Austin, TX

Some say Belterra is in Dripping Springs, others say it's in Austin...well actually what causes the confusion is that Belterra is just outside of Travis County boundary but it still has a Austin mailing address. Belterra is just over the Hays County line. So it's actually much closer in to downtown Austin than many people think. It is in the Dripping Springs ISD.

So here's the summary...Belterra is in Hays county, it has an Austin mailing address, it's in the Dripping Springs schools...is that confusing enough?

But any way you cut it, Belterra is a lovely place to call home. How do we know that...we work with many out-of-state clients and one of the reasons people choose us is that we work all of Austin and surrounding areas. That means we can show a client homes anywhere in Austin, but more importantly we can take them to neighborhoods in Cedar Park, Round Rock, Lakeway, Dripping Springs, Kyle, Buda...and...well...everything in between.

When you're new to the Austin area this is important. My clients don't want to work with several agents, they want an agent that knows all of the Austin and surrounding communities. That's where we come in...we can help you understand all of your options in the Austin and surrounding area. Many times it's overwhelming for someone new to the area to figure out all of their options and to compare one area, or neighborhood to another.

To help with this we can take you on what we call a "Preview Trip" showing you homes in the various parts of Austin:Communities that work within your budget. Throughout the "tour" you'll be getting an overview of the various sides of Austin, get an idea where the communities are located in relation to each other as well as see what you get for your money...

The community of Belterra is a popular choice

We've done literally hundreds of "Preview Trips" and one of the communities that bubbles up to the top of almost everyone's list is Belterra, especially if they are working downtown Austin or on the Southwest-West sides of Austin.

This doesn't surprise me as Belterra is one of my favorite communities on the South/Southwest side of Austin. From the beginning you could tell the developer had a vision. As I drive a client down the long beautifully landscaped entrance into Belterra, they see the beautiful open spaces...and they're hooked.

What else can you say about Belterra?

I started selling homes in Belterra around 2003. Even though it was new, the developer put so much landscaping in and planned the community so well, that it didn't feel have that barren 'new construction' feel to it. From the beginning the developer committed dollars to give this community a "high end" look. Many areas wait until the area has a lot of homes before the developer will invest in this type of infrastrature, not Belterra. From the beginning the welcome center was up, boulevards put in, the hike and bike trails were started etc.

Now Belterra has an onsite elementary school, lovely pool complete with kiddie area, basketball court, playscapes, parks, hike and bike trails and lots of green space. The bike trails winding through Belterra actually go under the streets which is really cool keeping the kids from having to cross traffic on a street.

In case you are a golfer, the closest golf course would be the Circle C golf course 10 minutes away. But there are many golf courses in the Austin area you can check out.

If I was going to say anything negative about Belterra it would be that the grocery is not as close as I would like it. Most of my clients that live in Belterra say they shop at the HEB store on Slaughter, near Circle C Ranch which I'd say is 12-15 minutes away. I would think with all of the growth happening on the Highway 290 corridor between Austin and Dripping Springs this won't be the case for long.

Where's Belterra located?

Belterra is located in Hays County in Southwest Austin. it is 7 miles past the "Y" in Oak Hill off Highway 290 West. Regarding distance to downtown...well I've driven it...often...and I find that Belterra is about 15-20 minutes to downtown Austin (non rush hour).

Shopping...you're covered there as well. Belterra is just a hop, skip and a jump to several Austin Area malls. You can head North from Belterraon Highway 290, turn West on Highway 71 and you'll find the new Hill Country Galleria, or you can go north to Mopac/Loop 1 and exit Highway 360 and you're at Barton Creek Mall. Both of these malls are within a 20 minute drive.

Belterra is located about 30 minutes or so to Lake Travis. So if you have a boat at one of the many marinas as many do, you can enjoy lake activites. Lake Travis, "The Jewel of the Highland Lakes" as some call it, runs forty miles through the hills of Central Texas. It has hundreds of small coves along the shoreline, with some that wander back a mile off the main lake into secluded, undeveloped areas. It is separated from Lake Austin by Mansfield Dam. In case you wondered, Lake Austin is the stretch of the Colorado River that winds its' way through the hills west of downtown Austin. Its' moderate depth and length make it especially popular with skiers. You'll see many people enjoying Lake Austinfor boating, kayaking and canoeing.

What about the Schools of Belterra?

Though Belterra has an Austin address, it's on the edge of Hays County, and the Dripping Springs Independent School District. The Dripping Springs ISD is well thought of but Rooster Elementary which is located in the heart of Belterra, is rated exemplary, the highest rating possible. This location makes it wonderfully convenient for the kids to walk or ride their bikes to school.

What types of Homes are in Belterra?

While as a community, Belterra pretty much sells itself, the obvious question is...what about the homes and can I afford it.

The community of Belterra started in the early 2000s so most of the homes have the popular open floor plan, combined great room-kitchen combinations, large master suites and high ceilings. There have been a number of builders working to make the homes in this community both varied and lovely, a style to suit the pickiest of buyers. Most of the homes fall into what I would call the Texas Traditional, both one story and two story homes can be found and beginning popular is the one and a half story home where only the game room and a bath are upstairs. Some of the builders who have/are building in Belterra include: Highland Homes, Newmark, Streetman, Capital Pacific and Wilshire.

Belterra is 1600 acres and like all of the communities of this type, Belterra is made up of many little ‘pocket neighborhoods' each in a similar price point. That is, you wouldn't typically find a $400k dollar home, next to a $200k home. Rather they are grouped by lot size, home size and this creates price groupings. I've had many want to build a small ho