Your Expert Guide

The Uplands: A Bee Cave enclave that exudes quiet luxury

The home is flooded with natural light.

Photo courtesy of Kuper Sotheby's International Realty

There are so many great places to live in Austin that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Kuper Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Drawn to its location, abundance of shopping and restaurants, and the beautiful homes on large-acre lots, real estate agent Beata Burgeson and her family have called The Uplands home for the past four years.

"It's a hidden gem," the Kuper Sotheby's International Realty agent says, "providing a peaceful and quiet lifestyle tucked behind the 4,000-acre Barton Creek Habitat Preserve. It's a quiet little spot that not everyone knows about."

Even though she's a fairly new Uplands resident, Burgeson has been working the area much longer: 15 years.

"My business is mostly referral-based and I work wherever my clientele is," she explains.

Burgeson, who spent the first 20 years of her life in Poland, describes The Uplands as having a luxurious yet neighborly vibe. The Hill Country Galleria is within biking distance, she points out, and there are 20-plus restaurants within walking distance.

Burgeson offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in The Uplands. Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
Whether you're looking to walk or bike to a neighborhood favorite or hop in the car for a nearby meal, the options are nearly endless.

Some of Burgeson's favorites are Plate By Dzintra, Baguette et Chocolat, Toss Pizzeria & Pub, Chisos Grill, Ellera, Schmidt Family Barbecue, Mandola's Italian Kitchen, Maudie's Hill Country, Tony C's, Cafe Blue, Buenos Aires Cafe, Tadashi, The League Kitchen & Tavern, Madam Mam's Thai Cuisine, Woody's Tavern & Grill, Amy's Ice Creams, Runaway Luna Coffeehouse, and FoliePop's.

Where to play
The Hill Country Galleria is very close by and includes a Cinemark movie theater.

Or you can head outdoors to Bee Cave Park, Commons Ford Park, or the Lone Star Farmers Market.

To get your adrenaline pumping, visit Urban Air and then relax and recharge at milk + honey spa.

What to see
Indulge your artistic side at Bee Cave Sculpture Park, El Dorado Gallery, and Flip'N Art.

Where to live
"The Uplands neighborhood is an amalgam of custom-built and traditional homes with generously sized backyards, established trees, and quiet but welcoming streets," says Burgeson. "There is definitely an elevated quality of homes in this gated and private community, and the majority of homeowners seem to consistently work at enhancing design, landscaping, and other elements as the years pass. This is a neighborhood that has only improved with time."

One of Burgeson's most recent significant sales in The Uplands is 11802 Colleyville Dr., which broke the record for the highest sold property in the neighborhood at the time. The custom build featured an incredible backyard with its own private trail toward the back of the property.

"After working with Beata during fall of 2021, she is now the standard by which we measure all real estate professionals," says one client. "Beata made the process of selling our home as easy as possible for our family — she concisely delineated her marketing strategy and then executed each detail according to the agreed-upon timeframe. Her kind, warm mannerisms complement her business savvy in such an elegant way that it is evident Beata is well respected among her Sotheby’s team, as well as Realtors from competing offices."

"Additionally, Beata has taken the time to cultivate a strong team of support professionals to assist her clients in their real estate transactions," says another. "It is abundantly clear that Beata is successful not only due to her business acumen, but because she strives to surround herself with others who are the best at what they do."

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Beata Burgeson lives, works, and plays in The Uplands. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email beata@beataburgeson.com, or call 512-795-9900.

Photo courtesy of Kuper Sotheby's International Realty

Agent Beata Burgeson.

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local real estate report

Homebuyers can afford to be picky as Austin housing inventory rises

Photo by Avinash Kumar on Unsplash

Housing economist Clare Losey said the most significant factor affecting home sales in Austin is high mortgage rates.

The latest real estate report from Unlock MLS and the Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) has revealed housing inventory is still on a steady rise in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos MSA, creating more choices for potential homebuyers as they navigate a high interest rate market.

Residential home sales dipped by a mere 1.5 percent year-over-year from October 2023, amounting to 2,248 closed sales in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos MSA. Median prices have also dropped to $430,000, or 3.2 percent less than this time last year. More than 3,300 new home listings were added on the market — a 7.4 percent increase from 2023 — bringing the total number of active home listings to 11,599.

According to Unlock MLS and ABoR housing economist Clare Losey, Ph.D., October's mortgage rates stood at 6.4 percent and are showing no signs of a significant drop in the near future. Even heading into 2025, Losey says potential homebuyers who are biding their time in the hopes of seeing rates plummet "may be in for a long wait."

"In the meantime, sellers must recognize that bringing buyers to the table requires a more aggressive pricing approach," Losey said. "Even in a more balanced market, buyers with limited purchasing power are struggling to meet current price expectations."

As for the overall health of the Central Texas housing market, 2024 Unlock MLS and ABoR president Kent Redding labeled recent news reports that called Austin "ground zero" for a downturn as an "extreme over-exaggeration."

"Austin led the state and nation in record-breaking home price growth and sales activity during the pandemic," Redding said. "For three years, near-zero housing inventory, numerous offers above list price and a rapid-paced market raised home prices and left little negotiating power for buyers. During this record-setting growth, ABoR and Unlock MLS consistently emphasized the unsustainability of the rapid growth, and now, our market is working to balance those extremes."

Central Texas housing trends in October 2024

In Travis County, 979 homes were sold last month — a slight 2.5 percent increase from last year. Median prices remained flat year-over-year at $510,000. Active home listings continued growing to 5,702 homes, which is 9.4 percent more year-over-year.

In Williamson County, 807 homes were sold in October, with median prices steadily dropping to $420,000. There were 1,028 new home listings on the market, showing a 4.5 percent increase from October 2023, bringing the total number of active home listings to 3,369.

Residential home sales dropped by nearly eight percent in Hays County in October, totaling 315 sales. Median prices also fell 5.5 percent year-over-year to $359,000. Active listings rose 6.6 percent year-over-year to 1,740 homes with the addition of 534 new listings on the market.

Meanwhile, 114 homes were sold in Bastrop County last month, which is 4.4 percent more than this time last year. Median prices dropped by a single percentage point year-over-year to $355,000. There were 654 active listings on the market in October, and 152 new home listings, representing a 1.3 percent slip in new inventory when compared to last year.

Only 33 homes were sold in Caldwell County in October to reflect a near 14 percent decline year-over-year from October 2023. Median prices fell to $262,990, which was a 13.5 percent decrease from last year. There were 136 active homes on the market last month, and 40 new homes added on the market.

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