Frequently Asked questions (f.A.Q)

HillCountryHomes.com (HCH) provides both information and real estate services in the Hill Country Texas area. The site is operated by licensed agent Benjamin Cohen aka “Texas Ben” and realty services are provided by HillCountryHomes.com Realty Group through his Broker, REAL Broker LLC, an international real estate firm listed publicly on the NASDAQ stock exchange (symbol: REAX).

While Texas Ben and his in-house team assist clients directly, depending upon the client’s best interest and specific target area, HCH also acts as a Referral service, matching clients to 3rd-party Realty Companies and Agents that can best fulfill their needs. This includes offering Area Tours to help clients find the right area of Hill Country for them, matching them to qualified agents and helping to locate the best available property options.

Whether you’re already a seasoned seeker or investor who just needs a top local agent to help acquire a new property OR you’re just starting out with a dream and idea of where you want to eventually relocate, HCH offers a range of both Limited and Full-Service options to help make your Texas Hill Country dream a reality.

Visit our About Us section to learn more about Texas Ben or call or text us on our toll-free line at 1-888-310-1888 to learn how we can be of value to you.

According to Seth Koppel, aka the Big Lot Realtor, a Hill Country-based broker-agent of 15 years, the #1 regret concerns not knowing the specific area well enough, which manifests itself in 2 specific ways:

REGRET 1A = Would’ve Selected a Different Area within Hill Country

This scenario makes a lot of sense when you better understand just how large the Hill Country area actually is at 31,000 square miles, larger than 12 U.S. States. Would you ever just say “Let’s move to the state of Colorado – it doesn’t matter what town – any town is fine as long as it’s in Colorado”??? Of course not! So in our opinion, the key is to narrow down your target area to 1 or 2 Zones on our Zone Map first and THEN shop for properties within that general area.

REGRET 1B = Would’ve located a Hill Country home much sooner

The most common issue also relates to geography as many buyers assume they will find the home they want within 3 months and yet it often winds up taking 9-12 months solely because they spend time looking at homes in areas they ultimately wouldn’t be interested in living. Had they narrowed down their Target Area first, they would’ve saved a ton of time and hassle while obtaining their Texas dream so much sooner.

Overall this is the reason why our service emphasizes Area of Interest so strongly. Just throwing a dart at a dartboard is NOT an effective way to find your Hill Country dream home as just because something is located “in Hill Country” doesn’t automatically make it great! As such we offer free client tours to help you get a true feel for different areas and match you to real estate agents with a strong emphasis on local knowledge.

This is an excellent question with some very interesting answers:

DEATH AS A RESULT OF PROPERTY DEFECT
–MUST be disclosed if someone died due to a fault/defect in the property itself

DEATH BY NATURAL CAUSES OR SUICIDE
–is not REQUIRED to be disclosed

DEATH BY HIV/AIDS VIRUS
–may NEVER be disclosed under any circumstance

SELLER’S DISCLOSURE NOTICE
–Sellers must reveal ALL prior and current condition issues with the property
–Only Sellers can complete this form, Agents may NOT complete it on their behalf
–Sellers remain liable for 4 Years after Closing for any issues they failed to disclose

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

LEAD:
–the POSSIBILITY of lead must be disclosed for all homes built before 1978
–the Buyer has the right to inspect for lead within 10 days of the Contract Date
–the Buyer can cancel the Contract within 14 days based on Lead test results
–the Buyer may also choose to waive a Lead inspection
–there is NO duty to remediate lead, only to disclose its possibility of existing

RADON:
–there is no requirement to test for Radon

ASBESTOS:
–the presence of asbestos must be disclosed by the Seller
–there is no duty for the Seller to remediate it, only to disclose it

NEARBY LANDFILLS
–can lead to nearby groundwater contamination
–should be disclosed and water should be tested

UNDERGROUND FUEL STORAGE TANKS (UST):
–can cause groundwater contamination, water should be tested

STIGMATIZED PROPERTIES
–properties can be considered “stigmatized” as a result of murder, suspected hauntings or even the presence of nearby sex offenders. Stigmatized properties are not required to be disclosed however it’s considered a good policy to disclose this info.

