What if you could see your true monthly cost to own a Rollingwood home before you write an offer or list your property? When you understand your carrying costs, you can price, time, and plan with confidence. In this guide, you’ll learn a simple way to model taxes, mortgage, insurance, utilities, and maintenance for Rollingwood properties served by Eanes ISD. We’ll also walk through a real example so you can plug in your own numbers. Let’s dive in.
What “carry cost” means in Rollingwood
Carrying cost is the total you pay each month to own and hold a home. In Rollingwood, the biggest factors are usually mortgage principal and interest, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and a maintenance reserve. If you are preparing to sell, your carry also includes the cost of holding the home while it is on the market.
A clear model helps you compare homes, decide on down payment and rate options, and plan your hold period if you are listing soon.
Property taxes: the biggest local driver
Property taxes often make up a large share of monthly costs in Rollingwood, where multiple taxing units apply.
Who taxes a Rollingwood home
Rollingwood homes are commonly taxed by the City of Rollingwood, Eanes ISD, and Travis County. You may also see other units, such as the local hospital district. Always confirm the exact line items on the property’s tax statement.
- The City of Rollingwood posts its adopted tax rate each year. For FY 2024–25, the city published 0.2058 per $100 valuation. You can verify current postings on the city’s site in the Tax Rate & Budget Information PDF. (City of Rollingwood)
- Eanes ISD publishes its total M&O and I&S rates. For 2024–25, the total rate shown is 0.8855 per $100. (Eanes ISD tax rates)
- Travis County adopts a rate each budget cycle. Check the county’s taxpayer materials for the current adopted rate. (Travis County taxpayer statement)
How to estimate your tax bill
Texas taxing units express rates per $100 of taxable value. The basic formula is:
- Tax amount = (Taxable value ÷ 100) × total tax rate
Be sure you are using the property’s taxable value after exemptions, not just market price. The Texas Comptroller explains this calculation and terminology. (Comptroller guidance)
Homestead exemptions and the cap
A residence homestead exemption can reduce taxable value. If you qualify, the homestead cap can also limit year-over-year increases in your assessed value. Confirm whether the property has an active homestead exemption and how it affects taxable value. (Homestead overview)
Why values change and how to protest
The Travis Central Appraisal District mails Notices of Appraised Value in spring, and owners can protest values, typically by May 15 or 30 days after the notice. Changes to appraised or taxable values will change your taxes, so include a range in your model. (TCAD protest info)
Other recurring costs to include
- Mortgage principal and interest. This depends on loan amount, rate, and term. For rate context, review the latest weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey. Always model with a live lender quote. (Freddie Mac PMMS)
- Homeowners insurance. Premiums vary with home value and coverage. Recent Texas context shows Austin-area averages in the low to mid $3,000s per year for sample policies, with higher costs for larger or older homes. Get a local quote for accuracy. (Insurance context)
- Utilities. Electricity, water/sewer, gas, internet, and trash scale with home size and usage. Use your recent bills or provider estimates.
- Maintenance and capital reserves. A common rule of thumb is 1% to 4% of home value per year, with higher reserves for older or luxury homes. (Maintenance budgeting)
- HOA or service contracts. Rollingwood homes may or may not have an HOA. Add known landscaping, pool, or security costs if applicable.
A simple step-by-step model
Set your home value input. Use sale price for a purchase or your current estimated value for planning.
Choose financing terms. Down payment, loan amount, interest rate, and term. Use your lender quote for rate and any PMI.
Pull taxable value and tax rates. Use TCAD for taxable value and the adopted rates for each taxing unit, then apply the Texas tax formula.
Add insurance and utilities. Use current quotes and bills.
Add a maintenance reserve. Start with 1% of value per year and adjust for age and complexity.
Add optional items. HOA, pool or landscape service, security, or property management if renting.
Total it up. Sum monthly P&I, monthly taxes, monthly insurance, utilities, maintenance, and other items to get a monthly carry number. Multiply by 12 for annual carry.
