For retirees and pre-retirees considering the Austin Hill Country, the next chapter of luxury living may look very different from the traditional country-club subdivision.
Two major developments: Travis Club and Thomas Ranch: are taking shape near Lake Travis and Spicewood, with early residents expected around 2027. Neither community is located directly in Dripping Springs, but both are part of the broader Hill Country lifestyle that attracts people to the region: open space, outdoor recreation, refined homes, local culture, and a slower pace within reach of Austin.
These developments are also notable because they are being planned as more than collections of houses. Each is designed around a complete lifestyle, although the visions are distinctly different. Travis Club emphasizes private lakefront golf and custom estates. Thomas Ranch is being designed as a larger, mixed-use Hill Country town with residences, retail, dining, trails, cultural spaces, wellness offerings, and future healthcare services.
For affluent retirees, the question is not simply which community is more luxurious. It is which one better fits the way you want to live.
Two master plans, two versions of Hill Country retirement
Travis Club and Thomas Ranch share an emphasis on nature, recreation, and high-end residential living. They also share a long development timeline, meaning both communities will evolve for years after the first homeowners arrive.
But the master plans take different approaches.
Travis Club is a private, approximately 1,500-acre community along the southwest shore of Lake Travis. The development is planned around nearly 700 custom homesites, a private golf course, a marina, club amenities, and more than 30 miles of private trails. Its setting is central to the experience: elevated homesites, lake views, wooded terrain, and direct access to one of the most recognizable bodies of water in Central Texas.
Thomas Ranch covers approximately 2,200 acres in Spicewood. According to the official Thomas Ranch website, the community is planned to include approximately 3,500 residential units, a walkable downtown district, more than 250,000 square feet of retail and lifestyle offerings, preserved open space, trails, river frontage, and multiple housing types.
Thomas Ranch is intended to function more like a small town. Travis Club is designed to feel more like a private residential club immersed in the landscape.
That distinction may be one of the most important considerations for retirement buyers.
Thomas Ranch: a walkable Hill Country town
Thomas Ranch is planned for people who want access to nature without giving up daily convenience.
The proposed downtown district is expected to include restaurants, retailers, services, cultural experiences, and commercial space in a walkable setting. The community’s frequently asked questions also describe plans for specialized healthcare, education, a cultural center, and a future boutique resort.
For retirees, this town-like design offers several potential advantages:
- More opportunities to walk to dining, shopping, and community events
- A broader range of home sizes and price points
- More chances to interact with people of different ages
- Future access to wellness, healthcare, and cultural amenities
- A built-in social environment for residents who want connection without a long commute
Thomas Ranch’s housing plan is unusually diverse for a luxury Hill Country development. Future offerings are expected to include estate homes, single-family homes, townhomes, apartments, multifamily housing, senior living opportunities, and affordable housing.
Within Thomas Ranch, Loraloma is planned as a private residential community with its own distinct club experience. The official Thomas Ranch materials describe Loraloma amenities including a David McLay-Kidd-designed 18-hole golf course, a golf house, riverfront park and clubhouse, integrated wellness and fitness facilities, destination dining, equestrian offerings, and a boutique hotel and spa.
The broader Thomas Ranch plan also highlights:
- More than 40 miles of trails
- Approximately 1,200 acres of preserved and improved open space
- More than two miles of river frontage
- Native and drought-tolerant landscaping
- Water conservation and recycled-water strategies
- A planned downtown with restaurants, retail, and cultural programming
This combination could appeal to retirees who want a luxury home but also value flexibility. A large estate may be appropriate for one household, while a townhome or apartment may be more practical for someone seeking a lock-and-leave lifestyle.
The tradeoff is timing. Thomas Ranch is expected to build out over approximately 12 to 15 years. A retiree moving in around 2027 should expect an exciting but evolving community rather than a fully completed town on day one.
Travis Club: private golf, lake life, and custom estates
Travis Club takes a more private and residential approach.
Its setting includes approximately 10,000 feet of Lake Travis shoreline, elevated terrain, wooded areas, and broad Hill Country views. The official Travis Club website describes a community centered on custom homesites, private club amenities, golf, trails, and water access.
The planned amenities include:
- An 18-hole Beau Welling-designed golf course
- A private marina and boat club access
- The Golf House and golf practice facilities
- The Peninsula Club with pools, courts, and social spaces
- Fitness and wellness facilities
- Racquet sports
- More than 30 miles of private trails
- Duke’s, a lakefront social hub with food, live music, movie nights, firepits, and event space
- The Tree Bar and additional dining venues
Recent reporting from Community Impact indicates that first move-ins are targeted for early 2027. The same report noted that homesites range from just under half an acre to more than three acres, with pricing beginning in the early $700,000s.
