroom is compact but efficient. I'm not saying that to sugarcoat it, it's genuinely not huge, but it's well-designed. Double vanity, commode room, and a walk-in shower that gave me serious shower envy.

Down the hall you've got the utility room, washer and dryer on the second floor, and then the guest wing. Two bedrooms, one big enough for a king, one I'd keep to a queen. Shared bathroom with a shower-tub combo. Linen closet.

Third floor is another Texas basement: game room, half bath, storage attic on both sides. That's Plan 2. It's a great option if you need four bedrooms and you want a study downstairs.

Plan 3: The Two-Story Layout I'd Choose

This is the one I'd buy. Three bedrooms, two and a half baths, just under 2,500 square feet. Base price: $538,000. You can upgrade it to a four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath if you want, and you can add a third story, but I wouldn't. I don't want a three-story house. If you do, that's fine. We can get you a three-story house. But personally, I'd keep this one as-is.

You walk in and you're right at the study. A lot of clients we work with, people just like you who reach out to us from YouTube, will drywall this off and put French doors here, or just a regular door. Makes it feel like a quieter, more private office. We've also had people turn this into a playroom, a record-listening room, a bourbon room, whatever. I love that the half bath is tucked away back here instead of right in the middle of the community space. Good job, David Weekley.

The dining space is open to the kitchen and living room, but it's not isolated. Picture one kid doing homework at the table, mom prepping dinner in the kitchen, mostly mom, because my wife kicked me out of the kitchen and told me never to come back, and someone watching a game in the living room. Everybody can interact without being on top of each other. That's what people want these days. Nobody's looking for a formal dining room where you sit by yourself and feel sad.

The kitchen is excellent. We'll show you B-roll. The pantry is probably big enough. There's a little dog area off the mudroom, which I think is cool. Hall closet, two-car garage. Zero complaints about this floor plan.

Upstairs you've got a smaller, more compact game room. It's not a full Texas basement like the other two plans, but it's still a good-sized bonus space. All the bedrooms surround the game room, which I think is pretty cool. You might not think that's cool. That's why you need to reach out to us so we can show you all the plans. These are just three of the twelve floor plans they offer, and in my opinion, these are the best three.

Bedroom one: big enough for a queen, probably not a king. Bedroom two: same. Linen closet, shared bathroom with a shower-tub combo. Washer and dryer on the second floor.

The primary bedroom is one of the reasons I'd pick this plan. It's huge. The size of the master bedrooms in these plans relative to the size of the home overall is on point. The bathroom has double vanities, a commode room, and a walk-in shower that is absolutely nuts. I'm six and a half feet tall. I've got long limbs. I don't think I can truly convey to you how big this shower is. The closet is sensible, not massive, but big enough. Linen closet in the hall.

That's Plan 3. Two stories, great flow, huge master, and a price that makes sense. If I were moving into this neighborhood, this is the house I'd choose.

What It Actually Costs

Let's talk real numbers. Plan 1 starts at $427,000. Plan 2 starts at $493,000. Plan 3 starts at $538,000. Those are base prices, and you're never going to want the actual base model. If you don't put a single upgrade into it, it's going to look pretty sad. You're going to be a little bit depressed.

Plan on putting about 10% of the home's price back into the home in terms of upgrades. So for Plan 1, that's around $40,000 to $43,000. For Plan 2, that's around $50,000. For Plan 3, that's around $54,000. Those upgrades, if they're well-placed, and we can help you figure out which ones matter, are going to get you a home that looks very similar to the model homes we just showed you.

So Plan 1 is going to cost you around $470,000 all-in. Plan 2 is going to cost you around $540,000. Plan 3 is going to cost you around $590,000. The builder is offering incentives right now. We want to sit with you and the builder and squeeze out every single incentive they're willing to offer. We want you to have the best interest rate, the best price, the best upgrades. But you have got to reach out to us.

If you're looking at this and thinking, I like David Weekley but I don't want to live in Round Rock, or I don't want to live in this specific neighborhood, we'd love to show you other David Weekley communities. If you're thinking, I don't care about the builder but Round Rock seems cool, reach out and we'll show you other options. Tell us a few things you love, a few things you hate, and we can point you to the perfect area, the perfect neighborhood, and the perfect home just for you.

Round Rock: The Suburb That Saves You $175,000

Round Rock sits just north of Austin, and it's one of the most popular suburbs for families relocating to the area. The schools are highly rated. The city is residential. There's a lot for kids to do. And the average home price is between $525,000 and $550,000, which is dramatically lower than Austin's average of just over $700,000.

That's a $175,000 difference. For a lot of people, that's the difference between buying a home and not buying a home. That's the difference between a three-bedroom and a four-bedroom. That's the difference between a 1,900-square-foot house and a 2,600-square-foot house.

Double Creek Crossing is in eastern Round Rock, and one of the things I love about this location is that it actually gets you closer to downtown Austin than some of the other Round Rock neighborhoods people have been buying in for years. Forest Creek and Lake Forest are two of my favorite neighborhoods in eastern Round Rock, and Double Creek Crossing is right down the street from both of them.

You're ten minutes from downtown Round Rock. You're close to I-35, which, look, I-35 is a nightmare, I think Satan himself created I-35, but if you need to commute into Austin, being close to the highway matters. You've got an H-E-B right down the street. You've got Round Rock Premium Outlets, La Frontera Village, Round Rock Crossing, University Oaks Shopping Center. Hospitals, churches, post office, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Randall's. Any retail amenity you could possibly want, you're going to have it within an easy driving distance.

The tax rate in Double Creek Crossing is around 1.8%. Anything under 2% in this market is excellent. Your HOA is $200 to $210 a month, but that covers front-yard maintenance, so you're only mowing your backyard. A lot of people are doing turf and rocks back there and keeping it simple.

If you're moving here from out of state and you're trying to figure out where to land, Round Rock makes sense. The schools are strong. The prices are lower. The commute into Austin is manageable. And neighborhoods like Double Creek Crossing are giving you new construction from a builder I actually trust, with amenities that just opened, at a price point that's hard to find anywhere else in the metro.

Which Neighborhood Is Right for You?

If you're trying to decide between Austin and Round Rock, here's what it comes down to: Austin gives you walkability, nightlife, culture, and proximity to downtown. Round Rock gives you lower prices, local schools, and more house for your money.

Austin's average home price is just over $700,000. Round Rock's average is $525,000 to $550,000. Double Creek Crossing gets you new construction in Round Rock for well under $500,000. That's a massive difference.

If you need to be in the heart of Austin, if you want to walk to restaurants and bars, if you're willing to pay a premium for that lifestyle, then Austin proper is where you should be. But if you're okay with a ten-minute drive to downtown Round Rock and a twenty-minute drive to downtown Austin, and you'd rather have a bigger house, a lower tax bill, and a backyard your kids can play in, then Round Rock, and specifically Double Creek Crossing, is worth a serious look.

Double Creek Crossing is early days. They've sold 70 to 75 homes out of an eventual 300. The amenities are brand new. The builder is offering incentives. If you're serious about this area, you need to reach out now, because once word gets out that you can get a David Weekley home this close to Austin for under $500,000, inventory is going to move fast.

Final Thoughts: Why We Only Film Six Builders

I want to be clear about something: I don't love most new construction. There are about 65 to 70 builders in this region, and I hate most of them. They're terrible. I would lay down in the street to convince you not to buy one of their homes. Some of them are just not dependable. Some of them cut corners. Some of them build homes I wouldn't let my own family move into.

If you watch this YouTube channel long enough, you'll notice I talk about the same six or seven builders over and over and over again. David Weekley is one of them. We get builders reaching out to us all the time asking us to film their neighborhoods, and almost every time I say no, because I don't like their neighborhoods and I'm not going to tell anybody to move there.

The reason we brought you to Double Creek Crossing is because we respect David Weekley. We appreciate what they're doing. These are homes we would let our own families move into. If you want to know which builders to avoid, and trust me, there's a long list, give me a call, shoot me a text, send me an email, and we'll tell you. I can't say it publicly on this YouTube channel because I'll get sued, but I'll tell you privately.

If you're thinking about buying new construction, you need to work with us. I've heard from so many people who bought new construction without us, and they got upgrades they shouldn't have gotten, and they didn't get upgrades they should have gotten. We don't want you to make stupid upgrades on your home. We want you to love us five, seven, ten years from now when you go to sell.

Reach out. Let's sit down. Let's talk about what you love, what you hate, and where you should actually be looking. We'll walk you through the process, we'll negotiate the incentives, and we'll make sure you end up in a home you're still happy with a decade from now.

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Living in Cedar Park, TX: Neighborhoods, Schools and Lifestyle

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Pull off Highway 183 northwest of Austin and you will find yourself in Cedar Park , a suburb that does not feel like a suburb at all. There is no historic downtown square, no central identity you can point to on a map and say, "Meet me there." Instead, Cedar Park is 80,000 people packed into a relatively small area, surrounded by nature preserves and threaded with trails, where the pace slows down and the parking lots never fill up. It is more expensive than Leander next door, more conservative than Austin proper, and more convenient to The Domain than almost anywhere else in the metro.

If you are moving to Austin and the prices, politics, or school ratings in the city proper make you pause, Cedar Park is worth your time. You will pay a premium over neighboring suburbs, but you get something for it: established trees, local schools, safety, and a 25-minute commute to The Domain instead of an hour-plus slog from Georgetown or Kyle. This is not the Austin you see on postcards. This is the Austin people move to when they want the job, the lifestyle, and a place their kids can ride bikes to school.

In this guide, I am going to walk you through the neighborhoods that matter, the schools that define the area, and the trade-offs you need to know before you commit. We will cover Twin Creeks and its country club feel, Buttercup Creek for buyers who cannot spend $800,000, Avery Ranch and its golf course premium, and Brushy Creek, which gives you Avery Ranch vibes for $200,000 less. I will also tell you which sections to avoid, where the H-E-Bs are, and why so many buyers who reach out to us from Seattle, California, and New York end up here.

Cedar Park Overview: Location, Ties, and What Makes It Different
Twin Creeks: Country Club Living Close to Austin
Buttercup Creek: Affordable Cedar Park with Established Trees
Anderson Mill West: Beautiful residential Pocket
Deer Creek Ranch: Western Cedar Park Near Anderson Mill Road
Avery Ranch: Golf Course Community in Eastern Cedar Park
Brushy Creek: The Affordable Avery Ranch Alternative
Silverado Ranch: Eastern Cedar Park Favorite
Caballo Ranch: Another Eastern Cedar Park Gem
Leander ISD: local schools Without the Million-Dollar Price Tag
Which Cedar Park Neighborhood Is Right for You?
Conclusion: Why Cedar Park Works for So Many Relocating Families

Cedar Park Overview: Location, Ties, and What Makes It Different

Cedar Park sits northwest of Austin, right between the city and Leander. If you take Highway 183 straight out of Central Austin, you hit Cedar Park first, then Leander. On a map, Pflugerville looks closer to downtown, but Cedar Park lives more convenient to The Domain and downtown Austin because of how the roads run. You are looking at a 25- to 30-minute commute to The Domain from most Cedar Park neighborhoods, which is why so many people who work at IBM, VRBO, Indeed, Amazon, eBay, Apple, or Meta end up here.

Cedar Park never really started as a suburb. It was a giant Northwest Austin neighborhood that grew out of people wanting to escape Austin's prices and politics. Over time, it incorporated and became its own thing. Today, it is more politically conservative than Austin, though it has gotten more diverse over the last several years. There is a healthy push and pull between liberal and conservative politics here, and it does not feel as one-note as some other suburbs.

Prices in Cedar Park run $450,000 to over $1 million depending on the neighborhood. That makes it one of the more expensive suburbs in the Austin area, similar to Dripping Springs or Lakeway. It is definitely pricier than Leander, Round Rock, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Liberty Hill, Kyle, or Buda. But there is a reason for that premium. Cedar Park feels more established. It has been around longer. There is more heritage, more parks, more trails, more nature preserves. It just feels more elevated than Leander, even though Leander is beautiful.

The city has about 80,000 people in a relatively small area, so it is dense. All the buildable land has been built on. If you see open land that looks like you could build on it, it is probably a nature preserve or a protected city park. You will not see new construction going forward in Cedar Park. What you see is what you get.

Cedar Park does not have a quintessential historic downtown like Georgetown, Buda, or Dripping Springs. There is no central square with City Hall and mom-and-pop shops where people gather for parades and Christmas festivals. When someone says, "Meet me in Cedar Park," I do not visualize a downtown. I think, Are we meeting at Raising Cane's? At H-E-B? At a park? There is no central Cedar Park identity to grab onto. The Bell District, a massive mixed-use development along 183, is supposed to change that, but it is not done yet. They broke ground a couple of years ago, and from what I hear, they are working on permitting and truly starting construction. When it is finished, it will be epic. Right now, it does not exist.

Cedar Park does have the H-E-B Center, where the Austin Ice Bats play. There are concerts and sporting events there occasionally, but most big musical artists who come to town play in Austin, not Cedar Park. A lot of residents like that about Cedar Park. They do not want the marquee attractions. They want the slower pace, the parks, the trails, and the fact that they can get a table at a restaurant without waiting in line for an hour.

Highway 183 runs smack through the middle of Cedar Park and becomes Bell Boulevard as it goes through town. There is also 183A, which runs parallel to 183. Think of them as two parallel highways running next to each other, but 183A feels more like a highway and Bell Boulevard feels more like a large suburban thoroughfare. Highway 183 divides eastern and western Cedar Park, and there is a discernible cultural and aesthetic difference between the two sides. Western Cedar Park feels more elevated and established, with better terrain and more nature. Eastern Cedar Park is closer to Round Rock and where the action is.

Other roads you need to know: Lakeline Boulevard runs north-south and borders Lakeline Mall. Toll Road 45 marks the southern boundary of Cedar Park. Almost everything south of 45 is Austin, and everything north is either Cedar Park or Round Rock. Then there is 1431, also called Whitestone Boulevard, though most people just call it 1431.

Cedar Park has four H-E-Bs within city limits, which is phenomenal for a town this size. There are tons of restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and bars up and down Bell Boulevard. You will not lack for places to visit or eat. One thing that blows my mind is the Asian food scene here. There is a place called Honey Pig in Cedar Park that does Korean barbecue, and it is one of the top five best meals I have ever had in my life. Over by H Mart and Costco, there are tons of great Asian restaurants. Someone told me recently that the best food in Austin is not in Austin, it is in Cedar Park. I think that is true.

A lot of iconic Austin restaurants have opened second locations in Cedar Park, like Style Switch Barbecue. The cool thing about eating in Cedar Park versus Austin is you do not have to worry about parking or waiting in line. In Austin, I love supporting local businesses, but there is nowhere to park and you have to wait forever. Out here, you get the same quality without the hassle.

Cedar Park is crawling with parks. Literally, park is in the name. If you Google "Cedar Park park" or "Cedar Park public park," you will see parks peppered all over the place. We are at Lakeline Park right now, and it is epic. This is not even close to one of the most popular parks in Cedar Park, and it is still dope. I love Brushy Creek Lake Park. There are tons of little pocket neighborhood parks all over the place. The Brushy Creek Metropolitan Trail runs from eastern Round Rock all the way into western Cedar Park, and it is massive. I am always seeing people running, biking, fishing, walking, rollerblading. It is a huge amenity.

People who move to Cedar Park and love it value the nature, the parks, the trail systems. They are always telling me about marathon training, biking, fishing, being outdoors. If that sounds enticing to you, you will have plenty of opportunities for it here.

The people and the community are another huge benefit. There are so many opportunities to connect in Cedar Park. If you are into biking, you will find a biking club. Running, a running club. Poker, a poker club. Mahjong, a mahjong club. People here really value being into a hobby in a community, and that is very present in Cedar Park.

The pace of life is discernibly slower here than in Austin. People do not get hyped up and freaked out about stuff. The food scene is indicative of that. People here like good things, they like being close to Austin and all Austin has to offer, but they like to be relaxed.

Twin Creeks: Country Club Living Close to Austin

Twin Creeks sits in the southwesternmost portion of Cedar Park, and it is one of the most established, elevated neighborhoods in the entire suburb. Glenda on my team has lived in Cedar Park for over 25 years, and she always says Twin Creeks is her favorite neighborhood in all of Cedar Park. I agree with her.

Twin Creeks has a country club and a golf course, but the country club is voluntary. It does not feel like one of those exclusive country clubs where you walk in and feel like riffraff. It feels approachable. The neighborhood itself is beautiful. You are in the foothills of the Hill Country, so the terrain is dramatic. There are established trees, rolling hills, and views. It is absolutely gorgeous.

Prices in Twin Creeks run $775,000 to over $1.5 million. The average is $800,000 to $900,000. A typical home is 4 to 6 bedrooms, 3 to 5 bathrooms, over 3,000 square feet. You can occasionally find a home in the $500,000 to $600,000 range, but in my experience, if there is a home that cheap in Twin Creeks, you are going to have to put so much work into it that it effectively becomes a $700,000 or $800,000 home.

We had a family reach out to us from Seattle a few months ago. They found us on YouTube, just like you. They had a couple of kids and were living in a 2-bedroom, 2-bath home an hour away from their offices in Seattle. They had a 1-hour one-way commute every single day. If they wanted to buy their house, it would cost them around $1 million, the schools were terrible, and the neighborhood was not safe. We sat with them, heard about what they loved and what they hated, and we showed them Twin Creeks.

The husband was working at The Domain, and Twin Creeks is about a 25- to 30-minute commute to The Domain. We got them into a 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath home, over 3,000 square feet, with a game room, a study, and a media room. They are zoned to Leander ISD, which is one of the top 4 or 5 rated districts in Central Texas. The neighborhood is incredibly safe and absolutely beautiful. We cut their commute in half. Complete lifestyle change. They paid right around $775,000, significantly under $800,000. When they saw what their money could get them here compared to Seattle, they were blown away.

Twin Creeks gets you as close to being in Austin without actually being in Austin. If you have to commute to The Domain or downtown Austin, this is a really good sweet spot. You can easily spend well over $1 million or even $1.5 million in Twin Creeks without thinking about it, but the average buyer is in that $800,000 to $900,000 range.

The buyers who move to Twin Creeks prioritize nature, amenities, and safety. They want the country club feel without the pretension. They want established trees, dramatic terrain, and a neighborhood that feels elevated. They want to be close to Austin but not in Austin. Twin Creeks delivers all of that.

Buttercup Creek: Affordable Cedar Park with Established Trees

If you are inspired by Twin Creeks but cannot spend $700,000 to $900,000, Buttercup Creek is your alternative. Buttercup Creek is in western Cedar Park, and it gives you a lot of what Twin Creeks offers, safety, local schools, comfort, established trees, but at a much more affordable price point.

