The Hills near Lakeway: Gated Golf Community Living, Private Roads and a Home That Can Wait for You
A gate tells you something about a community, and it leaves a lot unsaid. Who keeps the roads? Who approves the changes you want to make? Who answers when the water line or the drain acts up? In The Hills, those answers are spread across more than one organization, and if you are an owner who is not always there, you want to know who does what before you buy. I'm Felix, a Texas Realtor, and I live in Cedar Park. I am also experienced in the home construction process, and on this page I will show you why that matters here.
Before the bottom of this page, I'll give you three things. First, the surprising number of groups that touch a home in The Hills. Second, the difference between a gate and someone watching your house. Third, the question I ask before you plan any change to a home here. Stay with me, because the second one is the one buyers mix up.
What The Hills is
The Hills Property Owners' Association describes The Hills as a gated golf course community located in the Hills of Lakeway. Its site says the community's roads are private and owned by the association, that the Lohman's gate has posted hours of 24/7 and that the contractor gate on Club Estates Parkway has posted hours of 7 AM to 7 PM. The Hills Country Club, a separate private club, describes 72 holes across four championship golf courses, including a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design layout, plus tennis and pickleball courts and a 22,000 square foot wellness center. Club membership is a separate decision, and I send you to the club for current terms.
For the wider picture, see my Lakeway page, my Living in Lakeway guide, my guide to Rough Hollow and my Lake Travis waterfront page. On the Bee Cave side, I have a Spanish Oaks page and a Westlake page.
Who handles what
Here is the first thing I promised. Three groups show up in the community's own description of services.
- The owners association says it handles security, including guard contracts and vehicle access control, landscape management, road maintenance, construction approval and permitting under its governing documents, and enforcement of deed restrictions.
- Hurst Creek MUD provides fresh water and drainage services, including drainage permit review and approval and permitting for propane and hot water tanks.
- The Village of The Hills, a Class B municipality, provides public safety coordination, trash and sanitation contracting, park and trail maintenance, floodplain permits and the power to enact city ordinances.
That is the association's own summary, and the details change. I ask which group is responsible for what at the specific home you like, and I point you to the official documents for the rules.
A gate is not someone watching your house
Here is the second thing. A gate controls who enters the community. Someone watching your house checks the home itself. Those are two different ideas, and I keep them apart when I talk with part-time buyers.
Most part-time owners arrange for someone to check the home while they are away, either a trusted person or a service that does property checks on a schedule. I do not name or recommend a company on this page, and I do not pretend one arrangement fits every home. What I do is help you think it through: who holds a key or a code, how often the home is checked, what they look at, and who they call first if something is off. In a gated community, I also ask whether your helper can get through the gate when you are not there, and whether the association needs to know who they are. Ask your insurance agent about extended absences too. The Texas Department of Insurance says most companies stop coverage if a house is vacant for 60 days or more, though they usually do not stop liability coverage, and it tells owners who will be away for an extended time to talk to their company.
Lock-and-leave, in plain words
Lock-and-leave means you can close the door and travel without a long list of upkeep behind you. It comes from choices: how much exterior, how much landscaping, what the association handles and who walks through the house while you are away. I do not call a home lock-and-leave until I have looked at what it takes.
Privacy and views
Privacy comes from the gates, the private roads, the lot and what sits around a home. Views depend on the direction the home faces, the slope, the trees and what can be built nearby. I stand where you would stand, in the main rooms and on the patio, before I tell you whether a home delivers what the description promises.
The airport and the Hill Country
The airport's own site says Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) offers nonstop flights to domestic and international destinations, reported its busiest year on record in 2023 with more than 22 million passengers, and is in the middle of a multi-year expansion. It also says every airline has used the main Barbara Jordan Terminal since April 1, 2026. I do not quote drive times, because they change with the hour and the day. When we tour, I run the route to the airport at the time of day you would really travel, and you judge it.
For a Hill Country day, Texas Parks and Wildlife says Pedernales Falls State Park, about 30 miles west of Austin, often reaches capacity. I will ask what a good weekend looks like for you, then plan the search around it.
