Travis County

West Lake Hills Mortgage Broker: Jumbo Loans in Eanes ISD

West Lake Hills has one of the lowest combined tax rates in Travis County — roughly 1.55% to 1.85% — and among the largest tax bills.

Both are true, because the rate applies to values that are multiples of the county median. A low percentage of a very large number is still a very large number, and that arithmetic is where most West Lake Hills financing conversations actually start.

Nearly every purchase here is a jumbo loan. Here is what that changes.

Jumbo, and the threshold

The 2026 conforming loan limit for a single-family home in Travis County is $832,750. Below it, loans are conforming and sold into the agency market. Above it, jumbo.

In West Lake Hills, almost everything is above it.

What jumbo underwriting does differently:

Reserves. Conforming might ask for two months of payments after closing. Jumbo commonly wants six to twelve months, and on larger loans more. These must be documented and seasoned — typically 60 days of statements.

Credit. 700 is a practical floor; the meaningful pricing tiers generally start at 740 and improve again at 760 and 780.

Documentation depth. Full tax returns, often two years, plus K-1s, business returns where applicable, and sometimes a CPA letter. For self-employed borrowers this is the most involved part of the process, and starting document collection early matters more than anything else you can do.

Down payment. Frequently 10-20% minimum depending on loan size, with better pricing at 25% and above.

Appraisal. Larger loans sometimes require two appraisals. On distinctive architecture — and West Lake Hills has a great deal of it — the comparable sales set can be thin, which makes appraisals less predictable than in a subdivision of similar homes.

Alternatives worth knowing

Asset depletion converts liquid assets into qualifying income by dividing eligible balances over a term. For a borrower with substantial assets and modest taxable income — retirees, people who realized a liquidity event — this frequently qualifies where conventional underwriting does not.

Bank statement programs use 12 or 24 months of deposits instead of tax returns, which fits self-employed borrowers whose returns understate real cash flow.

Portfolio lending at higher loan amounts, where a lender holds the loan rather than selling it, allows more flexibility on unusual properties and unusual income.

We shop across these rather than fitting every file into one box, which matters more at this price point than at any other.

The Eanes ISD question

Eanes Independent School District is the single largest driver of demand in West Lake Hills, and boundaries matter enormously to buyers.

Two points of substance for financing:

Verify the attendance zone by address, not by city. Eanes boundaries do not align neatly with municipal limits. Parts of unincorporated Travis County and parts of Austin proper fall inside Eanes; some addresses with a Westlake mailing address do not. Confirm with the district directly rather than relying on a listing.

The school district is the taxing entity that dominates your bill. Eanes ISD is the largest line on a West Lake Hills tax statement by a wide margin. Under Texas school finance, districts with high property wealth per student contribute a portion of their collections back to the state for redistribution — which is why the rate does not fall as much as some homeowners expect when values rise.

The terrain, and what it does to a loan

West Lake Hills is built on genuinely steep limestone terrain, and that produces real underwriting considerations.

Engineered foundations are common on hillside lots. Slab-on-grade gives way to pier systems, retaining walls and drainage engineering. An inspector flagging retaining wall movement or drainage failure can create a repair condition.

Septic systems. Not all of West Lake Hills is on municipal wastewater. Properties on on-site sewage facilities need permitting evidence through Travis County, and some programs require inspection. On steep lots, drain field placement is constrained, and older systems sometimes do not meet current standards.

Access and driveways. Steep driveways and limited turnaround are common. Appraisers note them; they rarely block a loan but they can affect value.

Tree preservation. The City of West Lake Hills has protective ordinances covering heritage trees. This does not affect your mortgage but it affects what you can build or remove, and it is better understood before closing than after.

Where people buy

Central West Lake Hills along Westlake Drive holds the established core — a mix of mid-century originals, substantial renovations and newer custom construction.

The Lake Austin corridor off Redbud Trail carries waterfront and water-view property at the top of the market, with the thinnest comparable sales and the most involved appraisals.

Yaupon Valley and the surrounding streets hold a range of eras on wooded lots.

Rollingwood, immediately adjacent, is a separate incorporated city with its own rate — worth comparing if you are shopping the area.

Taxes, concretely

Combined rates of 1.55% to 1.85% sound modest until you apply them.

On a $1,400,000 home at 1.7%, that is $23,800 a year — roughly $1,983 a month before principal and interest. That number belongs in your qualifying conversation from the outset, because it frequently determines the price ceiling more than the rate does.

Verify the parcel with the Travis Central Appraisal District, and file your homestead exemption the year you purchase. On a bill this size, the 10% appraisal cap on a homestead is worth real money over a hold.

The area

West Lake Hills incorporated in 1953 and has stayed deliberately small and low-density. The terrain — steep, wooded, laced with limestone — is why it looks nothing like the rest of Austin despite being minutes from downtown.

Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve protects 227 acres of Hill Country habitat with trails and a research station operated by St. Edward's University. Barton Creek Greenbelt access points sit nearby, and the Hill of Life trail at Scottish Woods is a well-known and genuinely punishing climb.

Lake Austin forms the northern boundary, a constant-level lake unlike Lake Travis upstream, which makes waterfront here behave differently — no seasonal drawdown.

Downtown Austin is roughly 10 to 15 minutes via Bee Cave Road or Loop 360, and the Pennybacker Bridge on 360 is the postcard view of the area.

Not sure which fits? Compare every loan program we place.

Frequently asked questions

What is the conforming loan limit in Travis County? $832,750 for a single-family home in 2026. Most West Lake Hills purchases exceed it and require jumbo financing.

What are property taxes in West Lake Hills? Combined rates typically run 1.55% to 1.85% — among the lowest in Travis County, though applied to high values. Verify with the Travis Central Appraisal District.

What credit score do I need for a jumbo loan here? 700 is a practical floor. Pricing tiers generally improve at 740, 760 and 780. Reserve requirements are also higher — often six to twelve months of payments.

Can I qualify without traditional income documentation? Often yes. Asset depletion converts liquid assets to qualifying income, and bank statement programs use deposits instead of tax returns. Both are common at this price point.

Is my address in Eanes ISD? Verify with the district by address. Eanes boundaries do not match municipal limits, and some Westlake mailing addresses fall outside the district.

Do I need a septic inspection? If the property is on an on-site sewage facility, generally yes, along with evidence of Travis County permitting. Not all of West Lake Hills is on municipal wastewater.

How is West Lake Hills different from Rollingwood? They are separate incorporated cities with different tax rates, both largely within Eanes ISD. Worth comparing parcel by parcel.

Start the documentation early

Jumbo files live or die on documentation, and self-employed borrowers in particular should start gathering returns, K-1s and statements well before making an offer. We can tell you exactly what your file will need on the first call.

Start your application · Run the numbers · Call 737-347-1314

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