Cardinal Hills Estates sits just west of Lakeway off RM 620, next to Apache Shores in the Lakeway ETJ. ZIP 78734, Lake Travis ISD, no mandatory HOA. 42 homes closed in the last twelve months at a median $647,500 and $245 per square foot.
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Johnny Ronca
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Johnny Ronca
Luxury Associate Broker, SERHANT. · 20+ years in Austin · 300+ closings · $250M+ in sales · 5.0★ across 100+ verified reviews
What clients say
“Johnny not only helped me buy a great home in Lakeway at a great price back in January of 2021 but he then helped me sell that same house for over $200K of what we purchased it for only 9 months later. Johnny helped us get an offer that was $50K over our asking price. We are extremely happy with Johnny as our "go-to" guy for anything related to real estate.”
Ryan B. · Lakeway buyer & seller
“Johnny guided us to our dream home. He understood exactly what we were looking for and he made the process flow smoothly and gracefully. I never imagined buying a house could feel so easeful! We are so grateful we had Johnny to show us just how smooth the process can be!”
Brandilyn B. · Lake Travis buyer
“I am so grateful that my family and I found Johnny! Johnny is incredibly hardworking, knowledgeable, and detail-oriented, and he TRULY cares about his clients. He worked nonstop to help us find our perfect home and we couldn’t be happier with the results of his hustle and care.”
Julie H. · Austin buyer
More verified reviews on Zillow (5.0★).
The 15-second answer
Cardinal Hills Estates sits just west of Lakeway off RM 620, next door to Apache Shores, inside the Lakeway ETJ in ZIP 78734 and zoned to Lake Travis ISD. Over the trailing twelve months 42 homes closed at a median of $647,500 and $245 per square foot, with a median 35 days on market and a median close at 100% of list. Homes ran from $326,500 to $1,800,000.
The short version: this is one of the more attainable ways into Lake Travis ISD on the south shore, and there is no mandatory HOA.
Source: Unlock MLS (ACTRIS), closed single-family sales for the trailing twelve months ending September 24, 2026.
Sellers have the edge, and the trend over the last two years is the most interesting thing about this neighborhood. Here is the same twelve-month window, this year against last.
Metric | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Closed sales | 17 | 42 | +147% |
Median close price | $560,560 | $647,500 | +15.5% |
Median $/sq ft | $280 | $245 | −12.5% |
Median size | 2,251 sf | 2,620 sf | +16.4% |
Median days on market | 54 | 35 | 19 days faster |
Close-to-list ratio | 100% | 100% | — |
Source: Unlock MLS (ACTRIS), closed single-family sales. 2026 = the twelve months ending September 24, 2026; 2025 = the twelve months before that.
Read those two middle rows together, because on their own they tell opposite stories. The median price went up 15.5%, but the median price per square foot went down 12.5%. Both are true. What changed is the mix: the median home that sold this year is about 370 square feet bigger than the one that sold last year. Buyers here moved up in size, which pulled the headline price up while per-foot values eased.
That matters if you own here. If you price off the neighborhood’s median sale price without checking what size those homes were, you will mis-price your house in one direction or the other. It also matters if you are buying: at $245 a foot, Cardinal Hills is well under the Lakeway 78734 median of $280, and the gap is real rather than a quirk of one or two sales — volume nearly tripled.
Short answer: Cardinal Hills single-family homes closed at a median of $700,000 ($247.09 per square foot) across 31 MLS sales from January 1 to October 2, 2026, compared with $553,000 ($263.64 per square foot) across 23 sales in all of 2025. Median days on market went from 54 to 27, and sellers closed at 96.4% of original list price versus 91.8%. The median home that sold in 2026 was 30% larger (2,122 to 2,748 sq ft), so price per square foot is the fairer comparison than the headline median. Like for like, mid-size resales (2,400–3,600 sq ft, built 1997–2024, no new construction) closed at a median $785,000 in 2026 against $689,500 in 2025, or $271.93 against $257.00 per square foot.
| Cardinal Hills | Sales | Median close | Median $/sq ft | Median days on market | Close ÷ original list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All single-family · 2025 (full year) | 23 | $553,000 | $263.64 | 54 | 91.8% |
| All single-family · 2026 (Jan 1–Oct 2) | 31 | $700,000 | $247.09 | 27 | 96.4% |
| Same months of 2025 (Jan 1–Oct 2) | 14 | $528,375 | $271.07 | 50.5 | 95.9% |
| Last 90 days (Jul 4–Oct 2, 2026) | 14 | $682,500 | $268.96 | 38 | 97.3% |
Every row compares the same kind of home, year against year: single-family resales with 3+ bedrooms, 2+ full baths and a 2+ car garage, built 1997–2024, with new construction left out. Each size band runs 20% either side of 2,000, 3,000, 4,500 and 6,750 square feet, the way an appraiser brackets a subject home.