NO! Believe it or not but Texas law prohibits licensed agents from disclosing this information to potential buyers. Agents can provide resources such as website links to assist their clients but the clients MUST look up this information on their own.

While that sounds wild on the surface as many consumers look to their Agent to provide this type of data, the reasoning behind this Texas law relates to the fact that much of this information can be subjective and therefore can be considered discriminatory or steering as a result. For example, there is no single authority on whether a school is “good” or not. Similarly anyone can be the victim of a bad crime even in a “low crime” neighborhood etc.

As such, Texas laws work to ensure that consumers choose where to live based on their OWN wants, needs, preferences, independent research and choices and NOT because an Agent simply told them it was “good” or sent them a website showing a positive school
rating opinion. Because this rather anti-intuitive approach is the law, it’s important to look up key aspects that are important to you on your own and do your own diligence before making this very significant and potentially life-changing decision.

Here are just a couple helpful websites you may want to consider in your evaluation:
FamilyWatchdog.com = info about criminals in the area
GreatSchools.org = info about schools in the area
SchoolSparrow.com = info about schools in the area
results.texas-election.com/races = info about how counties voted

Texas law now requires licensed agents to reply to your question within 2 Business Days. If your Agent fails to respond to your inquiries within 2 Business Days, you are entitled to end your Agency Agreement with them and find another Agent as a result.

If no major changes were made to the property during the Seller’s tenure, and they have a copy of the Survey used from their original purchase, that Survey can generally be used as long as the Seller also completes the TREC T-47 form. If there are any questions
regarding the property’s boundaries or other improvements made during the Seller’s ownership period, the Buyer may obtain a new survey.

Any questions regarding the borders of a property can also be insured via the Title company with what they call “Boundary Protection” which is an extra endorsement that usually costs a few hundred dollars and expands the Title Insurance coverage to include the borders as well. Be sure to ask for this extra coverage if you have any concerns with regards to fence encroachments or the borders of your property being affected by neighbors.

Believe it or not, but Texas law allows for Easements by Prescription, which basically means that if a neighbor uses a piece of your property for a long enough period of time without you objecting (for example, their fence runs 3 feet onto your property line), that encroachment becomes LEGAL and they now own that land! It takes a long time for this to occur, generally 10-15 years, but it’s important you’re aware of these types of issues that can occur in rural acreage areas so you get the level of protection you desire.

A: YES. While we mainly focus on helping Buyers, we also have a wide network of Hill Country agents who focus on helping Sellers and can help match you to the right Listing Agent for your particular needs.

Please note you will still receive 4 free hours of our professional Moving Coordinator services if you list and sell your home for sale through our in-house or 3rd-party referral network agents.

Please contact us for more information.

The Full Service Buyer Program combines several of our realty and home services into one package in order to help you get from Point A to Z in your Hill Country home buying journey. There is no cost other than the basic realty commission and the steps are flexible in order to accommodate your needs. If most of the services of the Full Service Buyer Program interest you, then complete our FSBP Request Form to get started.

DEFINING AN AREA OF INTEREST
The first step involves defining an area of interest within Hill Country. This includes 1-on-1 consultations as well as the option of a free and private Area Tour. Fly in for the day and let us drive you around several Hill Country areas to help you determine the right area for you.

LOCATING A PROPERTY
Once your Area of Interest is defined, we’ll work to find the right local Buyer’s agent for you. This will be either one of our in-house agents or an agent from a 3 rd -party firm, depending upon your needs and their areas of expertise. They will then use their skills and resources to locate all of your available property options including Coming Soon listings and off-market hidden gems.

ACQUIRING A PROPERTY
Once your dream property has been identified, your agent will help you evaluate it to ensure any and all title, survey and condition issues are known and addressed. Your agent will help you negotiate the purchase price, contract terms and inspection period and will coordinate and manage the entire transaction from start to finish.