Prices in Buttercup Creek run $450,000 to $600,000. A lot of the homes were built in the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s. They are not estate-style mansions. They are comfortable, well-built homes in a safe, established neighborhood. You are not going to get the country club life. You are not going to get the dramatic terrain and views you get in Twin Creeks. But you are going to get established trees, safety, comfort, and affordability.

We are walking through Buttercup Creek right now, and you can see the homes are '80s and '90s vintage. They are not flashy, but they are solid. The neighborhood feels safe and comfortable. A ton of our clients who relocate to Austin and choose the Cedar Park area find Buttercup Creek to be a sweet spot. They want the Cedar Park lifestyle, local schools, safety, parks, trails, but they cannot spend $800,000. Buttercup Creek gives them that.

You are still zoned to Leander ISD, which is one of the top-rated districts in Central Texas. You are still close to The Domain and downtown Austin. You still have access to all the parks and trails that make Cedar Park special. You just do not have the country club or the dramatic Hill Country terrain. For a lot of buyers, that is a trade-off they are happy to make.

Anderson Mill West: Beautiful residential Pocket

Anderson Mill West is one of the few parts of the Anderson Mill region that is actually in Cedar Park. Most of the Anderson Mill area is in the city of Austin, but this western pocket falls inside Cedar Park city limits. It is beautiful and residential, and it is one of those neighborhoods that feels established and comfortable.

Anderson Mill West is close to Twin Creeks, so you get a lot of the same benefits: proximity to Austin, local schools, safety, and that elevated feel. The homes here are well-built, the trees are mature, and the neighborhood has that comfortable, lived-in quality that a lot of buyers are looking for.

If you are considering Twin Creeks or Buttercup Creek, Anderson Mill West is worth a look. It is not as well-known as some of the other neighborhoods in Cedar Park, but it delivers on the things that matter: safety, schools, convenience, and a neighborhood that feels like a neighborhood.

Deer Creek Ranch: Western Cedar Park Near Anderson Mill Road

Deer Creek Ranch is in western Cedar Park, just west of Anderson Mill Road. It is beautiful, and it is one of those neighborhoods that does not get talked about as much as it should. The homes here are well-built, the lots are nice, and the neighborhood has that established, comfortable feel that western Cedar Park is known for.

One thing to know about Deer Creek Ranch is that it is a bit of an H-E-B desert, but it is manageable. You can pop over to the H-E-B by H Mart or the one by Lakeline Mall, and you are fine. I mentioned this to a client who moved to Deer Creek Ranch recently, and she laughed and said it is absolutely not a big deal. She and her husband invited my whole family to their housewarming party because they have an awesome pool and their home backs up to a greenbelt. We came and caused total chaos, so just know that if you move here and invite my family to your housewarming party, we will come.

Deer Creek Ranch is a great option for buyers who want western Cedar Park but do not want to spend Twin Creeks money. You get the safety, the schools, the established feel, and the proximity to Austin without the country club premium.

Avery Ranch: Golf Course Community in Eastern Cedar Park

Avery Ranch is in eastern Cedar Park, and it is one of those neighborhoods where clients drive in and 30 seconds later they are calling me saying, "This is my house. I am moving here. Let's lock it in." Avery Ranch has that effect on people.

Avery Ranch is a golf course community, so you are paying a premium for that. Prices run $800,000 to $900,000 for a nice home that you are not going to have to put a bunch of upgrades into. A typical home is 4 to 5 bedrooms, 3 to 4 bathrooms, 2,800 to 3,000 square feet. A lot of the homes were built in the early to mid-2000s. You can find a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home for cheaper, or you can spend well into the millions for a 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath home.

If you are not into playing golf, Avery Ranch might not be the area for you because you are paying for that golf course whether you use it or not. But if you like the idea of living in a golf course community, or if you just want that quintessential suburban feel where kids are walking and biking everywhere, moms are pushing strollers, and the neighborhood feels safe and established, Avery Ranch delivers.

Avery Ranch is closer to Round Rock than Twin Creeks is, so you are closer to where the action of North Austin is happening. Twin Creeks gives you more nature and that off-the-beaten-path feel. Avery Ranch gives you more proximity to Round Rock and the eastern side of Cedar Park. Both are great. It just depends on what you are looking for.

We often have clients who look at Avery Ranch listings online and are not that psyched about it. But when they get there and see it in person, they fall in love. It is one of those neighborhoods you have to experience to understand.

Brushy Creek: The Affordable Avery Ranch Alternative

Brushy Creek is confusing because the term "Brushy Creek" can refer to four different things. It can refer to the actual creek called Brushy Creek. It can refer to the Brushy Creek Metropolitan Trail, which is a massive trail system that runs from eastern Round Rock all the way into western Cedar Park. It can refer to the Brushy Creek neighborhood, which is really more like a region that straddles Cedar Park and Round Rock. Or it can refer to the surrounding neighborhoods that get sucked into the whirlpool of Brushy Creek, like Stone Oak, Mayfield Ranch, Behrens Ranch, Cat Hollow, and even Avery Ranch. Some people who live in Avery Ranch refer to where they live as Brushy Creek.

For the purposes of this section, I am talking about the Brushy Creek neighborhood proper, which is in eastern Cedar Park and Round Rock. Half of Brushy Creek is in Cedar Park, and the other half is in Round Rock. If being in the Cedar Park section is important to you, you need to reach out to us so we can point you in the right direction.

Brushy Creek gives you a lot of what Avery Ranch offers, but you do not have a golf course, so you do not have to pay for it. Prices in Brushy Creek run $550,000 to $650,000 for a similar home to what you would get in Avery Ranch: 4 to 5 bedrooms, 3 to 4 baths, 2,800 to 3,000 square feet on about a fifth of an acre. That is discernibly cheaper than Avery Ranch for the same property. You are saving $200,000 to $300,000 because you are not paying for the golf course premium.

Certain sections of Brushy Creek are absolutely beautiful. The Brushy Creek Metropolitan Trail is a massive amenity, and people love being able to walk, run, bike, and fish right from their neighborhood. If you want the Avery Ranch vibe but do not want to pay for the golf course, Brushy Creek is your answer.

Silverado Ranch: Eastern Cedar Park Favorite

Silverado Ranch is in eastern Cedar Park, and I love this neighborhood. It is one of those neighborhoods that does not get as much attention as Avery Ranch or Brushy Creek, but it delivers on the things that matter: safety, schools, convenience, and a neighborhood that feels established and comfortable.

Silverado Ranch is close to Avery Ranch and Brushy Creek, so you get a lot of the same benefits. You are close to Round Rock, close to the action of North Austin, and you are still zoned to Leander ISD. The homes here are well-built, the neighborhood feels safe, and it is a great option for buyers who want eastern Cedar Park without the golf course premium.

Caballo Ranch: Another Eastern Cedar Park Gem

Caballo Ranch is another eastern Cedar Park neighborhood that I love. Like Silverado Ranch, it does not get as much attention as some of the bigger names, but it is a solid neighborhood with local schools, safety, and that established feel that eastern Cedar Park is known for.

Caballo Ranch is close to Avery Ranch and Brushy Creek, so you get the same proximity to Round Rock and North Austin. You are zoned to Leander ISD, and the neighborhood feels safe and comfortable. If you are looking in eastern Cedar Park and want something that is not Avery Ranch or Brushy Creek, Caballo Ranch is worth a look.

Leander ISD: local schools Without the Million-Dollar Price Tag

If you live in Cedar Park, your kids are going to be zoned to Leander ISD. This confuses some people because kids in Round Rock go to Round Rock ISD, kids in Pflugerville go to Pflugerville ISD, kids in Leander go to Leander ISD. But Cedar Park is one of those places where Leander ISD covers both Leander and Cedar Park. It does feel confusing when you are going back and forth between the two towns, but they are different towns.

Leander ISD is one of the top 4 or 5 rated school districts in all of Central Texas. The Central Texas region has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to school districts, and the Austin area has the top 5 rated districts. Number 1 is Eanes ISD, where the average home price is $3 million. Number 2 is Lake Travis ISD, where the average home price is around $1.5 million. Number 3 is Dripping Springs ISD, where the average home price is around $800,000 to $850,000. Number 4 and 5 are usually Round Rock and Leander, which trade places sometimes, and the average home prices in those districts are closer to $500,000 to $600,000.

The bang for your buck you get in Leander ISD is absolutely insane. You are getting a top-rated school district without having to spend $1.5 million or $3 million.

I use a website called niche.com when I am researching schools, and it is a massive resource for anybody relocating here. Leander ISD has an overall grade of A+ on niche.com. Every single category is rated at least an A- or higher. If something is rated below a B+ on niche.com, that is not a good sign. Leander ISD is A+ across the board.

If you click on the map on niche.com and look at Cedar Park specifically, you will see that almost every school is rated an A or A-. There is one school, Giddens Elementary, that is rated a B-, so if you were moving to Cedar Park, I would probably steer away from that one. But every other school is rated at least an A-. Even if your kid goes to Giddens Elementary, they are going to go to a great middle school and a great high school.

What this tells me is that when it comes to relocating to Cedar Park, the most important thing should be picking the neighborhood that fits your vibe, that matches what you are looking for. If school is important to you, there is a 90% chance your kids are going to go to an absolutely incredible school. If you want to steer away from one of the couple of schools that are not highly rated, reach out to us and we can tell you exactly what neighborhoods those schools feed into.

One more thing: everyone I know who lives in Cedar Park or Leander sends their kids to public school. In a lot of other areas, that is not true. I know people in Pflugerville who do not send their kids to Pflugerville ISD. I know people in Dripping Springs, Lake Travis, and Eanes who send their kids to private school. In Leander and Cedar Park, the overwhelming majority of families are sending their kids to public schools. That tells you something about the quality of the schools here.

Which Cedar Park Neighborhood Is Right for You?

If you are trying to decide between western and eastern Cedar Park, here is how I think about it. Western Cedar Park, Twin Creeks, Buttercup Creek, Anderson Mill West, Deer Creek Ranch, feels more elevated and established. You get better terrain, more nature, more of that Hill Country feel. You are closer to Austin. The commute to The Domain is a little shorter. But you are going to pay more, especially in Twin Creeks.

Eastern Cedar Park, Avery Ranch, Brushy Creek, Silverado Ranch, Caballo Ranch, is closer to Round Rock and where the action of North Austin is happening. You get that quintessential suburban feel where kids are walking and biking everywhere. You are still close to Austin, but you are a little further out. Prices are a bit more affordable, especially in Brushy Creek.

If you want the country club feel and you do not mind paying for it, Twin Creeks or Avery Ranch are your best bets. If you want the same vibe without the country club premium, Buttercup Creek or Brushy Creek are great alternatives. If you want western Cedar Park but do not want to spend Twin Creeks money, Buttercup Creek, Anderson Mill West, or Deer Creek Ranch are solid options. If you want eastern Cedar Park but do not want the golf course premium, Brushy Creek, Silverado Ranch, or Caballo Ranch are worth a look.

One thing to avoid: neighborhoods right up against Highway 183. It is crazy busy, and you are going to hear a lot of road noise. I would not want my clients living in that area. In my opinion, if I were moving to Cedar Park, I would look in the far western portion or the far eastern portion. The middle section along 183 just feels like suburban sprawl, and I am not inspired by those neighborhoods.

If you are having a hard time figuring out which neighborhood is right for you, give me a call, shoot me a text, send me an email. We would love to hear about what you are looking for, and we can point you to the perfect area just for you.

Conclusion: Why Cedar Park Works for So Many Relocating Families

Cedar Park is not for everyone. If you want a historic downtown, a central identity, or big concert venues, you are not going to find that here. If you want the hustle and bustle of Austin, the live music scene, the nightlife, Cedar Park is not going to deliver. But if you want local schools, safety, affordability relative to Austin, parks, trails, nature preserves, and a slower pace of life, Cedar Park is hard to beat.

We have so many people reach out to us from Seattle, California, New York, Chicago, Miami who are moving here for tech jobs at The Domain or downtown Austin. They see the prices in Austin proper, they see the school ratings, they see the politics, and they start looking at the suburbs. A lot of them end up in Cedar Park because it checks all the boxes: convenient to work, local schools, safe, beautiful neighborhoods, and more affordable than Austin.

Cedar Park is more expensive than Leander, Round Rock, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Liberty Hill, Kyle, or Buda, but there is a reason for that. It feels more established. It has more heritage, more parks, more trails. It is closer to Austin. It is zoned to Leander ISD, which is one of the top-rated districts in Central Texas. The overwhelming majority of families here send their kids to public schools, which tells you something about the quality of the schools.

If you are thinking about moving to the Austin area and you want to explore Cedar Park, reach out to us . We would love to get to know you, hear about what you love and what you hate, and point you to the perfect area just for you. We can set up a Zoom call, walk you through the neighborhoods, show you the schools, and make this transition so much easier on you. My email is barrett@ravengrouptx.com , my phone is (512) 855-2713 , and you can find us at ravengrouptx.com. Let's connect.

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Crestline at Brushy Creek: The Last New Construction in Cedar Park, Texas

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMT

I just recorded a video where I said there is no new construction left in Cedar Park . If you see what looks like buildable land while you're driving through, you're wrong, it's a nature preserve or a park. Then I found out some guy just sold the very last piece of his homestead to my number one favorite production builder in all of Texas, and that's where we are right now.

Crestline at Brushy Creek is it. These 125 homes are the last new construction opportunity in Cedar Park, and if you want good new construction in this suburb, this is your final chance. We're talking Toll Brothers quality, Round Rock ISD schools, and a Brushy Creek address, one of the most desirable pockets east of Highway 183. I toured two move-in-ready homes here, and I'll be honest: one of them has something I have never seen before in a game room, and I am genuinely excited to show you.

This is not a generic new-build neighborhood. Toll Brothers has a cult following for a reason, and most people I know who build with them never live in anything else. If you're relocating to Austin from Seattle, LA, or anywhere that $1.4 million buys you a 2-bedroom fixer on a postage stamp, you need to see what that same budget gets you here. Let's walk through the pricing, the floor plans, and exactly why this neighborhood matters if you're serious about Cedar Park.

Crestline at Brushy Creek: 125 Homes, Two Lot Sizes, One Last Chance
The Four-Bedroom Home: A Separated Game Room You'll Never Find Anywhere Else
The Five-Bedroom Mack Daddy House: Royalty-Level Primary Suite on a 70-Foot Lot
Pricing Breakdown: What $963k Base Actually Costs (And What $1.4M Gets You)
Why Toll Brothers Has a Cult Following (And Why I Hate Most Builders)
Brushy Creek Location: Cedar Park Address, Round Rock Schools, East of 183
Conclusion

Crestline at Brushy Creek: 125 Homes, Two Lot Sizes, One Last Chance

Crestline at Brushy Creek sits in the Brushy Creek area of Cedar Park, on the eastern side of Highway 183. Highway 183 is the big north-south thoroughfare that cuts Cedar Park in half, and Brushy Creek is by far my favorite neighborhood east of that line. Half of Brushy Creek is technically in Cedar Park, half is in Round Rock, and this community straddles that line in the best possible way: you get a Cedar Park address, but your kids are zoned to Round Rock ISD, which is consistently one of the top five school districts in all of Central Texas.

Toll Brothers bought the last buildable land in Cedar Park and is building 125 homes here. They've only sold a couple of lots so far, so this is very early days. There are two move-in-ready homes available right now, and the rest of the neighborhood is wide open. You have 12 different floor plans to choose from, six on 60-foot lots, six on 70-foot lots. The community has a pool, and every backyard I saw has space for a private pool if you want one, even with the community amenity already there.

This is not a massive master-planned community with 800 homes and a wait list for the amenity center. This is 125 homes in a highly desirable pocket of Cedar Park that will never see another new construction opportunity again. If you're watching this video anytime in the next couple of years, you need to reach out to us, because these lots are going to move.

The Four-Bedroom Home: A Separated Game Room You'll Never Find Anywhere Else

The first house I toured is a 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath with a media room, a game room, and a study. It's just over 3,500 square feet on a 60-foot lot, and the base price is around $1,070,000. Plan on putting about 10 to 15 percent of the base price back into upgrades if you want it to look anything like the model, so realistically, you're looking at $1.15 to $1.2 million for a well-appointed version of this home.

When you walk in, you hit a grand entryway that is wide and impressive. I actually think the entryway in this house is more interesting than the bigger house next door, it's got more character, more contrast in the ceiling height. You hang a left and you've got your first guest suite: a bedroom with an attached full bathroom right at the front of the house. To me, that's a guest room, not a kid's room, because even though Cedar Park is incredibly safe, I would not want my kid isolated at the front of the house in a room by themselves. For a guest or a college kid coming home, it's perfect.

Across the hall is an oversized study. If this were my house, I'd use it as a bourbon room or a record-listening room, something with a little more vibe than a home office. The fixtures and finishes are tasteful and well-appointed, which is what you expect from Toll Brothers.

The heart of the home is an open living-kitchen-dining layout, but it's not one giant uniform box. The living room has a super tall ceiling, the kitchen is a different height, and the dining area is kind of cordoned off in its own space. I like that separation. The kitchen is massive, the pantry is freaking huge, my wife cannot see this pantry, and the living room opens to the backyard with quality sliding glass doors that actually glide instead of fighting you every time you try to open them.

The primary bedroom is the one thing I'm not crazy about in this layout: it opens directly off the living room. If your kids are having people over or you're hosting a Super Bowl party and you just want to go to bed, your bedroom door is right there next to the couch. That's not ideal for everyone, but one of our clients in Hutto has a similar setup and they installed blackout curtains with a hidden projector on a credenza, so they can watch high-definition shows on the wall without a visible TV. It's a workaround, and it's pretty sick.

The primary bathroom has double vanities, a huge standalone garden tub in the middle, and a walk-in shower. The primary closet is smaller than I typically see in Toll Brothers homes, most of their primary closets are two or three times this size, but it's still plenty for me. The backyard is massive, with space for a pool even though the community already has one. This builder offers 60-foot and 70-foot lots, and even the 60s have serious outdoor space.

Upstairs is where this house gets interesting. You've got two more bedrooms, each with an attached bathroom. Then you've got a media room that would have been my absolute dream as a kid growing up in the '90s and early 2000s in Conroe, just north of Houston. If you're able to provide this for your kids, they are really lucky and they should know that.

But the thing I have been waiting to show you is the game room. In Texas, we call this a game room or a Texas basement. I was recently working with clients moving here from Philadelphia, and they were bummed that Texas doesn't have basements. I walked them through a home in Georgetown and they were like, "What would we even do with this game room?" And I said, "Whatever you do with your basement, do it with your game room." It was an epiphany for them.

