Serene Hills bell tower illuminated at dusk Current issue · August 2026
The Serene Hills bell tower · Photograph from the August print edition
Neighborhood edition

Serene Hills · Lakeway, Texas · Since July 2025

Serene Hills Journal The neighborhood magazine by Diana Roberts.

Homes, neighborhood decisions, West Austin changes and the people who make Serene Hills feel like home, reported by someone who lives and serves here.

Diana Roberts
Diana RobertsPublisher · Serene Hills homeowner · HOA Assistant Secretary · Texas Certified General Appraiser
Now reading online August 2026 13 issues in the publication history

The Complete Archive

Choose a month. Know exactly what you are reading.

August and June have been rebuilt as full, easy-to-read web editions. The original doorstep run contains 11 issues from July 2025 through May 2026. Every edition is clearly dated because market conditions, listings and neighborhood projects change.

2026

ArchivePDF ↗ May2026 Original doorstep edition
ArchiveFile needed April2026 Archive copy needed
ArchivePDF ↗ March2026 Original doorstep edition ArchivePDF ↗ February2026 Original doorstep edition ArchivePDF ↗ January2026 Original doorstep edition

The publication history contains 13 issues: 11 original doorstep editions plus the June and August 2026 redesigned editions. Nine of the original PDFs have working links. November 2025 remains visible because it belongs in the run, but its former link duplicated the October file. April 2026 also remains visible, but no working file is currently connected. Earlier editions preserve historical listings, prices, dates and project information that may no longer be current.

Current issue · No. 02 · August 2026

A slower market. A faster-changing corridor.

A buyer-favored summer, the homes competing in Serene Hills and five changes shaping daily life around Highway 71 and Lakeway.

15Homes in the issue snapshot
55 daysLakeway market time
5West Austin updates
Issue 02Published August 2026

August meant back to school, a full Lake Travis and a few final lake days before a new school year. It also marked the first issue after Serene Hills elected a new HOA Board of Directors. Diana thanked neighbors for their support and reported that the board had begun reviewing priorities and moving pending projects forward.

The larger market story was less celebratory but more useful: buyers had choices. Inventory was elevated, price reductions were common and sellers needed accurate pricing, strong presentation and patience.

A useful neighborhood magazine should show both sides of the street: what is changing around us and what buyers are choosing inside Serene Hills.

The Chart That Matters

What was selling in Serene Hills.

Most recent data · August 2026

For sale / under contract Asking price
  • 905 Madison Fork Dr$1,079,000
  • 810 Crestone Stream Dr$1,250,000
  • 801 Serene Estates Dr$1,275,000
  • 802 Crestone Stream Dr$1,329,000
  • 1110 Crestone Stream Dr$1,400,000
  • 328 Ringtail Stream Dr$1,477,000
  • 504 Padres Pl$1,499,000
  • 508 Serene Estates Dr$2,749,000
Recently sold Last listing price
  • 712 Crestone Stream Dr$1,150,000
  • 308 Ringtail Stream Dr$1,199,000
  • 807 Serene Estates Dr$1,250,000
  • 305 Ringtail Stream Dr$1,329,000
  • 311 Bowcross Pt$1,329,000
  • 402 Sweet Grass Ln$1,400,000
  • 323 Ringtail Stream Dr$1,485,000
For saleUnder contractRecently sold

Source: ACTRIS / Unlock MLS. Data was current when the August 2026 print issue was prepared. Prices and status are historical and may have changed. Recently sold figures are the last listing prices shown in the publication, not necessarily final closed prices.

Austin + Lakeway Summer Market

Buyers had leverage. Sellers needed precision.

The summer 2026 market favored buyers. Inventory was elevated, marketing times had lengthened and price reductions were common, although homes that closed still achieved about 97% of their final asking price.

6.66%30-year mortgage rate
$440KAustin metro median
6.0Months of inventory
55%Austin listings with price cuts
97%Sold-to-final-list ratio
48 daysAustin market time
$849KLakeway median
55 daysLakeway market time

For sellers, the message was simple: accurate pricing, strong presentation and patience were essential.

