Cedar Park is a flourishing city north of Austin. The newest Schlitterbahn, a 95-acre waterpark, is scheduled to open here in May 2012, bringing 1,200 permanent jobs. Cedar Park Center, the home of the Texas Stars hockey team, opened in 2009. The center holds many entertainment events, including an upcoming appearance by comedian George Lopez this November.

But beyond those entertainment options, "Cedar Park has always been known for having outstanding schools," says Laurie Flood, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty. "That's always drawn families to this area."

Cedar Park students attend the fast-growing Leander Independent School District. The district will have 37 campuses for the 2010-2011 school year, including 23 elementary schools. The elementary schools serve more than 15,700 students.

The student population growth is driven by the overall population growth. This city has grown more than 400 percent in the past 10 years, according to the city's website at www.cedarparktx.us. Cedar Park's current population inside the city limits is more than 52,000.

Brushy Creek Lake Park is another reason people move here. The 90-acre park with a 38-acre lake offers a water playscape, playground, canoe and kayak rentals, pavilions, barbecue grills, and many miles of hike-and-bike trails.

Ryan France, a real estate agent with StoneHaven Realty, now lives in Cedar Park but lived in Austin as a child. "When I was growing up, Highway 620 was the end of the city," France recalled. "Now you go past (RM) 620 and there's everything you could possibly want. As it grows, in the next five or 10 years, Cedar Park won't be seen as a suburb but just part of Austin."

Cedar Park has a wealth of residential neighborhoods. Homes are selling well in this area. Cedar Park sits in two areas of the Austin Board of Realtors' Multiple Listing Service. In June, Area CLN (Cedar Park and Leander north) ranked No. 5 on the board's hotness scale. Area CLS (Cedar Park and Leander south) ranked No. 10 out of 61 areas. In the first six months of 2010, 531 single-family houses have sold in Area CLN, with a median price of $150,000. That's 19.6 percent more homes sold than in the first six months of 2009. In Area CLS, 482 homes sold, with a median price of $213,000. That's an 8.6 percent increase in sales. In the Austin area, 9,771 houses have sold, a 13 percent increase, with a median price of $190,000.

Many interesting properties are for sale in Cedar Park. They range from a $1.2 million home in the Twin Creeks Country Club neighborhood to an $895,000 house on an airstrip in Breakaway Park (one of Central Texas' few fly-in-and-fly-out communities) to homes priced from the $190,000s to the $350,000s in Forest Oaks.

Many families love living in the Ranch at Brushy Creek, Forest Oaks, Ranch at Deer Creek and Cypress Oaks neighborhoods. These are just some of the large communities here.

The homes and condos in this story are just a few of the available properties in Cedar Park.

515 Fallen Oaks Drive

This two-story house in the Ranch at Brushy Creek neighborhood has a wonderful decorating scheme, with hand-scraped wood floors, soft paint colors, crown molding and translucent curtains.

It was decorated by Amy Kofron, the homeowner. She and her husband, Patrick Kofron, had this house built by Meritage Homes in 2009. The home is listed by France for $369,900.

The Kofrons own and operate a Nationwide Insurance branch in Cedar Park.

"Cedar Park has a small-town feel, and people are friendly here, but you're still close to the city," Amy Kofron says. Patrick Kofron is a triathlete and frequently runs on the trails at Brushy Creek Lake Park.

Amy Kofron enjoys contemporary design and gave her kitchen some modern elements: green glass subway tile for the backsplash, glass-front cabinets and stainless-steel appliances.

The Kofrons are moving because they had an opportunity to live on Lake Travis, Amy Kofron says.

This home has four bedrooms, 21/2 bathrooms and 3,680 square feet.

The first floor offers an elegant formal living room with taupe-colored walls and long rust curtains. It is in an open space with the formal dining room. Down the hall are the kitchen, breakfast area and family room. The family room features a fireplace and large niche for the entertainment center.

The master bedroom is on the first floor, past the family room. The master suite consists of the bedroom, spacious bathroom, and a huge master closet. The closet is actually the size of a large bedroom. Shelves and hanging spaces for clothes sit on one side with a desk and office area in the middle, and an exercise space on the other side.

The second floor holds three bedrooms and a full bathroom.

The backyard is adjacent to a greenbelt. The neighborhood has a pool and toddler pool for its residents and is located near Avery Ranch Golf Club.

901 Linden Loop

The most impressive aspect of this house is the two-story wall of windows in the living room that look out on the deck, large green lawn and greenbelt behind the house.

The homeowner is Misty Allen, a business solutions manager at National Instruments Corp. Allen has lived in the house for about four years. She is moving because she is downsizing and wants to simplify her life with a smaller home, she says.

The house is listed with Laurie Flood of Keller Williams Realty for $284,900.

This house offers four bedrooms, three bathrooms and 3,197 square feet. It is located on a cul-de-sac in the Forest Oaks neighborhood. Forest Oaks has two swimming pools, a park, a playscape and a clubhouse.

"I love to sit out on the deck and look out at the trees," Allen says. "It reminds me of trips to Colorado."

The large, fenced backyard is ideal for someone with children or pets. It features a sprinkler system.

The first floor contains the airy, bright living room that opens to the breakfast area and kitchen. A formal dining room offers windows looking out onto the front yard. A guest bedroom and full bathroom complete the first floor.

The spacious master bedroom is on the second floor. This room has its own sitting room, which could be used as an exercise room or a nursery. There is a private balcony off of the master bedroom. The master bathroom is luxurious and features a jetted tub, two sinks and a separate shower. There are two other bedrooms and another full bathroom on this floor.

"Cedar Park has a family-oriented focus," Allen says. "The hockey games are fun to attend, and with (U.S.) 183A so close to the neighborhood, it makes the commute really quick."

Paradiso Villas

This community of detached condominiums has attracted different types of buyers - retired couples wanting to be near their children and grandchildren, single women and single parents wanting to live in the Leander school district, says Cindy Dietz, director of sales for Milestone Community Builders. Milestone is the developer of Paradiso Villas.

The condos look like small houses and are not attached to one another. They are priced from the $160,000s to the $200,000s, and there are single-story and two-story homes to choose from.

Residents in this community never have to mow or water their lawns because all the exterior green spaces are maintained by the condo association.

Paradiso Villas has 58 homesites available. Five condos are complete and move-in ready and another two are under construction. Buyers can choose a completed unit or have one built.

"What we're seeing is people moving closer to their kids," Dietz says, "and other people who want a low-maintenance lifestyle."

Paradiso Villas is at 11400 W. Parmer Lane in Cedar Park, across Brushy Creek Road from Brushy Creek Lake Park.