Austin philanthropist Ross Moody has acquired a significant waterfront compound on Lake Austin in a private transaction. According to county records, Moody made the purchase through an LLC he manages, with the LLC’s address linked to another property he owns. The acquisition includes neighboring homes on the 3000 block of Westlake Drive and a vacant lot across the street. In total, the combined properties cover three acres and offer 550 feet of lake frontage.
All parcels were sold by a single seller and are described as forming one border in the survey available on a listing website for one of the properties. Amy Deane of Moreland Properties handled the listing. Neither the sale price nor individual listing prices have been disclosed.
Deane described the main residence as “a yacht wrapped around the hills.” Built in 1963 for Dr. Donald Counts, who was also the seller, this mid-century modern home features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and spans about 3,200 square feet. The house is constructed with stone, redwood, and patinated copper and sits on a wooded cliffside overlooking Lake Austin. County information and surveys indicate that this two-acre lot also includes a boat house, garden nursery, and two other family dwellings.
Earlier this year, this property was listed at $19.9 million—making it Austin’s most expensive active listing at that time—but its price was reduced to $17.5 million in September according to Zillow.
The second residence included in Moody’s purchase is situated on a one-acre lot and consists of a 6,000-square-foot home built in 1971 with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It overlooks Lake Austin from atop a cliff; Dr. Counts acquired this property in 2006. Public information about this house or an adjacent half-acre vacant lot is limited.
Estimates based on appraised values suggest that while the primary home’s asking price stood at $17.5 million—over twice its net appraised value of $7.4 million—the three combined parcels have an appraised value totaling $12.6 million.
Private listings like this are common in Austin real estate markets as they can help owners avoid higher property tax assessments.
Moody serves as trustee for the Galveston-based Moody Foundation—a charitable organization established by William Lewis Moody in 1942—which has supported projects such as Moody Gardens and contributed endowments to educational institutions including UT’s Moody College of Communication and SMU’s Moody Coliseum.
