Regents Hills Homes For Sale

Nestled in the heart of Southwest Austin are the 55 charming homes of Regents Hills, a neighborhood prized for its location, large homes, and spacious lots. It offers an under 10-minute downtown commute, excellent private and public schools, and proximity to major employers from AMD to Freescale. Within walking distance of the Barton Creek greenbelt, Regents Hills is also minutes away from dozens of Austin nature preserves and parks, upscale shopping centers, and entertainment options.

Former HOA president Chip Graves described Regents Hills as “extremely quiet, with great views,” while stay-at-home mom Kate Raeder summed it up in five words: “Beautiful, conservative, neighborly, accessible, ideal.”

She added, “I’m so grateful to live in a community where there so are many children, where I know the families, where I feel the environment is safe and parents are all watching out for each other’s kids.”

Properties in Regents Hills

“The origins of Regents Hills began with families from Regents School of Austin pursuing a permanent location for their school,” explained Graves.

an impressive two story house in RegentsThe land that comprises Regents Hills was owned by the Chapman family. “The land was purchased and then divided into two halves: one for Regents School of Austin, and the other half for single family homes, the latter subsequently sold to Toll Brothers,” he said. According to Graves, all but three of the community’s 55 homes were built by Toll Brothers. Regents Hills opened with its first homeowner in 2002.

Raeder said the neighborhood has large-sized homes on large lots. Regents Hills “offered enough square footage for our large family, plus acreage, plus proximity to downtown — only seven minutes. That’s what drew us here.” As far as the landscape, “The geography is hilly … great for morning ‘hill workouts.’”

Graves commended the community’s schools. “It offers very good public AISD schools and excellent private schools. Regents School of Austin is a Classical Christian School (1000 students) educating K-12, and St. Andrews is an Episcopal School (400 students) serving 9th – 12 grades.”

Location

Regents Hills is located in Southwest Austin, just north of Southwest Parkway. The zip code is 78735, and the MLS area is SWW. Children attend Austin Independent School District public schools.

Home Builders

Almost all homes in Regents Hills were built by the Toll Brothers.

Neighborhood Associations

Regents Hills has an active homeowners association. Dues are $85/month and typically go toward community trail maintenance. “The neighbors are always walking and riding bicycles. It is a very friendly neighborhood,” said Graves. Raeder agreed. “The neighbors are friendly and go out of their way to get to know one another and welcome new arrivals. I think it’s unique to have homes spaced relatively far apart and yet it still very much feels like a neighborhood because we all know one another.”

Regent Hills Facebook Page

While Regents Hills lacks formal amenities like a community playground or pool, they can be easily found at nearby parks and recreational gyms. Regents, the Christian school just next door, offers plenty of open space and playgrounds.

The neighborhood also features a unique trail system. “Private nature trails meander throughout the neighborhood behind the homes,” said Raeder. “This is one of my favorite features. A private walk in a greenbelt setting is just outside your door.”

At the corner of Southwest Parkway and Republic of Texas Blvd., just a half-mile from Regents Hills is 37-acre Gaines Creek Park, with picnic tables, benches, and nearly a mile of hill country trails.

For a longer hike in the pure solitude of nature, residents have direct access to Barton Creek Preserve and its 4,000+ acres of native plants and trees. The preserve stretches out to the west of Regents Hills, at the other end of Southwest Parkway, and is a protective habitat for wildlife, including the black-capped vireo and golden-cheeked warbler. Serving as a recharge point for the Edward’s Aquifer, the preserve protects the water quality of the Barton Creek watershed and is home to the rare Barton Springs salamander.

For the fitness-oriented, Gold’s Gym, Lifetime Fitness, and 24 Hour Fitness are quite close.

Golfers can play a round at Barton Creek Country Club, Spanish Oaks, or the Grey Rock Golf Club on the south side of Circle C Ranch.

Water-loving residents enjoy visiting nearby Dick Nichols District Park, with its heated swimming pools open year-round. It also offers basketball, tennis, and sand volleyball courts; picnic shelters; barbecue pits; and a multi-purpose field for recreational activities.

At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, residents can learn about native plants and flowers while supporting its mission to increase the sustainable use and conservation of natural Texas landscapes. It features 16 themed gardens, including a butterfly and children’s garden. Just across the street from the Wildflower Center is the Veloway, a 3.1 mile asphalt track for bicycling and rollerblading.

Not far from the Veloway is eight-acre Karst Preserve/Goat Cave. Sitting atop the Edwards Aquifer, it offers five water-formed limestone caves, a sinkhole, and walking trail.

Circle C Ranch Metropolitan Park on Slaughter Creek is another popular park of almost 550 acres. Located off of Slaughter Lane, it offers disc golf, seven soccer fields, six miles of trails, and more.

Libraries

Regents Hills book-lovers visit the Hampton Branch of Austin Public Library, located at 5125 Convict Hill Road. Built in 1997 in honor of Austin civic leader Will Hampton, it features art by David Everitt and the natural light of several skylights.

Fifteen minutes away, the Laura Bush branch of Westbank Library is another favorite of Regents Hills residents. It sits at Bee Caves Road at Cuernavaca Drive. Built in 2009, visitors exceed 360,000 per year, and circulation surpasses 750,000 annually.

Cultural Offerings

For a day at the museums, residents take a quick trip downtown. There they can encounter the Blanton Museum, the Contemporary Austin, the Bob Bullock TexasState History Museum, Mexic-Arte Museum, and more.

For ballet, opera, and theatre, the Long Center for the Performing Arts is just eight miles away and overlooks the shores of Lady Bird Lake.

Movie lovers can catch the latest flick at Regal Westgate Stadium 11, or dinner and a movie at the new Alamo Drafthouse on Slaughter Lane. For a play, Zachary Scott Theatre is about a 15 minute drive.

Shopping and Restaurants

While the Southwest Parkway area itself is still developing, “there are numerous grocery stores, restaurants, and shopping within 10 minutes,” shared Graves.

The Shops at Arbor Trails, for example, is a development at William Cannon and Mo-Pac. Recipient of the 2009 and 2011 Best Real Estate Award by the Austin Business Journal, it offers a recently-built Whole Foods Market, Costco, Staples, dozens of small retail shops, a playground, and popular restaurants like Chuy’s and Kerbey Lane Café. The center gets its name from the forested, gravel-covered walking trails that surround it.

Westgate Shopping Center, at the intersection of South Lamar and Hwy 71/Ben White Blvd., is another favorite. Home to several choice dining and retail options, it includes Whole Earth Provision Co., Amy’s Ice Cream, Treehouse, and Central Market. The center also offers Café Monet for ceramic painting fun, and a Yoga Yoga studio.

The recently developed Hill Country Galleria lies at Bee Caves and Highway 71 only a few miles north. This outdoor center features 152 acres of high-end shopping, dining and entertainment.

Regents Hills is also within easy reach of the shopping and dining of Sunset Valley and Brodie Oaks retails centers, as well as the 170 shops within Barton Creek Mall.

Groceries

When it comes to groceries, residents of Regents Hills have a plethora of options. For everyday groceries, an HEB with a pharmacy is just up Highway 71 before it intersects with Bee Caves Road. Or, Super Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, Randall’s, and Central Market South are within 5 miles. For specialty items, there are two Whole Foods Market locations each within a few minutes of Regents Hills. Or, only a few minutes away is the Saturday Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market at Toney Burger Center.