If you drive from Austin out Texas 71 you will come to Highway 281.  Turn north on that and you will soon be in Marble Falls, which sits on Lake Marble Falls.  Just west of Marble Falls on the south side of Lake LBJ is Horseshoe Bay.  This area is generally referred to as the upper part of the Central Texas Highland Lakes.

The entire Highland Lakes chain was created when a series of dams were built along the Colorado River.  The Colorado River basin covers a lot of ground and Austin and other cities on the river was very prone to flooding.  Austin had a number of serious floods back before Mansfield Dam, which holds Lake Travis back, was built.  Lake Travis is the primary flood control lake in the Highland Lakes chain, but it has since also become an extremely desirable area for people wanting waterfront homes.  As demand for Lake Travis waterfront homes has increased and supply has decreased, prices have gotten very high.  This, along with the Marble Falls area developing into quite a golf and second home mecca, has created more demand for waterfront real estate in areas like Marble Falls and Horseshoe Bay.

Marble Falls was founded in 1877 and was just another town in the Hill Country for a long time.  With the development of Horseshoe Bay and other developments, Marble Falls started growing pretty quickly.  In addition to Horseshoe Bay, a number of golf courses and communities were added in the area over time.  Thanks to Horseshoe Bay, golf and lakes, it was just natural that Marble Falls would continue to grow.

Horseshoe Bay was created as a resort about 40 years ago.  Early in its development, Horseshoe Bay saw the construction of condominiums, stables, a runway, a yacht club, a water and sewer plant and a gate at the entrance.  In the 1970s, more land was acquired and a golf course and club were added.  What Horseshoe Bay has become today is an incorporated city with a hotel and conference center, several golf courses and some incredible communities like Applehead Island.

As home prices on Lake Travis pushed into the $1 million and up range, the lakes to the west became attractive alternatives for second homes.  With higher demand and new waterfront communities, people looking for waterfront homes around Marble Falls and Horseshoe have come to learn that the area isn't inexpensive.  Many people from Dallas, Houston and oil rich Midland own second homes in the area.  I've heard it estimated that perhaps more than 35% of waterfront homes in the Marble Falls area are second homes.

If you search my website or other area Austin real estate websites, you will see properties listed for sale in Marble Falls and Horseshoe Bay.  What most people don't know is that that part of Central Texas is covered mainly by the Highland Lakes Board of REALTORS.  If an agent is a member of both the Highland Lakes and the Austin Board, that agent can have a property show up on an Austin Board area website.  If an agent is just a member of the Highland Lakes Board, a listing that agent has will not show up on Austin real estate websites.

I'm not a member of both Boards.  Marble Falls and Horseshoe Bay are far enough from me so that I don't feel I can adequately service the needs of home buyers and sellers in that area.  Whenever I get a call about a property in that direction, I refer the caller to one of several excellent Marble Falls real estate agents I work with.  I have created a couple of pages that will show some, but not all, of the homes for sale in Marble Falls and Horseshoe Bay.  Take a look at Marble Falls homes and Horseshoe Bay homes.