North Shore Lake Travis Update
Anyone who has looked at Lake Travis real estate should have realized by now that the south shore is more expensive than the north shore. With some things changing locally the north shore is looking much more attractive these days.
Big change number one: the opening of Highway 183A. Access to much of the north shore of Lake Travis began by driving out Highway 183, a highway with stop light after stop light. Getting from Lago Vista or Point Venture to the downtown Austin area or the airport used to take forever. With 183A open, the drive to downtown Austin is now less than 60 minutes in traffic and around 40 minutes during quiet times.
Big change number two: this may sound trivial to a reader, but a Super S grocery store opened recently in Lago Vista. Before Super S, there was a small convenience store in Lago Vista, but buying regular groceries required a 20 minute trip into Cedar Park or Leander.
Big change number three: real estate values on the south shore of Lake Travis have just become really, really expensive over time. Combine that with the convenience of 183A and Super S and the north side of the lake suddenly becomes much more attractive.
Some real estate developers and builders recognized the significance of the changes well over year ago. As a result, there are a good number of developments under way or planned for the north shore. I will highlight some of the developments in the paragraphs to follow.
The Hollows is probably the most significant and largest development on the north shore of Lake Travis to date. Developed initially by Centex Destination Resort Properties, The Hollows is a large, gated development with a mix of single-family homes, villas, condos and townhomes. The Hollows has a great infrastructure that includes a private water supply and sewer system. There is an excellent beach club with six pools, a grill, fire pit and an excellent chef. The Hollows has its own marina, fitness center as well as hike and bike trails with streams and waterfalls. Homes in The Hollows are generally priced from $375,000 to over $2 million.
Vista Villas is a luxury condominium project that will have 62 units ranging in price from $277,350 to $470,000. On just under 12 acres, Vista Villas is gated and will two pools with spas and an amenities center.
Waterscape is a condo development on the Sandy Creek arm lf Lake Travis. Prices start at $250,000 for the 1005 square foot unit with a Hill Country view and go up to almost $700,000 for a 1780 square foot unit with a great lake view. Amenities are to include a marina, tennis courts, a putting green, meeting rooms, walking trails, a beach swimming area, a lakeside deck and lounge and more.
Waterford is another rather exclusive, gated development on the north shore of Lake Travis. There are 117 lake view and lake front lots in Waterford on just two streets. Prices will be on the high side.
The Falls is a development that has not yet broken ground, but it looks to be quite nice. There will be single-family homes, townhomes and condos. The community will have boat and RV storage, making it great for second home owners and people who like to be on the lake and travel. The Falls is within the Lago Vita ETJ and may be annexed before too long. Of the 315 acres, 115 will be dedicated to green space.
French Quarters is an interesting sounding development. It will be small, with just 13 homes to be built. Homes are said to have a southern feel with large porches and a lot of wrought iron. French Quarters will be in Point Venture, which is know for having a large rental pool of condos and a good golf course.
Sunset Harbor, which is under construction as I write this in August of 2007, will have 120 condos and a restaurant on 41 acres. Condo will range in size from 1,200 to 2,200 square feet and will be priced from $300,000 to $800,000. This will also be a development friendly to boaters and RV owners with garages that will be 34 feet wide, 30 feet deep and with 10 foot doors.
Turnback Ranch in a 243 acre development on the Turnback Cove of Lake Travis. The development, which is supposed to begin construction late this year or early 2008, will have 11,000 feet of Lake Travis shoreline. Lots will start at $300,000 for views and $500,000 for waterfront.
Tusikanni Cove is a development that plan to have 300 single-family homes on 234 acres. This is a very pretty area, but some people have expressed concerns about it being relatively low lying. The way Lake Travis can fluctuate, there may be issues with high water from time to time.
Finally, Waterstone will have 71 condos in five different floor plans. Priced from $430,000 to $626,000, the sizes will range from 1,422 to 1,819 square feet.
Lake Travis has always been an attractive place to own a second home. People from both Houston and Dallas seem to like the area as it is relatively close to them. The north side of Lake Travis is closer to Dallas and it is also now more easily accessible to the Houston area thanks to 183A. With all the development I think we will see a lot more activity on the north side of Lake Travis for years to come.
Authored by Austin REALTOR® Sam Chapman. Visit Sam's Lake Travis Photo page. |