Current issue · August 2026
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.
How This Page Fits the Site
The Journal preserves the record. The live pages tell you what is happening now.
Serene Hills Journal is Diana's dated neighborhood publication. Use the permanent neighborhood guide for place and lifestyle context, the 78738 market report for current housing conditions, and Inside Austin for broader Lakeway, Bee Cave and Highway 71 changes.
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. The print publication began as Serene Hills Monthly; the complete record now lives here as Serene Hills Journal. Every edition is clearly dated because listings, prices, neighborhood work and market conditions change.
2026
2025
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.
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.
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
- 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
- 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
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.
For current Diana property status, use Current Listings → If a home is under contract, Diana's Under Contract guide explains the next phase of the transaction.
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.
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.
For current conditions rather than this historical snapshot, open the live 78738 market report →
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A new format. The same neighborhood focus.
Seller guidance, the homes competing in Serene Hills and five neighborhood projects residents were watching before the annual HOA meeting.
After delivering Serene Hills Monthly to neighborhood doorsteps for a year, Diana introduced a professionally printed format mailed directly to residents. The scope widened slightly to include changes beyond the neighborhood that affect life along Highway 71.
The purpose remained the same: keep Serene Hills first, explain what was changing and connect market information to the place Diana and her family call home.
A new look, a wider lens and the same commitment to the neighborhood.
The Chart That Matters
What was selling in Serene Hills.
Most recent data · May 2026
- 712 Crestone Stream Dr$1,150,000
- 308 Ringtail Stream Dr$1,199,000
- 4809 Serene Hills Dr$1,199,000
- 807 Serene Estates Dr$1,250,000
- 211 Ringtail Stream Dr$1,325,000
- 801 Serene Estates Dr$1,350,000
- 323 Ringtail Stream Dr$1,485,000
- 402 Sweet Grass Ln$1,490,000
- 813 Serene Estates Dr$1,519,000
- 504 Padres Pl$1,565,000
- 802 Serene Estates Dr$864,000
- 307 Ringtail Stream Dr$899,000
- 305 Ringtail Stream Dr$1,329,000
- 311 Bowcross Pt$1,329,000
- 509 Doe Whisper Way$1,499,000
- 204 Ringtail Stream Dr$1,899,000
Source: ACTRIS / Unlock MLS. Data was current when the June 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.
For current Diana property status, use Current Listings → Under-contract questions belong in Diana's Under Contract guide, not in an archived issue.
June Seller Guidance
Pretty matters. Pretty and priced right moves.
At publication, Serene Hills homes were averaging 44 days on market and $393 per square foot. Buyers were selective and repeatedly comparing every credible option in their price range.
Value-realistic pricing, clean presentation, fresh paint and current finishes created an edge. Pools, three-car garages, outdoor living and thoughtful improvements helped a home stand apart.
As reported in the June 2026 issue using the market information available when it was produced. These figures are historical, not current pricing guidance.
For current market context, see the current 78738 report →
Diana ran on property stewardship, careful use of HOA funds, transparent budgeting, healthy reserves and stronger community connection. Her candidacy reflected years of work on the Social, Welcome and Landscape Committees and her professional background in brokerage and appraisal.
Preserving the issue online matters because it records what she said before the election. That is more credible than rewriting the story after the result.
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.
From Archive to Today
The Journal preserves the moment. These pages tell you what changed next.
Listings, prices, development schedules and market statistics inside each issue stay dated on purpose. When the question is about today's property status, today's 78738 market or what happens after an offer is accepted, move from the archive into the live site.
Questions About the Journal
The archive is historical by design.
The web edition keeps the original dates, property status and market snapshots intact. Use Diana's live pages when you need current information.
What is Serene Hills Journal?
Is Serene Hills Journal an official Serene Hills HOA publication?
Why do old issues still show old listings, prices and market statistics?
Where can I find current Serene Hills real estate market data?
What if a property shown in an old issue is now under contract or sold?
Who publishes Serene Hills Journal?
Continue the Conversation
Read the neighborhood. Understand the market.
Use the Journal for neighborhood context, the live 78738 report for current conditions and Diana for the property-level judgment that neither a ZIP code nor an automated estimate can provide.
Diana Roberts · Austin Real Estate Advisor · 512.888.8326 · diana.roberts@compass.com