There are so many great places to live in Austin that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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“When I first saw Belterra, I thought it was too good to be true,” says real estate agent Betsy Smith, who has lived and worked in this premier master-planned community of Dripping Springs since 2012.

“It is so beautiful — and the location is amazing,” adds Smith. “There are wide-open spaces throughout, and I love that the elementary school is in the neighborhood right along with the playgrounds and community pool. We have tons of golf carts driving around to pick up their kids from school.”

Anyone who enjoys being outside will love Belterra, thanks to all the hike and bike trails and sport courts.

The community also hosts events regularly — think live music and entertainment, yoga classes, food truck block parties, and poolside movies, all planned weekly by their lifestyle director.

“We have a weekly newsletter that tells you about all the activities, along with a magazine that’s just about our neighborhood,” says Smith. “We even have our own swim team called the Belterra Marlins.”

For her, Belterra represents the “rock-n-roll attitude” of the Austin city experience and the “scenic peacefulness” of the Hill Country.

Smith offered up a few more of her personal favorites about life in Belterra. Here’s her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
Not only can you get house-made Neapolitan pizza at Pieous, they also have house-made pies and sweets fully stocked to-go along with fresh sourdough bread and more.

Vintage, speakeasy-inspired eatery The League Kitchen & Tavern is a homage to the 1920s Prohibition era.

For barbecue, Smith recommends The Switch and for a casual night out, Backspin Sports Bar & Grill is also in the neighborhood.

Where to play
“We are lucky to now have Belterra Village in front of our neighborhood, which has a movie theater, restaurants, shops, a gym, and more,” says Smith. “Definitely catch a show at the EVO amphitheater next to the theater.”

What to see
Smith loves nature walks through the trails: “We have lots of beautiful trails here and there is so much to see on them, especially after a good rain when the rivers are flowing.”

Where to live
Belterra is made up of 14 different sections within the master-planned community and each section has a unique style of homes, some of which you can see in three of Smith’s sales at 140 Empire Court, 110 Welshpool, and 435 Sand Hills.

“You can buy anything from a 1,500-square-foot home to a 5,000-square-foot home,” says Smith. “We have garden homes, larger lot homes, homes with views, homes that back to the greenbelt. The last section that was built is comprised of Toll Brothers homes with more of a modern style and feel. There are still a few open lots you can buy and choose any builder you wish.”

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Betsy Smith works and plays in Belterra. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email betsy.smith@sothebysrealty.com, or call 512-348-5888.