Treemont Subdivision, Villas at Treemont, Parklane at Treemont

Area Description:

Treemont is a small subdivision of a little over 100 upper-end homes located immediately south of Rollingwood, just west of Loop 1 (MoPac) and north of Barton Creek Mall.  It is situated in the City of Austin and the Eanes School District.  It is a highly-sought area due to its rare combination of close-in and convenient location, walkability to services, shopping and to highly ranked Eanes schools K-12.  The  location is similar to Rollingwood but with lower prices, closer schools, and City of Austin services (street lights, Austin library privileges, trash pickup, recycling, compost pickup, bulky trash pickup periodically, and brush pickup periodically).  The city tax rate in Austin is somewhat higher than in Rollingwood, however, plus residents must deal with the juggernaut of city administration such as permitting in making property improvements, or even having a voice in the government.  Many who live in Treemont accept this and simply love where they live and never want to leave (including me).

Homes in Treemont vary in size from around 2,500 sqft to nearly 8,000 sqft.  Most of the homes were built in two different time periods:

• The original section includes homes on the eastern end of Thousand Oaks Drive, the cul-de-sacs off of Thousand Oaks Drive, the double cul-de-sac on the west side of Montebello, and the southern end of Regents Park. Some of the properties in this area of Regents Park have extraordinary views of downtown. The majority of the homes in this original section were built in the mid to late 1980’s. Lots in this section tend to be larger with a median size of about .68 acres.  Many of these homes were custom homes. Since 2010, a few custom homes have been built on Regents Park.
• A later section of Treemont was built in the mid to late 1990’s. This includes Chatelaine and Havre Lafitte and the cul-de-sacs off of each of these streets plus the more northern section of Regents Park. Median lot size here is roughly .36 acres.  Chatelaine and Havre Lafitte together make a loop in the shape of a backwards “P”.  There are no through streets which gives this group of homes a quiet setting.

Features:

• Outstanding close-in location south of Rollingwood, just north of Barton Creek Mall (in walking distance), just west of Loop 1 (MoPac) inside Loop 360, and south of Bee Caves Road, roughly three miles from downtown.
• Children can walk/bike to these Eanes schools: Cedar Creek Elementary, Hill Country Middle School, and Westlake High School.  It is very common to see parents and children walk to school; Eanes ISD also provides bus service from all campuses.  Westlake High School is furthest away, and driving is most common here although biking or riding a scooter are reasonable options.
• Cedar Creek Elementary is truly a neighborhood school where nearly all students zoned there are within blocks of the school. Playmates are never far away.  Because the school is so close to homes and downtown, parents can more easily join children for lunch or participate in school activities.  The   commute times from downtown to the school are the shortest of any of the elementary schools.
• Most homes in Treemont are of a traditional style or an updated traditional style vs. a modern, Tuscan, or transitional style, but these can be see as well. The HOA Architectural Review Committee must approve any changes to the exterior of the homes.
• The terrain is mostly level with the exceptions of (1) the hill on Thousand Oaks Drive going up from Regents Park, and (2) the south end of Regents Park itself with its steep hill that features views of the city.
• Many residents in Treemont and in adjacent Beecave Woods walk and jog. Thousand Oaks is often busy with walkers, joggers, strollers, wagons, bikes, and dogs on leash from pre-dawn until the late evening and even later.
• Treemont has a private park at the intersection of Liberty Park and Chatelaine. Within the park is a fenced area with a playscape.  Although the park is private to Treemont residents, other nearby residents will visit and use the park.  Residents of Treemont usually do not take issue with this as long as the park is not misused.  Everyone in the park is expected to clean up their trash or pet feces.
• The neighborhood is ideal for walking with shops of all kinds within a few blocks. Barton Creek Mall is in walking distance and features shops, major department stores, restaurants, entertainment and cinema. Additional shopping, restaurants, and services are also in walking or biking distance:
  • Groceries: Trader Joes grocery; Randall’s grocery store
  • Mail and shipping: U.S. Post Office, UPS, FedEX/Kinkos
  • Banking: Bank of America, Chase, Prosperity Bank
  • Restaurants: Panera’s, Las Palomas, Lotus Hunan Restaurant, Saffron Indian Market, Chinatown, Modern Market, CAVA Mezze Grill, Chipotle, more
  • Fast food: McDonalds, Cane’s Chicken, Thundercloud, more
  • Other goodies: Amy’s ice cream, Tiff’s treats, Bruegger’s Bagels, Nothing Bundt Cakes
  • Coffee shops: Summer Moon, Starbucks
  • Pet care: Petco, Tomlinson’s Seed and Pet Care
  • Other conveniences: Art store, clothing store, Jiffy Lube, Finish Line Car Wash, Good Year Tires and Service, more
• Pools: Many homes have their own pools.  There is no neighborhood pool, but Rollingwood Pool (Western Hills Athletic Association) is about three minutes away. Many children swim on the Rollingwood Waves swim team which starts in mid-May and goes through the end of June.  Other popular swimming options include the pool at Lost Creek Country Club (comparatively reasonable cost for a country club), or one of the other Country Clubs where swim team is an option.
• Eanes Creek, a “wet weather creek”, runs through Treemont. It is mostly dry, but any rain of an inch or more will cause it to flow. More rain will create a rushing creek which creates the delightful sound of water rushing over the rocks.  The flow usually ends by the next day or two. Properties which abut the creek will likely have parts of their lots in the flood plain.  Backing to the creek is usually considered desirable.
• Foundations: occasionally you may see a home with foundation issues, but these are rare.
• Access to Loop 1 (MoPac) is off of Liberty Park. MoPac provides a no-cost thoroughfare north/south plus an optional toll road north of Lady Bird Lake.  Downtown with its restaurants and entertainment is roughly three miles away. A trip to the airport often takes less than fifteen minutes—there are no stoplights to slow you down.  It is quick and easy to take Mopac to Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Whole Foods, and so many other shops, restaurants and entertainment.

The mandatory Treemont Homeowner’s Association funds the maintenance and landscaping of Treemont Park and other common areas such as the landscaped entrances to Treemont and the landscaped circles of several of the cul-de-sacs.  The rate structure of Treemont HOA is very unusual.  On the sale of a home, the seller pays 1% of the sales price to the HOA.  For instance, the median 2019 price of a home sold through MLS was $1,670,000.  At that price, a seller would pay $16,700 to the HOA on the sale of the home. Three homes sold in 2019 as listed in MLS, but other sales take place privately.  If very few or no properties sell over the course of a few years, the HOA may need to do an annual assessment which historically has been modest, say around $400 per household.  Often, there are none.

Homes in Treemont rarely last longer than a very few days on the market.

In summary, Treemont is highly sought for its preferred location near highly-recognized schools, downtown, the airport, major freeways, shopping and conveniences.  Residents here know that they are spoiled.  A trip of more than five minutes is often too much of a hassle.  If beauty, convenience and walkability are important to you, this is a neighborhood you should definitely see.

P.S.  I have lived in Treemont since 1999 when my family moved to Treemont from adjacent Beecave Woods.  Our children insisted that we not move far from where we were there. They loved it too!