Austin philanthropist Ross Moody has purchased a large waterfront property on Lake Austin in a private transaction. The deal involved multiple parcels, including two neighboring homes and a vacant lot on the 3000 block of Westlake Drive, according to county records. All properties were previously owned by one seller.
The main residence is a mid-century modern house built in 1963 for Dr. Donald Counts. Amy Deane with Moreland Properties described it as “a yacht wrapped around the hills.” The home features three bedrooms and three bathrooms within 3,200 square feet, constructed with stone, redwood, and patinated copper. It sits on a two-acre lot alongside a boat house, garden nursery, and two other dwellings.
Earlier this year, the property was listed at $19.9 million before being reduced to $17.5 million in September, according to Zillow. This asking price is more than twice its appraised value of $7.4 million; collectively, the three parcels have an appraised value of $12.6 million based on property records.
The second home included in the sale was built in 1971 and offers about 6,000 square feet with three bedrooms and two bathrooms overlooking the water from a cliffside location. There is little public information available about this home or the adjacent vacant half-acre lot.
Details about listing or final sales prices are not publicly available due to the private nature of the transaction. Deane created a dedicated website for one of the homes that invites visitors to inquire directly about pricing.
Private real estate deals such as this are common in Austin and can help buyers avoid higher property tax appraisals.
Ross Moody serves as a trustee for the Moody Foundation, which was established in 1942 by William Lewis Moody. The foundation is known for funding several notable Texas institutions including Moody Gardens and UT’s Moody College of Communication; it also lends its name to UT’s Moody Center and SMU’s Moody Coliseum.
Deane said: “a yacht wrapped around the hills.”
