Three Creeks
src: three_creeks_amenity_overview.jpgIs Three Creeks a good place to live in Belton, TX?
Three Creeks is a 571-acre master-planned community in Belton's ETJ with a median sold price of $324,400 as of Q1 2026 across 75+ closed sales in the trailing 12 months. The community is zoned to Belton ISD and optimized for BSW medical professionals (18-22 min commute) and Fort Cavazos families (20-25 min to main gate) seeking top-tier schools outside Killeen ISD. Five miles of private trails and Lampasas River access define the lifestyle, but the FM 1670 single-exit bottleneck remains the primary infrastructure constraint—mitigated by the $15M+ Shanklin Road extension currently under construction. The tax rate of 2.279% (MUD #1 inclusive) catches uninformed buyers off guard; calculate monthly payments at this rate, not the City of Belton rate that Zillow incorrectly applies.
Key data points for Three Creeks:
- median_sold: $324,400 (trailing 12mo)
- price_per_sqft: $164 (sold avg)
- avg_dom: 61 days (closed)
- tax_rate: 2.279% (MUD #1 inclusive)
- hoa: $480/yr — The Management Trust
- isd: Belton ISD (verify post-2024 redraw)
- bsw_commute: 18-22 min via FM 1670 / I-35 N
- cavazos_commute: 20-25 min via I-14 W
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $324,400 | Trailing 12mo, 75+ closed sales |
| Avg Days on Market (Closed) | 61 days | Normalized from 2021 lows |
| Avg Days on Market (Active) | 105 days | Builder inventory inflating count |
| Price Per Sq Ft | $164/sqft | Premium over broader Belton stock |
| YoY Appreciation | +4.3% to +12.5% | Phase-dependent variation |
| List-to-Sold Ratio | 99.42% | Concessions replacing price cuts |
| Active Inventory | 29 homes | Mix of new construction + resale |
| Pending | 23 homes | Absorption rate: healthy |
| Total Analyzed | 150 listings | All MLS variants + builder feeds |
| Tax Rate | 2.279% | MUD #1 inclusive, no city tax |
| HOA | $480/year | $120/quarter, The Management Trust |
| Flood Zone | Zone X (majority) | River boundary = Zone AE, verify parcel |
| Walk Score | Low | Car-dependent, suburban design |
Not all of Three Creeks was built equal. Where you buy determines your tree canopy, your builder options, your proximity to the future Shanklin Road exit, and your resale trajectory. Here is the full phase-by-phase breakdown across a decade of development.
Original builds. Mature tree canopy now established—actual shade that lowers cooling bills ~10%. Mixed builders including Carothers Executive. Verify foundation watering history on any resale.
$300K – $430K resaleLarger lots, expanded builder variety. Street trees maturing. Trail system extended south. Some of the best resale value in the community due to lot size and canopy development.
$330K – $410KD.R. Horton enters with the "Colt Creek" section. Entry-level options introduced for the first time. Community scale begins to feel substantial. Trail network expanding.
$252K – $399KExpansion south and east toward Stillhouse Hollow Lake. Trail system reaches full 5-mile network. Omega Builders joins the lineup with large 4-5 bedroom family layouts.
$264K – $386KNewest construction. Builders offering rate buydowns to 3.99% via preferred lenders. Closest to the future Shanklin Road exit. No mature landscaping yet—barren streetscapes.
$267K – $499K← scroll to explore all phases →
You are relocating to Temple for Baylor Scott & White. You work 12-hour shifts in trauma, the ED, or on the floor. Your commute cannot be a second job. BSW employs 8,800+ people—Three Creeks is the prime residential catchment for medical professionals seeking nature-adjacent decompression.
You are PCS'ing to Fort Cavazos and you are determined not to live in Killeen. Your spouse works in Temple or stays home with the kids. Schools are the non-negotiable priority—Belton ISD is why you are here, not just the commute distance.
You picked Central Texas because you wanted land, water, and trail access without a 45-minute drive to find it. Your weekends revolve around the lake, not the mall. Chalk Ridge Falls Park is literally adjacent—suspension bridges and natural waterfalls within walking distance.
"If your agent only types 'Three Creeks' into the MLS, you're missing 30% of the inventory."
Phase Intel: Phase I homes (2015-2018) have mature canopy cover now—actual trees providing measurable shade. That translates to roughly 10% lower cooling bills compared to Phase IX-X, where the streets still have that barren, new-build look. The shade has dollar value. If two comparable homes are priced the same and one is in Phase I with tree cover, take it.