MOVING COORDINATOR AND SERVICE PROVIDER HOTLINE
Once your purchase offer has been Accepted by a Seller, you will immediately be provided access to our in-house Moving Coordinator, receiving a total of 4 HOURS of her time to assist you in organizing, shopping out and planning your move! Finally, at closing you will receive access to our Service Provider Hotline for 2 YEARS which allows you to submit requests for various property projects you wish to undertake. We will comb through our contacts and databases so you won’t ever be alone out here, no matter how far outside of the city you reside.

Simply put, it provides you with a huge added layer of knowledge, advice and protection. Besides all the negotiation and contract assistance, Buyer’s agents are professional property finders and evaluators. Here are just some of the benefits they provide:

–Expert Advice and Opinions
–Knowledge of Off-market and/or Coming Soon listings
–Coordinating the entire transaction from start to finish
–Negotiation and Purchase Contract expertise
–Understanding Texas Real Estate laws and your legal Obligations
–Providing a layer of protection and communication between buyer and seller
–Legal Fiduciary with Loyalty & Confidentiality guarantees
–Help defining Improvements that remain with the property
–Assistance with Financing and Title aspects
–Assistance understanding Appraisal and Inspection reports
–Listing Agents take your Inquiry & Showing requests seriously
–Having an expert that protects and represents YOUR best interest

The value our program provides is second to none as the ONLY fee you pay is the Real Estate Commission, which is only payable upon the Closing of your purchase transaction. This 3% fee our agents charge is often times paid by the Seller of the property you buy and there are NO OTHER FEES for the other services included in this program.

When you use either our Agent Match or Full-Service Buyer Program, you will also receive 2 special free bonus services:

BONUS 1 = MOVING COORDINATOR SERVICE (4 HOURS)
We provide you with 4 Hours of access to our professional Moving Coordinator! Once a purchase contract has been signed, she will immediately work with you to understand your moving and packing needs and can help you with any of the following, even if you are moving from out-of-state:

**Obtain Rates and Quotes from Moving Companies
**Verify Insurance of Selected Mover
**Arrange for Packing of Specialty Items like Pianos, Antiques etc
**Arrange for Pick-ups of Items for Donations and Trash
**Research and provide a List of Utility Providers for your new home
**Advanced Packing systems to easily identify items
**Can meet Movers or Utility Providers at your new Property
**Can Organize, Schedule and Oversee your entire move for you
**Optional Full end-to-end Packing and Moving Solutions

It’s up to you to choose how you’d like your professional Moving Coordinator to spend the 4 Hour allotment of time you are provided by mixing and matching the above options or even creating new options based on your own specific needs. Please keep in mind there is NO obligation to use any of the movers they find for you as this optional service is designed simply to help you save time, money and stress.

Also please note that you can purchase additional hours at the rate of $100/hour if you desire more complete care. In fact, our Moving Coordinator can even execute full end-to-end in-house packing and moving solutions with her own fleet of trucks and crews for those who wish to move cross-country without ever touching their own belongings! Regardless of what options you choose, your first 4 hours of this professional service are FREE, thanks to HillCountryHomes.com.

BONUS 2 = SERVICE PROVIDER HOTLINE (2 YEARS)
When your purchase closes, you will receive access to our Service Provider Hotline for 2 Years. This hotline allows you to make individual requests to us to find contractors for various property projects. Whether you need a fence guy in Lampasas, a tiny home builder in Wimberley or a concrete specialist in Boerne, our team will canvas our existing contacts and databases to seek out a property improvement service provider for you. This relieves you of the stress many people have regarding property projects when being located outside of the city. We have extensive networks and experience with these types of providers and can help you transform your new property in a wide variety of ways. Some common needs we can assist with include:

Your Agent will be matched based upon several factors, focusing on the geographic area of interest you select using our Zone Map as well as other factors such as Property Type expertise. This experienced licensed agent will know the local market in the zone you select in order to provide you with the very best advice and opinions.

While HillCountryHomes.com is a licensed realty group, we rely upon both our in-house agents and 3 rd – party agents from other firms in order to fulfill your needs. As such we will either match you to an in-house agent OR to an expert in our 3 rd -party referral network, depending upon your specific needs.

Just let us know! While we make our best efforts to find the right match for you, not every match is a perfect fit. If for any reason you are not satisfied with the agent we matched you, we will be happy to find a better match for you.