| Home size | 2025 sales | 2025 median close | 2025 $/sq ft | 2026 sales (Jan 1–Oct 2) | 2026 median close | 2026 $/sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry · 1,600–2,400 sq ft | 11 | $496,500 | $251.45 | 8 | $529,500 | $242.25 |
| Mid · 2,400–3,600 sq ft | 7 | $689,500 | $257.00 | 15 | $785,000 | $271.93 |
| ↳ Mid with a private pool | 3 | — | — | 6 | $862,500 | $315.40 |
| Large luxury · 3,600–5,400 sq ft | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | — |
A dash means fewer than five sales in that band that year, so no median is published. New construction, meaning a home built in the year it sold or the year before, is left out of the rows above: 0 sold in 2025 and 1 in 2026. Also left out: 2 resales built outside 1997–2024 and 3 outside 1,600–8,100 sq ft.
Homes are selling faster in 2026: a median 27 days on market against 54 in 2025. Sellers closed at 96.4% of original list price. The last 90 days: 14 closings at a median $682,500 and 38 days on market. MLS sales since January 2025 closed between $326,500 and $1.8 million.
Source: Unlock MLS (ACTRIS) via Matrix, pulled October 2, 2026. Closed single-family sales in subdivisions named Cardinal Hills, ZIPs 78734 and 78738. 2025 = full year; 2026 = January 1 to October 2, 2026. Medians, not averages. Sales counts are not a trend on their own because 2026 is a partial year; compare against the same months of 2025. Private and off-market sales that never reached the MLS are not included. Like-for-like rows use a second MLS search of the same area limited to 3+ bedrooms, 2+ full baths and 2+ garage spaces; resales only, built 1997–2024 (the 30-year span that holds the most resales in this area); new construction reported separately. Compiled and analyzed by Johnny Ronca, Luxury Associate Broker, SERHANT. Compare every neighborhood in my Austin 2025 vs 2026 price table.
West of Lakeway off RM 620. The usual approach is 620 to General Williamson Drive, then southeast. It shares a border with Apache Shores and sits near Vineyard Bay and Costa Bella, with Lake Travis access and Lakeway City Park close by.
Administratively it is in the Lakeway ETJ rather than the city limits. For buyers that mostly shows up in permitting and services, and it is one of the reasons the per-foot pricing sits below the city-limits neighborhoods a few minutes away.
More varied than most Lake Travis neighborhoods, and that is worth understanding before you start touring. A good share of the inventory is Mediterranean-style — stucco, courtyards, tile roofs — built largely in the mid-2000s and again in a 2012–2013 phase. Other streets hold traditional Texan and ranch-style homes, and there are some manufactured homes in the mix as well.
The practical effect is that two houses a block apart can be very different propositions for an appraiser and for a lender. That is not a knock on the neighborhood — it is why the entry price is what it is — but it does mean the comp set matters more here than it does somewhere uniform. Financing on a manufactured home works differently from financing on a 2013 stucco build, and it is better to know which one you are writing on before you write.
No mandatory HOA and no shared amenity center. For a lot of buyers that is the whole appeal: no dues, no architectural committee, and more freedom with what you park and what you build. If you want a pool and a clubhouse included, Rough Hollow or Lakeway Highlands are the better fit. If you would rather keep the dues and spend them on your own house, this is one of the few places on this side of the lake where you can.
Cardinal Hills is zoned to Lake Travis ISD, which is the reason a lot of buyers look here in the first place — it is among the least expensive ways into that district on the south shore. District campuses and their current GreatSchools ratings:
Campus | Level | GreatSchools rating |
|---|---|---|
Lake Travis Middle School | Middle | 10/10 |
Lake Pointe Elementary | Elementary | 10/10 |
Serene Hills Elementary | Elementary | 9/10 |
Rough Hollow Elementary | Elementary | 9/10 |
Lakeway Elementary | Elementary | 8/10 |
Hudson Bend Middle School | Middle | 8/10 |
Lake Travis High School | High | 8/10 |
GreatSchools ratings accessed September 2026. Lake Travis ISD holds a TEA rating of A (91/100) for 2025–26.