Market Dynamics: Resale sellers are in a difficult position. They are competing directly against builders offering 3.99% rate buydowns through preferred lenders. If you are buying resale, demand a 2-1 rate buydown from the seller. It costs the seller less than a $15K price reduction, and it saves you hundreds per month on your mortgage for the first two years. Most listing agents in this market will accept it.
Hidden Intel: Zillow applies the City of Belton tax rate to Three Creeks listings, which misses MUD #1 entirely. That is a $150/month surprise at closing. Always calculate at 2.279%. Also worth noting: the HOA enforces fencing standards aggressively—pre-stained wood is mandatory, and homes on arterial streets require masonry columns at property corners and every 150 feet. This is not decorative. It is why street appeal in Three Creeks holds better than nearby subdivisions without enforcement.
Forward Signal: The Shanklin Road extension is the most important infrastructure event in this neighborhood since Phase I broke ground. Once complete, east-side buyers get direct I-35 access without touching FM 1670. Buy on the east side now, before prices adjust to reflect the improved access. This is the play.
Total rate: 2.279%. No city tax, but MUD #1 fills the gap at ~0.783% to service water/sewer infrastructure bonds. File your Homestead Exemption with Bell CAD immediately after closing. 100% disabled veterans pay $0 property tax on their primary residence in Texas.
belton_isd:~1.1494%
bell_co_mud1:~0.7830%
bell_county:~0.3237%
road_dist+uwcd:~0.023%
TOTAL: 2.279%
$400K assessed = ~$9,116/yr ($760/mo)
$500K assessed = ~$11,395/yr ($950/mo)
| Destination | Est. Time | Route | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSW Main Campus | 18–22 min | FM 1670 → I-35 N | SMOOTH |
| BSW Hillcrest | 15–18 min | FM 1670 → Loop 121 | SMOOTH |
| Fort Cavazos (Main Gate) | 20–25 min | FM 1670 → I-14 W | GATE DELAYS PM |
| H-E-B Plus (Belton) | 10–12 min | FM 1670 → N Main St | CLEAR |
| Stillhouse Hollow Lake | 2–4 min | Simmons Rd | CLEAR |
| I-35 On-Ramp | ~8–10 min | FM 1670 N | MODERATE |
| Future: Shanklin Rd → I-35 | ~5 min | Shanklin Rd Extension | UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
nature_greenbelts.jpg // lampasas river corridor
volleyball_courts.jpg // community rec zone
trail_system.jpg // 5.0mi private network
pavilion_structure.jpg // community gathering
residential_twilight.jpg // executive build qualityThree Creeks is located in the Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) of Belton, Texas—not within city limits of either Belton or Temple. Residents are zoned to Belton ISD and pay Bell County MUD #1 taxes instead of city taxes. Law enforcement jurisdiction falls to the Bell County Sheriff's Department rather than Belton PD, and trash collection is a private service rather than city-funded. Despite the ETJ status, all streets and infrastructure were built to City of Belton engineering standards under a non-annexation development agreement.
The combined 2024 tax rate is approximately 2.279% per $100 of assessed value. The breakdown: Belton ISD ~1.1494% (largest portion), Bell County MUD #1 ~0.7830% (water/sewer infrastructure bonds), Bell County ~0.3237% (general operations), plus minor contributions from Bell County Road District and Clearwater UWCD. A $350,000 home pays approximately $7,977 per year before homestead exemptions. File your Texas Homestead Exemption with Bell CAD immediately after closing to reduce the taxable value and cap annual assessment increases at 10%.
Three Creeks is zoned to Belton Independent School District (BISD). The historical feeder pattern was Chisholm Trail Elementary, then South Belton Middle School, then Belton High School. However, BISD conducted a comprehensive seven-month demographic study and voted to redraw all attendance boundaries effective for the 2024-2025 school year. New campuses (including James L. Burrell Elementary and Hubbard Branch Elementary) shifted lines significantly. Do not rely on Zillow's school zoning or your neighbor's anecdotal assignment. Verify the exact address using the official BISD "Infofinder i" tool before making an offer.
BSW Main campus (2401 S 31st St, Temple): 18-22 minutes via FM 1670 to I-35 North. BSW Hillcrest (100 Hillcrest Medical Blvd): 15-18 minutes via FM 1670 to Loop 121. Olin E. Teague Veterans Center: 15-18 minutes via the same corridor. All three routes bypass inner-city Temple surface-street congestion by utilizing the highway system. The commute is clean, direct, and predictable. Once the Shanklin Road extension is complete, east-side residents will shave additional minutes off the I-35 approach.
Historically, yes. The entire 571-acre, 1,400-lot community relied on a single exit: Three Creeks Boulevard feeding into FM 1670. During morning school runs and rush hour, this created significant bottlenecks. However, the Shanklin Road extension—a $15M+ KTMPO-funded project—is actively under construction and will carve a new arterial from Three Creeks' east boundary directly to I-35. This fundamentally alters the traffic equation, providing a vital secondary exit and shaving minutes off the Temple commute for east-side residents.
