Lake LBJ Homes For Sale: What To Look For | Teifke Real Estate

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Lake LBJ Homes For Sale: What To Look For In Lakefront Property

Amanda Stevens

Content Strategist

Aug 1, 2022 6 MIN READ

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Living beside a lake is one of the true wonders in life, and one you’ve no doubt worked hard for! 

Lake LBJ is one of the more beautiful lakes in Texas, one of just 7 man-made lakes in the Highland Lakes area, and stretches over a generous 21 miles of the most beautiful country anyone could ask for. 

With a variety of communities, different styles of home, and even different sizes of houses and styles of living, there is a lot to love about Lake LBJ and a lot that can be overwhelming for newcomers to the area. 

Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering joining the Lake LBJ community. 

Searching For A Lake LBJ Home For Sale? Here’s What to Look For

Lakefront living is one of the best ways to truly live your dream life, especially if you love water, boating, and fishing. 

However, you need to take some time to think about what you want before you decide on a home on Lake LBJ. 

Here are some of the most important considerations you should keep in mind when you’re deciding on a home. 

Which Community Do You Want To Live In? 

There are a lot of different neighborhoods in the Lake LBJ area, and each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. 

Here’s a little bit about the different neighborhoods to help you decide which one is likely to suit your needs. 

Blue Lake

Technically located inside Horseshoe Bay, between the main Horseshoe Bay community and Deerhaven, Blue Lake is another community that boasts its own resorts. However, the addition of a golf course and a few more businesses in the area means that there’s just a little more to do in this part of the area. 

Truly, Blue Lake is one of the hidden gems not just of Lake LBJ, but also of Texas as a whole. 

Deerhaven

While Deerhaven is home to plenty of retirees, the presence of a community park, pool, and other amenities make this one of the best communities for families. With over a hundred homes inside of Deerhaven’s boundaries, this is also one of the largest of Lake LBJ’s communities. 

Granite Shoals

Granite Shoals is one of the largest Lake LBJ communities and is in the central area of the lake. A combination of families and retirees call this area home, and the friendly culture makes this a welcoming area for most anyone. 

Granite Shoals is also just a short drive away from leisure activities outside of the community, and a bigger nightlife. 

Horseshoe Bay

Wanting to feel like your life is something out of a resort brochure? Horseshoe Bay might just be the place to be. 

The Bay is home to some of the biggest and most luxuriously appointed homes in the area, and genuinely, many of them are so beautiful you’ll be surprised you aren’t on a movie set or in a resort for the rich and powerful. 

A combination of waterfront homes that open directly onto the lake and homes placed a little further from the shore give you an option of lifestyles here. 

lake lbj

Highland Haven

Want the advantages of lakefront living without all the boat and water vehicle traffic? This area is toward the end of the lake and is a little less traveled than the other neighborhoods, but you’re still within about 20 minutes of the other communities by boat. 

Like Granite Shoals, Highland Haven is a welcoming community to families and retirees. 

Kingsland

If you’re looking for a growing community that’s a little more of a town with more businesses and a resort or two for when you want to leave the house, Kingsland is a fantastic place to be. Plus, since this is a new and growing community, there may be opportunities to be the first-time owner of a freshly built home. 

Sunrise Beach

Wanting to live somewhere that feels a little more private, but that still offers easy access to the lake? Sunrise Beach isn’t just named for its beautiful sunrises and sunsets. The beaches are beautiful, welcoming, and feel a bit more private than the other neighborhoods on LBJ Lake. 

Don’t worry though, the seclusion here is mostly an illusion. You’re still only 20 minutes away from other communities and more activities. 

Do You Want To Be ON The Lake, Or Near The Lake?

There’s a big difference between living in a house with a dock off the back porch and living in a home within walking distance of the shore. It might not seem like a huge difference, but both in terms of how your home feels and how much upkeep you need to put into working on your home, location matters. 

Lakefront homes that back up to LBJ lake are common, and since this is a man-made lake there are a few more controls on water level and measures in place to make flooding less likely, but your home will still be exposed to more water than a house set even a few yards back from the shore. 

That said, having a house right on the lakefront means that it’s easier than ever to launch your favorite watercraft and relax for an afternoon, or to enjoy the play of water across the gentle waves of the lake. 

Both styles of living can be wonderful, but you should decide which is right for you before you commit to a home in this community. 

Should I Buy A House On The Lake? Advantages & Disadvantages Of Buying A Lake LBJ Home For Sale

Buying a home on a lake might sound like a dream come true, but it’s not always sunshine and roses. If you’re not familiar with all the many smells that can come off a lake, or don’t know how serious water damage can be if there’s a flood, you might want to think twice before committing to lakefront living. 

Here are some of the most important pros and cons of lakefront living. 

Pros: Cons: 
  • Buying a home is often cheaper than renting
  • Easy access to boating and other lakefront activities
  • Beautiful homes
  • Gorgeous vistas
  • Can be a valuable rental property
  • Most lakefront property is likely to increase in value over time, building equity for your future. 
  • High up-front costs are common
  • HOA fees and community upkeep fees are also common on lakefront property
  • Lake homes often need more care and maintenance than other homes. 
  • Wooden docks typically need to be replaced every 20-25 years
  • Mold and mildew are both bigger issues when you live on a lakefront. 
  • Lakefront smells, algae blooms, and other lake issues can all affect your home as well.  

 

As you can see, lakefront living isn’t all sunshine and roses. Having a good contractor and maid service can make lakefront living more manageable, but you should still schedule a fair amount of time to the care and keeping of your home. 

A lot of the biggest advantages to lakefront living are there for people who are looking for second homes and vacation homes, which isn’t necessarily what you’re looking for if you want to live in your home full time. 

Often lakefront buyers are looking to get a home that’s going to build equity and that can also be used as a vacation rental property to generate additional income on the side. 

The good news is that vacation rentals can often pay for your mortgage entirely, especially if you don’t spend all that much time in your lake house yourself until it’s paid off, but then you’re not getting the full benefit of the home for yourself either. 

Also, while we didn’t mention it specifically, the truth is that weather issues and natural disasters can be more common when you live on a lake. Storms and flooding are both a bigger deal when the water is literally inches from your backdoor. 

Those kinds of problems are uncommon, thankfully, but you’ll still probably have higher insurance rates, and it’s important to get a comprehensive plan that includes coverage for water damage and flood damage both

highland lakes area

How To Find An Agent Who Can Find You Your Perfect LBJ Lakefront Home For Sale

Think Lake LBJ sounds like the place for you? 

Whether you’re looking for a permanent place to live, a home that will help you enjoy a fruitful retirement or a vacation property that will help bring in an extra income, you need a reliable realtor that can help you find the best home for your needs. 

Don’t worry, you don’t have to comb through hundreds of real estate agents looking for the best fit. With our experience with Lake LBJ homes for sale, knowledge of the area, and experience helping match clients to their dream homes, we’re confident that one of the real estate agents at Teifke Real Estate can help. 

Whether you’re committed to buying one of the Lake LBJ Homes for sale or just want to look at what’s available, you can contact us with any questions or concerns. 

We’ll work with you to figure out which properties are best for you, including the features, layout, location, and amenities included in your home. 

If that sounds like the kind of real estate agent experience you’ve been looking for, call a premier real estate agency.

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Content Strategist

Amanda Stevens

Amanda is a content strategist and writer for Teifke Real Estate. She graduated Magnum Cum Laude from Purdue University with a B.S. in Social Work. She writes for several different outlets across multiple verticals. In her spare time she loves learning about health, nutrition, meditation, spiritual practices, and enjoys being the a mother of a beautiful daughter.