Rollingwood example: monthly and annual carry
Below is a sample, labeled with assumptions and public sources. Use it as a template and replace each input with your own numbers.
Assumptions
- Representative taxable value: $2,420,000, based on recent local reporting of the city’s average taxable home value. (Community Impact)
- Down payment: 20% → loan amount $1,936,000.
- 30-year fixed rate: 6.30% for illustration. For current context, reference the weekly PMMS and verify with your lender. (Freddie Mac PMMS)
- Adopted tax rates used in this example: City of Rollingwood 0.2058; Eanes ISD 0.8855; Travis County per county materials for FY 2024–25. Sum used here equals 1.435745% of taxable value. (City rate, Eanes ISD rate, County reference)
- Homeowners insurance: $4,000 per year assumption. (Insurance context)
- Utilities: $300 per month assumption.
- Maintenance reserve: 1% of value per year → $24,200.
Calculations (rounded)
- Monthly principal and interest on $1,936,000 at 6.30%: about $11,983 per month.
- Annual property tax at 1.435745% of $2,420,000: about $34,745 per year → about $2,895 per month.
- Insurance: about $333 per month.
- Utilities: $300 per month.
- Maintenance reserve: about $2,017 per month.
Sample monthly carry
- P&I: $11,983
- Taxes: $2,895
- Insurance: $333
- Utilities: $300
- Maintenance: $2,017
- Total monthly carry: about $17,528 (about $210,340 per year)
What moves the number
- If the rate were 5.30% with the same loan amount, P&I would be about $10,756 and total monthly carry about $16,301.
- If the rate were 7.30%, P&I would be about $13,277 and total monthly carry about $18,822.
- Increasing the maintenance reserve from 1% to 2% adds about $2,017 per month; 3% adds about $4,033 per month.
Selling while you carry: planning tips
If you plan to list, your monthly carry continues during prep, marketing, and escrow. Build in staging, pre-sale repairs, and closing costs. Many sellers also model an exit fee for broker commission and closing costs that commonly total 5% to 6% of the sale price, plus any agreed credits. The goal is to time prep and pricing to shorten days on market and reduce holding time.
As a boutique west Austin team paired with Compass tools, we can help you align prep, marketing, and timing so your carry stays predictable while your outcome improves.
Quick checklist to build your model
- Contract price or current value estimate
- TCAD taxable value and exemptions; confirm homestead status
- Adopted tax rates for Rollingwood, Travis County, Eanes ISD, and any other taxing units
- Lender quote for rate, term, loan amount, and any PMI
- Insurance quote and deductible details
- Utilities by provider or recent bills
- HOA, landscaping, pool, and other recurring service contracts
- Maintenance reserve target (1% to 4% of value)
Ready for a clean, property-specific carry model or help timing a sell-to-buy move? Connect with the local experts who make the numbers easy and the process feel calm. Reach out to VIBE Real Estate Group to get started.
FAQs
What taxing units usually appear on a Rollingwood tax bill?
- Expect the City of Rollingwood, Eanes ISD, and Travis County, plus possible additional units such as the local hospital district; confirm your exact line items on the tax statement and adopted rates on each unit’s site.
How do I calculate my Rollingwood property taxes for modeling?
- Sum the adopted rates for each taxing unit, then apply the Texas formula: (Taxable value ÷ 100) × total rate per $100, using your taxable value after exemptions. (Comptroller guidance)
How does the Texas homestead exemption affect my carry cost?
- A homestead exemption can reduce taxable value and the homestead cap can limit assessed increases, which lowers your monthly tax portion; verify eligibility and current status before you model. (Homestead overview)
When can I protest my appraisal in Travis County?
- TCAD typically sets a protest deadline of May 15 or 30 days from the notice of appraised value; changes from a protest can reduce your taxable value and monthly carry. (TCAD protest info)
What mortgage rate should I plug into my model?
- Use a live quote from your lender for accuracy and refer to the weekly Freddie Mac PMMS for market context, then test ±1% to see how your monthly payment changes. (Freddie Mac PMMS)
