Lake LBJ...One of the happiest places on earth

Roy here.  Here is some information and a link for Lake LBJ.  Many of us know how beautiful the "Hill Country" of central Texas is.  The rolling terrain and evergreen vegetation is very special in area that is warm most of the year.  When Jan and I came to the Texas she wanted to be in the Hill Country and I wanted to be near or on the water.  Horseshoe Bay and Lake LBJ were the perfect combination.  LBJ is a spectacular lake with great boating , fishing, jet skiing, moonlit cruises, fireworks, lake shore homes, and the list goes on.  Water is very special in many ways, but to me the water is therapeutic.  Just sitting on the shore and watching the waves or people having fun makes me feel good.  And when you have children and grand children swimming, being towed on an inflatables laughing and enjoying the water, we are reminded again why we love Horseshoe Bay and Lake LBJ.

Lake LBJ Visitors & Tourist Guide

In the Highland Lakes of Central Texas
.Lake LBJ boating and fishing are very popular.

Lake LBJ, named after President Lyndon B. Johnson, is part of the Highland Lakes chain of six lakes starting in Austin and going northwest for over 85 miles. Lake LBJ starts at Kingsland and goes all of the way to Horseshoe Bay, 45 miles northwest of Austin. The lakes include Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Travis and Lake Austin. A seventh lake, which is not considered a part of the Highland Lakes chain, is Lady Bird Lake in Austin.

Sailing on Lake LBJ

Lake LBJ is one of the largest normally a constant level lake in the United States, and is just over 21 miles long with a maximum width of 10,800 feet. Lake LBJ is perfect for sailing, boating, waterskiing, jetskiing, and all water related activities. Lake LBJ is one of the most popular lakes in Texas.

Relaxing by Lake LBJ

Lake LBJ is a very popular lake for boating, waterskiing and jet skiing. Tourists are attracted from all over Texas and the U.S. to take advantage of this big beautiful lake. Many people in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and west Texas own weekend lake homes on Lake LBJ. Many of these people also retire in the area around Lake LBJ.

The shores of Lake LBJ are dotted with nice homes with boat houses and automatic boat lifts. There are several communities along Lake LBJ: Kingsland, Highland Haven, Granite Shoals, Sunrise Beach, Deer Haven, Blue Lake and Horseshoe Bay. Lake LBJ is a great retirement area as well as a recreational area. This area has been rated in the top three areas of the U.S. for retirement.

Lake LBJ is a great place to rent lake rental houses, cabins, or condos near the water. All are open year round. RV Parks located on the waterfront of Lake LBJ in Kingsland, allow you to enjoy watching all of the boating activity on the lake. The sunsets and sunrises are absolutely beautiful over the lake. The lake rental homes along Lake LBJ are popular with people who want family reunions or gatherings of friends at the lake.

Kids love the Water Park at the
Lake LBJ Yacht Club and Marina
.

The lake is perfect for boating and
is not usually overcrowded.

If you do not see a list of over 40 links to click on in a frame
at the left - click here for a lot more information about Lake LBJ.

Lake LBJ Home Page
Highland Lakes Web Page

MONEY MAGAZINE Recommends Marble Falls

Marble Falls & Horseshoe Bay continue to receive kudos for being one of the best places in the country to retire.


In August of 2008, Sarah Max of MONEY MAGAZINE contacted me because she was doing research for an article on great places to retire. MONEY had found that 49% of baby boomers wanted to retire somewhere by the water. That desire was second only to moving nearer to their grandchildren. After screening for good medical care, low taxes, & affordable housing, Marble Falls made the list!

I put Sarah in touch with our dear friends, Pat & Larry Snider who recently finished building a home in The Trails of LBJ. Ginny Rhodes, my ex-partner sold them their lot. Terry Dauphine of Dauphine Homes built the house, did a spectacular job & Larry & Pat love it! Both are avid water skiers and own cutting horses back home in Colorado, so the Trails was the perfect location for them. Currently dividing their time between Horseshoe Bay & their ranch, they plan to move here full time next year when Larry retires. Pat, Larry, & Horseshoe Bay are mentioned in the hard copy version of the magazine, currently at the newsstands.