We can assist you in finding an agent that specializes in the following property types of interest: 

**Raw Land
**Partially-improved Land
**Single Family Residence
**Condos/Townhouses
**Duplex/Triplex/Quadplex
**Farm & Ranch Properties

Our Agent Match service requires only 3 things:
1. Defined Area of Interest within Hill Country (Zone Map)
2. Mortgage Pre-Approval Letter (or Proof of Funds for cash buyers)
3. Intent to purchase within 6 months

If you’re ready to go, just fill out the Agent Match Request Form  to get started.

If you don’t have all 3 of the above requirements yet, contact us as we will work with you to get everything all lined up and ready to go before matching you to the right local agent.

Simply put, it provides you with a huge added layer of knowledge, advice and protection. Besides all the negotiation and contract assistance, Buyer’s agents are professional property finders and evaluators. Here are just some of the benefits they provide:

–Expert Advice and Opinions
–Knowledge of Off-market and/or Coming Soon listings
–Coordinating the entire transaction from start to finish
–Negotiation and Purchase Contract expertise
–Understanding Texas Real Estate laws and your legal Obligations
–Providing a layer of protection and communication between buyer and seller
–Legal Fiduciary with Loyalty & Confidentiality guarantees
–Help defining Improvements that remain with the property
–Assistance with Financing and Title aspects
–Assistance understanding Appraisal and Inspection reports
–Listing Agents take your Inquiry & Showing requests seriously
–Having an expert that protects and represents YOUR best interest

The Agent Match service itself is FREE. Once you are connected to a Buyer’s agent and you feel comfortable moving forward with them, you can sign a standard Buyer’s Representation Agreement with them to represent you for your upcoming purchase.

While there are no set fees for real estate agency services in Texas, we tend to see our in-house and third-party partner agents charging around 3% of the Purchase price for their services but please note that this fee is often times paid for by the Seller.

When you use either our Agent Match or Full-Service Buyer Program, you will also receive 2 special free bonus services:

BONUS 1 = MOVING COORDINATOR SERVICE (4 HOURS)
We provide you with 4 Hours of access to our professional Moving Coordinator! Once a purchase contract has been signed, she will immediately work with you to understand your moving and packing needs and can help you with any of the following, even if you are moving from out-of-state:

**Obtain Rates and Quotes from Moving Companies
**Verify Insurance of Selected Mover
**Arrange for Packing of Specialty Items like Pianos, Antiques etc
**Arrange for Pick-ups of Items for Donations and Trash
**Research and provide a List of Utility Providers for your new home
**Advanced Packing systems to easily identify items
**Can meet Movers or Utility Providers at your new Property
**Can Organize, Schedule and Oversee your entire move for you
**Optional Full end-to-end Packing and Moving Solutions

It’s up to you to choose how you’d like your professional Moving Coordinator to spend the 4 Hour allotment of time you are provided by mixing and matching the above options or even creating new options based on your own specific needs. Please keep in mind there is NO obligation to use any of the movers they find for you as this optional service is designed simply to help you save time, money and stress.

Also please note that you can purchase additional hours at the rate of $100/hour if you desire more complete care. In fact, our Moving Coordinator can even execute full end-to-end in-house packing and moving solutions with her own fleet of trucks and crews for those who wish to move cross-country without ever touching their own belongings! Regardless of what options you choose, your first 4 hours of this professional service are FREE, thanks to HillCountryHomes.com.

BONUS 2 = SERVICE PROVIDER HOTLINE (2 YEARS)
When your purchase closes, you will receive access to our Service Provider Hotline for 2 Years. This hotline allows you to make individual requests to us to find contractors for various property projects. Whether you need a fence guy in Lampasas, a tiny home builder in Wimberley or a concrete specialist in Boerne, our team will canvas our existing contacts and databases to seek out a property improvement service provider for you. This relieves you of the stress many people have regarding property projects when being located outside of the city. We have extensive networks and experience with these types of providers and can help you transform your new property in a wide variety of ways. Some common needs we can assist with include:

Your Agent will be matched based upon several factors, focusing on the geographic area of interest you select using our Zone Map as well as other factors such as Property Type expertise. This experienced licensed agent will know the local market in the zone you select in order to provide you with the very best advice and opinions.