(Confirm assigned campuses for any specific home.)
I have been selling Austin luxury real estate for 20 years, I live in the Lakeway/Apache Shores area, and Cardinal Hills is a neighborhood I am in constantly. 300+ closed transactions and $250M+ in career sales, most of it in this corridor.
The things that actually decide a Cardinal Hills deal:
Looking beyond Cardinal Hills Estates? My Austin pocket listings page carries the current off-market count for every area I cover, how these homes reach me before the MLS, and a short form to tell me exactly what you are looking for.
“Johnny did an incredible job helping me to negotiate the price down on this house. We got tens of thousands of dollars in discounts that I would not have had without his support. He remained available to me through several months of escrow while the house was being fixed up and was incredibly helpful in identifying new contractors.”
Andrew H. · Austin buyer
Off-market access
Ask me what is quietly for sale in Cardinal Hills
Not every home here reaches Zillow or the public MLS. Some sellers will trade privately but will not sign a listing agreement, and those homes only surface through relationships. Mine run 20 years deep — a cross-brokerage network, Austin Luxury Network access, and Johnny’s Off Market Private Luxury Listings. Some of the coolest and most coveted luxury properties in Austin only ever sell as pocket listings.
Tell me your price range and must-haves and I’ll send you what matches — today, not when it hits the market. Contact me to see which gems match your specific needs, and what I expect to come up in Cardinal Hills in the next 90 days.
More from clients
“We were so fortunate to have found Johnny Ronca 7 years ago when we bought our first home in Austin. He helped us find the right house in the right neighborhood, for the right price. He was so great we came back for his expertise when it was time to sell that first home and to help us with the purchase of our next home. Our family has definitely found our lifetime realtor.”
India G. · Repeat client, buyer & seller
“He sent us tailored options that considered all of our must-haves and was patient with us being super picky too. Once we found The One he went above and beyond to get our offer accepted within our budget — on a Saturday afternoon too! It was a really tight timeline before the holidays and before baby was born, and there’s no way we could have done it without Johnny!”
Margeaux O. · Austin buyer
“Johnny Ronca has been an invaluable asset throughout the sale of our old home and the purchase of our dream home. During the sale, Johnny facilitated a bidding war and got an all-cash offer significantly over our asking price. He helped us find and strategize our way into our new dream home and negotiated a way for us to move in prior to closing.”
Buyer & Seller · Austin buyer & seller
More verified reviews on Zillow (5.0★).
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It is in the Lakeway ETJ rather than the city limits, immediately west of Lakeway off RM 620 and adjoining Apache Shores. ZIP 78734, Lake Travis ISD. People call it Lakeway, and for schools and lifestyle purposes that is fair.
$647,500 over the trailing twelve months ending September 24, 2026, across 42 closed single-family sales, at a median $245 per square foot. The range ran from $326,500 to $1,800,000.
The median close price rose 15.5% year over year, from $560,560 to $647,500. Price per square foot went the other way, easing from $280 to $245. The difference is the mix — the median home sold this year was about 370 square feet larger. Volume also jumped from 17 sales to 42.
No mandatory HOA and no shared amenity center. No dues, and more freedom over your property than in the master-planned communities nearby.
Lake Travis ISD, rated A (91/100) by TEA for 2025–26. Lake Travis Middle School and Lake Pointe Elementary both carry 10/10 GreatSchools ratings. Confirm assigned campuses for any specific home.
For the right buyer, yes — it is one of the most attainable entries into Lake Travis ISD on the south shore, with no HOA, lake access nearby and a fifteen-minute drive to the Hill Country Galleria. Buyers who want a uniform, amenity-rich master-planned community will be happier in Rough Hollow or Lakeway Highlands.
A mix. Mediterranean-style stucco homes with courtyards and tile roofs from the mid-2000s and a 2012–2013 phase, plus traditional Texan and ranch homes, and some manufactured homes. Median size across recent sales is 2,620 square feet on roughly quarter-acre lots.
I am biased, but here is the case: I live in this area, I have 20 years and 300+ closings in this corridor, I publish the actual MLS numbers instead of vague claims, and I carry off-market inventory here that never reaches Zillow. Call or text me at (512) 797-0965 and judge for yourself.
Guides, market reports and local reporting from my blog on Cardinal Hills Estates and the surrounding area:
Your insider guide to buying smart in Austin's market. 11 chapters covering undervalued neighborhoods, 2/1 buydown strategies, off-market deals, school rankings, and expert tactics from a Top 1% agent with 300+ closed transactions.
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