Bee Caves (Bella Collinas) vs Belterra (Austin, Spring: new house, heat pump, neighborhoods)

[arthas_lk]

Hi All,

We are torn between two houses in Bella Colinas (Bee Caves) and Belterra (Austin / Dripping Springs).
They are about equally priced, same square footage etc..

I'm looking for some feedback about the two subdivisions in terms of family friendliness, amenities, resale value 4-5 years down the road, etc..
We are a young family of 4 (my kids are 5 and 3). And we are not your typical Texas Caucasian family (in terms of religion and looks), so diversity or at least being open minded is important. Last thing I want is taking my kids to school and my kids seeing or getting racial slurs..

Thanks in advance!

[CarnivalGal]

Where do you work? Will one make for a longer commute? I lean towards Belterra just because of proximity to town. I wouldn't be concerned about racial issues, as I don't think one area is more prone than the other. However, Lake Travis/Bee Caves area seems to be much more materialistic than Dripping Springs/Belterra. There just seems to be a lot more focus on what you wear, what you drive, etc. This is true for the parents as well as the kids.

Both neighborhoods are family-friendly with good schools, etc.

[arthas_lk]

Proximity to work is not a huge deal..
My work is at south mopac & barton skyway, but I have the option to work from home so commute is not a considerable factor in my decision.

[hts]

I don't know anything about Bee Cave so I can't comment intelligently on that topic. We rented in Belterra for a little over a year while we were building in Dripping. We have 3 kids in public schools here and love it (to brag just a little, my eldest, a junior, just scored a xx on his first ACT prior to any test prep, which he'll be starting in the spring, as we're optimistic he can get up to a xx). To say that we're big fans of DSISD is an understatement. That being said, I don't think it's the best district around--I think that's Eanes hands-down.

Dripping is growing rapidly. We've seen a tremendous transformation here in just the 2.5 years that we've lived here and it's only accelerating (we're getting our very first Starbucks soon). Some see this as a good thing. Others see it as a bad thing. It just is--whether you like it or not. There are brand new elementary and middle schools opening up on Sawyer Ranch next fall (of course Belterra has its own elementary school). Belterra is also getting a new, relatively large commercial shopping center right on 290 that should see the first stores opening in late 2017 I believe. Again--could be good or bad depending on one's perspective.

From a property value perspective, I think (and I put my money where my mouth is) that Dripping will continue to do well. The schools attract a lot of people that don't want Eanes or Lake Travis or Leander (they're all good/great districts to be sure). You can just look at the number of subdivisions currently under contruction (or planned) and see the projected potential growth over the next 5-10 years--it's quite staggering.

The biggest downside I see to Dripping is access to the City (primarily Hwy 290). We don't commute for work, but if we had to drive into Austin on a daily basis, we likely wouldn't have settled on Dripping, or at least would have maybe built over by Belterra in the Polo Club, as that saves a good 15 mins from where we are dowtown. As it is, we typically only go into town on the weekends or evenings (or I drive to/from the airport before/after rush hour) so it's not a big deal, but certainly something to be aware of.

Best of luck to you!

[JR1211]

I hate to be the guy that keeps bringing up propane costs in Belterra...but please check if the whole Texas Community Propane covenant is still in place within the neighborhood. This was an issue 1+ years ago, so I dont have recent information but factor in this cost given that the square footage/home price is comparable. I caveat this not knowing what services Bella Colinas, so please take my comment with a grain of salt!

[squatt3r]

Natural gas is used in Bella Colinas

[derosa123]

Most new houses in Belterra now use heat pumps (electric heat). Those units are efficient for the mild climate of Central Texas. Our propane cost for hot water heater and stove is about 35 month year around. Plus, property tax rate in Belterra (Hays County) high, around 3%.

[gaddibear]

Any updates on the propane issues in belterra??