While HillCountryHomes.com is a licensed realty group, we rely upon both our in-house agents and 3 rd -party agents from other firms in order to fulfill your needs. As such we will either match you to an in-house agent OR to an expert in our 3 rd -party referral network, depending upon your specific needs.

You are certainly free to purchase a property in Texas without an agent but in our opinion, that’s like running through a field of landmines. Texas has unique real estate laws and it’s critical to understand both the Seller’s and your legal obligations.

It’s also critical to understand that if you contact a property for sale in Texas without being represented, the Seller’s Agent you will be talking to has a fiduciary duty to serve that Seller’s best interest at your expense. Therefore, if you reveal ANY personal or confidential info whatsoever, they have a legal duty to provide that info to their client, potentially hurting your negotiating position substantially.

The best protection is to always seek your own Buyer’s Agent first before inquiring on specific properties. The Selling agent will know you’re an active, qualified and professionally represented buyer and will not have any wiggle room to play games at your expense. Make sure you have a dedicated partner on YOUR team whose only job is to protect and assist YOU.

Simply put, local agents have the required Geographic Competency: they know the lifeblood of the community and therefore have more valuable knowledge and advice than an out-of-area agent. They are professional property finders and therefore often know key things like off-market and Coming Soon Listings, local trends and issues affecting contracts, and local upcoming city projects that may affect values in the near future. In addition, in small Hill Country towns in particular, they may even personally know the actual sellers or neighbors!

Do not just hire a “Hill Country” agent as Hill Country Texas is 31,000 square miles, which is larger than 12 U.S. States! Therefore it is highly unlikely an expert in the Boerne market is also an expert in the Burnet market as they’re almost 2 hours apart and have completely different features and communities. As the single biggest regret of Hill Country homebuyers is choosing the wrong town due to not knowing the vast area well enough, we feel strongly that the number one key to success is first defining a local area within Hill Country and THEN finding a local agent within that specific area.

We can assist you in finding an agent that specializes in the following property types of interest: 

**Raw Land
**Partially-improved Land
**Single Family Residence
**Condos/Townhouses
**Duplex/Triplex/Quadplex
**Farm & Ranch Properties

Just let us know! While we make our best efforts to find the right match for you, not every match is a perfect fit. If for any reason you’re not satisfied with the agent we matched you, we will be happy to find a better match for you.

Call or text us at 1-888-310-1888! HillCountryHomes.com is both a realty service for active Buyers AND a pressure-free consulting service for those who are interested in moving to Hill Country, but with no urgent or defined timeline in mind.

Buyer’s Agents have access to Off-Market and Coming Soon listings as well as local knowledge from sellers, other agents and neighbors. They also have back end access to the MLS which provides additional details such as uploaded Seller Disclosure Notices that reveal key info about the property. In addition, searching the MLS is a skill in itself as many times data is entered incorrectly either by accident or intent which results in properties not appearing in the results pages despite qualifying for your search.

This is primarily due to 3 reasons:
–data being entered incorrectly into the MLS can often cause results errors
–sellers who wish to keep their property listing private
–the MLS does not show For Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties

This is due to several potential reasons:
–Privacy and confidentiality
–Avoiding disruptions from showings and drive-bys
–Market testing for price and desirability
–Greater control over who buys the property
–Legal reasons usually related to estate planning

Your local Buyer’s Agent is the best resource for knowledge of off-market, coming soon and curated listings. Having a property locating professional with boots on the ground in the exact area of interest provides the highest chance of you obtaining the most choices and options available on the market.

–Raw Land
–Builder Lots
–Construction Loans
–1-4 Unit Residential Homes
–Farm and Ranch Properties

This depends upon your specific qualifications and the property type as well. For example, raw land is usually the hardest to finance and typically requires a large 50% down payment. However Texas offers a special Land Loan program for Veterans who qualify that can allow them to purchase raw land with only a 5% down payment!

