LAKE TRAVIS
Beautiful Lake Travis draws crowds of people to Central Texas. Lake Travis is not only popular for the obvious reasons, but it provides a lifestyle that many have grown to love and desire. Lake Travis is part of the Colorado River and is the most popular lake of the six Highland Lakes in the Texas Hill Country. Lake Travis is relatively young, having formed in 1942 with the completion of Mansfield Dam, whose purpose is to serve as a regulator of floodwaters. Lake Travis snakes for 65 miles and is as deep as 190 feet in some places making it the largest storage capacity of the six Highland Lakes. Lake Travis is not a constant level lake therefore the lake level can vary dramatically depending on the amount of rainfall upstream. Therefore Lake Travis is monitored by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). When Lake Travis reaches above 681 feet above sea level, LCRA opens the floodgates of Mansfield Dam releasing water downstream into Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake (Town Lake). Homes located in the flood zone of Lake Travis are subject to flood conditions. Conversely when Lake Travis suffers a drought, certain areas where homes were considered waterfront, like coves and other low water areas, the water is recedes significantly. When shopping for waterfront property on Lake Travis it’s important to know which areas of the lake are most affected by the water fluctuations. It’s important to keep that in mind when determining if you’d like to manage a boat dock in your back yard or use a marina. Lake Travis Communities Lake Travis is not only known by its body of water but for its schools and communities.
Lake Travis is divided by the North and South Shore. Cities that make up the South Shore of Lake Travis are: Bee Cave, Lakeway, Briarcliff, and Spicewood. While Bee Cave and Lakeway offer a shorter commute to the Austin area, Briarcliff and Spicewood are further out from the city. South Shore of Lake Travis Bee Cave - is a small town to the west of Austin off HWY 71. Per the 2000 census, the population of Bee Cave was 656 people, 207 households and 172 families. If you’ve visited the Bee Cave area since 2000 you can see that population has greatly increased. The median income per household for Bee Cave was $120,871 and the median income for a family was $130,028. The per capita income for Bee Cave was $45,405. Bee Cave is the home to the new Hill Country Galleria. The Hill Country Galleria covers 152 acres of the hill country landscape on HWY 71 from the corner of 2244 to RR 620. The Galleria is also the home of the Bee Cave City Hall, among other residences and shops. Bee Cave is also where you will find the newly desired, upscale private community of Spanish Oaks. Spanish Oaks is surrounded by 15,000 acres of nature preserve and surrounding the beautiful Barton Creek. In Spanish Oaks, there are 477 properties with estate size homesites ranging in size from ½ acre to four acres. The sizes of homes within Spanish Oaks are anywhere from 2,000 sq. feet to 6,300 sq. feet. A custom home in Spanish Oaks starts at $1.5 million. Spanish Oaks Golf Club has memberships available by invitation only. This 18 hole golf course was designed by Bobby Weed and was recognized by Golf Digest in 2004 as America’s Best New Course. Other communities in Bee Cave include The Homestead, and portions of The Uplands and Lake Pointe. Lakeway - is a quaint community offering golf, water activities, great schools and a laid back way of life. The town of Lakeway began with the construction of the Lakeway Inn and 48 room hotel in 1962. Per the 2000 census the population of Lakeway was 8,002, 3,124 households and 2,496 families. The median income per household in Lakeway was $86,862 with a median income per family of $94,266. The per capita income was $45,765, Briarcliff -is a village about 20 miles outside of Austin located off Farm Road 2322, also known as Pace Bend Road. It was developed as a resort area in the 1960’s with summer homes, country clubs and water sports as the main attractions. Per the 2000 census, Briarcliff had 895 people, 369 households and 260 families calling it home. The median income for a household in Briarcliff was $76,453 and median income for a family was $82,507. The per capita income was $32,650. Briarcliff today is still a small town. It’s popular for the Briarcliff Marina, private golf course and the Lakehouse Café. Briarcliff is also home to the legendary Willy Nelson. Spicewood - is located about 22 miles northwest of Austin. Spicewood lies in three different counties, Blanco, Burnet and Travis and is serviced by four different school districts, Lake Travis ISD, Marble Falls ISD, Johnson City ISD and Dripping Springs ISD. Spicewood is bordered by Cypress Creek, Colorado River, Fall Creek, Lake Travis and the Pedernales River. Per the census of 2000, Spicewood had a population of 5,527. The per capita income for Spicewood was $33,785. Spicewood has 3 well known country clubs: Austin Golf Club, Barton Creek Lakeside and Lakecliff on Lake Travis North Shore of Lake Travis The North Shore contains Lago Vista, Jonestown, Pointe