This game room has a little study nook attached to the wall, a seating area with a quartz countertop running along the wall, and built-in drink coolers. But here's the thing that makes this game room different: it does not overlook the living room. Typically, when you have a game room or a Texas basement, it overlooks the living room, so if you're downstairs watching Netflix, you're hearing everything going on upstairs. In this house, the game room is separated from the rest of the house. It actually looks down onto the entryway instead of the living room, so you get togetherness without the noise bleed. I have never seen that before, and I love it.

The Five-Bedroom Mack Daddy House: Royalty-Level Primary Suite on a 70-Foot Lot

The second house is a 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath on a 70-foot lot, just over 4,600 square feet. This house is not fair. It is freaking awesome, and I don't mind telling you when a house is freaking awesome.

The entryway is grand, but I actually think the entryway in the smaller house is a little more vibey. That's about the end of where the smaller house wins. You hang a left and you've got a study with exposed beams and a ton of contrast. Across the hall is the guest suite, and this one has a cool touch: there's a fountain in the front yard right outside the window. If I were staying in this room as a guest, I'd open that window so I could hear the water. That'd be super peaceful.

To the left of the front door is the dining room, and this is one of my favorite parts of this house. I am not usually a fan of a dining room that's separate from the living room and kitchen, but this is definitively an exception. You've got built-ins with wine fridges, a super tall ceiling, and almost floor-to-ceiling windows. This is the dining room of a king.

The living-kitchen-dining area is similar to the first house: open layout, vaulted ceiling with exposed beams, sliding glass doors to the backyard. The kitchen is just, what more do you want? Literally, let me know down in the comments what more you want, because I think if you want more than this, you're kind of nuts. The pantry is smaller than the house next door, which is maybe the second thing the other house has over this one, but it's still a nice, well-appointed butler's pantry.

The primary suite is a wing. You hang a right and you've got the guest half bath, which is separated enough from the living room to pass the Super Bowl factor. There's a coat closet, a mudroom, and a door out to what I'm assuming is a 3-car garage. Then you walk into the primary bedroom, and this approach is amazing. This is seriously a primary suite for royalty. Zero complaints.

The primary bathroom has a massive walk-in shower, I'm 6 and a half feet tall and I could fit in there easily, a giant standalone tub, and double vanities facing off each other. The primary closet is actually two closets: one in the closet area, one in the bathroom. Toll Brothers typically does his-and-hers closets, and this house delivers.

The backyard is built on a 70-foot lot, which means the imaginary fence line is 70 feet wide. You've got a covered porch, a giant fireplace-fountain combo, and a huge outdoor kitchen. This yard is begging for a pool, even though the neighborhood has one. The turf area would be perfect for it.

Upstairs, you've got one bedroom on one side with a full bathroom, then a giant Texas basement with a full-size pool table and built-ins for a TV. But they're not thinking this is a TV media room, because you already have a TV media room right next door. You've got two more bedrooms, each with a full bathroom and a huge closet. One of the rooms is smaller, I wouldn't want to put anything bigger than a queen-size bed in there, but it's still got a full bathroom and a walk-in closet.

This is a 5-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom house with a huge game room, a huge media room, a study, a 70-foot lot, and a dining room with a ceiling height that feels like the Empire State Building. It's crazy.

Pricing Breakdown: What $963k Base Actually Costs (And What $1.4M Gets You)

Let's talk pricing. Crestline at Brushy Creek has 12 different floor plans, six on 60-foot lots, six on 70-foot lots. If you want to get into this neighborhood for as cheap as humanly possible, there's a plan that's a 3-bedroom, 2.5 or 3.5-bath, 3-car garage, one-story, just over 2,800 square feet . The base price is $963,000 .

If you buy the super base model of any home, it's probably going to be pretty sad. Plan on putting about 10 to 15 percent of the base price back into the home for upgrades. A well-placed 10 to 15 percent can get you looking pretty darn close to the model. So let's say you're putting about $100,000 into it. The cheapest plan you're going to get for a home you'd actually want to live in is probably going to be about $1,063,000 .

Now let's say you want the biggest, most mack daddy house you can possibly get. That would be on a 70-foot lot: 5 or 6 bedrooms depending on upgrades and structural options, 4.5 or 5.5 bathrooms, 3-car garage, 2 stories, just over 4,700 square feet . The base price is right around $1.3 million . You're going to put about 10 percent back into it, about $130,000, so let's say that's going to cost you between $1.4 and $1.45 million for a really well-upgraded massive house on a good-sized lot in a fantastic neighborhood, safe, zoned to local schools.

I want to stop and tell you: if you had this house 35 minutes from downtown Seattle, it would probably cost you anywhere from $6 to $10 million depending on a few different factors. Even if this home was in Central Austin, just 30 minutes away from here, it would easily be a $3 to $4.5 million house. We have clients all the time who reach out to us from LA, and they're like, "Cool, for $1.4 million I can buy a 2-bedroom, 2-bath house that has plumbing from the 1950s, it's broke down, we're on a teeny tiny 50-foot lot, the schools are terrible, our taxes are super high, and we will never be able to retire." When I tell them they can get a 4 or 5-bedroom home, 4.5 bathrooms, brand new construction by an incredible builder, in a great safe area with local schools, 30 to 35 minutes from Central Austin, for $1.4 million, it's unfathomable.

The 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath model I showed you, the one with the separated game room, is a little over 3,500 square feet. The base price is about $1,070,000 . You're probably going to put about $125,000 back into it, so that's going to end up costing you somewhere between $1.15 and $1.2 million .

The 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath mack daddy house is over 4,600 square feet. If you wanted this house pretty darn close to what I showed you today, you're going to pay right about $1.4 million .

Why Toll Brothers Has a Cult Following (And Why I Hate Most Builders)

Toll Brothers is my number one favorite production builder in all of Texas. They build excellent products, and they have a total cult following. Most of the people I know who have built Toll Brothers homes only ever live in Toll Brothers homes after that. The quality is there, the finishes are tasteful, and the floor plans actually make sense.

I had some people reach out to me recently who were watching me on YouTube, and they were like, "Barrett, we know you love new construction and all that, but we want something more established." And I was like, "No, I don't love new construction. I hate most new construction. I only like good new construction." I listed it out the other day: there are 7, maybe 8 builders in the area out of the 65 builders we have here that I do not hate. There are 4 or 5 that I love, and another 2, 3, 4 that I think are good. If you want to know exactly what builders I love and which ones I hate, let me know. I'm not trying to say it on this video because I'm not trying to get sued by the builders that I hate, but I do love Toll Brothers.

The sliding glass doors in these homes actually glide. The kitchens are epic. The game rooms don't overlook the living room. The primary suites feel like royalty. These are the details that matter when you're spending over a million dollars on a home, and Toll Brothers gets it right.

Brushy Creek Location: Cedar Park Address, Round Rock Schools, East of 183

Brushy Creek is a region of Cedar Park and Round Rock on the eastern side of Highway 183. Highway 183 is a huge north-south thoroughfare that cuts Cedar Park in half. Half of Cedar Park is west of 183, half is east of 183, and Brushy Creek is by far my favorite neighborhood east of that line.

Half of Brushy Creek is in Cedar Park, half is in Round Rock. Crestline at Brushy Creek is in Cedar Park, you get a Cedar Park address, but all the kids who live here are zoned to Round Rock ISD, which is consistently one of the top 5 school districts in all of Central Texas. If you want to know more about Round Rock ISD or verify current school information, reach out to us and we'll do a deep dive with your specific situation.

Cedar Park is what I would consider to be the most convenient suburb in all of the greater Austin, Texas area. You're 30 to 35 minutes from Central Austin, you've got plenty of parks and trails, and the natural amenities around you are absolutely insane. Brushy Creek is highly desirable, and this is the last buildable land in Cedar Park. Toll Brothers bought it, and once these 125 homes are gone, that's it.

Conclusion

Crestline at Brushy Creek is the last new construction opportunity in Cedar Park, and if you want good new construction in this suburb, this is your final chance. Toll Brothers is building 125 homes on 60-foot and 70-foot lots, with 12 different floor plans to choose from. You get a Cedar Park address, Round Rock ISD schools, and a Brushy Creek location that is highly desirable and will never see another new construction opportunity again.

Pricing starts at $963,000 base for a 3-bedroom, one-story home, but realistically you're looking at $1.06 million with upgrades. The biggest homes on 70-foot lots run between $1.4 and $1.45 million fully upgraded, and for that price you're getting over 4,600 square feet, a primary suite for royalty, a separated game room, a media room, and a backyard that's begging for a pool.

If you're relocating to Austin from out of town, out of state, or out of the country, my team and I would love to sit down with you, hear about a few things you love in a neighborhood and a home, hear about a few things you hate, and I guarantee you we can point you to the perfect area, the perfect neighborhood, and the perfect house just for you. Give me a call, shoot me a text , send me an email . We'll hook you up.

East Austin TX: Cost of Living, Neighborhoods and Homes

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 01:11:51 GMT

Austin, TX Home Tours and Neighborhood Guides

How Do I Plan a House-Hunting Trip to Austin?

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:49:08 GMT

Set financing, shortlist areas, test commutes, cluster tours, and leave time for second looks. Plan your Austin trip with Raven: (512) 855-2713.

Touring This Stunning New Construction Home Near Austin TX: Clara Vista at Water Ridge

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMT

I meet families relocating to Austin every week who think I'm lying when I show them what their budget buys here. Earlier this week, a couple from the Seattle area told me they wanted at least four bedrooms, three baths, 2,800 square feet in a safe area with decent schools, budget around $700,000 to $900,000. When I pulled up listings, they literally asked if I was joking. The home you're about to see, over 5,200 square feet of Toll Brothers luxury, would run $5 to $9 million in LA, San Diego, the Bay Area, Seattle, or New York City. Out here in western Kyle , it's a fraction of that, and it sits at the foothills of the Hill Country on a lot that would make most suburban buyers weep with joy.

Kyle has a reputation. For years, people thought of it as the place you go for affordable starter homes, cookie-cutter brick-and-sticks neighborhoods where you compromise on space and style to stay within budget. That's true for much of eastern Kyle, where master-planned communities stretch for miles with identical rooflines. But western Kyle is a different story. Out here, you're close enough to Dripping Springs and Driftwood that you feel the Hill Country rolling in. The lots are bigger, the builders are better, and the vibe shifts from subdivision sprawl to something that feels intentional and upscale. Clara Vista at Water Ridge is the kind of neighborhood that makes me rethink what Kyle can be.

Clara Vista at Water Ridge: Toll Brothers Luxury on Oversized Lots
What This Home Offers: 5,200+ Square Feet of Thoughtful Design
Pricing and Floor Plans: What You Can Get for Under $1 Million
Why Western Kyle Is Different from Eastern Kyle
Conclusion

Clara Vista at Water Ridge: Toll Brothers Luxury on Oversized Lots

Clara Vista sits in western Kyle, about 22 miles south of downtown Austin. If you take I-35 straight out of the city, you'll hit Buda first, then Kyle, then San Marcos. This neighborhood is tucked into the part of Kyle that feels more like a gateway to the Hill Country than a suburb. You're not looking at rows of identical homes on postage-stamp lots. You're looking at 80- to 100-foot-wide lots, roughly a third to a half acre each, with only 250 homes planned for the entire community. That's small by Austin-area standards, where master-planned neighborhoods can hit 3,000 to 5,000 homes. Out here, it's Toll Brothers and Drees Custom Homes building on land that actually breathes.

To get to Clara Vista, you drive through Six Creeks , another neighborhood I've recommended for years. Perry Homes builds there, and it's one of my favorite South Austin communities. Some of the 16 buyers who've bought lots at Clara Vista so far are actually upsizing from Six Creeks, they loved the area enough to stay and go bigger. That tells me something. People who already live here, who know the commute and the schools and the feel of western Kyle, are choosing to put down deeper roots.

The community will have a pool and community center opening early next year, plus a playground and trails throughout. It's not going to be one of those amenity-packed resort-style developments with a lazy river and a dog park every quarter mile. It's tasteful and elegant, designed for people who want space and quality over a long list of features they'll never use. Right now, only 16 of the 250 lots have sold, so if you're interested, you're getting in early with good lot selection still available.

Every bedroom in these homes comes with an attached full bathroom. That's not standard in most production builds, even at this price point. The smallest floor plan here is over 3,100 square feet. There are no starter homes at Clara Vista. This is luxury product only, and Toll Brothers does it better than almost anyone in Central Texas. The vaulted ceilings, the natural light, the outdoor living spaces, it all feels intentional. You're not walking into a spec home that was designed to check boxes. You're walking into a home that was designed to impress.

What This Home Offers: 5,200+ Square Feet of Thoughtful Design

The home we toured is the Rainey floor plan: five bedrooms, five full baths, three half baths, three-car garage, just over 5,200 square feet across two stories. When you walk in, the entry is stunning, high ceilings, clean lines, natural light pouring in from every direction. I always want people to feel what it's like to walk straight into the heart of the home, so we skipped the front rooms at first and went straight to the living room and kitchen.

The living room opens to the back patio with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the view. You're at the foothills of the Hill Country, so most homes here will have a decent view of rolling land and sky. The kitchen is the size of an actual island, I'm not exaggerating. The waterfall countertop on the island runs all the way to the floor, and there's enough counter space to prep Thanksgiving dinner for 20 people without breaking a sweat. Pendant lights the size of basketballs hang over the island, and the butler's pantry leading into the walk-in pantry is so big my wife would lose her mind. There's even a wine cooler tucked in there, though I was hoping for Topo Chico.

The dining area sits behind the kitchen with a door leading out to the backyard. It's a nice size, and the flow makes sense, you're not walking through the kitchen to get outside. One of the three half baths is right off the dining area, positioned as the pool bathroom. If your kids or guests are swimming, they can pop in, use the restroom, change, grab a towel from the linen closet, and head back out without tracking water through the house.

Down the hall from the kitchen, there's a dedicated workout room. I've seen people use this space as a yoga studio, an extra office, or just a place to park a Peloton and a rowing machine. Next to that is a study nook, tucked away enough that if you or your kids need to focus, no one's going to bother you. The three-car garage is currently the builder's sales office, but trust me, it's there.

At the front of the house, there's an office with vaulted ceilings and absurd natural light. The wood paneling on the ceiling, I don't know what you call it, but it's beautiful, adds warmth without feeling heavy. Across the hall is a guest suite with an attached full bathroom. I wouldn't put a young kid at the front of the house for safety reasons, even out here where crime isn't a concern. But for an aging parent, a college kid home for the summer, or guests who are staying more than a weekend, this setup is perfect. The closet is bigger than most guest rooms I've seen.

The laundry and utility room is off the main hallway, and here's my half-strike-one complaint: in most Toll Brothers homes at this level, the utility room connects to the primary bedroom. It doesn't here. Not a dealbreaker, but I usually prefer that layout. There's also a Harry Potter closet under the stairs, except it's so big I'm calling it a Larry Potter closet. I'm 6'5" and I can almost walk into the whole thing.

The primary suite sits in the back right corner of the house. The bedroom itself is a great size, not so blown out that you're wondering what to do with all the space, but big enough for a king bed, oversized nightstands, a credenza, and a statement light fixture. The vaulted ceilings with wood paneling match the office, and the natural light is perfect. The primary bathroom has sinks on opposite sides of the room, which I love. My wife and I have our sinks next to each other, and we're fine with it, but I can see the appeal of separation. There's a step-down shower, a standalone garden tub big enough for me to stretch out in (and I use mine at least once a week), a linen closet, a commode room that could fit burpees, and a walk-in closet. The closet is my half-strike-two complaint, it's smaller than what I've seen in other Toll Brothers homes at this size. Still plenty of space, just not the massive walk-in I expected.

Upstairs, there are three more bedrooms, each with an attached full bathroom. One of the bedrooms is huge, massive, actually, with a walk-in closet that has a window. There's also a half bath upstairs for guests, a game room (what we call a Texas basement), and a step-down media room. If you're moving here from the Northeast and you're used to having a basement for your pool table, your home theater, your kids' hangout space, this is where all that goes. We don't have basements in Texas. The game room has wood slat paneling on the walls, a built-in seating area, and enough space to actually use it. The media room is a huge upgrade, but if you're building a home this size, it's worth it.

The covered back patio is oversized with a prep sink, a fridge, and enough room for outdoor furniture that actually gets used. The pool in this model is a massive upgrade, probably $200,000 on its own, with a swim-up bar and a sunken outdoor dining area. I'd do the pool third-party after closing, but that's a conversation for another day. The lot is 100 feet wide, which means the fence line stretches farther than most people are used to. You're looking at a third to a half acre at the foothills of the Hill Country with a home built by one of my top two favorite builders in Central Texas.

Pricing and Floor Plans: What You Can Get for Under $1 Million

The smallest home you can build at Clara Vista is 3,152 square feet on an 80-foot lot. That's four or five bedrooms, three to four full baths, one half bath, three-car garage. The base price is just under $750,000. Let me be clear: the smallest house here is over 3,100 square feet, and it starts under $750,000. That's Toll Brothers luxury product, not a cookie-cutter spec home.

Now, if you buy the base model, it's going to feel a little sad compared to what you just saw. Plan on putting 10 to 15 percent back into the home in upgrades. For a $750,000 base, that's $75,000 to $125,000. A well-placed 10 percent can make your home look very close to the model to the naked eye. If you want the most expensive home in the 80-foot series, you can get a five-bedroom, 4.5-bath, over 4,700 square feet for $875,000 base. Add $80,000 to $100,000 in upgrades, and you're looking at a fully decked-out home for just under $1 million.

If you want a 100-foot lot, the most basic plan is the Annabelle: four bedrooms, 4.5 baths, three or four-car garage depending on upgrades, over 3,700 square feet, one story. It's a spread-out ranch-style layout, and I think it's stunning. Base price is just over $900,000, so for a million dollars you can get a one-story home on a 100-foot lot with every bedroom having its own bathroom.

The biggest floor plan available is five or six bedrooms, 5.5 or 6.5 baths, three-car garage, over 5,900 square feet, two stories. Base price is $1.1 million. Madison, the sales rep here, told me one buyer decked out their home with every upgrade and ended up at $1.5 million. That's the ceiling. It would be hard to spend more than $1.5 million at Clara Vista, and that's for a home that would cost $5 to $9 million in California, Seattle, or the Northeast.

