Your Neighborhood Expert

Lake Travis: Paradise awaits with Mediterranean-inspired, resort-style living every day

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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More than 20 years ago, real estate agent Sandy Cary moved to Lakeway from Dallas — and never looked back.

“Coming from such a flat area, the hills and the trees and all of the beauty and nature of Lake Travis were a huge draw for me,” she says.

Having worked in the area for just as long, Cary is well-attuned to the resort-style feel of the community and the unique perks of lake life: “I absolutely love it.” Her 53-year-old double yellow-headed Amazon parrot doesn’t mind it either!

Cary also loves the predominantly Mediterranean-style architecture. Fun fact: “The movie Spy Kids was filmed on Lake Travis and you would think you are really in the Mediterranean with all of the stucco and tile roofs we have!”

Another top attraction is The Oasis. “It's one of the most beautiful places to see amazing sunsets overlooking Lake Travis,” adds Cary. The destination restaurant is even known as The Sunset Capital of Texas.

Cary offered up a few more of her personal favorites about life in the Lake Travis area. Here's her guide:

Where to eat & drink
In addition to The Oasis, there are so many great places to eat and drink in this area, including: Plate by Dzintra (from-scratch goodness), Steiner Ranch Steakhouse (excellent surf and turf), SP Brazilian Steakhouse, The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen, Café Blue (the best seafood and oyster bar), Buenos Aires Café (for Argentinean cuisine), Carmela's (grab one of their artisan pizzas), The League Kitchen & Tavern (an homage to the 1920s Prohibition era), Verdes Mexican Parrilla, Sundancer Grill, Santa Catarina, Canyon Grille Rough Hollow, and The Lighthouse Restaurant & Lounge (great lake views).

Where to play
“Boating is number one!” says Cary. “There are many marinas in the area and lots of places to rent boats.”

She also recommends Lakeway Park as an amazing place to relax, as well as the Lakeway community pools.

For golfing, Falconhead Golf Club is a top favorite public course.

The Hill Country Galleria also has free live music on the lawn on Friday nights, a farmers market on Sundays, periodic yoga classes, and more activities.

What to see
“There are several wonderful hidden gems in the Lake Travis area, including Hamilton Greenbelt,” says Cary. “It's a beautiful park filled with amazing trails.”

The Spicewood wineries are also at the top of her list to see — and savor, too.

More nature-rich destinations include Bee Cave Sculpture Park, Muleshoe Bend, Jessica Hollis Park, Mansfield Park, and Pace Bend Park.

Where to live
“The homes are definitely varied; there's something here for everyone,” says Cary. “Around the lake, the style is mostly Mediterranean. However, you'll also see modern, traditional, and super-eclectic homes — one, in particular, is even shaped like a mushroom.”

Many properties here have gorgeous views and spacious grounds, like the five-bed, eight-bath property Cary sold at 35 Water Front Ave. Another significant sale of hers is the 10,000-square-foot Mediterranean stunner at 12017 Kirkland Court.

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Sandy Cary works and plays in the Lake Travis area. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, sandy.cary@sothebysrealty.com, or call 512-589-1002.

Photo by Onward Group

Agent Sandy Cary.

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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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