Boot Ranch Update: A New Residential Option and, Coming Soon, Lake Amenities

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Longhorn Lake. All photos courtesy of Boot Ranch.

Lucky me (Lucky I?) was invited to be a guest at Boot Ranch in Fredericksburg this past month, to learn details of news from the 2,000-acre luxury residential development and private golf and swim club set in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. We’ve written about Boot Ranch before. On the agenda now: an introduction to the Village Homes at Metzger Park, a condominium-like option added to the array of residential offerings here; and planned Longhorn Lake amenities: a party pavilion, tree houses and jumping rocks off the spring fed lake’s shore. A road trip was in order to check out the new features. Here’s the scoop:

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Boot Ranch is centrally located, within an approximately 4-hour driving distance of the five largest Texas cities, the idea being extended families and friends scattered in San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas or Midland can easily get together here without too much fuss. Coming from Dallas, I decided to make a leisurely drive of it, stopping at some of the charming towns and food and wine highlights on the way: Glen Rose for lunch, Dublin for fresh Veldhuizen cheese, San Saba, (“The Pecan Capital of the World”) and Brennan Vineyards’ cozy tasting room in Comanche, before reaching the the turnoff from Texas Highway 16 to Boot Ranch, 5 miles north of Fredericksburg. Traveling in this region, with its wide open skies and lovely, rolling terrain, feeds my soul.

Boot Ranch’s entry is manned by jovial sentries — nice for peace of mind — they made a point to let me know they are there 24/7 should I need anything.

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On the drive in, I passed a scenic fishing pond and beautiful greens, part of the Hal Sutton-designed 18-hole, 7,250-yard championship golf course that is ranked among the top in Texas by Golf Digest. Boot Ranch offers both a challenging course for the experienced devotee and, with practice putting greens, a non-threatening environment for newbies building skills. Membership in the golf club extends to five generations of family — this place is set up to accommodate parents, children, and grandchildren.

 

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The main dining area of the Clubhouse.

There’s a posh club complex with an open-air pavilion, four heated pools, a spacious bar and grill, tennis and sport courts, and at the crest of a high bluff, a 55,000-square-foot clubhouse with dining facilities, private rooms and terraces, locker rooms, spa and fitness rooms, plus 10 guest suites available for use by members and their guests, all done in luxurious-but-comfortable Hill Country style with the rustic, native landscaping the region is known for. (Nearby is Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, one of Texas’ most exquisite settings.)

Coming in Summer 2017 are amenities to Longhorn Lake in the northern portion of Boot Ranch’s range. Included are a new 10-foot wide paved trail, a beach, boardwalk, covered party pavilion with fireplace and canoe/kayak tie ups, jumping rocks accessed by raft, a series of tree houses, a rope swing, and a mid-lake swim platform.

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The lake pavilion, almost complete.

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A tree house.

 

Roads, bike paths, and jogging trails wind through residential sites. Boot Ranch now offers several options for homeowners: estate custom homesites from 2 to 18 acres priced from the low $300,000s to $2.5 million; homesites of less than 2 acres starting in the high $200,000s that come with customizable architectural plans for homes that start around $1 million; interests in Sunday House shared ownership compounds with a central gathering house, master cottage and two guest cottages; and, now underway, the Villages at Metzger Park I’ve come to learn about.

An example of Boot Ranch's Hill Country vernacular architecture.

An example of Boot Ranch’s Hill Country vernacular architecture.

 

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Artist’s rendering of a Village Home at Metzger Park

Each Village Home is an 8,000-plus-square-foot building designed by renowned architect Don McDonald of San Antonio. Inside are three properties: two ground floor residences with either two or three-bedroom floor plans, and a second-story penthouse with a private elevator.

Designs for each residence include open floor plans: a great room with a fireplace; a dining area; kitchen with bar seating and a walk-in pantry; oak flooring in living areas and limestone and marble in bath and laundry; exotic granite kitchen counters; Thermador appliances; Kohler and Speakman bath fixtures, a large master suite, a covered outdoor living area with a fireplace and stone floors, and the option to add a pool.

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Artist’s rendering of the back view of a Village Home

Here’s a floor plan which includes both the 2 and 3-bedroom ground floor homes.

 

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To the left is the Blanco two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath plan with 2,024 conditioned square feet. To the right is the Antonio plan, with an additional guest room and bath in a total of 2,318 square interior feet. Note that each has a private entry, a covered porch off the living area, and a master suite porch.

Set between the two ground floor homes is the entrance to the penthouse with both stairs and a private elevator. The Presidio floor plan for this second-story residence is shown below, designed with 3,924 conditioned square feet and 530 square feet of covered porch. Penthouses will have a master suite, a junior master suite and a guest suite, plus a bonus room that would be ideal for a study, a wine cellar or a tasting room. Boot Ranch is set in Texas wine country; there are fine vintners in the area, notably one of the fastest growing wine regions.
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Owners will have the option to place their Village residence in a rental program for use by other members and guests. The first two buildings overlook the 9th hole and construction is expected to commence in February 2017. They are currently priced at $825K and $895K for the two- and three-bedroom, ground-floor residences, respectively and $1.85 million for each penthouse, without the optional pool. For info contact the Boot Ranch sales office.

 

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