Travis Club’s homes are intended to be genuinely custom. Buyers can select their architect and builder, allowing for a home designed around personal preferences rather than a fixed collection of floor plans.
That flexibility can be particularly valuable for retirement. A custom home may include:
- A single-level primary living plan
- Wider hallways and doorways
- A private office or studio
- Guest accommodations for children and grandchildren
- An elevator or future elevator shaft
- Outdoor entertaining areas
- Low-maintenance landscaping
- A dedicated space for hobbies, fitness, or wellness
The key distinction is that Travis Club appears to be focused primarily on custom estate living. Unlike Thomas Ranch, its current public materials do not emphasize apartments, townhomes, or dedicated senior-living options.
For retirees who want privacy, golf, boating, and an architecturally distinctive home, that may be a benefit. For those who want a walkable town center or multiple levels of housing and services, Thomas Ranch may be the better fit.
Why these communities matter for retirement living
The appeal of Travis Club and Thomas Ranch is not only the size of the homes or the number of amenities. It is the way each development attempts to integrate daily life with the Hill Country environment.
Many retirees are looking for more than a smaller house. They want a setting that supports movement, social connection, access to nature, and convenient ways to spend an ordinary Tuesday.
A morning walk on a private trail, lunch with friends, a round of golf, an evening by the lake, or a short trip to a local winery can become part of a sustainable retirement rhythm. The Retire in Dripping Springs guide to custom homes explores why new construction and thoughtful design are increasingly important to people planning a long-term Hill Country lifestyle.
At the same time, amenities should be evaluated realistically. A master plan is a vision, not a guarantee that every feature will be completed on the original schedule. Buyers should review current construction status, membership requirements, ongoing fees, homeowners association rules, utility plans, road access, and the expected timing of future services.
As Travis Club CEO Leisha Ehlert told Community Impact, “Every aspect of the master plan has been carefully considered to preserve the site’s natural and scenic resources while creating a premier private club community.”
That philosophy: preserving the land while building around it: is central to the appeal of the Hill Country.
A financial planning question as much as a real estate question
A luxury retirement home is both a lifestyle decision and a major balance-sheet decision.
The right property may bring tremendous personal value, but it can also concentrate a significant portion of wealth in an illiquid asset. In addition to the purchase price, buyers should consider construction costs, club dues, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, landscaping, utilities, furnishings, and travel between the community and other regular destinations.
A thoughtful plan should consider how the home fits alongside a liquid retirement portfolio. At Mau Sanchez Capital, the general investment philosophy emphasizes transparent, publicly traded markets, long-term equity ownership, traditional fixed income, appropriate asset allocation, and risk management through portfolio construction.
That can be especially relevant when a home purchase or custom build requires substantial capital. Maintaining sufficient liquidity may help a retiree avoid selling long-term investments at an inconvenient time or relying on unnecessarily complex arrangements.
Which community may fit your retirement vision?
Thomas Ranch may be a better match if you want:
- A walkable, mixed-use community
- Multiple housing formats
- More visible retail, dining, and cultural programming
- Planned healthcare and wellness services
- A multigenerational setting
- Access to trails, riverfront spaces, pools, and golf
Travis Club may be a better match if you want:
- A private, low-density environment
- A custom-built luxury estate
- Lake Travis access and boating
- Private golf and club amenities
- Extensive privacy and natural views
- A lifestyle centered on recreation, wellness, and outdoor living
Neither option should be viewed as a traditional retirement community in the narrow sense. They are luxury Hill Country communities that may be well suited to retirees, pre-retirees, executives, and families seeking a more intentional way to live.
The most important step is to match the property and community to your actual retirement priorities: not simply the amenities that look most impressive in a brochure.
If you are considering a move to the Austin Hill Country, schedule a private meeting with a fiduciary financial advisor today by calling (512) 593-8380 or visiting https://calendly.com/portafoliocapital/15min.
Portafolio Capital Management dba Mau Sanchez Capital is a Registered Investment Adviser. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Advisory services are provided only pursuant to a written advisory agreement.
To learn more about Portafolio Capital Management dba Mau Sanchez Capital and its approach to retirement planning and investment management, visit https://portafoliocapital.com/ or call (512) 593-8380.
This article may include stories, scenarios, and perspectives created or assisted by artificial intelligence. Although the individuals and circumstances described may be fictional, the topics are intended to reflect real financial, personal, and lifestyle issues that retirees and individuals commonly face.
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