When talking to clients, especially retirees, I'm hearing more frequent concerns about living on the coast. Whether the problem is global warming or a re-occurring cycle, the result is the same: increased incidence of hurricanes. No one wants to loose everything, but certainly not at a time of life when your health may not prepare you for the challenge. We had a number of friends who have had family here (some still are here) from Houston because of IKE.


Horseshoe Bay & Marble Falls provides the right distance away from Gulf storms. We have wonderful, affordable housing with great waterfront access. And if you still want to visit the coast, you're only a couple of hours away!

LET'S BACKTRACK

I thought, for my next several postings, I should share some general information about Horseshoe Bay: the city, resort, subdivisions, surrounding area, & maybe some information about myself. Today’s post will include general information about Horseshoe Bay.

Horseshoe Bay is a newly incorporated city which includes, but is not limited to, Horseshoe Bay Resort. The Resort is a private, member’s only club. It takes in several subdivisions which will be the topics for future postings. Horseshoe Bay Resort, built on the shores of Lake LBJ has 3 championship Robert Trent Jones golf courses, a one-of-a-kind, par 72 putting course, three stunning swimming pools, a beautiful white sand beach, state-of-the-art spa and fitness facility, full-service marina, first-class restaurants, twelve professional tennis courts & a 300 plus room Marriott Hotel.

The Resort also has a Jet Center that can accommodate DC 9 aircraft & has recently purchased three 30 passenger jets they will use as charter aircraft to market golf packages in and outside of Texas. They also have signed a contract with a small passenger jet liner to include jet service into our airport for resort members & guests. We also have a "fly-in" community around the jet center & the new SKYWATER development (see below) will also be adding their own aircraft friendly enclave, as well.

Resort initiation fees and dues are a remarkable value. E-mail me for more specific information: janlbusse@gmail.com Some properties qualifiy for a membership initiation fee waiver.

We started investing in Horseshoe Bay about 4 years ago, and feel even stronger today than we did then. I think there are several big factors that continue to make our property values so strong.

First, our prices are still significantly below most resort communities, in Texas & around the U.S. Across the board, homes are less expensive here than in most major markets. MORE IMPORTANTLY the Texas economy & housing industry remain strong while the rest of the U.S. is undergoing a market correction. Central Texas in particular keeps getting kudos for our affordability & quality of life: Business Week article. Our property values never soared & our buyers rarely used second tier mortage money, which has been so hard hit outside of Texas.

Second, is the marketing money being pumped into HSB by a number of major, national players:

SKYWATER, a brand new Jack Nicklaus designed golf community, Tom Fazio designed ESCONDIDO golf club, & the Hill Country Marriott . All have national campaigns. ESCONDIDO & SKYWATER are separate, members only clubs, but many of their members are also members at HSB Resort. Both are located in the city of Horseshoe Bay. If you’re counting, we’re now up to FIVE world class golf courses.

Third, our proximity to Austin & San Antonio gives us the best of both worlds: cosmopolitan convenience coupled with small town charm. With today’s technology, Horseshoe Bay is a serious candidate for commuters & business people who office from home. Located in the geographic center of the state, we’re an hour from either Austin’s or San Antonio’s international airports, & half an hour from regional shopping, world class medical facilities, arts, & entertainment.

Fourth, Lake LBJ is a constant level lake, with no more than a foot variation in water level, (See January 14, 2008’s post about lowered lake levels) it is regulated by the Lower Colorado River Authority. Droughts and floods don't affect LBJ, unlike most other lakes. Your investment is secure & our mild climate makes it easy to enjoy the outdoors 12 mos a year.

IT’S ALL ABOUT LIFESTYLE: Enjoy the bustle of hotels, shops, sports, & fine dining, the exclusivity of a privately gated community, waterfront property, or the serenity of endless hills & equestrian estates. The choice is yours – the LIFESTYLE IS HORSESHOE BAY.