Similarly, single family homes can require down payments ranging from 0% on VA loans, 3.5% on FHA loans and up to 20% on conventional loans if no mortgage insurance is desired. In general, the more standard property types such as your basic Single Family
Home have better financing options whereas the more unique property types such as a huge acreage parcel with a trailer on it have more restrictive terms.

Please note that there’s a HUGE difference between a “pre-qualification” and a “pre-approval” letter! A Pre-Qualification Letter is merely based upon a lenders review of the information you STATE – it says you appear to be approvable for a loan based upon your credit report and the income, asset and employment info you provided verbally.

A Pre-Approval Letter, however, is based on a lender’s actual review of the Income, Asset and Employment documentation itself, not just information you stated verbally. As a result, it is a MUCH stronger document that truly connotes a prospective Buyer’s ability to
purchase as the lender has actually reviewed the qualification documents themselves.

Please note that there’s a HUGE difference between a “pre-qualification” and a “pre-approval” letter! A Pre-Qualification Letter is merely based upon a lenders review of the information you STATE – it says you appear to be approvable for a loan based upon your credit report and the income, asset and employment info you provided verbally.

A Pre-Approval Letter, however, is based on a lender’s actual review of the Income, Asset and Employment documentation itself, not just information you stated verbally. As a result, it is a MUCH stronger document that truly connotes a prospective Buyer’s ability to
purchase as the lender has actually reviewed the qualification documents themselves.

NO. Multiple Credit Report inquiries made by the same TYPE of loan provider (in this case Home mortgage-related) count the same as one inquiry. If you apply for a home loan and then apply for a car loan and/or personal loan, THEN your credit score may be negatively impacted as it suggests you are shopping for credit of any/all type rather than just for a single purchase.

While a wide variety of issues may arise, we tend to see the most issues regarding Income documentation. Lenders have General Guidelines regarding credit score and payment ratios etc however the actual loan decision maker, the Underwriter, has a thick book of other qualifying guidelines that are much more specific and can cause loan denials as a result.

For example, underwriting guidelines often state that your income must be consistent over the past 2 years, in the same job or industry, must be provable and any bonus income must also be consistent to be counted. Self-employed borrowers often write-off much of their income to various expenses so a full review of Tax Returns is often necessary. Other issues that typically arise include lender problems with the Property itself (Title or Appraisal issues), lack of required documentation, source and seasoning issues of down payment funds and unknown liens and judgments appearing on personal credit reports. Overall, we find the financing aspect to be the top issue that arises on Purchase Transactions in general and as such, why we believe getting your loan pre-approved FIRST
is the best first step before searching for available properties.

Absolutely! In fact many first-time homebuyers choose the Texas Hill Country as their first home as it represents a true American Dream – not just buying a cookie cutter home on a tiny lot in the city but a real homestead with endless space to expand and the freedom that comes along with owning larger parcels of land.

Mortgage lenders have special programs available for First-time Homebuyers with more flexible terms such as smaller down payment requirements. Inquire with your lender about FHA programs as well as even USDA loans in rural areas.

The Mortgage Rate determines the monthly payment amount yet the APR rate INCLUDES closing costs in
order to help consumers differentiate between 2 mortgages offered by 2 different providers.

Assuming both lenders are offering the same rate and same term, in this case let’s use a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 6.00%, you can use the APR to determine which deal is better.
Lender A = 6.00% Interest Rate, 6.25% APR
Lender B = 6.00% Interest Rate, 6.55% APR

While they both offer you the same home loan rate, so your monthly payment will be the same with either loan, Lender A offers the lowest COST to obtain that 6.00% interest rate by virtue of having a lower APR. Lender B is likely charging extra fees (probably Discount
points) in order to get that same low 6.00% rate and those extra fees are reflected in the APR, not the loan note rate!

Overall APR is a quick easy way to compare loan COSTS in proportion to the rate they offer. As a result, shopping based on Interest Rate alone is hazardous and inaccurate as you can theoretically pay for ANY rate you want – the real question is HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET THE RATE THEY ARE QUOTING?