The Rainey plan we toured, 5,250 square feet, five bedrooms, five full baths, three half baths, has a base price of $1,040,000. To make it look exactly like the model (minus the pool), you're looking at about $250,000 in upgrades. So for $1.25 million, you can have this exact home. Compare that to what the same house would cost in LA, San Diego, the Bay Area, Seattle, or New York City. It's not even close.

Why Western Kyle Is Different from Eastern Kyle

Kyle has always been known as the place you go for affordable starter homes. Eastern Kyle is full of master-planned communities with cookie-cutter brick-and-sticks houses on small lots. It's sprawl, and it's designed for people who want to stay within budget and don't mind sacrificing space or style. That's fine. A lot of people love it, and there are some great neighborhoods over there.

But western Kyle is different. You're closer to Dripping Springs and Driftwood, closer to the Hill Country, and the feel shifts. The lots are bigger, the homes are more upscale, and you're not looking at rows of identical rooflines. Clara Vista and Six Creeks are perfect examples of what western Kyle offers. You're still only 30 minutes from Austin, but you're not in the thick of suburban sprawl. You're at the gateway to the Hill Country, and that changes everything.

I've always been honest about Kyle. In a recent video, I talked about areas of Austin you should avoid if you want certain things, and I included Kyle on that list. But I was thinking of eastern Kyle, the starter home sprawl. Western Kyle is making me rethink that. With neighborhoods like Six Creeks and Clara Vista coming in, this part of Kyle is becoming one of the best-kept secrets in Central Texas. If you want space, quality, and proximity to Austin without paying Austin prices, western Kyle deserves a serious look.

One more thing: every May 4th, Star Wars Day, the Kyle City Council dresses up as Star Wars characters. If that doesn't make you want to move here, I don't know what will.

Conclusion

Clara Vista at Water Ridge is the kind of neighborhood that makes me excited about what's possible in Central Texas. You're getting Toll Brothers and Drees Custom Homes building on oversized lots at the foothills of the Hill Country, 30 minutes from Austin, starting under $750,000. The smallest home here is over 3,100 square feet. Every bedroom has an attached full bathroom. The lots are a third to a half acre. Only 250 homes will ever be built here, and only 16 have sold so far.

If you're relocating from Seattle, LA, the Bay Area, New York, or anywhere else where a home like this would cost $5 to $9 million, you need to see this in person. If you're already in Austin and you're looking to upsize or move to a part of town that feels less like sprawl and more like the Hill Country, western Kyle deserves a serious look. Reach out to us . We'll walk you through pricing, upgrades, lot selection, and what makes sense for your situation. Let's get you into a home that actually fits your life.

Should I Ask for Repairs or a Credit on an Austin Home?

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 04:30:34 GMT

Compare seller repairs, credits, and price changes after an Austin inspection, then confirm contract and lender limits. Call Raven at (512) 855-2713.

Moving to Austin TX: Cost of Living, Best Areas and Tips

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 22:44:27 GMT

Austin, TX Home Tours and Neighborhood Guides

Moving to Austin Texas? 20 Questions Everyone Wants Answered

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 17:17:00 GMT

If you're thinking about moving to Austin , you probably already know everything there is to know about the city. You've got the neighborhoods mapped out, the commute times memorized, and you're just watching this to confirm what you already believe.

Psych.

Honestly, most people who reach out to us from YouTube have no idea what they're walking into. They know they're relocating for a job or they've heard Austin is great, but they don't know where the Hill Country starts, which roads to avoid, or what a typical home actually costs. It's overwhelming. Where are the safest areas? Which school districts are worth the price? How bad is the traffic really?

I sat down recently and rewatched over 200 intro calls with buyers relocating to Austin. I pulled out the 20 most common questions people ask when they're planning a move here. Some are about money. Some are about lifestyle. A few are about things nobody warns you about until you've already signed a lease. This is the no-BS guide to what it's actually like to live in the Austin area, based on what real people want to know before they pack the moving truck.

Is Austin Affordable?
Traffic, Commutes, and the I-35 Problem
Property Taxes: What You're Really Paying
North Austin vs. South Austin: Finding Your Fit
Schools: The Top Districts and What They Cost
Cedar Park: Affordable Suburban Living North of Austin
Clara Vista at Water Ridge: Luxury in Kyle with a Tax Trade-Off
Heat, Humidity, and Swimming Your Way Through Summer
Keep Austin Weird: What It Means Now
Jobs, Tech, and the Broad Austin Economy
Winter Storms, Power Outages, and What to Expect
Safety: Big City Reality, Not a Utopia
Allergies: They're Real and They're Terrible
Rent First or Buy Right Away?
Food, Culture, and Why Austin Wins
Making Friends: Texan Hospitality and Putting Yourself Out There
Families with Kids: Yes, Austin Works
Foundation Issues East of I-35
Day Trips: San Antonio, Houston, and the Gulf
Diversity, Inclusion, and the I-35 Divide
Is It Too Late to Move to Austin?

Is Austin Affordable?

The answer depends entirely on where you're coming from. For people relocating from Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, or Miami, Austin feels like a bargain. The house behind me in this video is a Toll Brothers build in Kyle , 22 miles from downtown Austin . With all the upgrades, it's probably $1.4 to $1.5 million. If you tried to buy that same house 22 miles outside downtown Seattle, you'd be looking at $4 to $6 million. Easily.

I worked with a family from Seattle who were living in a rundown 2-bedroom, 2-bath house in a crappy neighborhood. Their commute was an hour to an hour and a half each way, and the schools were terrible. They moved to Cedar Park , bought a 4-bedroom, 3-bath home that's almost 3,000 square feet for under $700,000, cut their commute to 30 to 35 minutes, and their kids are in local schools. That's a no-brainer.

But if you're moving from Cleveland, Ohio, or Navasota, Texas, where the average home price is around $200,000, no, Austin is not affordable. A typical home in the greater Austin area runs $500,000 to $550,000. That's a massive jump. So affordability is relative. If you're coming from a high-cost market, you'll feel like you're getting a deal. If you're coming from a low-cost market, you're going to feel the sticker shock.

Traffic, Commutes, and the I-35 Problem

Traffic in Austin is bad. How bad depends on what you're used to. I grew up in Beaumont and Conroe, both in Texas, and in Conroe, if your commute was more than 15 minutes, people thought you were crazy. In Austin, a 15-minute commute is nothing. I know plenty of people who drive 45 minutes to an hour one way every single day.

The road you need to avoid at all costs is I-35 . I always say I-35 was created by the devil himself. It's the main north-south corridor through Austin, and I have spent more time sitting at 0 miles an hour on that road than I'd like to admit. If your job is anywhere near I-35, factor that into where you live. A 22-mile commute can easily turn into 45 minutes to an hour depending on the time of day.

Now, I've had clients from Washington, D.C. laugh out loud when I warned them about a 35- to 40-minute commute. They were both doing 2 hours one way, 2 hours back, every single day. That's 8 hours total just driving to work, not counting taking their daughter to cheerleading or their son to basketball. For them, cutting the commute in half and paying 50% of what they'd pay in D.C. was an absolute no-brainer. So again, it's all relative. But if you're coming from a place where traffic is light, Austin is going to feel congested.

Property Taxes: What You're Really Paying

Property taxes in Texas are no joke. If you're in central Austin, you're looking at high 1% to low 2%. If you're in the suburbs, like Kyle or other areas south of Austin, you can hit 2.9% to 3.25%. A 3% tax rate on a $700,000 home is $21,000 a year. That's paying rent to the government just to stay in your own house.

Texas has no state income tax, which offsets some of that cost, but you need to run the numbers with your CPA to see if it makes sense for your situation. For a lot of people relocating from high-income-tax states, the trade-off works. For others, it's a shock. Reach out to us and we can help you crunch those numbers based on where you're thinking about living.

North Austin vs. South Austin: Finding Your Fit

One of the first questions I ask people is: are you a North Austin person or a South Austin person? Historically, North Austin was seen as more white-collar and businessy. That's where the Capitol is, where the University of Texas is, and where a lot of the software companies set up shop. IBM, Dell, and a ton of startups are up north. It's a little more corporate, a little more structured.

South Austin has always been the artsy, eclectic, blue-collar side. It's where you go for live music, hiking, two-stepping, and a more down-to-earth vibe. Even just hearing that description, you might already know which side you lean toward.

But here's the thing: you can find your people anywhere. I grew up playing in punk bands. My wife is an artist who loves literature. We're a super creative family, and we live in North Austin. I have friends who are savvy business owners who live deep in South Austin. So while the stereotypes exist, they're not hard rules. If you work in Round Rock but you love going to concerts and hiking, you're going to have a tough commute. I'd probably tell you to just live close to your office and find the creative scene near you. But if you're remote or your office is flexible, you have more freedom to pick based on lifestyle.

Schools: The Top Districts and What They Cost

I have three kids. Two are in middle school, one is in high school, and all of them go to Austin ISD schools. Austin ISD doesn't have the highest ratings in the area, but my kids' schools are pretty freaking great. The top five rated school districts in the Austin area are Eanes ISD (number one, average home price around $3 million), Lake Travis ISD (number two, average home price around $1.5 million), Dripping Springs ISD (average home price $800,000 to $850,000), Round Rock ISD (average home price around $550,000), and Leander ISD (average home price around $500,000).

Here's the catch: not every school in those districts is great. Even in Round Rock ISD, some schools are rated poorly and some are rated highly. So you can't just filter by district and call it done. You need to look at the specific school your kid would attend. That's part of what we do when we meet with buyers. We figure out where you can live so your kid actually goes to the best school, not just the best-rated district.

If schools are important to you, tell me your price range and we'll map out which neighborhoods feed into the schools you want. The schools here can be absolutely amazing. Great parental involvement, great teachers, great college acceptance rates, and great sports programs depending on the district. But you have to do the homework.

Cedar Park: Affordable Suburban Living North of Austin

Cedar Park is one of the most popular suburbs for families relocating to Austin, especially from high-cost markets. It's north of Austin, and you can find resale homes around 3,000 square feet for under $700,000. A lot of these are 4-bedroom, 3-bath homes that are about 10 years old. The neighborhoods are safe, many have golf courses, and the schools are great.

The commute to the Domain, which is a major business hub in North Austin, is around 30 to 35 minutes. For people coming from Seattle or the Bay Area, that's nothing. The family I mentioned earlier traded a rundown 2-bed/2-bath house with a 90-minute commute and bad schools for a spacious Cedar Park home with a short commute and local schools. They paid less than $700,000.

Cedar Park is part of Leander ISD , which is one of the top five rated districts in the area. The average home price in Leander ISD is around $500,000, so you're getting a lot of value. If you're relocating from a high-cost market and you want a safe, residential suburb with local schools and a reasonable commute, Cedar Park is a solid choice.

Clara Vista at Water Ridge: Luxury in Kyle with a Tax Trade-Off

Clara Vista at Water Ridge is a Toll Brothers community in Kyle, south of Austin. These are luxury homes with high-end finishes, pools, and outdoor kitchens. With all the upgrades, you're looking at $1.4 to $1.5 million. The homes are beautiful, and if you're coming from Seattle or another expensive market, the price feels reasonable for what you get.

But here's the trade-off: property taxes in Kyle are around 2.9%. On a $1.4 million home, that's over $40,000 a year. That's a big number. Clara Vista is 22 miles from downtown Austin, so if you're commuting into the city, factor in the drive. But if you're remote or your office is south, and you want a luxury suburban home with resort-style amenities, this is an example of what's available in that price range.

The taxes are the thing to watch. A lot of people relocating from California or the Northeast are used to high property taxes, so it's not a shock. But if you're coming from a low-tax state, that 2.9% rate is going to feel steep. Make sure you run the numbers before you commit.

Heat, Humidity, and Swimming Your Way Through Summer

Austin gets hot. We have a good three to four months where it feels like temperatures are over 100 degrees almost daily. That's late May through mid-September. It's not as humid as Houston or the Gulf Coast because we're a bit more elevated, but it's definitely more humid than Phoenix or Salt Lake City.

If you're going to be outside in the summer, you want to be as close to a pool as possible. The good news is Austin has so many places to swim. Creeks, springs, natural bodies of water like Barton Springs and Deep Eddy, lakes, rivers. A lot of neighborhoods have pools, and a lot of people who live in the suburbs have pools in their backyard. If you're going to be a Texan, you develop this sixth sense for where the nearest body of water is when it's summertime.

I'm not going to hide it. The heat can be brutal. I've had people move here and say, "Oh yeah, the heat, whatever, it gets hot in New York." Then they get here and they're like, "Holy crap, Barrett, you didn't tell me it was going to be hellacious." If you're the type of person who wants to bike a couple miles to the grocery store in July, it's not going to happen unless you're willing to give yourself over to the sweat. If you are that type of person, I want to meet you, because I am too.

Keep Austin Weird: What It Means Now

Austin's motto is "Keep Austin Weird." What that primarily refers to is buying local, supporting local businesses, local artists, and local creators. It also refers to the fact that Austin is a relatively liberal city in the middle of a giant Republican conservative state. I don't care about the politics either way, but that's part of the context.

You'll see boomers in the comments on YouTube videos frothing at the mouth about how Austin used to be great in the '80s or the '90s, and now it's ruined. That's mostly just internet stuff. People who are way too online are going to freak out about whatever era of Austin was their youth. My grandma in the late '80s and early '90s was lamenting the golden age of Austin, and for her, that was the 1950s. So by the time the '80s came around, she thought Austin was already ruined.

If you come here and you contribute to the community and you're kind to people, people are going to warmly accept you. Yes, a lot of the struggling artists who used to live in central Austin have been pushed out by rising costs and tech workers. That makes me sad. But the creative counterculture is still very much here. I don't care what anybody says.

Jobs, Tech, and the Broad Austin Economy

The Austin economy is broad-based. Yes, we have tech, but we also have medical infrastructure, higher education, manufacturing, government, entertainment, and hospitality. Austin is not just a tech town. That said, since the mega tech boom during COVID, a lot of people have moved here for tech jobs. The market pulled back a bit, but it's still robust. IBM, Indeed, Tesla, VRBO, CrowdStrike, and hundreds of startups are here.

Based on the people who reach out to us from YouTube, I'd say one in two or two in three relocators work in tech. So if you're in tech, you're in good company. But if you're not, there are plenty of other industries here. The job market is strong across the board.

Winter Storms, Power Outages, and What to Expect

We had a major winter storm in February 2021, right after COVID started. It was 12 degrees at some point, and we lost power for three or four days. That sucked. But that is very, very rare. There have been a couple times since then where we lost power for a few hours because of winter storms, but it's not something you need to stress about.

A lot of people ask if they need a generator. I don't have one. If you want one, sure, but I don't think it's necessary. Winter storms are not a regular thing here.

Safety: Big City Reality, Not a Utopia

Austin is a big city. It's not a utopia. There are areas, like 6th Street or the central east side, where I wouldn't walk alone at night. But the overwhelming majority of Austin and the Austin area is incredibly safe. People relocating here sometimes expect Austin to be this paradise where nothing bad ever happens and it's 65 degrees year-round like it was during ACL Fest that one time they visited in 2010. That's not reality.

Austin is also not like New York City. You're not going to walk down to the cafe or take a subway. The suburbs of Austin are generic American suburbs. They're safe, they're clean, and you get Texan hospitality, which is warm and inviting. I'd take our suburbs over the suburbs of anywhere else in the United States any day. But don't expect walkable urban living unless you're in a very specific part of central Austin.

Allergies: They're Real and They're Terrible

The allergies in Austin are terrible. I'm not going to hide it. People say you live here for five to seven years and your body doesn't react to the allergies in the air. Then one day, you wake up and you think you have strep throat. You go get tested. No strep. You think you have the flu. No flu. You think you have COVID. Nope, you don't have COVID. The doctor is like, "Barrett, I think you have allergies."

Certain seasons, you might have a headache for three days in a row. Or you'll have a scratchy throat and you can't stop sneezing. Cedar, ragweed, pollen. There is so much in the air that is trying to make you feel like crap. It's not all year, but for a few months out of the year, you're going to be miserable. The allergies are real.

Rent First or Buy Right Away?

About a third of the people who reach out to us buy a home without ever renting in Austin. They fly in, we do a buyer tour over a few days, they identify the areas they want to be in, and they make a confident decision. I don't know if I could do that myself, but with a real estate team like mine guiding you through it, it's definitely possible.

Another third move here and get a short-term rental or a monthly Airbnb. They put their stuff in storage, move here, and spend two to three months getting a good lay of the land. Then they strike and purchase a home.

The final third move into a 12-month rental. But usually it still takes two to three months for them to identify exactly where they want to live. Sometimes they find a home they love before the lease is up, and they have a 12-month lease hanging around their neck. We have strategies to mitigate paying double payments, so if that's your situation, reach out and we'll walk you through it.

Food, Culture, and Why Austin Wins

Anyone who tells you Austin doesn't have the best food in the world is lying. I will stand behind this. We have the best Italian food, the best Asian food (Thai, sushi, Korean), the best burgers, the best American fare, the best Mexican food and Tex-Mex. I went to Italy in 2018, and after five days, I was like, "I want Austin food." Even the Italian coffee and cappuccinos, I was like, "We have better coffee in Austin."

If you've had experience with the Austin food scene and it was underwhelming, you did it wrong. Reach out to me and I will point you in the right directions.

Making Friends: Texan Hospitality and Putting Yourself Out There

Austin is an easy place to make friends, but you have to put yourself out there. Texans are friendly, warm, and inviting. We practice Texan hospitality, which I think is even more intense than Southern hospitality. I've had clients move here, and within a month, they have 30 to 35 neighbors at their housewarming party who feel like they've known them for years.

If you love sports, join a club. If you're a cyclist, join a cycling club. If you like soccer, join a soccer club. If you're into board games, there are like 10 card shops to choose from. There are choirs, singing clubs, all sorts of stuff. Making friends here is incredibly easy, but you have to work at it. It's not automatic.

Families with Kids: Yes, Austin Works

Short answer: yes. Austin is one of the best areas in the country for families with kids. There are tons of neighborhoods with local schools that are super safe. If you want to know exactly which areas we recommend, I have 55 other questions for you, and then I can point you to the right area. But in general, yes, the Austin area is excellent for families.

Foundation Issues East of I-35

I-35 was essentially built on a fault line. The land on the east side of I-35 is very clay-based. Think back to elementary school art class when your teacher gave you a hunk of clay. You dip it in water so you can mold it, and when it gets dry, it gets all crackly. That's what happens to the land east of I-35.

Central Texas has extreme seasons of deluge and drought. When we have a drought, the land gets really dry and hard. Then we get weeks and weeks of rain, and the land starts to mold and form a little bit. A lot of people on the east side have foundation issues with their home. If you Google "Austin, Texas home foundation issues," you're going to find horror stories.

