Your Neighborhood Expert

Howard Ranch in Driftwood: A laid-back Hill Country gem

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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You may know Driftwood for its legendary Salt Lick BBQ, but there’s a lot more to love about this Texas Hill Country gem that’s home to Howard Ranch.

“I love feeling like you live in the country, with the dark night skies and wide-open spaces, but can drive in any direction and have the conveniences of Austin and the city,” says real estate agent Benée Arndt. She calls it “Hill Country Lite."

Arndt has built, bought, rented, and sold homes in the Hill Country over the last 20 years, but has specialized in Driftwood and Howard Ranch for the last five. It’s where she lives, too.

"The laid-back lifestyle and community feel is incredible,” she says. “It's where the past meets the present.”

In Howard Ranch, the lots are large and you’ll find a mix of architecturally historic homes and custom-built modern farmhouses and ranch homes "where you will find neighbors enjoying their front porches while watching kids playing outside,” adds Arndt.

“Future plans at Howard Ranch include a town square, restaurant, and general store to give it that historic look and feel,” she adds.

And while you may not want to leave your home base over the weekend, Driftwood is situated as the perfect gateway for road trips further into the Hill Country and other Texas towns.

“There are also so many new breweries, distilleries, and wineries to visit — and the majority of them are family-friendly,” says Arndt. “It's hard to be bored on a weekend with so many things to explore!”

As a former Kilgore College Rangerette, Arndt has been in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, and several Cotton Bowl halftime shows in addition to performing at President George W. Bush's 2001 Presidential Inauguration.

But what she learned from all those experiences is the power of teamwork and determination — and that’s exactly how she works today with all of her clients, whether they are buying or selling a home.

Arndt offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in Driftwood and Howard Ranch. Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
For Arndt, The Salt Lick BBQ is a no-brainer, of course, as it's considered some of the best barbecue in all of Texas.

Hays City Store & Ice House is another neighborhood fave for scratch-made Texas comfort food and hand-crafted cocktails. They also have a shaded beer garden with a stage for live music.

The family-owned Trattoria Lisina offers an authentic taste of Italy in Texas; it’s located on the grounds of The Mandola Estate & Vineyard, so it’s a beautiful setting.

She also mentions that Twisted X Brewing Co. is within walking distance of Howard Ranch. But don’t miss Vista Brewery, Ghost Note Brewing, Driftwood Winery, Duchman Family Winery, and Fall Creek Vineyards either!

Where to play
“Any direction you go, you can find several outdoor spaces for families to hang out and sit underneath the majestic oaks that the Hill Country is known for,” says Arndt.

She also recommends nearby parks, including Charro Ranch Park, Founders Memorial Park, and Milton Reimers Ranch Park, which offer something for everyone. Reimers even has mountain bike trails and an observatory to see the star-filled sky at night.

Only about 30 minutes away is Pedernales Falls State Park; it’s known for its limestone ledges that contain pockets of water and mini waterfalls, so it’s a great place to hike and explore.

What to see
The Pound House is an 1854 homestead that has become a heritage museum. Onion Creek is also beautiful, Arndt says.

Where to live
Howard Ranch is a picturesque neighborhood with tons of character that’s not too far from city conveniences, according to Arndt. Plus, it feeds into Dripping Springs ISD, making it great for families.

“While you’ll be taking a step back in time when you drive down some of our streets, when you go inside our homes, you’ll find they all have modern conveniences of a brand-new home,” says Arndt.

A recent listing of hers at 129 Cypress Springs is just one example of a stunning modern farmhouse.

Located on 1.5 acres, it boasts an open-concept floorplan that features high coffered ceilings and shiplap walls and was designed with entertaining in mind.

An expansive wall of windows along the back of the home allows an abundance of natural light to brighten every inch of space while providing unobstructed views of the private backyard oasis.

In addition to Howard Ranch, Arndt recommends Reunion Ranch and Rim Rock if buyers are looking in Driftwood. "Both feed into the highly acclaimed Dripping Springs ISD," she notes.

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Benée Arndt works and plays in Howard Ranch and Dripping Springs. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email benee.arndt@kupersir.com, or call 512-669-2455.

$Realtor Ben\u00e9e Arndt$

Photo by Onward Group

Agent Benée Arndt enjoying a local beer at Twisted X Brewing Co.

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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