Great Hills Homes for Sale or Rent

The Great Hills neighborhood in Austin, TX is a well-known golf course community started in the 1970′s which continued through the boom of the mid-1980′s. The original section of Great Hills is located near the intersection of Loop-360/Hwy-183. Rain Creek Parkway is the main thoroughfare, and can be accessed from Great Hills Trail (off 360 or 183), or from Floral Park (off Jollyville Road). Great Hills homes for sale are located just 15 minutes north of downtown Austin via the Mopac Expressway. The neighborhood is centered by Great Hills Country Club, which features a private Don January designed golf course, tennis club, and swimming complex. It is possible to find a steal in the older section of Great Hills, with a small lot and no updating, for close to $300k. At the other end of the spectrum, you will see well-built and recently updated homes on the golf course with great views that will sell for upwards of $500k.

Great Hills Real Estate

Great Hills real estate surrounds and borders the golf course of Great Hills County Club.  Many home sites have expansive views of the lush Texas Hill Country and enjoy breath-taking sunsets.  Flat lots are rare, as the terrain is extremely hilly — thus the name!  In addition to the original section, there is also the Arbor at Great Hills (built in the mid-80′s and early 90′s), the Reserve at Great Hills (built in the 90′s), and the Dominion at Great Hills (built in the late 90′s-early 2000′s).

While the various 30-odd sections of the original Great Hills have their own restrictive covenants and deed restrictions, there is no official or mandatory Homeowners Association governing the neighborhood.  There are, however, several informal HOA’s.

Great Hills Amenities

Great Hills homes for sale have access to wonderful amenities. Bull Creek Greenbelt runs along portions of the east side of Great Hills, and can be accessed from Floral Park and Sans Souci (off Rain Creek Parkway). The greenbelt is frequented by hikers and bikers alike, and when we are not in a drought, you can actually splash in the creek!

If you prefer more organized recreation, perhaps Great Hills Country Club is more up your alley. It is located in the very heart of Great Hills, on Lost Horizon. They have Social Memberships as well as Golf and Tennis Memberships. GHCC also is home to one of the best swim teams in the area — and you don’t have to be a member for your child to join the team.

Great Hills Shopping

Within about a 5 mile radius of Great Hills, you can find some of the finest shopping in town!  Three of the best outdoor malls are located in the area, where you can shop upscale at Neiman Marcus or Tiffany & Co, as well as bargain-hunt at Old Navy and TJ Maxx.

The closest of the three is The Arboretum, which is also the oldest of the NW shopping centers, having been developed in the 80′s. You will find the Renaissance Hotel here, as well as stores such as Chico’s, The Gap, and Pottery Barn.  Enjoy dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, then head next door to Amy’s Ice Cream for dessert before walking to Barnes and Noble for a latte and a bestseller.

Gateway Shopping Center was developed in the 90′s, and is located in the heart of the “Golden Triangle”, as Austin’s premier retail area is known.  It features a 16-screen Regal Cinema, and anchor stores like Crate and Barrel, The Container Store, REI, and Best Buy.  This is also where you will find the north Whole Foods Market.

The Domain is the newest and arguably the finest of these shopping centers.  Its later phases are still being developed. It is a planned-unit development, with hotels, retail, restaurants, and apartments, all laid out in such as way as to be walkable throughout.  You will find higher-end retailers here, and some of the nicer restaurants.

Great Hills Dining

There are truly too many restaurants to mention in the Arboretum area, and they run the whole gamut — from Fresh Choice for soups & salads, to mid-range comfort food at NXNW or PF Chang’s, to fresh seafood at Eddie V’s Seafood Grille.  Try some serious Tex-Mex at Chuy’s, or some Italian at Macaroni Grill or Carraba’s. Scoot on over to the Domain and you have McCormick & Schmick’s, Jasper’s, Kona Grill, and many more.  You’ll never want to eat the same place twice!