Am I saying you should never live east of I-35? No. But that's one reason a lot of the property east of I-35 is significantly cheaper. If all you can afford is a home east of I-35, I'd be willing to explore that with you. But we would want to ensure that the foundation is engineered properly for the soil it's sitting on. A home is just a massive structure on dirt. We want to make sure it's engineered for the dirt it's sitting on.

Day Trips: San Antonio, Houston, and the Gulf

Texas is massive. It takes about 6 hours to get to Andrews in West Texas, and that's not even El Paso. El Paso is probably 9 hours from Austin. But from Austin to San Antonio is about an hour and a half. My wife and I go there on long weekend getaways. It takes about 3 hours to get to the Gulf Coast, and about 2 and a half hours to get to Houston. We do that drive all the time, and it's not bad at all.

Diversity, Inclusion, and the I-35 Divide

On paper, Austin is pretty diverse. However, there's a pretty big dividing line at I-35. West of I-35 feels very white. East of I-35 is where you're going to see a lot more diversity. There really isn't a whole lot of integration, and that breaks my heart a little bit. Coming from Beaumont and the Houston area, Houston is very integrated and very diverse. If you're in central northwest Austin, you'd probably think Austin is the least diverse place you've ever been. But if you went all around the city, you'd see that Austin is pretty diverse.

Being diverse and integrated is a different question than is it inclusive. I do feel like Austin is inclusive. No matter who you are or what your lifestyle is, if you put yourself out there and you put effort into connecting, you will be warmly received here.

Is It Too Late to Move to Austin?

Absolutely not. I'm recording this toward the end of 2024, and I'd say we're in a buyer's market. If you bought from 2020 to early 2023, it sucked. You probably overpaid by at least $100,000. You probably made 13 offers on 13 different homes before you landed something. If you got a home under contract, you probably didn't get any repairs or concessions, and the home probably didn't appraise, so you had to come up with extra cash.

But you got a 2.5% interest rate, so a lot of people were like, "Fine, let's do it."

Now, interest rates are higher, around 6% or 7%. But you get to have your pick of the litter. You can tell us your actual requirements, and we can get it for you at a great price with repairs and concessions. So no, it's not too late. If anything, now is a better time to buy than it was during the COVID frenzy.

If you're ready to start exploring Austin, reach out to us! We'd love to sit down with you, learn what you love and hate in a neighborhood, and help you find the perfect area for your lifestyle and budget. Don't wait for the perfect time to buy. Let's find the right home for you at the right price. Contact us today to start your Austin home search!

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Living in West Austin, Texas: Neighborhood Guide

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When you stand at Mount Bonnell at sunset, the Colorado River winding below you and the Hill Country stretching west in layers of limestone and cedar, you understand why people pay what they do to live in West Austin . This isn't the gritty urban density of East Austin with its walkable coffee shops and street art. West Austin trades sidewalk cafes for greenbelt trails, dive bars for country clubs, and affordability for some of local schools and safest neighborhoods in Central Texas.

I've spent most of my life in Austin, and I can tell you the hardest part about relocating here isn't finding a wonderful home. It's identifying the best area to put roots down into for you. West Austin encompasses everything from the luxury estates of Tarrytown , where $1.5 million gets you a 1940s bungalow that needs work, to the residential master-planned communities of Lakeway , where you can still find move-in-ready homes under a million. The region stretches from MoPac west to Dripping Springs, from the northern shores of Lake Travis down to the Barton Creek Country Club, and every pocket has its own personality.

This guide covers eleven major West Austin areas, the pricing you need to know, and the trade-offs that matter when you're choosing between a 20-minute winding drive through Westlake or a straight shot from Circle C. If you want the personalized version, where I pull up the map and we talk about your commute, your kids' ages, and whether you care more about walkability or acreage, reach out to me. My team and I do custom map tours for relocating buyers all the time, and honestly, we love it.

Tarrytown: Luxury Real Estate Steps from Downtown
Northwest Hills: Scaled-Back Tarrytown with local schools
Highland Park: The Overlooked Gem Between Tarrytown and Northwest Hills
Great Hills: Country Club Life Without the Pretension
River Place: Big Homes Surrounded by Wilderness
Steiner Ranch: Austin Address, Leander Schools, No H-E-B
Rollingwood: Off the Beaten Path, On the Premium Path
Westlake Hills (Westlake): The Most Famous Neighborhood in Austin
Lost Creek: Similar to Westlake, Further West
Barton Creek: Country Club Access, Less Expensive Than Westlake
Lakeway: local schools and Lake Life Without the Lake Town Vibe
Which West Austin Area Is Right for You?
Conclusion

Tarrytown: Luxury Real Estate Steps from Downtown

Tarrytown sits between 38th Street and Enfield (also called 15th Street, because everything in Austin has five different names), running west from MoPac to the Colorado River. This is one of the top two or three areas people ask me about when they reach out from YouTube, and I get why. You're minutes from downtown Austin, but you're not dealing with the seediness that sometimes comes with living that close to the urban core. Tarrytown is super safe. You're not going to see homeless encampments or feel sketchy walking your dog at night.

The real estate here ranges from small bungalows to estate mansions. If you're thinking about Tarrytown, don't even think about it unless you have $1.5 million minimum. And I mean, even if you're spending $1.5 million, you're probably getting a three-bedroom, two-bath built in the '40s or '50s that's going to require a ton of work. For a move-in-ready home, you're looking at $2.5 to $3 million, but you can easily get up to the $8, $9, $10 million range.

Kids in Tarrytown are zoned to Austin ISD, which overall is pretty mediocre, I say that as someone who sends three of my own kids to Austin ISD schools. But Tarrytown's big claim to fame is Cassis Elementary , one of the highest-rated elementary schools in all of Austin ISD. Middle schoolers go to O'Henry Middle School (I've got two kids there right now), and high schoolers attend Austin High School . All three are wonderful schools, which is not something you can say about every pocket of Austin ISD.

People also love Tarrytown because you're right next to Lake Austin. You've got Laguna Gloria , a really cool art museum and nature area that's absolutely beautiful. You're a hop, skip, and a jump from Mount Bonnell Park , go out there at sunset and it's stunning, though you'll probably regret leaving valuables in your car because car break-ins happen there. Don't say I didn't warn you. There's also the Westwood Country Club with a marina system, and a lot of Tarrytown residents keep boats at the Tarrytown Boat Club . Being out on the water is something that's really important to a lot of people here.

The Tarrytown Trade-Off

You're paying for location and prestige. This is luxury real estate with easy access to downtown, top-tier elementary schools, and boating access. But $1.5 million doesn't get you much house, and even at $2.5 million you're not getting the square footage or lot size you'd find in the suburbs. If you want both convenience and space, you're going to have to spend.

Northwest Hills: Scaled-Back Tarrytown with local schools

Just north of Tarrytown, you hit Northwest Hills . There are tons of little tiny subdivisions in this area, but we call the whole region Northwest Hills. To me, it reminds me of a slightly scaled-back Tarrytown. The pricing is not nearly as severe. Compared to the $2.5 to $3 million range for a move-in-ready three- or four-bedroom home in Tarrytown, you're probably going to pay an average of $1.1 to $1.4 million in Northwest Hills. I'm not saying that's a steal or super affordable, but it's a lot more approachable.

You're still super close to Tarrytown, still very convenient to downtown, and the schools are a common buyer question. Confirm current information with the district. Some kids go to Doss Elementary , some go to Hill Elementary , but both are award-winning elementary schools, very highly rated. Then you'll go to Murchison Middle School , which is highly rated, and Anderson High School , which I've heard nothing but great reviews about from clients and friends.

Northwest Hills is still Austin ISD, still West Austin, still safe and residential. You're just not paying Tarrytown prices. If Tarrytown feels out of reach but you want that same vibe and school quality, Northwest Hills is where I'd point you.

Highland Park: The Overlooked Gem Between Tarrytown and Northwest Hills

An area that gets ignored a lot, and I really don't know why it doesn't get talked about enough, is Highland Park . It sits between Northwest Hills and Tarrytown, and I love it. The terrain is varied, it's beautiful, and honestly it reminds me a little bit of the Pacific Northwest. There's something about the way the trees sit and the way the streets wind that just feels different from the rest of West Austin.

I'm not going to dive deep here or this is going to turn into a three-hour video, but if you're looking at Tarrytown or Northwest Hills and you want something a little more off the radar, take a look at Highland Park. It's worth exploring.

Great Hills: Country Club Life Without the Pretension

Another area I think is great is Great Hills . It's kind of famous for having really local schools, and it's this mix of young families crawling all over the place and empty nesters sprinkled about. They've got the Great Hills Country Club there, I'm on a tennis team, and every now and then we play the Great Hills tennis team, so I've been out there a few times. If country club life is important to you but you don't want super mega luxury pretentious country club life (that's coming later in this guide), then Great Hills is probably an area you should look at.

Pricing-wise, if you can spend $850,000 to $1 million, you can get an absolutely wonderful home in the Great Hills area. The neighborhood is surrounded by greenbelt, parks, and nature preserves, essentially wilderness. You see all that green on the map? That's not commercial or residential development. That's protected land, trails, and Hill Country beauty. So if local schools, safety, and views are important to you, Great Hills is a no-brainer.

River Place: Big Homes Surrounded by Wilderness

River Place is another great neighborhood with big homes, probably 3,500 to 5,500 square feet. You're looking at $1.5 to $2.5 million for a move-in-ready home out there, but it's absolutely wonderful. Very residential, very safe, and surrounded by greenbelt and nature preserves. The Hill Country surroundings are beautiful, and the schools are great.

If you want space, nature, and local schools, River Place checks all those boxes. You're not going to walk to cafes and coffee shops and bars, if you want gritty urban density, West Austin is not going to be for you. But if you want your kids to have trails and wilderness right outside the door, River Place delivers.

Steiner Ranch: Austin Address, Leander Schools, No H-E-B

Steiner Ranch is very unique. It sits on the southern bend of Lake Austin (also called the Colorado River) and stretches up toward the Mansfield Dam area. First off, they don't have an H-E-B, but they have a really nice Randall's . I know that's a dealbreaker for some people, so I'm just putting it out there.

Here's what's fascinating about Steiner Ranch: you'll have an Austin address, but you will be zoned to Leander ISD schools. I always say there are five marquee school districts in Central Texas, the top-rated ones that people relocate for. Number one is Eanes ISD (Westlake), number two is Lake Travis ISD (Lakeway, Bee Cave, Spicewood), number three is Dripping Springs ISD , number four is Round Rock ISD , and number five is usually Leander ISD .

In Steiner Ranch, your kids are not only going to be zoned to Leander ISD, they're going to be zoned to the top schools within Leander ISD. The high school is Vandergrift High School , and it is highly competitive. People literally relocate to Steiner Ranch and Four Points just so their kids can go to Vandergrift. It's totally crazy. The academics are really competitive, the sports are super competitive, and the schools are really highly rated.

Steiner Ranch is also right along Lake Austin, so you've got water access and beautiful surroundings. It's very residential and very safe. The only downside? No H-E-B. You've been warned.

Rollingwood: Off the Beaten Path, On the Premium Path

A lot of people love Rollingwood . It reminds me slightly of Tarrytown, but just a little bit more off the beaten path. You're looking at $2.5 to $3.5 million minimum for a home that you're not just going to have to gut renovate. Rollingwood is quieter than Tarrytown, a little more tucked away, but still West Austin luxury real estate with all the access and prestige that comes with it.

Westlake Hills (Westlake): The Most Famous Neighborhood in Austin

Westlake Hills , or just Westlake, is probably the most famous neighborhood in all of the greater Austin area. Beautiful views, local schools in the Austin area, super safe, very residential, close river access. If you want to live in Westlake, the minimum I would say you want to spend is $3 million. But honestly, you could easily spend $4 or $5 million if you want a move-in-ready home. I've seen homes in Westlake that are $20, $30, $40 million. It's wild.

Kids in Westlake are zoned to Eanes ISD , the number one rated school district in Central Texas. That's the big draw. local schools, beautiful nature, safe streets. I mean, what's not to love, right? Except for what I'm about to tell you.

The Westlake Commute Problem

I don't point a ton of people to Westlake because a lot of the people who reach out to me are like, I want to be out in the suburbs and have everything suburbs have to offer, or I want to be right in the middle of Austin, super convenient to everything. Westlake is kind of neither. We have a lot of friends who live in Westlake, and it feels like when we go visit them, you've got to drive all over God's green earth and up and down and around. It takes 20 minutes just to get out of Westlake from anywhere inside it, you know? The roads are winding, and that's kind of annoying to me.

For me personally, Westlake is probably a solid 8 out of 10. But for a lot of people, it's a 10 out of 10. If Eanes ISD schools are your top priority and you can afford it, Westlake is the place. Just know that "convenient" doesn't mean what you think it means once you're inside those winding roads.

Lost Creek: Similar to Westlake, Further West

Lost Creek is west of Westlake, and it's similar in vibe and lifestyle. If Westlake appeals to you but you want to go a little further out, Lost Creek is worth a look.

Barton Creek: Country Club Access, Less Expensive Than Westlake

West of Westlake, you've got Barton Creek . I would say Barton Creek is a little bit less expensive than Westlake. If you can spend $2 to $2.5 million, you can probably get a pretty great home in Barton Creek. You've also got the Barton Creek Country Club , which is super exclusive. I don't even know how much it costs to get into there because that's not really my thing, I'm more of a municipal course, pay $45, play 18 holes, drink a beer with my buddies kind of guy. But if you are a member of the Barton Creek Country Club and you want to take me golfing with you, I will not say no.

Barton Creek gives you that Westlake vibe, local schools, beautiful views, safe and residential, but a little further west and a little less expensive. If Westlake pricing feels out of reach, Barton Creek might be your spot.

Lakeway: local schools and Lake Life Without the Lake Town Vibe

Lakeway is probably one of the top three areas where people watch us on YouTube and reach out to me. And I totally get why. It is beautiful. The schools are amazing, kids in Lakeway are zoned to Lake Travis ISD , the second highest-rated school district in Central Texas. You're right by the lake, so it's a lake town, but it's not that type of lake town where people are walking around in flip-flops with no shirts on. It's going to be people who have boats, like to go wakeboarding, wakesurfing, jet skiing, fishing. It's still a nicer upscale lake area.

I absolutely love Lakeway. I like to mountain bike, and occasionally I mountain bike in Lakeway. I know clients who are ultra marathon runners who really love running out in Lakeway because of all the trails, it's really challenging. Highway 620 runs right through the middle of Lakeway, and it's the biggest suburb in this northwest region of Austin.

Lakeway Neighborhoods: The Hills, Rough Hollow, Old Lakeway, Apache Shores

Now, what are the actual best areas of Lakeway? Let me break it down. You've got The Hills down here in southern Lakeway. I used to think of it as kind of a stuffy retiree area. I'd drive through and be like, do people actually live here? Turns out a lot of people only live there half the year, they go somewhere else for part of the year. I was like, this is kind of just for old people, I don't know. But after working with different clients, I'm like, you know what, no, it's actually pretty cool. It's super safe, it's a cool vibe, and it doesn't trend as old as I thought it did.

Then you've got Rough Hollow . To me, Rough Hollow is a 10 out of 10. I guess unless you're wanting super old heritage Frank Lloyd Wright type homes, you're not going to get that out in Rough Hollow. But there's the Canyon Grill out there, and it's just such a cool vibe. It's a newer area made up of pretty interesting, more modern new construction. If you haven't been out to Rough Hollow, check it out.

Up in northeastern Lakeway, you've got Apache Shores . And then there's Old Lakeway , see that super circuitous area of streets on the map? That's all Old Lakeway, and I think Old Lakeway is freaking awesome. This is the OG Lakeway, the original Lakeway, and there are really cool, usually bigger lots. The houses look completely different from one another, there are more established trees, and for a lot of people who love Lakeway but they're like, I don't want cookie-cutter new construction, they'll drive 25 seconds into Old Lakeway and be like, yo Barrett, this is where I want to be.

Depending on what your vibe is, you're probably going to be an Old Lakeway person or a Rough Hollow person, honestly.

Bee Cave: The Central Cultural Hub of Northwest Austin

Now let me talk about Bee Cave for a second. Bee Cave is really cool, and the reason people tend toward Bee Cave instead of Lakeway is it just makes your commute to Austin, if you're going in and out of Austin every day, that much more bearable. You're closer to the city, but you're still in Lake Travis ISD with all the same school quality.

Bee Cave is anchored by the Hill Country Galleria , which is like the central cultural hub. You've got a beautiful H-E-B, Whole Foods, and a lot of really great retail and restaurants. If you think Bee Cave might be for you, go to the Hill Country Galleria and just hang out. If you're like, this repulses me, then Bee Cave will repulse you, and probably Lakeway will too. But if you're like, dang, I'm loving this vibe, then you're probably going to absolutely love Bee Cave.

Bee Cave Neighborhoods: Lake Pointe, Spanish Oaks, Falcon Head

My favorite neighborhoods in Bee Cave are Lake Pointe , Spanish Oaks , and Falcon Head (including Falcon Head West). Lake Pointe is awesome. The front 70% of Lake Pointe feels pretty approachable, nice homes, very residential. If you can spend $750,000 to $1 million, you can find an absolutely wonderful home. There's Lake Pointe Elementary right in the middle of the neighborhood, which is great. Then up at the top of Lake Pointe, there's an area called Rough Hollow at Lake Pointe , it's gated, and you can get homes up there for $2, $3, $4 million. You've got great access to Lake Austin there.

Spanish Oaks is a really interesting area because it's gated, and this is where some famous people live. I've only sold a couple of houses in Spanish Oaks in my career so far, but if you want to go into Spanish Oaks and buy a move-in-ready home, you're probably going to want to spend $3 to $5 million. I've heard rumors of homes selling for $40, $50, $60, $80 million, like, they sold off market to Chinese billionaires or something. I didn't even know real estate ever sold that expensive in the Austin area until I got into real estate. The Spanish Oaks Golf Course is beautiful. If you're fortunate enough to be able to buy in that neighborhood, more power to you.

Then you've got what I would say is the more approachable version of Bee Cave, which is Falcon Head and Falcon Head West . You're right next to Lake Travis High School, award-winning high school, freaking college and professional athlete factory. Lake Travis High School has some of the best sports teams out there in our area. If you can spend $750,000 to $1.5 million, you can buy an absolutely wonderful home in Falcon Head.

A Warning About Lago Vista

Okay, now I just wanted to mention this area as kind of a warning to you. There's an area called Lago Vista . Not a lot, but a decent amount of people reach out to me from YouTube about Lago Vista. And it's so much cheaper, you can get into Lago Vista and buy a pretty darn awesome home for $275,000 to $400,000. You can get an absolutely wonderful home on a decent-sized lot.

