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    only in texas

    This $4.85 million Hill Country ranch with its own lazy river is going wild on social media

    Amber Heckler
    Apr 18, 2024 | 10:30 am

    A sprawling 72-acre property for sale in Boerne has people going wild on social media, and it's not hard to see why: The Lazy River Ranch, located four hours west (about 240 miles) from Houston at 227 Seewald Rd., is a private paradise with a (relatively) modest price tag of $4.85 million.

    227 Seewald Road, Boerne, Lazy River Ranch

    Photo courtesy of Kuper Sotheby's

    The Lazy River Ranch is at 227 Seewald Rd., Boerne.

    The stunning property boasts extravagant amenities like a fully renovated 1,800-square-foot guest house with a two car garage, a driving range and multi-hole putting green, and an 18-acre fenced goat pasture. But the biggest highlight is (as the property's name implies) its own lazy river.

    The "river" was custom designed by San Antonio contractors Keith Zars Pools and includes features you'd only expect to find at a luxurious resort: It's temperature controlled and fully lit, so guests can enjoy floating or swimming at any time of day, all year-round. In the center of the lazy river, connected by a custom built bridge, is a green space with a sunken patio area, fire pit, and a swim-up bar. A beautiful waterfall across from the swim-up bar adds to the relaxed tranquility of the area.

    227 Seewald Road, Boerne, Lazy River RanchThe view from the lazy river is breathtaking in the evenings.Photo courtesy of Kuper Sotheby's

    The property first hit the market in July 2022 for $7.35 million, but that was before the ranch owners – who wish to remain private – split up the property into separate allotments of 27 and 72 acres, according to Kris Forks of Kuper Sotheby's International Realty, who has the listing. The acreage changes resulted in price reductions to its current $4.85 million price, as of April 3.

    An April 14 post on the Facebook page that features over-the-top homes, Zillow Gone Wild, made the Lazy River Ranch instantly social media-famous. As of publication time, more than 700 people had chimed in to comment.

    "If y'all peasants need me, I'll be in my lazy river in a rainbow swan floatie," one Facebook user wrote.

    Forks says he was delighted that his listing was featured. "That's always great to have that kind of exposure," Forks says.

    Other extravagant features that have people talking include:

    • A 5,000-square-foot renovated main house with Viking appliances
    • Custom glass sunroom with sliding accordion doors
    • Covered grilling gazebo area
    • Keith Zars Pools custom built Junior Olympic pool
    • A "rock beach" leading to the lazy river
    • 1,400-square-foot, one bedroom one bathroom pool house equipped with a full kitchen, laundry room, and custom cabinetry
    • Large garage building with extra storage rooms and a second story potential guest suite
    • 400-square-foot custom-built "game room"
    • A custom built shooting range with 30-, 50-, and 100-yard shooting decks
    • A barn with concrete floors for hosting ATVs, a Polaris Ranger, or other "toys"
    • A combination sport court
    • Additional 44-acre pasture for livestock with more barns and storage buildings
    Ostentatious property characteristics aside, there's one more thing that makes the Lazy River Ranch so valuable that people might not have noticed it based on the photos.
    "What I actually love about the property is it's seven miles from Main Street in Boerne," Forks says. "So it has [the] proximity to town, yet it's completely private."

    Of course, social media loves to throw some shade, too. Some commenters wondered about the high cost of maintaining the property, while others expressed sarcastic curiosity about other lavish features.

    "Everyone's talking about maintenance on the pool and lawn, and I'm wondering how they keep the windows on the sunroom clean," one X user replied under Zillow Gone Wild's tweet about the ranch.

    227 Seewald Road, Boerne, Lazy River RanchThe Windex budget for the sunroom must be substantial.Photo courtesy of Kuper Sotheby's

    Meanwhile, Texas social media users were quick to help out-of-towners with their pronunciation of the ranch's address.

    "Stopping in to inform that that town in pronounced 'bur-knee' because #texas in case anyone was wondering," wrote another Facebook user.

    More information about the property can be found on lazyriverranch.info.

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    THE AMERICAN DREAM

    How long it takes to save for a home down payment in Houston

    Brandon Watson
    Dec 30, 2025 | 12:30 pm
    Home for sale sold sign
    iStock
    Houstonians don't have to save long to afford a down payment.

    Saving for a down payment remains one of the biggest barriers to homeownership nationwide, but a new report from Realtor.com shows San Antonio area buyers face a far shorter wait than most Americans.

    According to the real estate site’s 2025 analysis, the typical U.S. household needs seven years to save for a standard down payment, a notable improvement from the 12-year peak in 2022. Still, the timeline remains roughly double the pre-pandemic norm, reflecting higher home prices, larger down payments, and lower household savings rates.

    Houston, however, stood out as one of the most accessible major metros in the nation. The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro boasted one of the shortest time sto save for a down payment among the nation’s 50 largest markets, with households needing just 3.5 years to reach a typical down payment, according to the study.

    The report found that Houston’s median down payment from January through November was $14,927. A median household income of $83,452 was estimated to produce an annual savings of $4,228. Notably, San Antonio, the only other Texas city included in the report, had the shortest time to save for a down payment at just 1.3 years.

    Nationally, the time needed to save has shortened as home price growth cooled and affordability modestly improved. Still, saving for a down payment takes significantly longer than it did before the pandemic.

    “Higher home prices and intensified competition have pushed typical down payments higher, at the same time that inflation and rising household expenses have reduced savings rates,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, in a release. “Although conditions have improved since 2022, today’s timeline shows that saving for a home takes meaningfully longer than it did before the pandemic, especially in high-cost markets.”

    Lower savings rates have played a key role. The U.S. personal savings rate has averaged 5.1 percent of income so far in 2025, down from the pre-pandemic norm of 6.5 percent, limiting how quickly households can build funds for upfront housing costs. Meanwhile, the typical down payment has more than doubled over the past six years — rising from about $13,900 in the third quarter of 2019 to $30,400 in the third quarter of 2025.

    In high-cost coastal metros, the impact is far more severe. Saving for a down payment can take 20 to more than 35 years in California cities like San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and San Diego, effectively sidelining many first-time and moderate-income buyers.

    “In high-cost markets, the typical down payment alone exceeds a full year of household income,” said Hannah Jones, Realtor.com senior economic research analyst. “That reality makes homeownership feel unattainable for many buyers, particularly younger households trying to enter the market for the first time.”

    Despite those challenges, the report notes that roughly three-quarters of Americans still consider homeownership part of the American dream. Realtor.com says easing rents could help first-time buyers save more, while repeat buyers may use accumulated savings to reduce loan balances and manage higher monthly payments.

    “Saving consistently, even in small amounts, is a meaningful first step toward homeownership,” Jones said. “In today’s market, building that financial cushion can make a real difference when buyers are ready to act.”

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