YES! Texas is extremely friendly to Veterans and therefore has established an entire Home Loan program just for Veterans. The Texas Veterans Home Loan Board offers 2 popular programs in particular for Veterans:

1. Rate Reduction Program – by going through the VHLB, Veterans can receive a special reduction in interest rate for ANY government or conventional loan they qualify for. That’s right, this is NOT just for VA Loans as it covers FHA and Conventional loans as well. So if
the conforming rate for 30-year fixed mortgages is say 6.0%, a qualifying Veteran (full entitlement, Veteran or spouse only) going through the VHLB can get the same exact loan but for around 5.0% instead!

2. Veteran Land Loan Program – buying raw land to hold or build on in the future is often the riskiest of loans for lenders, thereby typically requiring a 50% Down Payment. But for
qualifying Veterans in Texas, they can obtain raw land loans with as little as just 5% Down on parcels prices up to $150,000.

When contacting any mortgage lender, be sure to specify whether you are a Veteran and bring up the “Texas VHLB Special Veterans Programs” as many people are not even aware of these very unique and special programs that are only offered in Texas.

1. Proximity to a Large City for supplies and shopping
2. Proximity to a major Airport
3. Local Employment opportunities
4. Town demographics (age, income, schools, crime etc)
5. County politics
6. Restaurant and Fast Food availability
7. Quiet peaceful towns versus higher-traffic Tourist destinations
8. Hobby Availability (Proximity to a large Lake, quality golf course or other hobby)
9. Property Tax rates
10. VIBE – what feeling does this town give you?
When you take these 10 factors into consideration, you can instantly start sifting through the many towns that make up Hill Country to help find the best ones for you.

Simply put, it combines the best aspects of Texas in one area: amazing views, great weather, beautiful elevation changes, unique interesting towns, genuinely friendly people, dark skies with bright stars and yes, LAND AND FREEDOM.

Austin and San Antonio are the best big city options because they are closest to Hill Country and therefore provide great resources to Hill Country residents. But none of those places have the quality LAND that provides the backbone of Hill Country LIFE.

It’s only Hill Country itself where you find the real magic: a series of 20 small towns, each with their own unique calling card, set in the most serene and picturesque part of the state. These towns are not just beautiful and full of friendly people; they are also historical, rich in culture, a haven for both Veterans and freedom-seekers alike and best of all there is SPACE here – enough space to breathe slowly and deeply, all without hearing neighbors sneezing through apartment walls!

As a result, Hill Country does NOT provide the cheapest land in Texas but we consider it to be the most beautiful. Hill Country is separate yet connected – you can live in quiet Burnet and easily go golf for the day in Marble Falls. Or you can live in Boerne but go
spend the day wine tasting in Fredericksburg. Or just choose a town closer to the big cities such as Lago Vista and get all the benefits of Lake Life with the convenience of being just 15 minutes from city shopping and dining. The choice is up to you.

Ultimately, Hill Country is awesome and ideal for both long-time Texans as well as those who have been stuck living on small lots in big cities and want to spread their wings onto a nice big lot property as 5 and 10-acre mini-estates are literally everywhere. Embrace freedom, fresh air, beautiful land and the pride of self-sufficiency – let us help make Hill Country your next home and start living the big lot life instead of just dreaming about it.

Hill Country is a VAST area full of unique pockets of hobbies and activities with each town having its own personal calling card. These are merely opinions but can potentially be helpful to you:

LAKE LIFE: Lago Vista, Buchanan Dam, Canyon Lake
If you enjoy spending the day on the water, fishing, boating, jet-skiing and the lake lifestyle, the 3 areas above are great great lake life options.

GOLF: Marble Falls, Lago Vista
Explore the Horseshoe Bay area of Marble Falls to find a wide variety of high-quality courses that are open to the public as well as some nearby exclusive private clubs. Other courses exist in other areas too but are more typical municipal-style courses that won’t satisfy true golf nuts. Disc golf is also abundant in these areas too!

WINERIES & PEACHES: Fredericksburg, Johnson City
The short road from Johnson City to Fredericksburg is long on vineyards and peach farms with over 20 to choose. We call this stretch “Vineyard Alley” as each one has its own tasting rooms and attractions and Fredericksberg even allows the public to walk outside on Main St with wine in hand!