The only problem is you will hate me if I end up letting you buy a home in Lago Vista. A lot of people think, oh cool, I can just shoot right over to Steiner Ranch or into downtown Austin. There's just not a good way to do that. If you're going to live in Lago Vista, it's probably going to take you a while to get anywhere. You've got to drive all the way up north of Jonestown, basically into Leander, down into Cedar Park, and somehow get into Austin. It's a long drive.

I had a guy reach out to me a few years ago and he was like, Barrett, I'm moving to Lago Vista. You can't stop me. And I was like, all right, if I can't stop you, I'll help you do it. And then six months later, he called me and he's like, how soon can you sell your house without having to pay capital gains tax? So Lago Vista, they don't have an H-E-B or anything like that. There are people who live there and love it, but by and large, the people who reach out to me do not want to do their life in Lago Vista. Just be careful. I think you'll hate it.

Which West Austin Area Is Right for You?

West Austin generally has the most expensive real estate in the Austin area, local schools, and great views and nature access. But within that umbrella, you've got a lot of choices. Here's how I'd break it down:

Choose Tarrytown if you want to be steps from downtown, you value walkability to Laguna Gloria and Mount Bonnell, and you're willing to pay $2.5 to $3 million (or more) for that convenience and prestige. You're getting Cassis Elementary, one of the best in Austin ISD, and you're in a neighborhood where a lot of residents keep boats at the marina.

Choose Northwest Hills if you want the Tarrytown vibe but you can't quite stomach Tarrytown pricing. You're still close to downtown, still in Austin ISD with award-winning elementary schools (Doss or Hill), and you're looking at $1.1 to $1.4 million instead of $2.5 million.

Choose Great Hills if you want country club life without pretension, local schools, and a mix of young families and empty nesters. You're surrounded by greenbelt and nature, and $850,000 to $1 million gets you a wonderful home.

Choose River Place if you want big homes (3,500 to 5,500 square feet), beautiful Hill Country surroundings, and you're okay being surrounded by wilderness and greenbelt areas. You're looking at $1.5 to $2.5 million, and it's very residential and safe.

Choose Steiner Ranch if you want an Austin address but you're willing to be zoned to Leander ISD schools, specifically Vandergrift High School, which is highly competitive and people relocate for. Just know there's no H-E-B, only a Randall's.

Choose Westlake if Eanes ISD schools are your top priority and you can afford $3 million minimum (or $4 to $5 million for move-in-ready). You're getting the most famous neighborhood in Austin, beautiful views, super safe streets, and very residential vibes. Just be prepared for winding roads and a 20-minute drive to get out of Westlake from anywhere inside it.

Choose Barton Creek if you want the Westlake vibe but a little less expensive and a little further west. You're looking at $2 to $2.5 million, and you've got access to the exclusive Barton Creek Country Club.

Choose Lakeway if you want Lake Travis ISD schools (second highest-rated in Central Texas), lake life without the lake town vibe, and you want to be in one of the top three most requested areas from YouTube viewers. Rough Hollow is a 10 out of 10 if you want newer construction and a cool vibe. Old Lakeway is perfect if you want bigger lots, established trees, and homes that don't all look the same.

Choose Bee Cave if you want Lake Travis ISD schools but a more bearable commute to Austin than Lakeway. Lake Pointe is approachable at $750,000 to $1 million. Spanish Oaks is for famous people and $3 to $5 million budgets. Falcon Head is the more approachable version at $750,000 to $1.5 million.

If you want gritty urban density, walkable cafes and bars, and East Austin vibes, West Austin is not going to be for you. But if you want local schools, safety, views, and access to nature, West Austin is probably going to be the spot.

Conclusion

West Austin is not one thing. It's Tarrytown bungalows and Westlake estates, Steiner Ranch families and Rough Hollow modern builds, Circle C master-planned convenience and Dripping Springs acreage. The hardest part about relocating to Austin is not finding a wonderful home, it's identifying the best area to put roots down into for you.

If you're thinking about moving to the Austin area and you want to dive into your specific situation, reach out to me. My team and I would love to sit down with you, hear about what's important to you, and create a personalized map tour of the greater Austin area just for you. We do this all the time for relocating buyers, and honestly, we love it. Shoot me a text, send me an email, give me a call. Let's find you the best home in the best area for you.

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Top 6 Neighborhoods Near Austin Texas (Dripping Springs)

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If you're thinking about moving to Austin, Texas, one of the hardest decisions can be figuring out where you actually want to live. With so many great communities nearby, it can be tough to narrow it down.

One place we consistently recommend to relocating buyers is Dripping Springs. Just west of Austin, this Hill Country community offers beautiful scenery, a small-town feel, excellent schools, and a growing selection of homes and neighborhoods. If you're looking for a place that gives you more space without giving up convenient access to Austin, Dripping Springs is definitely worth exploring.

Calaterra: Vibrant Master-Planned Living with Premium Builders
Bunker Ranch: Gated Privacy with Double the Land
Reunion Ranch: Better Commute, Dripping Springs Schools
Rim Rock: Massive Lots Without the Isolation
Which Dripping Springs Neighborhood Is Right for You?
Conclusion

Calaterra: Vibrant Master-Planned Living with Premium Builders

Calaterra is a master-planned community located just south of Highway 290 off Ranch Road 12 in Dripping Springs. It is close to downtown Dripping Springs while still offering a more peaceful, tucked-away setting.

Of the six neighborhoods covered, Calaterra is generally one of the higher-priced options, but it offers a variety of homes and features that appeal to different types of buyers. The community includes homes from builders such as Drees Custom Homes and David Weekley Homes, along with other builders.

Calaterra also features a connected sidewalk system and an HOA that helps maintain the community's overall appearance. With well-maintained yards, organized neighborhoods, and thoughtful planning, Calaterra offers a polished master-planned community feel while still being surrounded by the natural character of Dripping Springs.

Amenities and Community Life

Like many master-planned communities, Calaterra offers a variety of amenities designed to encourage an active, connected lifestyle. Residents have access to a pool, trail systems, pickleball and basketball courts, playgrounds, and open fields where children can play and families can spend time outdoors. The community also hosts activities such as outdoor workout classes, adding to the vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.

Prices and Home Sizes

Home prices in Calaterra can vary significantly depending on the size, location, and features of the property. The current median price for available homes is around $1.3 million to $1.4 million, making Calaterra one of the higher-priced communities in Dripping Springs.

However, buyers can find options across a wide range of price points. Homes currently available have ranged from around $585,000 to approximately $2.4 million, giving buyers opportunities at both the lower and higher ends of the market.

Most homes in Calaterra are between 3,000 and 4,000 square feet and sit on relatively spacious lots. The average lot size is around 0.38 to 0.39 acres, or approximately 14,520 to 16,988 square feet. Some properties offer even more space, with lots reaching a half-acre or more.

For buyers looking for larger homes, more outdoor space, and a master-planned community setting, Calaterra offers a combination of features that can be difficult to find closer to central Austin.

Why Buyers Choose Calaterra

Construction in Calaterra began around 2020 and continues today, giving buyers plenty of opportunities to purchase newer homes in the community. With homes generally ranging from around $600,000 to $2 million, the neighborhood offers options for buyers across a broad price range.

Builder incentives can also make new construction in Calaterra particularly appealing. Combined with amenities such as a pool, well-maintained common areas, and an active community atmosphere, the neighborhood offers a well-planned setting close to downtown Dripping Springs while still feeling tucked away from the main roads.

For buyers looking for new construction, larger homes, and a strong sense of community, Calaterra is a neighborhood worth exploring.

Bunker Ranch: Gated Privacy with Double the Land

Bunker Ranch is located a couple of miles farther west along Highway 290 from Calaterra. One of its standout features is that it is a gated community, with multiple pockets of homes throughout the neighborhood.

Another major draw for buyers is the lot size. While Calaterra's average lot is a little over one-third of an acre, Bunker Ranch offers average lots of just over three-quarters of an acre. That additional land gives homeowners more space and privacy.

Bunker Ranch also highlights a common trend in the Dripping Springs area: the farther buyers get from Austin and central Dripping Springs, the more land they can often find for their money. For buyers who prioritize larger lots and a more spacious setting, Bunker Ranch offers an attractive option.

Architecture and Home Styles

Another appealing feature of Bunker Ranch is the variety of home designs. Compared with Calaterra, buyers can find more distinctive architectural styles, including newer mid-century modern homes with contemporary designs and finishes.

Most homes in Bunker Ranch range from approximately 3,000 to 4,000 square feet. Combined with average lot sizes of more than three-quarters of an acre, these homes offer significantly more outdoor space than the typical property in Calaterra.

Pricing and Trade-offs

Bunker Ranch has a median home price of approximately $1.2 million to $1.3 million, making it slightly less expensive than Calaterra, where the median is around $1.3 million to $1.4 million. For buyers comparing the two communities, Bunker Ranch offers significantly larger lots at a similar price point, making it an option for those who prioritize land and privacy.

However, the two communities offer a different lifestyle. Unlike Calaterra, Bunker Ranch does not have the same extensive neighborhood amenities. Instead, the community appeals to buyers who want more privacy, larger lots, and a quieter setting away from the more active, amenity-focused environment.

For buyers looking for neighborhood pools, large community gatherings, and plenty of shared amenities, Calaterra may offer more of what they are looking for. Bunker Ranch is better suited to those who prefer modern luxury homes, spacious properties, and a more private, off-the-beaten-path lifestyle.

Current Inventory

One of the interesting aspects of communities in the Dripping Springs area is the wide range of home prices within the same neighborhood. Bunker Ranch is a good example. At the time of writing, there are only seven homes available, so buyers interested in the community may need to act quickly when a property that fits their needs becomes available.

Current listings range from approximately $495,000 to just under $1.4 million, creating a price difference of nearly $1 million within the same community. This range gives buyers several options, although the limited inventory means finding the right home may require close monitoring of the market.

Ultimately, Bunker Ranch and Calaterra offer different lifestyles. Calaterra provides more extensive master-planned amenities and a more active community environment, while Bunker Ranch offers larger lots, more privacy, and a more spread-out setting.

Reunion Ranch: Better Commute, Dripping Springs Schools

Reunion Ranch is technically located in Austin rather than Dripping Springs, but its location and community feel make it closely connected to the southern Dripping Springs area. The neighborhood is near Driftwood, and children living in the community are zoned to Dripping Springs ISD.

For buyers exploring the Dripping Springs area, Reunion Ranch can be considered part of the broader Dripping Springs lifestyle. Its location offers access to the surrounding Hill Country communities while still being within the Austin city limits.

The neighborhood can be particularly appealing to relocating buyers who are looking for larger lots and a more spacious setting while staying connected to the greater Austin area.

A Client Story

Reunion Ranch can be an excellent fit for buyers who are willing to consider a slightly longer commute in exchange for a larger home, a spacious lot, and a quieter Hill Country setting.

One relocating couple from Las Vegas initially questioned whether Reunion Ranch made sense for them because of its distance from the airport, Formula 1 track, and the husband's workplace. After exploring the neighborhood, however, they decided the additional 15 to 20 minutes of commute time was worth the lifestyle benefits. They ultimately purchased a home on a large lot in Reunion Ranch and have been very happy with their decision.

Pricing and Home Details

Reunion Ranch offers a surprisingly wide range of home prices, giving buyers options at different price points. The current median price for a single-family home is just over $900,000.

Available homes range from approximately $800,000 to just under $3 million. While the upper end of the market approaches $3 million, most homes fall closer to the $800,000 to $1 million range.

For buyers considering Reunion Ranch, the wide price range means there are opportunities to find a home that fits different budgets while still offering the larger lots and spacious homes the community is known for.

Lot Sizes and Community Style

Homes in Reunion Ranch are typically around 3,900 to 4,000 square feet and sit on lots just over one-third of an acre. These sizes are similar to what buyers find in Calaterra, but Reunion Ranch generally offers more value for the money.

One factor may be the age of the homes. Construction in Reunion Ranch began around 2016, while Calaterra began developing around 2020. As a result, many Reunion Ranch homes are slightly older, which can contribute to the more affordable pricing.

Despite offering a quieter setting and more value, Reunion Ranch is still a master-planned community with amenities such as a community pool.

Amenities and Commute

Reunion Ranch offers a more traditional master-planned community experience, with amenities that reflect its development in the 2016 to 2018 period. It may appeal to buyers who want community amenities without needing the newest or most elaborate features.

Location is another major advantage. Reunion Ranch offers one of the shorter commutes to Austin among the neighborhoods covered, making it a potential fit for buyers who want a larger home, a good-sized lot, and convenient access to the city.

Compared with Calaterra, Reunion Ranch generally has older homes and more modest amenities, while Calaterra offers newer construction and more extensive community features. Reunion Ranch also includes several gated pocket neighborhoods, where buyers can find distinctive architectural homes alongside more traditional properties.

Rim Rock: Massive Lots Without the Isolation

Rim Rock is technically located in Driftwood, Texas, rather than Dripping Springs. Driftwood is known for its beautiful Hill Country scenery, barbecue, and local distilleries, but it does not have a traditional downtown area.

Much of Driftwood runs along FM 1826 and surrounding country roads, offering the scenic, rural character that attracts many buyers to the area. Several residential communities are tucked behind gates and off the main roads, making them easy to miss if you're simply driving through.

Although Rim Rock is in Driftwood, many residents rely on nearby Dripping Springs for shopping, dining, and other everyday amenities. This gives buyers the opportunity to enjoy a quieter Hill Country setting while still having access to the conveniences found in Dripping Springs.

Shopping and Amenities Access

Many people who live in Driftwood treat downtown Dripping Springs as their own, using the area's shopping, dining, and everyday conveniences. Residents can also head toward Circle C in South Austin, where they can find additional amenities such as H-E-B.

For people living in Reunion Ranch or Rim Rock, the lack of nearby amenities is not necessarily a major inconvenience.

What You Won't Get in Rim Rock

Rim Rock does not offer extensive neighborhood amenities. Residents will not find a neighborhood pool, large parks, or extensive trail systems.

However, many homes have private pools, and the large lots provide plenty of space for homeowners to create their own outdoor amenities. For many buyers, that can make up for the lack of shared neighborhood facilities.

Rim Rock Home Sizes and Lot Sizes

Construction in Rim Rock began around 2010 and continued until approximately 2022 to 2024. Because of this, homes are generally a little older than those in some of the other neighborhoods covered.

The typical home is around 3,200 to 3,300 square feet, which is slightly smaller than homes in some of the other communities. However, the lot sizes are significantly larger.

The average lot is just over 1.75 acres, giving homeowners considerably more space and creating a spread-out feel throughout the community.

Private but Not Isolated

Rim Rock and the other neighborhoods discussed can appeal to people who want privacy without feeling completely isolated. Buyers can enjoy larger lots, more space between homes, and a classic Texas Hill Country setting without being completely removed from other people and nearby communities.

For those who want to spread out without living entirely on their own, these neighborhoods can offer that balance between privacy and connection.

Rim Rock Pricing and Value

Rim Rock offers some of the most affordable pricing among the neighborhoods covered so far. The median home price is around $790,000.

While buyers are giving up some of the amenities found in communities such as Calaterra, they are getting significantly more land. With an average lot size of about 1.75 acres and a location close to Reunion Ranch, Rim Rock can offer a combination of space, privacy, and access to Austin.

Which Dripping Springs Neighborhood Is Right for You?

Each neighborhood offers a different combination of amenities, lot sizes, home prices, home ages, and proximity to Austin.

Calaterra may suit buyers who want a vibrant, connected community with extensive amenities and newer construction. The median price is around $1.3 million to $1.4 million, with lots just over one-third of an acre.

Bunker Ranch may appeal to buyers who want more land and fewer community amenities. Average lots are just over three-quarters of an acre, with a median price of approximately $1.2 million to $1.3 million. The community also features distinctive architecture, including mid-century modern homes.

Reunion Ranch may be a fit for buyers looking for a better value, Dripping Springs schools, and a better commute to Austin. The median price is just over $900,000, with lots slightly larger than one-third of an acre. Homes are generally a little older, with construction beginning around 2016.

Rim Rock may appeal to buyers who want much larger lots, private pools, and more privacy without being completely isolated. The average lot is just over 1.75 acres, while the median home price is around $790,000. Homes average approximately 3,200 to 3,300 square feet.

Ultimately, the right neighborhood depends on each buyer's specific situation and what they value most in a home and community.

Conclusion

Dripping Springs continues to come up frequently for clients relocating to Austin. The area offers the 3rd highest-rated school district in Central Texas at a fraction of the price of Eanes ISD or Lake Travis ISD. Buyers can also find Hill Country views, larger lots, and the quintessential Texas feel many people are looking for while still being close enough to Austin without feeling isolated.

The four neighborhoods covered each offer something different. Calaterra provides a vibrant master-planned community, Bunker Ranch offers gated privacy and larger lots, Reunion Ranch offers a better commute and value, and Rim Rock provides massive acreage and private pools.

These are just four of the many options available in Dripping Springs. Buyers can also find estate-style ranch homes on several acres, boutique neighborhoods with 12 to 30 homes, and other master-planned communities.

For buyers seriously considering Dripping Springs, working with a team familiar with the area can help when comparing builders, upgrades, inventory, and the trade-offs between different neighborhoods. The team also has relationships with local builders and can help buyers understand which upgrades may provide a return on investment and which may not.

For more information, buyers can call or text (512) 855-2713 , email barrett@ravengrouptx.com , or visit ravengrouptx.com to schedule a call.

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I'm standing in a Liberty Hill model home with a feature I've never seen before: two full master suites, one upstairs and one down. Not a primary bedroom and a guest room. Two actual master bedrooms with walk-in closets, double vanities, and private baths. If you're moving to Austin with aging parents or a boomerang college grad, this layout changes everything.

Liberty Hill sits in the north-northwestern Austin suburbs, and this giant master-planned community already has about 6,000 homes built. In the next six or seven years, they're expecting to hit 10,000 homes. Four world-class amenity centers are open right now, each with a resort-style pool. A fifth is under construction, and a sixth is in the planning stages. I see kids riding bikes and playing outside every time I'm out here. It's a neighborhood built for buyers who want space, options, and a sense of community without the Central Austin price tag.

Today I'm taking you inside two homes from two very different builders. One leans quirky and cottagey with an Old English vibe. The other is the builder I get asked about most on YouTube, and you're about to see why. Both are for sale right now, and both represent what I think is the best bang for your buck in new construction around Austin. Let's get into it.

