Your Expert Guide

Point Venture: A Lake Travis oasis where every day feels like vacation

205 Lakefront Drive, listed by Adamcik, has phenomenal, sweeping Lake Travis views.

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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If the idea of a resort-style community on Lake Travis, where neighbors drive golf carts to each other's homes and to restaurants for nights out, appeals to you, then put Point Venture on your list.

"The entire neighborhood is a hidden gem," says Realtor Kristi Adamcik, with Kuper Sotheby's International Realty. "I jokingly call it a drinking community with a boating problem. When you live here, it's like being on vacation every day."

Adamcik, who has lived in Point Venture for the past seven years, lists off an impressive array of amenities: a private waterfront park with disc golf, a sandy beach, boat ramp, golf course, floating restaurant, sports bar, gym, pool, and multiple sports courts.

The tight-knit community is also a big draw, with various social gatherings and activities throughout the year.

"This small lakeside oasis is unlike any other neighborhood I have ever been fortunate to live in," she says. "It’s not just the fabulous amenities, beautiful custom homes, and sparkling Lake Travis views, but the neighbors who are so quick to lend a helping hand, throw a fun party, and enjoy life on the lake. Everyone here agrees that we are all too blessed to be stressed in our little slice of paradise."

Adamcik offered up a few more of her personal favorites about life in Point Venture. Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
"The newest addition to Point Venture is the floating restaurant on Lake Travis called Captain Pete’s Boathouse. You can come by car, boat, or golf cart," she says. "Grab a drink at the Caddie Shack, which has cornhole tournaments, live music, and trivia nights."

You'll have "the best fajitas of your life at Casa Mexico," Adamcik also says, or can spend a day wine-tasting at Flat Creek Winery.

Where to play
In addition to Point Venture’s private, 50-acre park, make sure to take in the magnificent views on a hike at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge.

Venture into Lago Vista to buy some new clothes from The Wild Navy or indulge in a spa day at Addicted to Glamour with nails by Sarah and a massage by Tanya.

Where to live
"Every home in Point Venture is unique among itself," Adamcik says. "Homes here are so different from one to the next — cookie-cutter they are not!"

Some homes have reverse floorplans, where the living, kitchen, and owners suite is upstairs to take advantage of the gorgeous lake views. Balconies are common to enjoy the sunsets.

Some homes back to the golf course, and at 7 pm the entire greens can become your playground and backyard, Adamcik says.

Homes are custom-designed by excellent builders, and due to the small and limited size of this waterfront village, it is a sought-after place to raise a family or retire.

One of Adamcik's favorite recent listings is 18500 Lakehead Cir., a custom-built, one-owner, Texas-style ranch home designed by the award-winning architect Rick O’Donnell. It features meticulous detail and was thoughtfully planned to preserve the mature oak trees on the large .4 acre property situated at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac.

Another is 205 Lakefront Dr. for its phenomenal Lake Travis views and detailed features inside, including the Brazilian hardwood cherry floors, top-of-the-line Sub-Zero appliances, modern Grohe fixtures, and dual decks to entertain on sunny lake days.

One home that Adamcik had the pleasure to sell twice is 19015 Venture Dr.

"It was my first home where I personally lived in Point Venture," she says. "We are now on home No. 3 in this lovely community. Not only did it back to the golf course, it has incredible Lake Travis views from the front. I sold the home to its second owner, then again represented that seller when he decided to move on. The current third owners are friends with whom I had the pleasure of selling their home in Round Rock so they could come and enjoy lake life here."

Nan Howell, the current owner, says “Kristi will always be our Realtor! She took excellent care of us and was always there for a quick and very professional answer, no matter what time of the day. She looked out for our interest every step of the way. I will always recommend Kristi to friends and family."

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Kristi Adamcik lives, works, and plays in Point Venture. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email kristi.adamcik@kupersir.com, or call 512-400-9214.

Agent Kristi Adamcik

Photo courtesy of Kuper Sotheby's International Realty

Agent Kristi Adamcik.

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real estate report

How Austin fits into Zillow's predicted housing market growth in 2025

Photo by Justin Wallace on Unsplash

Potential homebuyers in Austin may see improving mortgage rates and home prices in 2025, according to Zillow.

It looks like a few more people are about to turn their online home shopping daydreams into reality in 2025. Zillow, the famous real estate listings website, says in a press release that next year will likely bring "a gradual but bumpy decline in rates, impacting sales and price growth."

It attributes the forecast to "erratic and dramatic mortgage rate movements" throughout 2024, which will continue to affect the market. The website's housing market predictions report estimates that 2025 will see about 100,000 more sales than 2024, that home value growth will be "low and slow" at 2.2 percent, and that inventory and new listings will continue recovering from pandemic weakness.

On a local scale, Zillow's latest data shows Austin has already experienced a 3.4 percent drop in annual average home values from 2023 to 2024, which will continue fluctuating in 2025.

As of November, Zillow's home value index says the average home in the Austin metro is worth $443,995. That figure is greater than the Austin Board of Realtors' median home sales price in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, which came out to $435,000 last month, reflecting an estimated 2.4 percent increase for just the month of November year-over-year from 2023.

Pick the right season to buy
Potential buyers may see better opportunities for purchasing a home during the fall and winter, which is a typically slow season for home sales. Across 36 out of the 50 biggest U.S. metro areas, Zillow's heat market index showed a drop in competition from October to November.

"There's a strong sense of déjà vu on tap for 2025. We are once again expecting mortgage rates to get better gradually, and opportunities for buyers should follow, but be prepared for plenty of bumps on that path," said Zillow chief economist Skylar Olsen in the release. "Those shopping this winter have plenty of time to choose and a relatively strong position in negotiations."

Zillow suggests buyers may have the ability to negotiate "from a position of safety" during the slow winter months. This is especially true for Austin-area buyers, who only saw 10.4 percent of homes sell for more than their listing price in October. The website says buyers can take advantage of opportunities to buy contingent on inspections or repairs, and they may avoid bidding wars during this time.

"While the number of options available to shoppers today are lower than they will likely see in the spring, there's also less competition in the field," the report says. "The [national] share of homes that sold for more than list price was below 28 percent in October (the latest data available), continuing a downward trend that began in July."

Buyers will head to the Southwest
Eyes are also turning to the American Southwest as the top region for homebuyers in 2025, as 13 major metro areas – including Austin and San Antonio – are now considered “buyer’s markets” where buyers have more negotiating power than sellers.

However, this prediction depends on the gravity of falling mortgage rates. Homebuyers should also keep a close eye on mortgage rates in 2025, which could drop unpredictably like they have been for the last three weeks in a row. If the rates dip further than expected, that doesn’t bode as well for buyers.

“It is anticipated that a significant mortgage rate dip would bring more buyers than sellers back to the market, increasing competition and tilting negotiating power in favor of sellers,” Zillow says.

Small-home living is gaining traction
As Austin and other major cities are battling for more high density housing, buying trends are also leaning towards smaller (and more affordable) homes.

Zillow even goes as far to say that the “pandemic-era need” for large houses is officially a thing of the past.

"The term 'cozy' is appearing in more listing descriptions — 35 percent more in 2024 compared to 2023 — reflecting current design trends that have shifted away from cavernous open floor plans, toward contained spaces that have their own style and purpose," the report says.

housing market zillow