New Construction vs. Existing Homes in Hudson Bend, TX

Should you buy new construction or an existing home in Hudson Bend, Texas? Hudson Bend is an older, unincorporated Lake Travis community with very little new construction inside its boundaries, so most buyers choose between an existing Hudson Bend home and a new build in a nearby master-planned community.

Why This Decision Looks Different in Hudson Bend

If you're relocating from California, you've probably been told that Texas is where you go to buy new. And in much of the Austin metro, that's true — builders have been active across Travis and Williamson counties for a decade.

Hudson Bend is the exception. It sits on a peninsula off Hudson Bend Road in unincorporated Travis County, zip code 78734, and it grew the way lake communities grew in the 1970s and '80s: one lot at a time, often as weekend cabins that later became full-time homes. There was never a developer master plan, which means there's no 400-lot section waiting to be built out. A meaningful share of the housing stock predates 2000, and as of this writing there are only a handful of new-construction listings in Hudson Bend proper, mostly condo units rather than single-family homes (Redfin).

So the real question isn't "new or resale in Hudson Bend." It's: do you want to be in Hudson Bend, or do you want a new build? Those two goals pull in different directions, and understanding why will save you a lot of weekends.

What You Get With an Existing Hudson Bend Home

Location and lot quality you can't recreate

This is the whole argument. Hudson Bend's older homes sit on the lots that were chosen first — closer to the water, with the deeper coves, the better slope to the shoreline, and in many cases grandfathered dock access. Prices in the area generally run from around $450,000 up past $2.5 million, and where a home falls in that range is driven far more by water proximity and dock rights than by square footage or finish level.

New construction in the Lake Travis area is, almost by definition, on land that was left over. It's often a mile or more from the water, on flatter interior lots in communities like Rough Hollow, Serene Hills, or Sweetwater.

Bigger, more private lots

Hudson Bend lots tend to be larger and more irregular than what you'll find in a modern subdivision, with mature oaks and cedar elm that a new build won't have for twenty years. Coming from California, this is often the thing that surprises buyers most — the same money that bought a zero-lot-line home in Orange County buys real land here.

A shorter, more negotiable path to closing

You can see the house, inspect it, and close in 30 to 45 days. You can negotiate on price, repairs, and closing costs. Homes in the Hudson Bend area have generally been taking 45 to 75 days to sell, which means well-prepared buyers usually have room to negotiate rather than compete.

The tradeoffs

Older homes in Hudson Bend come with older-home realities: septic systems that need a thorough inspection and possible replacement, aging roofs and HVAC, foundations on limestone-and-clay soil, original electrical panels, and floor plans that reflect a different era. Many properties are on well or a water district rather than city utilities. None of this is a dealbreaker — it's a budget line. Plan for it before you write an offer, not after.

What You Get With New Construction Near Lake Travis

Predictable condition and warranty coverage

Everything is new, everything is under warranty, and you're not inheriting anyone's deferred maintenance. For a buyer who just spent six months coordinating a cross-country move, that has real value.

Builder incentives instead of price cuts

Travis County had 6,586 active listings in July 2026 (Unlock MLS via CultureMap Austin). In a market with that much standing inventory, builders compete — but they usually compete with rate buydowns, closing cost credits, and design center allowances rather than headline price reductions, because a lower recorded sale price hurts the comps for the rest of their section. Knowing which lever to pull is most of the negotiation.

Efficiency and modern layouts

Newer construction means better insulation, modern windows, and lower utility bills — which matters more than you'd think during a Central Texas August.

The tradeoffs

Timeline. A to-be-built home is typically six to twelve months out. If you're selling a California home and coordinating a move, that gap has to be financed and planned around.

MUD and PID taxes. This is the single most important thing for a California buyer to understand. Texas has no state income tax, but it funds services through property taxes, and effective rates across Travis County generally run from about 1.3% to 2.1% depending on which entities tax your specific address, with a median homesteaded bill around $10,100 (Ownwell). Many newer master-planned communities sit inside a Municipal Utility District or Public Improvement District, which layers an additional levy on top to pay off the infrastructure bonds. Two homes at identical prices — one in Hudson Bend, one in a newer MUD community — can have annual tax bills that differ by thousands of dollars. Always ask for the full taxing-entity breakdown for the specific lot before you fall for the floor plan.

Everything is an upgrade. The base price and the model home price are rarely the same number. Landscaping, fencing, blinds, and gutters are often buyer expenses.

The Honest Head-to-Head

	Existing Hudson Bend home	New construction nearby
Water access	Best available; some with dock rights	Rare; usually interior lots
Lot size and trees	Larger, mature, irregular	Smaller, uniform, new plantings
Move-in timeline	30–45 days	6–12 months for to-be-built
Condition risk	Inspection-dependent	Low, warranty-backed
Property tax exposure	County + Lake Travis ISD	Often adds MUD or PID levies
Negotiation	Price, repairs, credits	Incentives and upgrades
HOA	Often none or minimal	Common, with dues and restrictions

Both areas are served by Lake Travis ISD, so the school district is generally not the deciding factor between them.

How to Read the Market Data Without Getting Misled

One more thing worth saying, because it trips up relocating buyers constantly.

Hudson Bend is small. Some public market reports show only a handful of closed sales in a given month — Redfin, for instance, reported a median sale price of $377,000 in September 2025 on just four sales, down more than 40% year over year (Redfin). That is not a 40% market crash. That's four transactions, and if three of them happened to be non-waterfront, the median moves violently.

For an actual read on conditions, look at the wider county: the Travis County median sale price was $520,000 in July 2026, essentially flat year over year, with closed sales up 11.4% (Unlock MLS via CultureMap Austin). Across the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro, the median was $435,000, up about 1%. That's a market that has stopped falling and is moving on volume — which is a reasonable environment to buy in, whether you go new or existing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any new construction in Hudson Bend, TX? Very little. Hudson Bend is a built-out, unincorporated community with no master-planned developer sections. What new inventory exists tends to be individual custom builds, teardown-and-rebuild projects on existing lots, or small condo developments. Most new construction near Lake Travis is in Lakeway, Bee Cave, and Spicewood instead.

Do new construction homes in the Lake Travis area have higher property taxes? Often, yes — not because the rate on the house is different, but because many newer communities sit inside a MUD or PID that adds its own levy to fund roads and utilities. Effective rates in Travis County range from roughly 1.3% to 2.1% depending on the taxing entities at a specific address, so always request the full breakdown for the exact lot.

Is it cheaper to buy new or existing in the Hudson Bend area? Base prices on new builds can look competitive, but the comparison isn't complete until you add upgrades, landscaping, fencing, HOA dues, and any MUD or PID taxes. An existing Hudson Bend home may carry more inspection and repair cost upfront but a lower long-term carrying cost — and it's usually the only way to get near the water.

Can I keep my California home's tax basis if I move to Texas? No. California's Proposition 19 basis transfer applies only to moves within California. A Texas purchase is assessed at Texas market value, though Texas offers a homestead exemption and an annual cap on assessed-value increases for your primary residence.

Let's Talk Through Your Situation

Every California-to-Texas move has its own math — timing on your sale, what you're financing, whether dock access matters more than a new kitchen. If you're weighing a new build against an existing home around Hudson Bend or anywhere on Lake Travis, call, text, or message me and we'll walk through the real numbers for your situation, including the tax picture on any specific address you're considering.

Amanda Zito REALTOR® | Real Broker, LLC Lake Travis, Hudson Bend, and the greater Austin area