Liberty Hill: Two Builders, Two Styles, One Master-Planned Community
Which Lot Size and Builder Make Sense for You
Conclusion

Liberty Hill: Two Builders, Two Styles, One Master-Planned Community

Liberty Hill is a north-northwestern Austin suburb, and this master-planned community is massive. About 6,000 homes are built right now, and the plan is to reach 10,000 in the next six or seven years. You've got four world-class amenity centers open, each with a resort-style pool. A fifth is in progress, and a sixth is on the way. I always see tons of kids out here riding bikes, coming home from school, playing in the yards. It's a family-heavy neighborhood, and that energy is real.

The two builders I'm showing you today could not be more different. The first one has a quirky, cottagey, Old English aesthetic that doesn't match my personal taste, but I think a lot of people would love it. What I do love is the quality of construction and the finishes. They build on 40, 45, 60, and 90-foot lots, so there's a plan for almost every budget and lifestyle. The second builder is the one I get requested most from YouTube viewers. Their windows start about 10 to 12 inches above the ground instead of the typical two or three feet, so the windows are much bigger and bring in way more natural light. A lot of what other builders call upgrades, this builder includes as standard. Both builders are ones I respect, and both are worth your time if you're serious about moving out here.

The Dual-Master Layout: One Upstairs, One Down

The first home I'm showing you is wild. You walk in the front door, and you've got options. Hang a right and you're in the three-car tandem garage. Keep going straight and you hit a mudroom area with a half bath. Hang a left and there's a dedicated study with double glass doors. I'd use that as my work-from-home office in a heartbeat.

Down the hall is a media room. This is the third house out of three in this neighborhood to have a media room, so if that's on your list, you're covered. Next to the media room is the first bedroom, a guest room with its own full bathroom attached. It's not huge, I think they've got a full-size bed in there, but it's perfect for a guest, an aging parent, or a teenager who wants their own space.

Now here's where it gets interesting. The heart of the home is the living, kitchen, and dining area. Big soaring ceilings, plenty of space for a sectional and a couple chairs, and massive sliding glass doors looking out to the backyard. The kitchen has a huge island, Aaron said it's the size of an actual island, with polished granite, hidden storage, and room for four or five bar stools. There's a corner pantry (on the smaller side for this size of home, but functional), a built-in microwave and oven, and a big-ass fan in the living room. That's the brand name, not me being rude.

The dining area is more like a jumbo breakfast nook. They've got a six-seater table in there with plenty of room. If it were me, I'd eat dinner here every night. The backyard has a big covered patio with outdoor dining, outdoor living, and a fire pit seating area. The lot on this model is actually smaller than typical, it's kind of a model home cul-de-sac situation, so if you build this plan yourself, you'd get a much bigger backyard.

Now let's talk about the master bedroom. It's at the back of the house, downstairs. Elevated ceilings, a king-size bed, a dedicated seating area. The master bathroom has double vanities separated by a sliding barn door, a big standalone garden tub, and a walk-in shower. The commode room is tight, I'm not doing burpees in there, but it works. The master closet is a really nice size, and here's a cool feature: if you open the door on the other side of the closet, you're back in the laundry room, which leads right out to the hallway by the front door.

Upstairs is where this plan gets crazy. You've got a game room, a half bath for guests, a full bathroom, and two bedrooms. One of those bedrooms is a full master suite. Nice, big, long master bedroom. A closet that's not the biggest I've ever seen, but plenty of space. And a full master bathroom with a commode room, double vanities, and quartz countertops. I don't think I've ever seen a full-on second master suite upstairs in a home like this. It's perfect for multi-generational living. Aging parents can take the master downstairs, and you take the one upstairs, or vice versa. I talked to the builder, and they can actually do two master bedrooms downstairs by converting the media room space and moving the media room upstairs. Honestly, that's probably what I would do.

The base price of this plan is $910,000. The builder told me there's about $120,000 of upgrades in the model, so if you wanted to buy it exactly as it sits, you're looking at about $1,030,000. That's a 2-story, 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath home with dual master suites, a media room, a game room, a study, and a three-car tandem garage.

Oversized Windows and Sensible Finishes

The second builder is the one I get asked about most. People reach out to us from YouTube all the time asking for information about this builder, and I think you're about to see why. A lot of what they include in their models is not an upgrade. It's just included with the house.

You walk in the front door and the first thing you see is a big high-ceiling study. Here's one thing I want to point out: most builders have windows that start about two or three feet above the ground. This builder has windows that are about 10 to 12 inches above the ground. So the windows are lower to the ground, but they're still really high. All that to say, their windows are much bigger than typical builders' windows, and I love that. If that's important to you, let us know.

You've got big double glass doors going into the study, a staircase to the right, and the garage (which is the builder sales office right now) to the left. Straight ahead is the heart of the home. Soaring ceilings in the living room, but let's start in the kitchen. Very tasteful, very simple. The island is not massive, it's pretty compact, but I think it's all you need. I really like the natural wood grain finish on the island side of the cabinets and the glossy white finish on the range side. GE five-burner range. A glass door to the pantry, which is a cool touch. Nice size pantry. This house is not massive, but I appreciate the size of this pantry.

Fridge, built-in microwave and oven. This is one of those homes where it's truly open kitchen, dining, and living. Seamless. You've got a six-seater dining table right in the middle of the room, which transitions into the living room. Super nice size living room with tall ceilings. They've got a sectional and a loveseat, and it looks up onto the game room upstairs.

The master bedroom is at the back of the house. Great big windows looking out to the backyard. This is not a massive master bedroom. That's kind of the theme of this house. Not huge, definitely not small, but kind of just right in my opinion. The master bathroom has double vanities separated by the door into the bedroom. Nice linen closet. The closet is not the biggest I've ever seen, not the smallest. The toilet room is about the same size as the one in the previous house, but I like that the door opens out instead of in because it doesn't mess with your legroom. I'm six and a half feet tall. Legroom matters to me.

The shower is really nice. I like the tile. You've got a little bench looking out to the rest of the room. Here's the Barrett disclaimer: if you're taking a shower right there, it looks directly out the door into the bedroom, straight into the backyard. You really need to make sure you keep those doors or curtains closed when you're in here because you don't want your backyard neighbors accidentally getting a peek at your naked wet butt. I'm here to protect you.

The backyard has a big covered patio. The builder has some massive cast iron fountains and a crazy pond feature in the model next door that you are not going to have in your home, so don't worry about that. Nice size backyard, covered back patio. You can do your thing out here.

Upstairs you've got a great game room with a lot of natural light from its own windows and from the back of the living room. You'd probably need some kind of entertainment center here. They've got cable jacks right there. First bedroom is set up as a little girl's room. Nice size closet. Actually not a very big closet, but for a kid, that's about all they need. First full bathroom up here. Another bedroom with a crazy light fixture and a nice size closet. And then a third bedroom back here, set up kind of like an office, with a full bathroom attached. I like the tile, the countertops. This builder is doing it right. A++.

Pricing Across Lot Sizes: 40-Foot to 90-Foot Lots

Let's talk pricing. Almost everyone out here puts about 10% of the home's price into upgrades, so plan for that.

First builder (the quirky, cottagey one):

They build on 40, 45, 60, and 90-foot lots. If you wanted the cheapest base price, it's a 1-story, 3-bedroom, 2-bath home, a little bit under 1,600 square feet, starting around $430,000. Plan on about $43,000 in upgrades. If you wanted the nicest house on a smaller 40 to 45-foot lot, that's a 2-story, 4-bedroom, 4-bath home with outdoor living and a covered back patio, a little bit under 2,700 square feet, for about $534,000. Plan on about $54,000 in upgrades.

On 60-foot lots, a 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath, one-story home with a 3-car garage and a little over 3,000 square feet will cost you right around $700,000. The nicest plan on a 60-foot lot is a 4-bedroom, 4-full-bath, 2-half-bath, 2-story home with a 4-car garage, almost 3,300 square feet, for about $900,000. Plan on about $90,000 in upgrades.

On the big 90-foot lots, the most affordable plan is a 1-story, 4-bedroom, 3-bath home with a study, outdoor living, dining room, and 4-car tandem garage. Base price is about $843,000. The biggest house they offer is a 2-story, 5-bedroom, 5.5-bath home with a media room, family room, game room, study, dining, outdoor living, and pool bath. That plan runs about $1,025,000.

Second builder (the one with the big windows):

They build on 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, and 90-foot lots. On a 40-foot lot, you can get into this neighborhood for $450,000. That gets you a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home with a 2-car garage, open family room, dining area, and mudroom, about 1,600 square feet. The biggest 40-foot lot plan is a 4-bedroom, 3-bath home with a 2-car garage for $561,000.

On a 90-foot lot, base price entry level is a 4-bedroom, 3-bath home with a 3-car garage, a little over 3,200 square feet, for about $892,000. The most expensive house base price is a 5-bedroom, 5-bath home with a 3-car garage for about $1,240,000. I've seen it. It's stunning. It has so many more features than I can even tell you. If you put an extra $124,000 of upgrades into it, you've got a mack daddy home.

The home I showed you is a little bit over 2,700 square feet on a 50-foot lot (though this model is on a 60-foot lot). 4-bedroom, 3-bath, home office with French doors, upstairs game room. Base price is about $623,000. The builder told me there's about $152,000 of upgrades in this home, so if you wanted to buy it exactly how it is right now, it's going to cost you about $775,000. If this home were in Central Austin, it would cost you millions of dollars. Out here in Liberty Hill, you can get it for under $800,000.

Quick bonus: this builder has a new section opening up that not many people know about. In that section, the smallest lot you can get is 50 feet. Those homes start at $555,000. You can go all the way up to a 70-foot lot, and those homes max out at under $900,000 for a 5-bedroom, 4-bath home with a 3-car garage.

Which Lot Size and Builder Make Sense for You

If you're moving to Austin with aging parents or you want the flexibility of multi-generational living, the first builder's dual-master layout is a game changer. You can configure two master bedrooms downstairs by converting the media room space, or keep one up and one down. That's not something I see often, and it solves a real problem for a lot of families.

If natural light and sensible finishes matter more to you than quirky design, the second builder is probably your pick. Those oversized windows make a huge difference, and a lot of what other builders charge extra for is just included. The layouts are not massive, but they're well-proportioned and functional.

Lot size is the other big decision. Here's how I think about it:

Choose a 40 or 45-foot lot if you want to get into this neighborhood at the lowest price point and you don't need a huge backyard. You're still getting access to all four (soon to be six) amenity centers and resort-style pools.
Choose a 50 or 60-foot lot if you want a little more breathing room in the backyard and you're willing to pay a bit more for it. This is the sweet spot for a lot of families.
Choose a 90-foot lot if you want space for a pool and you still want extra room. I showed a couple of clients a home on a 90-foot lot a few weeks ago, and we were like, this is a big lot. You could put a pool out here and have tons of extra room.

Both builders offer media rooms, game rooms, studies, and outdoor living spaces. Both build quality homes. The difference is aesthetic and what you value most: quirky charm and dual masters, or big windows and smart standard features.

Conclusion

Liberty Hill is a giant master-planned community with about 6,000 homes built right now and plans to reach 10,000 in the next six or seven years. Four world-class amenity centers are open, each with a resort-style pool, and two more are on the way. I see tons of kids riding bikes and playing outside every time I'm out here. It's a neighborhood built for buyers who want space, options, and a sense of community.

The two builders I showed you today represent what I think is the best bang for your buck in new construction around Austin. One has a quirky, cottagey aesthetic and a dual-master layout I've never seen before. The other has oversized windows and includes a lot of features as standard that other builders charge extra for. Pricing ranges from $430,000 on a 40-foot lot to over $1 million on a 90-foot lot, depending on the builder and plan you choose.

If you're looking and you're liking what you're seeing, you have to reach out to us. We have great relationships with these builders, and we can help you figure out which lot size, which plan, and which builder make the most sense for your family. Give me a call, shoot me a text , or send us an email at info@harpethrealtytx.com . Let's hook you up.

Austin New Construction Homes: Inside a Top Master-Planned Community

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 14:46:00 GMT

If you're looking at new construction homes in Austin, this master-planned community is one that deserves a closer look. The streets are wide, the amenities are everywhere, and the homes we're touring today offer something I don't see enough of in this market: real value. It's not just about getting more square footage. We're talking about thoughtful layouts, upgraded finishes that don't feel overly builder-grade, and price points that can make sense when you're relocating to Austin and trying to figure out where your money goes furthest.

This is a two-part series because there's simply too much to cover in one video. We'll walk through homes from multiple builders, explore different floor plans, and look at the details that can help you decide between new construction and resale. I've spent most of my life in Austin, and I've seen how master-planned communities are changing the way people think about where to live. You're not just buying a house. You're also buying into established infrastructure, schools, amenities, and a neighborhood designed to feel like a community rather than a construction zone.

If you're moving to Austin or relocating within the area, this tour will give you a closer look at what's available right now and what you can get for your money. Let's take a look.

What Makes This Austin's Top Master-Planned Community
New Construction Value: What We're Seeing on This Tour
Builder Quality and Floor Plan Highlights
Amenities and Lifestyle in a Master-Planned Setting
Why New Construction Makes Sense in Today's Austin Market
Conclusion: Your Next Steps

What Makes This Austin's Top Master-Planned Community

When people call this Austin's number one master-planned community, they're talking about more than just marketing. I'm seeing it in the infrastructure. The roads are done. The parks are open. The amenities aren't coming soon, they're here. That's a huge difference when you compare it to other new developments around Austin where you're living in dirt and construction noise for years while they finish building out the neighborhood around you.

Master-planned means everything was designed together from the start. You've got schools within the community or nearby, retail and dining that's either already here or planned with actual timelines, and a trail system that connects the whole place. It's not just a subdivision where a builder bought land and started putting up houses. There's a vision, and more importantly, there's follow-through.

For clients relocating to Austin from across Texas or out of state, a master-planned community like this can make the transition much easier. Grocery stores, parks, amenities, and common areas are all thoughtfully planned, so new residents can settle in without having to figure everything out from scratch. With the HOA handling common areas and amenities, it offers the convenience and turnkey lifestyle many Austin homebuyers are looking for.

New Construction Value: What We're Seeing on This Tour

When it comes to value, these homes aren't necessarily cheap. Austin remains a competitive market, and new construction often comes at a premium. However, the builders featured on this tour are competing on quality and features rather than simply adding square footage. The finishes are thoughtful, the layouts are practical, and the space is designed around how homeowners actually live.

The variety also adds value. With multiple builders, floor plans, and price points within the same master-planned community, buyers can compare their options without driving all over Austin. One home may offer a larger kitchen, while another may have a more functional primary suite.

Another advantage is the peace of mind that comes with buying new. Buyers aren't inheriting an aging roof or HVAC system that could require expensive repairs. With new construction warranties and everything being brand new, buyers can avoid many of the maintenance surprises that can come with resale homes.

Builder Quality and Floor Plan Highlights

The homes featured in this tour come from multiple builders, but the quality remains consistent throughout the community. The floor plans are designed with everyday living in mind, including open-concept layouts, functional kitchen islands, separated primary suites, flexible spaces for offices or playrooms, and covered patios for additional outdoor living.

The finishes also go beyond what many buyers may expect from standard new construction. Features such as quartz countertops, tile backsplashes, shaker-style cabinets, and modern hardware create homes that feel move-in ready without requiring major updates.

Natural light is another standout feature. Well-placed windows and taller ceilings help make the homes feel more spacious, showing how thoughtful design can make a difference beyond the actual square footage.

Amenities and Lifestyle in a Master-Planned Setting

The amenities in this community are a big part of why people move here. You've got pools, fitness centers, parks, trails, and event spaces that the HOA programs with activities. If you've got kids, there are playgrounds and sports courts. If you're active, the trail system connects to other parts of Austin's trail network. If you just want a place to walk your dog in the evening, you've got options.

What I like about master-planned communities is that the amenities aren't an afterthought. They're part of the draw. The HOA fees cover maintenance and programming, so you're not just paying for someone to mow the grass. You're paying for a lifestyle. There are community events, holiday parties, and fitness classes. For people who are new to Austin and trying to meet neighbors, that social programming makes a difference.

The other piece is location within the broader Austin area. This community is positioned so you can get to major employers, airports, and entertainment without feeling like you're in the middle of nowhere. You're in a suburb, but you're not isolated. That balance is what a lot of relocating buyers are looking for. They want space and quiet, but they don't want a brutal commute or to feel disconnected from what's happening in Austin.

Why New Construction Makes Sense in Today's Austin Market

Austin's real estate market has been wild for years, and new construction has become a more attractive option than it used to be. Resale inventory is still tight. Prices are still high. And when you do find a resale home you like, you're often competing with multiple offers and waiving inspections. New construction takes that stress out of the equation.

You're buying a home that's never been lived in. Everything is under warranty. You know exactly what you're getting, and in many cases, you can still make selections on finishes if you're buying early enough in the process. That level of control and predictability appeals to buyers who are relocating and can't spend months house hunting or dealing with bidding wars.

The other advantage is financing. Builders often have relationships with preferred lenders who can offer incentives or cover closing costs. That's not always available with resale homes. And because everything is new, appraisals are straightforward. You're not trying to justify a price based on comps that don't quite match.

For people moving to Austin from other markets, new construction in a master-planned community is a known quantity. You're not guessing about the neighborhood or the schools or the amenities. It's all there, and it's all documented. That makes the decision easier, especially if you're relocating for work and need to close quickly.

Conclusion: Your Next Steps

For buyers considering new construction in Austin, this master-planned community is worth exploring. The homes featured in the tour demonstrate how builders can compete on quality and value, offering thoughtful floor plans, solid finishes, and a neighborhood with established amenities and infrastructure.

For relocating buyers, the decision goes beyond the home itself. Lifestyle, commute, schools, and community all play a role. Master-planned developments like this can offer a turnkey experience, giving buyers the opportunity to move into a neighborhood that is already established and functioning.

If you want to see these homes in person or talk through what makes sense for your move to Austin, let's set up a time. I can walk you through the builders, the floor plans, and the numbers so you can make a decision that fits your life. Reach out at info@harpethrealtytx.com or call me directly at (512) 855-2713. Let's find you the right home.

New Homes in West Austin: Inside a Massive Boutique Luxury Community

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Tour new homes in West Austin with 65 homesites, Hill Country views, Leander ISD schools, luxury features, pools, and prices starting at about $1.5M!

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Explore a West Austin neighborhood near Bee Cave with Lake Travis ISD schools, Hill Country views, and homes from $500Ks to $1M+.