Venture and Volente. Lago Vista and Point Venture are supported by Lago Vista Independent School District while Jonestown and Volente are supported by Leander ISD. Lago Vista - is located about 20 miles to the Northwest of Austin on the North Shore of Lake Travis and FM 1431. Lago Vista was developed in the 1960’s much like Briarcliff, as a lake resort, summer homes, camping facilities and water sports as the main attractions. As of the 2000 census, Lago Vista had a population of 4,507 people. The median income per household was $57,527 while the per capita income for Lago Vista was $28,438. Today Lago Vista remains relatively small and is popular among families who desire a small town feel and those wanting the prefect vacation spot. Lago Vista is home to two golf courses, Lago Vista Country Club and Bar K Golf Club. Pointe Venture - is a village located on the north bank of Lake Travis. Pointe Venture, with a population of roughly 500 is located across Lake Travis from Lakeway. Pointe Venture has a 9-hole golf course that is a public course. In addition to golf, Pointe Venture has a fifty-acre waterfront park, tennis, marina, swimming pool, exercise room and a floating restaurant, The Pier on Lake Travis, which was formerly known as Shades. Pointe Venture is serviced by Lago Vista ISD. Jonestown - is located on FM 1431 roughly 20 miles northwest of Austin. It’s about nine miles west from the intersection of 183 and 1431. Jonestown is often referred to as the “Gateway to the Hill Country.” The city of Jonestown began as a weekend fishing town and a place for boaters, but it now offers estate sized homes in gated communities with waterfront or water view homesites. Per the 2000 Census, Jonestown had a population of 1681, with 699 households, and 434 families in the city. The median income for a household in Jonestown was $43,167 and the median income per family was $47,708. The per capita income for the city was $21,256. Jonestown is serviced by both Leander and Lago Vista Independent School Districts. Volente - is a village located on Lake Travis and Farm Road 2769 eighteen miles to the Northwest of the Austin area. Volente has more than 600 families who call it home. Lake Travis areas and subdivisions include: Bee Cave, Costa Bella, Falconhead, Flintrock Falls, Lake Pointe, Lakeway, Hills of Lakeway, The Homestead, Preserve at Lakeway, Ridge at Alta Vista, Rough Hollow, Spanish Oaks, Spicewood, The Uplands and Vineyard Bay
LAKE AUSTIN
Lakefront property is among the most sought after real estate in the greater Austin area. Home to some of the area’s finest waterfront homes, Lake Austin maintains a constant level, making it a popular boating, fishing, and recreation area for residents.
Created in 1939, Lake Austin is one of the seven Highland Lakes along the Colorado River in Texas. It covers nearly 1,600 acres of surface area and winds its way 22 miles from the Mansfield dam at the base of Lake Travis, through Westlake to the Tom Miller Dam near Downtown Austin. Lake Austin Real Estate
Along its path through the Texas Hill Country, Lake Austin crosses numerous Austin zip codes, including 78746, 78703, 78731,78733, 78730, 78738, 78732, and 78734. Homebuyers looking for a lakefront home or vacation property along Lake Austin can find a variety of real estate options, including townhomes with Hill Country views, new residential communities, or large, custom estates with multi-acre lots.
Many waterfront homes on Lake Austin have a private boathouse in their backyard, making it easy to enjoy a variety of water sports or a short boat ride to several restaurants along Lake Austin's shores. Lake Austin residents and visitors can also take advantage of the full-service Lake Austin marina near Tom Miller Dam or a variety of small neighborhood parks that offer picnic areas along Lake Austin's shoreline and public boat ramps for residents.
Popular Lake Austin communities include Aqua Verde, Bella Lago, Bellagio at Steiner Ranch, Caslano, Courtyard, Greenshores, Island at Mt Bonnell Shores, Laguna Loma, Lakeside Condominiums, Lake Shore Addition, Lakehouse Condominiums, Las Colinas Condominiums, Marina Club, Orleans Harbor, Peninsula on Lake Austin, River Place on Lake Austin, Rivercrest, RiverPointe, Rob Roy, St. Tropez, The Cliff over Lake Austin, Waterford Place, Watersedge, West Rim, Westlake Hills, Westview on Lake Austin, Wood Island, Barton Springs, Rollingwood, West Lake Hills, River Hills, The Hollows and Steiner Ranch. If you are facing foreclosure on your property, we can assist you with doing a short sale. Contrary to popular belief, a short sale benefits not only the seller but the mortgage company as well. Visit our Austin short sale page to learn about what designations and certifications you should look for when dealing with a short sale Realtor. Not all real estate agents are trained to deal with the complexities of the pre-foreclosure / short sale process. Make sure to deal with a National Association of Realtors (NAR) Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) specialist to maximize your opportunity for a successful short sale. |