500 Terrace Dr, Austin, TX 78704

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH! Located on a corner lot on a quiet street with downtown views from the 3rd story, the home was built in 2011 and never finished. The sale includes 95% (est.) of all the building materials needed to complete the home. Listed well below Travis CAD 2023 value, this home is a potential goldmine to the buyer who has finishing experience. The sellers spared no expense with building materials or appliances. The home includes a 6 burner DCS double convection oven range with built in grill, a DCS SS refrigerator, Bosch SS dishwasher, a Samsung SS stackable washer and dryer. High end materials were used in the construction and the seller started the Austin Green Building Program, but never finished. Marvin Integrity fiber glass windows were installed with screens still in the original packaging. A high efficiency fireplace is in the main living area surrounded by fossilized limestone from the Permian Basin. The home also includes a private outdoor shower, multiple hidden storage areas, a central vacuum system, rosewood, bamboo and oak flooring, double limestone sinks in the primary bath, and beautiful walnut bamboo cabinetry. The 3rd story 1/4 bath drain is in place to install a shower and make a full bath. The detached garage has 1/4 bath, and dog bath that can be converted to full bathroom with potential to build a studio apartment . This unique home is just steps away from Little Stacy Park, Blunn Creek Greenbelt Trail or a couple of blocks to South Congress, music, shops and dining including Perla's, Lucy's, C-Boys Heart & Soul, Magnolia Cafe, Torchy’s Tacos, Allen's Boots + SO MUCH MORE. Many stunning new builds nearby. Multiple surveys are available. Complete building plans will transfer with the sale.

Travis Heights is home to Big Stacy Pool, a free, spring-fed swimming hole that most Austinites have never visited because they are too busy fighting for space at Barton Springs. That hidden quality defines the entire neighborhood. Travis Heights has been here since the 1920s, sitting on the bluffs above Lady Bird Lake, and it has managed to stay more residential and quiet than the buzzing corridors on every side. South Congress is one block west. Rainey Street is a short walk across the bridge. And yet the interior streets still feel like the Austin people romanticize.

The neighborhood occupies the high ground east of South Congress and south of Lady Bird Lake, running from the lake to Oltorf Street, with I-35 on the east. The streets climb and wind along bluffs, creating a layered landscape of old trees and homes with views toward downtown. The Congress Avenue Bridge bats are a five-minute walk. Downtown is across the bridge, ten minutes on foot. Perla's and June's All Day anchor South Congress to the west. Elizabeth Street Cafe serves Vietnamese-French pastries. Lenoir offers a farmhouse wine garden. Odd Duck does farm-to-table small plates. Otoko is one of the most exclusive reservations in the city. Emmer and Rye rounds out with inventive tasting menus.

Craftsman bungalows from the 1920s and 1930s make up the largest category, with wide porches and original wood siding. Tudor homes add steep gabled rooflines. Contemporary builds appear on teardown lots. Mid-Century homes fill blocks farther from the lake. A bungalow needing work starts around $700,000, while renovated or new construction with lake views can exceed $2.5 million. Lots are modest - a tenth to a quarter acre - but tree coverage and topographic variation make them feel larger.

Travis Heights Elementary carries a reputation for strong community involvement and a diverse student body. Students feed into Fulmore Middle School and Travis High School. The schools attract families who actively choose an urban public school experience: diverse populations and neighborhood identity. Parent engagement runs high. Private options are plentiful nearby, including Austin Montessori.

Blunn Creek Greenbelt runs through the interior, providing a shaded corridor for walking and nature play. Big Stacy Park has both the spring-fed pool and a neighborhood gathering point. Lady Bird Lake's boardwalk connects the south side to the east side. The Congress Avenue Bridge bats are part of the nightly routine March through October. Weekend mornings might start with coffee on a front porch, a walk to the South Congress farmers market, or a jog along the Butler Trail.

Travis Heights sits between South Congress's commercial energy and the quieter feel of Bouldin Creek. South Congress properties near the avenue carry a premium but sacrifice residential calm. Bouldin Creek offers similar vintage stock on flatter terrain with less lake proximity. East Austin has seen rapid appreciation but lacks the established canopy and topographic character. Travis Heights benefits from being close to everything without being consumed by it.

Travis Heights is for buyers who want the real, historic Austin experience with a ten-minute walk to downtown and South Congress. It fits families who value Craftsman bungalows and front-porch living, couples who want to walk to world-class restaurants, and anyone who believes the best neighborhoods are the ones that have been quietly getting it right for a hundred years.