Yes. Three Creeks Residential Community, Inc. is managed by The Management Trust. Annual dues are $480 ($120/quarter), covering maintenance of the 5-mile trail network, community pavilions, greenbelts, and retention ponds. The HOA enforces strict architectural standards: all fencing must be pre-stained wood (no bare cedar that weathers gray), and homes on arterial or collector streets require masonry columns. No rentals under 30 days are permitted—Airbnb/VRBO is explicitly banned. Landlords must provide the HOA a 7-day advance notice of all tenants.
The vast majority of residential lots are in FEMA Zone X—minimal flood hazard, outside both the 100-year and 500-year floodplains, and no flood insurance required by mortgage lenders. However, the extreme southern and western boundary lots that physically parallel the Lampasas River do contain areas classified as Zone AE (Special Flood Hazard Area). If you are considering a premium lot backing directly to the river or a deep ravine, verify the specific parcel on FEMA flood map Community Panel No. 48027C0325E before closing. Encroachment into Zone AE triggers mandatory flood insurance.
Four primary builders operate across Three Creeks' ten phases. D.R. Horton handles the entry-level segment in the "Colt Creek" section, offering Tradition Series homes from approximately $266,920 (3BR, 1,500-3,150 sqft). Stylecraft Builders occupies the mid-range with their Legacy Series, featuring more complex rooflines and varied masonry. Omega Builders targets larger families with expansive 4-5 bedroom layouts and robust architectural geometry. Carothers Executive Homes represents the luxury tier, delivering native stone masonry, three-car side-entry garages, and high-end finish-outs up to $499,000+. Each builder has distinct phases—know which tier you are targeting before touring.
Yes. This is non-negotiable. Three Creeks sits on the Blackland Prairie geological formation, dominated by expansive smectite and montmorillonite clay. This clay swells dramatically when wet and shrinks rapidly during Texas summers, creating deep volumetric voids that pull away from foundation edges. The result: perimeter settlement, diagonal drywall cracks, sticking doors. Your first homeownership purchase should be a soaker hose and a digital faucet timer. Position the hose 12-18 inches from the foundation perimeter and run it for 30 minutes every other day during summer months. Keep the clay consistently moist to prevent the shrink-swell cycle from compromising your slab.
Three Creeks Neighborhood Tour
Full walkthrough of Three Creeks — trails, amenities, construction phases, and the data behind the numbers. By Taylor Dasch, EG Realty.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Three Creeks, Belton TX — Taylor's Verdict
The 18-22 min BSW commute and $324K median price point make this a senior attending play, not a resident play. Fort Hood O-3/O-4 BAH ($2,340/mo) covers the mortgage on a starter phase home. Belton ISD is the primary draw for families.
D.R. Horton Colt Creek entry at ~$267K. Stylecraft/Omega mid-range $300K-$400K. Carothers Executive tier $420K-$499K+. Phase and builder matter — don't treat this as one homogeneous market.
Via FM 1670 → I-35 North. Clean highway run, no surface street congestion. Once Shanklin Road extension completes, east-side residents shave 3-5 additional minutes. Not an Inner Circle neighborhood — trauma surgeons with 15-min mandate should look elsewhere.
HOA bans short-term rentals (no Airbnb/VRBO). MUD tax at 2.279% compresses cap rates. Long-term rental is viable but rent-to-price ratio (~0.62%) does not meet investor buy box. Buy here for lifestyle and Belton ISD appreciation — not cash flow.
"Three Creeks is Belton's best master-planned community — 5 miles of trails, Belton ISD, and a clean highway commute. But the MUD tax (2.279%), HOA restrictions on short-term rentals, and 18-22 minute BSW commute mean it's an owner-occupant play, not an investor play. If you're a BSW attending or Fort Hood field-grade officer with kids, this is your neighborhood. If you're a PGY-1 resident or cash flow investor, keep looking."
Ready to Run the Numbers?
> initiate_analysis --neighborhood="three_creeks" --agent="taylor_dasch"
Three Creeks has more data layers than most agents know how to read. MUD tax structure, builder competition dynamics, Shanklin Road timeline, phase-specific appreciation patterns—there are angles here that generic agents miss entirely. I will run the actual numbers for your specific scenario: your income, your financing structure, your commute requirements.
Want the full market report for Three Creeks Neighborhood?
We want to ensure that you have all the information needed to make the best decisions when it comes to your home goals. When you enter your info below you will get instant access to the area's latest market report, complete with sales and demographic trends.
