There are things about Trilogy at Rough Hollow that everybody already knows before they tour — it's expensive, it's on the water, and it's the premium option in the Austin/San Antonio 55+ market. There are also things that show up only after you've owned there a year, and those are the ones worth reading before you write an offer.
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Talk to a Specialist →What You Already Know
- It's the luxury tier of the Austin 55+ market — $600K–$1.5M+
- Genuine Lake Travis access through the Rough Hollow Yacht Club marina
- Shea Homes build quality, ~750 homes
- Hill Country views most Austin communities can't replicate
- HOA runs $350–$450/month
What Doesn't Make the Brochure
- MUD district tax adds ~$2,800–$3,500/year on top of regular property tax
- That's roughly $250–$290/month nobody mentions until closing disclosures
- Total non-mortgage carrying cost on an $800K home runs ~$19,000–$25,900/year
- The community's exclusivity is partly a function of who can afford the full picture, not just the list price
The MUD Tax: The Single Line Item That Changes the Math
Rough Hollow sits within a Municipal Utility District. MUD taxes fund the infrastructure — water, roads, drainage — that a master-planned community like this requires, and they are layered on top of standard Travis County property tax, not folded into it. On a $900K home, budget an additional $2,800–$3,500 per year. This is not a scare number; it's a standard feature of Texas MUD-financed developments. The issue isn't that it exists — it's that buyers comparing sticker HOA fees across communities often forget to add it back in.
| HOA (annual) | $4,200–$5,400/yr — $350–$450/mo depending on home type |
| MUD district tax | ~$2,800–$3,500/yr — applies to all lots |
| Property tax (est. $800K, 65+ primary) | ~$9,000–$12,000/yr — Travis County, after 65+ exemptions |
| Homeowners insurance | ~$3,000–$5,000/yr — higher-value home, lakefront proximity |
| Estimated total (ex-mortgage) | ~$19,000–$25,900/yr on an $800K home |
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Who Rough Hollow Actually Fits
The typical buyer here is someone with significant equity from a California, Northeast, or Pacific Northwest home sale who wants genuine lake lifestyle, Austin proximity, and modern Shea construction, and who is comfortable treating the MUD tax as a cost of admission rather than a surprise. Buyers stretching to reach the price point should run the full annual cost model — including the MUD tax — before assuming the HOA number on the listing sheet is the whole story.