Central allandale By Jackie Potts

West Lake Hills

Living close in to Austin has many advantages, especially when looking at increasing drive time as Austin's population continues to increase. But for those who want the joys of rural living, buying a home close to downtown and the university area means buying a home in West Lake Hills.

"I think people here appreciate the natural beauty, the native landscaping, and the very well maintained traditional landscaping in the area," says Price. "With all of the deer in the area, the native landscaping works best, because it makes use of the kinds of plants that the deer don't want to eat."

The city of West Lake Hills is comprised of four square miles, and is located west of Austin approximately between 3300 Bee Cave Road and east of Loop 360 on Bee Cave, with a population of more than 3,000 and approximately 1,000 homes and 200 businesses. Utilities are provided by the city of Austin.

In addition to its close proximity to Austin, another reason many families are attracted to living in West Lake Hills is that it is part of the outstanding Eanes Independent School System, which has received the rating of "exemplary" by the Texas Education Agency. Currently, there are six elementary schools, Hill Country Middle School and West Ridge Middle School, and Westlake High School.

"There's a very strong feeling of community here, and support is particularly strong for the schools and its students. There are annual arts functions hosted by Eanes ISD that we turn out for, and we've been to some of the plays that are put on by Westlake High School," Price says.

But a more compelling reason to live in West Lake Hills than the school district is the people, according to Price. "The thing I like best is that there's a great cross-section of age groups and nationalities," says Price. "It's never been a lot of people living here, and while some feel that this area appeals only to a certain economic group, and it is an expensive place to live, I don't think that's true. The cultural diversity and the different age groups are one of the strongest things about this community. You can take a walk in the evening and see your neighbors - there's always people walking and jogging in the area."

Price says that homebuyers can find bigger lots in West Lake Hills compared with other similar neighborhoods, and that $350,000 is the average homebuyers can expect to spend to purchase a home.

"Most of the homes that were built in the Seventies have gone through some updating, and it's a really nice neighborhood to live in. There are homes that are less expensive, and certainly there are homes that are much more expensive, but for an entry level into this neighborhood, it's $350,000," says Price. "The market has been softer lately, and there is more property on the market now than in recent years, so this is a very good time to consider buying a home in West Lake Hills."

Another advantage to purchasing a home in West Lake Hill's is the city's restriction on new home subdivision development, which specifies a minimum lot size for any new home construction of one acre. "There are no such restrictions for older, developed lots," says Price. "But this is the requirement for new home development, so it provides a lot of land area per home on the average, and keeps the area looking natural and beautiful."