QUIET HISTORICAL TOWNS: Burnet, Blanco, Llano, Mason
These quiet historical Texas towns are right out of the moviesand ooze country living. 

UPSCALE TOWNS: Boerne, Fredericksburg, Spicewood/Lakeway
Fredericksburg doesn’t appear to be overly high-end on the surface yet has the 2 nd highest number of millionaires in the entire State! In addtion, the areas just West and Southwest of Austin like Spicewood, Dripping Springs and Driftwood are much closer to Austin’s luxury enclave of Westlake, which is full of very high-end restaurants, shopping and homes.

Overall, this is just a very crude snapshot but hopefully conveys the incredible VARIETY that you will find in Hill Country. That variety provides great choices but also requires a decent amount of effort in order to narrow down and select the right area for YOU.

NO, the General Area Tour is for non-clients and therefore has different benefits and restrictions. It has a cost of $999.00 and does not allow for professional agent advice or opinions or any property viewings. It allows non-clients to fly into town for the day and obtain a good overview of multiple Hill Country areas. This is a great option for those who are either early in their search process and/or don’t yet need or want professional agency representation.

For those who wish to sign a Buyer’s Representation Agreement to become a Client, our other tour called the Custom Client Tour is offered for free as part of the Full Service Buyer Program which provides a greater focus on real estate as a result.

NO, the area tours we provide are PRIVATE in which you and your guests are the only people onboard besides the Driver/Hosts. You will be able to relax in the back of a clean spacious Mercedes-Benz van with plush carpeting, special sound insulation, comfortable reclining captain’s chairs and other related luxuries.

NO, there is no selling or discussing real estate in depth on this tour. As the General Area Tour is for non-Clients, we can not legally provide real estate advice or opinions. In addition, we understand the purpose of this Tour is informational and focused on familiarizing yourself with the area and various towns.

As such this Tour is as low of pressure as it gets – there will be no timeshare-style sales pitches as we understand this is just a basic first step and that deciding to buy in Hill Country is a BIG decision that takes time. Ultimately, we’re here to RELIEVE you of stress and pressure, not add to it!

Possibly. Currently all airport pick-ups are from the Austin Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) while drop-offs are often more convenient at the San Antonio International Airport (SAT) due to being located closer to Fredericksburg, the quintessential Hill Country town. However we do have the ability to customize tours based on your needs so please Contact Us to let us know your requirements to see if we can accommodate them. We realize not everyone needs to fly in from out-of-state and can arrange pick-ups/drop-offs in other areas as well.

We maintain an updated roster of qualified agents all over Hill Country to refer our clients to so simply contact us and let us know your geographic area of competency and any areas of expertise you have such as raw land or farm and ranch experience etc.

We work with clients until they become “ready buyers” at which point we seek out the right agent to match them to, whether it’s one of our in-house agents or a 3 rd -party agent from another Broker. You will therefore never receive “leads” – only actual client referrals who have already obtained their financing pre-approval and already identified their local area of interest within Hill Country.

Our foundational principal is about doing whatever is best for the Client. While we have our own in-house Agents, Hill Country is simply too large of an area geographically for our in-house agents to maintain proper geographic competency and offers too wide of a variety in terms of Property Types for any one agent to be an expert in all that Hill Country offers. As a result, we utilize a large and growing network of 3 rd -party referral agents to best match and refer our clients to so that we can ensure they get the local expertise they desire and deserve.

–Our referral program requires that 30% of the Buying Broker’s gross commission is remitted to our firm at Closing.
–There is no requirement to charge your Clients any particular fee – per the NAR Settlement Act, all realty fees are negotiable between you and them.

YES. If your client wants to buy in an area outside your zone of geographic competency, or you simply are too busy and wish for another qualified agent to work with your client, we offer a 25% Reverse Referral commission. This means you will receive 25% of the Buying Broker’s gross commission at Closing.

Our Featured Properties page was designed for Agents all over Hill Country to get added exposure. Simply email us at info@HillCountryHomes.com to submit your current Listings and we will add them to our page. There is no fee for this service however it is only open to Agents that are currently part of our Referral Network.