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Moving to Central Austin TX: Neighborhoods, Roads, and Prices

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 15:47:40 GMT

Moving to Central Austin TX? Learn the landmarks, key roads (I-35, Mopac/Loop 1, Hwy 183), North/South river split, major neighborhoods by area, and realistic home-hunting price ranges.

Inside an Austin Texas Area with Affordable Homes and Hill Country Views

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 21:23:00 GMT

When most people think about Austin neighborhoods with Hill Country views, they picture price tags pushing $1.5 million to $2 million or more. That's the going rate in places like West Lake Hills or the Barton Creek corridor, where elevation and scenery come with a premium that can feel out of reach for a lot of buyers. But there are pockets around Austin where you can still get those views without the seven-figure sticker shock. I'm talking about areas where the topography gives you the same rolling hills and long sight lines, but the price point drops way down, sometimes by half or more.

I spent the day touring one of these areas, and I wanted to show you what's actually available right now. This isn't a hidden gem that nobody knows about, but it is a part of the market that gets overlooked when people fixate on the brand-name zip codes. If you're relocating to Austin and you've been told you need to spend two million to get a view, I'm here to tell you that's not the whole story. There are trade-offs, sure, but if you know what you're looking for and you're willing to think outside the usual boundaries, you can find something that checks a lot of boxes without blowing up your budget.

In this tour, I'm walking through homes that sit well below that $1.5 million threshold. Some of these properties are new construction, some are resale, and the styles and lot sizes vary. But they all share one thing: they're in an area that gives you access to views and a Hill Country feel without requiring you to compete in the most expensive submarkets in the Austin metro. Let's talk about what I saw, what the pricing looks like, and what you need to know if this kind of opportunity interests you.

What Makes This Austin Area Different
The Homes: What You Get for the Price
Views and Topography
Commute and Location Trade-Offs
Which Buyers Should Consider This Area
Conclusion

What Makes This Austin Area Different

The first thing to understand is that this area doesn't carry the same name recognition as West Lake Hills or Tarrytown. That's part of why the pricing is lower. You're not paying for a zip code that's been famous for decades. But you are getting the same kind of topography, hills, elevation changes, and long views that make the Hill Country desirable in the first place. The land itself doesn't know it's not in a prestige neighborhood, and that's what creates the opportunity.

This part of the Austin metro tends to attract buyers who care more about the physical setting than the address. If you're the kind of person who wants to wake up to a view of rolling hills and doesn't need to tell people you live in a specific enclave, this is where you start looking. The homes here are spread out enough that you're not stacked on top of your neighbors, and the lots tend to be larger than what you'd find in more urban parts of Austin. You're not in the heart of the city, but you're also not so far out that you feel disconnected.

One of the things I noticed on this tour is that the builders and developers working in this area are putting up homes that feel current. These aren't cookie-cutter tract houses from twenty years ago. The finishes are modern, the floor plans are open, and the architecture takes advantage of the views. You're getting contemporary design without the premium that comes with being inside the Loop or in one of the legacy Hill Country neighborhoods.

The Homes: What You Get for the Price

The homes I toured ranged in style and size, but the common thread was value. We're talking about properties that would easily be $1.5 million to $2 million or more if they were ten miles closer to downtown or in a neighborhood with a different name. Here, you're looking at prices that come in well under that range, sometimes significantly under.

Some of these homes are new builds, which means you're getting modern systems, current building codes, and warranties. The layouts tend to be single-story or split-level, designed to work with the sloped lots. You'll see a lot of open-concept living spaces, large windows that frame the views, and outdoor living areas that extend the usable square footage. Covered patios, decks, and balconies are common, because the whole point of being out here is to enjoy the setting.

The resale homes in the area offer a different kind of opportunity. Some of them sit on larger lots, and you might find properties with more mature landscaping or custom features that the original owner added over time. The trade-off is that you're not getting the latest finishes or the newest appliances, but if you're willing to update or renovate, you can end up with a lot more land and a lot more house for the money.

Square footage varies, but you're generally looking at homes in the 2,500 to 4,000 square foot range. That's enough space for a family or for someone who wants a home office, guest rooms, and room to spread out. Lot sizes can be a quarter acre or more, depending on the specific property. That's a big difference from the tight lots you see in newer developments closer to the city, where you're lucky to get a tenth of an acre.

Finishes and Features

The new construction homes I saw had the kind of finishes you'd expect in a modern Austin build: quartz countertops, stainless appliances, wood or luxury vinyl plank flooring, and updated lighting. The kitchens are designed to be the center of the home, with islands that seat four or five people and pantries that actually have storage. The primary suites are separated from the other bedrooms, which is a layout that a lot of buyers want these days.

Outdoor space is a big part of the appeal. Almost every home I toured had some kind of covered patio or deck, and many of them had views that stretched for miles. You're looking out over hills and trees, not rooftops or highways. That's the selling point, and the homes are designed to make the most of it. Floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding glass doors, and outdoor kitchens are common features.

Views and Topography

The views are what set this area apart from other affordable options around Austin. You're not out on flat land staring at a fence line. The elevation changes give you long sight lines, and depending on where the home sits on the lot, you can see for miles. Sunrise and sunset are both worth watching from these properties, and the Hill Country landscape, live oaks, cedar, limestone outcroppings, is right there.

The topography also means that the lots are more interesting. You're not building on a flat pad. The homes are designed to work with the slope, which can mean walk-out basements, multi-level decks, or driveways that wind up to the house. It's a different kind of living than you get in a flat suburban neighborhood, and it appeals to people who want their home to feel like it's part of the landscape, not just dropped onto it.

One thing to keep in mind is that sloped lots can add complexity to landscaping and maintenance. If you're used to a flat yard that you can mow in twenty minutes, this is going to be different. But the trade-off is that you get privacy, views, and a setting that feels more like a retreat than a subdivision.

Commute and Location Trade-Offs

Here's the reality: you're not going to be five minutes from downtown Austin. This area is farther out, and that means a longer commute if you're working in the city center. Depending on traffic and the time of day, you could be looking at 30 to 45 minutes or more to get to central Austin. That's the trade-off for the lower price and the views.

If you're working remotely or your job is flexible, the commute might not matter. A lot of buyers are in that situation now, and they're willing to trade proximity for space and affordability. But if you're driving into the city every day, you need to factor that time into your decision. The commute is real, and it's not going to get shorter as Austin continues to grow.

The area is also still developing in terms of retail and dining. You're not going to have the same walkable access to coffee shops and restaurants that you'd get in a more urban neighborhood. You'll be driving to the grocery store, and your options for quick errands are more limited. That's part of the trade-off, and it's something to think about if convenience is a priority for you.

That said, the area is growing. New shopping centers and services are coming in as more people move out here, and the infrastructure is improving. It's not as built-out as some of the older suburbs, but it's not the middle of nowhere either. You have access to the things you need; you just might have to drive a little farther to get them.

Which Buyers Should Consider This Area

This area makes sense for buyers who prioritize space, views, and value over proximity to the urban core. If you're relocating to Austin and you've been priced out of the neighborhoods closer to downtown, this is worth a look. You're getting a lot more house and a lot more land for the money, and you're not sacrificing the Hill Country setting that makes Austin appealing in the first place.

Remote workers and people with flexible schedules are a natural fit here. If you're not commuting every day, the distance from downtown becomes less of an issue, and you can focus on what the area offers: privacy, views, and a quieter pace. The homes are designed for people who want to spend time outside, and the setting encourages that.

Buyers who are willing to trade convenience for affordability will also find value here. You're not going to have the same walkable access to amenities, and you're going to spend more time in the car. But you're going to save a significant amount of money compared to the brand-name neighborhoods, and you're going to get a home that feels more spacious and more connected to the landscape.

If you're someone who needs to be in the middle of everything, close to restaurants, nightlife, and cultural events, this probably isn't the right fit. But if you're looking for a place where you can spread out, enjoy the views, and still be within reasonable driving distance of Austin, this area delivers.

Conclusion

The Austin real estate market has a reputation for being expensive, and in a lot of neighborhoods, that reputation is earned. But there are still pockets where you can find value, especially if you're willing to look beyond the usual suspects. This area offers something that's hard to find in Austin right now: affordable homes with Hill Country views and room to breathe.

I walked through homes that would cost twice as much in West Lake Hills or Barton Creek, and the only real difference was the zip code. The views were just as good, the homes were just as well-built, and the lots were often bigger. The trade-off is the commute and the distance from the urban core, but for a lot of buyers, that's a trade-off worth making.

If you're relocating to Austin or you're already here and looking for more space, I'd encourage you to spend some time in this area. Drive around, look at the homes, and see if the setting feels right. The market is competitive, but there are still opportunities if you know where to look. Let's talk about what you're looking for and whether this part of the Austin metro makes sense for your situation. I'm happy to set up a tour and show you what's available right now.

Tour an Austin Texas Area with Big Homes on Big Lots

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 22:13:00 GMT

Driving through certain parts of Austin, you'll notice something that's becoming increasingly rare: actual space between houses. Not the narrow side yards of newer subdivisions where you can hear your neighbor's TV through the wall, but real breathing room. The kind of lots where kids can play in the backyard without immediately ending up in someone else's property, where you can landscape without negotiating with three different HOAs, and where your garage doesn't open directly onto a postage-stamp driveway.

This tour takes you through a neighborhood that delivers on that promise of space, both inside and out. We're talking luxury homes that don't sacrifice lot size for square footage. And while Austin's reputation for quirky bungalows and modern downtown condos gets most of the attention, there's a whole segment of buyers who want something different: a proper primary suite, a yard that can handle a pool or a playset, and enough distance from the street that you're not watching traffic from your living room window.

The master bathroom alone in the home we toured is worth the watch. But it's the combination of interior luxury and exterior space that makes this area stand out in a market where you usually have to choose one or the other.

The Appeal of Big Lots in Austin's Market
Luxury Home Features Worth Noting
What This Area Offers Buyers
Which Buyers Should Consider This Area
Ready to Explore Austin's Spacious Neighborhoods?

The Appeal of Big Lots in Austin's Market

Austin's growth over the past decade has pushed a lot of new construction toward maximizing density. Builders want to fit as many homes as possible onto available land, which means smaller lots have become the norm in many new communities. You'll see 50-foot or 60-foot lots marketed as generous, when twenty years ago that would have been considered tight.

This neighborhood goes against that trend. The lots here give you room to actually use your outdoor space. You're not looking at your neighbor's kitchen window from your patio. You can plant trees that will actually have space to mature. If you want to add a pool down the line, you're not trying to squeeze it into a ten-foot strip of grass.

For buyers relocating from other parts of the country, especially the Midwest or suburbs in other states, this feels more like what they're used to. Austin's charm is real, but if you're coming from a place where a quarter-acre lot is standard, the newer subdivisions can feel claustrophobic. This area offers a middle ground: you're still in the Austin market with access to everything the city offers, but you're not giving up the space you're accustomed to.

The trade-off, of course, is price. Larger lots cost more, both in initial purchase and in ongoing maintenance. You're mowing more grass, potentially paying more in property taxes based on land value, and dealing with more square footage to heat and cool. But for buyers who prioritize space, those costs are worth it.

Luxury Home Features Worth Noting

The home we toured isn't just big for the sake of being big. The layout and finishes show thought went into how people actually live in a house this size. The primary suite is a standout, and specifically that master bathroom. We're not talking about a standard five-piece bath. This is the kind of space where you could genuinely spend time, not just rush through your morning routine.

Luxury bathrooms have become a major selling point in higher-end homes, and for good reason. Buyers at this price point want a retreat, not just a functional space. Soaking tubs, oversized showers with multiple heads, double vanities with actual counter space between the sinks, and separate water closets are all expected. This home delivers on those expectations.

Beyond the bathroom, the overall flow of the house makes sense for how people use space today. Open floor plans are standard now, but the execution matters. You want the kitchen to connect to the living areas without feeling like you're cooking in the middle of the living room. You want enough separation between the primary suite and secondary bedrooms that everyone has privacy. You want storage that doesn't require Tetris-level skills to use.

The homes in this area tend to offer those practical luxuries alongside the showier features. Yes, you get the impressive entryway and the statement lighting, but you also get a pantry you can actually walk into and closets that fit more than ten hangers.

Interior Space and Layout

Square footage numbers can be misleading. A 4,000-square-foot home with a weird layout can feel smaller than a well-designed 3,200-square-foot house. The homes in this neighborhood tend toward the larger end of the spectrum, but the layouts make that space usable.

You're looking at four or five bedrooms in most cases, with the primary on the main floor in many designs. That main-floor primary is increasingly important for buyers thinking long-term. Even if stairs aren't an issue now, having the option to live on one level adds flexibility.

Secondary bedrooms are actually sized like bedrooms, not glorified closets. If you have kids or guests, they're getting real rooms with space for furniture beyond just a bed. Home offices have become non-negotiable for many buyers, and these homes typically offer a dedicated space for that, not just a corner of the dining room.

Outdoor Living Space

With lot sizes this generous, outdoor living becomes a real possibility. Covered patios are standard, but you have room to expand beyond that if you want. Fire pits, outdoor kitchens, pools, sport courts, the space is there to add whatever fits your lifestyle.

Austin's climate makes outdoor space valuable for a good chunk of the year. Yes, July and August are brutal, but spring and fall are beautiful, and even winter is mild enough that you can use a patio with a heater. Having a yard that's actually big enough to enjoy makes a difference in how you use your home.

The landscaping in established neighborhoods like this also tends to be more mature. You're not staring at bare dirt and struggling saplings. Trees provide shade, which matters when you're trying to keep cooling costs reasonable. Established landscaping also means more privacy, which is harder to come by in brand-new developments where every lot is still exposed.

What This Area Offers Buyers

Location matters as much as the house itself, and this area delivers on several fronts. You're not in the heart of downtown Austin, which means you're trading walkability and nightlife proximity for space and a different pace. For many buyers, especially those with families or those who work from home, that's the right trade-off.

Access to major roads and highways is important when you're living in a sprawling metro like Austin. Commute times can vary wildly depending on where you need to go and when you're traveling. This area offers reasonable access to different parts of the city without being right on top of a major thoroughfare. You can get where you need to go, but you're not listening to highway noise from your backyard.

Shopping and dining options in the surrounding area give you what you need without requiring a 30-minute drive for groceries. Austin has seen significant retail development in areas outside the urban core, which makes suburban living more practical than it was even ten years ago. You're not isolated, but you're also not in the middle of commercial sprawl.

Schools and Community

For buyers with children, school districts are a major consideration. I'm not going to tell you whether the schools here are good or bad, that's something you need to research directly with the district based on your family's specific needs and priorities. What I can tell you is that many buyers in this area are specifically looking at school boundaries as part of their decision.

The community feel in established neighborhoods like this is different from brand-new developments. You have a mix of buyers who've been here for years alongside newer residents. The neighborhood has a history, which can be a positive if you're looking for stability and established social networks.

Lifestyle Considerations

This isn't a neighborhood where you walk to coffee shops or live above a restaurant. If that's your priority, you want to be looking closer to downtown or in one of Austin's more urban neighborhoods. This is suburban living, with the benefits and limitations that come with it.

You'll drive most places. Your social life will likely revolve around homes and planned activities rather than spontaneous encounters on the street. Your kids will need rides to friends' houses rather than biking over. For some buyers, that's a dealbreaker. For others, it's exactly what they want.

The privacy and space you gain are the flip side of that car-dependent lifestyle. You're not sharing walls with neighbors. You're not hearing footsteps from the unit above you. You have room to spread out, to make noise, to live without constantly being aware of the people around you.

Which Buyers Should Consider This Area

If you're relocating to Austin and you're coming from a suburban background, this area will feel familiar in the best way. You get the space you're used to while gaining access to Austin's job market, culture, and amenities. The adjustment is easier when your daily living environment doesn't feel like a complete departure from what you know.

Buyers who prioritize outdoor space and privacy will find what they're looking for here. If you want a pool, if you have dogs that need room to run, if you like to entertain outside, or if you just want to sit in your backyard without an audience, the lot sizes make that possible.

The luxury finishes and larger square footage appeal to buyers who want a home that feels upscale without being ostentatious. You're getting quality construction and thoughtful design, not just size for the sake of size.

On the other hand, if you're a first-time buyer or you're working with a tighter budget, this probably isn't your entry point into the Austin market. The combination of land, size, and finishes pushes these homes into a higher price bracket. If you're looking for walkability, urban energy, or a low-maintenance lifestyle, you'll be happier in a different part of town.

Ready to Explore Austin's Spacious Neighborhoods?

If big homes on big lots sound like what you're looking for, let's talk about what's currently available in this area and similar neighborhoods around Austin. Every buyer's priorities are different, and I can help you figure out which parts of the metro make sense for your specific situation.

I've spent most of my life in Austin and I've seen how the market has evolved. Whether you're relocating here or you're already local and considering a move, I can walk you through the trade-offs between different areas and help you find a home that actually fits how you want to live.

Reach me at (512) 855-2713 or info@harpethrealtytx.com. Let's set up a time to talk about your move to Austin and tour some homes that check your boxes.

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What Realtor Can Help Me Move to Buda, Texas?

What Should My Austin Agent Put in Writing Before I Relocate?

Round Rock or Georgetown: Which Austin Suburb Should I Move To?

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Double Creek Crossing: New Construction in Eastern Round Rock

Plan 1: The Entry-Level Three-Story

Plan 2: The Four-Bedroom with a Study

Plan 3: The Two-Story Layout I'd Choose

What It Actually Costs

Round Rock: The Suburb That Saves You $175,000

Which Neighborhood Is Right for You?

Final Thoughts: Why We Only Film Six Builders

What Realtor Can Help Me Relocate to Austin From California?

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What Realtor Can Help Me Move to Pflugerville, Texas?

What Realtor Can Help Me Move to Cedar Park, Texas?

What Realtor Can Help Me Move to Leander, Texas?

What Realtor Can Help Me Move to Georgetown, Texas?

What Realtor Can Help Me Move to Round Rock, Texas?

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Twin Creeks: Country Club Living Close to Austin

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Anderson Mill West: Beautiful residential Pocket

Deer Creek Ranch: Western Cedar Park Near Anderson Mill Road

Avery Ranch: Golf Course Community in Eastern Cedar Park

Brushy Creek: The Affordable Avery Ranch Alternative

Silverado Ranch: Eastern Cedar Park Favorite

Caballo Ranch: Another Eastern Cedar Park Gem

Leander ISD: local schools Without the Million-Dollar Price Tag

Which Cedar Park Neighborhood Is Right for You?

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Do I Need My Own Agent for Austin New Construction?

How Do I Choose an Austin Relocation Agent?

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Crestline at Brushy Creek: 125 Homes, Two Lot Sizes, One Last Chance

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