As reported in August 2026. Sources cited in the print edition: Freddie Mac, Unlock MLS, Team Price, TRERC and Redfin, May-July 2026. Austin metro, City of Austin, Lakeway and Serene Hills statistics describe different market areas and should not be directly compared.

What Was New in Lakeway

Five changes along the corridor.

The August issue looked beyond Serene Hills only when a nearby project could change errands, recreation, employment or the feel of the Highway 71 corridor.

Serene Hills bell tower at dusk near Highway 71 in Lakeway, Texas
The view from home, with a fast-changing corridor just beyond it.The original neighborhood photograph from the print edition now becomes part of the story instead of being trapped inside the PDF.
01

The Shoppes at Sweetwater Crossing

Construction beside the 7-Eleven near Highway 71 and Serene Hills Drive was planned as a 22,500-square-foot neighborhood retail center with as many as 11 storefronts. Announced tenants included Shipley Do-Nuts, Marco's Pizza, Lucky Lab Coffee, Bottle & Cork Liquor, a nail spa and an Asian restaurant.

02

CesiumAstro Global Headquarters

The West Austin Business Park site was being transformed into a nearly 270,000-square-foot headquarters across three buildings for offices, research, testing and advanced manufacturing. Operations were expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027.

03

Butler Rough Hollow Park

Construction was underway on a 9.5-acre public park near Rough Hollow Elementary. Plans included an accessible playground, ninja course, beginner mountain-bike course, courts and fields, an amphitheater and walking trails, with a summer 2027 target.

04

The Village at Spanish Oaks

Bee Cave had approved preliminary designs for the first multifamily phase of the 81-acre mixed-use development south of Highway 71 near RR 620. The broader concept included shops, restaurants, offices, senior living, trails and an inn and spa.

05

Crunch Fitness Opens

The 42,000-square-foot gym opened at 2300 Lohmans Spur Road with strength and cardio equipment, group fitness, hot yoga, cycling, personal training, recovery amenities, locker rooms, a sauna and childcare.

Gayle and Scott Hamilton with their family at a wedding
Gayle and Scott with their family · Photograph from the August print edition

Their story began in Santa Monica and continued through Houston, Portsmouth and Lakeway before they chose Serene Hills. Their careers took them in different directions, but the neighborhood gave them a place to remain connected to friends, family and the parts of Lakeway they already loved.

Their days include travel, church, favorite Austin restaurants and wineries, time on the trail and welcoming new residents. Their profile captures what this magazine does best: it turns a subdivision into a neighborhood by introducing the people who make it one.

The public web edition omits the street address and direct contact details printed in the resident edition.

Published August 2026 by Diana Roberts. Listings, prices, market statistics, schedules and development plans are historical and may have changed. Serene Hills Monthly is independently produced by Diana and is not an official Serene Hills HOA publication.

Choose Another Issue

Why Diana Publishes It

This is neighborhood knowledge earned by showing up.

Diana does not study Serene Hills from a dashboard. She lives here, serves here and sees the market from both sides: as a Texas Certified General Appraiser and a Compass Austin Real Estate Advisor.

Diana Roberts in Milan, Italy
Diana Roberts · Milan, Italy · Summer 2026
Lives hereSerene Hills homeowner and neighbor
Serves hereHOA Assistant Secretary
Works hereLandscape, Welcome and neighborhood event committees
Studies valueTexas Certified General Appraiser
40Public MLS sales · Aug. 2024-Aug. 2026
18Sales involving Compass
45%Compass participation rate
5Sales with Compass on both sides

Source: Diana Roberts' review of MLS closed-sale records for publicly marketed Serene Hills homes, August 6, 2024-August 6, 2026. Compass represented sellers on 10 transactions and buyers on 12; representation sides overlap when Compass participated on both sides. Private, off-market and non-MLS transfers are not included.

Continue the Conversation

Read the neighborhood. Understand the market.

Explore the permanent Serene Hills guide, review current 78738 market data or ask Diana for a property-specific valuation grounded in the home, street and section.

Diana Roberts · Austin Real Estate Advisor · 512.888.8326 · diana.roberts@compass.com