Emily Moreland

Although Moreland recently moved to a condominium in downtown Austin, she lived in the West Rim neighborhood for 11 years, followed by a home on Red Bud Trail that she shared with her mother.

She said the natural setting and close proximity to downtown Austin is what attracted her and others to Westlake.

"We've got wonderful, distinct neighborhoods, lots of sports activities for the kiddos—and this has carried over into the Lake Travis area also," Moreland said.

Moreland said that the basics of Westlake have remained the same during the past 26 years.

"Pride in the overall neighborhood, the school system, the community atmosphere is still there," Moreland said. "There are a lot of restrictions because we want to maintain the integrity of the whole city."

For instance, there was a lot of opposition to Westbank Market—where the Westlake Randalls is located—when it was brought to the city, and she was asked to speak at the Zoning and Planning Commission meeting in favor of the development.

"The developer did such a gorgeous job of camouflaging it. You have to know where you're going to find it if you're on Bee Cave [Road]. It's still wooded," Moreland said.

She said that although people seem to have "discovered" Lakeway in the past five years, it was already beautiful.

"The Lake Travis [area] has a very similar community feeling as Westlake. The community approved a bond for the school system, even in hard times. They've got the brand-new hospital that has opened. We've got lots of new construction out there," Moreland said.

While real estate devours a lot of Moreland's time, she still participates in many other activities, including running the family ranch outside of Waco, serving on The Long Center for the Performing Arts' advisory committee, serving as president of the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas grandparents club and serving on Ballet Austin's board of directors.

"I've enjoyed very much the arts here in Austin," Moreland said. "The arts, to me, kind of shapes a community. It tells who you are."

Moreland said that while many people worry that Austin is growing too fast, she does not feel that way.

"We've got wonderful controls and, yes, many people will have to move to our suburbs, but our suburbs are beautiful," Moreland said. "There's nothing wrong with our suburbs."

Moreland Properties, 3825 Lake Austin Blvd., Ste. 501, Austin, 480-0848, www.moreland.com