Turnkey, or a project for the right spot
Here is the third thing. Before you plan any change to a home in The Hills, I ask who has to say yes. The association handles construction approval under its governing documents, the MUD handles drainage permit review, and the municipality handles floodplain permits. That is three conversations, and I want you to know about them before you fall for a project.
Experienced in the home construction process. That is how I look at any home that has to wait for you. I walk the home with you, and together we talk with the builder about what's on the table. Your licensed inspector and your other advisors are always your call. On a turnkey home, we talk about how it was built and kept. On a project, we talk about what it could become on that lot and which approvals sit in the way.
The straight talk
- The Hills has its own layers of rules. Association, MUD and municipality each play a part. I do not treat it as a simple search.
- Descriptions come from the association and the club. I verify what I can and tell you when I cannot.
- I do not quote prices or values on this page. I pull sold homes for the exact streets you care about and put them beside each home.
- I do not promise outcomes. I show you what I see.
Who I am a fit for
I'm a fit if you want a Realtor who asks who handles what, who will walk each property with you and who tells you plainly what I notice. I am less of a fit if you want a long list of homes quickly with no conversation. Both answers are fine.
I can't see where rates or prices go next, and neither can anyone else who is being honest. What I can do is help you get ready, so that when the right home shows up I am already working from your list.
How it works with me
- You start your file. Tell me about your timeline and where you are in the process. I text you and send my agreement the same day.
- We talk it through. Your must-haves, your commute, what you want around you and what you want in your budget.
- I send you homes that fit that list, with what is around each one, so you are not scrolling through noise.
- We tour together. I walk each home with you and tell you what I notice. I am experienced in the home construction process, and a licensed inspector is always your call.
- You choose. Every lender, insurer and warranty company is your decision.
- Closing. I attend every closing, and I am there at the table with you.
My services are fiduciary in nature, so I can only work for clients. When you start a file, I am on your side of the table.
What is The Hills?
The Hills Property Owners' Association describes it as a gated golf course community located in the Hills of Lakeway. Its site says the roads are private and owned by the association.
Who provides water and drainage in The Hills?
The association's site says Hurst Creek MUD provides fresh water and drainage services to the community, and that the Village of The Hills, a Class B municipality, provides services such as public safety coordination, trash and sanitation contracting and floodplain permits.
Is membership in The Hills Country Club required?
I do not assume it is. The club describes itself as a private golf and lifestyle club, and membership is a separate decision. I point you to the club and the association documents for current terms.
Does a gate mean someone is watching my house?
No. A gate controls who enters the community. Someone watching your house checks the home itself, and that is your own arrangement. I help you think through who holds a key or code and who gets the first call if something is off.
How far is the airport?
I do not quote drive times, because they change with the hour and the day. When we tour, I run the route to the airport at the time of day you would really travel, and you judge it. The airport's own site says Austin-Bergstrom International Airport offers nonstop flights to domestic and international destinations.
What does experienced in the home construction process mean?
I walk the home with you, and together we talk with the builder about what's on the table. Your licensed inspector and your other advisors are always your call.
Do I need to be in Austin to get started?
No. Start your file, tell me where you are in your plan, and I will tell you what is best done in person. Then we plan your visit around a short list of homes that fit.
Who do you work for, and will you be at my closing?
My services are fiduciary in nature, so I can only work for clients. When you start a file, I am on your side of the table. Yes, I attend every closing, and I am there at the table with you.
Ready? Open your file and I will text you today. No pressure, just a clear list built around your life.
Important: I'm a Texas Realtor, not an attorney, tax advisor, lender, appraiser or inspector. The figures on this page come from The Hills Property Owners' Association, The Hills Country Club, the Austin airport, Travis County, Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Texas Department of Insurance, were pulled on Nov 2, 2026, and can be revised or change. Nothing here is tax, legal, lending or appraisal advice, a price opinion for any home, or a recommendation of any company. Property tax and income tax outcomes depend on your situation and the address, so check with your own tax professional. I list places by what is there and by commute, and I do not rank or describe neighborhoods by who lives in them.
Related: Lakeway · Living in Lakeway · Rough Hollow · Lake Travis waterfront · Spanish Oaks · Westlake · Austin second-home guide
Texas Realtor · TREC 667130 · All City Real Estate
Equal Housing Opportunity.